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Donald Trump praises John Swinney as 'good man' after SNP election win
Trump praised John Swinney as a good man after the SNP won 58 seats and a fifth straight Holyrood term.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump congratulated Scottish First Minister John Swinney on his re-election, praising his work on Scotch whisky tariff relief and calling it a "Big Electoral Victory!".
To secure relief from the 10 per cent whisky import tax, Swinney visited Washington last year to press for a deal estimated to cost Scotland £4 million per week.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander dismissed Swinney's credit claims as a "lie," but the First Minister produced a note from the President stating, "Congratulations, John — you were a very big part of my thinking on the matter of Scotland/Kentucky!".
Friday's election results saw the SNP win 58 seats, retaining power for a fifth term after 19 years in office, though the party fell short of an overall majority following a 16-hour count.
Emphasizing that Scotland needs respect, Swinney called for a more "co-operative relationship" with the United Kingdom Government, noting that relations had "soured" recently.