Eddie Barnes: Trump can blow all he wants, but his protests will only put wind in First Minister Alex Salmond’s sails

IS Donald Trump an SNP secret agent? The Donald strides into the Scottish Parliament today, to protest against First Minister Alex Salmond’s plans to expand renewable energy across the country.

Specifically, he is mightily put out at proposals, still at the planning stage, to erect 11 huge wind turbines adjacent to his new golf course on the Aberdeenshire coast. It is difficult to imagine a better enemy for Mr Salmond to have as he seeks to persuade wider Scottish opinion of the merits of his own controversial ideas – or at least hide from them the downsides.

Poor Donald has walked into this one. Any wealthy American investor or visitor to these shores, especially promising bucketfuls of money, has to be aware of the reverse-snobbery we Brits have for our special friends. This holds true for most rich Americans.

But it is Mr Trump’s special gift to then personify to the point of caricature all the stereotypical American faults – the towering ego and blinkered confidence – that are so mistrusted this side of the Pond. Add to this the high-handed way Mr Trump has dealt with the local people around the Menie estate, and there is really nothing that he can say today that will persuade the wider public of the merits of his case.

You have to feel a little sorry for Mr Trump’s number two, George Sorial, who will be sitting alongside him today at the parliament committee meeting. Speaking last week, Mr Sorial insisted today wouldn’t be about settling scores; instead, he said this would be about two concerned businessmen, who have invested in Scotland, sharing their views on why they think the country is being badly let down by the push for wind. But Mr Trump’s mere presence will cloud out any serious points he actually has to make.

So, with much of Scotland’s business community on his side, and with the country’s powerful green lobby in his pocket, Mr Salmond can sit back and enjoy today’s meeting confident in the knowledge that Mr Trump is doing his work for him.

In the current mistrustful age, the likes of Mr Trump have communications leprosy. In a personality clash between Salmond and Trump, the former will win hands down.

The fun and games will be worth the entrance fee today. But the show will be damaging to the greater good if it undermines the facts of the case.

Under the chairmanship of Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, the parliamentary committee has a major job to do scrutinising Mr Salmond’s target of finding 100 per cent of Scotland’s needs from renewables by 2020. What will the impact on our bills? Is the technology there to actually do it? And, if offshore wind, tidal and wave don’t take off, how many more subsidised onshore wind turbines will have to be built between then and now in a field near you? Those questions will go begging today. In that regard, Mr Trump is Mr Salmond’s Trump card.