British government rejects call to ban Trump from meeting Queen

The British government has officially rejected the online petition that aimed to prevent US President Donald Trump's official state visit to the UK.


The petition garnered 1.855 million signatures and stated that Trump should not be allowed to make an official state visit "because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen."

The British Foreign Office responded to the petition on behalf of the government in a statement, which said, "HM Government recognizes the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition."

The statement continued by saying the British government, "believes the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a State Visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalized."

The government is obliged to respond to any petition which is signed more than 10,000 times.

The British parliament is planning to debate the petition on February 20, alongside a counter-petition set up a few days later which argued that Trump should indeed make a state visit to Britain "because he is the leader of a free world and the UK is a country that supports free speech and does not believe people opposed to our point of view should be gagged."

The statement emphasized that the visit reflects the importance of relations between the United States and the United Kingdom.

British Prime Minister Theresa May had previously invited Trump for a state visit during her visit to the United States in January, and the new President of the United States accepted the invitation.
 [dailysabah.com]
15/2/17