Overview
- Donald Trump posted on Truth Social hours after the result to praise John Swinney, calling him a “good man” and linking him to tariff relief for Scotch whisky.
- The SNP finished first with 58 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, with Labour and Reform UK tied for second on 17 seats each.
- Swinney pointed to Trump’s message to support his claim that he pushed for the removal of US whisky tariffs, after earlier releasing a thank-you text from Trump to counter online doubts.
- In his victory remarks, Swinney urged Downing Street to show Scotland more respect and said Labour had been hammered in the contest.
- Labour figures criticized Sir Keir Starmer over the party’s poor results, while he vowed to stay on as leader as Reform UK logged major gains in Wales and across English councils.