Nicola Sturgeon on US election: '˜not the outcome I hoped for'

The First Minister released a statement after Donald Trump was confirmed as the next President of the United States.

Nicola Sturgeon was personally disappointed with the result. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

At the end of one of the most divisive elections in modern US history, the Republican candidate defeated Hillary Clinton in a race that went down to the wire.
Following the announcement Nicola Sturgeon said:

“While this is not the outcome I hoped for, it is the verdict of the American people and we must respect it. I congratulate president-elect Trump on winning the election.

“We value our relationship with the United States and its people. The ties that bind Scotland and the US - of family, culture and business - are deep and longstanding and they will always endure.

“It is normal in any election for those on the losing side to be feel disappointment, but today, many in America and across the world, will also feel a real sense of anxiety.

“I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalized by his campaign and make clear - in deeds as well as words - that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America.

“Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values - all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity - to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear.

“I also want to pay tribute to Hillary Clinton.

“While I am personally disappointed that she will not be America’s first woman president, her candidacy represented a major step forward for women in America and across the world - for that, as well as for her many years of public service, she is owed a deep debt of gratitude.”

Sturgeon, who has made her disapproval of Mr Trump known, previously said Mrs Clinton would be “a great president”.