‘No alternative’ but to engage with Trump, says Swinney
The First Minister was asked about his Government’s relationship with the new US administration.
The Scottish Government has “absolutely no alternative” but to deal with US President Donald Trump, John Swinney has said.
The First Minister has stressed the importance of the relationship between Scotland and the US in recent weeks, ahead of Mr Trump’s return to the White House on Monday.
Following his inauguration, Mr Trump immediately signed dozens of executive orders, including declaring a national emergency at the southern US border due to the number of migrants coming across.
Turning to immigration himself on Wednesday, Mr Swinney called for a bespoke system for Scotland, including a graduate visa that allows those who complete courses at Scottish universities to remain in the country.
Asked after the speech at financial giant JP Morgan in Glasgow whether different stances on things like immigration could strain the relationship with the US, Mr Swinney – who publicly backed Democrat Kamala Harris ahead of the US election in November – said: “President Trump has been elected, he will take decisions.
“His decisions will potentially have an effect on issues that matter to us.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am alert to the danger of (trade) tariffs and the danger that could do to the Scotch whisky industry, which is a significant generator of wealth and income and opportunity within Scotland.
“So there is absolutely no alternative but for me to engage with the US administration led by President Trump, should those circumstances arise, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
The First Minister has previously rejected calls, led by the Scottish Greens, for ministers to refuse to meet Mr Trump or anyone in his administration if they visit Scotland.
Mr Trump is expected to travel to Scotland this year for the opening of a new course at the golf club he owns in Aberdeenshire.
The First Minister also hit out at X owner Elon Musk – who has become a close associate of Mr Trump in recent months – after he was accused of doing a Nazi salute during a speech following the president’s inauguration.
Asked by journalists if he felt the gesture – which Mr Musk did twice – would encourage the far-right, the First Minister said: “It certainly looked like that to me.”
Meanwhile, Mr Swinney was also pressed on his Health Secretary Neil Gray, who was forced to apologise for a second time over meetings he had at football matches, and the fate of the national care service (NCS) – which will be the subject of a parliamentary statement on Thursday.
Mr Gray had previously said minutes had been taken for all meetings he attended at football matches, which were part of an earlier controversy around his use of Government-owned cars to travel to games, but on Tuesday he conceded this had not been the case.
Asked if he has confidence in Mr Gray, the First Minister did not directly respond, but said the Health Secretary has been “at the heart of designing the approach that will be set out to Parliament tomorrow”.
Speaking to journalists later, the First Minister said he does have confidence in Mr Gray.
Mr Swinney refused to be drawn on whether plans for the NCS will be scrapped on Thursday, adding that while there is a consensus that social care needs to improve, there is not “a consensus about how we go about doing that”.
