Donald Trump congratulated John Swinney on the SNP’s electoral victory, calling the Scottish First Minister a “good man” and crediting him for work on ending tariffs on Scotch whisky. The SNP won 58 seats in Friday’s election, returning as the largest party at Holyrood.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday, stating Swinney worked hard with the King and Queen of the United Kingdom regarding tariff relief for Scottish whisky and deserved his “Big Electoral Victory!” The SNP fell short of an overall majority, dropping from 64 seats in 2021. Swinney declared the party had “emphatically” won the election.
Tariff credit dispute erupts
The congratulations reignited a row over who deserves credit for ending the 10% tariff on whisky imports to the US. Swinney flew to Washington DC in September last year to press for a better deal on the import tax, estimated to be costing Scotland £4 million per week. He met with Trump directly in the Oval Office.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander called Swinney’s claim a “lie”, saying the First Minister had been “caught red-handed” claiming credit for a deal secured by the King. Alexander’s spokesperson said the British Government was raising the whisky issue long before and long after Swinney’s DC visit.
Swinney produced a note from Trump backing his claim. In a message sent ahead of the tariff decision being announced Thursday, Trump wrote: “Congratulations, John — you were a very big part of my thinking on the matter of Scotland/Kentucky!”