As the Trump visa ban row rumbles on, No 10 is under pressure to cancel President Trump’s state visit after nearly a million UK citizens signed a protest on the issue. The Prime Minister’s spokesman has dismissed the suggestion today — but re-confirmed that the government does not agree with Trump’s policy, which sees citizens from seven countries temporarily banned from entering the US.
However, the most striking aspect of today’s lobby briefing came when No 10 appeared to throw the Foreign Secretary a hospital pass. Setting Boris Johnson up for a difficult afternoon, the Prime Minister’s spokesman suggested that the decision to invite Trump to the UK for a state visit was first taken by the state visit committee that operates in the Foreign Office.
‘Each year the government looks at the recommendations that are made by the committee for state visits, those recommendations are then put to Buckingham Palace, the palace then needs to agree to the visit, then, historically the invitation is extended on behalf of Her Majesty by the government, and that is the process that took place this time.’
By suggesting that the original decision is linked to the Foreign Office — rather than No 10 — Theresa May appears to be trying to shift some of the blame. This means that Johnson can expect a particularly hostile reception when he makes a statement in the Commons later about the US travel ban.
However, all the government needs to do is hold the line. While protesters — and even some MPs — are acting as though the state visit is imminent and could be as soon as next week, no date has been set. It could take place any time this year — and judging by the reaction so far No 10 will be keen to push it to the end of the year by which point the temporary ban ought to have been lifted.
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