Donald Trump's claim that Sean Connery helped him secure planning permission for his Scottish golf resort has been dismissed by the councillor who chaired the planning committee. In a series of tweets ahead of the US election, Trump paid tribute to Connery following his death at age 90, stating that the late actor intervened to support the development.
Trump tweeted that he had “a very hard time getting approvals” for his resort at Menie in Aberdeenshire, but after Connery allegedly shouted “let him build the damn thing”, “everything went swimmingly”. However, Martin Ford, the former chair of the planning committee, said Connery was not involved in the process.
Ford told the Guardian: “Mr Connery was not involved in the due process that led to the granting of planning permission for a golf resort at Menie. He did not submit a letter of representation to the council, appear at the planning hearing, or at the public local inquiry.” Ford added that opinions in press articles are not material considerations in planning decisions.
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond urged restraint, saying: “Scotland and much of the world is mourning the loss of a great spirit... Tributes are great from all sources but this is not a time for tweeting silly claims or indeed responding to them.” David Milne, a vocal critic of Trump, described the claim as “utter bollocks”, noting Connery never played the course despite Trump's invites.
Trump had offered Connery membership number 007 at the resort and wanted him to play the first shot. However, when the resort opened, Trump played with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie instead. Connery and Trump were photographed together at events in New York in the early 2000s.
