OUT of all the Bradford constituencies, Shipley has given the biggest backing to a UK petition to ban Donald Trump from visiting the UK in a state visit but its MP Philip Davies is not with them.

He says his constituents who signed the on-line petition on a Government website asking that President Trump be barred from making an official state visit “because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen”, are entitled to their opinion but he does not agree with them.

“I suspect all those who signed the petition would be exactly the same people if Donald Trump started lecturing us on our own immigration policy to tell him to mind his own business - and they’d be quite right to.

President Trump signed an executive order for 120 days on Friday, indefinitely banning all Syrian refugees and suspending the entry of all nationals from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan.

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Mr Davies said: “Donald Trump is the democractically elected leader of our closest ally and our single biggest trade partner and he’s carrying out a policy he promised to carry out during his election campaign. If they’re protesting at him keeping his promise then that’s a new one on me. America’s immigration policy is a matter for the Americans.”

The petition will be debated by MPs on February 20, as will a second petition calling for the visit to go ahead, signed by more than 100,000 people.

By Yesterday afternoon more than 2.82 per cent of Shipley’s 95,465 constituents had signed to stop a state visit, followed by 2.63 per cent of Bradford West’s 116,290 constituents, 2.53 per cent of Keighley’s 97,183 constituents, 1.94 per cent of Bradford East’s 116,157 constituents and finally 1.36 per cent of Bradford South’s 103,060 constituents.

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain described Donald Trump’s recent executive order as “an inhumane act” that discriminating against Muslims and some of the world’s most vulnerable people fleeing war zones.”

He said: “The UK Government has a duty to send a strong message to Donald Trump and make it clear that his actions discriminate against people on the grounds of their nationality and religion, and are contrary to our values, but Theresa May’s eventual condemnation of the executive order was delayed and weak. By also allowing a visit to go ahead, I am also concerned that the Government are ignoring the voices of more than one and a half million British people, and the demands that Britain should not welcome a man who incites discrimination and hatred in such a way.

And Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she applauded Bradfordians signing the petition against a state visit and added: “It simply cannot be right to differentiate between refugees based on their religious affiliation. The only legitimate grounds are humanitarian, to ask ourselves what is the need and what is the best response we can provide. And if that means welcoming the displaced victims of famine, persecution or war into our country then so be it. That is the right thing to do.”

“The executive orders that have dominated Donald Trump’s first week in the White House have been chilling. Where does the slippery slope really lead when we demonise Muslims and those seeking refuge on our shores? It has horrible and frightening historical echoes.”

“We cannot abdicate responsibility and stand silent. We must engage and argue for the values we believe in, for human rights and human dignity. Values which historically both the UK and US have stood shoulder to shoulder to defend. This is a moment when we must stand up for what we believe in.”

Bradford South MP Judith Cummins warned Prime Minister Theresa May would need to be strong in her dealings with President Trump because the interests of the British people must always come first.

“President Trump has only been in office for a matter of days. By rushing to agree a royal state visit in the coming weeks, the prime minister has placed Her Majesty the Queen and indeed the country in a difficult position given the blanket protests at this time,” she said.

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