A TRADE union has accused Donald Trump of “rank hypocrisy” after it emerged that the Trump Organisation had received permission to build a second golf course in Aberdeenshire despite simultaneously cutting jobs and the conditions of union members at the prestige Trump Turnberry resort in Ayrshire.

The RMT slammed Trump and his global operations after it was revealed that he received planning ‎permission to build a second multi-million pound golf course at his resort at Menie, known as Trump International Golf Links Scotland.

The union said: “The move confirms that the claims that the cuts at Turnberry were due to Covid-19 are a con and that the real motive was to slash the head count, hire and fire at will and dump hard-earned improvements to pay and conditions under the cloak of the pandemic.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash added: “It is rank hypocrisy of the highest order for the Trump Operation to blame the pandemic and a cash crisis for the axing of dozens of ‎staff at Turnberry while at the same time they were planning all along to spend millions on a new course.

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“There is no shortage of money and all they ever wanted was to use the pandemic as a cloak for slashing the head count and working conditions and exploiting a global crisis to rule by fear.

“RMT will continue to fight the cuts and stand up for the rights of the Trump workforce in Scotland.”

The new course to the south and west of the existing Menie course will be named MacLeod after Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who emigrated to the USA from Lewis and arrived with just $50 in her pocket the day after her 18th birthday.

The Trump family for years said she was “on holiday” in New York when she met Trump’s father Frederick. The National proved four years ago that she was in fact going to work in domestic service and met Fred Trump some time after her arrival with immigration documents stating that she intended to seek American citizenship.

There were numerous objections to the second course at Menie, which has made a loss in every year it has been operating.

The objections included a strong intervention by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, who said the water management plan was inadequate and the environmental management plan was not appropriate.

Some local people said the construction of the original course is to blame for damaging the renowned sand dunes system at nearby Foveran Links, formally declared as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said: “Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Government have ignored the objections of Scottish Natural Heritage about potential further damage to world-famous sand dunes that are supposed to be protected as a SSSI, but which have already been partially destroyed by the building of the first golf course. This decision gives a green light to the Trump Organisation to further vandalise and destroy Scotland’s natural heritage.”

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Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International Scotland, said: “We continue to remain focused on the long-term vision for our magnificent estate and are moving steadily forward with our infrastructure and development plans for the next phase of construction at our world-class resort.

“Golf, more so now than ever, is the sport of choice for many people, including families, and we are delighted to have the support of Aberdeenshire Council to move forward with our second golf course.

“The MacLeod Course will be built to the highest specifications and standards to complement our award-winning championship links.”