THE likes of the Daily Mail and Daily Express have gone hard on John Swinney and other SNP ministers going out to the US to follow Scotland at the World Cup, with the Mail on Sunday blasting their “World Cup jolly” on its front page.
But is such anger over members of the Scottish Government going out to back the team in arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet for the first time in 28 years really justified? Would we have something to say if our elected members did not show support for the team in such a huge cultural moment?
Conservative leader Russell Findlay says it “merits a red card for hypocrisy" given Swinney has previously attacked other MSPs for going on football trips. Tory MSP Murdo Fraser has taken Swinney’s trip particularly to heart given he blasted him for watching Rangers in the 2022 Europa League final in Seville.
Fraser may have some reason to feel a bit aggrieved, but there is an argument to be made that the World Cup is a much more significant event than the Europa League where Scotland will be represented on the world stage in a way it hasn’t been since devolution.
You also get the sense that Swinney would be damned if he did go and damned if he didn’t.
This is what @JohnSwinney said to me & Dean Lockhart in 2022 when we went to Seville for the Europa League final. I’m sure as a man of integrity he’s not a shameless hypocrite so there is a credible explanation for this latest development? https://t.co/Lj1ykQ0r3t pic.twitter.com/LoX5MKvmm1
— Murdo Fraser MSP (@murdo_fraser) June 6, 2026
If he didn’t go, would we not also be complaining that he was not making the most of an opportunity of Scotland being on the world stage in a major global sporting event? Aside from watching the football, Swinney will likely have the chance to rub shoulders with other world leaders and this will surely be important for Scotland’s international standing.
This tournament has always been just as much about culture and nationhood as it has about the football itself and anyone who thinks that in this World Cup – of all World Cups – politics can be kept separate to sport is kidding themselves.
It would be foolish of Swinney too to not get behind the team when their performance impinges so much on people’s mood and sense of national identity and community. Surely no one wants to see Scotland’s leader display such ignorance during this unique moment for the country.
As for the other ministers going out to the US – Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn, Sports Minister Maree Todd and Community Care Minister Alison Thewliss – it is perhaps up for debate as to whether this is necessary, but again this is a huge cultural event that you would expect politicians to squeeze what they can out of and why would Swinney not want his team out there?
It is to some extent depressing to see some corners of the Scottish press lap up criticism of our politicians going to follow the team rather than encouraging them to make the most of such a major cultural occasion.
We often talk about politicians not being relatable or not seeing eye to eye with the public. This is a moment we’ll see them join with the fans to celebrate the nation and cheer on the team with the eyes of the whole world on the tournament. The opportunities for Scotland to advance itself socially, culturally and economically are endless.
It hardly seems staggering they would take up the chance to be a part of it all and maybe – just maybe – if we can refrain from being cynical for a second, we’ll reap the benefits of our government making the most of this occasion.
