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Trump would face ‘huge boycott’ if invited to address parliament

DONALD TRUMP would face a “huge boycott” by MPs and peers if he was invited to address Parliament when he visits Britain, a Labour peer said today.

The US president has suggested Buckingham Palace is “setting a date for September” to schedule the visit.

Lord Foulkers is co-ordinating efforts by a number of MPs and peers to block him from addressing parliamentarians as his predecessors Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did.

He told Times Radio: “For us to be gathered to listen to someone coming over and talking nonsense to us would really be quite an insult.

“I suspect if he was to be invited there would be a huge boycott by most members of Parliament and the House of Lords.

“While the government is obliged to deal with governments of all kinds, Parliament should not welcome a leader who is anti-democratic and flouts the courts and the rule of law.”

A message sent to Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lords Speaker, said: “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.”

Labour MP Kate Osborne is said to have asked Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to follow his predecessor John Bercow in opposing an address from the president.

Precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Mr Obama.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed Mr Trump what he described at the time as a “truly historic” personal invitation from the King for a second state visit when they met at the White House in February.

However, reports suggest that the venue for the trip is now expected to be Windsor Castle, rather than Balmoral or Dumfries House, as previously thought.

Speaking 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.”

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