Evening Express 23 July 2009

Frank Gilfeather Column

Sticking up for residents or a stick in the mud?

Ford chips in again on golf plan

Aberdeenshire councillor Martin Ford would be as welcome a dinner guest at Trump Towers as a mountain of maggots in an hospital operating theatre. The last time I looked, Cllr Ford was still an elected member of the august body at Woodhill House, an organisation which has bent over backwards to help Trump’s ambitions to make Balmedie one of the centres of world golf.
Yes, I know it’s hard to believe – horizontal rain, gale-force winds and a mouthful of sand – but if everything goes to plan then Balmedie could, indeed, come up trumps…if you’ll pardon the pun.
There are, of course, those stick-in-the-muds currently living in their idyllic surroundings refusing to roll over, have their bellies tickled and be relieved of their homes to help the American tycoon realise his golf dream.
How very dare they.
After all, were the positions reversed, Donald would be the first to recognise the need to vacate his home and gladly take up lodgings a short distance away at the Clinterty caravan park where cold water and even electricity can be had.
What more can these stubborn people expect?
And for Martin Ford to urge his colleagues on Aberdeenshire Council not to call for the Menie Estate residents to be cleared from their land is preposterous. Is the man mad?
Does he expect those who once backed him – for five minutes – then jettisoned him when the going got tough, to nod in agreement?
Trump Organisation development director George Sorial says Cllr Ford is guilty of a clear breach of protocol, ethics and the law. An elected politician expressing a view on something as important as this issue – whatever next?
He has chosen to speak out now, well before the compulsory purchase matter is raised at a future gathering of those who hold valuable voting power.
But if he kept quiet, how safe could those people, who do not want to sell or lose their homes feel?
If, in the end, they are removed by law, then the silent politicians who will have allowed it to happen should be sent to the stocks. Failing that, removing them from office next time round would be a good idea.