Scottish Lib Dems call for special visa for Americans fleeing Trump presidency

A Scottish MP is calling for a special visa route to allow Americans fleeing the Trump presidency to come to the UK.

Christine Jardine said she wanted to see a potential “fast lane” for skilled US citizens.

She presented a motion on “Trump and the UK’s place in the world” to the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Inverness, which was backed by party members.

It called for a new customs union with the EU and a summit of Commonwealth nations to respond to US tariffs.

Her motion also called for a “visa route to allow highly skilled Americans who wish to flee the Trump presidency to come to the UK”.

Speaking to the PA news agency about her motion, Jardine said: “I think if there are people in America who are unhappy with a lot of the things (Trump) is talking about domestically – the LGBT community for example, a lot of minorities – they have skills, we could welcome them here.

“And I think we would be a much more welcoming society for an awful lot of people who are finding America, at the minute, difficult.”

While visas are already available for US citizens, she said the Government should encourage Americans to take up a skilled visa route.

Jardine said: “Americans could do it at the moment, they could apply, we could create a special fast lane if you like for the Americans to do it.”

On Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, she said: “We need to stand up to him, we need to say we’re not going to be dictated to.”