Salmond hits back at fresh attack over Trump role

Published on Wednesday 16 January 2008 21:00

A DEFIANT Alex Salmond insisted yesterday he had not used his position as First Minister to influence the Scottish Government's approach to the Donald Trump golf development in Aberdeenshire.

But the furore over the controversial complex escalated again last night when an influential Labour committee convener said he would be "astonished" if the application was rejected by ministers now.

Mr Salmond has been at the centre of a political storm over the proposed 1 billion development ever since ministers decided to call in the application last month, giving the Scottish Government the final say on whether it will go ahead.

The First Minister is the constituency MSP for Gordon, where the development would be based, and yesterday he admitted having supported the scheme in the run-up to last year's election.

But under intense questioning from opposition MSPs, Mr Salmond insisted everything he had done in relation to the development was as a constituency MSP, not as the head of the Scottish Government.

And he claimed he had not used his influence as a minister to sway the decision by John Swinney, the finance secretary, to call in the application.

"Anyone who knows John Swinney knows that he will carry out his responsibilities without fear or favour." Mr Salmond said.

He stated: "Every single phone call, every single meeting, I've gone through what limits are placed on me, being the constituency MSP."

But Labour MSPs clearly believe the Scottish Government was desperate for the development to go ahead and found a way for ministers to have the final say.

Duncan McNeil, the Labour convener of the committee, said there was now a perception that the Trump development would simply be agreed by ministers as soon as possible.

Mr McNeil said he would be "shocked" if ministers rejected the application. "I would be astonished to find the application has been rejected," he said.

"We cannot afford to turn away a billion-pound development."

And Johann Lamont, Labour MSP for Glasgow Pollok, suggested that the Scottish Government had used the planning system to find a way of keeping the Trump proposal alive, after it had been rejected by Aberdeenshire Council and after the Trump organisation had decided not to appeal the decision.

Ms Lamont said: "The Trump organisation believed the appeal process was for the little people, not for the likes of them. So the Government needed to find a way to get this investment into Scotland."