David Cameron has rejected growing calls for Donald Trump to be barred from entering the UK under hate-speech laws.
The Prime Minister branded the businessman’s comments that Muslims be banned from the United States “divisive, stupid and wrong”.
But he said he did not agree with outlawing the US presidential hopeful, adding: “If he came to visit our country, I think he would unite us all against him.”
London MP Tulip Siddiq pushed the Tory leader on the subject at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons yesterday.
She said: “We have legislation that stops people from entering the country who are deemed not to be conducive to public good.
“Do you agree that the laws should be applied equally to everyone? Should we be making exceptions for billionaire politicians?”
Mr Cameron said he was proud to represent one of the world’s “most successful multi-racial, multi-faith and multi-ethnic countries”.
He added: “I agree with you it is right we exclude people when they are going to radicalise or going to encourage extremism.
“I happen to disagree with you about Donald Trump. I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong.
“But I think if he came to visit our country, I think he would unite us all against him.”
In the face of global condemnation, Mr Trump has stood firm over his provocative statement, made in the wake of the terror attack in California earlier this month.
During a debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, the tycoon insisted his proposal was not an attempt to discriminate against Muslims.
“We are not talking about isolation, we’re talking about security,” he said.
“We are not talking about religion, we are talking about security.”
A petition on the Westminster parliamentary website calling for Trump’s entry to the UK to be blocked has now reached more than 500,000 signatures.
One arguing the opposite, set up in response, has just over 38,000 supporters.
Downing Street had previously declined to say whether Mr Trump’s view would lead to him to him being banned.