EXCLUSIVE: The ex-Nat MSP said there is “no justifiable reason for the public to subsidise the commercial activity of the President”.
An MSP has demanded Donald Trump stump up to cover the costs of policing the President’s recent visit to Scotland.
The Republican leader jetted into Prestwick airport on July 25 before spending the weekend at his Turnberry Hotel and golf resort, where he held a rambling 60-minute press conference with Keir Starmer.
Trump then flew to Aberdeenshire where he dined with John Swinney and later formally opened a second golf course at his Menie Estate.
An estimated 5,000 Police Scotland officers – working 12 hour shifts – were involved in policing the duration of the President’s four day visit, which was classed as a “private” trip. The New Yorker will return to the UK again in September for a formal state visit, where he will be an official guest of the King.
John Mason, an independent MSP, has now lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament claiming there is “no justifiable reason for either the Scottish or UK public to subsidise the private travel or commercial activity of the President”.
The controversial member for Glasgow Shettleston, who was booted out of the SNP last year over remarks about Gaza, said he “hopes to see the recovery of public expenditure from Mr Trump or his associated business interests”.
Mason’s motion states that Trump’s visit “focused on time at his golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, required a substantial deployment of Police Scotland and other police officers, as well as other public service resources”.
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It claims “as the visit was not undertaken in any official capacity, the significant costs involved should not be footed by Scottish or UK taxpayers”.
The motion has so far only been supported by two MSPs from the SNP, Christine Grahame and Kevin Stewart.
The cost of policing Trump’s visit became a major talking point last month after the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) warned response times could double as a result of the force being overstretched.
Asked if the quality of policing will be impacted by the visit, SPF chief David Kennedy said: “It will be seriously affected, it has to be. There’s not enough police officers for it not to be affected.”
He added: “We want the president of the United States to be able to come to Scotland. That’s not what this is about. It’s the current state of the police service and the numbers we have causes great difficulty.”
Mason was ejected by the SNP last year for a social media post in which he claimed there was “no genocide” in Gaza. He previously caused controversy in 2017 when he suggested some people view IRA killers as “freedom fighters”.
The veteran MSP for Glasgow Shettleston will retire from the Scottish Parliament next year and currently sits as an independent.
He previously admitted his stance of speaking his mind had got him “into a lot of trouble” during his career – but insisted “we could do with a bit more of it”.
The Record asked the Trump Organisation for comment.
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