Donald Trump ‘does not deserve red carpet treatment’, Scottish politicians say

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

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Mr Trump arrived on Air Force One yesterday 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: “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.”

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.”