Live Updates
Republican debate 2016
Republican U.S. presidential candidate businessman Donald Trump calls out to the audience at the conclusion of the Fox Business Network Republican presidential candidates debate in North Charleston, South Carolina Chris Keane/ Reuters
  • In a three-hour debate in the British Parliament, several MPs backed calls to ban controversial Republican candidate Donald Trump from entering the UK
  • Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said: "His words are not comical, his words are poisonous. They risk inflaming tension between vulnerable communities"
  • But Labour's Paul Flynn insisted the "great danger" of attacking Mr Trump is it could "fix on him a halo of victimhood" and boost the cause of his supporters
  • While most MPs condemned Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States, some questioned the logic of prohibiting him from visiting the UK as a result
  • The debate followed a parliamentary petition calling for the US presidential hopeful to be banned attracted more than 570,000 signatures
  • Trump had said that British police had become too scared to go into parts of London because they had become radicalised
  • There was no vote after the debate, as MPs considered the petition


Echoing Martin Luther King's words to condemn Donald Trump

SNP MP Anne McLaughlin:

"There have been suggestions that we should keep quiet about this. I'm going to quote Martin Luther King who said: 'The the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over the by the good people.' We won't be silenced."


Americans appreciate the Trump UK ban debate

Members of public 'embarrassed' by Trump UK ban debate

'Adding fuel' to Trump's media circus

Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng:

"We are adding fuel to this whole media circus and this is playing into his hands. A ban would be a headline throughout the world - it would make it more likely that he would win the election in November and then we would be in this absurd situation where we have banned in the President of the United States."

SNP MP speaks for constituency where Trump is investing £200m

MP Corri Wilson points out that Donald Trump's investment in the Turnberry golf course is sourcing local materials, using local products in restaurants, and employing 200 local people.

People only want to ban Trump because he's 'rich, white and politically incorrect'

Conservative MP Philip Davies:

"Whatever people think - surely you should be entitled to have this opinion and to express it. It's amazing that the people who always preach about tolerance and that we shouldn't have any intolerance are always the very same people who are so intolerance of anybody who happens to have a different opinion to them. The real issue for me is not actually Donald Trump's remarks but is the reaction to them. The debate today is actually as much to do with political correctness as it is with Donald Trump."

Britons join in the debate on Twitter

The hashtag #TrumpDebate is trending across the country as thousands weigh into the debate via social media.

Trump is a 'threat' to British Muslims

Labour MP Jack Dromey said that Trump undermines the safety and security of British Muslims and that allowing Trump into the UK was not a security risk he was willing to take.

"I don't think Donald Trump should be allowed within a 1,000miles of our shore. He would embolden the EDL (England Defence League) on the one hand and fuel the flames of terrorism on the other hand. Donald Trump is free to be a fool, but he's not free to be a dangerous fool in Britain."

Donald Trump ban in the UK would be 'ironic'

"The way we deal with bigotry and prejudice is by confronting it head on, not by trying to avoid it. Banning Donald Trump would only make him a martyr - in his own mind he would see himself as a martyr and many of his supporters would feel the same.

"We live in a global village now - we're not going to stop his views reaching our shores by banning him. In fact I would argue the opposite, actually the promotion a ban would bring would mean that his words and his views are heard louder and stronger than they currently are.

"I believe that it would be ironic if we were to take the regressive step of banning Donald Trump because he has called for a ban on Muslims coming into the United States. I find that entirely ironic - we should surely be guilty of the same thing that we are criticising him for. It would send a signal to the world that we are scared.

"It's often been said that two wrongs don't make a right - I want to say that two bans don't make a right."

Trump's words are a "threat to national security"

Conservative Party MP Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh:

"Mr Trump's comments condemn a whole religion for the actions of a terrorist death cult. Mr Trump also condemns and speaks in derogatory terms about women, people with disabilities, Mexicans, the list is non-exhaustive because it is never-ending. Donald Trump is not just wrong, his comments are dangerous and his views must be tackled seriously.

"[Trump] has fuelled racial tensions across the world while undermining the national security of both, the US and the UK."

US citizens tune into the debate from across the pond

Donald Trump invited to taste the curry in Bradford West

Labour MP Naz Shah:

"I would invite Donald Trump to my constituency of Bradford West. I would have a conversation with him and challenge him on his views. I think it's important for us in the name of democracy to challenge that narrative."

'Bad politics' to ban Trump

Conservative politician Tom Tugendhat:

"We may not wish him here, we may not like him here, but we should not criticise his ability to speak or indeed vote against his right to travel when we too value those same rights of liberty.

"I would argue that it is bad politics and bad judgement to intervene in the electoral process. I will not be the one to silence his voice. We should stand aside and we should wait for Americans to come forward."

MP Edward Leigh questions UK relations with other world leaders

Allow Trump to come to the UK and let's 'challenge him'

MP Gavin Robinson:

"Throw a dead cat on the table and people will notice. And of course, that's exactly what Donald Trump is doing. It's not just once - it's something that marks his campaign entirely. He throws a dead cat on the table and people stop what they were considering and listen to him and take him seriously.

"I want to see Donald Trump come to this country and be grilled by Members of Parliament or grilled by those great interrogators we have within the public discourse in this country - I want them to challenge him."

Tory MP questions rules of 'freedom of speech'

Conservative MP Edward Leig:

"[Trump] is popular with many voters - we may not like it, but he is. We oppose Mr Trump for demonising his opponents. If we ban him from the country, are we not in danger of doing the same? If we only allow free speech for those we already agree with, is that free speech at all?"

Hate crime against Muslims on the rise

Labour's Tulip Siddiq raises concerns of the rise in hate crime in the UK since Donald Trump's anti-Muslim comments.

"There is a very real correlation between the increase in hate crime against Muslims and the words of Donald Trump. As politicians we have to make very difficult decisions and one of the decisions we have to make is when freedom of speech actually affects public safety.

"Trump shouldn't be given a visa to come and visit the multicultural country that we are so proud of."

Trump's views are "poisonous"

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq:

"This is not just any man that we're talking about - this is a man that is extremely high profile. A man that is interviewing for the most important job in the world. His words are not comical, his words are not funny, his words are poisoning. They risk inflaming tensions between communities."

Tackling immigration - but not in the way Trump suggests

Conservative MP Paul Scully says it is "appropriate" for Parliament to hold this debate to give the public a voice in the chamber.

"We know the benefits of controlled immigration in this country. Mass uncontrolled immigration does actually put a lot of pressure on our services and I suspect, in America, people do feel this as well. But we need to tackle it in a very, very different way.

"We need to look at the counter-extremism strategy that this government has, the counter-terrorism strategy that this government has - these are ways that are far more clever and far more practical than closing the country down to people of one faith. How do you actually determine people of one faith? Do you put a badge on them?

"I hope over the next few ways we can look at practical ways that this country can tackle immigration, rather than worry about the ego of one man."

Danger of giving Trump "too much attention"

"We should greet him with courtesy if he comes here, but we shouldn't build him up with our attacks."

MP Flynn warns of giving Trump the "role of martyrdom" by giving him too much attention through banning him from the country. By greeting him with "friendship" and "knowledge", Flynn hopes the "walls of intolerance" will fall.

MP stresses that we must prepare for Trump win

Debate not meant to 'disrespect' Americans

Labour MP Paul Flynn:

"We want to make it clear that the way this is no attempt to disrespect in any way the Americans or the American state. This is the land of Barack Obama, Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln."

Violence against Muslims in the name of the Republican candidate

Labour MP Paul Flynn:

"The petitioners claim that there have been violent attacks in Boston and elsewhere, where people have cited Donald Trump. And that's what the petitioners are making their case on."

MP Keith Vaz asks whether MP Flynn shares his concern about the increasing violence against Muslims in the United States since Donald Trump's comments.

MPs gather in second chamber to begin the debate

Labour MP Paul Flynn:

"It's a bit of an occasion because the first petition has been signed by more people than any other petition in this Parliament and it calls to block Donald Trump from the UK."

The counter petition, which gained more than 43,000 signatures, is also being debated.

'Trump doesn't care'

BBC senior North America reporter, Anthony Zurcher, speaks to US student about the Trump UK ban debate.

Katie Hopkins: Trump debate is "disgusting"

Speaking live on Radio 5 to BBC's John Pienaar, controversial columnist Katie Hopkins said:

"You guys can't discuss this in studio without talking about the fact that he is supremely popular in the States because he is representing a voice that's no longer heard. There's vast sways of England and America who no longer feels it's got the right to defend its own country and I think I speak out for those people as well. And I would encourage you to look at politicians who are going to spend three hours discussing banning Trump – it's disgusting."

Counter-petition gains momentum

A Parliamentary counter-petition calling for Trump not to be banned from the UK had more than 43,000 signatures hours before the debate.

The petition said: "There are proposals to ban Donald Trump from the United Kingdom. This is totally illogical. Leave the decision making on appropriate responses to the Americans. Let's mind our own business."

The Government previously responded to the petition saying that they were unable to comment on individual immigration and exclusion decisions.

Trump UK ban debate is "absurd" and "valuable parliamentary time being wasted"

Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International Golf Links in Scotland, said:

"For the UK to consider banning someone who made a statement in America, about American borders during a US election campaign is ridiculous. Westminster is creating a dangerous precedent on this issue and is sending a terrible message to the world."

Social media buzz

Ahead of the debate, thousands take to social media to add their voice to the discussion, with people weighing in from both sides.

Read IBTimes UK's background on the Donald Trump UK ban: UK politicians to debate 560,000-strong petition to ban controversial tycoon.

Donald Trump David Cameron