SCOTLAND has a long and crucially important relationship with the United States.
Scots have had a significant influence on many aspects of American society and culture over the years, not least East Lothian’s very own John Muir.
Last week in Edinburgh, I met with the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Warren Stephens. We discussed a wide range of issues of current importance to Scottish relations with the US, including trade, whisky, energy and defence.
There will be a further round of detailed trade negotiations between the UK Government and the US in the coming weeks. I will always ensure that Scotland’s interests are an integral part of those trade discussions.
I am acutely aware that cost-of-living pressures are continuing to impact on the finances of many local households.
Energy bills remain one of the main costs people face each month. That is why the UK Government has decided to give an extra 2.7 million families £150 off their energy bills this winter.
We have ended previous restrictions so that every billpayer on means-tested benefits will get this much-needed extra support. Letters have now started arriving with those who will receive the discount.
Thanks to the changes we have made, one in five families will now benefit. But the Government is also committed to tackling the long-term driver of high energy bills.
The UK continues to be directly affected by international fossil fuel markets, with wholesale gas costs for households still 75 per cent higher than during the year before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
That is why the Government is working to strengthen our energy security with record investment in renewables and nuclear.
We are determined to protect the British people now and for the long term. We are supporting families with the immediate struggles they face, as we build a stronger and more secure energy system for the long term.
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