A PETITION to rescind Donald Trump’s invitation for a royal visit to Scotland has gathered more than 129,000 signatures online.
The campaign’s author said people should sign the petition if they believe Trump is “unfit to be celebrated with another state visit”.
The petition has gathered more than 129,000 signatures with hundreds of comments in support of Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a heated conference with the US President on Friday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from the King to come to one of his Scottish properties at a future date when he met with him at the White House earlier this week.
The meeting between Trump and the King is due to take place at either Dumfries House in Ayrshire or Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.
The invite has sparked outrage as John Swinney said it was “simply unimaginable” that Trump should be granted a royal visit after his showdown with the Ukrainian president where the US president accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three”.
The petition has seen a spike in interest, after Trump and his second-in-command JD Vance “bullied” the Ukrainian leader, cutting the meeting short and sparking international outrage.
Posted on the website 38 Degrees, the petition read: “Unbelievable. Keir Starmer has handed Donald Trump a letter from King Charles, inviting him for a second state visit to the UK. It’s totally unprecedented, and should not go ahead.
“This is the same Donald Trump that in recent weeks has buddied up with Putin, cranked up tariffs on trade, slashed aid across the world and berated Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the White House.
“Meanwhile, his best buddy Elon Musk has been sticking his oar into UK politics and spreading lies on social media.”
Musk (above), who has fired vitriol at Starmer on social media over the response to far-right riots in England last summer, was absent from the Prime Minister’s meeting with Trump on Thursday.
The petition outlines its target goal of reaching 200,000 signatures.
In 2017, a separate petition looking to block Trump's state visit to the UK garnered 1.8 million signatures and was debated in parliament.
Scotland’s First Minister Swinney (below) has said the invite should be withdrawn unless Trump is willing to categorically back Ukraine.
He told the Sunday Mail: “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.”
