Bond villain Elon Musk's influence seeps into Scottish Parliament and its 'populism' war

The first FMQs of 2025 descended into an old fashioned scrap over who is Scotland’s most populist leader. We could be in for a long year.

Unsurprisingly, Elon Musk was to blame. The Bond villain wannabe and alt-right populist has left Tories down south frothing at the mouth over his attempted intervention into UK politics this week.

The claims made about Keir Starmer by Elon Musk, seen with Donald Trump, are ridiculous and unfounded (Picture: Brandon Bell) | Getty Images

But Mr Musk’s madcap bid to disrupt UK politics led Mr Swinney to bring forward a flurry of scare stories that opposition parties declining to back his Budget, as is their right, would cause all kinds of chaos for the NHS. The FM insisted, with a straight face, this was “playing right into the hands of Elon Musk”.

Scottish Tory leader, Russell Findlay, who doesn’t mince his words, didn’t blink before branding Mr Swinney “Scotland’s populist First Minister”, accusing the FM of trying to rally support from opponents to vote for his Budget “to defeat the shadowy forces of populism”.

Read more: Former Better Together chief Blair McDougall gives scathing verdict on Elon Musk as he quits X

Mr Swinney took a deep breath and delivered a cutting line, deadpan, while glaring through Mr Findlay that “I can see the shadowy face of populism right in front of me just now”.

That was met by rapturous applause from the SNP benches - see, the FM is a populist. But even Mr Findlay was overcome with glee at the banter from his opponent.

In response, still grinning, Mr Findlay said it was “really something to hear John Swinney of all people preaching against populism”, given that he is “the leader of Scotland’s populist party”, as the Tory leader unleashed the finger-wagging.

Populism has essentially become a political jibe, largely used in a UK context to claim comparison with Donald Trump. Any political leader at Holyrood could be a populist if you think hard enough about it.

Mr Findlay explained what it usually entails by accusing the SNP of being “the party of blaming others” and for “sowing division” and producing “fantasy promises of easy fixes”.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

He proudly added: “John Swinney sounds like an arsonist suddenly warning people about the risk of fire.”

Highlighting the impending Budget and Labour’s new-found support for the spending plans, Mr Findlay warned it was “not a turning point”, but merely “just more of the same divisive, populist nonsense from John Swinney and the SNP”.

But Mr Swinney took a deep breath and kept his cool.

“I think the Budget’s touched a bit of a raw nerve with the Conservatives”, he haughtily said.

First Minister John Swinney | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The FM went on to boast about the praise his government’s draft budget has won from some organisations including Save the Children and Shelter Scotland.

He turned to the thoughts of the Scottish Retail Consortium, and began to read out the organisation’s comment in full that "whilst the proposed Scottish Budget is far from perfect…”.

“Understatement of the year”, bellowed a very smug Tory finance spokesperson, Craig Hoy.

Well it is only the second week of January, to be fair.

But then the First Minister turned into a clype.

Pointing at the Tories’ deputy leader, Mr Swinney exclaimed: “Rachel Hamilton is now laughing at the voice of business within our parliament.” No-one likes a grass.

Smile beaming, he added: “That’s where the Conservative party has now descended to.”

Before he was done with the Tory leader, Mr Swinney found space to brand Mr Findlay’s party the “populist Conservatives”.

Mr Musk would be so proud.