U.K. Parliament To Debate Banning Donald Trump From Entering Britain
After a petition was launched to ban Donald Trump from entering the U.K. on a hate speech basis, sufficient signatures now allow the debate to enter Parliament. For his part, The Donald is now threatening to scrap more than $1 billion in Scottish investments should the ban go ahead.
Trump threatens to pack up all his UK toys and take them home https://t.co/6G9JyhO9CZ #DonaldTrump #Trump #BanTrump pic.twitter.com/Lh0oO0Y9aM
— HuffPostUK Politics (@HuffPostUKPol) January 6, 2016
If a petition to the British government reaches the 100,000 signature mark, parliament then has to debate the issue. In the case of the petition launched to ban Donald Trump from entering the U.K., the petition attracted a hefty number, more than 570,000 signatures, to ban the U.S. Republican presidential candidate from British shores.
“The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK. If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the ‘unacceptable behavior’ criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as powerful.”
The U.K. Parliament is now set to bring up the issue on January 18 and Trump is a tad upset. He is threatening to drop the over $1 billion in planned investments in Scotland should he be banned from the United Kingdom.
According to the Guardian, under the umbrella of the Trump Organization, Trump’s conglomerate company, the tycoon has plans to invest over 200 million pounds ($293 million) to develop his luxurious golf resort on the coastline of the South Ayrshire area of Scotland.
‘Ban me from UK and I’ll withdraw millions in Scottish golf cash’ warns @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/gVVG6StbE5 pic.twitter.com/5FX4eMfLdG
— POLITICO Europe (@POLITICOEurope) January 6, 2016
As reported recently on the Inquisitr, Donald Trump is already upset relating to the luxury golf resort as an appeal against a planned offshore windfarm — which he says will spoil his clients’ view — recently failed. Scotland is pushing for renewable energy and the local government felt the windfarm is more important to the country than Donald Trump’s clients.
However, the Trump Organization also has plans to invest 500 million pounds ($732 million) in another golf course in the city of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Reportedly, Trump’s company has recently issued a statement that they would be forced to “immediately end these and all future investments” should Donald Trump be banned from entering the U.K.
According to the statement, “Westminster would create a dangerous precedent and send a terrible message to the world that the United Kingdom opposes free speech and has no interest in attracting inward investment.”
Trump’s statement continued by saying millions of U.S. citizens who support the presidential hopeful would also be alienated by such a ban and saying that many people agree with Donald Trump on his various stances.
“Many people now agree with Trump that there is a serious problem that must be resolved. This can only be achieved if we are willing discuss these tough issues openly and honestly.”
Besides suggestions that his company will withdraw its investments from Scotland, according to RT News, Donald Trump has reportedly also claimed the “U.K. is riddled with terrorists” and stated: “places in London and other places that are so radicalized that police are afraid for their own lives.”
The petition was started back in December, 2015, after Donald Trump called for a “total and complete” travel ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Reportedly British Prime Minister David Cameron also condemned the GOP candidate for this comment, although he does not, apparently, support the idea of completely banning Trump from entering the U.K.
With the number of signatures heading towards the 600,000 mark, the petition has garnered far more than the necessary 100,000 signatures necessary to place the issue in front of British lawmakers and they will discuss the matter on January 18.
According to a report in the International Business Times, the U.K. government said back in December that Home Secretary Theresa May has the authority to ban non-European Economic Area nationals from entering the country.
“The home secretary has said that coming to the UK is a privilege and not a right, and she will continue to use the powers available to prevent from entering the U.K. those who seek to harm our society and who do not share our basic values,” per the report.
[Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images News]
