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Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Trump's Scotland visit will be biggest police op since Queen's funeral
The President of the United States of America is expected to fly into Scotland on Friday for a visit lasting four days. Protests are expected but police do not know where or by how many people yet. READ NEXT: Police prepared for Glasgow protests during Donald Trumps visit to Scotland President Trump is expected to visit his golf resort in Aberdeenshire and possibly Turnberry in Ayrshire. As well as the locations he will visit, police are planning for the possibility of large protests in cities including Glasgow. ACC Emma Bond, Gold Commander for the operation, was asked if it was the biggest operation since the Queen's funeral in 2022. She said: 'I think it probably is.' (Image: Colin Mearns) The officer said she has been focused on delivery but said it was a significant operation involving officers from across the UK. READ NEXT: Irish republican march to go ahead in Glasgow next month ACC Bond was not prepared to go into the exact number of officers or the cost of policing the visit. She said: 'It is a large-scale complex operation. 'We will use a combination of local officers, officers from our national divisions, we are also making use of our special constables as part of our deployments and for some of the specialisms we have also asked for support from wider UK policing colleagues. 'The key is to make sure the President of the United States can come and enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure that Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the communities in Scotland over the period of his visit.' Operation Unicorn, the Scottish element to the Queen's funeral was deployed because she died at Balmoral, cost more than £15m and 15,000 officers were deployed in the days between the late Queen's death and the funeral, which involved events in Scotland. She said there are multiple venues factored into the policing plan. ACC Bond added: 'This will become a significant cost and we are working with Scottish and UK Government colleagues.' 'Specifics of the schedule are for the White House to determine. I'm confident we have a plan in place to balance peaceful protest and manage disruption to the wider public.'
The Herald Scotland
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Police braced for Trump visit with 5,000 officers deployed
Officers face cancelled rest days, extended shifts and deployment across multiple sites. David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told the Sunday Mail: 'It's a recipe for disaster. We don't have enough cops. 'President Trump is a magnet to certain groups. There will be protests. And just because the President is in one place doesn't mean that's where the protests will take place. 'With this event, it is survival mode. That's the mentality that will set in.' He added: 'We'll survive but we shouldn't have to just survive. They will need plenty of help from the UK. 'All this costs money and Police Scotland's budget is already bust. Everybody working longer hours and days has a knock-on effect for months, if not years.' READ MORE: David Threadgold, the Federation's chair, told Scotland on Sunday the service would need to ask for help from other forces: 'This is a huge policing event for Scotland and we will require mutual aid because of the huge demand on my colleagues. 'Very few, if any, cops will not be impacted by next week's visit and beyond. 'I suppose the natural comparison in terms of scale is previous presidential visits and COP26. 'We are talking about bespoke workforce plans because although this is a well-established workforce, we are cognisant we cannot deliver this without impacting on individual officers across the country. 'What that means in simple terms is some may be required to work 12-hour shifts, for example, which normally wouldn't happen. 'That is the type of change cops will see during this event. 'We also need to consider how officers will eat and drink and rest during this policing, which will be a challenge.' He added: 'This is already a difficult time for Police Scotland as they are trying to organise and deliver this at short notice during a period of high annual leave.' Police Scotland is expected to deploy around 5,000 officers — nearly a third of its current headcount of 16,500. The overall bill for the visit could exceed £5 million. Trump's 2018 presidential visit triggered a UK-wide policing bill of £18m and a cost-sharing row between Holyrood and Westminster. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond told Scotland on Sunday, Police Scotland would deploy local, national and specialist resources to 'maintain public safety, balance rights to peaceful protest and minimise disruption'. 'We are not going to be telling officers they cannot go on holiday, but those who ask for time off at short notice are very unlikely to get it. 'Operation Roll is a very high demand event but we will continue to deliver community policing. 'Inevitably there will be an impact on our ability to do that, but the public should be reassured that emergencies will still be responded to — there just might be an impact on service delivery. 'There are so many people committed to this event but the [[pub]]lic should be confident that we are excellent at what we do, and our experience of policing things like Operation Unicorn and the Commonwealth Games shows we can deliver.' The Civil Aviation Authority has imposed strict flying restrictions around the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. Until Saturday August 10, drones, kites, paramotors and parachutes are banned from flying below 1,000 feet within a one-mile radius of the site. Meanwhile, Patrick Harvie, the outgoing co-leader of the Scottish Greens, told the Sunday Post, the trip needed to be protested. He said: 'Donald Trump is a convicted criminal and extremist who works to undermine democracy and human rights at home and around the world. 'You should not and cannot appease someone like this. Nobody should be lending this increasingly fascist political project any credibility on the international stage. It must be opposed at every turn. 'Scotland has already made it amply clear that he isn't welcome here. And when he arrives in the coming weeks, Scotland will stand on the right side of history and make it amply clear once more.' The Stop Trump Coalition has organised a 'festival of resistance' in Aberdeen on Saturday. During his 2018 visit, tens of thousands take to the streets in Glasgow, Edinburgh and [[Aberdeen]]. During that trip, a paraglider flew over Trump's Turnberry resort carrying a banner that read 'Trump: well below par'. Police later said the stunt had placed the individual in 'grave danger' due to the presence of armed officers protecting the president. READ MORE Business leaders have urged ministers to use the visit to boost trade links with the US. Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, told The Sunday Post the visit was an opportunity: "This is about investment, exports and jobs, not politics. "Scotland's exports, from whisky and salmon to renewables and fintech, are world class. The US is a key market, and now's the time to reinforce our value. "We should be pushing for better trade terms, fewer barriers, and stronger commercial partnerships. This is about delivering real economic impact." Guy Hinks, chair of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, said nearly 60% of Scottish exporters trade with the US, making it the most important market outside the EU. 'Scotland should be making the most of every advantage it has,' he said. Mr Trump is expected to take part in the opening ceremony of a new course at his Balmedie resort, named after his Scottish-born mother, Mary Ann MacLeod. The venue will also host two major tournaments in the weeks following his visit — the PGA Seniors Championship beginning Wednesday July 31 and the DP World Tour Next Championship on Wednesday August 7. The visit will include meetings with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in [[Aberdeen]] and First Minister John Swinney. Mr Trump, who last visited Scotland in 2023, is due to return to the UK in September for a state visit, where he will meet King Charles at Windsor Castle. Speaking to the BBC last week, the President described the north-east of Scotland as 'the oil and gas capital of Europe' and called for a return to fossil fuels, saying: 'Get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil.'
Edinburgh Reporter
14-06-2025
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
King's Birthday Honours – council employee with four decades of service honoured
The Lord Provost said he was particularly pleased to note that Frank Donoghue who led the team at the City Chambers until his recent retirement, was one of the recipients in the King's Birthday Honours. Mr Donoghue received the British Empire Medal to recognise his four decades of working with The City of Edinburgh Council, and his role in Operation Unicorn after Her late Majesty died in 2022. The Lord Provost said: 'Congratulations to all those who have been recognised in this year's King's Honours, whose achievements and service to the public have made such an impact. 'Our very own Frank Donoghue is a most deserved recipient. He demonstrated nothing but hard work and dedication to the city during his 44 years in service. From his original role in the then Lothian Regional Council to his retirement last year he went the extra mile to help keep the Council running. 'His varied career has taken in roles in caretaking, support services and building management, and I know that one of his more recent positions, helping to deliver Operation Unicorn following the Queen's passing, was one of his proudest moments. 'A well-loved and loyal colleague throughout his time here, Frank has provided support to councillors, officers and members of the public, and I'm personally grateful for his commitment. Thanks to Frank for his service to the city and congratulations for this well-earned accolade.' Frank Donoghue left at his retirement party with the Lord Provost Like this: Like Related
