Donald Trump’s state visit in chaos as Labour MPs try to block speech

Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK has been thrown into question as left-wing Labour politicians have begun attempts to derail the crucial diplomatic summit A number of MPs and Lords are trying to block the US President’s speech to Parliament, a key moment of the anticipated visit.

President Trump was previously blocked from addressing both houses by John Bercow, who used his position as Speaker of the Commons to snub the US chief during his first term in office. Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, a minister in Tony Blair’s government, has coordinated a letter to the Lords Speaker, Lord McFall, warning it would now be “inappropriate” for Trump to deliver an address in the British seat of government. The letter warned: “If it is suggested that he be invited to address both houses of parliament I hope that you and Lindsay will suggest that would be inappropriate on this occasion because of his attitude towards and comments about the UK, parliamentary democracy, the Nato Alliance and Ukraine.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, is similarly facing demands from hardline Labour MPs to block any such invitation to the President.

Kate Osborne is one such MP, writing to Sir Lindsay to ask him “to agree [a speech] 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.”

The Telegraph also reports another Labour MP who 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.”

While the Government is yet to reveal the date of Donald Trump’s pending state visit, the US President revealed it’s been pencilled in for September this year.

Earlier this month, Labour MPs were blasted as hypocrites when they condemned Israel for blocking two of their cohort from entering the country.

However dozens of Labour MPs previously demanded that Donald Trump be blocked from entering the UK during his first term in office.

David Lammy himself spent the weekend drumming up outrage over Israel’s actions, however was one of the most prominent supporters of banning Trump from visiting Britain.

In 2017 Mr Lammy told MPs: “People are offended and concerned that Britain should abandon all its principles and afford this man a state visit after seven days. Really? And why? Is this great country so desperate for a trade deal that we would throw all of our own history out of the window?

Minister Chris Bryant slammed Kemi Badenoch’s support for Israel, tweeting: “I think it’s more shocking that a putative leader of our country should choose to applaud another country detaining and deporting British MPs rather than stand by the UK’s elected representatives. What price free speech? What price democracy?”

However in 2017 he wrote to Theresa May “asking her to ban Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom on account of his support for far-right groups in this country”.

In total, over 70 Labour MPs backed a campaign to block Donald Trump from addressing parliament during his first term, including multiple members of the now-Government.

President Obama was the last to be afforded the honour in 2011, though Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were also granted an address each in 1982 and 1995 respectively.