FMQs Thursday November 07 2024: Patrick Harvie questions John Swinney on his congratulations to President Elect Trump

Transcript

00:00Yesterday, the First Minister offered congratulations to the convicted felon Donald Trump on his

00:09re-election. Writing officially on behalf of the Scottish Government, he wrote that

00:15he is sure Scotland's cultural and social ties with the US will flourish during the

00:21presidency of a misogynist, a climate denier, a fraudster, a conspiracy monger, a racist,

00:29a far-right politician who tried to overturn an election result both covertly and by inciting

00:35violence. Words fail me. What social and cultural ties does the First Minister really think

00:45will benefit from a relationship with such a man? More importantly, what has the First

00:50Minister done so far to reach out to the marginalised and vulnerable people whose lives are most

00:57directly threatened by a second Trump term?

01:05I have a duty as First Minister of Scotland to engage with other Governments and to represent

01:13the people of Scotland in that process. As part of that duty, I wrote the letter in question

01:19that Mr Harvie cited.

01:22I think that there are deep cultural, social and economic ties between Scotland and the

01:28United States of America. They are important for employment in our economy, for the cultural

01:35expression of our country and for the way in which we are able to pursue those objectives.

01:44Although there are very big real differences in expression, priority and way of life between

01:59me and Donald Trump, I cannot deny the existence of links between Scotland and the United States.

02:06Regardless of the presidential choice in the United States, I want to maintain

02:12good relationships between Scotland and the United States.

02:19I think that Mr Harvie knows me well enough to know that the concerns of people who feel

02:25marginalised in our society and who feel under threat are questions and concerns that I wrestle

02:31with every single day as First Minister. I stood here and I pledged to be the First

02:36Minister of all of Scotland, and that is entirely what I intend to do.