March 31, 2013
Scotland

Donald Trump brands Alex Salmond ‘two-faced’ over wind turbines

STV | 30 March 2013 | stv.tv

US billionaire Donald Trump has branded Alex Salmond “dishonest” and claimed that “generations of Scots will curse him” for his support of wind energy.

The terse remarks, issued through a spokesman, are the latest shot in the war of words between the two men after the Scottish Government approved the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) wind farm off the shore of Mr Trump’s golf resort at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.

The tycoon threatened to sue the Scottish Government over its decision but Mr Salmond slapped down the threat, saying Mr Trump had “no right” to dictate on planning applications in Scotland.

The First Minister said in an interview with STV News on Friday: “People are entitled to go to court. That is a matter for the Trump organisation. You have to find a reason for going to court.

“You can’t go to court just because you don’t like something but nonetheless people are entitled to use their legal rights and the Scottish Government will defend it.

“We have just defended successfully a major action of people taking action against the Aberdeen Peripheral Route which we thought was important to the development of the north-east of Scotland and we won that action.”

On Saturday, the tycoon issued a statement to STV News through his representative George A Sorial, executive vice president and counsel at the Trump Organisation in New York.

Mr Sorial insisted his boss would be pressing ahead with legal action and branded the First Minister “untrustworthy and two-faced”.

He said: “We look forward to presenting our case against the EOWDC proposal in Court, an impartial forum that’s free from the First Minister’s meddling.

“Mr Salmond was dishonest about the EOWDC scheme and has misled us, and the public, many times in the past so future discussions with him are pointless.

“His total lack of integrity reflects negatively on Scotland and his reputation for being untrustworthy and two-faced has been noted by many in the global investment community.

“Our golf course and development will continue to prosper and the EOWDC will never be constructed as those behind this terrible project simply do not have the resources to purify the conditions and endure the protracted legal battle that lies ahead.

“Mr Salmond’s political career will come and go but generations of Scots will curse him for the damage his shameful turbines have inflicted on their beautiful country.”

The First Minister has previously stated that he welcomes the Trump golf development at the Menie Estate but insisted that “the energy policy of the country should be left to the people who are elected by the people of Scotland”.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/03/31/donald-trump-brands-alex-salmond-two-faced-over-wind-turbines/