The British have decided that there is no way that Donald Trump will be addressing Parliament during his visit.

You know what? I didn't want to talk to that stupid old Parliament anyhow.

Courtesy of The Guardian: 

The government has abandoned the idea of Donald Trump addressing the joint Houses of Parliament when he comes to Britain for a state visit later this year after objections by MPs led by the Commons Speaker John Bercow. 

The US president’s controversial visit is now expected to run from a Thursday to a Sunday in late summer or early autumn, with officials trying to ensure that Trump is not in London at a time when parliament is sitting, in order to avoid a formal snub.

According to Westminster sources, a weekend visit at the very end of August or in September is now under discussion between the government, Buckingham Palace and the White House. A source described such a plan as “the preferred option at our end”. Parliament will be in summer recess until 5 September and adjourns again for the party conferences on 15 September for nearly a month. 

Such an arrangement would mean that Trump would not be invited to address parliament at all. The approach follows Bercow’s statement this week that he would not give his consent either to a speech by the president in Westminster Hall or in the royal gallery, both of which have traditionally been used for addresses by visiting statesmen and women.

However this decision does NOT guarantee that Trump will not be met with protests.

Actually quite substantial protests:

Donald Trump’s state visit will be greeted by the biggest anti-racism protest in British history no matter where in the country the Government moves it to, campaigners have said. 

Local politicians and activists in Birmingham reacted with anger to suggestions that the trip could be relocated to their city – and pledged to flood the streets with protesters to greet the “hateful” President.

 Let's face it perhaps there are enough ignorant Americans to help Doanld Trump gain access to the White House, but the rest of the world is not so easily manipulated by the Russian government.

Sure there are some leaders who seem to like and respect him, but they, much like Benjamin Netanyahu, are invariably corrupt and ethically challenged as well.

It does not appear that Donald Trump will be addressing Parliament any time soon.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

A top-ranking British lawmaker vowed on Monday to block President Donald Trump from speaking before the U.K. Parliament in the historic Westminster Hall, citing that body’s opposition to racism and sexism and its support for equality and an independent judiciary. 

In a blistering statement before the House of Commons, Speaker John Bercow said he was “strongly opposed” to Trump addressing Parliament during an upcoming state visit to the U.K. 

“I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery,” Bercow said. While British lawmakers value their country’s relationship with the United States, he said, “I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons.” 

He would not have backed inviting Trump to address Parliament anyway, Bercow said, but the president’s recent imposition of an anti-Muslim ban made him “even more strongly opposed” to the idea. 

“An address by a foreign leader to both houses of Parliament is not an automatic right. It is an earned honor,” Bercow said.

Those words were met with applause by the other members of Parliament.

It should be pointed out that President Obama gave a speech to the British Parliament in 2011 that was VERY well received.

But of course he was an inspirational leader, and not an orange tinted reality show buffoon who tricked and lied his way into office.

The UK Parliament debates denying Donald Trump access to their country.

Courtesy of the Washington Post: 

Debate began Monday in the British Parliament over whether to ban U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump from visiting the United Kingdom. 

The debate, which was started by an online petition that described Trump’s comments about Muslims as “hate speech,” will not produce any binding decisions. Authority to ban someone from the country rests with the home secretary, not with Parliament. But the debate will give British lawmakers an unusual chance to weigh in directly on U.S. politics.

Some are concerned that blocking Trump would send an unfortunate message to America: 

Paul Flynn said Mr Trump's call to ban Muslims from the US was "extremely dangerous" but barring him from the UK risked being seen as anti-American. 

Yeah I would not worry about that as most of us view Donald Trump as "anti-American."

MP Tulip Siddiq seemed to have a better handle on the situation: 

British Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq urged her colleagues on Monday to support a ban on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, arguing that he would put Britons at risk by importing “violent ideology.” 

Although MPs who spoke all agreed that Trump’s vitriol against immigrants had been out of bounds, most argued that banning him was not the best way to deal with the issue. 

Siddiq, however, insisted that Trump would be endangering British Muslims if he was allowed into the country. 

“This online petition signed by nearly 600,000 people shows that when people feel a sense of justice, when people feel we need to stop a poisonous corrosive man from entering our country, they will act in good conscience.” 

“His words are not comical, his words are not funny, his words are poisonous,” she continued. “They risk inflaming tension between vulnerable communities.”

Excellent points.

As for how Americans will see a banning of Donald Trump from the UK?

Well I think most of us would understand completely, and then start considering options for how we could do the same thing here.

Ruopert Murdoch nearly hit by pie plate full of whipped cream while testifying today. Updated with Tweets!

(This is a replacement video, because the first one was yanked.)



I LOVE that Murdoch's ninja wife knocked the snot out of this guy before security can even reach him.

I will add my tweets later.

Update: Here are my tweets during the Murdoch's testimony before the British Parliament.

Murdoch's statement that this is "the most humble day of my life" in front of UK Parliament, may qualify him for a Razzie. Horrible acting!

So to be clear Rupert Murdoch has absolutely NO idea what is going on in his companies. Is that about right?

Is that Murdoch's wife behind him? The cameras should focus on her face while he testifies. I don't believe she has a good poker face.(Murdoch's wife, Wendi Deng, kept shifting her position and making faces behind her husband while he was testifying. You could tell when she was concerned about what he was saying. At this point I had no idea she was preparing for battle.)

Proof that Murdoch is an American Republican. He says he is NOT responsible for what happened at News Corp.

James Murdoch is a very accomplished bullshit artist. Surprisingly Rupert, much less so.

Parliament needs to focus on Murdoch senior. He is the weak link here. Junior is VERY slick.

That "Willful blindness" question seems to have effectively harshed young James Murdoch's mellow. Don't you agree?

Somebody tried to jump Murdoch? THAT is the guy I want to see interviewed. (I missed the initial attack, and only saw it seconds later on playback form MSNBC, which at first was only showing the reaction from James and Wendy Deng slapping the comedy right out of the guy, before her non-ninja approved high heels made her lose her balance.)

Damn! His wife totally bitch slapped the guy!

It looks like the guy got pied. (At this point I had no idea what was all over him.)

Oh, the guy tried to hit Rupert Murdoch with a pie. Apparently thinks he is on the Benny Hill Show.

Murdoch's ninja trained wife stopped the guy from getting goo on her sugar daddy.

Yes I know that "goo on her sugardaddy" sounds vaguely sexual, but that was probably just an accident on my part.

MSNBC is reporting that the man tried to hit Murdoch with a "white substance." Just leave it alone Gryph. Don't make the bukakke joke. Damn! (Someday I am confident I will mature.  Just not today.)

Murdoch has NOT considered resigning? That arrogance will be his downfall.

At the closing of the testimony from Charles Montgomery Burns and his sidekick, Smithers, they were allowed to read from a prepared statement which you can find here.

I have to say I found that testimony fascinating, but I do not think that even Murdoch's super slick son was effective enough to convince the Parliament that there was not some serious wrong doing on the part of father and son.  Well father at least.