Dutch MP to visit UK on Friday after ban is lifted

The far-right Dutch MP who won the right to have a UK travel ban against him overturned will fly to Britain on Friday.

Geert Wilders, who won his case against the Home Office, will not be showing his controversial film Fitna, which has prompted allegations of "Islamophobia". Mr Wilders told the BBC he planned to show the film at a later date.

The then Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, ordered that he be banned from travel to the UK in February, on the grounds that the MP's presence would inflame community tensions and he was was turned back at Heathrow. But the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruled on Tuesday that there was no evidence that a previous visit had caused problems and said it was more important to protect freedom of speech.

Mr Wilders told Radio 5 Live: "Its a short visit, not to show Fitna or have a debate – we will have that later. I believe it was a good day yesterday for the freedom of speech. I believe the decision of the UK Government was political, it was not based on law."