Latest news with #Salmond
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Donald Trump vs the Scottish Government: A brief history
The wind farm feud One of Trump's most bitter fights with the [[Scottish Government]] centred on an offshore wind farm proposed near his Aberdeenshire resort. In 2013, he launched a legal battle against plans for 11 turbines, arguing they would ruin the view from his golf course. He then lost a legal challenge over the planned offshore wind farm when it was rejected by the UK Supreme Court. After years of litigation, Trump finally lost his battle against wind turbines in 2019 and was ordered to pay the Scottish Government's legal costs, though the exact sum was never disclosed. Read more: What happened on President Trump's previous Scotland visits? Trump's opposition to wind energy is well-documented. In 2016, he reportedly urged Nigel Farage to campaign against Scottish wind farms, calling them "monstrous," "ugly," and "dangerous'. He even claimed they would "bankrupt Scotland" and destroy tourism. Trump's lobbying against the wind farm included a series of bizarre letters to then-First Minister Alex Salmond, released to the public in 2016. In one, Trump claimed he was trying to "save Scotland". In another, he warned that Salmond would be remembered as "Mad Alex" and that he would fail in the independence referendum if the wind farm project proceeded. Trump alleged that Salmond and former First Minister Jack McConnell had verbally assured him no wind farm would be built near his resort. Donald Trump with former first minister Jack McConnell (Image: PA) "They wanted my money," Trump said. "I was lured into buying the site... then they announced the plan." When Salmond initially supported Trump's golf resort plans, the future president sang a different tune, hailing him as a "great man". Neil Hobday, the project director for Trump's Aberdeen course and who helped broker the controversial deal for the site, claimed the Scottish Government and the country were 'hoodwinked' by Trump's promise of a £1 billion project. Read more: What does Donald Trump own in Scotland? 'He was willing to fight the environmental battle and create this impression that this was a $1bn project and Scotland absolutely needed it. But I think he never really had the money or the intention of finishing it,' Hobday said. Tensions were not relieved from the windfarm debacle whatsoever once Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister, when she stripped Trump of his honorary business ambassador title in 2016 and has directed barbs towards the President ever since. When Sturgeon resigned in 2023, Trump addressed her back, stating 'good riddance' to the 'failed woke extremist'. Environmental damage and stripped protections Trump's [[Aberdeen]]shire golf resort was built on a protected dune system at Menie Estate, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Environmentalists warned that construction would destroy rare habitats and were proven right. By July 2018, the Scottish Natural Heritage agency admitted that the dunes had been "partially destroyed" by construction and use of the course. By 2020, the Scottish Government officially removed the site's protected status, stating the damage meant the dunes "no longer merited special protection". Read more: Why is Donald Trump visiting Scotland – and where is he going? The government acknowledged that Trump International had taken some conservation measures but concluded that "they no longer have sufficient scientific interest to merit special protection". The unexplained wealth order controversy In 2021, a U.S.-based activist group sought a judicial review after the Scottish Government refused to investigate how Trump financed his golf courses in Scotland. The campaigners pushed for an Unexplained Wealth Order into Trump, a legal tool used to scrutinise suspiciously large cash purchases and recover assets, often dubbed a "McMafia order". The effort followed a February 2021 vote in the Scottish Parliament, where lawmakers rejected a similar motion. Despite the petition, the highest civil court dismissed the case. The financing behind Trump's golf courses is an issue that is raised every time the President visits. Last visit, Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur remarked that Trump was playing 'the most expensive rounds of golf in history'.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Sex assault claim against late Alex Salmond is dismissed
Police Scotland said no further action will be taken following a complaint made last year in the wake of the former first minister's death, aged 69. Mr Salmond, who left the Scottish National Party in 2018 and later established the pro-independence Alba Party, suffered a heart attack and died while attending a conference in North Macedonia last October. One month later, the police force said it had received a report of a 'non-recent sexual assault'. It is understood that the case has been closed owing to insufficient evidence. A report was not submitted to the Crown Office. Mr Salmond served as first minister under the SNP from 2007 to 2014 and led the party through the independence referendum. He resigned from the party in 2018 when allegations of sexual misconduct emerged and ultimately set up the Alba Party in 2021. His latter years were, however, dominated by claims and counter-claims about his conduct. In 2019, Mr Salmond successfully sued the Scottish government, led by his former protege Nicola Sturgeon, for its handling of an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment made against him. He was awarded £500,000 (€575,000) after the inquiry was ruled to be 'tainted with apparent bias'. The former first minister was subsequently charged with 13 sexual offences, including attempted rape, but was acquitted on all counts after the 2020 trial. During his evidence to the court, Mr Salmond said he had a 'sleepy cuddle' with one complainer in his official residence. However, he described the claims made about his alleged conduct as 'deliberate fabrications for a political purpose' or 'exaggerations'. Mr Salmond's lawyer told the court the former first minister 'could certainly have been a better man', but had not committed any crimes. An inquiry into the government's handling of complaints against Mr Salmond found Ms Sturgeon had misled MSPs over a meeting with her predecessor in her home in 2018, but cleared her of breaching the ministerial code.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Salmond cleared of historic sexual assault claims as police end probe
Police Scotland are to take 'no further action' over a historic sexual assault allegation levelled at Alex Salmond after his death. The force received a complaint about the former first minister shortly after he suffered a fatal heart attack in North Macedonia in October aged 69. After investigating the report, the police have now cleared the former Alba leader. In a statement, the force said: 'Following a report of a non-recent sexual assault, enquiries were carried out and no further action will be taken.' Mr Salmond, who led the SNP for 20 years and was first minister from 2007 to 2014, was cleared of 13 sexual offence counts at a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2020. Earlier misconduct claims made against him by two female civil servants led to a massive falling out with his protégé Nicola Sturgeon and a split in the Nationalist movement. In 2018, Mr Salmond resigned from the SNP after the claims emerged and challenged a Scottish Government probe into them. His successful judicial review showed the in-house inquiry had been unfair, unlawful and 'tainted by apparent bias', and he was awarded £512,00 in legal costs. He launched Alba on the eve of the 2021 Holyrood election as a pro-independence rival to his old party, but it has remained a political minnow and has yet to have a candidate elected. Alba MSP Ash Regan welcomed Police Scotland's decision. She told the Daily Record: 'Alex Salmond died with his reputation intact as a titan of Scottish politics. Alex can no longer defend himself, yet some remain determined to smear his name. 'It is time to let him rest, grant his wife Moira and his family the closure they deserve and draw a line so his legacy can be remembered with dignity.' Dr Nick McKerrell, a senior law lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, told the paper that investigating alleged crimes by dead people was 'not without precedent'. 'While the police 'obviously have difficulties with the absence of the key participants, there still can be public interest in carrying it out even though there can be no prosecution'.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Alex Salmond cleared of historical sexual assault claim
An allegation of historical sexual assault against the late Alex Salmond has been dismissed after a police investigation. Police Scotland said no further action will be taken following a complaint made last year in the wake of the former first minister's death, aged 69. Mr Salmond, who left the SNP in 2018 and later established the pro-independence Alba Party, suffered a heart attack and died while attending a conference in North Macedonia in October 2024. One month later, the national force said it had received a report of a 'non-recent sexual assault'. It is understood that the case has been closed owing to insufficient evidence. A report was not submitted to the Crown Office. Mr Salmond served as first minister under the SNP from 2007 to 2014 and led the party through the independence referendum. He resigned from the party in 2018 when allegations of sexual misconduct emerged and ultimately set up the Alba Party in 2021. His latter years were, however, dominated by claims and counter claims about his conduct. In 2019, Mr Salmond successfully sued the Scottish government, led by his former protégé Nicola Sturgeon, for its handling of an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment made against him. 'Tainted with bias' He was awarded £500,000 after the inquiry was ruled to be 'tainted with apparent bias'. The former first minister was subsequently charged with 13 sexual offences, including attempted rape, but was acquitted on all counts after the 2020 trial. During his evidence to the court, Mr Salmond said he had a 'sleepy cuddle' with one complainer in his official residence. However, he described the claims made about his alleged conduct as 'deliberate fabrications for a political purpose' or 'exaggerations'. Mr Salmond's lawyer told the court the former first minister 'could certainly have been a better man' but had not committed any crimes. He said that his client had sometimes behaved badly, calling him 'touchy-feely'. A Holyrood inquiry into the government's handling of complaints against Mr Salmond found Ms Sturgeon had misled MSPs over a meeting with her predecessor in her home in 2018, but cleared her of breaching the ministerial code. Following the trial, Mr Salmond repeatedly claimed that many in his former party had colluded against him in an effort to block his return to frontline politics. On Thursday, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Following a report of a non-recent sexual assault, enquiries were carried out and no further action will be taken.'
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Alex Salmond cleared of historic sex assault claim as police end probe after his death
Details of the allegations emerged after Mr Salmond died last October CASE CLOSED Alex Salmond cleared of historic sex assault claim as police end probe after his death Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALEX Salmond has been cleared over a historic sexual assault claim made against him. The late former first minister passed away aged 69 on October 12 last year while attending a conference in North Macedonia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Police have dropped a probe after a sexual assault complaint was made against Alex Salmond Credit: Getty 2 The ex-first minister was cleared in March 2020 after facing 14 charges, mostly of alleged sexual assault Credit: Reuters Following his death, cops received a complaint of an alleged sexual assault. Last November, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we have received a report of a non-recent sexual assault. The information is being assessed.' But following a probe, officers have said that "no further action will be taken". Mr Salmond became embroiled in claims of sexual assault, contributing to a fallout between him and Nicola Sturgeon. In January 2018, the Scottish Government received two internal complaints of alleged sexual misconduct against the former SNP leader. The claims dated back to his time as First Minister, from 2007 until 2014. The allegations led to an internal investigation and two months later, he was told of the complaints and the ongoing probe. In August that year, Mr Salmond refuted the allegations and revealed his plans to launch a judicial review against the Scottish Government over its handling of the complaints process. He also withdrew his long-running membership of the SNP. In January 2019, the Scottish Government admitted that it had breached its own guidelines, with judges ruling its probe into the complaints was "unlawful" and "tainted with apparent bias". Two hikers seriously injured after plunging from cliff at Scots beauty spot Mr Salmond was awarded more than £500,000 in legal expenses but later that month he was arrested and charged. He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where he faced 14 charges, including two counts of alleged attempted rage and nine counts of alleged sexual assault. Mr Salmond denied all the allegations against him and announced he would "defend myself to the utmost". The high-profile trial got underway at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2020. After 11 days, Mr Salmond was cleared as the jury found him not guilty over the 12 sexual assault charges and the other was found not proven. One sexual assault charge was also dropped by the Crown. Following the trial, Mr Salmond and his legal team raised concerns about evidence given under oath, leading to a police and Crown Office probe into potential perjury, which remains ongoing. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Following a report of a non-recent sexual assault, enquiries were carried out and no further action will be taken."
