Donald Trump’s UK visit in turmoil as Labour MPs launch bid to block Parliament speech

Donald Trump has received a letter from King Charles amid controversy about his planned state visit to the UK. Trump’s upcoming visit is now uncertain as Labour politicians are strongly opposing his invitation to speak in Parliament, a significant part of any official visit.

Several MPs and members of the House of Lords argue that allowing Trump to address Parliament would be inappropriate due to his past controversial remarks. Previously, when Trump was President the first time, he was blocked from speaking in Parliament by John Bercow, the former Speaker of the House of Commons.

Lord Foulkes, who was a minister under former Prime Minister Tony Blair, wrote to the current Lords Speaker, Lord McFall. He expressed concerns that allowing Trump to speak would be unsuitable because of Trump’s attitudes towards the UK, parliamentary democracy, NATO, and Ukraine. Lord Foulkes specifically urged the leaders of Parliament to oppose granting Trump such an honour.

Similarly, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the current Commons Speaker, is under pressure from Labour MPs to prevent Trump from speaking. MP Kate Osborne wrote to Hoyle, reminding him of the previous Speaker’s decision and urging him to follow suit. Osborne believes that while the UK government can use Trump’s visit to discuss important issues, it does not mean Trump should be given the privilege of addressing Parliament, especially if there is a risk that many MPs might boycott the speech.

Another Labour MP harshly criticized Trump, calling him a liar, cheat, womaniser, and bankrupt, and insisted that Parliament does not need his lectures. The MP added that if Trump genuinely wants good relations with the UK, he should first remove harmful trade tariffs.

Although the exact date of Trump’s state visit hasn’t been officially announced, Trump himself mentioned it would likely occur in September.

Labour MPs have faced criticism recently over accusations of hypocrisy. They strongly condemned Israel’s decision to block two Labour MPs from entering the country, yet many Labour MPs had previously demanded Trump be banned from entering Britain during his presidency.

David Lammy, a prominent Labour MP, spoke out strongly against Trump’s visit in 2017, arguing that welcoming Trump would undermine British values and historical principles simply for the sake of a trade deal. However, he recently criticized Israel for blocking MPs’ visits.

Chris Bryant, another Labour MP, also highlighted double standards. He criticized Kemi Badenoch for supporting Israel’s recent decision but, back in 2017, had himself urged Prime Minister Theresa May to ban Trump from the UK due to Trump’s associations with far-right groups.

In total, more than 70 Labour MPs, including some who are now part of the government, had previously campaigned against Trump addressing Parliament.

Historically, very few US presidents have been granted the honour of addressing both houses of Parliament. The last to do so was Barack Obama in 2011, and before him, Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Bill Clinton in 1995.