LONDON — Members of Parliament debated banning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from the UK Monday.During the session, MPs expressed a range of views on Trump, free
speech, national security and racial hatred. While some insisted that Trump should be kept out of the country, others argued that Trump should be allowed into the UK, where his views could be confronted head on.
The scheduled three-hour session was prompted by a petition to ban him from the country as well as a counter petition saying he should be allowed in, after he made a series of controversial remarks.
Some MPs declared they'd like to show Trump around their own constituency to meet British Muslims. Many MPs argued the debate was giving Trump too much publicity. The words "buffoon" and "buffoonery" featured several times. And one MP referred to him as a wazzock
The debate was led by Paul Flynn MP, a member of the Petitions Committee on the motion: “That this House has considered e-petitions 114003 and 114907 relating to the exclusion of Donald Trump from the UK."
No vote will take place after the debate. If the UK was to ban Trump, it would be up to Home Secretary Theresa May. The Home Office can, and does occasionally, stop people from entering if they consider their presence in the UK to be non-conducive to the public good.
During the debate, MP's were allowed six minutes each to discuss the issue. Within minutes Trump had been called a "ridiculous individual" by one MP during what was a heated session.
Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, used her session to warn of Trump's "poisonous" rhetoric.
Sir Edward Leigh, meanwhile, insisted that the debate just gave Trump more publicity.Tasmina Sheikh, a Muslim MP, said she felt Trump's remarks personally.
Jack Dromey, meanwhile, insisted that Trump and ISIS "need" each other.
A number of MPs used the opportunity to make jokes about Trump.
E-petition debates can't directly change the law or result in a vote to implement the request of the petition, Commons Select Committee notes say.
The aim instead is to discuss the issues raised by the petitioners, ask questions on the government's position or press the government to take action. A government minister will be present to answer questions raised.
“By scheduling a debate on these petitions, the Committee is not expressing a view on whether or not the Government should exclude Donald Trump from the UK ... A debate will allow a range of views to be expressed," Helen Jones MP, Chair of the Committee said ahead of the session.
The petition to ban Trump was signed by over 573,000 people, with a counter petition receiving over 42,000 signatures. All petitions that receive over 100,000 signatures are considered for debate but not all reach this stage.
Suzanne Kelly, who started the petition after several divisive comments from Trump, toldMashable Saturday she had no further comment around the debate, instead pointing to a statement via Aberdeen Voice in which she asks David Gladwin, author of the counter petition, or any representative of The Trump Organisation, to debate her.
However, she said in December she was "delighted" that so many signed the petition, tellingMashable: "I’m starting to feel like the person who said the emperor’s got no clothes on."
Her petition was initially signed by many people in the Aberdeen area of Scotland, a part of the country that has seen fierce opposition to Trump thanks to the controversial development of one of his golf courses in the region.
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