Alex Salmond has come under fresh criticism for his handling of the arrest of 'Trump golf course' film maker Anthony Baxter, having made some untrue statements.
SNP leader Alex Salmond has been accused, once again, of giving misleading statements, this time involving the arrest of film maker Anthony Baxter – who dared to make a film about Salmond’s friend (and anti-Obama conspiracy theorist) Donald Trump.
Left Foot Forward has previously reported on Baxter’s documentary, ‘You’ve Been Trumped’, detailing how the film maker and his cameraman were arrested by Grampian Police.
Salmond claimed the film maker believed “the matter was closed” and hadn’t made a complaint against the police.
Anthony Baxter flatly denies the first minister’s claims, stating:
“Mr Salmond has made no effort to hear our side of the events and instead repeats statements put forward by the Grampian Police as if they are factual. He says we were arrested because it was ‘alleged they had committed a crime’. What he does not say is that the only person who made the allegation was an employee of the Trump Organisation.”
This comes off the back of controversy over the arrests that have already occurred, with questions being asked about the impartiality of the behaviour of the Grampian Police and their dealings with regards to Trump and his property.
Grampian Police force has since apologised but refutes any suggestions of abandoning impartiality in the detaining of Baxter.
All this is set against a very worrying context for Salmond – he has recently had to apologise for the use of misleading statistics with regards to wind farms, which he come under sustained criticism for, and came under attack over the issue of an independent Scotland’s membership of the EU.
Aside from the effect this will have upon Salmond’s public image, it also puts renewed focus upon the relationship Salmond has with Trump, who was recently seen on Twitter collapsing in on himself in fury at President Obama’s re-election.
In a crucial period for Salmond it must be a worry for the independence campaign that he continues to be connected with the likes of Trump and Murdoch. Who’s next?
7 Responses to ““Grossly distorting the facts” – Salmond, Trump and yet more misleading statements”
Peter A Bell
Relying on the unionist media as a source is not wise. Doing so without reading the article thoroughly is downright foolish. The pertinent facts which show the remainder of the piece to be a wilful misrepresentation are in the final paragraph.
“A spokeswoman for Mr Salmond’s constituency office refuted the claims. She said: Following the broadcast of ‘You’ve Been Trumped’ in October Mr Salmond, as local MSP, wrote to Grampian Police seeking an explanation around the suggestion in the film that officers had acted in a partial and unacceptable manner. The Chief Constable responded and Mr Salmond has shared this reply with people who wrote to him. Mr Baxter, wrongly, presents the views of Grampian Police as a statement from Mr Salmond, which it is not.””
John Ruddy
So when are we going to hear Salmond’s views? He’s had a good couple of years now to work out what to say. Maybe he’s just afraid of upsetting The Donald and his big business chums…
Anyone who saw the way that the Trump organisation could use Grampian Police as their own private security firm must be very concerned about the way it conducts business, and the way the police force in North East Scotland operates. But Mr Salmond seems unwilling to ask the tough questions – why is that? He even went out of his way to avoid seeing the film itself!!
Peter A Bell
Unfortunately, far too many people are solely interested in using this issue as a stick with which to beat the SNP and are only marginally interested, if at all, in bringing either Trump or Grampian Police to account. Such is the shameful nature of British nationalism, I’m afraid. And so long as people insist on hijacking the issue for their own partisan purposes I see little chance of anything being done at all.
John Ruddy
If only the SNP could manage to stop giving people sticks to beat them with, it might be a little less tempting. Salmond has created an open goal on this. You cant blame everyone else for wanting to score.
And I dont think the film maker is politically motivated. And the locals who were being abused by Trump were SNP voters – who have said they wont be voting for Salmond again…. so its not just “British nationalists” who are agitating. Its ordinary Scots who are fed up of their needs and wants coming second to a big shot American businessman, and would like someone to stand up to him.
franwhi
Always playing the man. Labour hatred of Salmond reminds me of the impartiality and vitriol of the American GOP towards Obama. What’s next headline – Alec Salmond lied about being a Scot