GREENS DEMAND NICOLA STURGEON TO CUT PRESTWICK AIRPORT TIES WITH TRUMP
Patrick Harvie, Glasgow MSP and Scottish Green Party co-convenor, has today questioned the First Minister over sustained business links between the publicly owned Glasgow Prestwick airport and the widely condemned US Presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
Last week, reports revealed that officials at the Glasgow Prestwick Airport and executives of Trump Organization have explored working together to win business and promote the “integration” of their operations.
In 2014, The Prestwick Airport and Trump Organization issued a joint press statement, describing their relations as an "official partnership" and a "strategic alliance". Freedom of Information research has revealed that the airport and Trump's business are once again in discussions. Prestwick airport refused to reveal the exact content of these discussions, however.
Patrick Harvie urged the Scottish Government to shed light on Prestwick's dealings with Trump, after prominent SNP members called for the presidential candidate to be banned from Scotland as a response to his racist remarks about Muslims. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also responded to Trump's racist remarks by withdrawing his 'Global Scot' status, after repeated calls from the Greens.
Harvie argued that the symbolic gestures to condemn Trump's racist and abusive rhetoric carried little weight if Scotland continued to add to the businessman's wealth behind closed doors.
The troubled Prestwick airport was bought by the Scottish Government in 2003 for £1. Last year, the airport made a loss of £4.1m.
Patrick Harvie said:
"Donald Trump was an arrogant and racist bully long before to took his toxic rhetoric into the US Presidential race, and I had thought that the Scottish Government already regrets courting his business. But it’s not enough to condemn his rhetoric while still sitting down to do business with him.
"The Scottish Government cannot simply claim that Prestwick is operating like any other business. It is publicly owned, and the Scottish Government has a moral responsibility to end its links with a dangerous extremist like Donald Trump. I don’t believe that the Scottish people want to associate with this man, and we should be able to expect the Government to ensure that Prestwick cuts all ties with Trump immediately."