Andy Burnham is being urged to intervene and order the SNP Government to halt spending on what critics describe as “fake” foreign embassies and independence-related activity, after it emerged that Scotland’s overseas office network could expand to more than 40 locations.
Lord George Foulkes is pressing the Prime Minister and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander to adopt a firmer line against the Holyrood administration using public funds in policy areas reserved to the UK Government.
The Labour peer wants ministers to examine whether grant funding should be ringfenced for specific devolved responsibilities if Scottish Government spending continues to stray into reserved matters.
Scottish citizens already have access to the UK’s extensive global diplomatic network, with hundreds of embassies, high commissions and consulates run by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). These posts support British nationals caught in conflicts or overseas crises and help strengthen export opportunities for businesses.
However, the Scottish Government is seeking to grow its own international presence from the current nine offices to “more than 40” across 34 countries, even as John Swinney has promised measures to reduce the size and scope of the public sector.
Lord Foulkes, a former Scotland Office minister and international development minister, said: “They never seem to learn and they never seem to pay any attention to criticism or challenging questioning about what they are doing – it’s an unbelievable arrogance.
“It’s outrageous and it is a disgraceful diversion from what they are supposed to be doing while education suffers and there are problems with waiting lists for the NHS and other problems with domestic areas they are responsible for.”
He said he was disappointed that the Scotland Office and the wider UK Government had not yet stepped in to stop the spending, adding: “I would hope that the UK Government will say to them that this is improper expenditure.”
Lord Foulkes said the new Prime Minister needs to take a tougher approach than his predecessors, and added he has been pushing for action since Mr Burnham took office.
Lord George Foulkes is lobbying Andy Burnham and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander
Lord Foulkes said the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, needs to take a tougher approach than his predecessors
He said: ‘Ultimately, the UK Government is responsible constitutionally and financially. They are responsible constitutionally, I think, for the good government for the whole of the United Kingdom and the powers of a devolved government they have by virtue of devolution from the UK Government and the UK Government can say this is not their responsibility and they should stop it.
‘Give a directive to the Scottish Government not to carry out work in areas that they are not responsible for.
‘And secondly, they can say if you continue to do this then we are going to restrict the finances that you get and use powers to ring-fence the money we are giving to you.’
The Scottish Government has a network of offices around the world focused on ‘promoting Scottish interests overseas and strengthening our relationships with countries and continents’.
The original Scotland House opened in Brussels in 1999 while another opened in London in 2017. It also has offices in China, Europe and North America. Overall, these nine offices employ 47 staff and cost the taxpayer £7.2million a year.
Additionally, the government’s investment agency Scottish Development International has around 20 offices in other countries around the world, from Poland to Japan, some of which could be merged into the new Scotland House offices.
The controversial plan to expand numbers is contained within the First Minister’s Programme for Government – even though it also includes plans to tackle the scale of the public sector by taking the axe to NHS boards, merging quangos and considering reform of councils.
It 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 Scottish Mail on Sunday quoted a UK government source saying: ‘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.
‘This diplomatic network has over recent months helped us bring vital shipbuilding orders to the Clyde and secured trade deals around the globe from India to the EU.
‘Foreign policy is clearly reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government should be focused on getting the basics right at home, from fixing our ferries to raising standards in our schools, instead of allowing their obsession with independence to waste public money abroad setting up more embassies.’
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘This 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.
‘We know they use them to promote their relentless obsession with independence, when they should be fixing the mess on their own doorstep.
‘John Swinney should be prioritising bringing down people’s bills, growing Scotland’s economy, restoring standards in schools and backing new drilling in the North Sea.
‘Instead, he’s shamefully once again preferring to grandstand on the international stage at a time when Scots are sick of paying more but getting less.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘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.
‘This network has played an invaluable role in bringing an unprecedented £2.46billion 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 £250million every day. This makes the work of our international offices in helping deliver jobs and investment at home all the more important.’
The UK Government has been asked for comment.
