John Swinney, Donald Trump and the £4m whisky question
'The First Minister is here. John, would you stand up?" the President said. "John Swinney is a terrific guy who loves golf, loves the people of this country, and we really appreciated it. Thank you for everything, John.'
Some praise from Mr Trump for someone who very publicly endorsed his rival in last year's election and subsequently called for his state visit to be cancelled.
When the Scottish press pack asked about this previously unknown love of the game, the First Minister replied: 'Well, I'm aware of golf.'
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It turns out that at the dinner on Monday — where he sat on one side of the President and the Prime Minister on the other — he told Mr Trump about his son Matthew's passion for the sport, and how he often acts as his caddy.
He even showed the President a video of Matthew playing a shot. Mr Trump told him his son had a 'beautiful swing'.
There was, a government source said, a lot of chat about golf on Monday. But there was also, crucially, talk about whisky and tariffs.
Very recently, the Isle of Harris distillery — located just 35 miles from Tong, where Trump's mother, Mary Ann MacLeod, was born — announced some redundancies, in part because of the tariffs.
There is a real fear that this is a situation that could be replicated all over the country.
Scotch makes up a quarter of all UK food and drink exports, according to the Scotch Whisky Association — a market worth £971 million in 2024. The tariffs are already costing the industry £4m a week.
John Swinney at Trump's course (Image: Colin Mearns/NQ) It's fair to say the President was not aware of the difficulties facing the sector until his impromptu press conference on the steps of Turnberry, where STV's political editor, Colin Mackay, asked him about it.
There is, a government source said, now a window open. There is work here for the UK Government, the SWA, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States — and the Scottish Government too.
The President has urged Mr Swinney to follow up. The First Minister said he did, promptly, with the US Ambassador to the UK, Warren A. Stephens.
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That dinner also meant, the source said, there was a rapport when the FM had his proper talks with the President on Tuesday morning.
It meant he could talk about Gaza and properly share the horror of the people of Scotland at the situation.
There has been, quite understandably, some anger over the cost of hosting the President of the United States in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.
The policing operation is understandably massive.
Some estimates suggest it could leave the taxpayer with a bill in the millions, possibly even more that £10m.
Could a deal on whisky make it all worthwhile?
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