Full Breakdown
Green Party Leader Calls for Seizure of Donald Trump’s Scottish Golf Courses
4/25/2026, 2:41:18 PM
Core Event: Polanski Demands Removal of Trump from Scottish Resorts
During a press conference in Glasgow on 23 April 2024, Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, urged that former U.S. President Donald Trump be expelled from his two Scottish golf resorts and that the properties be transferred to community ownership. Polanski framed the demand as a personal opinion, not an official party policy, and linked it to Trump’s alleged “illegal and unpopular wars.”
Background & Context: Trump’s Scottish Holdings and the Holyrood Campaign
Donald Trump owns two golf resorts in Scotland: Trump International Golf Links at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire (two 18-hole courses) and Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire. Both have faced financial challenges in recent years. Polanski’s remarks were made while campaigning for Scottish Greens candidates Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay ahead of the 2024 Holyrood election, a period marked by heightened scrutiny of foreign ownership and debates over the UK-US “special relationship.”
Key Figures & Groups
- Zack Polanski – Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, visiting Glasgow to support Scottish Greens.
- Donald Trump – Former U.S. president and owner of the two Scottish golf resorts.
- Sarah Malone – Executive Vice President, Trump International Scotland.
- Ross Greer – Co-leader of the Scottish Greens, who referenced obligations under the Genocide Convention.
- Scottish Government – Holds authority over land-use decisions in Scotland.
- UK Government – Retains control over defence contracts affecting shipbuilding employment.
Data & Statistics
- Properties: Trump International Golf Links (Aberdeenshire) – two 18-hole courses; Trump Turnberry (South Ayrshire) – historic resort.
- Employment: Approximately 3,000 workers at Glasgow’s Govan and Scotstoun shipyards are constructing Type 26 frigates; additional staff are employed at Rosyth and Ferguson’s yard in Port Glasgow.
- Economic Impact: Community ownership would require substantial capital to maintain operations, potentially affecting local economies in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.
Official Statements & Responses
Polanski asserted that the UK should consider sanctions against Trump and that removing him from the golf courses would be “the very least we could do.” He also emphasized that any Greens-led Westminster administration would respect Scottish autonomy on job-related decisions. Trump International responded through Sarah Malone, labeling Polanski’s comments “frankly ludicrous and ignorant” and attributing them to an “imbecile.” Ross Greer highlighted that states have obligations under the Genocide Convention to act against perpetrators of mass atrocities, extending the moral argument beyond property ownership.
Criticism & Opposition
Trump International’s rebuttal characterized Polanski’s remarks as personal attacks lacking factual basis. The response shifted the debate from policy to personal confrontation, underscoring the sensitivity of targeting a high-profile foreign asset during an election cycle.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the likely economic consequences of community ownership: while some note the resorts’ recent profitability struggles, others caution that substantial public funding would be required to keep the courses operational, leaving the net impact on local economies uncertain. Additionally, the extent to which shipbuilding jobs would be protected under a Greens-led government remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's not for me to tell Scotland what to do, either, but I'd really like to see Donald Trump kicked out of his golf courses. I don't think that you know, you should be able to start illegal and unpopular wars and still have golf courses. And actually, I'd love to see those golf courses brought into community ownership. As I said, that's just a personal opinion. I definitely haven't come as an English politician to tell Scotland what to do, but it seems outrageous that Donald Trump is still able to enjoy those golf courses.” — Zack Polanski, Green Party leader
- “The comments in relation to our golf courses in Scotland are frankly ludicrous and ignorant and made by a man who is an imbecile.” — Sarah Malone, Executive Vice President, Trump International Scotland
- “But frankly, I think there's places where we should be sanctioning Donald Trump, where it's possible, and I think very likely, he's committing war crimes, and I think removing him from the golf course feels like the very least we could do.” — Zack Polanski
- “ Quizzed on whether he believed seizing the property of someone who he doesn't agree with was "problematic," he replied: "I think more problematic is a genocide in Gaza and killing innocent people in Lebanon and in Iran and so we've talked for a long time about sanctions that the UK Government should be putting on Israel.” — Zack Polanski
- “I would make sure we were speaking with those workers to make sure shipbuilding jobs that aren't in defence we are absolutely sure are protecting and promoting.” — Zack Polanski
What’s Next
The Holyrood election on 7 May 2024 will test the Scottish Greens’ electoral momentum. Should the Greens gain seats, the issue of foreign-owned land and community ownership may feature in parliamentary debates, while the UK government may face pressure to address calls for sanctions against Trump. The outcome will determine whether Polanski’s symbolic demand translates into concrete policy proposals.
