President 'is welcome to visit city'

STEPHEN MORRIS

A NATIONALIST party's candidate in Greater Manchester's mayoral elections has said he will roll out the red carpet for US President Donald Trump if he is elected as the region's mayor.

Stephen Morris, from the right-wing party English Democrats, says if he is elected as mayor in this May's elections, he will issue an invitation to Donald Trump to make an official visit to the region during his state visit in June. President Trump sparked controversy after imposing a travel ban on people from seven, mainly Muslim, countries, from entering the US.

On Friday the order was temporarily suspended by a federal judge in Seattle after it was deemed unconstitutional.

Mr Morris, from Bury, said he is a big fan of Donald Trump and claims many residents in Greater Manchester are also.

Welcome

If elected, he said he would use all the facilities available to the elected mayor to officially welcome President Trump and make his visit to Greater Manchester as grand and as memorable an occasion as possible.

Mr Morris said: "I am a big fan of Donald Trump. I think it is great that he is actually doing what he said he would do during the election campaign. If only more politicians would do the same.

"I will make sure that every promise that I give in the election is done and I will focus on what needs to be done for Greater Manchester.

"If Donald Trump were to come to Greater Manchester as part of his official visit, that would be a great coup for Greater Manchester and really put us on the map.

"If President Trump comes to Greater Manchester, as Mayor, I shall make sure that Greater Manchester puts on a great big beautiful reception for him in our magnificent Town Hall."

Protests have been taking place nationwide to condemn President Trump's travel ban.

In Oldham, faith leaders and politicians united on Saturday against what they described as President Trump's attempt to suppress and divide.

And in Manchester city centre hundreds of people took part in a peaceful protest against the American president on Saturday afternoon.

The House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, announced he did not want to invite the US President to speak in Westminster Hall when he makes his state visit.