Trump’s ‘deep affection’ for Scotland should be used to country’s advantage – MP
Former Scottish secretary David Mundell asked the Government what it would do to encourage economic benefit during the Trump second presidency.
Donald Trump’s “deep affection” for Scotland should be utilised during his second presidency to encourage economic benefits for the country, a former Scottish secretary has suggested.
The US president has strong links to Scotland, with his mother having been born on the Isle of Lewis and his golf resort Trump Turnberry, Conservative MP David Mundell told the Commons.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray described Scotland as a “key marketplace” when it came to the US and said he was working to prevent tariffs on Scottish goods.
This comes after Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said there was “absolutely no alternative” but to engage with Mr Trump because his “decisions will potentially have an effect on issues that matter to us”.
Concerns were raised after Mr Trump pledged to impose new tariffs on US imports on economies around the world, with Mr Swinney stating this would pose 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 first presidency, I was tasked with officially welcoming him and the details of that will appear in my memoir.
“Whilst we may disagree with President Trump on many specific issues, it is clear that he has a deep affection for Scotland, with the birth of his mother on the Isle of Lewis and his huge investment in Scottish golf at Turnberry and the north-east.
“So, what will the Secretary of State for Scotland do to encourage economic benefit during the Trump second presidency?”
Mr Murray replied: “Yes, the president does have a deep affection for Scotland, he also has a deep affection for (Mr Mundell), I’m sure, and I hope that it appears in his memoirs. I’m sure there will be some rare unsigned copies for people to buy when it’s published.
“The Prime Minister has been clear with the Foreign Secretary, who met President Trump and has been working very closely with the transition team.
“Of course, Scotland is a key marketplace in terms of the USA and it’s not in anybody’s interest, whether it be here in the United Kingdom or indeed in America, for tariffs to be put on Scottish goods, and we’re working very closely with both the Government here, and of course the government in America, to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Mr Trump is expected to travel to Scotland this year for the opening of a new course at the golf club he owns in Aberdeenshire.
Earlier in the session, Conservative shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie urged the Government to backtrack on its plans to impose 20% inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.
He said: “This policy is pure wrong. Farmers were not consulted, indeed they were misled by his party, their party, when they were told this would not happen.
“It will lead to the demise of the family farm and undermine our food security as farmers will simply stop farming. The concern, the worry and the fear that these changes brought on Scotland’s farmers are real, and are on (the ministers) and their Government.”
Mr Bowie asked the ministers “to urge their colleagues to do as the NFU (National Farmers’ Union) ask – stop, reset, reflect, and properly engage on and consult on an alternative approach, and stop this change”.
Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill replied: “As (Mr Bowie) is perfectly aware, the majority of estates will not be affected.
“We are in ongoing conversations with the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland, we’ve asked them to come forward with some worked examples of estates that may be impacted, they haven’t done so yet.”
Elsewhere in the Commons, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister not to “sell out Britain’s fantastic farmers to Donald Trump”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Ed said: “Can the Prime Minister guarantee that he will not sell out Britain’s fantastic farmers to Donald Trump in a trade deal that undermines our high food and animal welfare standards, in the way that the Conservatives sold them out in the Australia and New Zealand deal?”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “We will work with the US, we will work with other countries, but we will never lower our standards.”
