A collection of senior female labour mps have vowed against attending President Donald Trump's speech if he is invited to address both the Houses of Parliament during his state visit later in the year. Harriet Harman, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, led calls for female MPs to 'empty chair' any speech made by Donald Trump, citing a 'well-documented history of misogyny'.
'Trump's views are wholly unacceptable'
'I would not be comfortable clapping a man that is a self-confessed groper and proud. President Trump's views on many issues are wholly unacceptable.
He appears to think that he can bully other countries into submission and get away with it. I urge all female MPs to boycott Trump's state visit,' Harriet Harman said.
Yvette Cooper, former cabinet minister, echoed Harriet Harman's sentiments: 'The notion that we are going to sit in parliament, as women, and listen to this man, who is harming democracy, who is a well-known misogynist is laughable. For decades, women have fought for equality. We shouldn't, under any circumstances, be honouring someone like him. Parliament has to show some backbone and not just roll over like Theresa May did when she invited him'.
Former minister, Caroline Flint, agreed: 'Given President Trump’s history of comments on women, his recent statements on torture and refugees, I do not choose to hear him in the Mother of Parliaments.”
A parliamentary motion against a state visit
Stephen Doughty, a Labour MP, tabled a motion to the Commons which called for parliament to ban Trump from delivering a talk to parliament.
Currently, the motion has attracted 165 signatures from MPs from Labour, SNP, the Greens and the SDLP.
In a recent public survey, when asked if president donald trump's state visit should be allowed to go ahead,36 per cent said that it should, 25 per cent said that it should be delayed until Trump's executive order banning entry into the USA from seven Muslim countries expires and 25 percent said that Trump should not be invited at all.
Theresa May has faced increasing pressure from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to take a stance on Donald Trump. Moreover, almost two million people have signed a petition in an attempt to prevent the state visit from going ahead. Although the Labour party is divided over Brexit, they are united against Donald Trump.
