Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the South Carolina Tea Party Convention, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at the Springmaid Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C.(AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)
1 hour ago • By JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) — A British lawmaker has warned his colleagues it would be wrong to give Donald Trump a "halo of victimhood" by banning him from the U.K.
Labour Party legislator Paul Flynn opened a debate on a call for the U.S. presidential hopeful to be excluded after he called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S.
More than 500,000 people have signed an online petition backing a ban.
Under British law, any petition supported by 100,000 people — who must provide and confirm an email address — is considered for parliamentary debate.
Flynn acknowledged that Trump's remarks had caused "a great deal of upset," but said "I think we might already be in error in giving him far too much attention."
The debate won't result in a vote.