Donald Trump Second State Visit

The behaviour of President Trump, and the implications of his outrageous remarks, policies and cavalier attitude, which undermine the established international rules-based order. My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I strongly believe that the UK Government must adopt a firm and principled stance in its dealings with President Trump.

While I share your disgust that President Trump should be offered an unprecedented second state visit, we should be mindful that we’re dealing with an infantile narcissist, and, whether we like it or not, it is wiser to massage his ego while he holds power than to deliberately antagonise. Therefore, this event presents an opportunity to leverage commitments to secure better security guarantees for Ukraine and more.

Should President Trump prove unwilling to engage constructively, it is essential that all options remain on the table. We must not shy away from holding him accountable for his actions and ensuring that our foreign policy aligns with our values.

This, of course, does not mean that I will do anything other than continue to advocate for a principled and effective approach to international relations.