Why the War of Donald Trump's Ear highlights a big problem in Scottish politics
The SNP’s relations with Labour at Westminster appear to be becoming almost as bad as they were with the Conservatives
During the 1992 general election campaign, a bitter argument known as ‘The War of Jennifer's Ear’ broke out between the ruling Conservative party and Labour. Now, just days before the Scottish Parliament election, The War of Who Has Donald Trump’s Ear seems every bit as fierce.
The issue of contention is who can claim the decisive role in persuading the US President to drop his egregious tariff on Scotch whisky. For the SNP, it’s John Swinney; for Labour, it’s King Charles and the UK government; and for most of the other parties, “credit goes entirely to the king”, to quote Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay.
Labour’s Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander addressed the First Minister directly on social media: “John you’ve been caught red-handed claiming credit for something you didn’t achieve... It’s embarrassing.” This prompted Swinney to hit back, saying: “I think the Secretary of State is feeling under a lot of stress during the election campaign, because his behaviour is quite odd using language like that.”
An alternative theory
A note from Trump in which he said Swinney’s intervention had formed a “very big part” of his decision-making process was offered as supporting evidence for the SNP’s case. However, the President also wrote on social media: “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!”
Perhaps it’s just us, but is it even remotely possible that the various entreaties made by Labour, the SNP and His Majesty together helped persuade Trump to change his mind? And could it be that if our two governments were better able to work together – on both foreign and domestic affairs – this would benefit the people they were elected to serve? A return to constant Westminster-Holyrood feuding would be a real problem.
Asked if relations between the SNP and Labour were as bad as they were with the Conservatives, Swinney said: “We’re not far off it.” Given the SNP are the common factor, voters may wish to draw their own conclusions.
At the end of the day, the removal of the tariff is what matters. And we can all raise a glass to that.
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