Can we return to the ambition and drive that took us so close in 2014?
READ MORE: Socialism and Scottish independence are inseparable
The SNP don't seem to realise that it is necessary to run a continuous campaign of educating the public on the many benefits of independence, by well-advertised public meetings, roadside posters and marches led by prominent politicians. None of which is happening.
Printing a few white papers that nobody has seen and refusing to cooperate with other independence-minded groups is never going to create the necessary groundswell of support, and, of course, waiting for Westminster to agree to another referendum is utter folly.
James Duncan
Edinburgh
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STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
Donald Trump departs golf course on final day of Scotland visit
Donald Trump has officially opened his new golf course in Aberdeenshire on the final day of his visit to Scotland A false alarm sparked a police cordon after a vehicle had to be searched outside the Menie Estate Trump met First Minister John Swinney who said he was 'pleasant company' It follows a meeting and press conference with Sir Keir Starmer on Monday Trump cut the ribbon on a second 18-hole course at his resort in Menie The President will fly back to the US on Air Force One on Tuesday evening During his trip he has made comments about the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Epstein conspiracy theories and his love for Scotland Donald Trump has left his golf resort in the north of Scotland as he begins his journey home to the US. Trump boarded the Marine One helicopter at around 4.30pm after a false alarm sparked a cordon near the Menie Estate. Police Scotland assistant chief constable Emma Bond said a cordon was set up shortly after 3pm for checks on a vehicle. A search was carried out and nothing criminal was found. Marine One will take Trump to Lossiemouth, where he will board Air Force One to fly to Washington. It comes after he officially opened a new 18-hole course at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday morning. The US President teed off in celebration and led a round played by some famous guests. Trump thanked his son Eric, who he said had 'worked so hard' on creating the New Course at the resort. Eric Trump had earlier said he and the Trump International team had created an 'amazing masterpiece' at the New Course. The US President said his family had taken a 'beautiful piece of land, and made it much more beautiful'. Trump said he was looking forward to playing the course. 'We'll play it very quickly and then I go back to DC and we put out fires all over the world,' he said. 'We did one yesterday – you know we stopped the war. We've stopped about five wars. That's much more important than playing golf. As much as I like it, it's much more important.' Earlier, Trump met briefly with Scottish First Minister John Swinney for a one-to-one. The First Minister talked to the President about the war in Gaza, the Scottish economy, and oil and gas taxation, and they were joined by advisors, the President's second son, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. They did not discuss an exemption to tariffs for Scotch whisky on Tuesday because the leaders talked about it at length on Monday over dinner. The First Minister told Trump that Scotland was particularly concerned about Gaza's plight and that the president is in a unique position to move it on. On oil and gas, they agreed that the tax is too high at the moment. The leaders spoke for just over 15 minutes before posing together for pictures in front of a US flag and the saltire of Scotland. Swinney joined a small audience for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Guy Kinnings, CEO of DP World Tour, said the list of illustrious guests was 'validation of the appeal of golf as sport and as an industry'. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, English football coach and former player Robbie Fowler, Italian football player and manager Gianfranco Zola, and Scottish former professional footballer Jim Leighton were among other big names at the event. It's the fifth day of the US President's private visit to Scotland, which has been described as a working holiday. After meeting with the Prime Minister on Monday, Trump cut the ribbon on the 18-hole course at Trump International Golf Links on the Menie Estate on Tuesday. Later, he's expected to return to Washington on Air Force One. Trump landed at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening and spent the weekend playing golf at his resort in Turnberry. On Sunday, Trump briefly met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and agreed to a trade deal setting a 15% tariff on most European Union goods. Trump said it was the 'biggest deal ever made'. On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer travelled to Scotland to meet the US President. The leaders discussed the US-UK trade deal and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Trump and Sir Keir took part in what proved to be a lengthy press conference, with the president discussing a number of topics. Getty Images Donald Trump Prime Minister Keir Starmer speak prior to a bilateral meeting at the Trump Turnberry Golf Courses. The Republican Party leader spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'. He returned to his long-running objections to wind turbines, branding them 'ugly monsters' and speaking of his admiration for North Sea oil and gas. Discussing the war in Ukraine, Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested he would bring forward a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. The US president called Sir Sadiq Khan a 'nasty person', which prompted Sir Keir to come to the defence of his 'friend' the London Mayor. Posting on his Truth Social network, on Tuesday, the President said: '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!' Trump will visit the UK again in September for an unprecedented second state visit. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Jon Stewart on Trump's Epstein scandal: ‘How do you expect the media to move on, when Trump has such a hard time doing so?'
Late-night hosts followed Donald Trump and his Jeffrey Epstein scandal to Scotland, where he found new ways to put his foot in his mouth. Donald Trump headed to Scotland this week, nominally to work on a trade deal with the European Union, but also to put 'an ocean's distance between himself and the Epstein scandal', said Jon Stewart on Monday's Daily Show. But 'how do you expect the media to move on, when Trump has such a hard time doing so?' he wondered. Stewart played a clip of a Scottish reporter asking Trump, 'Mr President, was part of the rush to get this deal done to knock the Jeffrey Epstein story out?' 'He's all like, 'How did you even hear about … I thought you guys just got Baywatch like three months ago?'' Stewart laughed. ''Doesn't anybody here have a question about this trade deal sinking both of our economies with tariffs?'' In response to the question, Trump offered what Stewart called his '13 Reasons Why I'm Not Involved with a Pedophile'. Reason number one, as Trump told reporters in Scotland: 'Those files were run by the worst scum on Earth. If they had something, they would have released them. Now, they can easily put something in the files that's a phoney.' 'It's simple,' Stewart translated. ''If I, Donald Trump, was in the files, they would have released it. So clearly, I'm not in the files. But of course, I'm clearly in the files, which makes them phoney.'' Trump went on to say that he cut ties with Epstein because he did something inappropriate. The red line? Epstein hired some of Trump's low-level employees from him. 'You all know him as Jeffrey Epstein the sex trafficker. But I knew his dark side,' Stewart mocked. 'I mean, the sex trafficking, I was like … OK? But he was also a low-level employee poacher. And that, I cannot have.' And finally, Trump offered this defense for never having visited Epstein's private island: 'I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down.' 'The privilege? The fuck?' Stewart laughed. ''Hey Donald, you want to go to the island this weekend?' 'Well, first of all, Jeffrey, thank you for thinking of me. Unfortunately, that's the weekend that the teen pageant that I bought is installing the indoor security locker room cameras.'' On Late Night, Seth Meyers also tracked Trump's attempts to distract from the Epstein scandal, starting with an extremely long rant about windmills. 'Am I the only one noticing that he's saying worse things about windmills than he says about Jeffrey Epstein?' Meyers wondered. 'At this rate, we'll probably find some old photos of Trump posing at his golf club with a windmill.' But despite his best efforts, Trump could not escape the Epstein story. At a meeting with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, on Monday, Trump fumed to reporters: 'I never went to the island, and Bill Clinton went there supposedly 28 times … and many other people, who are very big people, went there and no one talks about them. I never had the privilege of going to his island.' 'You were doing really good right until privilege,' Meyers laughed. 'Privilege was not the word you wanted to use. 'Privilege makes it seem like you never turned down an invitation,' he added. 'It seems like you were checking your messages every day, in hopes one was forthcoming.' Asked why, after more than a decade of close friendship, he and Epstein had a falling out, Trump answered: 'That's such old history. Very easy to explain, but I don't want to waste your time by explaining it. But for years, I wouldn't talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn't talk, because he did something inappropriate.' 'All right, well you know what? That's reassuring,' said Meyers. 'You realized Epstein was a monster and as soon as you learned the horrible truth, you threw him out of Mar-a-Lago and cut him out of your life for good.' Except, what Trump actually deemed inappropriate was stealing staffers away from him. 'Because he poached your employee?!' Meyers marveled. 'You're making it so much worse, dude. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you should go back to talking about windmills.' 'If you're wondering why you're feeling a little bit better about America today, it's because Donald Trump is in Scotland,' said Stephen Colbert on the Late Show. Technically, Trump was across the pond for trade talks with the European Union, 'but as always, he's focused a wee bit on stuffing his kilt with cash like ground-up organ meat in a sheep's bladder,' by also attending the opening of a new golf course bearing his name. 'Truly presidential,' Colbert deadpanned. In Scotland, Trump announced a brand new trade agreement with the European Union, to 'replace the old trade deal, where Europe sent us cheese and wine and in exchange, we sent them our most annoying college students', Colbert joked. The news deal only raises prices on European goods by 15%, instead of Trump's proposed 30%. Trump announced the deal with the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, with typical bombast: 'It's a good deal for everybody … I think you were saying this is probably the biggest deal that's ever been reached in any capacity, trade or non-trade,' he said, to which Von der Leyen simply replied: 'It is.' 'Oh, she played him like a fiddle,' Colbert laughed before mimicking the president. 'I think you were saying this is the biggest deal? That only the smartest, most handsome man would've agreed to this deal. I think you were also saying that anyone who agreed to this deal would never, ever have been on Jeffrey Epstein's sex island, sex plane or yet to be revealed, sex zeppelin.''
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Trump opens his new Scottish golf course before return to US to ‘put out fires'
Donald Trump has officially opened a new golf course at his Aberdeenshire resort, saying he would play a quick round before returning to Washington DC to 'put out fires all over the world'. The US president teed off at the New Course in Menie in front of a crowd including golfers, the Scottish First Minister and the Scottish Labour leader. Mr Trump also made reference to late James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery's reported support for his golf resort – even attempting to recreate the actor's voice. Just before hitting the first ball at the New Course, the US president told those gathered on a grandstand: 'We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful. 'The area has really welcomed us. If you remember at the beginning there wasn't quite a welcome, but it wasn't bad. 'But with time they liked us more and more, now they love us and we love them.' Mr Trump added: 'I look forward to playing it today. 'We'll play it very quickly and then I go back to DC and we put out fires all over the world. 'We did one yesterday – you know we stopped the war. We've stopped about five wars. 'That's much more important than playing golf. As much as I like it, it's much more important.' At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the president thanked his son Eric for his role in creating the new 18-hole course, adding: 'This has been an unbelievable development. 'The land, they said it couldn't get zoned, it was an impossibility. 'And Sean Connery said 'let the bloody bloke build his golf course'. 'Once he said that everything came into line. John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.' The president met First Minister Mr Swinney on Monday evening at a private dinner, and the two had a more formal meeting on Tuesday ahead of the course opening. This meeting is understood to have focused on Scotch whisky tariffs and the situation in Gaza. Mr Trump will head back to the US later on Tuesday on Air Force One, as his Scottish visit comes to a close. Construction of the new course in Menie began in 2023, with Mr Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project. Trump International Scotland claims the two courses will be the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'. Critics say the Trump developments in Scotland have not delivered as many jobs as promised and work at the Menie site has caused environmental damage. Members of the media watched the opening ceremony from a grandstand, with music played beforehand including Roxanne, Thriller, and Surfin' USA, plus music by the Script and Elvis. The president has already played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump hit out at the UK's taxes on North Sea oil, saying the natural resource is a 'treasure chest' for the country. He wrote on Truth Social: '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!' The US president's fifth and final day in Scotland on Tuesday follows a meeting and press conference with Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. As they met at Turnberry for bilateral talks on trade and the situation in Gaza, Mr Trump and Sir Keir took part in what proved to be a lengthy media event, with the president discussing a number of topics. The Republican Party leader spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'. The president also hosted a dinner at Menie with members of his family and guests including the Prime Minister. A demonstration took place in Balmedie, near the resort, on Monday. A small number of protesters sat at the roadside in the centre of the village, surrounded by cardboard signs bearing anti-Trump slogans.
