US-UK press comment on MPs' Donald Trump debate

Westminster Hall was packed for the one-off debate

The debate by British MPs over whether US presidential hopeful Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK following his remarks about temporarily banning Muslims from entering the US has led to widespread press commentary on both sides of the Atlantic.

"You want charisma? Excitement? Tension? Best look elsewhere," suggests an article in Politico.

"If there's one thing the rest of the world can't get enough of, it's British people explaining to them that they're wrong. And no-one more so than American conservatives, who are only too eager to hear from the mother country about how they should be running things."

That, at least, appeared to be the theory behind the Westminster debate, Politico adds.

Under the headline, "Trump threatens to abandon Scotland deal as UK debates banning him" Fox News writes that "the combative US presidential candidate counter-punched by threatening to walk away from a lucrative deal in Scotland".

It quotes Sarah Malone, executive Vice-President for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, as saying that "the real-estate magnate, if barred, would abandon plans for an additional $1.1bn investment in Scotland's golf-and-leisure industry".

The Times (subscription) says that politicians of all parties united to condemn Mr Trump, who is probably the first US presidential candidate to have been labelled a "wazzock" by a serving British politician.

It says that Mr Trump's remarks about a possible Muslim travel ban to the US - and his comments that Britain is struggling with radicalised Muslims - caused so much offence that 570,000 people signed a petition calling for him to be barred from Britain, where his business empire includes two golf resorts in Scotland.

"His comments outraged MPs too," The Times says, "and in an extraordinary display of unanimity on Monday night, politicians from all sides seemed intent on outdoing each other as they searched for the most wounding response."

Donald Trump: The subject of much media opinion and commentary on both sides of the Atlantic

Under the headline "British Have a Go at Trump but Shy Away From a Ban", The New York Times says that although Mr Trump was roundly condemned by British MPs using "language that could have been lifted from his Twitter feed", they nevertheless backed away from the idea of barring him from entering the country - a move which it points out in any case can only be carried out by Home Secretary Theresa May.

It says that Monday's debate touched on a range of issues, including whether Mr Trump had breached the limits of free speech, and whether he was being treated differently from others with similar views because of his wealth and his prominence.

The Guardian says that the majority of parliamentarians from both left and right dismissed the idea of banning the businessman and star of The Apprentice in the US, with one MP saying it would fuel his publicity machine and give him the "halo of victimhood".

It quotes opposition Home Office minister Jack Dromey as saying that Mr Trump could "push vulnerable young people who believe in the victimhood promoted by Islamic State further into extremism".

Letting someone into the country who demonises Muslims would be "damaging, it would be dangerous, it would be deeply divisive", Mr Dromey was quoted as saying, adding: "I don't think Donald Trump should be let within 1,000 miles of our shores."

Opinion was divided as to whether Mr Trump should ever be allowed to see the sights of London and the rest of the UK

The Daily Telegraph carries the views of a wide range of politicians who spoke during the debate:

• Immigration Minister James Brokenshire: A person's right to free speech is "guaranteed under the European convention on human rights"

• Labour MP Keir Starmer: "His comments are shocking, offensive and disturbing but I don't believe it merits a ban at this point in time"

• Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng: [Mr] Trump's views are "objectionable and hateful" but "the answer to his ban is not to ban him"

• Scottish National Party MP Corri Wilson: "The man seems to out-trump himself - no pun intended - every time he speaks in his bid to win the Republican nomination"

• Scottish National Party MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: [Mr] Trump's comments "condemn an entire faith and me, my family and my children"

Under the headline "Donald Trump gets pummelled by the British", The Washington Post says that while the debate did not produce any binding decisions, "it did give British lawmakers an unusual chance to weigh in directly on US politics".

The paper quotes Conservative backbencher Edward Leigh, who argued that those who want to shut down a demagogue may be guilty of demagoguery themselves. "If we only allow freedom of speech for those we agree with, is that free speech at all?"

Scottish National Party MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh spoke passionately during Monday's debate

The Independent quotes Conservative MP Adam Holloway as saying that Britain should "apologise to the people of the United States" for the petition to ban Mr Trump. It quotes Mr Holloway as saying the debate on whether to ban him from British shores "makes Britain look totalitarian". It says that MPs were divided over dealing with his offensive views by banning him or by "giving him the chance to express them in order to expose them to ridicule".

The Huffington Post also highlights this argument, pointing out that many MPs "took the approach that Mr Trump should be subjected to the full force of media scrutiny and the satire of comedians".

The Los Angeles Times says the debate on Monday was "unusual and passionate" and provided a rare opportunity for Members of Parliament to share their views about the billionaire tycoon-turned-politician. It said that "well-versed arguments for and against were voiced from all sides of the political spectrum". It says that while some urged the government to use of its power to deny entry to people who are considered not "conducive to the public good" others said he should be invited to Britain "to see what life is really like".

The San Francisco Chronicle says that if Mr Trump does ever make it to Britain, he will have no shortage of things to do. "Labour legislator Naz Shah was one of several lawmakers who invited Trump to visit their constituencies to see Britain's multi-ethnic society first-hand," it says. "[Ms] Shah said she would take him to a curry restaurant in her home city of Bradford."

Finally The Financial Times says that apart from the diplomatic discomfort any ban might cause Mr Trump were he actually to enter the White House, "many MPs concluded that banning him would be counterproductive and - well - not very British".

• What is all the UK fuss about Donald Trump?

• Profile of Donald Trump: From mogul to presidential frontrunner