Tory letter claiming warm welcome awaits Donald Trump is laughable says Harvie
Donald Trump should be met in Scotland with a level protest “not seen since the Iraq War”, Patrick Harvie has said in response to a letter from prominent Conservative and far-right groups urging the US President to travel to Scotland as an alternative to London for his state visit this summer.
Green MSP Patrick Harvie also says the grovelling letter will be an embarrassment for Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson because of its claim of “looking forward to the visit” of Trump who they say they “admire” because of his “transformative effect” on the United States.
Harvie, the Scottish Greens’ co-convener, said:
“If this group of Tories think coming to Scotland will avoid the level of opposition Trump would receive in London, they frankly misunderstand Scotland’s long history of opposing racism, sexism and bigotry. The Scottish Greens, joined by many others, will ensure that any Trump visit here is met with a level of protest not seen since the Iraq war. We will send a clear message that his pathetic brand of hatred is not welcome here.
“It’s no surprise to see the 'Freedom Association', which was a prominent opponent of the anti-apartheid movement, offer its support to a President who has put white supremacists closer to power than they have been for decades. This letter is sycophantic and grovelling, and its claim from prominent Conservative groups that many within the party ‘support’ Trump’s leadership and ‘admire’ and ‘respect’ a man who has boasted about sexually assaulting women should be a major embarrassment to the Tories in Scotland. Ruth Davidson should immediately distance herself and her party from these apologists for the dangerous extremism of the Trump presidency.
“Meanwhile Greens and many others will prepare to take to the streets to protest the visit of this odious man.”