KEIR Starmer has said he “will not be diverted” by the SNP’s calls to cancel Donald Trump’s royal visit to Scotland as he accused the party of “trying to ramp up the rhetoric”.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Prime Minister refused to say he would rescind an invitation to the US President from King Charles for an unprecedented second royal visit.
Starmer's comments follow calls from the First Minister John Swinney who said it was “simply unimaginable” that Trump should be granted a visit with the King following the “shocking” events in the Oval Office on Friday.
Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky clashed in a live broadcast where the US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “gambling with World War Three”.
Starmer handed Trump an invitation from the King to come to one of his Scottish properties at a future date just a day before.
The Prime Minister’s “bond” with Trump was quizzed by Kuenssberg on Sunday morning as she said not a lot of people in the UK like the way the US President acts and if he supports their calls to scrap his invite to meet Charles.
She questioned why Trump deserves an unprecedented second visit when it wasn’t offered to other US presidents like George Bush or Ronald Reagan.
Adding: “Frankly, was it a diplomatic entitlement?”
Starmer refused to say he would axe the invitation as he said the only thing that “drives” him is bringing lasting peace.
He said: “I've seen people ramping up the rhetoric and taking to Twitter and saying what they would do.
“Good for them. I'm not that interested in that.”
Starmer added: “I'm interested in what are the practical steps, what is the bridge building that I can do, what are the relationships that I can mend and take forward to take us to lasting peace in Europe.
“In the end that's my central concern.
“I'm not going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake here, we are talking about peace in Europe.”
The meeting between Trump and the King is due to take place at either Dumfries House in Ayrshire or Balmoral in Aberdeenshire at a future date.
However, Swinney told the Sunday Mail the invite should be withdrawn unless Trump is willing to categorically back Ukraine.
Some reports have suggested Trump is considering halting US aid to Ukraine, which recently marked the three-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Swinney said: “If the US withdraws support from Ukraine, abandoning an ally and betraying democracy, the State Visit cannot go ahead. That is simply unimaginable.
“If, despite what president Trump said, a state visit can help solidify US support for Ukraine; if the US maintains its support for Ukraine, then perhaps it can proceed. Right now, given yesterday’s [Friday’s] shocking events, however, it is hard to believe the visit can happen.
“Calm consideration of what is best for European security is what is now needed. That means standing steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside our European allies and that is exactly where Scotland will be.”
