Donald Trump has brushed aside not being able to address both Houses of Parliament during his upcoming state visit to Britain, telling the BBC that MPs should “go and have a good time” during their conference recess rather than being recalled.
The US president, who is due to arrive in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit from 17-19 September, will miss the opportunity to speak to MPs and peers because the Commons will be in recess. His comments came as he praised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for improving Brexit implementation, despite describing him as a “liberal”.
In an exclusive phone interview with the BBC, Trump dismissed suggestions Parliament should be recalled specifically for him. “I don’t want that to… that would be making the speech pretty negatively,” he said, adding that MPs should not be brought back especially.
Farage Demands Recall
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had demanded Parliament be recalled to allow Trump to address MPs and peers, describing the USA as Britain’s “most important ally. Under Westminster rules, the government must request the Speaker to recall Parliament, which is typically granted only in exceptional circumstances.
Without doubt – the USA is our most important ally,” Farage told GB News, criticising what he called the Labour government’s “cowardly” timing and claiming its “real priority” was to favour relations with Europe.
Downing Street confirmed there are no plans to recall Parliament for Trump’s visit. A government insider said: “I’m not aware of any plans to change the date of the visit or change parliament’s sitting dates either.”
The snub is likely to be noted by Trump, given predecessors Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan all addressed Parliament during state visits. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech to both Houses just last week during his ceremonial visit.
King Charles to Host at Windsor
Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Trump has accepted King Charles III’s invitation for the three-day visit. The president and First Lady Melania Trump will be hosted at Windsor Castle rather than Buckingham Palace, which is undergoing renovations.
“The President of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump, accompanied by the First Lady Mrs. Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from 17 September to 19 September 2025,” the Palace said in a statement.
The invitation was hand-delivered by Prime Minister Starmer during his White House visit in February. “It’s an invitation for a second State Visit. This is really special. This has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” Starmer told Trump in the Oval Office.
Brexit Comments Surprise
Trump used the BBC interview to praise Brexit whilst criticising its implementation, appearing to credit Starmer with improvements. “I think it’s been on the sloppy side but I think it’s getting straightened out,” he said.
The president added: “I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he is a liberal. I think he’s good, he did a good trade deal with us which a lot of countries haven’t been able to do.”
Asked what he wanted to achieve during the visit, Trump said: “Have a good time and respect King Charles, because he’s a great gentleman.” He also described the UK as a “great place” and cited the hotels he owns there.
Protests Expected
The Stop Trump Coalition has confirmed it is organising a national demonstration on Wednesday 17 September in London and near Windsor Castle. The group was behind anti-Trump protests during his first state visit in 2019, which thousands attended.
Campaign spokeswoman Seema Syeda said: “Trump and his authoritarian politics are not welcome here. Keir Starmer should not be rolling out the red carpet for Trump. They are already running scared. They have chosen the first possible date that stops Trump from being able to address Parliament.”
Polls suggest Trump remains deeply unpopular with British voters. During his 2019 visit, protesters flew a giant blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby outside Parliament.
NATO Support Confirmed
Trump told the BBC he now supported NATO’s collective defence principle after member states agreed to increase spending. However, he suggested only Britain would definitely support the US if conflict arose.
I support it,” Trump said of NATO’s Article 5. “I don’t think we’re going to have any reason for it.”
The president faces challenges during the visit as King Charles is head of state of both the United Kingdom and Canada, which Trump has suggested should become America’s 51st state. During a speech to the Canadian parliament in May, Charles highlighted Canada’s “unique identity” and “sovereignty.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to be invited to address Parliament ahead of Trump’s visit. Nigel Farage may want to abandon our Commonwealth allies and cosy up to his idol Trump, it just shows yet again he is a false patriot who cares more about promoting Trump at home than standing up for the UK abroad,” Davey said.
Former Conservative MP Suella Braverman backed Farage’s call for Parliament to be recalled. “Of course President Trump should address Parliament. This snub is simply down to the Prime Minister’s weakness and not wanting to upset his inept Foreign Secretary and loony backbenchers,” she said.
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Image Credit:
Starmer-Trump bilateral meeting, 27 February 2025 – Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL), via Wikimedia Commons.
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