Today in Tokyo I will deliver a speech to the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Business leaders here have questions about the future of the UK. And this matters. UK exports to Japan are just under £10 billion; Japanese investment in the UK is the highest in the EU; and 1300 Japanese firms employ…
The EU referendum debate last Friday brought out an important point about leaving a union of which you are already a member. A similar argument applies to Scotland leaving the UK as well. Lord Shipley in a very well informed contribution made the point that leaving the EU could make the UK more, not less…
In just 196 days, the 20th Commonwealth Games will kick off in Glasgow, the first time the city has hosted the second largest multi-sport event in the world. 12 years on from the original ‘we can do this’ moment in Manchester, 4500 sportsmen and women from 70 teams will compete in front of over 1…
Today concern about the potential break-up of Britain – in light of the planned referendum on independence for Scotland – will be raised in a debate in the House of Lords. This is a subject about which I care deeply and while I accept that the people of Scotland certainly have a right to vote…
Five years ago, Scotland’s unemployment was below the rest of the UK, and our Annual GDP growth rate had climbed above that of the United Kingdom. In the past year, however, those positions have been reversed with unemployment higher and growth lower than the rest of the UK. Uncertainty and disagreement over the timing of…
