Keep Trump out of the UK!

Kandinsky

*I would rather have Trump come here for a visit, than any of the ones who sneak in to do us harm and try to be permanent, there are plenty of those arriving on a daily basis*

Well exactly.
The type of people signing these ridiculous petitions are the same people welcoming any violent thug who enters our shores illegally.

Well, I didn't actually ask the probably Pakistani man who delivered my package today when he came over as to when he arrived or his family:

But we had an easy going conversation about me being able to have the time to take it easy (I was in a long housecoat)... as it was raining and not much fun.....I said it was nice sometimes being older....as long as health OK, I did yoga.....he mentioned his wife had done it before the kids... his Aunties felt the same too ...

the moral of this tale being, if you want or choose to see a violent thug........then you will

it you choose otherwise, you will find life is full or rewarding multi cultural connections, which far outweigh the opposite and I doubt very much I am the only one who has similar experiences?

And my goodness, I'd welcome the many like this man (who clearly, btw, didn't insist on burkas et al)

Above the narcissist (I mean, equating oneself with Jesus!)
and dictatorial Donald Trump.

Of course we have to "play nice" but ""one may smile and smile, and be a villain" 🤫

There was no choice but to invite him, there is no choice but to keep him on side. I hope the visit is kept as low key as it can be, and I’m glad parliament will still be in recess when he comes to reduce his grandstanding opportunities. I expect the Royal family to do an excellent number in diplomacy. My plea is just act responsibly, British media!

GrannyGravy13

Sorry premature posting.

His visit coincides with Parliamentary recess, so he cannot address the house

He may have a different approach to politics to most of us this side of the pond, but, he is still an ally.

We are not at war with the USA.

And Diplomacy.

His visit coincides with Parliamentary recess, so he cannot address the house
That planning cannot have been a coincidence.

We're told by some on here that we're a small and insignificant little island off the coast of the EU, not powerful at all, but for some unknown reason Heads of State, including the POTUS, feel honoured to come and meet our Royal Family (who are apparently an irrelevance too, according to some).

Strange.

Casdon

There was no choice but to invite him, there is no choice but to keep him on side. I hope the visit is kept as low key as it can be, and I’m glad parliament will still be in recess when he comes to reduce his grandstanding opportunities. I expect the Royal family to do an excellent number in diplomacy. My plea is just act responsibly, British media!

Well said!

Caleo

But why quote Mandelson? Did you have had a reason to single him out?

If Mandelson were here on Gransnet there would be posters who , like myself, take issue with him. Mandelson is not God Almighty.

But he is British Ambassador to the USA! 😃

OK - we all sign this petition and, by some miracle - although I cannot see how as there are rules for these things - Trump's visit is cancelled.

So what then? ...... Tump is deeply offended and takes it out on us with tariffs, non-co-operation over defence and generally falling out with UK. Who gains? Is this a gain for the UK? Will we be better off?

Our politicians and diplomats are practicing diplomacy over this and playing the long game in our best interests. I have no doubt it makes them want to puke - but they are doing it for us.

Our politicians and diplomats are practicing diplomacy over this and playing the long game in our best interests. I have no doubt it makes them want to puke - but they are doing it for us.
Yes.

To sign a petition for the visit to be cancelled shows naïvety in the way the world of diplomacy works.

Allira and Luckygirl

Except for extremists, people signing are most certainly not naive

We know exactly what we are aiming for - substantial numbers of voices saying "you are so unwelcome here we dont really want you to come but this demonstration/petition"

But knowing at the same time it is entirely necessary for the visit.

Large demonstrations, preferably on the streets where Trump goes, or lining the streets but turning backs , or demostraitons of other kinds

Spread the message of what Trump is really like. do we want it here?

sorry, part sentence "we don't really want you to come but this demonstration/petition" is to indicate how strongly we feel

Well wyllow3, I saw plenty of thugs fighting in packs, attacking lone Spaniards in Murcia on the tv. They attacked a 68 year old man & nearly killed him. Was that on the msn?

I doubt if anyone who signs the petition has any expectation at all that the visit will be cancelled. Since when have petitions ever been taken notice of by government? Petitions have been around for centuries and mostly disregarded.

However, the numbers signing this one, and any other similar ones which might be around, might give some indication of what the general public feel about the visit. Nothing wrong with that.

I can't say I set any store at all on what Mandelson says about Trump. But then, he was always impressed by wealth, and, he is a diplomat. He can hardly say that Trump is an evil and ignorant fascist bent on destroying the world economy because he doesn't understand how tariffs work...

Trump's coming to Scotland before the end of the month. He's invited Starmer & Swinney to meet him. He wants more oil drilling and fewer wind turbines. We can only hope.

OldFrill

Trump's coming to Scotland before the end of the month. He's invited Starmer & Swinney to meet him. He wants more oil drilling and fewer wind turbines. We can only hope.

What Trump wants the UK to do in our own country is of no relevance to the UK whatsoever. He should mind his own business, not ours.

Mt61

Well wyllow3, I saw plenty of thugs fighting in packs, attacking lone Spaniards in Murcia on the tv. They attacked a 68 year old man & nearly killed him. Was that on the msn?

Sorry, would that be the groups of white Brit thugs who unfortunately do go abroad and. Cause trouble in packs in the Costa da cheap accommodation abroad that have meant police having to ban some Brit travels for good? Or did you mean something else?

TerriBull

Honestly! are you serious, we've had loads of state visits by awful people, Mugabe, Xi, King Abdullah, he's just one more. It is as others have said about diplomacy and expediency. Here's what Peter Mandelson had to say about him in the ST this week. "He's a more nuanced figure than people appreciate. Look he's not only a unique politician - he's also going to be one of the most consequential presidents in American history. He has this sense of history, this grasp of power which I think perhaps recent inhabitants of the White House haven't quite seen. He is not a man for endless seminars and thinking. He's not a victim of analysis paralysis. He has a very quick and easy way of grasping the core points of an issue. And lets be honest, more often than not there's a kernel of truth in everything he says. This includes border control, if you take immigration for example, people feel that the work of ICE (US federal immigration agency) and the policy of deportation is extreme. But what he's trying to roll back was an extreme opening up of the Mexican border. Allowing anyone from anywhere in the world to fly and simply pass into the United States and fan out across the country without any control or management! The public won't stand for it. Illegal crossings, which peaked under President Biden at 300,000 a month collapsed when Trump took office to about 12,000 a month"

Well of course he would say all that I hear you say, as our Ambassador to Washington, he can't be slagging him off, and a certain amount of pragmatism is necessary from someone in his position.

No I wouldn't have voted for Trump in many respects I think he's awful, but I also thought the same about Biden in a different way, if he wasn't so inept then the US might not be saddled with Trump.

Good comments.
We all know that diplomatic visits here are for the benefit of our country.

Allira

^Our politicians and diplomats are practicing diplomacy over this and playing the long game in our best interests. I have no doubt it makes them want to puke - but they are doing it for us^.
Yes.

To sign a petition for the visit to be cancelled shows naïvety in the way the world of diplomacy works.

It certainly does.

Wyllow3

Allira and Luckygirl

Except for extremists, people signing are most certainly not naive

We know exactly what we are aiming for - substantial numbers of voices saying "you are so unwelcome here we dont really want you to come but this demonstration/petition"

But knowing at the same time it is entirely necessary for the visit.

Large demonstrations, preferably on the streets where Trump goes, or lining the streets but turning backs , or demostraitons of other kinds

Spread the message of what Trump is really like. do we want it here?

Well, you go and line the streets if it makes you feel better but it’s a waste of time.

Allira

Caleo

But why quote Mandelson? Did you have had a reason to single him out?

If Mandelson were here on Gransnet there would be posters who , like myself, take issue with him. Mandelson is not God Almighty.

But he is British Ambassador to the USA! 😃

I understand, thanks.

I wonder if Prince Andrew will be allowed out of 'retirement'?
He and Trump have old pals in common.

Oreo, the last time I joined a protest was the Not in my Name marches against the invasion of Iraq. Events confirmed our view that the invasion was just wrong and would leave a legacy we didn’t want for that country and our own. It’s no consolation to be proved right.

Friends joined the London march, we went to Glasgow with a group of friends. It was a great march, we had Greek medical students in front of us and American veterans from Vietnam with us. Sadly, these huge marches had no impact at all, on our government.
One of the friends on our march, a. Veteran activist, says that did it for her, no more marches, they influence nothing.

Not wanting to derail this thread but I’m watching the pro Palestine marches which are well supported and imo vociferous. Any influence on policy ?

Marches don’t influence policy, particularly foreign policy.If you think about it, it’s the government’s job to decide on that and not popular public opinion.
The same goes for State visits where diplomacy is the order of the day.
The only marches or protests that may influence policy are on domestic matters where it becomes obvious that there’s a real problem and trouble brewing for the Party in power.

Yes something else

Mt61

Yes something else

Wyllow3

Casdon

OldFrill

Trump's coming to Scotland before the end of the month. He's invited Starmer & Swinney to meet him. He wants more oil drilling and fewer wind turbines. We can only hope.

What Trump wants the UK to do in our own country is of no relevance to the UK whatsoever. He should mind his own business, not ours.

Is there an oil field under his golf course perhaps? ⛳

^We know exactly what we are aiming for - substantial numbers of voices saying "you are so unwelcome here we dont really want you to come but this demonstration/petition"

But knowing at the same time it is entirely necessary for the visit.^

Sounds like a cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Or, people knowing it is wise but complaining and still annoyed.