LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the Government to cancel a planned state visit by Donald Trump after being condemned in two Twitter messages by the US president.

Mr Trump initially criticised the mayor for his response to the London Bridge terrorist attack; though, in doing so, he misquoted Mr Khan. The mayor’s office pointed out Mr Trump’s error later, but the president responded by accusing London’s mayor of making a “pathetic excuse”.

“I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” said Mr Khan.

If we failed to welcome heads of state whose policies clashed with our own, then half of the diplomatic service would have to shut down, ambassadorial receptions would be cancelled and sales of Ferrero Rocher would plummet.

The president has shown himself to be a boorish hothead and when he takes to social media his cack-handedness takes on a new dimension. Instead of showing dignity and respect, he responded to the London attack by using it to promote his immigration policies, and then by picking a fight with the city’s Muslim mayor.

This has cast a lengthening shadow over his upcoming state visit to the UK.

Mr Trump’s animosity to Mr Khan may stem from bigotry or be payback for the mayor’s criticism of the president’s proposed Muslim travel ban last year.

It is tempting to make a grand gesture and show Mr Trump the kind of disrespect he metes out himself.

But we are better than him and should never stoop to his childish tit-for-tat politics.