South London MPs will not be "rolling out the red carpet" for Donald Trump after a petition to ban him from travelling to the UK for a state visit topped more than one million signatures.

The petition, launched on Sunday, January 29, gathered more than a million signatures within 24 hours of being posted on the Government's petition site - more than 10 times the amount needed for a parliamentary debate.

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The petition was launched in response to President Trump's controversial immigration clampdown, which has seen the US refugee programme halted for 120 days, and an indefinite ban on all entry of Syrian refugees.

The executive order, signed on Friday by Mr Trump, suspends the entry of all nationals from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan.

But south London MPs today slammed Mr Trump's actions as "reprehensible" and "divisive".

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, MP for Tooting, said: "Time and time again, President Trump has shown us he is sexist, xenophobic, islamophobic, homophobic.

"Over a million people have signed the petition against his state visit, we should not be rolling out the red carpet for him. He can visit, he can meet with the Prime Minister and relevant dignitaries in private but we should not roll out the red carpet.

"This ban is driven by hate, by a divisive, one-sided opinion of the world from a small minded person. Under no uncertain terms should we be rolling out the red carpet for President Trump.

"My mother is Christian, my father is Muslim, Tooting is a wonderfully diverse place where people from many different backgrounds, of many different faiths – live side by side. I will do everything within my power to fight this ban. "

Likewise, Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond declined to say whether Mr Trump should be banned from a state visit but criticised his actions.

He said: "I think the immigration ban and some of the things that have been said are reprehensible.

"He’s going to be a particularly difficult character to deal with, but we are going to have to do business with America. We are going to have to trade with them.

"We need to be clear about our values, and about what we find reprehensible, but it’s rather too early to say he should be banned."

Siobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, joined Hillary Clinton's democratic campaign in America to campaign in October.

Although she said she would not support a ban on Mr Trump's state visit, she added that he had been invited too quickly.

She said: "I think America is one of our greatest allies. I respect the decision of the American people to choose Trump, although I wouldn’t have chosen him myself.

"I don’t think I would have invited him here so quickly. It would be better to see how it’s going to pan out.

"Clearly, some of his plans and policies are obnoxious. The idea that he was going to ban Mo Farah from America, where he has lived for six years, and ban other people from certain countries without any evidence against them, it’s just wrong and it’s not going to solve any problems."

Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, said that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson needed to make his thoughts on Mr Trumps "divisive" ban clearer to the US administration.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed added his voice to the one million signatories and called for Mr Trump's visit to be postponed.

Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry said Mr Trump's ban is "probably unlawful, definitely discriminatry and wrong."

Lewisham East MP Heidi Alexander tweeted her support for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in calling for Mr Trump's visit to be postponed.

Speaking to Mr Johnson in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, Twickenham MP Tania Mathias said: "Can I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement, can I also ask him to make it clear that while America pursues this terrible and divisive policy which I utterly condemn that the United Kingdom will always be a place where refugees are welcome and will always be a place where refugees are made to feel welcome. 

"And in that spirit will he join me in praising and thanking voluntary groups like Refugees Welcome in Richmond that do great work in this field."

Lewisham West MP Jim Dowd agreed that the invitation to Mr Trump had been extended "prematurely".

He added: "I think it was far too premature to offer a state visit - it was a mistake and it would be unwise."

However, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Weybridge MP, said the invitation extended to Mr Trump "stands".

He said: "The United States is a close ally of the United Kingdom. An invitation for a State Visit was issued on behalf of HM the Queen and accepted by President Trump, and that invitation stands." 

However he stressed that Mr Trump's immigration overhaul was not advocated by the UK Government.

He said: "The UK Government does not advocate this type of action and would not introduce such measures in the UK, but it is for the US Government to set its own policies. No British citizens will be impeded by this ban.

Following talks with the US Government, the UK Government is able to clarify the following:

  • If you are travelling to the US from anywhere other than one of those countries (for instance, the UK) the executive order does not apply to you and you will experience no extra checks regardless of your nationality or your place of birth.
  • If you are a UK national who happens to be travelling from one of those countries to the US, then the order does not apply to you – even if you were born in one of those countries.
  • If you are a dual citizen of one of those countries travelling to the US from OUTSIDE those countries then the order does not apply to you.
  • The only dual nationals who might have extra checks are those coming from one of the seven countries themselves – for example a UK-Libya dual national coming from Libya to the US."
  • What do you think? Leave your comments below