Donald Trump has congratulated John Swinney after the SNP beat Labour in the Scottish parliamentary election, in a post seen as a thinly veiled attack on Sir Keir Starmer. The US president described the SNP leader as a “good man” who “deserves this big electoral victory”.
The SNP took 58 seats, falling short of the 65 needed for an overall majority, but emerged as by far the largest party. Labour and Reform UK both finished with 17 seats. Hours after the result, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Congratulations to John Swinney on winning his Re-Election for First Minister of Scotland. He is a good man, who worked very hard, along with the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, with respect to Tariff relief for Great Scottish Whiskey – and deserves this Big Electoral Victory!”
The post backs up Mr Swinney’s claim that he helped deliver the removal of US tariffs on Scottish whisky, announced after the King’s state visit. The SNP leader was forced to release a thank-you text from Mr Trump after being mocked on social media for the claim. The intervention is widely interpreted as a swipe at Sir Keir, whose relations with Mr Trump have worsened in recent months, particularly over the president’s approach to the Middle East. Mr Trump earlier this year called Sir Keir “no Winston Churchill”.
Sir Keir has faced calls to resign after a disastrous set of elections in Scotland, Wales and local councils across England. He has insisted he will not walk away, vowing: “I’m not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos.” Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar admitted his party was “hurting” after the result, saying there was a “national wave” that Labour had failed to overcome.
Labour haemorrhaged support in former strongholds, while Reform UK made stunning gains and Plaid Cymru became the largest party in Wales, leaving outgoing first minister Eluned Morgan without a seat. The results have reignited talk of a leadership contest, with Richard Burgon, leader of the Socialist Campaign Group of left-wing Labour MPs, demanding Sir Keir set out a timetable for his departure. But the prime minister has defiantly vowed to stand firm, with some ministers insisting there will be no attempt to push him out.
