Patrick Harvie criticises John Swinney over congratulation letter to Donald Trump

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has criticised the first minister for writing to congratulate Donald Trump on his election victory.

Trump became president-elect following Tuesday’s election, beating Democrat rival Kamala Harris in both the Electoral College system and popular vote.

John Swinney yesterday wrote to Trump to wish him “every success” in the role, despite previously giving his backing to Harris ahead of the election. 

The first minister’s letter added: “The United States of America is Scotland’s most important market and source of inward investment but it is much more than that. Many people of Scottish descent, including yourself, have worked hard to shape the United States into a global power.

“We greatly appreciate the strong and lasting social, cultural and economic ties we have with the United States and are sure that these will continue to flourish during your presidency.”

Speaking at FMQs, Harvie labelled Trump a “misogynist, a climate denier, a fraudster, a conspiracy monger, a racist, a far-right politicians who tried to overturn an election result”.

He asked: “What social and cultural ties does the first minister really think will benefit from a relationship with such a man?”

Swinney said it was his duty as first minister to congratulate Trump, though acknowledged there were “very big, real differences” between the two of them.

“Regardless of the presidential choice in the United States, I want to maintain good relationships between Scotland and the United States,” he added.

Harvie said the Trump presidency was “particularly dangerous for climate policy” and pressed Swinney on plans for a gas-fired power station at Peterhead.

Extinction Rebellion protestors chained themselves to parliament on Thursday in opposition to the plans.

He called for an environmental impact assessment for the plant, pointing to research suggesting emissions would be higher than officially stated by stakeholders.

Swinney refused to answer the question as it would breach the ministerial code to make comments on a live application.

However he added there would be “processes of scrutiny to be undertaken” and his government takes the issue of climate change mitigation “incredibly seriously”.

Earlier in FMQs, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay challenged the first minister on the government’s record on economic growth and called for business rates relief to be expanded.

Swinney said the Scottish Government had “delivered more growth per head” than in the UK since 2007 but would not be drawn in business rates ahead of the Scottish budget.

Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar raised issues in the NHS and urged the government to pass on spending increases in England to the Scottish NHS.

Swinney said the government had worked to protect NHS budgets in recent years, and apologised to patients “who wait longer than they should”.