US president 'doesn't care about making a speech' on UK state visit
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Version 0 of 1. Government officials involved in the planning of Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain believe he is not interested in addressing MPs and peers, and instead wants to focus on the pomp and ceremony afforded to foreign leaders. Sources have told the Guardian that the US president’s team have expressed no desire to speak in Westminster Hall, or another venue within parliament. The British government is also wary of issuing such an invitation because of the likelihood that MPs could boycott the event, leaving the room half empty, and that protests outside parliament would drown out any speech. One source said speaking to politicians inside parliament would represent the “ultimate establishment” act, and go against what Trump stands for. Pointing out that neither Ronald Reagan nor George W Bush addressed parliament during their state visits, the source said: “The indication is he wants high visibility visits with key members of the Royal family.” They suggested that the focus would be on parades, the military and a ceremonial guard. The informal invitation from Theresa May to Trump has triggered a backlash in the UK, with more than 1.8 million people signing a petition urging the government to cancel the visit. Meanwhile, a separate petition calling for Trump’s visit to go ahead has attracted just under 300,000 names. The invitation resulted in an emergency Commons debate, while an early-day motion from Labour’s Stephen Doughty has been signed by 163 politicians. A group of Labour’s most senior women also vowed to stage a mass “no show” in Westminster if the president is invited to speak to MPs. And there are now reports that the Speaker, John Bercow, has expressed concerns about the possibility of an address along the lines of that given by the former US president Barack Obama. The government source suggested Trump would not want to risk embarrassment, saying the pictures he wanted broadcast to the US were of meetings with dignitaries rather than protests and boycotts. The US president is rumoured to have asked for a tour of the cabinet war rooms with a senior government figure such as Boris Johnson, and it has even been suggested he wants to play golf with the Queen at Balmoral. However, there are some concerns about a meeting with Prince Charles, who could raise concerns about Trump’s stance on climate change. Labour’s Chris Bryant, who was a foreign minister overseeing the department charged with state visits, said that of 115 that had taken place, only 60 had involved speeches to both Houses of Parliament. He said the decision on whether a person speaks in Westminster Hall or a smaller venue, such as the Royal Gallery, was not about prestige but about which location could be filled. While Obama, Nelson Mandela, Pope Benedict XVI and Aung San Suu Kyi all delivered speeches in Westminster Hall, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, spoke in the Royal Gallery. Vladimir Putin was afforded a state visit, but did not make an address. The Russian president was one of a long line of more controversial guests for whom Britain has laid out the red carpet in an effort to boost relations. Bryant told the Guardian that while May clearly wants to enhance the relationship with the US, the early invite for a state visit could mean a “diplomatic nightmare” – especially if Trump were to address MPs and peers. “There will be a lockdown in parliament. Everybody will be shouting all the way through – you won’t be able to hear him speak,” he said. “I would have said to the prime minister, ‘Of course we want to get on well with the US for all sorts of reasons – not least the fact that we are leaving the European Union – but we don’t know how he is going to turn out as president. We don’t know if we would be tying ourselves to a dubious administration. “‘If it works out in a year’s time then you can invite him – why the rush?’” |