No.10 has rejected calls to cancel the state visit of U.S president
Donald Trump due to his Muslim ban, even after an oline petition asking
Britain to cancel his visit reached almost a million signatures.
Trump over the weekend signed into effect a controversial law stating
that citizens of 7 countries including Iraq , Iran, Libya and Sudan be
temporarily banned from entering the U.S for the next three months
leading to criticism and reactions all over the world.
A petition saying his visit would “cause embarrassment to Her Majesty
the Queen” if he were to be welcomed in the U.K. has gotten to almost a
million signatures in 24 hours, and could now be debated by MPs in Parliament.
But a spokesman of No.10 on Monday said the position had not changed, saying: “An invitation has been extended and accepted.”
The BBC also reported that Britain’s rejection of Trump’s visit would
be a “populist gesture”, adding that the invitation had been accepted –
and scrapping it would “undo everything”.
“America is a huge important ally. We have to think long term.”
Donald Trump’s team told the U.K’s Foreign Secretary that Brits who have
shared nationality with the named countries covered by the restrictions
– Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – would not be
stopped from entering America but that they will face extra checks if
they are traveling directly from one of the banned countries.
Labour MP, Jeremy Corbyn angry with Trump’s new law, said U.K. Prime
Minister TheresaMay should speak up against the ban and cancel the
invitation or she would be be “failing the British people” if she
doesn’t .
Speaking to ITV’s Peston On Sunday,
Jeremy said: “Is it really right to endorse somebody who has used this
awful misogynistic language throughout the election campaign, awful
attacks on Muslims, and then of course this absurd idea of building a
wall between themselves and their nearest neighbour?”
He added: “I think we should make it very clear we are extremely upset
about it, and I think it would be totally wrong for him to be coming
here while that situation is going on. I think he has to be challenged
on this.
“I am not happy with him coming here until that ban is lifted, quite honestly.
“Look at what’s happening with those countries, how many more is it
going to be and what is going to be the long term effect of this on the
rest of the world?”
