TRUMP’S HOSPITALITY – GREENS PRESS SWINNEY TO ANSWER

On the 3rd of December, the day before the decision by Ministers to call in Donald Trump’s planning application, John Swinney, the Minister responsible, attended the Americas Regional Globalscot Conference, at which the Trump Organisation provided hospitality. This hospitality ironically included a game of golf at Trump’s Westchester course, believed to be the model for the Aberdeenshire proposals. (1)

Scottish Ministers of all parties have an appalling track record over this project. Last year Jack McConnell, the then First Minister, met Donald Trump to discuss the project, in direct contravention of Section 6 of the Ministerial Code. (2)

The Greens are today writing to Mr Swinney to ask him two key questions:

1. During this conference, did he or any other government representative take any hospitality paid for by the Trump Organisation, or meet any of its representatives?
2. Have any Scottish Ministers or any other government representatives ever taken hospitality paid for by the Trump Organisation?

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“It is at least odd that this application was called in by John Swinney the very day after he spoke at an event where the entertainment included a complementary game of golf at Mr Trump’s expense. It would be hard to believe Mr Swinney would have been so foolish as to have discussed this application over a game of golf, but he certainly must explain whether or not he took any of Mr Trump’s hospitality or had any meetings about the application with anyone from the Trump organisation.

“Like their Labour and Liberal predecessors, this SNP administration have bent over backwards to support Trump’s proposals, and bent the rules in the process. The only solution to this whole sorry saga is a full public inquiry, and as of today we are now urging Ministers to accept that. We must have a fair and open decision, based on an impartial process: anything less will smell of backroom deals and inappropriate influence.”

For more information contact 0790 99 33 074

Notes:

1. The golf provided by the Trump Organisation at this conference is discussed in this article:
http://business.scotsman.com/media.cfm?id=1815462007

It states: “Delegates at the conference will also partake of hospitality at Donald Trump’s Westchester NY golf resort, which can be taken as a model of the likely-to-be-approved Scottish version that Jack takes some of the credit for prospectively securing on a 1,400-acre stretch of dunes at Balmedie Beach on Menie Estate near Aberdeen.”

2. Green comment at the time and further information about this incident is available here: http://tinyurl.com/2pzrt8

HARVIE PRESSES PARLIAMENT TO TAKE A TOUGHER LINE ON PERSONAL DATA

The Scottish Parliament today debated a Liberal Democrat motion opposing ID cards, and also a amendment from Green MSP Patrick Harvie designed to bring Scottish Government policy into line with the eight fundamental principles of data protection. (1) Greens argue that this move is a vital one for the Scottish Government to adopt, especially given the recent massive Government failures to keep the public’s data safe.

In 2005 the Scottish Parliament backed a Green motion opposing ID cards, despite the decision of the Liberal Democrats to abstain on that occasion. Green MSPs will today support the Liberal Democrat motion. (2)

The Green amendment also calls on Parliament to ensure that these principles apply to the so-called Scottish Citizen Accounts, which currently just provide free bus travel, but which Greens warn must not evolve into a Scottish ID card scheme.

On the ID card scheme, Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“Compulsory ID cards are symbolic of the slow but relentless erosion of civil liberties which has taken place under the Labour government at Westminster. But beyond the cards themselves, many campaigners have long argued – and I agree – that the real threat comes from the National Identity Register, the database which underpins the system. This project is a disaster waiting to happen, with an astonishing price tag attached.”

On the data protection issue Patrick added:

“It’s clear from the child benefit data fiasco and other similar incidents that there have been widespread failures to adhere to several of the key data protection principles. These failures have meant that each incident has been much more severe and damaging than it might have been, and Ministers must ensure that, whatever happens at Westminster, Scotland must get its house in order.”

For more information contact 0790 99 33 074

Notes:

1. Patrick Harvie MSP’s amendment is as follows: Civil Liberties—As an amendment to motion (S3M-1017) in the name of Margaret Smith, leave out from “are secure” to “accountable to the Parliament” and insert “comply with the principles of data protection, namely that personal information must be fairly and lawfully processed, processed for limited purposes, adequate, relevant and not excessive, accurate and up to date, not kept for longer than necessary, processed in line with individuals’ rights, secure and not transmitted to other countries without adequate protection, and that audit of data under its jurisdiction is independent of government and accountable to the Parliament; further calls on the Scottish Government to review plans for Scottish Citizens Accounts on the basis of these principles”.

2. On Thursday February 24, 2005, Parliament voted 52 to 47 in favour of a Green motion opposing ID cards – the Liberal Democrats abstained on that occasion.