PHOTO: Birmingham has more canals than Venice — but should Donald Trump be allowed to see them?
UK Government says Donald Trump can have his State visit in Birmingham rather than London. But should Birmingham welcome Trump?
The UK Government is facing criticism over indications, made during Theresa May’s visit to Washington last month, that it might honor Donald Trump with a State visit. So it has back-pedalled, first by signalling that Trump would not be able to address the Houses of Parliament and now by saying that he can go to Birmingham, the UK’s second city, rather than London.
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Declaring a personal interest — I have lived in the city since 1989 — I spoke with BBC WM on Monday morning about whether The Donald should be given the red carpet.
Listen to discussion
I am proud to live in Birmingham as a multi-cultural city, one very different than the one in which I grew up in the US, one in which tolerance is featured, and I think Trump in contrast to this has been very scornful of people of other religions and people of other races….
If Donald Trump wants to pay and hold a campaign rally here for himself as President, then let him pay the rent and pay the security. That’s fine.
But to give him the honor of a State visit? That’s a different matter.
