The US, our largest export market – bigger than Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands combined – now guarantees greater access for Scotland’s iconic products. Whisky, already a global symbol of Scottish excellence, is set to expand its reach, boosting rural economies. Salmon exports, too, are primed to surge, cementing Scotland’s reputation for world-class seafood.
Additionally, Scotland’s engineering sector, including Rolls-Royce’s high-value manufacturing, stands to benefit from increased transatlantic trade. With reduced barriers, Scottish-made components and precision engineering can access US markets more competitively, safeguarding jobs and supporting innovation.
Read more:
Reports: Donald Trump to announce US-UK trade deal today
Scottish Government seeks clarity on new UK–US trade deal
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer announce US-UK trade deal
Meanwhile, the newly-finalised trade agreement with India slashes whisky tariffs from 150% to 75%, with a path to 40% over the next decade. This breakthrough opens the doors to 1.4 billion consumers, supercharging Scotland’s most famous export. These are the opportunities that Brexit has made possible – opportunities the SNP would surrender by dragging Scotland back into the EU.
Nicola Sturgeon once called Brexit a “material change for the worse.” This week’s trade triumphs tell a different story. Rejoining the EU would sever Scotland from the UK’s internal market – 60% of our trade – while turning our back on Global Britain’s expanding reach. Scotland’s future prosperity depends on embracing these global partnerships, not retreating to the EU’s declining bloc.
To take full advantage of these new opportunities, the UK must focus on getting energy costs competitive. High-energy prices risk undermining the gains from these trade deals, especially for Scotland’s energy-intensive industries.
And while opinions on Donald Trump’s methods may differ, he prioritised Britain’s trade interests – something Barack Obama bluntly dismissed when he warned that the UK would be “at the back of the queue” for any US trade deal if it left the EU. This week’s US trade agreement proves just how wrong he was. Biden was totally disinterested to do a deal due to his Irish concerns
In summary, Global Britain is here, and Scotland needs to be part of it – thriving, trading, and leading on the world stage. The SNP’s nostalgic vision is a road to nowhere. Our future is global, and not narrow nationalism.
Ian Lakin, Milltimber, Aberdeen.
Scotland’s spending has spiralled out of control
I read that the final bill for electrification of the train line between Glasgow and East Kilbride has risen to almost £144 million (May 9).
We are still waiting for the dualling of the A9 the main arterial route in Scotland – which again, as sure as night follows day, will come in over budget, when the SNP decide to carry out that project.
The two ferries from Turkey are long overdue and their costs have risen.The harbour at Ardrossan is not suitable for the Glen Sannox, which again came in over budget.
We still await the conclusion of Branchform, the cost here is presently over £2.million.
The sad thing is that there is no opposition that can hold the SNP to account and they are allowed to continue in this vein unhindered, and no doubt will be re-elected in 2026.
If this were to happen, Scotland would continue to sink deeper into the mire, led by John Swinney and his cohorts continuing to waste our money. And they have the temerity to give themselves and all MSPs a £2,000 pay rise. For what?
Neil Stewart, Balfron.
Scepticism over GP appointments
Rebecca McQuillan has unfortunately fallen for the political doublespeak when she talks about “100,000 extra GP Appointments” (“SNP faces two big problems as it kicks off election campaign”, May 8).
John Swinney was very careful with his words – he promised only 100,000 “appointments in GP surgeries”, which is not quite the same thing.
Those appointments might be with community link workers, voluntary aid workers, et cetera. but as long as they take place in a GP surgery, that’ll qualify.
However, I suspect even that will prove impossible to implement, I know of few GP surgeries that have the spare rooms to accommodate this, in any case.
Dr Jim Finlayson (GP), Beauly.
A reward for ministers’ failure
No government, business or organisation of any sort has ever managed to correct its failings without first accepting responsibility for its own shortcomings.
John Swinney’s latest Programme for Government completely failed to recognise the part he and his SNP government of failure have played over the last 18 years in undermining the public services that we all depend on. As such, we can already be confident in advance that it will bring precious little positive change for Scotland.
Instead, as Brian Wilson correctly highlights, the First Minister rather cynically sought to focus on blaming others (“The FM’s speech contained plenty of grievance and blame-shifting…but precious little vision”, May 8).
For any political party, modern government is difficult to get right, with ever-rising expectations combined with limited finance and resources. Yet, whether it is the attainment gap in education, the dreadful state of NHS waiting lists, the abandonment of our islands to a badly mismanaged ferry system, or the underfunding of our local authorities, the SNP have made the wrong decisions again and again. On drug deaths, missed environmental targets, or ill-thought through legislation that has had to be abandoned or reversed, the SNP’s time in power has been characterised above all else by failure.
Mr Swinney imagines that the people of Scotland will ignore the evidence of the SNP’s 18 years of under-achievement, pitching his Programme for Government as the first salvo in the 2026 Holyrood elections. A vote for the SNP next year will be to reward failure, so it is to be hoped that instead we can collectively choose change and the opportunity that offers for so many things to start to improve.
Keith Howell, West Linton.
Prolonging the ferries’ status quo
What an oxymoronic statement from the transport secretary Fiona Hyslop (“Calmac is awarded contract to operate west coast ferries”, May 8).
If we are shifting from “ . . . a commercial arrangement to a model more focused on the delivery of a public service . . ” why maintain the fiction of a contract? A fundamentally commercial concept if ever there was one!
All this announcement does is prolong the status quo of an arrangement that failed to function years ago, with government money subsidising and the same government sanctioning, through fines, the same publicly-owned organisation.
In any event, it does nothing to address the problem at the heart of ferry provision which is not CalMac but the incompetence of Transport Scotland and CMal, abetted by a succession of hapless government ministers and other political posturers.
If they are going to go for the delivery of a public service model, why not do it properly and make the ferry provider an arm of government? Then again such an arrangement might not appeal to politicians who currently deflect attention from their own shortcomings by blaming CalMac and the rest.
But it’s not all bad news. I see that doing away with the tender process will save £1.1m of expenditure!
David Brookens, Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran.
Set free the Russian people
I thank George Morton (letters, May 7) for explaining that he knows of Russian acts in Ukraine of invasion, looting, torture, murder, rape and the deportation of children, and that he thoroughly endorses these actions.
It’s good of Mr Morton to relay anew Vladimir Putin’s threats of escalation, but they are hot air. Putin knows that but Mr Morton doesn’t. Putin can take his army home any time he likes. After all, he escalated from peace to war all by himself. Peace that Russia guaranteed by treaty in 1991.
I don’t know why Mr Morton thinks my choice of home needs discussion, but I can assure him that Switzerland loves the EU as much as I do. Many thousands of EU citizens cross every border of Switzerland to work every morning. Swiss commerce trades as eagerly in Euro currency as in Swiss Francs. Citizens of the EU and Swiss citizens may settle and work in each others’ countries. Not quite without formality because a number of countries require residents to register. I and other inhabitants of Switzerland shop when we choose in France, Germany and Italy.
To answer Mr Morton’s direct question, I would have no prospect fighting in Ukraine because I have never been a soldier and would not be much use, and because I’m an entire generation older than most soldiers retire.
I don’t rule out helping clear unspent munitions afterwards from agricultural land, but Ukrainian authorities are understandably more interested in combatants so far. It’s good of Mr Morton to pass on Russian observations about Swiss neutrality, but Swiss authorities publish very clear regulations about what I can and can’t do, and themselves organise relief work in a number of countries.
I take this opportunity of reminding Ian R Mitchell (letters, May 7) that Soviet authorities helped and joined Hitler in unleashing war on Poland in September 1939, so that the Soviet state might feast on the resulting devastation. Many Russians indeed perished after Hitler attacked Russia in 1941, but the Soviet state killed more Russians than Hitler did. It did take them longer.
The current problem is not pro-Russian rioters who started a street battle in Odessa in 2014 with the support of armed police. The problem is the President and Commander in Chief of Russia who ignited war against Ukraine even longer ago than 2014, declaring that his own glory should shine down the ages like the glory of Peter the Great. His performance so far is more like Nicholas II, who like Putin threw away the lives of his soldiers.
The free countries of Europe have the power to halt the fascist gangster Putin. It’s not easy to set the Russian people free, but it’s necessary. They are a wonderful people who deserve the freedoms which we enjoy quite thoughtlessly. That’s why Putin can’t can’t tolerate visible freedom and democracy on the same land mass as Russia.
Tim Cox, Bern 6, Switzerland.
Body-swerving reality
Ruth Marr (letters, May 9) focuses on some of the innovative and good things the SNP have achieved.
Unfortunately the list of what they haven’t achieved has been well-documented on here. Ruth and the separatists love blowing their trumpet and body swerving reality. Some might even call their achievements populist?
John Gilligan, Ayr.