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Corbyn: May will be failing Britons if Trump visit goes ahead Corbyn: May will be failing Britons if Trump visit goes ahead
(about 3 hours later)
Jeremy Corbyn has told Theresa May she will be “failing the British people” if she does not cancel Donald Trump’s state visit in the wake of the US president’s ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US. Jeremy Corbyn has told Theresa May she would be “failing the British people” if she did not cancel Donald Trump’s state visit in the wake of the US president’s ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US.
Corbyn told the Guardian the summer visit should be called off if Trump’s indefinite ban on Syrian refugees remains in place, even if time-limited restrictions put in place have lapsed by then. Corbyn told the Guardian the summer visit should be called off if Trump’s indefinite ban on Syrian refugees remained in place, even if time-limited restrictions put in place had lapsed by then.
“Donald Trump should not be welcomed to Britain while he abuses our shared values with his shameful Muslim ban and attacks on refugees’ and women’s rights,” he said.“Donald Trump should not be welcomed to Britain while he abuses our shared values with his shameful Muslim ban and attacks on refugees’ and women’s rights,” he said.
“Theresa May would be failing the British people if she does not postpone the state visit and condemn Trump’s actions in the clearest terms. That’s what Britain expects and deserves.”“Theresa May would be failing the British people if she does not postpone the state visit and condemn Trump’s actions in the clearest terms. That’s what Britain expects and deserves.”
His intervention came as the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, condemned Trump’s policy in notably stronger words than used so far by May. With the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, condemning Trump’s policy in notably stronger words than used so far by May, Downing Street insisted there were no plans to call off the visit.
“We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad,” he tweeted. “Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality.” “We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad,” Johnson tweeted. “Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality.”
We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad. Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationalityWe will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad. Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality
With Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, also calling for the state visit to be cancelled, May was under pressure on Sunday to make a stronger condemnation of Trump’s ban, which has brought global condemnation and prompted travel and legal chaos within the US. Asked if there were any second thoughts about the state visit, a Downing Street spokesman said only: “We extended the invitation and it was accepted.”
The order places a 90-day ban on travel to the US for those from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen, seemingly including those with dual nationality.The order places a 90-day ban on travel to the US for those from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen, seemingly including those with dual nationality.
Trump has also banned refugees from entering the country for 120 days and those seeking asylum from Syria have been banned indefinitely.Trump has also banned refugees from entering the country for 120 days and those seeking asylum from Syria have been banned indefinitely.
Speaking earlier on ITV’s Peston on Sunday, Corbyn said he suspected the visit would be kicked into the long grass, but it should certainly be postponed while the controversy over the ban was ongoing. With Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, also calling for the state visit to be cancelled, May was under pressure on Sunday to make a stronger condemnation of Trump’s ban, which has brought global condemnation and prompted travel and legal chaos within the US.
“I think we need to find out what his intentions are in the long run and how far the US parliamentary system is going to protect fundamentals of rights and freedoms and laws, and is it really right to endorse someone who has used this awful misogynist language, awful attacks on Muslims and this absurd idea of building a wall between themselves and their nearest neighbour?” Corbyn said. In a sign of public concern in the UK about the move, a petition to downgrade Trump’s trip from a state visit gained more than 250,000 signatures in a matter of hours on Sunday, meaning it will be debated in parliament.
Separately, a Facebook-organised call for people to protest outside Downing Street at the policy on Monday evening prompted more than 7,000 people to sign up to say they would attend.
Pressure also built on May after it emerged one of her own fellow Conservative MPs, the Iran-born Nadhim Zahawi, could be affected by the ban, and as athlete Sir Mo Farah, who came to the UK as a child from Somalia, called it “a policy that comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice”.
During a trip to Turkey on Saturday, May declined three times to say she condemned Trump’s executive order. Amid growing criticism, including from some of her MPs, a spokesman for the PM released a statement shortly after midnight saying she disagreed with the policy.
Heidi Allen, the Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, told BBC One’s Sunday Politics she did wish May had spoken out on the issue during her visit to see Trump this week.
“Given that she had built clearly an excellent relationship with President Trump and convinced him that Nato was the right thing to support, I felt she had the strength of relationship that she could have been firmer at the time,” Allen said.
Farron’s statement said: “Any visit by President Trump to Britain should be on hold until his disgraceful ban comes to an end. Otherwise Theresa May would be placing the Queen in an impossible position of welcoming a man who is banning British citizens purely on grounds of their faith.”Farron’s statement said: “Any visit by President Trump to Britain should be on hold until his disgraceful ban comes to an end. Otherwise Theresa May would be placing the Queen in an impossible position of welcoming a man who is banning British citizens purely on grounds of their faith.”
The former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown had earlier suggested the visit should not go ahead, saying he found it “impossible to bear that in pursuit of deeply wrong-headed policies Theresa May is forcing that man on our Queen”.The former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown had earlier suggested the visit should not go ahead, saying he found it “impossible to bear that in pursuit of deeply wrong-headed policies Theresa May is forcing that man on our Queen”.
The proposed visit has been defended by the Tory MP Suella Fernandes, who said it would be “diplomatically very difficult and very embarrassing if Britain were to disinvite Donald Trump”.The proposed visit has been defended by the Tory MP Suella Fernandes, who said it would be “diplomatically very difficult and very embarrassing if Britain were to disinvite Donald Trump”.
However, two other Conservative MPs, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston, said Trump should not address both houses of parliament, with the former arguing this honour was reserved for “leaders with a record of uniting people and working for peace and tolerance”.However, two other Conservative MPs, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston, said Trump should not address both houses of parliament, with the former arguing this honour was reserved for “leaders with a record of uniting people and working for peace and tolerance”.
During a trip to Turkey on Saturday, May declined three times to say she condemned Trump’s executive order. Amid growing criticism, including from some of her MPs, a spokesman for the PM released a statement shortly after midnight saying she disagreed with the policy. David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show that the ban was “divisive” and it was “a particular concern” that UK nationals such as Zahawi could be caught up in it.
With Nadhim Zahawi, an Iraq-born Conservative MP affected by the US president’s policy, calling it demeaning and sad, one of May’s ministers said May had delayed because she wanted to see the evidence before responding.
David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show that the ban was divisive and it was “a particular concern” that UK nationals such as Zahawi could be caught up in it.
“I think there are real risks with it being counterproductive, and we don’t have that policy – we wouldn’t contemplate going down the route of a ban in this way, and we have a very different approach to it,” Gauke said. “We disagree with the position that President Trump has set out.”“I think there are real risks with it being counterproductive, and we don’t have that policy – we wouldn’t contemplate going down the route of a ban in this way, and we have a very different approach to it,” Gauke said. “We disagree with the position that President Trump has set out.”
Asked why it had taken May so long to respond, he said: “The prime minister is not a shoot-from-the-hip type of politician. She wants to see the evidence. She wants to understand precisely what the implications are.”Asked why it had taken May so long to respond, he said: “The prime minister is not a shoot-from-the-hip type of politician. She wants to see the evidence. She wants to understand precisely what the implications are.”
Speaking on the same programme, Zahawi, who was born in Baghdad and came to the UK as a child, said he and his wife were worried they would not be able to travel to see their twin sons, who are studying at Princeton University, despite holding 10-year US visas.Speaking on the same programme, Zahawi, who was born in Baghdad and came to the UK as a child, said he and his wife were worried they would not be able to travel to see their twin sons, who are studying at Princeton University, despite holding 10-year US visas.
“For the first time in my life, last night, I felt discriminated against,” Zahawi said. “It’s demeaning. It’s sad.”“For the first time in my life, last night, I felt discriminated against,” Zahawi said. “It’s demeaning. It’s sad.”
However, the Stratford-on-Avon MP said he was reassured by May’s statement. “She quite clearly says she disagrees with this,” Zahawi said. “She quite clearly says she will make representations on behalf of every citizen.” However, the Stratford-on-Avon MP said May was correct in being cautious to respond: “I think her being careful is a good thing. But she was also very candid with President Trump.”
May was rightly being cautious in taking time to respond, he insisted. “I think her being careful is a good thing. But she was also very candid with President Trump.”
But the former acting Labour leader Harriet Harman, also speaking on the Marr show, said she was “very dismayed” when she saw pictures of May holding Trump’s hand during her Friday visit to the White House. “And then I was horrified when he announced this ban and three times she said it was nothing to do with me,” Harman said. “Well, it is to do with us. She obviously needs to be careful as prime minister, but she needs to be strong as well. I was really disappointed and hope she has learned some lessons.”
Another high-profile Briton who may be affected is Sir Mo Farah, who came to the UK as a child from Somalia. He trains in Oregon, and it is not clear whether he will be allowed to re-enter the US.
May’s eventual statement said the UK would “make representations” if British citizens were affected by the US ban.May’s eventual statement said the UK would “make representations” if British citizens were affected by the US ban.
“Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States, just the same as immigration policy for this country should be set by our government,” the spokesman said.“Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States, just the same as immigration policy for this country should be set by our government,” the spokesman said.
“But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking. We are studying this new executive order to see what it means and what the legal effects are, and in particular what the consequences are for UK nationals. If there is any impact on UK nationals then clearly we will make representations to the US government about that.”“But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking. We are studying this new executive order to see what it means and what the legal effects are, and in particular what the consequences are for UK nationals. If there is any impact on UK nationals then clearly we will make representations to the US government about that.”