British MPs heap scorn on US prez

LONDON : British MPs heaped scorn over the “racist and sexist” views of US President Donald Trump, but the Theresa May government said his visit will go ahead given the special relationship between the two countries.

The three-hour debate on Monday was triggered by more than 1.8 million people signing a petition for cancelling a state visit by Trump saying it would embarrass Queen Elizabeth. Outside parliament, thousands protested against the visit.

Woman MPs called Trump’s views sexist. “It is of great concern that the president behaves like a petulant child. How would he behave in a future conflict that might arise?,” asked Paul Flynn of Labour party.

Alex Salmond of the Scottish National Party was among the most critical: “It is difficult to know whether to be appalled at the morality of the invitation or just astonished by its stupidity…(The) Prime Minister’s holding-hands-across-theocean visit would be difficult to match as an example of fawning subservience, but to do it in the name of shared values was stomach-churning.”

But foreign office minister Alan Duncan said: “The government place our national interest at the heart of our decisionmaking, and the special relationship is a central part of that national interest...It is about the security and prosperity of our nations.”