160925 Starmer warned against normalising extremism
‘Trump has emboldened some of the most dangerous voices in the UK’ – Rhun ap Iorwerth and Liz Saville Roberts
Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS and Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts MP have criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to welcome Donald Trump with full state honours, warning that his presence risks emboldening extremism at home and abroad.
The UK Government is hoping to impress the US President with a show of royal and military pageantry, including a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, a guard of honour, and a banquet at Windsor Castle. Plaid Cymru said such spectacle risks legitimising Trump’s divisive politics rather than holding him to account.
The party argued that rolling out the red carpet for Trump sends the wrong message at a time when communities are reeling from a surge in American-influenced far-right mobilisation, and when people in Wales and across the UK are looking for leadership that tackles inequality, not panders to authoritarian figures
In a joint Rhun ap Iorwerth and Liz Saville Roberts said
“The violence and hatred over the weekend should give us pause before celebrating Donald Trump’s state visit. Public discourse has plunged into dangerous extremes, and Trump has played a key role in emboldening some of the most dangerous voices both in the US and here in the UK.
“Keir Starmer rightly condemned the hatred over the weekend, but grovelling to a leader whose rhetoric and actions inspire extremists undermines his own words. The turnout at Tommy Robinson’s London rally shows how divided our society has become, divisions worsened by a Labour Party that has failed to tackle inequality and the chronic underfunding of our public services.
“The Prime Minister must therefore send a clear and unequivocal message: we in these islands will not tolerate extremism, racism, or the normalisation of authoritarian politics which use force to repress dissenting voices.
“Trump’s visit is should not be seen as purely ceremonial. His tariffs on UK goods threaten Welsh businesses and workers. Starmer has a clear opportunity and responsibility to push back and defend fair trade.
“The stakes extend far beyond the UK. In Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, famine has been declared, and cities reduced to rubble. The so-called ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan would displace more Palestinians and erase their communities, exacerbating the genocide. The Prime Minister must make clear that the UK objects to any plan that forces the displacement of more Palestinians.”