Donald Trump's decision to lift US tariffs on Scotch whisky has triggered a political dispute in Scotland, with First Minister John Swinney claiming credit for the move while Labour accuses him of hypocrisy. The US president announced the tariff removal on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, linking it to the visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Trump wrote: 'The King and Queen got me to do something nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!'
The Scotch Whisky Association estimates the 10% tariff, imposed by Trump last year, cost producers around £150 million in lost sales and led to hundreds of job losses. Shares in Diageo, producer of Johnnie Walker, rose sharply on the news. Graeme Littlejohn, the SWA's director of strategy and communications, called the breakthrough a 'demonstration of the soft power of the monarch'.
Swinney, who met Trump at the White House last September, insisted his intervention was key. Speaking at a distillery visit on Friday, he said Trump had messaged him directly to thank him for highlighting how the tariffs also harmed Kentucky's bourbon industry. 'The president indicates to me in his note the significant influence on his thinking of the Kentucky-Scotland deal,' Swinney said. He later confirmed a nine-minute phone call with Trump, where they also discussed international affairs including the conflict in Iran.
Scottish Labour's deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, accused Swinney of being 'shameless'. UK government minister Douglas Alexander said trade agreements were the UK government's responsibility, not the devolved administration's. 'The first minister can hold as many photoshoots and take as many day trips to Washington as he likes – this was delivered after relentless engagement and negotiation,' Alexander said. Baillie also highlighted hypocrisy, noting that an SNP candidate had recently called for an end to the monarchy, while the SNP's Westminster leader had previously called for Trump's state visit to be cancelled.
