MP may stay in Scotland if Donald Trump addresses UK Parliament

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A new Liberal Democrat MP has said she may stay away from Parliament if Donald Trump is invited to give an address there.

Susan Murray, who won the Mid Dumbartonshire seat in July, said she "might be in Scotland" if the president-elect was invited to address both Houses of Parliament in London. Her comments came after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle had already invited Mr Trump to give an address.

Urging the UK to "roll out the red carpet" for the president-elect, Mr Farage said last week that he was "pleased" the Speaker "has made a start by inviting Donald Trump to come and address both Houses of Parliament". Ms Murray was asked how she and her fellow MPs would maintain Lib Dem values if Mr Trump was to visit.

Speaking at the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Perth, she said to laughter from party supporters: "I think if he comes to Parliament that is unfortunately on a day I might be in Scotland." Ms Murray added that Lib Dems, who won 72 seats across the UK in July's general election, would keep "sticking up for our values".

Fellow MP Christine Jardine, who is the party's Scottish spokeswoman at Westminster, said MPs must be "vary careful" not to damage the relationship between the UK and the US because of any dislike of Mr Trump.

The Edinburgh West MP told the conference: "The problem we have now, now he has been elected president of the United States, if there is a state visit we have to be very careful. We can object to Trump but we have to remember that the Americans are not just our greatest ally but our trading partner, and we have to be very careful that we do not damage that relationship, particularly when we are trying to persuade Trump to be more supportive towards Ukraine."

Mr Trump made a state visit to the UK in 2019, during his first period in the White House, when he met the Queen and other senior royals, as well then prime minister Theresa May.

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