A NEWPORT MP will lead a debate on whether to ban US presidential hopeful and multi-billionaire Donald Trump from the UK.

Paul Flynn, who represents Newport West in the Commons, will speak in the Westminster Hall debate on January 18.

The frontrunner to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in the November election, Mr Trump has called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” to act as a backlash against any potential terrorist attacks.

A petition to ban Mr Trump from the UK over his comments has been signed by about 568,000 people.

Prime minister David Cameron said he does not support calls to ban Mr Trump from the country but said his comments were “divisive, stupid and wrong”.

Last month Mr Flynn tweeted that he hoped Mr Trump could come to Newport so he could see the tolerance between different religions.

“Trump should be invited to UK to show us where the no-go areas are. Happy to show him racial harmony in Wales,” he tweeted on December 19.

Mr Flynn said today he retained the same view and welcomed any opportunity to show Mr Trump how good “race relations have been in London, in Wales, in England generally, in Newport and in Cardiff, over the last 200 years."

He added: “It would be beneficial to him because his view is clearly not as accurate as it should be.

“We don’t want to give him any excuse that he’s been treated badly. I say we treat him in the same way as other people.”