ALEX Salmond has backed calls for Donald Trump to banned from the UK, saying Scotland does not need his investment and that association with the US presidential candidate is harming the economy.
Continuing his war of words with the billionaire Republican, Salmond denied claims that Trump’s investment was crucial to the economy, saying the businessman had halted crucial developments in the renewables industry.
Speaking yesterday morning ahead of a parliamentary debate on banning Trump from the UK, the Gordon MP said that since Trump called to ban all Muslims from the US, it was only fair to “ban all Donald Trumps from Scotland”.
When asked if Trump’s investment was more crucial now than ever, Salmond answered that he believed “the straight answer is no”.
Salmond said: “The Donald’s investments in Aberdeenshire have been about one tenth of what he originally promised, but in the meantime he has been objecting, not successfully in terms of the court action, but successfully in terms of delaying vital £200 million investment in offshore wind demonstrators, which would have been exactly the type of energy technology that would have been a great string to the bow at a time of low oil prices here in the north-east of Scotland.
“There is nothing wrong with his golf courses, the problem is that Trump Turnberry is unlikely to ever get on The Open circuit. If Turnberry doesn’t get an Open, then that costs the Scottish economy £100m.
“I think the association with Trump is now net damaging to the Scottish economy.”
The former First Minister went on to say there would be no shortage of alternative buyers for Trump's two courses, as the Ayrshire course was one of the finest in the world.
Nicola Sturgeon joined her predecessor in speaking out against Trump yesterday.
The First Minister said: “I fundamentally disagree with Donald Trump on many, many, many things, and I’ve found some of his recent comments, particularly on the Muslim community and the Islamic faith, to be deeply offensive.
“I think the innate good sense of the people of the United States of America will prevail over the next few months.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also condemned Trump on the Andrew Marr show, but said that he would not support banning the former Apprentice US star from Britain.
He said: “I don’t think you should ban people from coming to Britain on that basis. I think he should come here and get a lesson by going to all our cities.
“He should understand that yes, we do have problems in Britain, but we also have a great community, great society and great cohesion. He might learn something, you never know.”
Donald Trump’s golf resort occupied by Rise in protest at his inflammatory remarks
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