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| Donald Trump should not be allowed to speak in parliament, says Speaker | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump would not be welcome to address parliament during his state visit, the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has said in an unprecedented intervention, which drew applause and cheering from MPs. | |
| Bercow, whose role is non-political, said he could not block a state visit by the US president but would use his role as one of the three “key-holders” of Westminster Hall to prevent the Republican from addressing MPs and peers. | |
| He said he had been particularly persuaded by what he termed Trump’s “migrant ban”, the executive order signed during the president’s first fortnight that prevented any nationals from seven Muslim countries from entering the US, including refugees. | |
| The Speaker, who made the remarks in response to a point of order by Labour MP Stephen Doughty, inferred that Downing Street should rethink the offer of a state visit made during Theresa May’s visit to Washington. Doughty had organised an early day motion, signed by 163 MPs, calling on the Speaker to withhold permission from the government for an address to Westminster hall. | |
| He told MPs: “We value our relationship with the US. If a state visit takes place that is way beyond the pay grade of the Speaker. However, as far as this place is concerned, I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism, and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are important considerations in the House of Commons.” | |
| Bercow said that an address by a foreign leader during a state visit was “not an automatic right, it is an earned honour” and said there was precedent for a state visit not to include an address to parliament. | |
| “In relation to Westminster Hall, there are three key-holders ... the speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the House of Lords and the lord great chamberlain, and ordinarily we are able to work by consensus and the hall would be used for a purpose such as an address, by agreement of the three key-holders. | |
| “Before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall. After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, I am even more strongly opposed by an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall.” | |
| Bercow said he had less direct power to prevent an address in parliament’s Royal Gallery. “Customarily an invitation to a visiting leader to deliver address there would be issued in the names of the two Speakers,” he said. “I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump.” | |
| Government sources described the intervention as “hugely political and out of line”. One government source said: “Bercow better make sure of the president’s plan before he shoots off like this. The clear indications are that the White House are not even planning to address both houses of parliament.” | |
| A Downing street adviser said that the prime minister had been clear about the state visit going ahead. “Exactly what we’ll be doing is to be discussed,” they said about the details of the trip. | |
| It came after claims from government sources that Trump was not interested in addressing Westminster hall itself. One said speaking to politicians inside parliament would represent the “ultimate establishment” act, and go against what Trump stands for. | |
| Pointing out that neither Ronald Reagan nor George W Bush addressed Westminster Hall during their state visits, the source said: “The indication is he wants high visibility visits with key members of the Royal family.” They suggested that the focus would be on parades, the military and a ceremonial guard. | |
| The bible of parliamentary rules, Erskine May, declares that “the chief characteristics to the office of Speaker in the House of Commons are authority and impartiality”. Such is the importance of this principle that no MP is allowed to question it without risking a breach of privilege. | |
| “Confidence in the impartiality of the Speaker is an indispensable condition of the successful working of procedure,” it goes on. “He takes no part in debate either in the house or in committee.” | |
| Labour and SNP MPs made clear their delight at the comments. | |
| Speaker Bercow has decided to check people coming into our Parliament VERY CAREFULLY. https://t.co/aXeSd59Svl | |
| Brilliant speech by Speaker Bercow slamming Trump. Opposition benches applaud, Tories glum. This was Parliament at its best. | |
| I may get called last in debates far too often but Mr Speaker spoke for the overwhelming majority in saying No 2 Trump addressing parliament https://t.co/5vlkZI4qjG | |
| It was the second time in the day’s session that Bercow had caused something of a stir in the Commons. Earlier he announced that the clerks who sit in the chamber would, following this month’s recess, no longer need to wear wigs. | |
| The idea was intended to save money, was popular with the clerks, and was intended to give across a “marginally less stuffy and forbidding image of this chamber at work”. | |
| The clerks will still wear gowns, in the main to distinguish them from MPs or other officials in the Commons. | |
| The decision found opposition from the Conservative MPs Gerald Howarth and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, prompting some other MPs to lament the delay to the start of a planned seven-hour debate on article 50. |