PM said she believed the controversial policy was ‘divisive and wrong’ but rejected calls to cancel the President’s state visit
THERESA May has rejected calls from Jeremy Corbyn to withdraw Donald Trump's state visit invitation, telling MPs: "He can lead a protest, I'm leading a country."
The Prime Minister slapped down the Labour leader at PMQs and described his attitude towards the President as an “insult” to our most important ally.
Mr Corbyn said Mr Trump has "torn up" international agreements on refugees, praised the use of torture, "incited hatred" against Muslims and "directly attacked" women's rights.
He questioned what more Mr Trump has to do before Mrs May listens to the near-1.8 million petitioners who want the state visit invitation withdrawn.
But Mrs May claimed Mr Corbyn's foreign policy is to "object to and insult" the democratically-elected head of state of Britain's "most important ally".
The PM was responding to his questions about her historic visit to the US last week, and what she knew about the executive order signed just hours after she left, barring people from seven-mainly Muslim countries from travelling to America.
After being pressed if she knew the policy would ban refuges, she said no. Asked if she knew that it would affect British nationals – she said she did not.
But whether she knew if the President was going to be bringing in a travel ban – she said that everyone did, as he had made it a key pledge in his campaign.
Hitting back at Mr Corbyn, she said: "Let's just see what he would have achieved in the last week. Would he have been able to protect British citizens from the impact of the executive order?"
Tory MPs joined Mrs May in saying: "No."
The PM went on: "Would he have been able to lay the foundations of a trade deal? No. Would he have got a 100% commitment to Nato? No.
"That's what Labour has to offer this country - less protection for British citizens, less prosperous, less safe.
"He can lead a protest, I'm leading a country."
It came after Mr Corbyn made a thinly-veiled comparison between Mrs May and former PM Neville Chamberlain, who was attacked for appeasing Adolf Hitler.
He infamously waved a piece of paper as he arrived back from talks with the Nazi leader, and the Labour boss said during PMQs he produced a letter from the PM.
The hapless leftie told Mrs May: "President Trump has torn up international agreements on refugees.
"He's threatened to dump international agreements on climate change. He's praised the use of torture. He's incited hatred against Muslims. He's directly attacked women's rights.
"Just what more does President Trump have to do before the Prime Minister will listen to the 1.8 million people who have already called for his state visit invitation to be withdrawn?"
When questioned over why she had failed to condemn the ban when asked about it three times on the day after it was imposed, the Prime Minister responded: "On the policy that President Trump has introduced, this Government is clear that that policy is wrong.
"We wouldn't do it, in six years as home secretary I never introduced such a policy. We believe it is divisive and wrong."
She added: "On refugees, this Government has a proud record of support that we have given to refugees, and long may it continue."
The Labour leader replied: "The Prime Minister said the United States is responsible for the United States policy on refugees, but, surely, it is the responsibility of all of us to defend the 1951 Refugee Convention which commits this country, the United States, and 142 other states, to accept refugees without regard to their race, religion, or country of origin?
“President Trump has breached that convention; why didn't she speak out?"
Mrs May told MPs: "It is absolutely the case that this country welcomes refugees to the United Kingdom and we do so regardless of their religion.
“There is no question of discriminating on religion."
