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ITV News
19 minutes ago
- Business
- ITV News
We're backing Scotland with billions in investment, says Reeves ahead of visit
The UK Government is backing Scotland with billions in investment to grow the economy and create jobs, the Chancellor has said ahead of her visit to the country. Rachel Reeves said Labour is 'seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has to offer' in defence and energy. She will visit RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and the St Fergus gas plant in Aberdeenshire on Friday, exactly a week after she toured the Rolls-Royce factory near Glasgow Airport. The Chancellor will meet 200 Boeing staff at the military site where three new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft are being made. Whether it's in defence to keep the UK safe, or clean energy to power all corners of the country, this Government is backing Scotland with billions of pounds of investment to grow the economy and create jobs Rachel Reeves The UK Government said its plans to increase defence spending to 2.6% will raise Britain's GDP by around 0.3%, while adding 26,100 jobs to the Scottish economy. It also pointed to its £200 million investment for Aberdeenshire's Acorn carbon capture project, which could create 15,000 new jobs while safeguarding 18,000 more. A final investment decision for the project is yet to be made. Ms Reeves said: 'We're seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has on offer. 'Whether it's in defence to keep the UK safe, or clean energy to power all corners of the country, this Government is backing Scotland with billions of pounds of investment to grow the economy and create jobs.' Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the Government is investing in defence to 'ensure Britain's security and deter our adversaries and drive economic growth'. He added: 'This investment is a massive jobs opportunity for Scotland – this 'defence dividend' is good news for Scotland, where it will help create skilled jobs, drive economic growth, and help tackle the critical skills gaps facing the country in sectors such as nuclear, construction, maritime and project management.' Maria Laine, Boeing's UK president, said: 'Boeing has a long-standing presence in Scotland including at RAF Lossiemouth, the home to the UK's P-8 Poseidon fleet and where the E-7 Wedgetail will be based when it enters service. 'As a key partner of the UK Armed Forces, Boeing welcomes the defence spending increase and has seen first-hand how defence infrastructure investments, such as the £100 million Atlantic Building and new E-7 facilities at RAF Lossiemouth, can deliver for local jobs, suppliers and UK national security.' Michelle Ferguson, director of CBI Scotland, added: 'Scotland's energy and defence sectors are vital to our economy, driving investment and supporting thousands of skilled jobs. 'The Chancellor's announcement of £200 million for the Acorn energy project is very encouraging, but businesses are eager for final approval to unlock its full potential and secure North Sea jobs. 'Increased defence spending will further boost Scotland's skilled workforce and create growth opportunities across key supply-chain. 'Close collaboration between the Scottish and UK governments will be essential to fully realise these benefits, driving forward national security and Scotland's transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy.' Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce urged the Chancellor to drop the energy profits levy (EPL), the so-called 'windfall tax' on oil and gas companies, which has a headline rate of 78%. Chief executive Russell Borthwick said: 'If we stick to course on the accelerated decline of the North Sea, then we'll only have a few short years and not prosperous decades of future oil and gas from our own waters. 'Instead, we'll import more, pay more and suffer further consequences of jobs and businesses lost, just at the time we need them to support the energy transition. 'We know the Chancellor needs to find growth from somewhere within the UK economy. With oil and gas, there's no need to start from scratch or build out a nascent industry. 'Simply by removing the confiscatory EPL, letting investment flow into projects and stimulating activity in a sector which has been hammered by policy for too long, we can unlock significant growth in the UK economy.'
Scotsman
19 minutes ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Rachel Reeves told to axe North Sea windfall tax as she claims billions in investment ahead of Scotland visit
The UK government is backing Scotland with billions in investment to grow the economy and create jobs, the Chancellor has said ahead of her visit to the country. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK government is backing Scotland with billions in investment to grow the economy and create jobs, the Chancellor has declared, ahead of her visit to country's north. Rachel Reeves said Labour was 'seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has to offer' in defence and energy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She will visit RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and the St Fergus gas plant in Aberdeenshire today, exactly a week after she toured the Rolls-Royce factory near Glasgow Airport. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves meets with staff and apprentices during a visit to Rolls Royce at Inchinnan, Renfrewshire. Picture: PA The Chancellor will meet 200 Boeing staff at the military site where three new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft are being made. The UK government said its plans to increase defence spending to 2.6 per cent will raise Britain's GDP by around 0.3 per cent, while adding 26,100 jobs to the Scottish economy. Ministers have pointed to its £200 million investment for Aberdeenshire's Acorn carbon capture project, which could create 15,000 new jobs while safeguarding 18,000 more. A final investment decision for the project is yet to be made. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves said: 'We're seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has on offer. 'Whether it's in defence to keep the UK safe, or clean energy to power all corners of the country, this Government is backing Scotland with billions of pounds of investment to grow the economy and create jobs.' But the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce urged the Chancellor to drop the energy profits levy, the so-called 'windfall tax' on oil and gas companies, which has a headline rate of 78 per cent. Chief executive Russell Borthwick said: 'If we stick to course on the accelerated decline of the North Sea, then we'll only have a few short years and not prosperous decades of future oil and gas from our own waters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Lib Dems MP Alistair Carmichael urged Ms Reeves to announce new measures to break the link between gas prices and electricity costs to secure cheap, clean power. 'I'm surprised the Chancellor can find a business to host her,' he said. 'She won't be welcome in Aberdeen because of what she has done to oil and gas and she won't be welcome in most of the shire because of her plans on inheritance tax. All that on top of national insurance increases that are crippling business growth everywhere.' Scottish Secretary Ian Murray claimed the UK government was investing in defence to 'ensure Britain's security and deter our adversaries and drive economic growth'. He said: 'This investment is a massive jobs opportunity for Scotland – this 'defence dividend' is good news for Scotland, where it will help create skilled jobs, drive economic growth, and help tackle the critical skills gaps facing the country in sectors such as nuclear, construction, maritime and project management.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Michelle Ferguson, director of CBI Scotland, added: 'Scotland's energy and defence sectors are vital to our economy, driving investment and supporting thousands of skilled jobs.
Western Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
We're backing Scotland with billions in investment, says Reeves ahead of visit
Rachel Reeves said Labour is 'seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has to offer' in defence and energy. She will visit RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and the St Fergus gas plant in Aberdeenshire on Friday, exactly a week after she toured the Rolls-Royce factory near Glasgow Airport. The Chancellor will meet 200 Boeing staff at the military site where three new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft are being made. The UK Government said its plans to increase defence spending to 2.6% will raise Britain's GDP by around 0.3%, while adding 26,100 jobs to the Scottish economy. It also pointed to its £200 million investment for Aberdeenshire's Acorn carbon capture project, which could create 15,000 new jobs while safeguarding 18,000 more. A final investment decision for the project is yet to be made. Ms Reeves said: 'We're seizing the huge potential and opportunities that Scotland has on offer. 'Whether it's in defence to keep the UK safe, or clean energy to power all corners of the country, this Government is backing Scotland with billions of pounds of investment to grow the economy and create jobs.' The Chancellor will visit RAF Lossiemouth on Friday (Danny Lawson/PA) Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the Government is investing in defence to 'ensure Britain's security and deter our adversaries and drive economic growth'. He added: 'This investment is a massive jobs opportunity for Scotland – this 'defence dividend' is good news for Scotland, where it will help create skilled jobs, drive economic growth, and help tackle the critical skills gaps facing the country in sectors such as nuclear, construction, maritime and project management.' Maria Laine, Boeing's UK president, said: 'Boeing has a long-standing presence in Scotland including at RAF Lossiemouth, the home to the UK's P-8 Poseidon fleet and where the E-7 Wedgetail will be based when it enters service. 'As a key partner of the UK Armed Forces, Boeing welcomes the defence spending increase and has seen first-hand how defence infrastructure investments, such as the £100 million Atlantic Building and new E-7 facilities at RAF Lossiemouth, can deliver for local jobs, suppliers and UK national security.' Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said Scotland is receiving a 'defence dividend' from the UK Government (Gareth Fuller/PA) Michelle Ferguson, director of CBI Scotland, added: 'Scotland's energy and defence sectors are vital to our economy, driving investment and supporting thousands of skilled jobs. 'The Chancellor's announcement of £200 million for the Acorn energy project is very encouraging, but businesses are eager for final approval to unlock its full potential and secure North Sea jobs. 'Increased defence spending will further boost Scotland's skilled workforce and create growth opportunities across key supply-chain. 'Close collaboration between the Scottish and UK governments will be essential to fully realise these benefits, driving forward national security and Scotland's transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy.' Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce urged the Chancellor to drop the energy profits levy (EPL), the so-called 'windfall tax' on oil and gas companies, which has a headline rate of 78%. Chief executive Russell Borthwick said: 'If we stick to course on the accelerated decline of the North Sea, then we'll only have a few short years and not prosperous decades of future oil and gas from our own waters. 'Instead, we'll import more, pay more and suffer further consequences of jobs and businesses lost, just at the time we need them to support the energy transition. 'We know the Chancellor needs to find growth from somewhere within the UK economy. With oil and gas, there's no need to start from scratch or build out a nascent industry. 'Simply by removing the confiscatory EPL, letting investment flow into projects and stimulating activity in a sector which has been hammered by policy for too long, we can unlock significant growth in the UK economy.'
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Donald Trump to meet First Minister John Swinney on golf course on final day of Scotland trip
Donald Trump and John Swinney are expected to speak about whisky tariffs and the Middle East during their meeting. Donald Trump's four-day visit to Scotland wraps up on Tuesday with a meeting with First Minister John Swinney. The two leaders are expected to discuss issues including whisky tariffs and the Middle East during a one-to-one chat, before the US President opens a brand new course at his golf resort in Aberdeenshire. The trip has been dominated by trade talks with the EU. Trump has already played a round of golf at his Turnberry course, where he welcomed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. The pair then boatded Air Force One and flew to RAF Lossiemouth, before joining Swinney for a private dinner at Trump's plush resort in Balmedie, near Aberdeen. The visit has sparked a major police operation across Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, with extra officers deployed for protest marches in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Before the trip, the White House said Trump and Starmer would focus on trade between the countries. Despite an agreement being signed, a 10 per cent tariff is still being slapped on Scotch whisky one of Scotland's biggest global exports. Asked if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the prime minister, Trump said: "We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be." Swinney has vowed to raise the issue personally. A Scottish government spokesperson said the dinner on Monday would provide Swinney with an opportunity "specifically to make the case for tariff exemptions for Scotland's world class whisky and salmon sector" On Monday, the first minister told the BBC: "Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product. "Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. "So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs," he added. President Trump also took the media conference at Turnberry as an opportunity to hit out at wind turbines, which he branded "ugly monsters". He is a long-standing critic of turbines and previously lost a legal battle to block a wind farm from being built opposite his golf club in Aberdeenshire. Trump said: "Wind is the most expensive form of energy and it destroys the beauty of your fields, your plains and your waterways. "Wind needs massive subsidy, and you are paying in Scotland and in the UK, and all over the place, massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place." Instead, the president urged the UK to exploit North Sea oil and gas. "When we go to Aberdeen, you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen, the height of a 50-storey building," Trump said. "You can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big," he added, gesturing with his hands. "It's called oil and gas, and you have it there in the North Sea." The prime minister said the UK government believed in a mix of energy. "Obviously, oil and gas is going to be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear, which is what we've been discussing," he said. The president's visit was described as a "private" trip and - unusually for such events - combined politics with business and his love of golf. His mum was born on the Isle of Lewis and moved to New York in 1930 aged just 18, a family link Trump often cites as his reason for investing in Scotland. He's been a regular visitor to his Scottish courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire over the past decade. Trump is due back in the UK in September for a state visit, where he'll stay with King Charles at Windsor Castle.
Daily Record
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Flight restrictions imposed over Scotland as Donald Trump prepares for trip to mother's homeland
The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance to cover the duration of the US President's time in Scotland. Flight restrictions will be imposed over parts of Scotland as part of routine security precautions for the arrival of Donald Trump on Friday. The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance to cover the duration of the US President's time in Scotland. In a briefing issued to the aviation industry today, it said: "The President of the United States (POTUS) will visit Scotland between July 25 and 29. "POTUS will visit several locations throughout Scotland and as part of the security arrangements the Secretary of State for Transport has decided that it is necessary, on the grounds of public safety and security, to introduce Restriction of Flying Regulations under Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 to restrict the operation of all types of aircraft between July 24 and 29". The initial restrictions cover Prestwick Airport, where Trump is expected to arrive from the US on board Air Force One, and the area surrounding the Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire where he is expected to be based. Further restrictions cover RAF Lossiemouth in the north-east and over the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire, where Trump will open a new golf course named in honour of his later mother, Mary. It comes as a senior officer has warned Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland will 'undoubtedly stretch' police resources Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (Asps), said the visit of the US President would require a 'significant operation across the country over many days' from Police Scotland. His comments come in the wake of similar concerns from the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) – the body which represents rank and file officers. However Scottish First Minister John Swinney has insisted policing will not be put in a 'detrimental position' as a result of the visit. Trump is due to arrive in Scotland on Friday for a five-day private visit to his his golf resorts in both Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire. During his time in Scotland the President will meet both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Swinney. Hay said: "The private visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland at the end of July will require the Police Service of Scotland to plan for and deliver a significant operation across the country over many days. 'This will undoubtedly stretch all our resources from local policing divisions to specialist and support functions such as contact, command and control.' Police superintendents and chief superintendents will have 'key leadership roles' for the visit, he added, saying they would be taking responsibility for areas such as planning and resourcing, intelligence gathering, command and control communications, armed operations, public order, and other specialist functions."
