Lady Guillotine of CPOs Still Hangs Over Menie

So the threat of Compulsory Purchase Orders still hangs over those in the path of Donald Trump's. The four families whose homes are under threat from the American entrepreneur describe it as "intolerable psychological torture".

One representative of the four, David Milne, yesterday addressed a full meeting of Aberdeenshire saying:

"I don't know how many of you have even tried to imagine what it's like not knowing if your home will be your own for much longer – not knowing if the next birthday or Christmas will be the last in your own house," he said.

"It is a horrible situation to be in, not knowing if the people who are effectively your neighbours will throw you out.

"I ask you now to stand up – stand up for your own personal conscience, stand up for ethics, stand up for morals and stand up for the reputation of Aberdeenshire."

But thte decision was yet put off, yet again the desire of Trump himself seemed to outweigh the desire of the local residents to have an equivocal answer to this state of affairs sooner rather than later. Instead of an unequivocal resonating from the Council Chamber that CPOs would not be used to acquire Trump's desired land from landowners, an amendment described as a "cowardly fudge" was agreed by the majority.

As well as being described as cowardly those councillors who failed to vote for Martin Ford's motion were branded "Trump's puppets" by Martin Forbes whose home is also under threat.

Alex Massie in The Spectator comments following the 57 to 6 vote rejection of ruling out CPOs that:

"While it's good that the Council hasn't yet endorsed compulsory purchase orders, it's depressing that they remain on the table at all and one must fear that, when or if push comes to shove, the council will eventually approve them."

Which just about says it all really. The fact is the guillotine is still hanging hauntingly over the heads of local residents and their council is still able to release the catch.