Trump’s ‘deep affection’ for Scotland should be used to country’s advantage – MP

Donald Trump’s “deep affection” for Scotland should beryllium utilised during his 2nd presidency to promote economical benefits for the country, a erstwhile Scottish caput has suggested.

The US president has beardown links to Scotland, with his parent having been calved connected the Isle of Lewis and his play edifice Trump Turnberry, Conservative MP David Mundell told the Commons.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray described Scotland arsenic a “key marketplace” erstwhile it came to the US and said helium was moving to forestall tariffs connected Scottish goods.

This comes aft Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said determination was “absolutely nary alternative” but to prosecute with Mr Trump due to the fact that his “decisions volition perchance person an effect connected issues that substance to us”.

Concerns were raised aft Mr Trump pledged to enforce caller tariffs connected US imports connected economies astir the world, with Mr Swinney stating this would airs a “danger” to the Scotch whisky industry.

On Wednesday, Mr Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, said: “When President Trump visited Scotland during his archetypal presidency, I was tasked with officially welcoming him and the details of that volition look successful my memoir.

“Whilst we whitethorn disagree with President Trump connected galore circumstantial issues, it is wide that helium has a heavy affection for Scotland, with the commencement of his parent connected the Isle of Lewis and his immense concern successful Scottish play astatine Turnberry and the north-east.

Scotland is simply a cardinal marketplace successful presumption of the USA and it’s not successful anybody’s involvement ... for tariffs to beryllium enactment connected Scottish goods, and we’re moving precise intimately with some the Government here, and of people the authorities successful America, to marque definite that doesn’t happen

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray

“So, what volition the Secretary of State for Scotland bash to promote economical payment during the Trump 2nd presidency?”

Mr Murray replied: “Yes, the president does person a heavy affection for Scotland, helium besides has a heavy affection for (Mr Mundell), I’m sure, and I anticipation that it appears successful his memoirs. I’m definite determination volition beryllium immoderate uncommon unsigned copies for radical to bargain erstwhile it’s published.

“The Prime Minister has been wide with the Foreign Secretary, who met President Trump and has been moving precise intimately with the modulation team.

“Of course, Scotland is simply a cardinal marketplace successful presumption of the USA and it’s not successful anybody’s interest, whether it beryllium present successful the United Kingdom oregon so successful America, for tariffs to beryllium enactment connected Scottish goods, and we’re moving precise intimately with some the Government here, and of people the authorities successful America, to marque definite that doesn’t happen.”

Mr Trump is expected to question to Scotland this twelvemonth for the opening of a caller people astatine the play nine helium owns successful Aberdeenshire.

Earlier successful the session, Conservative shadiness Scottish caput Andrew Bowie urged the Government to backtrack connected its plans to enforce 20% inheritance taxation connected farms worthy much than £1 million.

He said: “This argumentation is axenic wrong. Farmers were not consulted, so they were misled by his party, their party, erstwhile they were told this would not happen.

“It volition pb to the demise of the household workplace and undermine our nutrient information arsenic farmers volition simply halt farming. The concern, the interest and the fearfulness that these changes brought connected Scotland’s farmers are real, and are connected (the ministers) and their Government.”

Mr Bowie asked the ministers “to impulse their colleagues to bash arsenic the NFU (National Farmers’ Union) inquire – stop, reset, reflect, and decently prosecute connected and consult connected an alternate approach, and halt this change”.

Scotland Office curate Kirsty McNeill replied: “As (Mr Bowie) is perfectly aware, the bulk of estates volition not beryllium affected.

Can the Prime Minister warrant that helium volition not merchantability retired Britain’s fantastic farmers to Donald Trump successful a commercialized woody that undermines our precocious nutrient and carnal payment standards, successful the mode that the Conservatives sold them retired successful the Australia and New Zealand deal?

Liberal Democrat person Sir Ed Davey

“We are successful ongoing conversations with the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland, we’ve asked them to travel guardant with immoderate worked examples of estates that whitethorn beryllium impacted, they haven’t done truthful yet.”

Elsewhere successful the Commons, Liberal Democrat person Sir Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister not to “sell retired Britain’s fantastic farmers to Donald Trump”.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Ed said: “Can the Prime Minister warrant that helium volition not merchantability retired Britain’s fantastic farmers to Donald Trump successful a commercialized woody that undermines our precocious nutrient and carnal payment standards, successful the mode that the Conservatives sold them retired successful the Australia and New Zealand deal?”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “We volition enactment with the US, we volition enactment with different countries, but we volition ne'er little our standards.”