MPs and peers are campaigning to block Donald Trump from addressing parliament during his state visit to the UK, warning the US president “does not respect democracy”.
The US president has suggested Buckingham Palace is “setting a date for September” for him to stay in Britain.
However, some parliamentarians have voiced concerns that it would be “inappropriate” for him to speak in the Palace of Westminster as his predecessors Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did.
First reported in The Times, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, who was a minister in Sir Tony Blair’s government, wrote to Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, warning it would be “inappropriate” for the US president to address both houses of Parliament “because of his attitude towards and comments about the UK, parliamentary democracy, the NATO Alliance and Ukraine”.
“I have written to the Lord Speaker urging him not to agree that Trump should address parliament as previous presidents have done, because he does not respect democracy, the courts or the rule of law and he does not condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as all parties at Westminster do,” Lord Foulkes told The Independent.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Kate Osborne asked Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to follow his predecessor John Bercow in blocking an address from Mr Trump.
In a letter to Sir Lindsay, she said: “I am asking you as the Speaker to agree it would be inappropriate and mirror the previous Speaker’s recommendation.”
“It is of course up to our government to decide if they use the state visit to engage with Trump on a wide range of issues as above but that does not translate to giving him the honour of addressing the UK parliament, the decision of which I believe should reside with you.
“The risk of low attendance could also have negative or unintended consequences”, she wrote.
Labour MPs and ministers have generally avoided openly criticising Mr Trump as the UK government attempts to secure a trade deal with the US to dodge sweeping tariffs imposed on countries across the world.
However, according to The Times, several MPs are now making representations to Sir Lindsay to block the US president from speaking in the Commons.
One Labour MP reportedly said: “Parliament has nothing to learn from a serial liar, cheat, womaniser and bankrupt. We don’t need Trump to lecture and dictate his unilateral terms to our elected representatives.
“If Trump’s serious about engaging with the UK in good faith, he should start by removing his foolish tariffs, which will only punish both US and UK consumers.”
More than 70 Labour MPs backed efforts to block Mr Trump from addressing parliament during his first term in office, with an early day motion being signed by parliamentarians who are now in Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet - including health secretary Wes Streeting, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
When Sir Keir met with Mr Trump in February, the prime minister handed the president what he described at the time as a “truly historic” personal invitation from the King for a second state visit.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office last week, Mr Trump said: “They’re going to do a second, as you know, a second fest … that’s what it is: a fest, and it’s beautiful, and it’s the first time it’s ever happened to one person.
“And the reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour … I’m a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William, we have really just a great respect for the family.”
A spokesperson for the Lord Speaker said: “Should a request be made to address the Houses of Parliament, it will be considered in the usual way.”
Downing Street and Sir Lindsay have been contacted for comment.
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