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John Swinney says President Trump sent him a note of thanks last night

John Swinney says President Donald Trump sent him a message last night to thank him for his contribution in getting a deal over the line to lift tariffs on whisky being imported into the US.

The first minister and SNP leader was speaking on a visit to Deanston Distillery in Stirlingshire.

He says Donald Trump thanked him for “proposing the route that has allowed this to happen.”

Trump has set out that tariffs depress the Kentucky bourbon trade - as whisky is aged in those casks.

In the message, Swinney says President Trump indicated that his decision was taken because of the relationship with Kentucky and that was significant in his thinking.

Swinney say the deal is good news for Scotland, good news for the Scotch whisky industry and good news for jobs in country and a great outcome has been delivered for Scotland.

Countering Labour and Conservative criticism that the first minister was “taking credit” for the deal, Swinney says “we are in the midst of an election campaign and politicians will say all sorts of things".

However, he also says it is “pretty clear that the issue lifting tariffs on Scotch whisky was nowhere near the top of the agenda until I weighed in on the subject when President Trump came to Scotland last July."

The first minster repeated that he went to the Oval Office with a “constructive solution” on the Kentucky issue which was recognised by the president in his message.

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