Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has made headlines after publicly confirming that he will not attend the state banquet in honour of US President Donald Trump this September. The decision, which he described as going against his instincts, was explained in interviews with GB News and the BBC.
Sir Ed said his choice came after much reflection and prayer with his wife Emily. While he acknowledged that an invitation from the King is one of the highest honours in public life, he felt that attending would send the wrong message at a time when, in his view, Donald Trump is failing to act on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to Davey, Trump has often expressed “regret” about the loss of life in Gaza, but has not taken the decisive action that could bring about change. He argued that the American president holds unique influence over both Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and key states such as Qatar, which have leverage over Hamas. Davey suggested that if Trump chose to use this influence, he could help secure an end to the fighting and ensure hostages are released.
In his words:
“My fear is that Donald Trump will be honoured with a lavish dinner in one of our finest palaces, yet no one will remind him that he has the power to stop the horrifying starvation and death in Gaza.”
This is not the first time a UK political figure has boycotted a Trump state banquet. In 2019, Jeremy Corbyn, Ian Blackford, and John Bercow all refused to attend the official dinner during Trump’s previous visit.
For Sir Ed, his absence is meant to send a message: that friendship with America does not mean silence on issues of war, peace, and humanitarian responsibility.
1 Comments
He has the guts!
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