250,000 back petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from UK as Boris Johnson says 'stupefying ignorance' on Muslims makes him unfit to be President
- Trump called for a 'complete shutdown' of Muslim immigration in the US
- Also claimed parts of the British capital are no-go areas for the police
- Scotland Yard hit back in rare statement: 'Trump could not be more wrong'
- But police officers privately say some Muslim areas require extra vigilance
- Nicola Sturgeon strips tycoon of role as a Scottish business ambassador
- Robert Gordon University revokes honorary degree given to Trump
- George Osborne condemns Trump's 'nonsense' but rejects call to ban him
- See more of the latest news on Donald Trump's controversial claims
More than 250,000 people have signed petition to ban Donald Trump from Britain for 'hate speech', which means the idea could now be debated in Parliament.
It comes after the tycoon's claims that police in London 'fear for their lives' because some communities are so radicalised.
London Mayor Boris Johnson tonight said the remarks by the frontrunner to be the Republican US Presidential candidate make him 'unfit' for the White House.
However serving police officers today backed Mr Trump's claim that some Muslim communities in the UK are no-go areas because of extremism.
But as the backlash grew against Mr Trump demanding 'a total and complete shutdown' of Muslim immigration into America, a British university revoked an honorary degree given to him in 2010 and Nicola Sturgeon sacked him as a business ambassador to Scotland.
Donald Trump was branded a 'hate preacher' last night and faced calls to be banned from Britain
A petition on the UK government website to ban Mr Trump from Britain on the grounds of hate speech has attracted more than 250,000 signatures and will now be considered for debate in Parliament
A map on the petition website shows that most signatures have been made in London and parts of Scotland
David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson and even Scotland Yard issued strongly-worded condemnation of the outspoken businessman after he claimed: 'We have places in London and other places that are so radicalised that police are afraid for their own lives.'
Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London last night said Mr Trump was speaking 'utter nonsense' and openly mocked the American, adding: 'The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.'
Tonight he went further, telling ITV News:
'I think Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind if he thinks that's a sensible way to proceed. You can't ban people going to the US in that way, or indeed to any country.
'What he's doing is playing the game of the terrorists and those who seek to divide us. That is exactly the kind of reaction they hope to produce.
'When Donald Trump says there are parts of London that are no-go areas, I think he is betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of the president of the United States.'
Mr Johnson joked: 'I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city, except that I wouldn't want to expose Londoners to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump.'
A petition on the UK government website to ban Mr Trump from Britain on the grounds of hate speech gained tens of thousands of signatures today.
It said: 'The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK.
'If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the 'unacceptable behaviour' criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as powerful.'
An Unboxed map showing where people are signing the petition shows the most signatures have come from London, Edinburgh and Bristol.
After breaking through the 100,000 threshold, it will now have to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today axed Mr Trump as a business ambassador while in the Commons George Osborne rejected the call to ban Mr Trump, but called for 'robust debate' to defeat his 'nonsense'
Standing in for Mr Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions, Chancellor George Osborne dismissed Mr Trump's 'nonsense' and insisted the police have a good relationship with British Muslims.
The Chancellor told MPs: 'Donald Trump's comments fly in the face of the founding principles of the United States.
'I think the best way to defeat this nonsense like this is to engage in robust democratic debate and make it clear his views are not welcome.'
He added: 'That's the best way to deal with Donald Trump and his views rather than trying to ban presidential candidates.'
However Miss Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, today moved to strip Mr Trump of his status as a business ambassador for Scotland and he has had his membership of the GlobalScot business network withdrawn after sparking outrage with his comments.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: 'Mr Trump's recent remarks have shown that he is no longer fit to be a business ambassador for Scotland and the First Minister has decided his membership of the respected GlobalScot business network should be withdrawn with immediate effect.'
Mr Trump had been a member of GlobalScot since being invited to join in 2006.
Mr Trump sparked global fury after suggesting that all Muslims should be banned from entering the United States in the wake of last week's deadly mass shooting in San Bernardino where 14 people were killed by two suspected ISIS sympathisers.
In a statement released to the media, Mr Trump said he was 'calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on'.
He added: 'Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.
'I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them. The reason is simple: we can't identify what their attitude is.'
Anger: British politicians have called for the Republican to be banned from Britain over his comments
Mr Trump also tried to use the terror attacks in Paris to bolster his argument and said: 'Look at what happened in Paris, the horrible carnage, and frankly, if you look at Paris, and I hate to do this because the Chamber of Commerce is going to go crazy, but Paris is no longer the same city it was.
'They have sections in Paris that are radicalised, where the police refuse to go there. They're petrified. The police refuse to go in there'.
Asked what she would do about the US politician in response to his comments, Walthamstow MP Miss Creasy said: 'Be clear he's a hate preacher and therefore not welcome round here.'
The British Prime Minister was quick to condemn the remarks yesterday. Mr Cameron's official spokesman said: 'The PM clearly disagrees with the comments made by Donald Trump which are divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong.'
'As we look at how we tackle extremists and this poisonous ideology, what politicians need to do is look at ways that they can bring communities together and make it clear these terrorists are not representatives of Islam.'
Downing Street refused to be drawn on suggestions that Mr Trump should be banned from entering the UK for inciting racial hatred.
But Labour's shadow home office minister Jack Dromey backed calls for him to barred from Britain.
'I do not believe that a man who stirs up religious and racial hatred at a time when our country is under threat of terrorist attack should be allowed within 1,000 miles of our shores,' he told the Birmingham Mail.
Mr Trump responded to his critics by saying 'I don't care' adding that he has no interest in being 'politically correct.'
He also defended this idea of a ban by claiming the country was at risk of 'horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad' and citing a questionable poll that found 25 per cent of Muslims 'agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global Jihad.'
As the row over his remarks exploded in Britain, Scotland Yard took the unusual decision to issue public criticism of a foreign politician.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We would not normally dignify such comments with a response, however on this occasion we think it's important to state to Londoners that Mr Trump could not be more wrong.
'Any candidate for the presidential election in the United States of America is welcome to receive a briefing from the Met Police on the reality of policing London.'
Zac Goldsmith, Tory candidate to be London Mayor, told a press gallery lunch yesterday: 'Donald Trump began as a bit of a joke and people probably quite liked the idea of him ruffling feathers and knocking people around a bit during the campaign for selection.
'But he has gone way beyond being a joke now, he has become overtly an utterly repellent figure in modern politics.'
He added: 'I think Donald Trump is an appalling creature and I just pray that when America gets off this funfair ride that they're on at the moment, they recognise that Donald Trump is one of the most malignant figures in modern politics and I hope his campaign ends in absolute disaster.'
David Cameron, pictured yesterday in Downing Street, said Mr Trump's comments were 'divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong'
Message: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called Trump's comments racist and an 'affront to common humanity'
Asked what she would do about the US politician in response to his comments, Walthamstow MP Creasy said: 'Be clear he's a hate preacher and therefore not welcome round here.'
Comparison: Harry Potter author JK Rowling said the politician is worse than Voldemort - inspiring fans to imagine what that would look like (below)
Damning: Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson quoted Shakespeare's Henry IV part I to describe her feelings on Trump
Labour's candidate Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, said: 'As a potential future Mayor of London I want to be able to visit and talk to other mayors in America and learn from what they're doing.
'If Trump has his way, I'd be stopped at US customs and turned back - alongside other Muslims wanting to go for holidays, work or family visits.'
'Trump can't just be dismissed as a buffoon – his comments are outrageous, divisive and dangerous - I condemn them utterly.'
Labour's shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said he was 'was appalled by his comments which have caused deep offence and sought to divide communities for political gain when we should be bringing people together'.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: 'Donald Trump's comments are obnoxious and offensive, and have rightly been condemned by people across the political spectrum, in the United States and elsewhere.
'Mr Trump's views are repugnant, and they clearly do not represent the mainstream views of people across America.'
Mr Trump, and many of his Republican rivals, had already called on the Obama Administration to halt bringing in 10,000 Syrian refugees during the aftermath of the Nov. 13 ISIS attacks in Paris.
At the time, Mr Trump said he would prefer to just take in Christian refugees.
'The problem is we don't know if they're Christian or not. And I would certainly say that would be superior,' he said in an interview with Barbara Walters several days after the attack.
Other Republican candidates are doing everything they can however to make it clear that while they may want to halt the entry of Syrian refugees, they certainly do not agree with Mr Trump's plan to ban Muslims.
'Donald Trump is unhinged. His 'policy' proposals are not serious', said Jeb Bush on Twitter.
Carly Fiorina attacked both Mr Trump and President Obama in her response, saying; 'Trump's overreaction is as dangerous as President Obama's under-reaction.'
Ben Carson also spoke out against Mr Trump, though did call for monitoring of visitors in the country.
'Everyone visiting our country should register and be monitored during their stay as is done in many countries. I do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion,' said Carson.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul did not attack Trump's plan or even comment on the idea, instead responding to the question by pointing out legislation he created to block immigrants and visitors from areas with 'known radical elements.'
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton responded on Twitter: 'We've seen a lot of hateful rhetoric from the GOP. But the idea that we'd turn away refugees because of religion is a new low.'
United: Tory candidate to be London Mayor Zac Goldsmith (left) and Labour's Sadiq Khan both condemned Mr Trump as an 'utterly repellent figure'
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Trump's comments were 'obnoxious and offensive, and have rightly been condemned by people across the political spectrum, in the United States and elsewhere'
Mr Trump has also talked about increasing surveillance of mosques and creating a database for Muslims living in the country.
This new statement is taking it a step further, suggesting that all Muslims be banned from entering the United States.
'Just put out a very important policy statement on the extraordinary influx of hatred & danger coming into our country. We must be vigilant!' Mr Trump tweeted, announcing the proposal.
When asked to articulate who would be included in this plan – Muslim immigrants or American Muslims who are currently abroad – Trump spokesman Hope Hicks told The Hill: 'Mr. Trump says, 'everyone.'' Tourists and those seeking immigration visas would also be told no.
Talking to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, during his first media appearance after the announcement, Mr Trump said the proposal wouldn't affect American Muslims, as Van Susteren pointed out that there are certainly Muslims serving abroad in the US military.
'They'll come home,' Mr Trump said. 'They would come home. Anybody here stays, but we have to be very vigilant,' he continued.
'There is tremendous hatred, there is tremendous animosity,' Mr Trump added.
The proof, Mr Trump's campaign initially suggested, was in the numbers. The Trump campaign pointed to a poll produced by the Tea Party-aligned Center for Security Policy think tank in June.
Beyond the one quarter of Muslims surveyed – there were 600 overall – who agreed or strongly agreed that violence against Americans was justified, there were another 51 per cent of respondents who 'agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.'
The Muslim Council of Britain offered to take Mr Trump for lunch if he visited London.
A spokesman said:' We know that Mr Trump does not represent the views of ordinary Americans, and we reject his ignorant remarks suggesting that London has no-go areas where even the police are afraid to enter.
'Should he be allowed to enter the UK, and if he is able to name such areas, we would be happy to organise a multi-faith delegation to accompany Mr Trump and tour these areas and pay for his lunch.'
The Queen in a hijab, Duran Duran now Koran Koran and camels on the streets of the Islamic State of London: British wits create 'Trumpfacts' after tycoon's 'dangerous' comments on 'radical' UK
Donald Trump's claims that parts of 'radicalised' London are no-go areas for terrified police have been met with typical British sardonic wit.
Twitter is awash with deeply sarcastic #Trumpfacts mocking the tycoon's claims police fear for their lives in some Muslim communities in the UK because of Islamic extremism.
Speaking to MSNBC in the US, Mr Trump said: 'We have places in London that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives', which David Cameron said was 'divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong'.
While MPs responded by calling for Trump, whose mother was Scottish, to be banned from entering the UK, the wider public decided to jokingly warn him about what life is like here in radical Britain.
Some claimed Big Ben is now a minaret, Buckingham Palace is a mosque, the Queen must wear a hijab and people must ride camels 'in the Islamic State of of London Trump warned us about'.
Others joked eighties pop band Duran Duran are now Koran Koran and that the UK's top show 'I'm a Sharia-lebrity' hosted by Ant and Dec.
Here are the best of the memes:
Monarch: Britons did what they do best and took a wry look at Trump's comments and created a series of hilarious #Trumpfacts about life in radicalised Britain
Hitmakers: As Britain has changed over the years, so have Duran Duran, now named Koran Koran
Converted: The exotic Royal Pavilion in Brighton built as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV is now a mosque, according to one wag
TV stars: Ant and Dec host ITV's 'I'm a Sharia-lebrity' in the skewed world created by #Trumpfacts
Joke: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is named as one of the many 'dangerous bearded radicals' on the streets of London
All change: Big Ben, which towers over the Houses of Parliament, is now a minaret according to this Meme
Covert: This viral suggests that radicalised Muslims are converting the populous with scented halal meat
Jokes: According to these two jokers pubs are now controlled by radicals and the BT Towers calls Londoners to prayer
Leisure pursuit: The ever-popular bingo halls of Britain are instead prayer halls in Trump's Britain
Transport: @1Rafz said that camels are now common place in the 'Islamic State of of London Trump warned us about'
Uniform: This is not the common post box found on many streets - it is a Muslim council uniform for women
Picture of Britain: A scene from the classic show Trumpton is used to make a joke about radicals in the UK
Play on words: This picture of a sign in Wales - which always carry English and Welsh words - is used to create a made-up Trump fact
Scotland: A picture of Alex Salmond feeding a young woman an ice lolly is used to joke that Britain sells halal Soleros
Funny formula: This Twitter user suggested this algebraic equation is in fact radicalised text
New use: This photo of the Royal Albert Hall is jokingly referred to as the mosque replacement for Buckingham Palace
Trendy: These owners of the east London Cereal Cafe are lampooned as an example of the UK's bearded radicals
Play on words: The famous Minority Report movie starring Tom Cruise gets a makeover after Trump's plans to ban Muslims from America
Comedy gold: The Monty Python team's classic sketch is used to reveal the compulsory British hijab for men
Anger: Harry Potter author JK Rowling said Trump is worse than the series' super villain Lord Voldemort
Britain has become so radicalised but we put our best man in charge #TrumpFacts #MuslamicRayGuns #BuzzFeed https://t.co/IRxKgECGXr
— Ant Kerrigan (@Ant_Kerrigan) December 9, 2015
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