Salmond wanted to sell edingburgh airport to qatar
 

FORMER First Minister Salmond was to try to convince oil-rich Qatar to buy Scotland's busiest airport during a visit in 2011, FOI documents have revealed.

SELLING Scotland’s busiest airport to the rulers of Qatar was top of Alex Salmond’s agenda during a trade mission, secret papers reveal.

Briefing papers prepared by civil servants before the then first minister travelled to the Gulf in 2011 reveal touting Edinburgh Airport, then up for sale, was a priority.

The former first minister also tried to convince the oil-rich state, which has been attacked for its record on human rights, to invest billions of pounds in green energy projects.

Salmond insisted yesterday that, despite the sale of the airport being near the top of a list of *priorities included in the briefing papers, he did not mention it to Qatar’s leaders.

The papers for *Salmond’s visit to Qatar, released under freedom of information laws, detail his pitch to Sheikh Hamad bin *Khalifa Al Thani, the country’s leader until 2013.

Details come days after Chinese media revealed Nicola *Sturgeon signed a £10billion investment *agreement with *Beijing and critics accused SNP *ministers of being too eager to deal with questionable regimes.

Salmond’s briefing notes say the purpose of the summit in the Gulf state was to *“promote collaboration between *Scotland and Qatar in the low carbon sector, to *highlight investment opportunities within Scotland, to explore opportunities for a direct air service between Scotland and Doha and to promote the opportunity to *purchase Edinburgh Airport”.

It was for sale at the time because of anti-monopoly rules that forced then-owners BAA to sell Edinburgh or Glasgow *Airport.

Scotland’s links to Qatar have come under scrutiny since it won the chance to host the 2022 World Cup.

Hundreds of migrant workers have died in appalling working and living conditions after being recruited to build the *tournament’s roads, hotels and stadiums.

Yesterday, Labour’s Neil Findlay said: “Coming after the SNP signed a secret deal with a Chinese consortium, these *revelations bring up yet more questions of the deals the SNP are trying to do behind the backs of the people of Scotland.

“The SNP Government tried to hush up the fact Alex Salmond was trying to punt Edinburgh Airport five years ago and tried to suppress signing a deal *potentially worth billions with a Chinese consortium mere weeks ago.

“While he was touting Scottish assets, Alex Salmond barely seemed to mention human rights, while Nicola Sturgeon professed ignorance about allegations of *corruption on the part of one of the *companies involved in the China deal.

“The SNP need to be honest with the *people of Scotland about the deals they are trying to cut.”


Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/po...dFBWAYQjmDA.99

None of that suprises me in the least Kirk.
Scotland had a close shave with economic disaster due to the deceit of the SNP they promised annual oil revenue of £8 Billion in the run up to the independance vote when the reality turned out to be £130 million. A hole in the books like that would have been absolutely crippling.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-34926904

A better plan from a more honest party would have seen a landslide decision to vote for independence and one i would have welcomed but the SNP are snakes not to be trusted.

I totally agree with you on this Bob.

Unsurprising, Salmond has always been a slippery figure who has been best mates with the likes of Murdoch and Trump and other figures who the party now proudly proclaim their hatred of. I don't think there is a more cynical politician

Far too simplistic and frankly insulting view to scots that the whole indi aspiration was just based on oil prices

:hehe: You are a funny guy Trumpet.