Cliff Notes
- Donald Trump‘s upcoming visit to Scotland will necessitate a substantial police operation, diverting resources from regular duties, raising concerns among officers’ unions.
- The financial burden of the visit has sparked frustration among residents, particularly regarding policing costs anticipated to be considerable.
- Trump’s informal trip, primarily centred around golf, has prompted planned protests by the Stop Trump Scotland group in various locations.
I like your PM: Trump praises Starmer as he touches down in Scotland | US latest | US News
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Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland will require a major police operation.
Alongside that, the union representing police officers has said it is concerned that overworked officers will be diverted from normal duties.
Meanwhile, some residents are not happy about the costs.
‘Why isn’t he paying for it?’
“Why isn’t he paying for it himself? He’s coming for golf, isn’t he?” said Merle Ferguson, a solo protester in Edinburgh holding an anti-Trump placard.
“It’s got nothing whatsoever to do with public money, either US or UK.”
Trump’s visit is an informal one, and does have a lot to do with golf – with the president visiting two of his courses.
He will also be meeting political leaders from Britain and Europe.
A £14m visit
Policing for Trump’s four-day visit to the UK in 2018 cost more than £14m according to FOIs.
This included more than £3m spent on his two-day golf trip to Turnberry, the historic course and hotel in southwest Scotland that he bought in 2014.
‘A significant police operation’
Police Scotland would not discuss how many officers were being deployed for operational reasons.
It only said costs would be “considerable”.
“The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other UK police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements,” Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney
said the visit would not be detrimental to policing.
But David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “It’s nonsensical to say it won’t impact it.”
Kennedy went on: “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.”
The Stop Trump Scotland group has planned demonstrations Saturday in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries.
Watch David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, discuss the issue on Sky News below…
