Trump planning to close US consulate in Scotland, reports suggest

The US consulate in Edinburgh could soon close as Donald Trump continues to scale back American spending abroad, according to reports.

If approved, the move would sever a 227-year consulate tie between the US and Scotland.

The US Consulate office in Edinburgh has sat on Regent Terrace for 74 years providing services for American citizens in Scotland and helping to maintain cultural and business ties between the two nations.

However, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to close ten embassies and 17 consulates – including the one in Edinburgh – as part of the US President’s mission to curb spending across the federal government.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that an internal State Department memo outlined closures and other reductions to foreign missions around the globe – paring back the American presence on nearly every continent.

It’s an expansion of Trump’s earlier plans to close a dozen foreign missions and cut staff.

The US has maintained a consulate in Scotland for 227 years since 1798 – just twelve years after the United States of America was founded.

It has passed through a string of buildings and locations around Edinburgh and Leith over the years, but it moved into its present premises on the stately Regent Terrace 74 years ago.

The US president is allegedly considering the cuts with Scotland despite his “deep affection” for his mother’s native country.

According to the US memo leaked by CNN, other consulates in Europe are also on the line, including: Dusseldorf and Leipzig in Germany; Thessaloniki in Greece; Florence, Italy; Ponta Delgada, Portugal, and five in France.

The memo also recommends closing two small embassies in Luxembourg and Malta as well as ending the diplomatic missions in Grenada and the Maldives.

It’s not the first time the consulate in Edinburgh has been under threat of closure.

In 1995, the US Embassy said the Edinburgh office was slated for closure after “deep cuts were made to the State Department’s budget”.

“The outpouring of support from Americans and Scots alike surprised many,” according to the US Embassy webpage.

“Former Presidents George Bush and Jimmy Carter joined the campaign. Just days before the scheduled closure, the consulate won a reprieve.

“The US consulate general in Edinburgh has witnessed many changes in its 200 years. It enters its third century proud of the tremendous relationship between two great nations and hopeful for the future.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland and the United States share strong and lasting social, cultural and economic ties, and we will do all we can to ensure those links remain strong and continue to thrive.”