Donald Trump: “I have done so much for Scotland”

Donald Trump on a visit to Aberdeen . Picture: TSPL

US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has claimed the UK has a “massive Muslim problem” as a petition to bar him from visiting Britain topped 400,000 signatures.

The property tycoon and reality TV star, who is seeking the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election, sparked outrage with his call for Muslims to be barred from entering the US and his claim that parts of London were so “radicalised” that police feared for their lives.

Mr Trump also claimed yesterday that he should be thanked for investing in Scotland instead of stripped of an honorary degree and axed as a business ambassador.

Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen this week revoked the doctorate of business adminisration he was awarded in 2010 amid outrage over his calls for Muslims to be barred from entering the US.

And First Minister Nicola Sturgeon removed his membership of the GlobalScot business network.

A poll on the parliamentary website calling for his exclusion from the UK raced past the 100,000-signature threshold to be considered for debate in parliament and looked set last night to top the current record of 446,482.

But polls taken in the US after the remarks were publicised showed a spike in support among Republican primary voters, with Mr Trump on around 35 per cent and as many as 20 points ahead of his main rivals.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter yesterday : “The United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem. Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest.”

Earlier, he attacked Nicola Sturgeon and other UK politicians for “pandering to political correctness”.

Mr Trump, whose mother was from Lewis, owns two golf courses in Scotland – Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire and Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire.

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He said: “I have done so much for Scotland, including building Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, which has received the highest accolades, and is what many believe to be one of the greatest golf courses anywhere in the world.

Additionally, I have made a significant investment in the redevelopment of the iconic Turnberry resort.

“If they – Nicola Sturgeon and RGU - were going to do this, they should have informed me prior to my major investment in this £200 million development, which will totally revitalise that vast region of Scotland.

“The UK politicians should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness.”