When Donald Trump visits the UK on Friday 13th July, many Liberal Democrats will take to the streets to protest against the racist, misogynist, transphobic, views he holds and the actions he has taken in Government to undermine human rights.
On today’s Peston on Sunday, Lib Dem Deputy Leader Jo Swinson said that, if she’s able, she’ll be among them, just as she was on the Women’s March last year the day after the inauguration.
Her baby will be just weeks old at that time and she says that she’ll take the wee one to the march in a sling because he is anathema to British values of respect for others.
.@LibDems Deputy Leader @joswinson says she is up for protests when @realDonaldTrump visits this summer. #Peston pic.twitter.com/J90uBLXDtr
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) April 29, 2018
She also talked about our prospects in the local elections. Vince had been quite modest about it on Marr and Jo continued in the same vein. She said that we were looking to get a foothold back in areas where we had been wiped out four years ago. She added what we are all experiencing – that our reception on the doorsteps is much friendlier and enthusiastic than it was then.
On Amber Rudd, she was clear that if the Home Secretary had misled Parliament, then she would need to go. She also said that Cabinet Ministers don’t see every memo and what we really needed to do was to have a positive debate on the benefits of immigration.
She was on Sunday Politics later on with Brexiteer Bernard Jenkin talking about the customs union.
"Just because the government said it, it doesn't make it right"@joswinson argues that staying in the Customs Union doesn't mean it is not respecting the result of the referendum #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/QNRn3dZ8JT
— BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) April 29, 2018
She said that the Government had got itself in a mess with its ludicrous red lines. It would be disastrous to leave the customs union but even if we stayed in the customs union and were out of the EU, we would still be worse off. The more barriers and regulatory differences, the greater the threat to trade and therefore our businesses. Unsurprisingly, she called for that People’s Vote on the deal, patiently explaining to Jenkin why letting the people have their say is perfectly democratic.
6 Comments
I’m up for going onna march. Will also be buying a Green Day single I already have on 12″ vinyl…
http://www.kerrang.com/the-news/campaign-to-get-american-idiot-to-number-one-for-trumps-state-visit/
Very likeable effective appearances.
I think if Jo or any want to demonstrate against the abysmal president, it should be as individuals, not as officials from this party, because we cannot say we would host a visit if we were in power, yet protest his visit when not .
He represents his country on the visit, not his party or twitterspeak, therefore we must experience friendly but honest relations.
I consider our best accomplishment would be a better level of closeness with the Democratic party and other Liberals.
“Protest *against* Trump”, please, editors.
It’s bad enough having a horrid American coming without voluntarily adopting horrible Americanisms.
Similarly, verdicts are appealed *against*, not ‘appealed’.
I hope Jo takes all reasonable safety precautions if she takes her newly born infant on a demonstration….. which indeed could be dangerous and unpleasant. The last thing a new born baby (and its mother – or father) needs is to be ‘kettled’ by the Met….. and I’m certain there will be US heavies around too.
Think again, Jo. Is it worth it ?
There is a movement to get Donald the Nobel Peace Prize for triggering astonishing progress on the Korean peninsula.
Donald Trump is against abortion and he has done a good job in Korea so I will not be protesting. Also, I don’t think it’s a good idea to alienate the USA, an historic ally.