LONDON Donald Trump doesnt have many fans in Britains Parliament.
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Labour Party MP Paul Flynn, who led the debate, warned against placing a “halo of victimhood” upon Trump.
But most of the MPs who spoke were critical of the call in a petition signed by 575,000 people for Trump to be banned from the UK.
Trump has threatened to pull £700m of investment in Scottish golf courses if he were to be slapped with a ban. He called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.
Trump also angered British politicians and police by telling a United States broadcaster that parts of London were “so radicalized the police are afraid for their own lives”, a claim rejected as “simply ridiculous” by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
British lawmakers are obliged to consider for debate any petition on the government’s official petitions website that reaches 100,000 signatures.
But a debate among lawmakers on calls to ban Trump from the country revealed little appetite to close Britains doors to the provocative Republican U.S. presidential contender.
“What I will be doing today is asking that Theresa May exercise constancy in her approach to people who preach hatred”, Scottish National Party lawmaker Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is in favour of a ban, told BBC Radio on Monday. Philip Davies, a Conservative, said he doesn’t share Trump’s views, but admires the Republican candidate’s direct approach.
Lee finished off by pointing out that Britain has welcomed Saudi and Chinese leaders whose crimes are “far far worse than anything Mr Trump can dream up”.
There will be no direct action as a result of the debate and there was no vote on the issue, but MPs agreed they “duly considered” the petition.
“I believe it is for the American people to judge him, and I believe it is for the American people to hold him to account”, said another Conservative member, Thomas Tugendhat.
“We shouldn’t build him up with our attacks”.
She said: “His words are not comical”.
The SNP’s Corri Wilson, who represents Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock which covers Turnberry, said staff at the resort were overwhelmingly behind Mr Trump’s involvement. He’s free to be a fool.
The British government has the power to deny entry into the country to people with criminal convictions or to those whose presence is considered not “conducive to the public good”.
Jack Dromey, Labour’s Shadow Home Affairs Minister, wanted Trump banned.
“Donald Trump is not just wrong, his views are unsafe and must be taken seriously”, she said.
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Labour’s Naz Shah branded the White House hopeful a “demagogue” as MPs discussed whether to ban him from Britain.
