Despite fears that she wouldn’t live up to her accidental billing as a comedian, Nicola sturgeon raised more than few laughs in her appearance on US comedy news programme the Daily Show.
Sitting down across from host Jon Stewart, the most senior UK politician to have done so, the First Minister said she found the experience, “exciting, if a little scary”.
“You billed on me your website as a comedian,” she told Stewart. “You raised all these expectations that I’m going to be funny. I’m a politician. As you know politicians aren’t funny”.
“You don’t have to worry,” said Stewart. “They thought for the last 17 years that I was going to be funny”.
The genial chat between the two saw Stewart, who leaves the show in Autumn, tease the First Minister for expressing disappointment at not winning all the seats in Scotland at the general election.
“What you think you’re Saddam Hussein?” he said, “You want 99%? 56 out of 59 is pretty good.”
“Well I think you should always aim for more,” replied the First Minister.
The interview gave the SNP leader ample opportunity to promote Scotland to an audience of millions.
Stewart asked her: “You have pledged for Scotland greater self determination, more financial independence but now after the election that has crashed head on with the reality that Westminster still controls the purse strings; still believes in austerity as receipts can dwindle for the GDP of Scotland... my question to you is this, First Minister... what is haggis”?
“Haggis is delicious,” said Sturgeon, “Have you tasted haggis?”
As well as haggis, the First Minister said, Scotland is a place of great Scotch whisky and great cities and great scenery. Scotland invented the modern world Sturgeon said.
Stewart gave the SNP a little bit of advice for any future attempts at independence: “Do you know what they hate?” he asked “When you throw their stuff in their water."
The First Minister got her biggest laugh when a question about the Scottish economy turned to oil.
“You have oil?” Stewart said, “May we invade you?”
“This is progress!” said Sturgeon. “We just heard Jon there, presumably on behalf of the US, asking for permission to invade an oil producing country, it doesn’t normally work that way..."
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