UNIONIST parties have reacted with fury to reports that the Scottish Government is set to expand its network of international offices.
It comes after the SNP’s Programme for Government, which was announced last week and outlined plans for sweeping changes to the state apparatus, including looking at a redesign of local council structure, cutting the number of NHS health boards, and merging government agencies to prevent overlap.
One of the plans for amalgamation involves bringing Scottish Government international offices under the same management as offices of Scottish Development International (SDI – the government’s trade and inward investment agency).
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As it stands, the Scottish Government operates nine international offices in China, Germany, Ireland, London, Canada, France, the US, Belgium, and Denmark. The Belgian office leads on engagement with the European Union, while the Danish office handles affairs across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
SDI has 30 offices of its own across the globe, including its Glasgow headquarters and some in places where a Scottish Government office also exists.
The Programme for Government states: “To ensure the right coverage and relationships globally, to bolster our domestic and international ambitions, we will bring together Scottish Government and Scottish Development International offices into a more effective Scotland House network, expanding the number of Scotland Houses to more than 40 locations.”
The quoted figure suggests that the Scottish Government intends on opening more international offices, although it is unclear how many. There are currently 39 offices, counting all Government and SDI sites.
The Conservatives were enraged by the proposals, with MSP Stephen Kerr calling it a “network of pretend embassies”.
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“The SNP are forcing Scots to pay the highest taxes in the UK. Instead of using that money to fix the permanent crisis in Scotland’s NHS, restore standards in our schools and tackle the cost-of-living crisis, Swinney is splashing more money on one of his pet projects,” Kerr told the Daily Mail.
His UK leader Kemi Badenoch also attacked the Scottish Government’s plan, saying it “sums up John Swinney and the SNP’s warped priorities”.
“He has spent the week boasting about how he wants to cut the costs of his bloated civil service in Scotland, but at the same time he’s committed to wasting more taxpayers’ money and time on opening more of his fake embassies,” Badenoch said.
“We know they use them to promote their relentless obsession with independence, when they should be fixing the mess on their own doorstep.”
A source within the UK Government suggested that the Scottish Government should not engage internationally, saying: “Foreign policy is clearly reserved to the UK Government.”
They further told the Daily Mail: “Scotland already benefits from the strength and reach of the UK’s diplomatic network, with 282 missions in around 180 countries to promote our interests, attract investment and champion Scottish businesses around the world.”
However, a Scottish Government spokesperson defended the plans, saying that the international offices were more important than ever following Brexit.
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“Scotland’s international network attracts investment, supports exports, brings international students and talent to Scotland and strengthens research partnerships, whilst supporting jobs, economic growth and the tax revenues that fund our public services,” the spokesperson said.
“This network has played an invaluable role in bringing an unprecedented £2.46 billion in planned international sales, securing 108 inward investment projects in 2025 and attracting more than 52,000 jobs through foreign direct investment over the last decade.
“In recent years the UK has become more isolated from its partners in Europe costing jobs and increasing the cost of doing business.
“In fact, the House of Commons library estimates that Brexit costs the taxpayer £250 million every day. This makes the work of our international offices in helping deliver jobs and investment at home all the more important.”
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