House of Commons Speaker John Bercow received a loud round of applause from even the opposition party when he said Donald Trump would not be welcome at Parliament when he makes a state visit later this Spring. Bloomberg:
“Before the imposition of the migrant ban I would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall; after the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump I’m even more strongly opposed,” Bercow told lawmakers. “I feel very strongly our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons.”
“An address by a foreign leader to both houses of Parliament is not an automatic right, it is an earned honor,” Bercow said. “There are many precedents for state visits to take place to our country that do not include an address to both houses of Parliament.”
Bercow made clear he wasn’t going to comment on the merits of inviting Trump to the U.K., something that will be getting its own debate in Parliament on Feb. 20. “We value our relationship with the U.S.” he said. “If a state visit takes place, that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the Speaker.”
A number of MP's had more to say:
A petition demanding that Trump not be invited to Britain at all has gained over 1.5 million signatures.
