John Swinney: It's in Scotland's interest I meet Donald Trump

South Wales Guardian

20 hours ago

John Swinney said he had an 'obligation' to 'protect and promote' Scotland.
He said there would be an opportunity during his meeting to discuss tariffs, Gaza and Ukraine.
Mr Swinney will meet the Republican politician later this month when he is expected to visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire.
Mr Trump will also meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Aberdeen, he has said.
Speaking during a visit to Rutherglen, the First Minister said Scots would expect him to meet a US president visiting Scotland.
He told the PA news agency: 'I've taken a decision that's in Scotland's interest to meet with the president of the United States so that I can use every opportunity to protect and to promote the interests of the people of Scotland.
'There's obviously a range of issues that we can cover around the international situation that's causing such anxiety to people in Scotland, around the situation the Middle East, and the situation in Ukraine, and the domestic issues that are important to us around about the implications of, for example, trade and tariffs on some of our key sectors, including Scotch whisky.
'So I think people in Scotland would expect their First Minister to meet with the president of the United States to put forward Scotland's position.'
Earlier this week, Mr Trump said he would go to Aberdeen, which he said was the 'oil capital of Europe'.
'They have so much oil there,' he said.
'They should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil.
'[Because] the windmills are really detrimental to the beauty of Scotland and every other place they go up.'
Asked about those comments, Mr Swinney said he supported renewables in Scotland, which he said was key to the future of the country.
He said: 'There's going to be different views expressed by different political leaders, and I'm a supporter of renewable energy.
'I think it's important that we use the opportunities that we have in Scotland to capture the natural and sustainable energy that surrounds us and it's all around us, and we should take those opportunities, which the Scottish Government has done in a sustainable way.
'We've got to protect the planet. We've got to protect our communities, and that's at the heart of the Government's agenda in Scotland.'
The Scottish Greens, who were previously in Government with the SNP, have criticised the First Minister for his plans to meet the president. Co-leader Patrick Harvie said the meeting was 'tragic' and 'out of step with Scotland's values'.
But Mr Swinney defended the decision, saying: 'The people of the United States have elected their president, and that's their choice, and he's coming to visit Scotland.
'And I think for me, my obligation of what members of the public would expect of their First Minister is for me to engage with the leader of the United States to protect and to promote the interests of Scotland.'
On Wednesday, the Scottish Secretary also defended Mr Swinney's decision to meet Mr Trump, along with Sir Keir's decision, saying it was 'the right thing to do'.
Ian Murray praised the Prime Minister for putting in a 'lot of effort' to 'cultivate' a relationship with the president.
He said US tariffs and the situation in Ukraine could be on the agenda for the discussions.
He said: 'At this stage we have no sight of what the president's programme is, but we do know the First Minister and the Prime Minister will meet him, and it is right for them both to do so.'
He said the meetings were 'the right thing to do because those relationships are incredibly important in terms of our own national interest'.
He added: 'We should make sure we are working very closely with our allies for the benefit of Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom.'