Sturgeon: More to gain from being partners with London than competing

Scotland and London have more to gain from being partners than competitors, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Speaking at a Scottish Government event on Tuesday in Glasgow alongside London mayor Sadiq Khan, the First Minister said the skills in the capital and north of the border are “complementary”.

Khan also took the opportunity to announce a further £30m of funding in London to stimulate up to £150m of outward investment.

The event – a green investment showcase hosted by Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie – was held as COP26 delegates discussed how private finance can contribute to reaching net zero on the summit’s “finance day”.

“There is often a perception that Scotland and London are rivals and competitors, and of course every now and again, like any two cities, that may well be the case, but in general and in particular on (climate change) we are far more likely to be partners,” the First Minister said.

“We stand to gain much more by working together as partners than by focusing on being competitors.

“That’s because our strengths are, in many ways, complementary and we have both set very ambitious targets for reaching net zero.”

She added: “Scotland and London will benefit from working in partnership on this issue and on many other issues besides, and I look forward to discussing that with the mayor today but also in more detail in the weeks, months and years to come.”

Those in both the public and private sector in Scotland, the First Minister said, are “determined to use this moment to build the ties that we need to create to really achieve the ambitions we set, particularly to build those closer ties with finance and business communities”.

The London mayor told the event, attended by businesses and financial professionals, that the relationship between Scotland and London will be a “long and meaningful one”.

He added: “Please see London, if you need to, as a gateway to the world when it comes to finance, or meeting angel investors or partnerships with other markets.

“Because we certainly see Scotland as a hub for talent, as a hub for scale-up.”