'Beast of Bolsover' Dennis Skinner brands Donald Trump a 'fascist'

The firebrand Labour politician - who has represented the town since 1970 - told the House of Commons that Mr Trump's state visit to Britain should be cancelled.

"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, 84, asked Boris Johnson yesterday.

"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 replied: "The honourable member's memory must be at fault if he thinks Mussolini rained bombs on this country.

"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."

Prime Minister 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.

A petition calling for the state visit to be cancelled has gathered more than 1.6 million signatures. A rival pro-visit petition has more than 70,000.