After Prime Minister May’s invitation to Trump to visit the UK, an official petition has raised more than 875,000 signatures to prevent this becoming a State Visit. In the hour from 23:40 to 00:40 GMT approximately, the number of signatures rose from 842,400 to 866,100. — over 23,000 an hour at midnight in London!
The so-called President himself is said to want Queen Elizabeth to watch him play golf on the 9 hole course that is on her Balmoral estate in Scotland. A lower grade “official visit” would not impose any obligations on the Queen to host him or even meet. It would also mean no drive down the Mall in a horse drawn carriage or parade of Guards at Buckingham Palace — in other words no photo opportunities for Trump to big himself up.
Among other requests put forward by Mr Trump’s team include a dinner at Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born, an address to both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, and tea at Buckingham Palace.
A source close to the President said Mr Trump wanted the visit, which could take place as early as June, to be “the full Monty”
Trump or his handlers handlers clearly do not understand the meaning of the term a “Full Monty”!!
The petition reads
Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen.
Donald Trump's well documented misogyny and vulgarity disqualifies him from being received by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales. Therefore during the term of his presidency Donald Trump should not be invited to the United Kingdom for an official State Visit.
The number of signatories to this e-petition has now exceeded the previous one calling for Trump to be banned, started at the time he was making “alternatively factual” claims about Muslims in Britain. That only reached 586,930 signatures and is now a lowly four on the “top ten”. The new one is #2. In the Scottish constituency of Na h-Eileanan an Iar, which includes Trump’s mother’s home on the Isle of Lewis, some 257 or 0.94% of constituents have signed. In May’s constituency of Maidenhead, 1.58% have signed. The highest support is currently from Brighton Pavillion with 4.82% signing. The MP is the sole Green in the Commons, Caroline Lucas. (The data is only available to UK parliamentary constituency level and the numbers are correct at the time or writing. Signers have to verify by responding to an e—mail and giving their name and postcode.)
The UK government must now respond formally to the petition and Parliament must consider it for debate.
Trump’s own wish list is full of problems in itself. For a start, the Queen’s annual summer break in Balmoral does not start until late July so “as early as June” is out. Second, this is one of the Queen’s personal properties and is very much regarded as her Scottish private home to which she invites people. The same applies to Windsor Castle which might have to be put into service as Buckingham Palace is due for a major refurbishment. Getting the Balmoral photo-op in late July/August would also mean that addressing both houses of Parliament difficult — they will be on summer recess. Blenhim Palace might also present problems. Although open to the public, it is the home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough who has had an interesting past which included drug addiction and prison.