Starmer not going to be ‘diverted’ over calls to scrap Trump state visit

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is not going to be “diverted” when asked about calls for the state visit invite to Donald Trump to be rescinded.

The Prime Minister dismissed people “trying to ramp up the rhetoric” after the confrontation in the White House between the US president and Volodymr Zelensky.

European leaders are gathering in London on Sunday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine after the public clash in the Oval Office on Friday.

Letter from the King

A day earlier, Sir Keir had presented the American leader with a letter from the King inviting him for a second state visit, after he was hosted by the late Queen in 2019.

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Sir Keir would not be drawn into a debate over revoking a second state visit for Mr Trump.

“I’m not going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake in Europe,” the Prime Minister told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

He told the same programme that the clash in the Oval Office made him feel “uncomfortable” but he decided to “roll up my sleeves” rather than “ramp up the rhetoric” in response.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney told the Sunday Mail that “the state visit cannot go ahead” if the US pulls back on its support for Kyiv.

“If the US withdraws support from Ukraine, abandoning an ally and betraying democracy, the state visit cannot go ahead. That is simply unimaginable,” he said.

“If, despite what President Trump said, a state visit can help solidify US support for Ukraine, if the US maintains its support for Ukraine, then perhaps it can proceed.”

Shadow minister Alicia Kearns told the Mail on Sunday that “state visits should be conferred to the most honourable of allies”.

“No state visit should proceed until the steadfastness of the US’s commitment to her allies is assured,” she said.

Conservative confusion

A spokesperson for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the views of individual MPs are not the position of the party.

“In practical terms, the state visit is a matter for the King, who extended the invitation, and not for MPs,” the spokesman said.

He said it is “imperative that the UK remains close to America and they don’t disengage from Nato if we are going to get a just and lasting peace for Ukraine”.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Prime Minister should use Mr Trump’s visit to leverage security guarantees from the US.

Asked on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg whether he thinks the visit should be called off he said: “No, I don’t.

“What we’ve said in the Liberal Democrats all along is that the state visit should be used to secure guarantees for Ukraine.”