A petition to stop Donald Trump’s planned state visit to the UK is gaining serious momentum, closing in on 150,000 signatures.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally handed Trump an invitation from King Charles during their Oval Office meeting on Thursday. The letter, described as “unprecedented,” invited the former president to make his second official state visit later this year.
As Starmer presented it, he said:
“This is really special. This has never happened before. This is unprecedented. It is my pleasure to bring from His Majesty the King, a letter.
“He sends his best wishes and his regards, of course, but he also asked me to bear this letter and bring it to you. So can I present a letter from the King?”
Trump accepted immediately. However, backlash followed just as quickly.
Petition gains traction
Since the announcement, an online petition directed at King Charles and the prime minister has called for the visit to be cancelled. It had just 10 signatures on Thursday. Now, it’s rapidly approaching 150,000.
Titled ‘No second state visit for Trump’, the petition reads:
“Unbelievable. Keir Starmer has handed Donald Trump a letter from King Charles, inviting him for a second state visit to the UK. It’s totally unprecedented and should not go ahead.
“This is the same Donald Trump that in recent weeks has buddied up with Putin, cranked up tariffs on trade, slashed aid across the world, and berated Ukrainian President Zelensky in the White House. Meanwhile, his best buddy Elon Musk has been sticking his oar into UK politics and spreading lies on social media.
“No date for the visit is set yet – so if we’re going to have any chance of stopping this happening, we need to act right now. A huge petition signed by hundreds of thousands of us will show Trump, the King, and the PM how unwelcome the US president truly is. It’s the first step in stopping this terrible idea.”
You can sign the petition yourself here.
Sadiq Khan’s invitation
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has taken a different approach. Instead of outright opposition, he’s extended an invitation of his own—offering Trump a Brick Lane curry when he arrives in the capital.
Khan, who has clashed with Trump in the past, said it would be good to show him “the joys of our diversity.” Whether Trump will take him up on the offer remains to be seen.
With opposition growing and no set date for the visit, the fight to stop Trump’s return to the UK is far from over.
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