With thanks to Tom Collins, Press Officer, Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MP MSP
Alex Salmond has responded to the latest comments from Donald Trump. Referring to Mr Salmond as ‘an embarrassment to Scotland’ and a ‘stupid man’, Trump defended his purchase of Turnberry golf course and issued scathing criticism of Salmond pertaining to his support of windfarms, and the early release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Mr Salmond said:
“The problem for Mr Trump lies not with his golf courses, but with him. The golf courses are excellent. ‘The Donald’ isn’t.
“Unfortunately, his claims of the level of future investment in Scotland bear no resemblance to the reality of the last eight years. His ownership of Turnburry places it effectively out of The Open Championship circuit at a cost of £100 million to the Scottish economy. His legal objections to wind demonstrators in Aberdeen have thus far deprived the North East of Scotland of a vital £200 million diversification into offshore wind technology at a time of great difficulty in oil and gas.
“However, the real difficulty is his recent statements on Mexicans and Muslims, which go beyond the pale of acceptable comment and an association with him is increasingly damaging to Scotland. That is why over half a million people have signed the parliamentary petition seeking to ban him from the country!
“As far as his remarks to me are concerned, I have fought and won nine elections. Mr Trump has yet to win one.
“On his remarks about Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, he is out of date. Megrahi’s release was in 2009. Since then, the SNP has won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament and 56 seats out of 59 in a UK General Election. On Megrahi, Trump is like a cracked gramophone record playing in a digital age.
“Although, I have to admit it is very easy to issue statement after statement, tit for tat. I suggest instead Mr Trump calls into LBC next Wednesday at 16:00 (GMT), where he can ask me anything he likes. The number is +44 (0)345 60 60 973. If he has a beef I’ll be happy to take his call. We’ll see if debating here is as easy as debating over there!”
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It’s a slow night, folks. Look, I take a dim view of a jock who is named after a fish. Although
the Old Irish word ‘eo’ [salmon] metaphorically can mean a ‘prince’ [v. The Voyage of Bran].
And of course, in Irish mythology, there is the Salmond of Knowledge, who knew everything.
How fishy _is_ Alex, by the way?
It is absurd to claim that the mere fact of allowing DT to cross the border implies some sort of
_association_ between DT & Scotland. Even Mr. Salmond would have to concede that allowing
someone to enter your country falls far short of an official endorsement of his or her views. Thus,
it is absurd to claim that the mere presence of DT in Scotland would be “damaging” to the land of
Roibert a Briuis. I fear that Mr. Salmond’s view is more likely related to the pusillanimous injunction which prevails in Europe nowadays: whatever you do, don’t draw a cartoon. Get the reference, folks?
Alba abú!
Eoin
It is excruciatingly embarrassing, yet somehow deliciously amusing, to read of this spat between the former golfing buddies and good chums. Lest we forget, it was the Alex Salmond led Scottish Government which empowered and enabled the Donald to build his golf course in the exact spot demanded by The Specious One, to subsequently overcome legal and planning restrictions, to dismiss both local and national democracy as an irrelevance, to commit acts of vandalism, to abuse and breach the human rights of property owners in the immediate vicinity of his golf course, to routinely disregard local planning law, to instruct police officers to look the other way when property owners were forced to watch their properties being debased and their views and water supplies being illegally interrupted and, last but not least, to apparently ensure that journalists were arrested and detained for the heinous crime of investigating such legalised thuggery.
Now the same Alex Salmond, who falsely claimed to have legal advice on the EU membership rights of an independent Scotland, who falsely claimed that anyone who suggested that the price of oil might fall below $100 was “scaremongering” and whose lack of any economic or political justification for leaving the UK might suggest his lifelong ambition is founded on nothing more than race, denounces his erstwhile favourite billionaire as a racist.
Perhaps there is a difference between the xenophobic racism of Trump and what might possibly be termed the civic racism of Salmond and I would be delighted if Mr Salmond were to use his declared fondness for debate to define it?
Jeremy Corbyn is courting Trump because he thinks he will be investing here as Alex Salmond did. The difference is Alex Salmond now sees him for what he is, a bigot, racist, sexist. Why can Corbyn not see this and why do you not condemn Corbyn as you do Alex Salmond. And why not give Alex Salmond credit for his stance now. Corbyn invited Trump to London prior to todays debate, not much chance of him being banned from the UK then. Will he speak out in his favour, he certainly wont be voting to keep him out. If anyone is an embarrassment it is Corbyn.
Hi Bert,
I was unaware of Mr Corbyn’s overt support for Donald Trump and am similarly unaware of his involvement in the provision of articles, on the subject of Donald Trump, in Aberdeen Voice or anywhere else. I would be happy to respond in condemnation of Mr Corbyn,should he ever take the opportunity to do so.
Far from giving Alex Salmond credit for his rank hypocrisy and failure to acknowledge his own prominent role in promoting and propagating the Trump propaganda and false promises, i would further condemn him for his opportunistic and publicity seeking grandstanding on an issue which should both shame and haunt him.
Alex Salmond, in my own humble opinion, has lied and continues to lie, on a grand scale, to the people of Scotland, to further his doomed ideological obsession and to further inflate an ego, the enormity of which is totally at odds with his level of competence and credibility.
It appears that my most recent comments have been banned. So much for open dialogue &
free debate, eh? Even the preposterous David Cameron couldn’t stomach the bill of attainder
which SK proposed against DT. Good for him! Bye bye, Aberdeen Voice.