1,000,000 signatures fail to block Trump's UK visit

LONDON: A petition demanding US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK coming summer be cancelled has reached more than one million signatures; however, the Prime Minister office has refused to take any action on it.

The American president’s visit is anticipated to become a topic of discussion in the English parliament soon, after – interestingly – the Conservative party members joined the petition. Trump has been debated in the English parliament in the past when the idea to bar Muslims from entering the US was first highlighted.

According to the online petition, Trump’s visit will be an embarrassment to the Queen of England.

The petition surged exponentially in popularity, passing 100,000 signatures that were necessary for it to be considered in the Parliament. “At one point more than a thousand people [signed] each minute,” The Telegraph reported.

However, according to the publication, a Downing Street insider denied the call to cancel Trump’s visit, saying it would only act as a “populist gesture” and be detrimental to Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts. It, therefore, remains in the country’s best interests.

Among the petition’s supporters are Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Scottish Conservatives’ Ruth Davidson, and Liberal Democrats’ Tim Farron.

Davidson said, “A state visit from the current president of the United States could not possibly occur in the best traditions of the enterprise while a cruel and divisive policy which discriminates against citizens of the host nation is in place.”

Corbyn questioned, “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 noted that it is necessary to show Trump that the UK is “extremely upset.”

Farron, on the other hand, raised an important point. He stated, “Otherwise Theresa May would be placing the Queen in an impossible position of welcoming a man who is banning British citizens purely on grounds of their faith.”

Protests are being scheduled for January-30 evening in front of Downing Street, and various other parts of the country.

There has been no official comment from the Queen on this matter.

Reuters adds: It was the second most popular petition ever on the parliamentary website, after one calling for a second referendum on membership of the European Union drew over 4 million signatures last year.

Once a petition passes 100,000 signatures, lawmakers must consider it for debate. Such debates are largely symbolic and rarely affect government policy, although one on this particular issue would potentially be embarrassing for May.

Her Downing Street office said the invitation had been extended and accepted, declining further comment.

A year ago, parliament debated a petition calling for Trump, then the Republican candidate, to be barred from the United Kingdom. It gathered close to 600,000 signatures before it was closed last June.