Over 28,000 Edinburgh residents sign Anti-Trump petition

MORE than 28,000 residents from Edinburgh and the Lothians have signed a petition calling for a state visit by Donald Trump to the UK to be cancelled.

Anti Trump protesters march in Edinburgh. Picture; Andrew O'Brien

The online petition has gone viral, but Prime Minister Theresa May’s officials have confirmed that she is pressing ahead with plans to receive the US president.

The petition, on the government’s official petitions site, quickly reached the 100,000 signatures needed to be considered for a debate in parliament.

At one point it was being signed by more than a thousand people a minute.

As the protests against Trump’s immigration policy got under way last night, more than 1.3 million people had put their name to the petition.

Downing Street has confirmed that Mrs May will not be withdrawing her invitation to the US president because it remains “substantially in the national interest”.

A spokesman said: “We extended the invite and it was accepted.”

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.

Here’s a full breakdown of how many people have signed in each Westminister constituency as last night’s protests got under way.

n Edinburgh North and Leith – 6077

n Edinburgh East – 4611

n Edinburgh South – 3698

n East Lothian – 2356

n Edinburgh South West – 3565

n Edinburgh West – 2618

n Livingston – 1763

n Linlithgow and East Falkirk – 1719

n Midlothian – 1610