IT'S another interesting week in Westminster. US President Donald Trump will be in town on his first official state visit.

There are no shortage of protests about him, and there are certainly things that I am concerned with.

As Britain leaves the EU, seeking opportunities for global free trade, Donald Trump is starting trade wars with China and Mexico.

Although out of his control, several US states are amending their state laws to limit choice for women seeking abortions.

There are serious worries about how the US is treating refugee families arriving on their southern Mexican border.

President Trump is a disruptor, an individual who has taken a wholly independent and novel approach to governing his country. He is not without controversy surrounding his private life. He is certainly unique and I am not one to rush to his defence.

Free speech is an important right in this country and that includes the right to protest (lawfully). But for those in high office in the UK, this produces a problem.

The US has been an ally of ours for many years. They came to our help in two world wars. We helped them in a number of engagements, not without controversy.

At an economic level, the US is our biggest single trading partner with 14 per cent of our total trade conducted with the US, a million of each other’s citizens employed through a trillion dollars of bilateral investment. They are an important friend.

Whilst it is important that our citizens are free to show their anger and frustration at Donald Trump, our political leaders need to show respect to the people of the United States.

And that is why, on the occasion of a state visit, political leaders differentiate between Donald Trump the man, and the office of the President of the United States.

That is why it is a troubling development that the Speaker of the House of Commons has not allowed the President to address both Houses of Parliament.

It is of concern that the leader of the opposition, who may be a future prime minster of this country who needs to secure our allies, has refused to go to the State Banquet.

Because in snubbing Donald Trump the individual, they are turning their noses up to the 330million US citizens who held a fair election and voted in their president.