...and this time he's getting people arrested!
Two documentary film-makers were arrested on the site of Donald Trumps's Aberdeenshire golf resort, after the Trump organisation accused them of entering their offices and filming documents without permission. The journalists were were investigating complaints that Trump's contractor's "accidentally" cut off the water supply to local residents, including Trump's nemesis Michael Forbes.
Award-winning journalists Anthony Baxter and Richard Phinney were arrested whilst interviewing Susie Munro, a resident of the area who objects to the development of Trumps' new resort. When they refused to stop filming, the police took their camera and handcuffed Baxter. Having been arrested for breach of the peace, the journalists were held for four hours and even had their DNA put on record! Their cameras were also held for five days, preventing them from filming.
"This is a blatant example of police interference aimed at stopping bona fide journalists from doing their job." said Paul Holleran, Scottish representative of the National Union of Journalists, "Their footage shows they were asking very pertinent questions in a mannerly fashion as befits professional journalists."
The Trump organisation claims the journalists were "photographing confidential documents" - something Baxter claims certainly isn't true. "We've the footage to prove it" he has said, "We were legitimately carrying out an interview with a member of Mr Trump's workforce at the site and he participated in that interview, freely exchanging information, over a period of time."
Aberdeenshire council has approved the latest stage of development for Donald Trump’s super-resort near Balmedie, meaning construction could start within a month. Trump himself has declared the course would be open within 18 months, which seems exceptionally ambitious – even for him!
Of course, Trump will still have to overcome the mighty Michael Forbes, who is still refusing to sell his farm to the Trump project. So far, even millionaire lawyers have failed to get any compulsory purchase orders bought upon Forbes, who has responded to their threats by spray painting his own buildings with anti-Trump slogans!
Conveniently however, the last couple of months have seen the passing of a new Scottish law, which allows the council to serve maintenance orders on homes and gardens, meaning Forbes will have to tidy up what Trump refers to as his “dump” of a property; “It is a pig sty. It's terrible, his barn is all rusty and falling down. The hotel has the chance to be something really outstanding but it's awfully hard when a window is overlooking a slum and you see rusting oil cans."
Perhaps Trump should consider that might be the effect Forbes is going for, after all the abuse he has received from the billionaire. Any way of being a thorn in Trump’s side seems like the kind of action Forbes will continue to take.
It's been a while since we've had an update on Donald Trump's exploits in Aberdeenshire, so here's the latest news. You know, just in case you were in a good mood and wanted something to make you angry...
A two-day exhibition has taken place at the Udny Arms Hotel in Newburgh, displaying the masterplans for Donald Trump's billion-pound golf resort to the public. In my opinion, this is madness! Does he not know any British history? Has he not heard of William Wallace and Guy Fawkes? Combine the Scottish pride of one with the devious underground plotting of the other and the last thing you should do is show them the blueprints for a highly controversial building, set to devastate Scottish lives!
Unsurprisingly, the exhibition was met was fury, especially from the Tripping Up Trump campaign group, determined to support the families whose homes Trump plans to claim. One local home owner, David Milne, was actually told to "clear off" by project director Neil Hobday, which is a curious way to go about attempting to gain support for the project...
As many of you will know, families living on land wanted by the Trump Organisation are facing losing their properties under compulsory purchase order, should Aberdeenshire Council give the plans the go-ahead later on this year. Donald Trump considers this to be “another significant step towards our goal of building the world's greatest golf course and resort”, but that’s because he’s a selfish goon.
I'm sure all regular readers will know about Donald Trump's leviathon golf resort he is preparing to build in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. I'm sure you will also remember the amount of opposition he has come up against; from environmentalists to simple mentalists - Donald Trump has attracted a furious response from the people whose houses and homes he is destroying for the sake of his new golf course.
Nevertheless, as most billionaires seem to be able to do, Donald Trump has beaten them all and is going ahead with the course. The only thing left in his way is a tiny piece of land - half an acre of ex-car park - which he doesn't yet own. Now, normally this would result in some kind of bidding war, whereby lots of people would attempt to drive-up the price that billionaire Trump has to pay for the land. They might even succeed in buying it, just to sell it to Trump at an even higher price! Alternatively, somebody could out-bid Trump, take the land and not sell it to him - messing up his plans and making themselves a hero in the process.
Sadly, however, Aberdeenshire Council have granted Donald Trump 'special purchaser' status - meaning he is the only one allowed to bid for the land. So instead of there being a fair bid on the open market, Trump has been allowed to bid for the land privately, due to the "local economic benefits" the golf resort will bring. To you and I, this translates as "the free membership and executive suites that have been offered to members of the council".
It's yet another sad day for Scottish golf.
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