UK responds to petition calling to ban Trump

LONDON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- A petition to ban GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump from the United Kingdom garnered more than 500,000 signatures, prompting a response from the British government.

In a statement, the government said that while the Home Secretary does have the ability to ban someone from the United Kingdom if their presence is "non-conducive to the public good," the government does not comment on individual cases.

"The Home Secretary has said that coming to the UK is a privilege and not a right and she will continue to use the powers available to prevent from entering the UK those who seek to harm our society and who do not share our basic values," the statement said.

The statement denounces Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States as "divisive, unhelpful and wrong."

The petition was started shortly after Trump announced his proposal. It quickly surpassed the 100,000 signature mark, which means the issue must be debated in parliament.