To visit or not to visit? That is the question. Never mind the 'nobler in the mind' bit, because this is Donald J. Trump we're talking about, and there is nothing - but nothing - noble about him. Trump's state visit to the UK has been on and off more times than Mae West's underwear, and a question mark hangs over the whole ghastly event.
When Theresa May - whose own reign may very well be in question - rather prematurely invited Trump over here mere days after his inauguration, there was an unsurprising sharp intake of breath from many politicians and most of the British public. The Scots, bless them, were particularly outspoken in their views on the man, and one memorable picture shows a Scots woman holding a banner proclaiming "Trump is a c**t". It is not in the nature of the Scots to hold back or not say exactly what they mean.
The government stance is that the President of the United States of America is one of a select group of 'World Leaders', and as such it is both statesman-like and expedient to extend this courtesy in order to further cement relations between tiny, vulnerable, Great Britain, and the powerful giant that is America. All well and good, and absolutely right -up until now.
In the past, we have delighted in state visits, although the Chinese President Xi's visit was marred by some friction between Chinese officials and the British Ambassador. Her Majesty, generally a watch-word for diplomacy, described them as "very rude". However, that apart, these visits have failed to provoke large-scale protests, and this is very largely because the visitors themselves have had sufficient diplomatic training, common courtesy, and statesmanship to behave themselves and not act like prats.
Some, like Trump's predecessor, Barak Obama, were welcomed with a great deal of warmth. Obama isn't perfect, of course, but he is a very intelligent, sensitive, and decent man, with considerable legal, legislative and governmental experience, whereas Trump is a wheeler-dealer 'businessman' whose businesses have gone bankrupt six times while he - by his own admission - "played with the bankruptcy laws".
The British are a stoical lot, but there are limits. Among the things most people wish to avoid is guilt by association. In other words, we are quite willing to accept someone whose views we may not agree with, but can understand the reasons for those views while at the same time hoping we may change them by discussion.
We will not, however, be seen to welcome a misogynistic racist, who happens also to be a warmonger and pollutionist who pulled the plug on climate change. We do not want him here at all, but have to resign ourselves to the fact that he is - tragically - President of America, and will probably turn up at some stage. It is, I think, the thought of this ghastly individual being afforded all the grace and dignity of a state visit which he has done nothing whatever to deserve. His visit will also serve as a slap in the face for almost three million UK Muslims, the vast majority of whom are decent peaceful people. A state visit is more than just inappropriate for this man - it is unacceptable.
One thing, I believe is certain - if and when he does come, neither he nor Theresa May will be left in any doubt of how loathed and detested he is, and what a bad idea inviting him was.
Still, the EDF will probably be pleased.
