'I Won't Be Doing That Again': Wes Streeting Reminded Of Opposition To Last Trump State Visit

Wes Streeting tried to laugh off his previous opposition to Donald Trump after being confronted about it on BBC Breakfast.

Presenter Naga Munchetty reminded the health secretary that six years ago he signed an early day motion in parliament opposing the last state visit Trump made to the UK because of his “misogynism [sic], racism and xenophobia”.

It came after Streeting’s boss, Keir Starmer, delivered an invitation from King Charles for Trump to make an unprecedented second state visit.

Trump read the letter and immediately accepted the invitation, saying it would an “honour” to visit the “fantastic” country.

On BBC Breakfast this morning, Munchetty told Streeting: “In 2019, you signed an early day motion for the state visit invitation to be rescinded and I quote ’because of President Trump’s misogynism [sic], racism and xenophobia.

“Do you welcome him back? Do you think it’s a good idea to have him back this time for a state visit?”

Streeting replied: “Yeah, I won’t be doing that again. There’s a serious point here, which is that what the prime minister did yesterday in Washington was deliver abroad, just as he’s delivering at home.

“The US special relationship is absolutely essential to Britain’s national security and our economic security. And as well as the relationship between our two countries, the relationship between these two world leaders really matters.”

On Trump’s visit, he added: “Will there be people protesting or disagreeing? Of course there will. But I just say to people that those protests are one of the amazing things about living in a democracy.

“Our democratic freedoms are built on the bedrock of the UK-US special relationship and that’s why the prime minister went to Washington yesterday, to deliver for our country and building that strong relationship with President Trump.”