John Swinney savaged for congratulating Donald Trump

7 November 2024, 15:22

Scotland's First Minister has been condemned for offering his congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump on his election victory, with Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie berating him for reaching out to a "convicted felon" and "climate denier".

First Minister's Questions in Holyrood also saw Harvie describe Trump as a "misogynist, a fraudster, a conspiracy monger, and a racist."

Rather than offering congratulations, he said, Scotland should be standing in solidarity with communities who would "feel threatened" by the incoming Trump administration, and accused John Swinney of "extraordinary complacency" about Trump's election.

He said: "Yesterday the First Minister offered his congratulations to the convicted felon Donald Trump on his re-election.

"Writing officially, on behalf of the Scottish Government, he wrote that he is sure Scotland's cultural and social ties with the US will flourish during the presidency of a misogynist, a climate denier, a fraudster, a conspiracy monger, a racist and a far-right politician who tried to overturn an election result both by covert threats and by inciting violence.

"Words fail me.

"What social and cultural ties does the First Minister really think will benefit from a relationship with such a man? And what has the First Minister done so far to offer empathy and solidarity to those marginalised and vulnerable people most directly threatened by a second Trump term?"

Yesterday the First Minister, who had publicly backed Kamala Harris to win the election, sent congratulatory letters to Donald Trump and to Vice-President-elect JD Vance. He raised the trade connections between Scotland and the US adding "it is much more than that."

"We greatly appreciate the strong and lasting social, cultural and economic ties we have with the United States and are sure that these will continue to flourish during your presidency. I wish you every success in your new role."

Today he defended that decision saying he had a "duty" to represent the people of Scotland.

He added: "I think there are deep cultural, social and economic ties with Scotland and the USA and I think they are important.

"They're important for employment in our economy, they're important for the cultural expression of our country and for the way in which we are able to pursue those objectives."

And he said while there were "real differences" between him and Donald Trump, he could not "deny the existence of links between Scotland and the US, and regardless of the presidential choice in the United States, I want to maintain good relationships."

"The concerns of people who are marginalised in our society, who feel under threat, are questions and concerns I wrestle with every day as First Minister," he said "because I stood here and I pledged to be the First Minister of all of Scotland, and that's entirely what I intend to do."

But Harvie accused John Swinney of "extraordinary complacency at a time of incredible danger for the world" saying Trump had "peddled climate conspiracy theories for many years" and as a result is a "danger to the world."

John Swinney said: "No change of government in the US is going to change this Government's attitude about the imperative of addressing the climate emergency."

Mr Harvie has been a long-time critic of Donald Trump, and his party has been pushing for the Scottish Government to have him investigated under an Unexplained Wealth Order, a mechanism which allows investigations into “politically exposed persons” like Trump suspected of involvement in serious crime.

The Scottish Greens believe this should happen as a result of the February decision by the New York State Supreme Court to find Trump guilty of civil fraud, ordering him, his company and executives, including his two eldest sons, to pay more than $350 million after being found to have falsely inflated the value of Trump’s assets, including his golf courses in Scotland.

Trump has said he is innocent and called the case a “fraud on me.”

The Scottish Government has said any investigation through a UWO is the responsibility of the Civil Recovery Unit which reports directly to the Lord Advocate.