Claiming the new UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves ‘backs Scotland’, the Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said he will aim to complete five trade missions for Scotland in the next two years.
Writing exclusively for The Herald, Mr Murray set out his plan to visit more countries in order to explore and build international trade relations for Scotland.
Mr Murray’s comments come as he is currently making his first official overseas visit to Norway this week in a bid to strengthen relationships with the UK's international partner.
It is understood the next Scotland Office visit will be a location in South-East Asia in December and another trip to the United States is expected next year. During these trips, Mr Murray is expected to encourage investment in key sectors for Scotland such as whisky, energy and financial services.
Writing for The Herald, The Secretary of State said: “Last week, the Chancellor confirmed the first tranche of funding to make our Brand Scotland project happen.
“Under my leadership, the Scotland Office will fund trade missions, promote Scottish goods and services around the world, and help Scottish businesses export for the first time.
“I have set a target of five trade missions in the next two years and as Scottish Secretary, I’ll be leading from the front.”
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Mr Murray said the recent UK budget offers the SNP “no more excuses” and the “number one mission” for the UK Government and the Scotland Office is economic growth.
During the UK General Election Campaign, the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Scotland Office under Labour would be the country's ‘window onto the world' as Scottish produce would be promoted in UK embassies across the world.
Announcing the UK budget last month, Rachel Reeves said Scotland will receive “the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution” with an additional £3.4bn in Treasury funding.
Labour sources said the Scottish government would also receive an additional £1.5bn in the current financial year.
However, the Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said any money gained by the Scottish government in the UK Budget was expected to be offset by about £500m in increased public sector costs due to employers being asked to pay National Insurance contributions on workers' wages.
During his visit to Norway this week, Mr Murray is expected to meet energy investors to highlight Scotland’s energy sector and UK Government’s clean energy mission. This follows £125 million allocated in the Budget towards establishing Great British Energy in Aberdeen.
The Scotland Office has said the visit “will deepen these ties, to bring benefits to people and businesses in both Scotland and Norway.”
The Secretary of State will meet with Norwegian companies who are investors in wind and low carbon projects - including Equinor who are a major supplier of energy to UK households and Operate the Hywind Scotland windfarm off the North East coast of Scotland.
Mr Murray will also meet Norwegian ministers, and visit Kongsberg, a world leading defence contractor part owned by the Norwegian Government. Kongsberg supports 3500 jobs in the UK, including in Aberdeen and Dunfermline.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Murray said: "We are committed to maximising Scotland’s influence abroad, and selling ‘Brand Scotland’ across the world. Norway and the UK are key partners in energy, trade and defence, and my visit will help strengthen those ties. Norway is an important provider of clean energy, and of course Scotland’s energy sector is world-leading.
"I look forward to meeting a number of energy companies to discuss our journey to clean energy by 2030, the role of GB Energy, and encourage their further investment in Scotland’s green clean future."
The Labour UK Government recently took the decision to increase duty on Scotch Whisky. The Scottish Whisky Association recently hit out at the government for this, stating this decision ran counter to their promise to back Scotch producers.
A SNP source said the increase on whisky duty "undermines" Labour’s commitment to promote ‘Brand Scotland’.
Commenting on the Scottish Secretary's commitment to further trade missions, Stuart McMillan SNP MSP said: "If Ian Murray is serious about achieving economic growth, he and his Labour colleagues should rethink their absurd support for Brexit.
"Scotland's forced exit from the EU has hampered growth and inflicted enormous costs on Scottish businesses, with a Labour Minister admitting just yesterday that the worst effects are still to come.
"The SNP is clear that we can only grow Scotland's economy by rejoining the EU - and if the Labour Party were serious about growth they would call out Brexit for the disaster that it is."
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