Amber Rudd tells people outraged by Donald Trump's anti-Muslim tweets to 'remember the bigger picture'

Home Secretary hints that the President's state visit will be shelved, saying 'The dates and the precise arrangements have yet to be agreed'

Amber Rudd has urged MPs to see “the bigger picture” in maintaining close UK-US relations, as anger over Donald Trump’s “racist” tweets grows.

The Home Secretary pointed to the “unparalleled sharing of intelligence” between the two countries, answering an urgent question in the Commons about the diplomatic crisis.

“President Trump was wrong to retweet videos from the far-right group Britain First,” Ms Rudd told MPs. But she added that the intelligence-sharing has “undoubtedly saved British lives”.

“That is the bigger picture here and I would urge people to remember that,” she said.

Ms Rudd also hinted that the furious backlash over Mr Trump’s apparent endorsement of the far-right group Britain First would delay his planned state visit.

And she suggested she agreed with one Conservative backbencher, who said the President should delete his Twitter account.

On the visit, the Home Secretary repeated No 10’s position that “an invitation has been extended and accepted”.

But she added: “The dates and the precise arrangements have yet to be agreed” – fuelling a growing belief that it has been kicked into the longest grass.

When fellow Tory Peter Bone suggested Mr Trump should stop tweeting altogether, after the offence caused, Ms Rudd replied that “many will share his view”.

And, when former Conservative minister Tim Loughton said Twitter should delete the President’s account – “as it would any other criticism of the world who peddles such hate crime” - she said the company’s bosses “would be listening”.

The urgent question triggered vitriolic criticism of a US President never before heard in the House of Commons.

Mr Trump was branded “fascist” and “stupid”, accused of spreading “evil” and of being “racist or incompetent or ignorant or all three” – some of the strongest attacks coming from Conservatives.

Yvette Cooper, the Labour chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the Prime Minister must take the same tough approach to the President as she had to Vladimir Putin’s “fake news”.

Pointing out Britain First thrived on hate, Ms Cooper said: “The President of the United States has just given it a rocket boost in provoking hate in our communities.

“We cannot simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform to the US president to sow discord in our communities.”

Ms Cooper added that “we know where it leads unless enough of us are prepared to stand up now and say no”.

Ms Rudd insisted Theresa May had given a ‘strong response”, adding: “I hope the Prime Minister’s comments will have some influence on the President.”