Our politicians should rise above Trump’s taunts
Today marks 30 years since China used brutal force against pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
Read more: Trump receives royal welcome at Buckingham Palace
It is an appropriate time to reflect on our continued good fortune to live in a country where protest movements grow and march without impediment.
In this spirit, the anti-Trump demonstrations in the capital should be recognised as a necessary and vibrant component of our liberal, democratic society – whether you agree with them or not.
The freedom to protest should not, however, been taken as an opportunity for our political leaders to descend to the level of student politics.
How else to describe Sadiq Khan’s criticism of the US President as a fascist? Donald Trump’s online retaliation, mocking the London mayor’s height and calling him a loser was amusing but equally puerile.
Neither men emerged from the exchange with their reputations enhanced. It seems left-wing politicians have abandoned the field of grown-up politics, seeking comfort amid the warm embrace of anti-Trump protesters rather than engaging in mature debate.
Vince Cable and Jeremy Corbyn both declined to attend last night’s banquet at Buckingham Palace, and the latter will be in his comfort zone today when he addresses the protest.
The decision to recuse themselves from a state occasion is particularly unfortunate given the overarching purpose of the president’s visit it to commemorate the anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Opposition to Trump’s personality and political views is one thing, but a broader hostility to America has crept into the debate about post-Brexit trade deals – creating an arena filled more with heat than light.
Horror stories of chlorinated chicken and a ripped-up NHS abound, when in fact the country has a golden opportunity to deepen its already mighty trade links with the world’s most powerful economy.
As the Federation of Small Businesses said yesterday, “The size of the market means that the US is seen as the most important single nation to be trading with. Around 50 per cent of all exporting or importing small firms choose the country as their priority market.”
This is the economic reality that should be at the front of politicians’ minds during the president’s visit, not how many likes they can get on social media for outdoing each other with anti-Trump rhetoric.
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For all the president’s faults, his administration is genuinely enthusiastic about supporting the UK once it leaves the EU, and that is not an offer we can afford to turn down.