SNP criticism of Sir could put national security at risk and play into ‘s hands, Downing Street sources have warned. Party leader and Westminster leader have been accused of making “foreign policy blunders” by disputing the Prime Minister’s handling of the public spat between the US and , with Mr Flynn suggesting that it had made the UK Government look “weak”.
Mr Swinney also described the , which culminated in the latter being sent packing less than two hours after he arrived at the White House, as “disturbing”, adding that Mr Trump’s state visit to the UK was now “unthinkable”. The Prime Minister has trodden a distinctly more cautious path, declining to directly criticise the US President but signalling his support for the Ukrainian leader by embracing him outside Number 10 just hours after the Oval Office clash. And it appears that sources close to the PM aren’t too happy about the Nationalist party’s outspoken comments, with a source questioning whether the “foreign policy blunders” could wreak havoc on the global perception of UK unity.
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The Downing Street source warned the SNP against angering President Trump (Image: Getty)
“There are real concerns [that] Mr Swinney and Mr Flynn are blundering on foreign policy by seeking to politicise issues around the US President and the war,” a Downing Street source told The Sun.
They also cautioned that the Scottish First Minister risked provoking a “devastating” trade war with the US by making derogatory comments about President Trump.
Even offhand remarks could catch the US leader’s attention, they warned, because of the “close eye” he keeps on Scotland, as his ancestral home and the location of two of his golf courses.
Conservative Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie echoed the concerns about how a show of disunity could be seized upon by hostile states like . “Given the need to protect our security in this uncertain world, nationalist politicians should be much more mindful before offering their opinions,” he said.
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Mr Swinney endorsed in the November election – something that has already earned him a jab from Mr Trump, who labelled the leader “nasty” last year.
Despite this, Mr Swinney met with the President’s son Eric at Bute House last week to discuss the family’s business in Scotland – including their two golf courses in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.
In a statement after their meeting, Eric said the First Minister had thanked him for the firm’s “colossal investment and commitment to Scotland”, describing it as a “warm and friendly” exchange during which politics hadn’t been discussed.