Tim Farron says King Charles III should not visit Donald Trump

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has taken aim at Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, for advising His Majesty the King to visit the US to see President Donald Trump.

The trip, which was announced at the end of March, is due to take place between April 27-30, according to Mr Trump, and will be King Charles III’s first visit to the US as monarch.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in North Wales. It is the first time the Royal Maundy Service has been held in Wales since 1982 and only the second time in its history (Image: Aaron Chown/PA)

However, due to the President’s recent military action against Iran, and Mr Trump’s recent verbal attacks on the UK, Mr Farron has questioned the government’s decision to advise the King to still attend the state visit.

The MP has called the US war with Iran ‘counterproductive’ and said that it risks ‘world peace’.

He also added that the conflict in the Middle East is ‘causing hardship for everyone in our communities’ in the UK.

President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House (Image: Alex Brandon/PA)

“Never before has a foreign affairs issue come up so often as I’ve spoken to people on the doorstep this last few weeks,” said Mr Farron.

“His Majesty the King is in a difficult position because from his perspective the visit is about celebrating the enduring friendship between the British people and the American people which will outlast the term of any President. 

“I am certain that if our Prime Minister [Keir Starmer] was to advise His Majesty not to attend because of the behaviour of the current President, then the King would follow that advice.

“If I was PM, I would therefore be advising His Majesty not to attend on behalf of the UK government and our people because it doesn’t seem right to be giving any kind of endorsement of the current US regime and its dangerous and damaging actions.”

MP Tim Farron outside the GP practice in Ambleside (Image: Michael Anderson)

The announcement of the state visit comes after President Trump has repeatedly berated the PM and the UK’s stance on the Iran war.

Mr Trump recently called Sir Keir ‘not Winston Churchill’ because of his attitudes toward the Middle Eastern conflict.

On the forthcoming state visit, Buckingham Palace said: “On advice of His Majesty’s Government, and at the invitation of The President of the United States, The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to the United States of America.

“Their Majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence.”