Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Grant Excerpts

Tuesday 26th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)]

14. If he will discuss the human rights record of the US with President Trump during his 2018 visit to the UK.

[Peter Grant (Glenrothes) (SNP)]

20. If he will discuss the human rights record of the US with President Trump during his 2018 visit to the UK.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Boris Johnson)]

The friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States is exceptionally close. I speak to Secretary Pompeo regularly. Of course, that does not mean that when we differ from our friends and partners in the United States, we are afraid to speak out, as the Prime Minister did in the matter of the separation of young children from their parents.

--- Later in debate ---

[Boris Johnson]

The President of the United States is the Head of State of our most important and one of our oldest allies, and it is absolutely vital. I think it is common ground among many people in this country that we should extend the hand of friendship to the office of the President of the United States of America.

[Peter Grant]

Is it not time for the Government to question seriously whether the current President of the United States is a fit and proper person to be our greatest ally? This is someone who can only be described as a serial child abuser. Putting children into concentration camps is not acceptable. The President has not yet taken the children out of those camps: he is holding them hostage to force their parents to give up their claims to asylum, and he is also trying to abolish due process by having no courts and no judges to decide on them. How can this person be fit for a state visit?

[Mr Speaker]

Too long. Hopelessly long.