Keir Starmer has dismissed calls for Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK to be cancelled in the wake of his Oval Office row with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The prime minister said he was “not going to be diverted” by those calling for King Charles to withdraw his invitation to the US president.
Starmer handed over a letter from the monarch to Trump when he visited the White House on Thursday.
It is the first time ever that a US president has been granted the honour of a second state visit.
But calls have been growing for the visit to be shelved after Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, ganged up on Zelensky on Friday.
SNP leader John Swinney said: “Right now, given [Friday’s] shocking events, it is hard to believe the visit can happen.”
Shadow home affairs minister Alicia Kearns said: “State visits should be conferred to the most honourable of allies, not to curry favour.
“No state visit should proceed until the steadfastness of the US’s commitment to her allies is assured. His Majesty should not have to carry the weight of Keir’s diplomatic failings.”
Asked about the row on BBC1′s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer said: “I’m not going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake in Europe.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Kemi Badenoch slapped down Alicia Kearns.
He said: “Personal views of individual MPs are not official Conservative Party positions.
“In practical terms, the state visit is a matter for the King who extended the invitation, and not for MPs. As Kemi said on TV this morning, it is imperative that the UK remains close to America and they don’t disengage from Nato if we are going to get a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey also insisted the state visit should go ahead.
He said: “What we’ve said in the Liberal Democrats all along is that the state visit should be used to secure guarantees for Ukraine.
“Therefore, I think we should use every single card that we have, and I think it should be made clear to the White House that the state visit would be a genuine one, we would welcome him here, but on condition that he steps up, that the US steps up, to work with the UK and Europe to support and defend Ukraine.”
