Theresa May has been skewered for criticising Donald Trump despite overseeing "racist" vans that told illegal immigrants to "go home".

The Prime Minister was criticised in the Commons after saying the US President's comments to four ethnic minority Congresswomen were "completely unacceptable".

Trump claimed the women - all US citizens and three born in the US - should "go back and help fix" the places "from which they came".

While she stopped short of calling them racist, Mrs May criticised the language used - which was formally censured as racist last night by the US Congress.

Yet it comes six years after Mrs May, as Home Secretary, presided over Home Office vans that told illegal immigrants in the UK to "go home or face arrest".

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford indicated the PM may be guilty of hypocrisy.

Mrs May, as Home Secretary, presided over Home Office vans that told illegal immigrants in the UK to "go home or face arrest" (
Image:
PA)
Ian Blackford said: "Will the Prime Minister now on reflection also take the opportunity to call out and condemn the racism of the go home van"

In her second-last Prime Minister's Questions before leaving office, he said Mrs May must "call out and condemn the racism of the go home van".

Speaking during PMQs in the Commons, he said: "This week the Prime Minister finally did the right thing. When Donald Trump told women they should go home, she called it out as unacceptable.

"Let me be clear, Donald Trump's actions are textbook racism, they are repugnant and diplomatic politeness should never stop us from saying so.

"Will the Prime Minister now on reflection also take the opportunity to call out and condemn the racism of the go home van, that she created in coalition government with the Liberal Democrats ."

Mrs May replied: "I said at the time that was too blunt an instrument."

Theresa May replied: "I said at the time that was too blunt an instrument"

But she added: "But there is an important issue here.

"Which is that the public expect us to have a fair immigration system which deals with those who are here illegally and that is what we need to do."

She added: "I have strongly condemned those comments made by President Trump."

Mrs May was also criticised over Islamophobia in the Conservative Party and her "hostile environment" policy to illegal immigrants by Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs.

But she hit back by brandishing a newspaper advert taken out by Labour peers attacking Jeremy Corbyn's record on anti-Semitism.

She hit back by brandishing a newspaper advert taken out by Labour peers

In a House of Commons ambush, she accused the Labour leader of "failing to deal with racism" telling him "this is your legacy Mr Corbyn".

The Labour leader repeatedly tried to hold the PM to account on her government's record on Climate Change.

But after giving perfunctory answers, she kept pivoting back to the issue of anti-Semitism in Labour in a bid to turn the tables.

Mr Blackford claimed the "Tory Party shares more with the extremes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage".

Mrs May was also criticised over Islamophobia in the Conservative Party

He said: "When the Prime Minister implemented the hostile environment policy her party stayed silent. When she delivered the racist go home vans the Tories remained silent. When asylum seekers are deported to places where their lives are at risk the Tories stay silent, and yes Mr Speaker when faced with the racist columns written by the former foreign secretary, they stay silent.

"Isn't the member for Aberconwy (Guto Bebb) correct Prime Minister when he warns that the Tories are appealing to the type of nationalism that has seen Ukip grow.

"While the Tory Party shares more with the extremes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, isn't it any wonder Mr Speaker that Scotland looks on in horror?"

Mrs May replied: "The Conservative Party is a party for the whole of the UK and the only party in this House which is appealing to blatant nationalism is the party that wants to take Scotland out of the UK."