Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has announced that, after praying about it all summer, he plans to decline an invitation to a state banquet in Trump’s honour
Ed Davey means no disrespect to the King by refusing to attend a state banquet for Donald Trump, the Lib Dem leader has insisted.
He announced yesterday he would decline an invitation to the dinner to mark the US President’s state visit to the UK later this month.
Sir Ed told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think anyone who knows my approach to the monarchy, and to the King in particular, knows how much I respect him.
“I’ve written to him personally and the fact, as I say, that I’ve had to wrestle with it shows that no disrespect is meant to the King at all.”
Announcing the boycott, the politician said he and his wife Emily had “prayed about it”.
He told the Today programme: “I am a Christian. My wife and I go to our local church, St Andrew’s and St Mark’s, very regularly.
“My faith is very important to me and to my wife and although you’re right, other people say religion doesn’t impact your politics, it does impact mine.
“I don’t talk about it very much but in this moment I had to be very honest, I’ve thought and prayed about this, I really have.”
Mr Trump’s first state banquet was snubbed by then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, then-Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable, former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and former Commons Speaker John Bercow in 2019.
The US president’s upcoming UK visit, scheduled to take place between September 17 and 19, makes him one of the few world leaders to be invited for two state visits.
The honour is usually reserved for monarchs, with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark the last person to make a second state visit in 2000, although French president Raymond Poincare made two state visits in the early 20th century.
Details of Mr Trump’s visit are still to be announced, but it will not include an address to Parliament as the Lords and Commons are not sitting while he is in the country.
The state visit follows a more low-key trip to Scotland in July, during which he hosted Sir Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf course.
The Tories accused Sir Ed of an “act of deep disrespect” to the King.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “(This) is an act of deep disrespect to His Majesty the King.
“It shows appalling judgment. America is our closest ally and security partner, and the world’s biggest economy.
“Ed Davey has once again proved he is not a serious leader and more interested in pathetic gesture politics.”