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| May criticised over response to US immigration clampdown | May criticised over response to US immigration clampdown |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May has come under fire for not acting sooner to criticise a US entry ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. | Theresa May has come under fire for not acting sooner to criticise a US entry ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. |
| She initially said it was a matter for the US, before No 10 said she "does not agree" with it. | She initially said it was a matter for the US, before No 10 said she "does not agree" with it. |
| Lib Dem Tim Farron said she should have opposed it earlier. The SNP's Alex Salmond accused her of "cowardice". | Lib Dem Tim Farron said she should have opposed it earlier. The SNP's Alex Salmond accused her of "cowardice". |
| Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has tweeted: "Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality". | Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has tweeted: "Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality". |
| He did not mention the US ban but added: "We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad." | He did not mention the US ban but added: "We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad." |
| Mrs May visited the US on Friday, before President Trump issued an executive order halting the entire US refugee programme and instituting a 90-day travel ban for nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. | Mrs May visited the US on Friday, before President Trump issued an executive order halting the entire US refugee programme and instituting a 90-day travel ban for nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. |
| She was, by then, in Turkey, where she declined to condemn the order. | She was, by then, in Turkey, where she declined to condemn the order. |
| 'Ignorance and prejudice' | |
| Within hours of landing back in the UK, Downing Street released a statement clarifying her position. | Within hours of landing back in the UK, Downing Street released a statement clarifying her position. |
| "Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States," said a No 10 spokesman. | "Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States," said a No 10 spokesman. |
| "But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking." | "But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking." |
| Meanwhile Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, who lives in the US but was born in Somalia, condemned the ban as "deeply troubling". | Meanwhile Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, who lives in the US but was born in Somalia, condemned the ban as "deeply troubling". |
| "I am a British citizen who has lived in America for the past six years - working hard, contributing to society, paying my taxes and bringing up our four children in the place they now call home. Now, me and many others like me are being told that we may not be welcome. | "I am a British citizen who has lived in America for the past six years - working hard, contributing to society, paying my taxes and bringing up our four children in the place they now call home. Now, me and many others like me are being told that we may not be welcome. |
| "It's deeply troubling that I will have to tell my children that Daddy might not be able to come home - to explain why the president has introduced a policy that comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice." | |
| Speaking on the Andrew Marr show, Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke described the policy as "divisive" and said he had "enormous sympathy with those affected by it". But he defended Mrs May's response, saying she was not a "shoot-from-the-hip" politician. | |
| "She is someone who wants to see the briefing and understand it and then will respond to that... The important thing is we are saying we disagree with it and we do think it's wrong." | "She is someone who wants to see the briefing and understand it and then will respond to that... The important thing is we are saying we disagree with it and we do think it's wrong." |
| But opposition politicians and some Conservative MPs have criticised Mrs May for not speaking out sooner. | |
| Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "It wasn't until around midnight that she actually got round to re-adjusting to a position she should've adopted from the very beginning." | Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "It wasn't until around midnight that she actually got round to re-adjusting to a position she should've adopted from the very beginning." |
| Is it worth the backlash for May? | Is it worth the backlash for May? |
| By Susana Mendonca, BBC political correspondent | By Susana Mendonca, BBC political correspondent |
| Before all the hand holding and pally smiles, Theresa May promised the world she would not be afraid to tell Donald Trump what she thought when she disagreed with him. It didn't take long for her to stumble at the first hurdle. | Before all the hand holding and pally smiles, Theresa May promised the world she would not be afraid to tell Donald Trump what she thought when she disagreed with him. It didn't take long for her to stumble at the first hurdle. |
| Downing Street later said the prime minister didn't agree with Mr Trump's approach. And her Chief Secretary to the Treasury also said she was not the kind of politician to "shoot from the hip". | Downing Street later said the prime minister didn't agree with Mr Trump's approach. And her Chief Secretary to the Treasury also said she was not the kind of politician to "shoot from the hip". |
| But this tougher stance only came after wide criticism of her failure to condemn the president in the first place. | But this tougher stance only came after wide criticism of her failure to condemn the president in the first place. |
| Iraqi-born MP Nadhim Zahawi said he would also be banned from the US; fellow Conservative Heidi Allen said she didn't care how "special" the relationship was, some lines shouldn't be crossed. | Iraqi-born MP Nadhim Zahawi said he would also be banned from the US; fellow Conservative Heidi Allen said she didn't care how "special" the relationship was, some lines shouldn't be crossed. |
| And that's the trouble for Theresa May. Donald Trump is bound to cross yet more lines, and if she doesn't criticise him she'll look like the weak partner obeying the powerful one. | And that's the trouble for Theresa May. Donald Trump is bound to cross yet more lines, and if she doesn't criticise him she'll look like the weak partner obeying the powerful one. |
| The real question for her will be whether keeping Mr Trump sweet in the interests of getting a good trade deal for Britain is worth the backlash she'll get for not being candid enough when she and Britain disagrees with him. | The real question for her will be whether keeping Mr Trump sweet in the interests of getting a good trade deal for Britain is worth the backlash she'll get for not being candid enough when she and Britain disagrees with him. |
| He said it would be "totally wrong" for a state visit to the UK by Mr Trump to go ahead while the row continued. | |
| A petition to stop a state visit - for which no date has been set - has now passed the 100,000 mark, meaning it will be considered for debate in parliament. | |
| Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said Mrs May should have argued against President Trump's actions from the outset. | |
| "You would expect the British prime minister to fight Britain's corner", he said. | |
| And Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, who was born in Baghdad, told the the BBC the ban meant he would be unable to visit his sons who are studying at Princeton University in the US. | |
| The MP for Stratford on Avon said the ban was cruel and he hoped it would be reversed. | |
| But former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, the first British politician to meet President Trump after his election, told the BBC's Sunday Politics: "He was elected to get tough. He was elected to say he would do everything within his power to protect America from infiltration by Isis terrorists. Now you know, there are seven countries on that list. He's entitled to do this. He was voted on this ticket." | |
| Meanwhile, Glasgow vet Hamaseh Tayari was told she could not fly home to the UK from Costa Rica via New York as she travels on an Iranian passport. | Meanwhile, Glasgow vet Hamaseh Tayari was told she could not fly home to the UK from Costa Rica via New York as she travels on an Iranian passport. |
| An appeal to raise funds for a new flight home, via a different route, reached its target just a few hours after being launched. | An appeal to raise funds for a new flight home, via a different route, reached its target just a few hours after being launched. |
| Number 10 said it was studying the executive order and would "make representations" to the US government if any UK nationals were affected. | Number 10 said it was studying the executive order and would "make representations" to the US government if any UK nationals were affected. |