'Terrific guy' John Swinney will view his meetings with Donald Trump as a big success
The First Minister believes a ‘window of opportunity’ has now opened up on Scotch whisky tariffs
It was a moment John Swinney will probably remember for the rest of his life.
Donald Trump singled the First Minister out for praise as he opened his new golf course at Trump International in Aberdeenshire.
"I also want to thank your First Minister, who's here," the US President, who was dressed in his golf gear and a white cap, told the audience of assembled dignitaries from the worlds of politics, business and sport.
"John, will you stand up? John Swinney, who's a terrific guy and he loves golf and he loves the people of this country, and we really appreciate it. You're really a very special guy. Thank you very much for everything, John."
The night before, Mr Swinney had joined the US President for a private dinner at Trump International, which was also attended by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and around 18 other people. The First Minister sat on one side of Mr Trump, with Sir Keir on the other. The President’s son, Eric, sat across from them.
Over a meal of langoustines and beef, the conversation ranged from business to pleasure.
Mr Swinney showed the President a photo of his teenage son, Matthew, playing golf on Tiree a few weeks ago. “He commented to me that my son has a beautiful swing, which my son was very pleased to hear about,” the First Minister said.
They also talked tariffs, and particularly their impact on the Scotch whisky industry. The US export market is worth almost £1 billion a year to the whisky sector, but tariffs are costing it about £4 million a week.
Mr Swinney argues whisky should be exempted because of its unique status. He said the President listened to this and showed a willingness to look again at the issue.
The pair then met again for around 15 minutes on Tuesday morning, shortly before the opening ceremony at Trump International, where the main topic of conversation was Gaza. They posed for pictures in front of the American flag and Saltire.
There is now a sense of optimism within Mr Swinney’s team that a breakthrough can be made on whisky tariffs. A window of opportunity has opened, they believe, which simply did not exist before.
On Monday, Mr Trump told journalists he did not know whisky tariffs were a problem. Well, now he knows, and that counts for something. He will return to the UK for a full state visit in September. Could some sort of deal be struck before then?
“I think President Trump came to Scotland on Friday with a view that the UK-US trade deal was done and dusted, it was all settled,” the First Minister told journalists. “And I’ve set out to him an argument about the unique character and identity of Scotch whisky.”
Mr Swinney’s team will view the past couple of days as a success. It’s no mean feat for a man who publicly backed Kamala Harris and just a few short months ago described the President as “not a steadfast ally of ours” when it comes to Ukraine.
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