By Chris McCall
Copyright dailyrecord
John Swinney has distanced himself from Donald Trump after the US President faced condemnation over his claims that pregnant women should not take paracetamol. The Republican leader told Americans this week that taking Tylenol – known as paracetamol elsewhere – “is no good” and that pregnant women should “fight like hell” to only take it in cases of extreme fever. He alluded to unproven claims – spread widely by right-wing social media trolls – that mothers taking the drug is one of the reasons for more children being diagnosed with autism. Swinney has worked hard to build a positive business relationship with the Trump family and recently met with the President in the Oval Office to push the case for reduced tariffs on Scotch whisky exports. But the SNP leader made it clear to reporters in Glasgow today he disagreed with his American ally when it came to making statement on public health. Asked by the Record for his reaction to Trump’s paracetamol claims, Swinney said: “The President’s comments have no foundation in clinical or scientific evidence. “The Health Secretary, on our part, as well as various other clinical advisers around the world have made it absolutely clear there is no such connection, and the safe use of paracetamol is appropriate during pregnancy.” It comes as Nigel Farage was today accused of having “no backbone” after refusing to say whether Trump was irresponsible to link paracetamol to autism. The Reform UK leader claimed that “science is never settled” as he declined to side with medical experts who warned it was dangerous to make the link. Asked on LBC whether Trump was wrong, Farage replied: “I have no idea. I have no idea, you know, we were told thalidomide was a very safe drug and it wasn’t. Who knows, Nick, I don’t know.” Speaking to the Record, Swinney continued: “It’s recklessness. I look at the progress that has been made on vaccination programmes in my lifetime, where conditions which were prevalent have been potentially extinguished. Polio, for example, has largely been extinguished as a consequence of vaccination programmes. “I think we’ve got to follow careful, considered scientific and clinical evidence, and that’s what the Scottish Government does at all times.” “I think comments Nigel Farage has made today are completely reckless.” Farage also claimed Trump has a “particular thing about autism – I think because there’s been some in his family, he feels it very personally. I have no idea”. Asked if he would side with medical experts who say it is dangerous to make the link, Farage said: “I wouldn’t, when it comes to science, I don’t side with anybody. I don’t side with anybody, you know, because science is never settled, and we should remember that.” Put to him that it was irresponsible to make that link as US president, Farage said: “That’s an opinion he’s got. It’s not one that I necessarily share. But I mean, honestly, I’ve no idea.” Responding to Farage, Wes Streeting, the UK Health Secretary, said: “No idea and no backbone. This is a man whose health adviser claimed at Reform’s Conference that the covid vaccine gave the Royal Family cancer. Anti-science, anti-reason, anti-NHS. Farage is the snake oil salesman of British politics and it’s time to stop buying his rubbish.” To sign up to the Daily R ecord Politics newsletter, click here
