Donald Trump is a fascist, Labour MP Dennis Skinner says

Dennis Skinner accused Theresa May of walking 'hand-in-hand' with fascism

The Government walked "hand-in-hand" with a "fascist" during Theresa May's visit to Donald Trump, a Labour MP has said.

Dennis Skinner, who lived through the Second World War, said he had once hid under the stairs while fascists dropped bombs on the UK.

"Would the Foreign Secretary try to recall along with me as I hid under the stairs when two fascist dictators Mussolini and Hitler were raining bombs on towns and cities in Britain?" Mr Skinner asked the Foreign Secretary.

"Now this government is hand-in-hand with another fascist – Trump. What I say to him is do the decent thing and ban the visit! This man is not fit to walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela."

Mr Johnson responded by criticising the Labour MP's account of the Second World War and said he did not accept the comparison between Mr Trump and 20th century fascists.

"The honourable member’s memory must be at fault if he thinks Mussolini rained bombs on this country," he told the House of Commons.

"I hear the comparison that he makes, I don’t accept that comparison.

"I believe it’s in our interests to work with our American friends and partners, to show our disquiet when that is appropriate and to get the best deal for UK nationals and dual nationals."

Mr Skinner's reference to Nelson Mandela is an allusion to the former South African president's 2003 visit to the UK.

Mr Mandela, a widely-respected anti-apartheid figure, addressed both houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall – the highest honour reserved for foreign leaders on state visits.

Theresa May invited Mr Trump to the UK on a state visit later this year and said the US president has accepted.

Opposition figures including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have called for the visit to be stopped until Mr Trump ends his travel ban targeting Muslims – which is understood to affect some British citizens travelling to the US.