Donald Trump declared a "buffoon" as MPs debate whether he should be banned from UK

On the other, they were also told that a ban was necessary because the Republican frontrunner was, through his outspoken remarks, importing “violent ideology”.

The debate was brought about by a petition calling for a ban, which reached a record 574,000; a petition against a ban only attracted some 43,000 signatures but 30,000 others were not allowed as they were regarded as “suspect” given they came from a single source.

Mr Trump, who is leading several opinion polls in the race to be the Republican candidate for President, sparked controversy on both sides of the Atlantic after he called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US in response to the shooting of 14 people in California in December.

He had previously caused rows over his negative comments about Mexicans and women and sparked further anger recently by claiming areas of London and other parts of the UK had become so radicalised that they were no-go areas for the police.

While MPs’ views about the billionaire businessman were overwhelmingly negative, opinion was divided on whether or not to ban him from Britain.

The debate in the Commons parallel chamber of Westminster Hall was opened by Labour veteran Paul Flynn, who read out a list of some of those who had been banned by the UK authorities in recent years.

He warned the risk of doing the same to Mr Trump was that it would simply serve to boost the publicity around him "100 fold".

The Welsh MP argued that the tycoon’s "prejudice" should be countered by "reasonableness, hospitality and courtesy".

He told MPs: "The great danger by attacking this one man is that we can fix on him a halo of victimhood. We give him the role of martyrdom, which can seem to be an advantage among those who support him.”

But, supporting a ban, his Labour colleague Tulip Siddiq said that Mr Trump's words risked “inflaming tensions between vulnerable communities" and those calling for this "poisonous and corrosive" man to be barred were speaking in good conscience.

"I draw the line with freedom of speech when it actually imports violent ideology, which is what is happening."

The London MP added: "The legislation exists to protect the public and the people of Britain from individuals such as this. If other people have been stopped from coming into the country the same rules need to apply to Donald Trump."

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, the SNP MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, branded Mr Trump racist, saying his words were dangerous. She explained that she was so strongly in favour of a ban because his words about Muslims applied to “me, my family, my children”.

Her Nationalist colleague Anne McLauglin denounced the “outrageous xenophobia and Islamophobia” of Mr Trump and said, while she did not necessarily support a complete ban, the strongest argument for one was one of equality as others who had made inflammatory comments had been banned from coming to Britain.

Corri Wilson, the SNP MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock - whose constituency includes the Turnberry golf resort owned by the tycoon - described Mr Trump's comments as "deplorable" but said: "Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock cannot afford to spurn investment by the Trump organisation because the head of the family business is spouting offensive right-wing rhetoric in an election campaign thousands of miles away.

"My role here is to speak for my constituency. Banning people for wanting to ban others is, in in my view, an inappropriate response."

A number of Conservatives MPs also lined up against a ban.

Tory Kent MP Tom Tugendhat said: "While this man is crazy, while this man has no valid points to make, I will not be the one to silence his voice."

His Conservative colleague Andrew Murrison accepted the US politician was a "ridiculous" figure but warned that to ban someone, who had a chance of becoming the US President, could be construed as an "almighty snub" to America.

Tory veteran Sir Edward Leigh said the UK had invited despots here in the past, who had done "far far worse than anything Donald Trump can dream of", cautioning against "shutting down an honest debate about immigration".

Labour's Naz Shah, who represents Bradford West, said she would invite Mr Trump to her constituency, take him for a curry and show him religious places to challenge his views.

But her colleague Jack Dromey, a shadow Home Office minister, supported a ban, saying to let someone into the UK who demonised Muslims would be “damaging, it would be dangerous, it would be deeply divisive”.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has banned more than 200 people since 2010, according to official figures published last year, although she has declined to comment on whether Mr Trump could be added to the list.

David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have both said they would not want to see Mr Trump excluded, arguing he should be encouraged to visit to see first-hand the UK's diversity, cohesion and tolerance.

Yet Alex Salmond, the former Scottish First Minister, who has been involved in a war of words with Mr Trump in recent months, has suggested a ban "would do him good".

Mr Trump, who owns the Turnberry golf course among other assets in Scotland, has threatened to cancel £700 million of planned investment if he is blocked from returning to the UK.

Ahead of the debate, Trump International Links Scotland suggested MPs should be spending their time debating the problems facing the Scottish and UK economies and not the US tycoon.

"For the UK to consider banning someone who made a statement in America, about American borders during a US election campaign is ridiculous," declared Sarah Malone, the company's executive vice president.

"Westminster is creating a dangerous precedent on this issue and is sending a terrible message to the world," she added.