US vice-president JD Vance is set to take a summer break in Scotland with his family
Mr Vance is coming to the Cotswolds next month with his wife and children - but the Mail understands he also intends to come north of the Border.
It means police will face the prospect of more protests shortly after Donald Trump 's stay ends next week, piling more pressure on overstretched officers.
One source close to the preparations said: 'It is another security headache for the police – another VIP who is likely to trigger protests.
'It won't be quite as big as the Trump operation but it will still be very significant.'
Activists have vowed to ruin Mr Vance's Cotswolds family holiday when he visits the place where Trump-hating Ellen DeGeneres now calls home.
The Vice-President is set to travel to the idyllic English countryside alongside his wife Usha, 39, and their three children, Ewan Blaine, Vivek and Mirabel, next month.
But pro-Palestine activists, eco campaigners and trade unionists have vowed to wreak havoc with planned protests during his stay.
The anti-Trump and anti-Vance protests are set to mirror recent demonstrations against Mr Vance during a family holiday to Disneyland.
Last week visitors were left outraged after Mr Vance shut down rides so he could enjoy them with his children - and he previously faced protest placards during a skiing holiday in the US state of Vermont in March this year.
The Stop Trump Coalition alliance is said to include pro-Palestinian activists, climate campaigners, and trade unions.
Mr Vance and his family are expected to arrive in Britain soon after the President's five-day stay in Scotland.
The Stop Trump Coalition has outlined plans to greet Mr Trump with banners and flags along roads and a beachside message visible from the sky.
Further action is intended for his proposed state visit expected to take place in September.
It has signalled similar opposition to Mr Vance's British break, with a spokesman saying: 'We are meeting Trump with protests in Aberdeen and Edinburgh this month, and then in London and Windsor in September.
'JD Vance is every bit as unwelcome in the UK as Donald Trump.
'We remember how Vance cut short his ski trip in Vermont because he was so enraged by the sight of a few protesters.
'We are sure that, even in the Cotswolds, he will find the resistance waiting.'
The Vice-President strolled through Disneyland in Los Angeles, California, hand-in-hand with two of his children, Vivek and Mirabel, last Saturday - with a vast Secret Service security detail alongside them.
In a speech in February, Mr Vance highlighted an SNP government law banning protest near abortion clinics, which critics said could be used to target people praying in their own homes, as an example of an attack on freedom of speech.
Mr Vance claimed people who live within safe access zones had been sent letters by the Scottish Government warning them about praying in their homes.
The Scottish Government had insisted that Mr Vance's claim was 'incorrect'.
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Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Anti-Trump protesters set to march in Scotland over US President's five-day visit to open golf course and talk trade deals with Keir Starmer
Donald Trump will land in Scotland later today as he begins a five-day private trip to the country with mass protests expected around his golf courses and major cities. The US President is due to arrive on Air Force One at Glasgow Prestwick Airport this evening before heading over to his Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. He is expected to spend time at the course over the weekend, meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney, open a new 18-hole golf course at his Menie estate in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday and then fly home. A huge security operation involving officers from across the UK is well underway - with protests planned in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and at the two courses. A 10ft-high metal barrier has been installed at Turnberry to help protect the President. Mr Trump's family have spoken of their pride and excitement over his visit - with Eric Trump, the executive vice-president of his father's Trump Organization, saying the President had waited 'years' to come back to the country of his late mother's birth. Eric Trump told the Scottish Daily Mail: 'We have just completed the greatest course on Earth and waited years for this day to come. I've never been more proud to have my father arrive in Scotland to see his original dream come to fruition. We can't wait!' The President will be welcomed at Prestwick later by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, with the minister pledging to give the American leader a 'warm welcome'. But Mr Trump's presence has resulted in a significant operation from Police Scotland and thousands of officers, who are expected to deal with mass protests. The Stop Trump Coalition is planning demonstrations in Aberdeen and Edinburgh tomorrow and there is a major police operation in place amid concerns it will seriously stretch resources. Kirsty Haigh, from the Scotland Against Trump group, told Sky News: 'He should not be welcomed by us, by our leaders. We want to see a Scotland that is very different than [the] America that's being created.' How Donald Trump's mother Mary was a daughter of Scotland Mary Anne MacLeod Donald Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. The President has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. Mr Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwest coast. 'My mother was born in Scotland - Stornoway, which is serious Scotland,' the President said in 2017. She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the years after the First World War. Ms MacLeod married the President's father, Fred C Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88. Mr Trump still has relatives on Lewis, and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain grey house where his mother grew up. Mr Trump's last visit as a serving President in July 2018 saw thousands of people protest in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The trip cost Police Scotland more than £3million and required mutual aid as officers were sent in from other UK forces. The latest visit is expected to require a security operation as big as the arrangements for the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022 - involving up to 6,000 officers - with taxpayers again facing a bill of more than £3million for policing his stay. Around 5,000 Police Scotland officers will be needed for the 'large-scale, complex' Operation Roll 2 – the codename for policing the visit - with a further 1,000 drafted in from the rest of the UK. A 'ring of steel' has been established at Turnberry, with 10ft perimeter fencing erected as security measures are ramped up by officers with road closures in place. Chinook helicopters were at Prestwick Airport earlier this week, while US military planes and helicopters gathered on Monday. A convoy of vehicles and staff were being flown in to keep him safe during his visit. Ordinarily his bullet-proof motorcade could include up to 50 vehicles, some carrying anti-aircraft guns and hi-tech radio equipment, while others are designated for family, close aides and members of the Press. Several black SUVs were unloaded from two US Air Force C-17 cargo planes at Prestwick on Wednesday, with another three of the aircraft arriving in the afternoon. The helicopters that operate as Marine One when the President is on board cost between $16,700 and nearly $20,000 per hour to operate, according to Pentagon data for fiscal year 2022. The modified Boeing 747s that serve as the iconic Air Force One cost about $200,000 per hour to fly. Military cargo aircraft also fly ahead of the President with his armoured limousines and other official vehicles. Stephanie Campbell and Leanne Maxwell, who live in Turnberry and used to work at Mr Trump's resort, said the first lesson staff there are given is how to respond to a bomb threat. Ms Campbell told Sky News: 'I had no issues working for him, he is a really decent boss. The last time he came there was an element of excitement, I think this time there comes with an added element of concern. 'It brings a lot higher threats and security and it's much more difficult for everybody in the area.' Ms Maxwell added: 'Security is obviously being bumped up. It's quite worrying. He's quite a man, ain't he?' The President will meet with Sir Keir during his stay when the pair will discuss the UK-US trade deal, and will also meet with First Minister John Swinney 'at some point'. The SNP leader previously said he would have the opportunity to raise various issues with Mr Trump, including tariffs, Gaza and Ukraine. Trump's ongoing Scots golf course battles Mr Trump's ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf, after he first proposed building a course on a stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006. The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government, but it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists. They claimed the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country's rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. Local fisherman Michael Forbes hit the headlines after he refused the Trump Organization's offer of £350,000 to sell his family's rundown farm in the centre of the estate. Mr Forbes still lives on his property, which Mr Trump once called 'a slum and a pigsty.' 'If it weren't for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have, yes,' Mr Trump said in 2008 amid the planning battle over the course. 'Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have started it.' The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realised, and the course has never made a profit. A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It's named the MacLeod Course in honour of the President's mother. There has been less controversy about Mr Trump's other Scottish golf site, the long-established Turnberry resort, which he bought in 2014. He has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009. Turnberry is one of ten courses on the rotation to host the Open, but organisers say there are logistical issues about 'road, rail and accommodation infrastructure' that must be resolved before it can return. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Mr Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides Scotland with an opportunity to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice for all, while also promoting Scotland's tourism sector and economic investment potential. He said: 'Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries. That partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links - including of course, with the President himself. 'As we welcome the President of the United States, Scotland will be showcased on the world stage. This provides Scotland with a platform to make its voice heard on the issues that matter, including war and peace, justice and democracy. 'It also includes the millions of Americans - many of them potential future tourists or investors in Scotland - who will watch their elected President as he visits our country. 'As First Minister it is my responsibility to advance our interests, raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza, and ensure Scotland's voice is heard at the highest levels of government across the world. 'That is exactly what I will do when I meet with President Trump during his time in Scotland.' Mr Swinney said Scotland is a 'proud democratic nation' that 'stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world'. Ahead of the expected protests, he said people had a right to 'peaceful demonstration', adding that 'everyone has the democratic right to protect and express their views in a peaceful, and democratic manner'. 'That is right and proper,' he added. 'I am confident the vast majority of people protesting will do Scotland proud and demonstrate as they should - peacefully and lawfully. 'I am also confident that Scotland's police service can handle the challenge of keeping all our communities safe and, as they must, in maintaining the appropriate security any US President requires. 'This weekend is a landmark moment in our relationship with the United States, and I am certain it will be remembered for Scotland showing the world the very best of itself.' Former prime minister Liz Truss was spotted at Turnberry yesterday, but it is not known whether she will meet the President. Although Mr Trump is in the UK on a private visit, he will face calls from both sides of the border to cut his punishing tariffs on whisky and other exports. Whisky chiefs are desperate for the President to reduce or scrap the 10 per cent duty imposed on exports of malts and blends to the US. The Prime Minister is also expected to raise the issue during planned talks on Monday. Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: 'The President's visit to Scotland is a timely opportunity to highlight the enduringly positive relationship that has lasted between Scotland and the United States for centuries. 'Scotch whisky and US whiskey embody that close and abiding relationship... and both have flourished under zero-tariff access to UK and US markets for over thirty years.' He added: 'The visit is a critical moment for the UK Government to re-engage in discussions to remove the tariffs on Scotch whisky in the industry's largest global market.' A history of America's golfers-in-chief Family financial interests aside, Donald Trump isn't the first sitting US president to golf in Scotland. That was Dwight D Eisenhower, who played in Turnberry in 1959. George W. Bush visited the famed course at Gleneagles in 2005 but didn't play. Many historians trace golf back to Scotland in the Middle Ages. Among the earliest known references to game was a Scottish Parliament resolution in 1457 that tried to ban it, along with football, because of fears both were distracting men from practising archery - then considered vital to national defence. The first US president to golf regularly was William Howard Taft, who served from 1909 to 1913 and ignored warnings from his predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt, that playing too much would make it seem like he wasn't working hard enough. Woodrow Wilson played nearly every day but Sundays, and even had the Secret Service paint his golf balls red so he could practice in the snow, according to Mike Trostel, director of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Warren G Harding trained his dog Laddie Boy to fetch golf balls while he practiced. Lyndon B. Johnson's swing was sometimes described as looking like a man trying to kill a rattlesnake. Bill Clinton, who liked to joke that he was the only president whose game improved while in office, restored a putting green on the White House's South Lawn. It was originally installed by Eisenhower, who was such an avid user that he left cleat marks in the wooden floors of the Oval Office by the door leading out to it. Mr Bush stopped golfing after the start of the Iraq war in 2003 because of the optics. Barack Obama had a golf simulator installed in the White House that Mr Trump upgraded during his first term, Mr Trostel said. John F Kennedy largely hid his love of the game as president, but he played on Harvard's golf team and nearly made a hole-in-one at California's renowned Cypress Point Golf Club just before the 1960 Democratic National Convention. 'I'd say, between President Trump and President John F Kennedy, those are two of the most skilled golfers we've had in the White House,' Mr Trostel said. Mr Trostel said Mr Trump has a handicap index - how many strokes above par a golfer is likely to score - of a very strong 2.5. However, he has not posted an official round with the US Golf Association since 2021. That's better than Joe Biden's handicap of 6.7, which also might be outdated, and Mr Obama, who once described his own handicap as an 'honest 13.' The White House described Mr Trump as a championship-level golfer but said he plays with no handicap. Mr Trump is also expected to hold talks with Mr Swinney, who previously called for his official state visit to be cancelled. The First Minister was urged to hold constructive talks and put an end to 'petty posturing' which could threaten jobs and investment. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: 'The success of President Trump's visit to Scotland must not be jeopardised by John Swinney indulging in the SNP's usual petty posturing which we have seen so often.' Mr Swinney previously backed Mr Trump's rival in the Presidential contest, Kamala Harris – and voted in favour of a motion in 2019 calling for the withdrawal of an offer of a state visit to the UK during Mr Trump's first term. But yesterday he said the UK Government has a 'duty' to make sure it is 'welcoming foreign dignitaries to Scotland in the right way, particularly one that is our closest and nearest ally both economically and in defence and security'. He said it was 'in the national interest to work as closely as possible with the United States' and that it was right that he is welcomed when he arrives. Six years ago, Mr Murray backed a motion tabled by Labour's Stephen Doughty in the House of Commons which called on then Prime Minister Theresa May to rescind the offer of an official state visit to Mr Trump. The motion said the House 'deplored' Mr Trump's 'misogynism, racism and xenophobia', among other criticisms of his time in office. Asked what has changed, Mr Murray said: 'What's changed is that it is really important for both countries to work together. Governments have to work together very closely. 'Given the US is our closest ally, given we have just done a trade agreement with them to remove tariffs for the benefit of UK and Scottish businesses, and given global events at the moment, it is really, really important for these historic ties to work together with our closest allies, and that is what we are intending to do. 'The important thing is that what has changed is the basis of us being able to work together with our allies. Being in government gives us the responsibility to do that.' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called the Scotland swing a 'working trip'. But she added that Mr Trump 'has built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport'. The trip to Scotland puts physical distance between Mr Trump and the latest twists in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier accused of sex trafficking who died in prison in 2019 before facing trial. In his heyday, Mr Epstein was friends with Mr Trump and others in the New York jet-set, but the President is now facing backlash from his own MAGA supporters who demand access to the Epstein case files. The Wall Street Journal, which published an article detailing longstanding links between Mr Trump and the sex offender, is being punished by the White House. Its reporting staff plans to travel to Scotland on its own and join the White House press pool. But it has now been denied a seat on Air Force One for the flight back home. Mr Trump is expected to return to the UK in September for a state visit - his second - at the invitation of King Charles III.
ITV News
9 minutes ago
- ITV News
Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit
Donald Trump will arrive in Scotland later on Friday, on his first visit to the UK since his re-election. The US president will be met by both political leaders and protests during the visit, which is expected to last five days, and will see him inaugurate a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. The trip comes two months before the King is due to welcome Trump for a formal state visit to the UK. The Trump administration continues to deal with turmoil on the home front, as the president struggles to salvage his reputation with voters amid reports around his friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. But Trump's visit to his ancestral home will hardly provide an escape from controversy. The visit has faced criticism from both political opponents and local residents, and will see a significant police operation across Scotland. Why is Trump visiting Scotland? Trump is expected to visit his Turnberry golf resort, as well as his course at Menie in Aberdeenshire. His trip also comes as a new golf course is about to debut on August 13, which the Trump family business has billed "the greatest 36 holes in golf." Trump is dedicating the new course to his Scottish-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who grew up on the Isle of Lewis. But Trump's existing Aberdeenshire course has been mired in controversy in recent years, after it struggled to turn a profit, and was found by Scottish conservation authorities to have partially destroyed nearby sand dunes. Trump's company was also ordered to cover the Scottish government's legal costs after the course unsuccessfully sued over the construction of a nearby wind farm, arguing in part that it damaged golfers' views. Critics also argue the trip - which is expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars - is a blatant example of Trump blending his presidential duties with promoting his family's business interests. The White House has brushed off questions about potential conflicts of interest, arguing that Trump's business success before he entered politics was key to his appeal with voters. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called his visit "a working trip", but added that Trump has "built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport." Who will Trump meet during his visit? The president will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his stay, when the pair are expected to discuss the UK-US trade deal. Trump said the meeting would likely take place at one of his properties. He will also meet with Scottish First Minister John Swinney. The SNP leader previously said he would take the opportunity to raise various issues with the president, including tariffs, Gaza, and Ukraine. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides the opportunity to promote Scotland's tourism sector and economic investment potential, as well as to allow people to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice. "Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries," he said ahead of the visit. "The partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links - including, of course, with the president himself." The first minister said Scotland is a "proud democratic nation" that "stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world." Swinney has been vocally critical of the US president in the past, and openly endorsed Trump's political opponent Kamala Harris before last year's election - a move branded an "insult" by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. John Swinney has argued that it is "in Scotland's interest" for him to meet the president, and for the visit to go ahead. But some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. Thousands of officers are expected to be deployed by Police Scotland, who will deal with planned mass protests around Trump's golf courses and major Scottish cities. Trade unions, disability rights activists, climate justice campaigners, Palestinian and Ukrainian solidarity groups and American diaspora organisations are among those holding demonstrations in protest of the visit. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The people of Scotland don't want to roll out a welcome mat for Donald Trump, whose government is accelerating the spread of climate breakdown around the world." They also said that people in Scotland "simply wanted to live in peace near what is now [Trump's] vanity project golf course", and have "experienced Trump's abusive and high-handed behaviour first-hand, long before he entered the White House." Protests are planned in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dumfries. During Trump's visit to Scotland in 2018, similar gatherings drew thousands of protestors.
The National
42 minutes ago
- The National
France to recognise Palestine as UK to hold 'emergency talks'
The Prime Minister is set to hold "emergency talks" with France, Germany and Italy on Friday over Israel's starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. The announcement came just hours before French president Emmanuel Macron said France would officially recognise Palestine as a state in September, following months of speculation. READ MORE: LIVE: Latest updates as Donald Trump set to arrive in Scotland In a statement on Twitter/X, Macron said: "Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. "I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September. Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025 "The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population. Peace is possible." Macron called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and "massive humanitarian aid" for the people of Gaza, as well as the demilitarisation of Hamas and a move to secure and rebuild Gaza. The French president added: "And finally, we must build the State of Palestine, guarantee its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the region. "There is no alternative." Starmer has faced mounting pressure to immediately recognise Palestine as a state, including from his own cabinet. In his statement on Thursday evening, the Prime Minister did not appear to suggest such a move would be imminent. While he recognised "that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people", Starmer said that it was a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which would "put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state". READ MORE: 'Landmark moment': John Swinney speaks out ahead of Donald Trump visit He said: "The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe. "I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace. We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay." Keir Starmer The Prime Minister continued: "It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages. We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this. "We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis."
