Scottish independence: Willie Rennie hits out at Alex Salmond’s time spent ‘courting’ rich and powerful

Mr Rennie used his speech to the Scottish Lib Dem spring conference in Inverness yesterday to accuse Mr Salmond of spending “too much time” with figures such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, American tycoon Donald Trump and Stagecoach bus company boss Sir Brian Souter.

Mr Rennie’s comments came after Donald Trump said he may spend more than £10 million campaigning against a planned offshore wind turbine development, saying that it would adversely affect plans for his luxury Aberdeenshire golf resort.

Opposition parties also criticised a meeting this week between the First Minister and Mr Murdoch, chairman of News Corporation, in Edinburgh, where they discussed Scotland’s constitutional future and the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

Sir Brian, an SNP donor, previously funded a campaign against abolishing controversial laws banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

Mr Rennie said: “Our First Minister prefers to court the rich and the powerful rather than the dispossessed and the vulnerable.

“Giggling on the golf course with Donald Trump – who denies climate change.

“Up the back of the bus with Brian Soutar, the man who denies gay people equality in our Scotland.

“And now he’s got Rupert Murdoch on speed dial, inviting him round for fireside chats at Bute House.

“Rupert, Brian and Donald – the would-be midwives of an independent Scotland.

“It’s too much time with the bilionaires.”