Trumped?

OrraLoon · Post by **OrraLoon** » 30 Nov 2007, 20:58

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/nor ... 121366.stm

Pesky local democracy! These yokels need to keep meeting till they get it right.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1875962007

And judging by the comments attached to the article in the ?Scotsman? link I?m not entirely sure that support for the plan was quite ?overwhelming?.

There used to be a railway that ran up north from Aberdeen into the Buchan countryside [Before The Oil Rush and the increase in population]. Would be nice if the orange-haired one could cough up some money to help put it back. Might help with things that are really urgent.

syberberg · Post by **syberberg** » 30 Nov 2007, 21:11

I heartily look forward to the day when all golf courses will be put to proper use and returned to productive agricultural land.

littlejimmy · Post by **littlejimmy** » 30 Nov 2007, 21:34

I can't begin to express how happy I am at this decision. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Trump would get his way. Thank GOD. Thank the councillors who turned him down. Are people finally getting it?

eatyourveg · Post by **eatyourveg** » 30 Nov 2007, 22:40

littlejimmy wrote:I can't begin to express how happy I am at this decision. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Trump would get his way. Thank GOD. Thank the councillors who turned him down. Are people finally getting it?

Judging from the comments below the article, no, people aren't getting it. It seems the leader of the council has backbone and principals, most of the posters want the filthy lucre, not that they would ever see any of it the poor sad b*stards.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 01 Dec 2007, 17:29

Most of the posters seem to have forgotten the principles of democracy e.g "It was only a casting vote."

The strings of posts such as these are rarely worth reading.

enso · Post by **enso** » 04 Dec 2007, 23:11

littlejimmy wrote:I can't begin to express how happy I am at this decision. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Trump would get his way....

Looks like the Scottish Government are trying to confirm that it was a foregone conclusion after all

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/nor ... 127760.stm

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 04 Dec 2007, 23:22

Growth before a Fall!

Let's all keep going full pelt until collapse is upon us!

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 05 Dec 2007, 09:19

Calling in this application for further scrutiny should result in a better decision than the one we got from Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure committee," said Nationalist Aberdeen North MSP Brian Adam.

Alex Johnstone, the Tory North-East Scotland MSP, added: "This is absolutely the right decision and I can only hope it is not too late. Last week's decision was, quite simply, the wrong one and does not reflect public opinion

Pah - democracy at work ....

littlejimmy · Post by **littlejimmy** » 05 Dec 2007, 10:39

Vortex wrote:
Calling in this application for further scrutiny should result in a better decision than the one we got from Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure committee," said Nationalist Aberdeen North MSP Brian Adam.

Alex Johnstone, the Tory North-East Scotland MSP, added: "This is absolutely the right decision and I can only hope it is not too late. Last week's decision was, quite simply, the wrong one and does not reflect public opinion
Pah - democracy at work ....

FFS. I feel a dose of forum tourette's coming on again...

Democracy - just another commodity that goes to the highest bidder.

syberberg · Post by **syberberg** » 13 Dec 2007, 20:56

I've just watched C4 News (on C4+1) who have reported that the Lob Dem councilor who used his casting vote as Chair of the committee has been sacked in a vote of "no confidence" because he did not, repeat, did not vote for the Trump development.

Not only that, the site in Ireland that Trump is eyeing is, wait for it, right next to and will border The Giant's Causeway.

Well, that's democracy in a leo-liberal, free market economy for you eh?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 13 Dec 2007, 21:57

BBC News wrote:SNP Trump move 'smells of sleaze'

The Scottish government's involvement in Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf resort plan "smells of sleaze", the Liberal Democrats have claimed.
The accusation came as Aberdeenshire Council confirmed it had terminated a call with the government's chief planner, as Mr Trump's team was there.

Ministers will have the final say on whether the ?1bn proposals for the Menie Estate get the go-ahead.

First Minister Alex Salmond said he had followed the rules "to the letter".

The government decided to "call in" the plans for the Menie Estate the same day that its chief planner, Jim McKinnon, held talks with Mr Trump's team, to explain the role of Scottish ministers in planning applications and appeals.

The proposals had been narrowly rejected by Aberdeenshire councillors.

During question time at Holyrood, Mr Salmond also came under pressure for meeting with Mr Trump's representatives.

He is forbidden from taking part in the planning process and has insisted that, because the plans fell into his Gordon constituency, he was duty bound to meet people on all sides.

Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen said: "This is a serious situation for the first minister and his government. Every step of the way there is contradiction, concealment and cleverness from his government on this issue. It smells of sleaze."

Mr Salmond told MSPs that he was not present at the discussion between the council and Mr McKinnon, adding: "Its not my responsibility. I am debarred from any decision-making in the planning process. Why on earth would I therefore know the answer to that question since I was not in the room or with the chief planner at the time."

Annabel Goldie, the Tory leader, added: "Astonishingly, as first minister, he was not even-handed, he was cack-handed.

"Either this is ignorance or arrogance and ignorance is not a condition with which I associate the first minister."

Mr Salmond said he had attended his meeting with team Trump along with his local constituency secretary, adding: "It is crystal clear that I attended the meeting as a constituency member of parliament."

On Wednesday, the councillor whose casting vote saw Mr Trump's plans rejected, Martin Ford, was sacked as the chairman of the infrastructure committee at an emergency meeting of Aberdeenshire Council.

In a statement, the council's chief executive Alan Campbell said he had conducted two phone calls with the chief planner on the afternoon of 4 December.

"The first call was about the procedure which Aberdeenshire Council were likely to adopt at their special meeting. It was in that context that the chief executive was informed by the chief planner that members of the Trump organisation were in the chief planner's room.

"The chief executive asked that they leave the room. The discussion then took place."

The council said Mr Campbell received a call from the chief planner several hours later on the issue of ministers calling in the application, adding: "There was no question of the Trump organisation being with the chief planner at that time."