Let’s build on our strong bonds

THIS week Weir Group, the global engineering firm headquartered in Glasgow, signed a $1.3 billion [£980 million] deal to acquire a US firm, ESCO, a specialist mining equipment manufacturer in Portland, Oregon.

The deal was announced just as Donald Trump flew in to Britain and it underlined powerfully the economic ties between our two countries. Across the UK, a million people work for US companies and, on the other side of the Atlantic, a million Americans work for British firms.

The UK and the US are the biggest investors in each other’s economies, with $1 trillion of transatlantic investments.

The US is Britain’s largest trading partner. It is consistently Scotland’s number one export destination, with sales to the US of £4.8 billion. Drawn by our history, family heritage, landscape, golf, whisky and now the ‘Outlander effect’, Scotland welcomes more tourists from the US than any other overseas country – almost half a million a year.

The UK also works more closely with the US than any other country on security. Intelligence agencies and our armed forces collaborate closely.

In short, we have a special relationship that generates prosperity and saves lives. It is why, as Secretary of State for Scotland, I was pleased to greet Mr Trump when he flew in to Prestwick on Friday night.

He is the President of our biggest friend and ally and I hope he feels his visit to Scotland – with which he has a close affinity – has been a success. That does not mean the UK Government agrees with Mr Trump on everything and the Prime Minister has been robust in raising concerns.

This weekend we’ve heard from protesters who do not want Mr Trump to feel welcome here.

We’re a free and open democracy where people have the right to peaceful protest. But our relationship with the US has been a long and valuable one.

It is in all our interests that we work together and build on the strong bonds we share.