Richard Leonard vows to oppose a Donald Trump state visit to Scotland

SCOTTISH Labour leadership hopeful Richard Leonard has pledged to oppose any state visit to Scotland by Donald Trump.

Mr Leonard said that with him at the helm the party, he would work to “ensure huge opposition and protests” to any such visit by the US President.

Mr Trump’s controversial state visit to the UK is not expected to take place until 2018 after it was conspicuously absent from the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament in June.

There had been speculation the President would visit Scotland, where he owns golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, when in the UK.

Mr Leonard pledged that if elected leader, he would ensure Scottish Labour was at the forefront of opposition to the visit.
He said: “My vision is for Scotland to be a country working for peace and co-operation in the world – a beacon in the age of Trump.

“When a Trump state visit to the UK was first proposed earlier this year, reports suggested that he will head to Scotland.

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“Under my leadership, Scottish Labour – working with trade unions and other campaigning organisations – would be at forefront of opposing a state visit by Donald Trump to Scotland – and we would ensure huge opposition and protests to it.

“There is never going to be a good time for a Trump visit. From his disgraceful equating of Nazis with anti-fascist campaigners in Charlottesville, to his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump has provided endless reasons for being denied any kind of welcome in Scotland.”

The Central Scotland MSP is running against Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar for the top job.

Mr Sarwar set out a series of policy pledges targeted at young people, including a £12 million extension of the free bus pass to 16 to 18-year-olds funded by income tax rises.

He said that under his leadership, Labour would seek to double the number of digital jobs in Scotland to 200,000 by 2025, encourage councils to create local mortgage schemes to help young people own a home, ensure every school has a counsellor, ban zero hours contracts and support permanent UK membership of the European single market.

Mr Sarwar said: “We have suffered a lost decade under the SNP, obsessed only with independence, and a cruel Tory UK government that continues with its failed austerity programme.

“Too many young people have been left behind. We simply can’t afford another lost decade, which is why we need a Labour government.

“As leader I will introduce a range of radical new policies, including the extension of Labour’s free bus pass to 16 to 18-year-olds to help young people travel to school, college, university or their first job.”