Trump wants Scotland to 'thrive' as he hits out at independence

Donald Trump's comments were made during a bi-lateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf resort this afternoon. 

The US President was asked about his views on [[Scottish independence]] by The Herald. 

Earlier today, the First Minister set out his plans for a second independence referendum, stating that if the SNP win a majority of seats at Holyrood next year this would give them the mandate to call for another referendum. 

Asked about this by The Herald's Political Editor Andrew Learmonth, Mr Trump said he did not want to “get involved” in British domestic politics, however, he said he “predicted what was going to happen” in 2014. 

“I like to be correct but I made a correct prediction," he told the paper. 

The US president also referred to the suggestion that such a referendum could only take place once in a generation, adding: “There was a little bit of a restriction, like 50 or 75 years, before you could take another vote because, you know, a country can’t go through that too much.”

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Later today, Mr Trump will meet Scotland's First Minister John Swinney in Aberdeen. 

Mr Trump said he did not know Mr Swinney, but said: “I hear very good things about him, and I’m meeting him today, so maybe I’ll have a better opinion.”

During his meeting with the President, Sir Keir Starmer insisted Scotland was better off within the UK.

The Prime Minister said: “I think that at a time like this when it’s quite clear that there’s uncertainty and volatility around the world, the strength of the United Kingdom together is very important for all four nations, very important for Scotland, and that should be our priority.”

Mr Swinney “should probably focus more” on delivery in Scotland than constitutional issues, Sir Keir added.

Asked if there was a better deal to be struck for Scotland during negotiations with Mr Starmer, the president said: "I have a great love for Scotland. My mother loved Scotland, she loved the Queen. 

Pointing to the fact his mother, Mary Anne, was born there, he said she would return to her homeland “once a year” for a visit.

He later added: “So yeah, it gives me a feeling, you know it’s different, you go to another country, you have no relationship to it… but it’s different when your mother was born here.”

Pushed again on whether that could mean a different deal for products such as whisky, Mr Trump added: “I was very particular, this is a part of the world I want to see thrive. It’s going to thrive.”

Mr Trump also took aim at off shore wind projects in Scotland, naming them a "disaster" and an "ugly and expensive" form of energy. 

He said: "Wind is a disaster. Wind is the most expensive form of energy and it destroys the beauty of your fields, your plains. 

"When we go to Aberdeen, you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen, the height of a 50 storey building." 

Mr Trump said the preferred route for energy would be oil and gas, as he said "nobody would ever see" the impact of it. 

Ahead of his meeting with Mr Starmer, the US President told journalists they would discuss whisky tariffs. 

Mr Trump did not realise whisky tariffs were a "problem", adding: "We're going to take a look at it." 

Mr Swinney has said he wants to use the opportunity of President Trump’s visit in Scotland to pursue "some of the domestic and international concerns of the people of Scotland.”

Scotland’s First Minister said he will press President Donald Trump to exempt Scotch whisky from US trade tariffs.

Mr Swinney said the “uniqueness” of whisky made in Scotland justified the exemption from the 10% tariff applied on UK exports into the US.

“Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously scotch whisky is a unique product,” he told BBC Good Morning Scotland. 

“It can only be produced in Scotland." he added: "It’s not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there’s a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place.

“Obviously the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whiskey should be exempted from those tariffs.

“The tariffs just now are costing the industry about £4 million each week, so it’s a very significant burden on the industry. It would help growth and development within the Scottish economy if we could secure that deal. And, obviously, I’ll be using every opportunity I have to try to put that across to President Trump.”