Donald Trump to be denied speech to UK Parliament

John Bercow - PA

Donald Trump will be denied a chance to address Westminster during his state visit to the UK, the House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has said.

A state visit by a foreign leader can include a chance to address MPs and peers, an offer which has been taken up by Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Prime Minister Theresa May invited the new US president for a state visit during her trip to Washington last month.

However Bercow was met by spontaneous applause from the opposition benches when he said he was “strongly opposed” to the prospect of a Trump speech.

Responding to a point of order, he said: “We value our relationship with the United States.

“If a state visit takes place, that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the Speaker.

“However, as far as this place is concerned, I feel very strongly our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations for the House of Commons.”

Earlier The Guardian reported President Trump was more interested in playing golf with the Queen than giving a speech to MPs.

A source told the paper “The indication is he wants high visibility visits with key members of the Royal family,” pointing out neither Ronald Reagan nor George W Bush addressed parliament during their official visits.