'Stop Trump state visit' petition rejected

                                        

The UK government has rejected a petition calling for Donald Trump's state visit invitation to be withdrawn.

It said it recognised the "strong views" expressed but looked forward to welcoming the US president once details have been arranged.
More than 1.8 million people signed the petition, which said a state visit would cause the Queen "embarrassment".
A counter petition calling for the visit to go ahead attracted more than 309,000 signatures.
Both petitions will be debated by the House of Commons on 20 February.
Published on the petitions website, they say the government believes Mr Trump "should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit", adding: "This invitation reflects the importance of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
"At this stage, final dates have not yet been agreed for the state visit."

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon rejected suggestions that the government was out of step with public opinion over the issue.

"I think the government has a duty obviously to have good relations with the US, probably our closest ally and most important economic trading partner," he told Radio 5 Live Daily's Sam Walker.
"It is equally important in a democracy that you accept the results of a democracy. President Trump has been elected now by the US and we work with him.
"We have to work with other countries and we have to work with whom they elect."

The invitation was issued during Prime Minister Theresa May's talks in Washington with the US president last month.

Leeds solicitor Graham Guest started the online petition that said Mr Trump should be allowed into the UK but not to make a state visit.
It came amid protests at the president's executive order preventing people from seven mainly-Muslim countries from entering the US.

Mrs May, who criticised the immigration crackdown, had already rejected calls for the state visit to be cancelled.

Source: BBC