A CUMBRIA MP has voiced his contempt for Donald Trump as he declared that the US President should not visit the UK until his "disgraceful" travel ban comes to an end.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who is also the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: "Any visit by President Trump to Britain should be on hold until his disgraceful ban comes to an end. Otherwise Theresa May would be placing the Queen in an impossible position of welcoming a man who is banning British citizens purely on grounds of their faith."

Parliament may soon have to debate calls to cancel Donald Trump's state visit to the UK amid a growing backlash against his travel ban on refugees and people from several mainly-Muslim countries.

The US president accepted an invitation to visit Britain later this year, where he is due to be hosted by the Queen and would be treated to all the pomp and ceremony accorded to a state visit.

A petition calling for Mr Trump to be prevented from making a state visit to the UK hit 100,000 signatures at about 12.30pm on Sunday - meaning it could now be selected for debate by MPs.

The petition attracted the support of tens of thousands of people in a matter of hours after the hugely controversial ban sparked outcry across the world.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and SNP foreign affairs spokesman Alex Salmond all called for the trip to be cancelled.

Mr Corbyn told ITV's Peston On Sunday: "I think we should make it very clear we are extremely upset about it, and I think it would be totally wrong for him to be coming here while that situation is going on. I think he has to be challenged on this.

"I am not happy with him coming here until that ban is lifted, quite honestly."

Alex Salmond, the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman, said he thought the state visit was "a very bad idea".

He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge: "You shouldn't be rushing into a headlong relationship with the president of the United States."

Graham Guest, who started the petition, said just 60 people had signed it by Saturday, but the ban had sent support rocketing.

He told the Press Association he fears Mr Trump will use the state visit and the accompanying photo opportunities with the Queen to bolster his image.

He said: "A state visit legitimises his presidency and he will use the photo opportunities and being seen with the Queen to get re-elected.

"The wording in the petition is quite precise as I actually say that he should come here as the head of government to do government to government business.

"At the end of the day he is still the president and we've just got to live with that. But there's no reason why he should get all the pomp and publicity of a state visit."

Asked why he had launched the petition, Mr Guest, from Leeds, said: "Anything to make his life more uncomfortable.

"I think a debate in Parliament to ban a state visit would be great as people will have had the chance to air their views on him.

"The petition is really just to make as much noise as possible and put the spotlight on him and what an awful person he is."

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan - the first Muslim mayor of a major western city - also demanded the state visit is cancelled.

He told Sky News: "I am quite clear, this ban is cruel, this ban is shameful, while this ban is in place we should not be rolling out the red carpet for President Trump.

"I don't think he should be coming on a state visit while the ban is in place, I couldn't be clearer."

ends

A No 10 spokesman said: "An invitation was extended and has been accepted."