More to tartan week than pipes and drums
‘‘ We want to bring back Scotland’s outward-looking perspective
There is so much more to Tartan Week in New York than the famous Sixth Avenue parade. The incredible sight of the pipes, drums and swirling kilts inevitably dominate the media coverage – with Hollywood star Dougray Scott taking the role of Grand Marshal of the parade this year.
But away from the parade and the ceilidhs, there are also business meetings and outreach events involving the Scottish diaspora.
This week I will be travelling to New York, along with colleagues from all political parties, to help with the promotion of Scotland. This is vitally important for businesses here in Edinburgh and across Scotland. Last year whisky exports to the US were £978 million – the top market for the sector – while Scottish salmon exports to the country were up 7 per cent to £140m, only behind France.
Given the tens of thousands of supply chain jobs which rely on whisky and salmon, as well as our other key exports, showcasing Scottish products, education and culture around the world helps to create more employment and higher tax revenues at home.
So while I welcome the UK and Scottish Government’s continued support for Tartan Week – and particularly this year’s progress in widening the concept of Scottish diaspora to include African-Americans – there is so much more we could be doing as a country at all times of the year to promote “Brand Scotland” around the world.
A Labour government will take a coherent approach to international trade, ensuring UK trade negotiators engage meaningfully with Scottish businesses to ensure our nation thrives.
We want to bring back Scotland’s outward-looking perspective, as opposed to the SNP’s inward-looking stance, which would scrap British embassies.
This week we learned that the SNP and Tories have presided over a decline in the number of Scottish VAT registered business, with 2,000 fewer in 2023 than in 2022.
The importance of creating an economic environment that works for businesses could not be clearer – and selling Scotland to the world is a key part.