UK, France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now'
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Western Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Trump didn't push me to support new oil and gas drilling, Swinney says
The SNP leader said the US President made his views clear during their dinner on Monday but did not actively press him to back fresh drilling in the North Sea. Mr Swinney said he was aware of Mr Trump's posts on his social media platform urging the UK to lower taxes and drill. US President Donald Trump played some golf at Trump International Golf Links, on the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire (Jane Barlow/PA) On the last day of his five-day visit to Scotland, the American leader posted: 'North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. 'The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. 'They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, 'we don't want you'. 'Incentivize the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people!' Mr Swinney had dinner with the President who was flanked at the table at Trump MacLeod House & Lodge – named after Mr Trump's Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump – in the Menie estate alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Asked if the President pressed Mr Swinney to back new oil and gas licenses during the two-hour event, the First Minister said: 'He didn't. He didn't press me to do that. Trump had dinner with Keir Starmer and John Swinney on Monday evening (Jane Barlow/PA) 'He obviously expressed his view that there should be more oil and gas activity undertaken and I've seen material from the President this morning which raises issues about taxation, which of course, is not under my control. 'I don't have any influence over North Sea oil and gas taxation. 'Obviously the President made clear his view that he is not a supporter of wind turbines and I expressed the view that we have about our energy priorities on renewable energy.' Mr Trump landed in Prestwick on Friday on Air Force One before travelling to his golf course in Turnberry, South Ayrshire. On Monday, he and the Prime Minister were transported by Marine One to his golf course in Menie. He opened up The New Course there on Tuesday shortly before leaving for Washington. Mr Swinney had dinner with Mr Trump for around two hours where the First Minister made the case for exempting Scotch whisky from US tariffs, while a shorter discussion on Tuesday morning focused on what Mr Swinney said was the 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza. During his trip – his first since 2023 and first since winning re-election – Mr Trump repeatedly referred to Aberdeen as 'the oil capital of Europe'. The US President campaigned on 'drill baby drill' during his election campaign last year. He has been outspoken in his dislike of 'windmills', having taken the Scottish Government to court over an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeenshire estate. Mr Trump said Scotland had the 'ugliest windmills I've ever seen', describing them as 'ugly monsters' that were 'destroying the beauty' of the country. Donald Trump has urged the UK to extract more oil from the North Sea (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'Wind is a disaster,' Mr Trump said. 'Wind is the most expensive form of energy. 'When we go to Aberdeen you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen. 'They're the height of a 50-storey building. 'You could take 1,000 times more energy from a hole in the ground. It's called oil and gas, and you have it in the North Sea. 'You are paying in Scotland, and the UK, and all over place, where they gave them massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place.'
Western Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Funding golf tournament was not attempt to ‘butter up' Trump
The Government announced on Saturday that £180,000 of public money would be spent to bring the Nexo Championship to Scotland next month – just days before the First Minister met Mr Trump. Mr Swinney said he had 'courteous' talks with Mr Trump on Tuesday morning, ahead of the official opening of a second course in Aberdeenshire. The leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and tariffs on Scotch whisky, which Mr Swinney said the president appeared to be willing to move on. Speaking to the PA news agency, the First Minister said the tournament funding was not to curry favour with the president. Asked if it was an effort to 'butter up' Mr Trump, he said: 'No, I think what I was trying to do is to make sure that a tournament that was coming to Scotland could be properly promoted. 'It's coming here, we've essentially intervened to secure a tournament quite late in the day.' Mr Swinney added that the Government provides cash to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) in St Andrews. 'If the principle is good enough for the R&A, it's good enough for Trump International,' he said. Asked about his relationship with Mr Trump following his first face-to-face meetings with the leader, Mr Swinney said there had been 'very good and courteous' conversations between the pair. 'I think we talked well about the issues that matter to the people of Scotland,' he said. Donald Trump was joined by his sons Donald Jnr, left, and Eric for the official opening of the New Course at Menie, Aberdeenshire (Jane Barlow/PA) 'He has a deep affinity with Scotland, so he's got a warmth and an empathy towards Scotland and he was interested in all the issues that I was raising about Scotland. 'So I think we had a very welcome opportunity to engage in dialogue and to build a relationship.' Asked if he believes that positive relationship will continue into the future, the First Minister said he does, adding the president ended the meeting by urging him to contact the US administration should he wish to raise any issues. 'I intend to take him up on that issue, because my job as First Minister of Scotland is to promote and protect the interests of the country and I can engage constructively with the president of the United States to do that,' Mr Swinney added. As well as a meeting early on Tuesday, the First Minister was also invited to a dinner on Monday evening at the Aberdeenshire club alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Over a meal of langoustines and beef, the First Minister had his first face-to-face meeting with the US president – having spoken over the phone after his election win last November.
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump didn't push me to support new oil and gas drilling, Swinney says
Donald Trump did not push John Swinney to support new oil and gas licences, the First Minister has said. The SNP leader said the US President made his views clear during their dinner on Monday but did not actively press him to back fresh drilling in the North Sea. Mr Swinney said he was aware of Mr Trump's posts on his social media platform urging the UK to lower taxes and drill. On the last day of his five-day visit to Scotland, the American leader posted: 'North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. 'The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. 'They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, 'we don't want you'. 'Incentivize the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people!' Mr Swinney had dinner with the President who was flanked at the table at Trump MacLeod House & Lodge – named after Mr Trump's Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump – in the Menie estate alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Asked if the President pressed Mr Swinney to back new oil and gas licenses during the two-hour event, the First Minister said: 'He didn't. He didn't press me to do that. 'He obviously expressed his view that there should be more oil and gas activity undertaken and I've seen material from the President this morning which raises issues about taxation, which of course, is not under my control. 'I don't have any influence over North Sea oil and gas taxation. 'Obviously the President made clear his view that he is not a supporter of wind turbines and I expressed the view that we have about our energy priorities on renewable energy.' Mr Trump landed in Prestwick on Friday on Air Force One before travelling to his golf course in Turnberry, South Ayrshire. On Monday, he and the Prime Minister were transported by Marine One to his golf course in Menie. He opened up The New Course there on Tuesday shortly before leaving for Washington. Mr Swinney had dinner with Mr Trump for around two hours where the First Minister made the case for exempting Scotch whisky from US tariffs, while a shorter discussion on Tuesday morning focused on what Mr Swinney said was the 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza. During his trip – his first since 2023 and first since winning re-election – Mr Trump repeatedly referred to Aberdeen as 'the oil capital of Europe'. The US President campaigned on 'drill baby drill' during his election campaign last year. He has been outspoken in his dislike of 'windmills', having taken the Scottish Government to court over an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeenshire estate. Mr Trump said Scotland had the 'ugliest windmills I've ever seen', describing them as 'ugly monsters' that were 'destroying the beauty' of the country. 'Wind is a disaster,' Mr Trump said. 'Wind is the most expensive form of energy. 'When we go to Aberdeen you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen. 'They're the height of a 50-storey building. 'You could take 1,000 times more energy from a hole in the ground. It's called oil and gas, and you have it in the North Sea. 'You are paying in Scotland, and the UK, and all over place, where they gave them massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place.'
