Protest vow if Trump UK visit includes Scottish trip

0 Donald Trump and his wife Melania met the Queen during a visit last year Protesters have promised to turn out in force if Donald Trump includes Scotland as part of his official state visit to the UK this summer.

Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday the US president and his wife Melania will be guests of the Queen when they land in the UK.

Mr Trump’s official trip is scheduled for 3 to 5 June and follows a working visit he made to Britain last summer.

The president will attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to mark 75 years since the D-day landings and will also have official talks with the Prime Minister at Downing Street.

But speculation is growing that Mr Trump will also spend at least part of his visit in Scotland, where he owns two golf courses and has family links through his late mother Mary, who was born on the Isle of Lewis.

The Scottish Government said it had not been approached by the UK Government regarding Mr Trump’s trip.

A spokeswoman said ministers were unaware of any official SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN plans for the president to visit Scotland.

Thousands took to the streets of Edinburgh in July last year on the day Mr Trump played golf during a visit to his Turnberry resort on the Ayrshire coast.

Jonathon Shafi, a co-founder of the Scotland United Against Trump group, said large-scale protests would be called at short notice if required.

“Last time Donald Trump visited Scotland, tens of thousands took to the streets,” he told The Scotsman. “Should he come to Scotland again, we will organise mass demonstrations and protests to ensure that a clear message is sent – one that says he is not welcome here and that his toxic brand of politics will be opposed.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have not been approached by the UK Government in relation to the recently announced State visit by President Trump to the UK and we are not aware of any official plans for President Trump to visit Scotland.

“Scotland has deep and longstanding ties of family, friendship and business with the United States, which will continue to endure. However, we will not compromise our fundamental values of equality, diversity and human rights and we expect these values to be made clear during the president’s visit to the UK.”

Golf fans shared a theory on social media that Mr Trump may visit Turnberry on 5 June as the course was not currently advertising tee-times for that day.

‘We will not compromise our fundamental values and we expect them to be made clear during the president’s visit’