Jeremy Corbyn hints he could delay Donald Trump’s contentious state visit to Britain
Labour leader suggests US President's arrival in the UK would be more appropriate during his second term of office
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Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has hinted he could delay Donald Trump’s contentious state visit to Britain later this year if he is elected Prime Minister in seven days’ time.
In an interview with The Independent, Mr Corbyn said he was “very concerned” about the speed in which Mr Trump received the honour by Theresa May – just seven days after the political neophyte took office.
The President’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was extended the invitation by the former Prime Minister David Cameron over 800 days into his administration.
On the occasion, in 2011, Mr Obama met Mr Cameron at Downing Street, was greeted by the Queen and senior royals at Buckingham Palace, and delivered a speech in Westminster Hall.
“Obviously there have to be relations with the USA,” Mr Corbyn added. “My views on Donald Trump’s statements and utterances during the Presidential election are extremely well known.
"There has to be a relationship with the US Government, you have to tell them what you believe."
Mr Corbyn also pointed out that the former US President Mr Obama had to wait three years into his administration for his first state visit.
Read Jeremy Corbyn’s full interview with The Independent here
He continued: “George Bush, second term. Reagan, second term. I think they were all second term.”
Asked whether he believed the former television celebrity should have to wait until a potential second term in office, the Labour leader replied: “Well, it’s not up to me as the invitation has already been issued.”
Pressed again on whether Mr Trump would be welcome here in October – the date believed to have been pencilled in by officials – he added: “Well, let’s find out that on 9 June.”
Emily Thornberry, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, has previously said Mr Trump’s state visit invitation will not be rescinded but did not comment on the date he would be welcome to visit the UK should her party emerge victorious at the general election next week.
It comes after Ms May’s invitation to the US President in January was immediately met with protest by both the public and Parliament after it coincided with his widely-condemned executive order to ban immigrations from predominately Muslim countries from entering in the US for a period of 90 days.
A petition, earlier this year, to block Mr Trump’s state visit received around 1.85m signatures, triggering a debate in Westminster Hall.
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