Reasons to be cheerful as the Democrats take control in USA - Susan Dalgety

At first glance, who won Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District or became the junior senator for Texas last Tuesday matters not a jot to any of us living in Scotland’s capital. (FYI it was Democrats Bob Brooks and James Talarico respectively).

Victorious Democratic Senate candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico concludes a speech at an election night event in Austin, Texas on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

But the truth is, in our ever more connected world, the blue tsunami that saw the Democrats take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, so effectively rendering President Trump ineffective for the last two years of his presidency, is a big deal for all of us.

The Democrats' historic victory could see an end to the Iran war which has had a direct, negative impact on the UK economy. It has driven up inflation, which led to the Bank of England increasing interest rates last week.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has severely disrupted gas and oil supplies, means that energy prices are verging on the unaffordable. Economic growth has stalled, wages continue to stagnate and the cost of living rises daily.

Trump’s foolhardy war may not be the only factor affecting our economy and therefore our household budgets, but it is a major one.

Ukraine must be hopeful that the new political landscape in America will prove positive for the war against Putin. Democrats are traditionally much more open to stronger relationships with Europe.

Speaking after the election, Ukraine’s President Zelensky said that while he is grateful to the Republican party for support, the Demo-crats “speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine and providing assistance”.

There is even a lesson for the Scottish Government and local councils in last week’s landslide. A poll showed that a backlash against the wholesale construction of data centres may have contributed to the Democrats’ victory, with the party calling for stricter environmental safeguards, a local right to veto the building of a centre and a requirement for the owners of data centres to fully cover their own energy and water infrastructure costs.

But perhaps the biggest effect on all of us is the hope that the Democrats' victory brings. For years now, we have watched aghast as ‘big men’ like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and even Reform’s Nigel Farage, have used the language of hate to divide society.

We have become used to the idea that bullies who prefer bombs to diplomacy are in charge of the world and that we, the people, are helpless victims in the face of authoritarian leaders.

Last Tuesday proved that people do still have power and that the ballot box is mightier than the sword. Of course, Trump may yet use his position as leader of the free world to wreak havoc, but for all our sakes, let’s hope he spends his last two years in the White House remodelling its interior and completing his “most beautiful” ballroom.

And he could always pop over to his ancestral homeland, Scotland, for the occasional game of golf and leave the governing of the world’s biggest economy to the Democrats. They may not be perfect, but they are not dangerous.