Tag: Scottish visit

Third of Scottish Tory MSPs endorse Tom Tugendhat to be party Leader

NEW SCOTS TORY MP ALSO BACKS THE FORMER-SOLDIER

Eight Members of the Scottish Parliament, a third of all eligible Conservative MSPs, have announced that they are backing Shadow Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat MP to be the next Leader of the Conservative Party.

The MSPs include Douglas Lumsden, Tim Eagle, Roz McCall, Stephen Kerr, Tess White, Maurice Golden, Finlay Carson and Sandesh Gulhane. 

Endorsing Tom for Leader, they said that he is the only candidate who has spent the time needed to understand the challenges facing Scotland, including those surrounding energy security, fisheries, farming and rural communities.

Likewise, he is the only candidate who has taken the time to meet with Scottish Conservative Party members, regularly campaign in the country and attend Scottish Conservative Party Conference multiple times. 

Proud champions of the union, the MSPs explained they wanted someone who would not only protect and fight for the union, but understood that if Scotland failed, everyone across the United Kingdom would feel the consequences. With Tugendhat as Leader, they argue they would always  have a champion for the Union – and the priorities of Scotland – at the helm in Westminster.

As a soldier, Tugendhat spent over 10 years keeping the entire United Kingdom safe before entering Parliament. He was one of the first MPs to warn about the threat of Russia and China.

As Security Minister, he was responsible for the National Security Act, which resulted in Britain arresting and charging more Russian and Chinese spies in his time as Minister than in the previous decade.

The MSPs said they were supporting Tom as they know he will deliver for the Scottish people, ensuring energy security and economic rejuvenation, and support rural communities, including Scotland’s cherished farming and fishing industries. 

Tom recognises that the Conservative Party has been undermined by infighting and factionalism in Westminster, which led to a failure to deliver and a breakdown in trust with the public.

He has made it clear that this leadership election is about choice. A choice between drawing a line under the infighting and a future focused on uniting the Party and rebuilding it around core Conservative values.

He argues that people across the United Kingdom deserve better and as Leader of the Conservative Party, he promised to rebuild our party, regain trust and beat Labour at the next election.

The MSPs outlined that they want a leader who will end the infighting in Westminster and return the Party to traditional conservative values, something Tugendhat has always fought for, including when he voted against Covid vaccine passports and did not support the National Insurance rise.

At the general election, the MSPs believe the Scottish people rejected the SNP in a sign they want to move on from the independence debate and want their government to focus on delivery.

As a man who delivers on his promises and can unite the party, the MSPs are backing Tom as they believe he will be an electoral asset for the Scottish Conservatives at the next 2026 Holyrood elections. They believe Scotland deserves better and that Tugendhat will take the Scottish Conservatives and Scotland into a new era. 

In a joint statement, the MSPs said:

“We are backing Tom Tugendhat to be our next UK Party Leader. We believe – indeed we know – that he is the best person for the job.

“A Leader to create a united party for our United Kingdom. A man of principle, service and duty. 

“Someone who says what he will do, then gets it done. Someone who gets Scotland, is a friend of Scotland, and is an asset to the Party in Scotland.

“We need a UK Leader who will be a help, not a hindrance, to the Scottish Conservatives in the battles ahead – Holyrood 2026 and the local elections the year after.

“We do not need a caretaker leader of the opposition, but someone capable and hungry to be the next Prime Minister for all of the UK.

“That Leader is Tom Tugendhat.“

ALSO supporting Mr Tugenhadt is new MP for Gordan and Buchan, Harriet Cross, who commented: “I am delighted to endorse Tom Tugendhat MP for Leader of our Great Party. As a newly elected MP for the Conservative and Unionist Party, it is my duty to support a Leader who will protect and fight for our Union. With Tom at the helm of the Conservative Party, the Union will always have a champion. 

“This is because Tom gets Scotland. He has taken the time to attend multiple Scottish Conservative Conferences, and meet local associations and members. He is someone who cherishes the union and wants all its nations to succeed.

“As part of the new generation of Conservatives, I want a Leader who will take forward traditional conservative values for the Party to unite around, and promise we deliver for all nations. I know that Tom Tugendhat is a man of his word. When he promises something, he delivers. And in ensuring our Party rebuilds trust with the voters of Scotland on a Conservative platform, Tom Tugendhat is the best hope for our Party.”

Welcoming the support, Tom Tugendhat said: “It is an absolute privilege to have so many of my Scottish Conservative colleagues backing me to be the next Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party today.

“I am thrilled to have their support. Unionism is indivisible from Conservatism and as leader, I promise to always fight for the Union and deliver on the priorities of the Scottish people.” 

Chancellor: ‘Inspiring’ Scots get back to work after furlough

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak yesterday praised the “inspiring” people and businesses of Scotland during a visit to meet those supported by the UK Government’s £352 billion Plan for Jobs.

Rishi Sunak travelled to Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow where he visited several businesses that have returned workers from furlough, held a roundtable of Scottish business leaders and saw how Scotland is creating jobs and leading our green recovery.

Around one in three jobs in Scotland have been supported by the UK Government’s support package and more than 90,000 Scottish businesses received more than £4.1 billion in loans since the start of the pandemic.

The Chancellor’s visit came as new figures released yesterday show that the number of people in Scotland on furlough has halved in the last three months, with just 141,500 jobs still furloughed.

 

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “It’s been inspiring to hear stories of people and businesses in Scotland that are now starting to feel the weight of the pandemic lifting off them as they get back to work – our Plan for Jobs is working and it’s great to see people succeeding after a year of uncertainty.

“It’s been a challenging time but the UK Government has delivered one of the most generous packages of support in the world, protecting one in three Scottish jobs.  

“Scotland will be key in ensuring the UK’s economic success – creating jobs, powering our growth and driving a green recovery by hosting COP26 later this year.”

During the visit, the Chancellor toured the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Turbine in Leven, Fife. The turbine is the leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.

He met SMEs who have used the turbine for development and have benefitted from UK Government funding for green ventures.

The Chancellor highlighted the important contributions Scotland makes to the UK, including towards the UK’s Net Zero transition and climate change leadership on the world stage, ahead of the COP26 Glasgow conference in November.

He also conducted a roundtable with Scottish businesses in the retail banking sector at the new Queen Elizabeth hub in Edinburgh, where he thanked them for their role in responding to the pandemic, keeping call centres and banks open for vulnerable customers, and distributing many of the UK Government business support schemes.

The Chancellor went on to see preparations for the International Festival and the Fringe. The UK Government gave £1m of funding to Edinburgh Festivals this year, to help the festival promote itself digitally to a bigger audience.

He visited a number of small businesses including Liggy’s Cake Company, which was supported through the furlough scheme and is now hiring new staff.

He also visited Dynamic Earth, an award-winning visitor centre in Edinburgh dedicated to educating people about the earth and environmental issues, and met with several staff who have returned from furlough and met a group of children taking part in the centre’s outdoor activities.

NUMBERS ON FURLOUGH FALL TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE START OF PANDEMIC

  • Almost three million people have moved off furlough since March, according to latest data
  • More than half a million people left the scheme in the month of June alone, with fewer than two million people now remaining on furlough
  • Chancellor welcomes new data while meeting furloughed employees on a visit to Scotland

ALMOST three million people have moved off the furlough scheme since March as the economy began to bounce back and businesses reopened, according to new statistics.

Figures published yesterday which cover up until the end of June, show the fewest number of people on furlough since the scheme launched in March 2020, down from a peak of nearly nine million at the height of the pandemic in May last year.

1.9 million people remained on the scheme by the end of June, more than half a million fewer than the 2.4 million at the end of May.

The Business Insights and Conditions survey (BICS) shows numbers may have fallen even further – with estimates that between 1.1 and 1.6 million people are still on furlough.

It comes as the Chancellor visited Scotland where he has hailed the economic strength of the union and where the Government’s Plan for Jobs has supported businesses and families during the pandemic.

Ahead of meeting Scottish businesses and individuals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife, where he talked to employees who have returned from furlough, Rishi Sunak welcomed the statistics.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “It’s fantastic to see businesses across the UK open, employees returning to work and the numbers of furloughed jobs falling to their lowest levels since the scheme began.

“I’m proud our Plan for Jobs is working and our support will continue in the months ahead.”

The figures also show a striking fall in the number of young people on furlough, who for the first time ever, no longer have the highest take-up of the scheme.

In the last three months, younger people have moved off the scheme twice as fast as all other age brackets, with almost 600,000 under 25s moving off the scheme.

Jobs in sectors including hospitality and retail are now also moving off the scheme the fastest, – with more than a million coming off the scheme in the last three months.

This decline means those in hospitality and retail no longer make up the majority of all those on furlough.

Furlough was extended until the end of September to allow for businesses to adjust beyond the end of the roadmap and to bring people back to work.

Starting on 1st August, the employer contribution to furlough costs will increase to 20% and that contribution level will continue until the scheme ends at the end of September.

The Government’s Plan for Jobs continues and is still in place to provide support, including Kickstart, traineeships and more work coaches to help people find jobs.

The government says this ‘is is the right thing to do’ to reduce long term economic scarring in the labour market and our ongoing Plan for Jobs means that we will continue to support people as the economy recovers.

Chancellor hails Scotland’s pivotal role in future of UK economy

  • The Chancellor will visit Scotland today (29 July 2021) to meet people and firms supported by the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs throughout the pandemic.
  • In advance of the trip, Rishi Sunak hailed the economic strength of the Union and said Scotland’s “innovation and ingenuity” would be key in powering the UK’s future global economy;
  • He will meet firms in sectors ranging from tech to tourism and see how Scotland is helping drive the UK’s transition to net zero ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow later this year.

The Chancellor has hailed the economic strength of the union ahead of a visit to Scotland where he will see first hand how the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs has supported businesses and families during the pandemic.

Rishi Sunak will meet Scottish businesses and individuals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife to discuss how they are recovering from the crisis and find out more about the ways Scottish firms are creating jobs and playing a key role in the UK’s green recovery.

Ahead of the visit, he hailed the economic strength of the union and said Scotland’s “innovation and ingenuity” would be key in powering the UK’s future global economy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “We’ve come through this pandemic as one United Kingdom – with our Plan for Jobs supporting one in three jobs and tens of thousands of businesses across Scotland.

“Thanks to the strength of our Union we’ve deployed the fastest vaccination rollout in Europe and our economy is rebounding faster than expected.

“It’s vital this continues, and Scotland’s innovation and ingenuity will be key in creating jobs, powering our growth and driving a green recovery.”

Since the start of the pandemic the UK government has delivered one of the world’s most generous packages to support, create and protect jobs across the UK.

In Scotland one in three jobs have been supported through the pandemic, over 900,000 people in Scotland were furloughed, more than 90,000 businesses have received loans and £1,535 billion has been paid in self-employment support.

People in Scotland are benefitting from the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs – the Kickstart scheme is already helping thousands of 16-24-year-olds into work, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) Scotland is providing up to six months of targeted support and 13,500 new Work Coaches have been recruited across Great Britain to give tailored support to people out of work.

On today’s visit, the Chancellor will travel to a number of businesses – both small and large – to meet business owners and furloughed employees who have returned to work after their jobs were protected through the UK-wide scheme.

With just under 100 days until the COP26 summit in Glasgow, he will also see how Scotland is harnessing the power of offshore wind, a sector which supports 2,800 jobs in Scotland and is key in helping the whole of the UK reach our climate goals.

The Chancellor will also meet representatives of Scotland’s financial services sector to thank them for keeping call centres and branches open over the pandemic as well as distributing billions of pounds through UK government loan schemes.

He will discuss his vision for the future of financial services – a sector which accounts for 153,000 jobs in Scotland (financial and professional related services).

He will also see how Scotland’s culture sector is preparing for the summer ahead, as it looks forward to welcoming back locals and tourists who wish to revel in Scotland’s rich cultural heritage.

PM Boris Johnson: Union stronger than ever

Marking one year as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will today visit Scotland to reaffirm his commitment to supporting all parts of the UK through the pandemic …

  • Marking one year as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will today visit Scotland to reaffirm his commitment to supporting all parts of the UK through the pandemic
  • During the visit, the PM will meet local businesses to discuss how they are getting back on their feet; entrepreneurs to see how green technology is driving innovation across Scotland and military to thank them for their efforts in the coronavirus response
  • Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister pledged £50 million to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the union, marking one year as Prime Minister with a visit to Scotland and pledging further support for Scottish communities.

Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister reiterated how the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated, more than ever, that each part of the UK benefits from being together and the strength of the union has helped us through this crisis.

In Scotland, the UK Treasury has protected over 900,000 jobs and granted thousands of businesses loans; the UK’s armed forces has airlifted critically ill patients from some of the most remote communities, helped convert the temporary hospitals and ran mobile testing sites; and the Department of Health and Social Care has procured millions of pieces of PPE to keep Scottish frontline workers safe.

This is on top of £4.6 billion ‘we have given straight to the Scottish administration to help tackle coronavirus’.

The Prime Minister has also announced further support to Scottish communities, committing £50 million to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, to help develop the islands’ economic potential. The announcement means that every part of Scotland is now covered by the innovative growth deals and takes the UK Government’s investment in these to more than £1.5 billion.

The multi-million-pound pot for the islands will lead to investment in local projects, driving sustainable economic growth and creating jobs. Projects set to be supported by the Islands Growth deal could include those developing space technology and others researching new renewable energy systems.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “When I stood on the steps of Downing Street one year ago, I pledged to be a Prime Minister for every corner of the United Kingdom. Whether you are from East Kilbride or Dumfries, Motherwell or Paisley, I promised to level up across Britain and close the opportunity gap.

“The last six months have shown exactly why the historic and heartfelt bond that ties the four nations of our country together is so important and the sheer might of our union has been proven once again.

“In Scotland, the UK’s magnificent armed forces have been on the ground doing vital work to support the NHS, from setting up and running mobile testing sites to airlifting critically ill patients to hospitals from some of Scotland’s most remote communities. And the UK Treasury stepped in to save the jobs of a third of Scotland’s entire workforce and kept the wolves at bay for tens of thousands of Scottish businesses.

“More than ever, this shows what we can achieve when we stand together, as one United Kingdom.”

During the PM’s visit, he will meet with members of the military and their families based in Scotland to thank them for their ongoing work in the coronavirus response.

Following the Islands Deal announcement, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The City Region and Growth Deals will be crucial to our economic recovery from coronavirus.

“Today’s announcement means that every corner of Scotland will benefit from these and takes the UK Government’s investment in growth deals across Scotland to more than £1.5 billion.

“These deals are just part of the unprecedented support that the UK Government is providing to people and businesses in Scotland during this time. We have supported 900,000 jobs in Scotland with our furlough and self-employed schemes, including 11,600 across the islands.

“We look forward to working with our partners across the islands and the devolved administration in Scotland to develop innovative and effective proposals.”

The Prime Minister will not be meeting Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during today’s flying visit.

Ms Sturgeon commented on Twitter: ‘I welcome the PM to Scotland today. One of the key arguments for independence is the ability of Scotland to take our own decisions, rather than having our future decided by politicians we didn’t vote for, taking us down a path we haven’t chosen. His presence highlights that.’

The Scottish Government is also investing £50 million in the Islands Deal.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, said: “The Islands Growth Deal is the final regional growth deal to be announced and marks our commitment to invest across all of Scotland, which is something we have pushed for.

“This money will work to improve the quality of life for island communities, alongside the Scottish Government National Islands Plan we introduced to the Scottish Parliament at the end of 2019.

“This significant investment will support islanders’ ambitions to create world-class visitor destinations, lead the way to a low carbon future, support growth and future industries and help the communities thrive by attracting and retaining young talent, driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth and delivering long lasting benefits for people living across the three island authority areas.

“It is important that all deals take account of the unprecedented economic challenges created by coronavirus (COVID-19) and we are working with partners, to understand how best to move forward and respond to current circumstances.

“More than £1.8 billion has been committed by the Scottish Government to City Region and Growth Deals and related investments across Scotland, in addition to ongoing capital investment in Scotland’s islands across a range of policy areas.”

Charm offensive: Johnson visit aims to bolster union

PART OF THE UNION: Jonson comes to Scotland to announce new funding for local communities 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make his first official visit to Scotland today,  where he will announce the expansion of Growth Deals across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, backed by £300 million of new funding. Continue reading Charm offensive: Johnson visit aims to bolster union