I NOTE Ian Lakin's letter (January 30) regarding the forthcoming Donald Trump visit. Of all the places in the UK which have a reason not to welcome Mr Trump, Scotland probably has the most compelling – he has form here.

During her visit to the United States Theresa May's frequent resort to the tired old "special relationship" routine was embarrassing. She might equally have said “You do love me – don’t you?" – not being too really sure what the answer would be.

I respect the right of American citizens to elect whoever they want to be president, but I don’t have to like him, or respect him, nor do I have an obligation to welcome him to my home. In his first year, old friends and allies have been insulted and/or sacked as an alarming and unattractive picture of him is developing. He is seen widely as a misogynistic, foul-mouthed, aggressive, mean spirited narcissistic buffoon. How he managed to get selected, never mind elected at all, defies belief.

Yet I understand where Mr Lakin is coming from. People across the world have lost faith in globalisation and all that means in a practical sense, unemployment, low wages, poverty, homelessness and the alarming growth of an underclass who have no power at all to change things. He may care to reflect on the post-war events which have brought this about: stock market crashes, banking crises and most recently corruption, tax evasion and financial manipulation on an industrial scale across the world. Let’s be clear, the poor are always the victims, the very rich, the Trumps of this world the perpetrators, never the saviours.

It is not enough simply to denounce him simply for being rich. The office of the President of the United States and its office holder must be viewed jointly and separately. America is the world's largest and most influential country and has massive global responsibilities, economically and militarily. The President must demonstrate significant personal qualities to wear the crown of the "leader of the free world". These qualities include a measure of gravitas and dignity as well as wisdom, maturity, intelligence and diplomacy. In year one he scores "nil points".

Mr Trump makes the rich richer, reopens coal mines to pollute the world even more, denies climate change, pulls out of agreements which no longer suit America, builds walls across borders, bombs Syrians, insults Muslims, Mexicans and everyone he doesn’t like, all on a daily basis. And that’s only in year one.

I don’t want him here in Scotland, his presence will only provoke mayhem which we don’t need. There are those who will defend his visit, not from a principled standpoint but to make political capital from the Scottish Government's less than welcoming attitude towards the visit.

On a final point: to suggest that the visit will create jobs is delusionary. The only jobs created will be thousands of temporary security jobs to protect him, I can’t think of any other. And the bill for security alone will run into hundreds of millions of pounds. The taxpayer will pick this up of course, and, if questions are asked, the estimate given at the start will be about one-tenth of the final figure; it always is.

Ian McLaren,

27 Buchanan Drive, Lenzie.