An online petition calling for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to be banned from entering the United Kingdom has gained nearly 300,000 signatures, almost triple the number needed for parliamentary debate consideration.
The petition to block Trump's entry to the UK was created on the British Parliament's official website in response to his controversial proposal that Muslims should not be allowed into the United States following the deadly attack in San Bernardino by a radicalized Muslim couple in which 14 people were left dead.
"We need a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States while we figure out what the hell is going on," said Trump at a rally on Monday, according to RealClearPolitics. "We are out of control."
The petition was submitted by Suzanne Kelly of Aberdeen, Scotland. Kelly has lobbied against Trump's business and political activity in the past, according to CNN.
"The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK," reads the petition. "If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the 'unacceptable behaviour' criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as powerful."
Although some members of parliament have backed the petition, the British government has signalled that it will not pursue the ban. George Osborne, the UK Chancellor said on Wednesday that the best way to combat Donald Trump and his views is through engagement, not isolation.
"The best way to defeat nonsense like this is to engage in robust and democratic debate, and to make it clear his views are not welcome," Osborne was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
While it remains unclear whether or not the British government will take action against Trump, other UK institutions have begun to disassociate from Trump.
Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, issued a statement on Twitter, saying that they had revoked the honorary doctorate they had awarded him in 2010. "In the course of the current U.S. election campaign, Mr. Trump has made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university. The university has therefore decided to revoke its award of the honorary degree."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also stripped Trump of his status as a business ambassador to Scotland, according to The Independent.
