Trump should not get ‘red carpet treatment’, say Scottish politicians

Scottish politicians have criticised US President Donald Trump and said he does not deserve the “red carpet treatment” during his visit to the UK.

Mr Trump arrived on Air Force One on Monday morning alongside First Lady Melania Trump before meeting the Queen for a private lunch at Buckingham Palace.

He is not expected to visit Scotland this year.

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: “Challenging the moral values of the 45th President is not about right versus left, it is about right versus wrong.

“The Tories shouldn’t be giving him the red carpet treatment.”

Immediately following his arrival in the country, Mr Trump engaged in a Twitter spat with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, branding him a “stone cold loser”.

In return, the mayor’s office said Mr Trump was offering “childish insults which should be beneath the President of the United States”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Donald Trump has done nothing to deserve a state visit.

“Everywhere he goes he spreads bigotry and division. Nobody will be surprised that he has yet again singled out London’s Muslim mayor for criticism.

“Liberal Democrats believe Britain is better than Trump’s hateful, divisive, racist politics.”

Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Debate Night programme on Sunday evening, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman described the values of Mr Trump as “abhorrent”.

“We absolutely shouldn’t be rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump, absolutely no way,” she said.

“His values are abhorrent. He is misogynistic.

“What he has said about immigration, about people coming from Mexico and the way that he has presided over a system that dehumanises those individuals is just absolutely grim.

“His anti-choice positions on abortion are absolutely horrendous and are dragging America backwards.”

Scottish Conservative MP Stephen Kerr urged politicians to be mindful of the “special friendship” between the UK and US.

Mr Kerr said: “We should respect the office of President of the United States and welcome the present holder who represents a country with which we have an enduring and special friendship.

“This is epitomised by the 75th commemoration of the D-Day landings later this week.

“There are many people in high-profile positions of responsibility that appear only too willing to place their personal feelings above their obligations.

“I would have to include in that list the leader of the Opposition, the Speaker and the Mayor of London.”

Mr Trump will speak with Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street on Tuesday as part of the three-day state visit, as well as attending a D-Day commemoration on Wednesday.

On his previous visit to the UK last summer, he visited London before travelling to Turnberry, one of his golf courses in Scotland, while thousands of people across the UK took part in protests against him.