THE MAYOR OF London Sadiq Khan has suggested that the UK revoke US president Donald Trump’s invitation for a state visit in light of the terror attack on London at the weekend.
Speaking to Channel Four News, Khan said that Trump was wrong about ‘many things’ and that his state visit should be cancelled.
“I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” Khan said.
When you have a special relationship it is no different from when you have got a close mate. You stand with them in times of adversity but you call them out when they are wrong. There are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong.
In the wake of Saturday night’s terror attack on London Bridge and Borough Market, which left seven people dead and 48 injured, Trump and Khan have been trading barbs.
Trump’s initial tweetstorm took issue with Khan’s contention that Londoners carry on as normal, saying “there’s no need to be alarmed” despite a pending increase in police activity on the streets of the city.
“At least seven dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed,” Trump tweeted in response.
A spokesperson for Khan responded that he had “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet”.
Trump has since stepped up his criticism, tweeting yesterday that Khan’s response to the attack has been “pathetic”.
British Prime Minister Theresa May was among those who came to Khan’s defence.
“I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it’s wrong to say anything else – he’s doing a good job,” she told a press conference yesterday.
However she steered clear of explicitly condemning Trump’s rhetoric.
With AFP reporting
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