Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has snubbed an invitation from Donald Trump to attend a White House state banquet with the King and Queen next week.
The Scottish Government confirmed that Mr Swinney “politely declined” the offer to participate in the April 28 event.
But Mr Swinney’s spokesman explained that election campaigning prevented him from accepting.
“President Trump called First Minister John Swinney to invite him to the State Banquet at the White House next week,” they said.
“Due to the election, the First Minister politely declined the invitation.”
Scotland heads to the polls on May 7 for the Holyrood election, with the SNP tipped to win a wafer-thin majority by pollsters.
John Swinney has snubbed an invitation from Donald Trump to attend a White House state banquet
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Mr Swinney’s party is projected to win 67 seats in the Scottish Parliament – and he has already started making the case for IndyRef2.
The First Minister has said a win would give him a mandate to negotiate with Westminster for a second vote.
His decision to reject the US invitation comes despite his previous engagement with the Trump administration.
Last September, he visited the White House to plead for exemptions for Scotch whisky from American import tariffs.
JOHN SWINNEY – READ THE LATEST:
Last September, John Swinney visited the White House to discuss potential tariff exemptions for Scotch whisky
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SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
Just one week after that meeting, Mr Swinney attended the state banquet for Mr Trump at Windsor Castle to mark his unprecedented second State Visit.
The First Minister has also recently urged “de-escalation” regarding Iran in the wake of US military strikes, cautioning about the risks of such intervention.
Despite his desire for Scottish independence, Mr Swinney has previously advocated for King Charles to remain as head of state if the country broke away from the Union.
Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, he told the BBC: “As a representative of the mainstream opinion on the question of independence… My party’s position is that the monarch should be the head of state of an independent Scotland.
“It’s what we argued in the referendum in 2014, and it’s what we will continue to argue.”
The banquet forms part of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official state visit to America
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GETTYOn the other side of the Atlantic, the King and Queen will soon kick off their trip to the States for the 250th anniversary of American independence.
In Washington DC, the couple will have a private meeting with Mr Trump before the banquet.
The President labelled the King a “great gentleman” last week, insisting his strained relationship with the Prime Minister would “not at all” overshadow or impact the monarch’s visit.
Their itinerary also includes New York, where they will attend an event at the 9/11 memorial.
The King and Queen will then travel to Virginia before concluding their trip in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda.