Does money Trump class?

That's right Eck - play the class card, like we've all forgotten your own attempts to cosy up to the likes of Murdoch and Trump. Or is it OK if they've got money as long as they didn't go to Eton? Who are you trying to kid? This isn't so much about Lord Snooty as shades of Desperate Dan. Salmond has also pledged to 'tell the truth about Scotland'. Hopefully that will include a response to the FOI request about what legal advice, if any, the Scottish Government has obtained regarding our position in the EU if we become independent.

So long, Alex

Calton has lost count of the number of times he has heard the dulcet tones of Donald Trump on the radio this last week. His comments on windfarms were so calm, so clear, so concise and so cleverly designed to provide a soundbite that he made our First Minister sound like a rank amateur as he huffed and puffed and blustered his way through his interview on Call Kaye this morning, especially when questioned on his relationships with Trump and Murdoch. (Has anyone else noticed Salmond's tendency to giggle and snort like a schoolboy when asked awkward questions? Does anyone really believe all the stuff about jobs for Scotland?) Alex is increasingly looking like a liability for the SNP. It will be interesting to see how they do on Thursday.

Ignore Trump at your peril

It is really unfortunate that Trump is such a figure of hate because some of what he says is true. In particular, he is the only one Calton has heard, aside from himself, who is pointing out the futility of Scotland trying to reduce carbon emissions while China is busy increasing them (and profiting by selling Scotland the steel for the new Forth crossing). Some of Trump's comments are, admittedly, OTT, however Calton is dismayed to hear the old 'nobody's going to tell us what to do' sort of response being made by Scots. We do ourselves no favours by refusing to listen to someone just because we don't like his hairdo (and perhaps are jealous of the fact that he is a billionaire). We need inward investment and, while that doesn't mean we should toady to those with money (Alex take note), we do need to recognise that they have expertise which we can maybe learn from (otherwise they wouldn't be rich). Let's not be stupid about this. Please.

Get it in writing

Calton finds it hard to believe that a man like Donald Trump actually took politicians at their word, especially when it involved investing large sums of money. Didn't he learn at business school always to get it in writing? (Of course Trump's version of events may not be true - we currently have the unedifying spectacle of businessmen and politicians publicly disagreeing over who said what and when, leaving the public to make up its mind who is the more believable. Calton's money is on Trump and Murdoch.) The one good thing to come out of all this is that the hitherto shadowy world of relationships between politicians and big business is being put under the spotlight. It's not a pretty sight, however, hopefully, the process will result in improved transparency. Rupert Murdoch is wrong when he says that newspapers do not influence elections - they do, and we therefore need to know which politicians are cosying up to which newspaper magnates. After all, if the written word had no influence, Calton would not be writing this blog. Any politicians wishing to cosy up to him should form an orderly queue.

Trump waxes hysterical

You've got to hand it to Trump - he doesn't mince his words. He's now talking of the First Minister becoming known as 'Mad Alex - the man who destroyed Scotland' because of Salmond's insistence on wind power being our salvation. It's hysterical, although not in the way that Willie Rennie meant. What is not so funny is the way in which the Libdem leader insists on playing sidekick to Alex in the latter's aim to cover the Highlands, Islands and Everywhere Else with turbines. Is Calton not right in thinking that, of the four Libdem MSPs Willie has left with him in Holyrood, two have constituencies in the Highlands and Islands? If the windfarms don't bring the 'tens of thousands of jobs' which the Scottish Government is promising, those MSPs had better start planning an alternative career, otherwise they may end up 'spending more time with their families'.

Warnings of gales in Cromarty, Forth

Calton thinks that claims of Trump bullying the Scottish Government are overblown. Given the massive support for windfarms, both onshore and offshore, by the SNP administration, it seems to Calton that Trump is simply evening up the odds with his offer to fund anti-windfarm groups. He's also a worthy adversary for Alex Salmond, since both are puffed up and full of hot air. If the scenic beauty of Scotland's hills and coastline was not at stake it would all be just a storm in a teacup. As it is, this is one gale which is not going to blow itself out any time soon. Cromarty, Forth, east, gale 8 to severe gale 9, expected imminent.

Even more offshore wind from Trump

Calton would like to make it clear that, in his opinion, Donald Trump is an obnoxious tycoon who is far too used to getting his own way and throwing his teddies out the cot when he doesn't. That said, he did have some valid points to make in his rant to Alex Salmond over offshore windfarms. Why are we being taxed to provide contracts for overseas companies to build wind turbines? Do we really want to be surrounded by a ring of offshore windfarms? Has anyone actually done a study on the likely impact on our tourist industry? Calton was interested to note that the tens of thousands of jobs mentioned by Alex Salmond yesterday has become 'thousands' according to a Scottish Government spokesman and 'hundreds' according to Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, Niall Stuart, lending credence to Calton's view that the First Minister's statistics were somewhat overblown.