Why John Swinney should give Donald Trump his very own tartan
My own small part in the story of the 45th and 47th President of the USA dates back to April 2012. It was then that Donald J Trump came to the Scottish Parliament to give evidence to a meeting of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, of which I was convenor.
The committee was conducting an inquiry into the prospects for renewable energy in Scotland, and we wanted to hear a diverse range of views from those both for and against going down this route. There was a prominent North-East businessman deeply concerned about the impact that wind turbines would have on his new golf course on the Aberdeenshire coast, who had been vocal in his opposition.
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Hide AdI seriously doubted whether we would ever be able to persuade such a high-profile figure to come and give evidence to a Holyrood committee, but as it happened, Trump jumped at the chance. There were some memorable exchanges with fellow committee members, notably the late Chic Brodie MSP, who challenged the future president to present the evidence behind his contention that wind turbines would destroy tourism. “I am the evidence” was the famous, and entirely in character, response.


Astonishing political comeback
In private, I found Trump to be more thoughtful and engaged than his public persona would suggest, either then or now. He had famously fallen out with Alex Salmond over the same wind farm development, claiming that the then First Minister had told him privately that the turbines would be blocked. And we had no knowledge then that he himself would end up in politics, not least as a highly divisive Republican president who would make an astonishing political comeback.
The question of how we deal with a problem like Trump is now at the forefront of the minds of many involved in both Scottish politics and business. Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce welcomed his vocal support for continued drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, calling for the Scottish Government to dump its current presumption against new developments in the basin.
Elsewhere, however, the reaction has been much less enthusiastic. This paper yesterday reported how ministers are bracing themselves for the potential introduction of a 20 per cent tariff on Scottish exports to the US, following warnings from the incoming president prior to him taking office.
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Hide AdKey export markets, such as the Scotch whisky sector – whose trade to the US is worth more than $1 billion annually – or food products such as salmon, could be hard hit should penalising tariffs be introduced. The whisky industry has already seen the impact of increased tariffs – subsequently removed – on spirits, following a dispute between the US and EU on aircraft subsidies.
‘Ideological games’
In a predictably juvenile response more fitted to a student union than a national parliament, the Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater called on the First Minister, John Swinney, to avoid “sucking up” to Trump, and have nothing to do with him or his businesses. Fortunately, both of Scotland’s governments appear to be taking a more mature approach.
The Labour Scotland Office minister, Kirsty McNeill MP, who supported Kamala Harris in the presidential election, has criticised Slater for playing “ideological games”, and has said that there is a need for a good working relationship with the incoming president. Meanwhile, Swinney has talked about the importance of trade between Scotland and the US, and has already had a positive phone call with Trump.
Both Swinney and McNeill are right. Whatever reservations we have about Trump as an individual, whether it is his moral character, his attitude towards women, or his business history, he has nevertheless been elected as leader of the richest and most powerful democracy in the world, and one of our closest trading and political partners. To refuse to deal with him, and not try and achieve positive outcomes for Scottish business, would be incredibly short-sighted.
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Hide AdWe know that Trump has an affinity for Scotland. Not only was his mother originally from Lewis, but he already has two golf courses here, representing substantial investment, and the third one shortly to be opened. Scottish ministers, whether in the UK or Scottish governments, should be levering these connections to the greatest extent possible, to encourage not just further investment here in Scotland, but also to enhance trade links and boost Scottish exports across the Atlantic.
There is something about Trump, with his particularly populist style of politics, that enrages many on the political left. But it cannot be denied that his previous term in office delivered a period of growth in the US economy, an economy which over decades has seen a rate of expansion that puts into shadow any major European competitor. We should be looking to learn from Trump’s successes, not denigrate them.
Tartan diplomacy
In our national interests, I would expect Scottish political representatives to be reaching out to the new president with the hand of friendship, and looking at how Scottish business might benefit from closer transatlantic links. There have been few US presidents with such strong Scottish connections as Trump, and the opportunity to exploit them should not be sacrificed on the altar of misplaced moral superiority.
Perhaps the Scottish Government could start with a small gesture towards the new president. The Official Scottish Register of Tartans does not disclose the existence of a Donald Trump tartan, although one does exist for his daughter Ivanka.
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Hide AdIt would be a simple matter for the Scottish Government to propose a new Donald Trump tartan, to be presented to the man himself on his next visit to Scotland by our own First Minister. It would be an inexpensive but symbolic move which might well reap significant rewards for the Scottish economy.
Murdo Fraser is a Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife
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