TORIES should be challenging Donald Trump on his “abhorrent policies”, not obsessing over the “pomp and ceremony” of a state visit.
That’s according to the SNP’s Westminster leader, who launched the attack on the Conservative Government on the first day of the US President’s three-day state visit to the UK.
Ian Blackford has called on the UK Government to rule out any Brexit trade deal that would threaten Scotland’s NHS or food and drink sector.
“The Tories seem obsessed with the pomp and ceremony of a state visit for Donald Trump, but are happy to ignore some of his most abhorrent policies,” said Blackford.
“Looking to a post-Brexit trade deal with the US, Scotland’s produce sector faces being flooded with hormone-injected beef and chlorinated chicken.
“There is also the threat of seeing the door opened to private interests meddling in Scotland’s NHS – something underlined by the US ambassador’s view that the NHS should be ‘on the table’ in future trade talks.”
Blackford declined an invitation to join Trump at this evening’s State Banquet at Buckingham Palace and yesterday it was reported that outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will no longer be meeting the president privately. Instead, she will take part in a roundtable discussion with Trump and business leaders before the duo hold a joint press
conference.
Downing Street has since been forced to deny that it was the White House which cancelled the meeting.
Trump was met with the full pomp and ceremony of a state visit as he was welcomed to the UK by the Queen. He was then gifted a first edition of The Second World War by Winston Churchill, a three-piece Duofold pen set and a specially commissioned silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid.
The Trumps were then treated to a tour of Westminster Abbey before a dinner of Windsor lamb and strawberry sable at the Queen’s state banquet.
“Despite holding his hand and rolling out the red carpet, the UK has gained nothing positive from the Trump presidency to date, and there is no prospect of that changing,” continued Blackford.
“Theresa May is the architect of Donald Trump’s state visit, but now finds herself snubbed from a one-on-one meeting with the US president.”
Blackford’s comments came after Trump and the UK Government received cross-party criticism from several Scottish politicians.
Many were angry with the red carpet treatment given to the US president.
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said: “The Scottish Greens stand in solidarity with those in America who are suffering from the hate and fear Donald Trump has whipped up.
“His racist and misogynistic behaviour is appalling, his separation of children from their parents and locking them in cages is repulsive and his denial of the climate emergency is criminal.
“It is disgraceful that the UK Government is spending millions rolling out the red carpet for him, in some futile attempt at getting a trade deal which will only put everything from our NHS to food standards in danger.
“We should have nothing to do with this pathetic dinosaur.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard tweeted: “The Tories shouldn’t be giving him [Trump] the red carpet treatment.”
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