The UK may refuse the visiting US President from giving a speech to Parliament!

US President is tentatively scheduled to make a state visit to the UK this September. Considering the possibility of the President's speech causing embarrassment for both sides, the UK may deprive him of the privilege of speaking to Parliament.

In June 2019, during his first term, the US President visited the UK and was also deprived of the right to speak to Parliament, while his predecessor had been invited.

British Members of Parliament expressed concerns about the potential situation of the US President being allowed to speak to both houses. Labour MP Kate Osborne wrote to the Speaker, asking him to prevent the US President from speaking in Parliament and proposed a preliminary motion.

"I'm glad to see Macron here, but my feelings towards the US President are very different. He has made some unsettling and worrying comments about the UK government, democracy, the Middle East, and especially about equality. Therefore, I think there are many reasons why we should consider why they would be given this privilege when we plan the state visit, because, of course, it's a privilege for someone to speak in both houses."

Osborne believes that to avoid diplomatic embarrassment, the parliament could be adjourned. The UK Parliament was originally scheduled to be adjourned from September 16th to October 13th.

"This could be a very diplomatic way to handle it, but I don't know how much control we have over the US President's schedule."

Osborne emphasized that she wants the US President to know he is not welcome: "So this seems like a good solution, maybe not perfect, because I actually want him to know he's not welcome!"

The Speaker's Office in the UK said: "Formal speeches to both houses of Parliament are not automatically included in the itinerary of a state visit, whether during the state visit or at other times. Whether foreign heads of state will speak in Parliament is just part of the planning decision."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837381457344524/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.