Former Scottish Conservative MP and MSP Ross Thomson lands new job with Donald Trump's firm

Former MSP and MP appointed to corporate role at US president’s golf resort

A former Conservative politician who helped run the leadership campaign of Boris Johnson in Scotland has secured a new job with one of Donald Trump’s golf resorts.

Ross Thomson, who served at Holyrood and Westminster, has been appointed to a corporate role at the US president’s property in Aberdeenshire, where he is focused on growing strategic partnerships and expanding corporate memberships.

Since leaving elected office, Mr Thomson has remained involved with politics, campaigning for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during last year’s leadership contest. But he is also one of Mr Trump’s most vocal supporters in Scotland. The Scot previously dined with the 78 year-old at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and campaigned for his return to the White House last year.

Donald Trump on a previous visit to his Aberdeenshire golf resort in 2016 | Getty Images

Now, Mr Thomson, 37, who is a supporter of Ms Badenoch and her Scottish Conservative counterpart Russell Findlay, is in situ at Trump International Scotland in Balmedie, having taken up a role in its corporate sales team. It is understood to be the first time that Mr Trump’s Scottish businesses have employed a former elected politician.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Thomson, the former MP for Aberdeen South, started work at the resort in February. He has hosted corporate guests and golf tour operators at the venue, and has promoted its new course, which is scheduled to open later this year, describing it as a “magnificent modern masterpiece”.

It marks the latest chapter in Mr Thomson’s relationship with Mr Trump. The Scot travelled to Washington DC in January to watch Mr Trump’s inauguration. Images uploaded to his social media profiles show him alongside Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump’s former lawyer, and US senators Ted Cruz and Tommy Tuberville.

Ross Thomson served at both Holyrood and Westminster. | Contrinuted

Mr Thomson also travelled to the US last year to help campaign for Mr Trump and Florida senator Rick Scott. He met with Jason Miller and Corey Lewandowski, both of whom have been prominent Trump advisors.

Mr Thomson, who also served as a Tory MSP for north east Scotland, and was a strident campaigner for the Leave campaign during the EU referendum, was also present for celebrations at Mr Trump’s election night party in West Palm Beach in Florida in November 2024. That January, he was invited to Mar-a-Lago where he dined with Mr Trump.

During his time in office, Mr Thomson was criticised by the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq over social media posts he made during a 2018 visit to the country, which showed him smiling while sitting on the throne used by Saddam Hussein. In one message, which featured a smiling emoji wearing sunglasses, Mr Thomson said he was “able to channel my inner dictator”.

Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen will stage an event on the 2023 Legends Tour. Picture: Michal Wachucik/Getty Images. | Getty

The following year, he was at the centre of sexual misconduct allegations made by Labour MP Paul Sweeney. However, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, cleared Mr Thomson in October 2020 after ruling Mr Sweeney’s claims he was groped were unfounded.

She said while Mr Thomson had invaded his accuser’s personal space by leaning on him and repeatedly putting his arms around him, his actions did not amount to being sexually inappropriate. That ruling was the subject of an appeal, but an independent expert panel cleared Mr Thomson of sexual misconduct in February 2021.