Scottish party leaders accused of going 'too far' to make peace with Donald Trump
The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has accused his political opponents of going "too far" in seeking to make peace with Donald Trump.
Alex Cole-Hamilton said Labour, the SNP and the Tories had sacrificed their public concerns "on the altar of diplomatic protocol".
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He said a Trump presidency could bring "huge threats" such as damaging tariffs on Scotland’s lucrative whisky industry.
"I am concerned that Labour, the SNP and, of course, the Conservatives seem to have abandoned any concerns, or any public concern, about Trump's personality, his behaviour as an individual, which has been appalling in large aspects of his life,” Mr Cole-Hamilton told The Scotsman. "They've abandoned those public concerns on the altar of diplomatic protocol. I think they've gone too far.”


Mr Cole-Hamilton, who travelled to Pennsylvania to campaign for Kamala Harris ahead of the US election, praised comments made by UK Lib Dem leader Ed Davey.
"I think there's still space, as I'm pleased that Ed Davey has done, to say 'listen, we're not going to pretend that we like this person, we're not going to pretend that he represents any of the values that we stand for, but we recognise that he has been democratically elected and we have to deal with him, and the relationship between our two countries will endure that',” he said. "But it doesn't mean we just cash in and say all is forgiven, all is forgotten.”
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Hide AdThe Scottish Lib Dem leader, who was speaking ahead of his party’s autumn conference in Perth this weekend, said a second Trump presidency posed a threat to the climate agenda and world stability.
Mr Trump previously visited Scotland as president, playing golf at his Turnberry resort on the west coast of Scotland. There has been speculation he will again head north during any future UK visit.
Asked if the Scottish Government and First Minister John Swinney should welcome him, Mr Cole-Hamilton said: "I think there's a distinction there between the diplomatic protocols for visiting heads of state - and we have to maintain our relationship with America, absolutely - but there doesn't necessarily need to be a show of false diplomatic nicety.”
Last week, Mr Swinney warned Mr Trump’s victory in the US election could hit Scottish jobs.
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