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| Theresa May defends decision to seek close ties with Donald Trump | Theresa May defends decision to seek close ties with Donald Trump |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May has made an impassioned defence of her decision to seek close links with Donald Trump, telling prime minister’s questions that while Labour wanted to “lead a protest” against the US president, she was protecting British interests. | Theresa May has made an impassioned defence of her decision to seek close links with Donald Trump, telling prime minister’s questions that while Labour wanted to “lead a protest” against the US president, she was protecting British interests. |
| The prime minister gave her strongest condemnation yet of Trump’s temporary ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries entering the US, calling it “divisive and wrong”. | The prime minister gave her strongest condemnation yet of Trump’s temporary ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries entering the US, calling it “divisive and wrong”. |
| But questioned repeatedly by Jeremy Corbyn about her slowness and caution in condemning the policy, May insisted Trump’s planned state visit to the UK should go ahead. | But questioned repeatedly by Jeremy Corbyn about her slowness and caution in condemning the policy, May insisted Trump’s planned state visit to the UK should go ahead. |
| At times May was openly taunted by the Labour leader, who referred to a letter she had sent him by saying: “I hold in my hand her piece of paper”, a reference to Neville Chamberlain’s disastrous 1938 appeasement of Hitler. But May defended her trip to see Trump last week. | |
| “The right honourable gentleman’s foreign policy is to object to and insult the democratically elected head of state of our most important ally,” she told Corbyn. “Let’s just see what he would have achieved last week.” | |
| May asked rhetorically if Corbyn would have achieved an exemption for UK citizens from Trump’s travel order, or seen him commit to Nato and to the idea of a trade deal with the UK, bringing mass replies of “No!” from her MPs. | May asked rhetorically if Corbyn would have achieved an exemption for UK citizens from Trump’s travel order, or seen him commit to Nato and to the idea of a trade deal with the UK, bringing mass replies of “No!” from her MPs. |
| She said: “That’s what Labour has to offer this country: less protection for British citizens, less prosperous, less safe. He can lead a protest. I’m leading a country.” | She said: “That’s what Labour has to offer this country: less protection for British citizens, less prosperous, less safe. He can lead a protest. I’m leading a country.” |
| Corbyn devoted his entire allocation of questions to Trump and US relations, beginning: “At last week’s prime minister’s question time, the prime minister told the house: ‘I’m not afraid to speak frankly to the president of the United States.’ What happened?” | |
| May replied: “I was able to build on the relationship that we have with our most important ally, and to get some very significant commitments from President Trump.” | May replied: “I was able to build on the relationship that we have with our most important ally, and to get some very significant commitments from President Trump.” |
| Asked whether she had prior notice of the travel ban, which has prompted protests and condemnation, May said she had not, adding her strongest personal criticism yet of the plan. | Asked whether she had prior notice of the travel ban, which has prompted protests and condemnation, May said she had not, adding her strongest personal criticism yet of the plan. |
| “On the policy that President Trump has introduced, this government is clear that that policy is wrong,” the prime minister said. “We wouldn’t do it. In six years as home secretary I never introduced such a policy. We believe it is divisive and wrong.” | |
| Praising the UK’s record on settling refugees, she added: “The question is how you respond. The job of government is not to chase the headlines. The job of government is not to take to the streets in protest. The job of government is to protect the interests of British citizens. And that’s exactly what we did.” | Praising the UK’s record on settling refugees, she added: “The question is how you respond. The job of government is not to chase the headlines. The job of government is not to take to the streets in protest. The job of government is to protect the interests of British citizens. And that’s exactly what we did.” |
| Corbyn asked the prime minister whether access to the NHS for US healthcare firms had been offered up as a “bargaining chip” for a new trade deal. May replied, to cheers from her MPs: “The NHS is not for sale and it never will be.” | |
| The Labour leader ended by noting Trump’s travel ban, his stated intention to quit climate change deals, his defence of torture and dubious record on women’s rights. | The Labour leader ended by noting Trump’s travel ban, his stated intention to quit climate change deals, his defence of torture and dubious record on women’s rights. |
| He asked, referring to a petition against the state visit: “Just what more does President Trump have to do before the prime minister will listen to the 1.8 million people who have already called for his state visit invitation to be withdrawn?” |