Californian city unanimously approves Donald Trump impeachment resolution

Gesture comes after bookies slash odds on President's term ending early

Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with CEOs of manufacturing companies in the State Dining Room (EPA)

Councillors in a California city have voted unanimously in favour of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.

Politicians in Richmond, near San Francisco, also called for Congress to investigate the President's business ties.

Gayle McLaughlin, who led the move, told ABC7: "This is our voice. This is our country. We have a right to speak up."

The symbolic vote formed part of what activists hoped was a "grass roots" campaign against Mr Trump, one Richmond resident told the website.

But some experts believe the likelihood of impeachment is low.

Dr Jacob Parakilas, assistant head of the US and Americas Programme at Chatham House, previously told The Independent "there's no chance that he would be immediately impeached" because the Republicans who control the House and Senate would alienate "a huge number of their voters" by doing so.

And Rebecca Thorpe, a political scientist at the University of Washington, said although Mr Trump's apparent financial conflicts of interest open up the "legal possibility" of impeachment, it is "not question of law but of political will".

Even so, bookmakers recently slashed odds on the President resigning or being impeached before 2020.

When Mr Trump was named as President-elect in November, the odds of him not making it through the full four-year term were 3/1 with Ladbrokes. After his first three weeks, the odds shortened to just 11/10.

The Richmond vote was not the first local council motion to go against the billionaire.

In the UK, Gateshead councillors voted unanimously to withhold their authority's funds from being used for Mr Trump's state visit later this year, following the imposition of his travel ban.