How half-Scottish US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton helps explain half-Scottish President Donald Trump
Thursday 12th February 2026 | Marie’s Column | The Scotsman
Donald Trump’s economic nationalism draws extensively on notions that Alexander Hamilton espoused at the dawn of the American republic.
As a native of Ayrshire, I am constantly reminded of the rich contribution the region has made not just to Scottish life and culture, but also to places far beyond these shores. However, it is only recently that I have come to wonder whether the place I call home can claim a direct link to the tumultuous course of global events today under the current US administration.
When it comes to the geopolitical machinations of Donald Trump, from tariff wars to the reimagining of the Monroe Doctrine for 21st century purposes, with all the questions which that poses in terms of global security and US territorial ambitions from Venezuela to Greenland, decoding the Trump worldview has become an all-consuming pastime for many.
For some, it amounts to an exercise in detecting what they like to describe as method in the madness, whilst others conclude that there is no pattern, strategy or historical precedent which can explain how or why Trump is steering the US in its current direction of travel.
And so, where does Scotland and my corner of Ayrshire fit into this? Well, the Grange area of my hometown, Kilmarnock, and Kerelaw Castle in Stevenston, which is now a ruin, was once home to the lairds of its estate, the Hamilton family, one of whose line, Alexander Hamilton, would become a Founding Father of the United States.
Hamilton, the revered soldier statesman, man of letters and in much more recent times the subject of the Broadway musical which bears his name, is renowned for his role in shaping the young republic in the formative years of the United States and famously died as a result of a duel with his nemesis Aaron Burr in 1804, being laid to rest in at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan, at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway, “Where Money Never Sleeps”.
What is perhaps less well known is the esteem in which he is held by the current occupant of the White House. Whilst Trump has openly expressed his disdain for Hamilton the play, he has spoken in admiring tones of the man, declaring that Hamilton “understood that the government must protect the jobs of our citizens and the wealth of our nation.”
And so, for those many people looking for clues for what Trump might do next, they could do worse than to examine the career and writings of the Founding Father with Ayrshire roots.
Hamilton, noted for his impulsive, fiery personality, was an advocate of strong and decisive presidential rule. “Energy in the Executive,” he wrote, “is a leading character in the definition of good government,” railing against the perceived dangers of a “feeble executive”. Trump, whatever one’s views on his policies at home and abroad, has clearly embraced the Hamiltonian notion of an all-powerful executive.
When it comes to economic policy, as the very first US Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, Hamilton is sometimes afforded the title of father of American capitalism. And in his contributions to the Federalist Papers, he set out his theories on the importance, as he saw it, of the United States achieving full economic independence from the Old World.
His Report on the Subject of Manufactures, submitted to Congress in 1791, was a foundational document that outlined Hamilton’s economic nationalism and laid the basis for much of US economic and trading policy for generations after it was written. It was also a paper which advocated tariffs and other protectionist measures.
The debate about whether policies designed at the dawn of the 19th century remain viable in the 21st is an open question, but the lesson is clear: Trump is familiar with the Hamilton worldview and has sought to repackage it today for his own purposes.
Trump’s economic nationalism draws extensively on the notions that Hamilton and others like him espoused at the dawn of the American republic.
Hamilton’s economic views were based around ensuring that manufacturing and domestic industrial capacity was sufficient to ensure the US was entirely independent of other nations when it came to the supply of military and other essential goods. Trump, in his first term and now once more, has sought to apply that same principle.
Hamilton warned against any need for America to be dependent on European nations for vital materials. If today you were to substitute the word China for Europe, you start to get a feel for how closely Trump’s policies draw on the Hamilton precedent.
The echoes are everywhere. Hamilton was a powerful advocate of building the US’s maritime capacity, promoting domestic shipbuilding to provide vessels for the nascent US Navy. Similarly, one of Trump’s executive orders has been aimed at prioritising shipbuilding and, in his own words, restoring America’s maritime dominance.
When it came to foreign policy, it could be argued that Hamilton’s approach was neither wholly interventionist not isolationist. But he believed that, in specific circumstances, America should seek to intervene in cases where those in foreign lands were seeking to thwart despotism. American Presidents down the ages have embraced that creed to varying degrees, with equally varying degrees of justification. Trump’s iteration is merely the latest version of it.
When Trump first arrived in the White House nine years ago, he ensured a portrait of Hamilton was hung prominently in the Oval Office. It hangs there again now, underlining the esteem in which the Founding Father is held by the 45th and 47th President. Whether that admiration would have been reciprocated is another matter. But for those looking for some explanation as to what is driving US trade, economic and foreign policy today, perhaps Ayrshire and Hamilton hold the key.
View article on The Scotsman website
Marie backs expansion of John Smith Centre's Political Conversations initiative in schools
Marie backs expansion of John Smith Centre's Political Conversations initiative in schools
Project can be “beacon of light” amid polarisation
Marie today confirmed that she has agreed to support the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre in developing the next phase of their “Political Conversations” initiative.
The project involves experienced figures from the world of politics taking part in debate with each other in secondary school settings in front of an audience of senior level pupils, whilst also engaging directly with the students themselves.
It is unique in its ambition of seeking to involve and enthuse young people with the political process by means of direct engagement with senior politicians.
As part of the expansion of the initiative in 2026, including visits to the Scottish Parliament and a major conference hosted at Glasgow University, Marie has agreed to provide the John Smith Centre with seed funding in order to expand the programme’s scope and reach.
Commenting, Dr Marie Macklin CBE, Co-Founder of the initiative, said:
“I am delighted to be supporting the John Smith Centre in rolling out the next phase of the Political Conversations initiative in schools.
“The project got off to a fantastic start last year, with the launch of the pilot event at my former school, Kilmarnock Academy. It saw two pupils, Carolina Sharp and Devlyn Ritchie, recognised by the John Smith Centre for their thoughtful reflections on the event, which were then published by the Centre.
“Due to the huge success of the pilot – which was in no small part thanks to the participation of former Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw MSP and former Scottish Government minister Alex Neil – it was clear there was a real appetite among young people for the kind of intelligent, engaged political discussion which this initiative brings to schools.
“It was also evident that there was scope for a wider rollout of the project, and that is why I have agreed to support the JSC as they look to expand it.
“At the start of another election year in Scotland, it is more important than ever that younger people are enthused and engaged by the political process.
“The future of our democracy depends to a significant extent on ensuring that enough young people with the talent and aptitude to lead are encouraged to put themselves forward to take part in the political process.
“In a political climate which is too often beset by tribalism, polarisation and toxicity, Political Conversations can be a beacon that lights the way forward.”
Kilmarnock Academy pupil Carolina Sharp said:
“After the John Smith Centre event I felt Alex Neil and Jackson Carlaw opened a new perspective to politics and the dynamics within it. They created a more humanised and rational impression of politics to me and others, proving that within and between different parties there is harmony, and the priority is about working together and reaching a middle ground.
“The John Smith Centre event they showed us that with commitment, integrity and respect the most successful path to being a politician is learning how to work together and compromise.”
Fellow pupil Devlyn Ritchie said:
“After the event I came out with a more in-depth understanding of politics and politicians, and how important they are to society. After hearing what both Alex Neil and Jackson Carlaw had to say, me and some of my peers came to the realisation that in fact, most politicians do want to make a difference and do try to make decisions that influence the public.
“This meeting was a real eye opener for me on how politicians can truly have an impact on day-to-day life and that they are overly disrespected by the public. After the meeting I spoke to a peer who had little background information on politics or the work of politicians but after the meeting, he told me he was extremely surprised and felt that he had left the room feeling like he had discovered a whole new side of things that was hiding in plain sight.”
Eddie Barnes, Director of the John Smith Centre, said:
“We are delighted to be expanding the Political Conversations initiative in 2026, which promises to be another pivotal year in Scottish politics, and our thanks go to Marie for her generous support and her enthusiasm for the project.
“The pilot event in Kilmarnock and the subsequent schools events have underlined how much enthusiasm there is among younger people for getting involved in political debate, given the capacity it has to impact all our daily lives.
“With Marie’s backing, we hope to make 2026 a year in which Political Conversations firmly establishes itself as a fixture in Scotland’s political and educational calendar.”
You’ll be able to follow progress with Political Conversations via Marie’s Special Project page.
Marie's Comments on the Scottish Government's Budget proposals
“Scotland’s business community was hoping for a big bang Budget to shape things up and to help shift the dial on the country’s overall economic performance, but instead we have been left with a continuation of policies which do not address many of the fundamental issues we face.
Continued investment in key public services is essential, and is welcome, as always. However, the small and medium sized businesses which are the lifeblood of Scotland’s economy are suffering.
Investment and turnover among many of those enterprises is down, and many also fear that that downward trend will continue.
At a time when businesses are feeling the impact of taxes and regulations from both the UK and Scottish Governments, it is vital that we do more to support economic growth.
My proposal for tax breaks for young entrepreneurs is just one of the ways in which government could look to take bold, imaginative steps to boost business and in turn secure more revenue for public services.”
Below, you can watch Marie on STV’s Scotland Tonight, (Tuesday 13th January 2026) sharing her thoughts on the Scottish Government’s Budget proposals.
Scottish Budget: How a zero income tax rate for Scotland's young entrepreneurs would create thousands of jobs
Marie’s Column in The Scotsman | Monday 12th January 2026
The build up to government budgets can sometimes be more entertaining than the main event. How often do we read wild speculation about what tricks a Chancellor or Finance Secretary might have up their sleeve, only to be left underwhelmed on the day itself.
Too often, it can feel like a version of 80s and 90s TV staples like Bullseye and Blind Date – “come and see what you would have won”; “have a look at who you could have gone to dinner with”.
If the Scottish Government is to avoid a similar sense of letdown in its forthcoming Budget, it should be truly bold.
That means taking risks but also playing to our many strengths as a nation. In harsh and uncertain economic times such as these, the desire on the part of government to simply batten down the hatches might be understandable, but it is misplaced.
The economy is flatlining and if you speak to just about any of the 380,000 small and medium sized businesses across Scotland, they will tell you that the stakes are now higher than ever. Indeed, many of those SMEs – who together employ around 900,000 people, driving around £93 billion in turnover annually – are now in survival mode.
They are dealing every day with a combination of stealth taxes, cost of living increases and red tape that is curtailing economic growth.
To address that, the Scottish Government should seek to capitalise on the entrepreneurial spirit which exists within the country. It is often claimed that Scotland is by nature less entrepreneurial than other countries, but the statistics suggest otherwise.
With the exact figures vary, the latest data indicates that nearly one in five working-age Scots are entrepreneurs, with over 300,000 involved in early-stage activities and around 210,000 in established businesses, showing increasing activity, particularly among women and younger people.
What these individuals and wealth-creators need is a clear sign that Holyrood understands them and their ambitions, so that they can be helped in their endeavours which will in turn grow the economy and provide more much needed revenue for public services.
The entrepreneurial spirit among younger people is particularly encouraging. Research from the King’s Trust Youth Index shows that more than a third of younger people would like to start their own business.
That entrepreneurial spirit, however, needs to be fostered and encouraged, not dampened. To do so, there is an opportunity to be creative with the Scottish income tax rates that Holyrood has the power to change.
Those powers are limited when compared to the whole raft of personal and corporate taxation still controlled by Westminster, but those partial powers nevertheless offer a way in which we can drive opportunity, retain more of our young people and attract new talent to Scotland.
A scheme offering a zero income tax rate to young entrepreneurs for a time limited period would be one such way of driving that process. It could be restricted to new companies registered in Scotland, and limited to a maximum of 10,000 young entrepreneurs aged up to 30.
They would be requited to invest a minimum of £1,000 in capital and also to employ at least one other person in the first year, during which they would not be liable for tax, thus creating at least 10,000 jobs and seeing a minimum of £10 million invested in the Scottish economy.
Year two would similarly see a zero tax rate applied, but with a requirement of at least £5,000 investment and for at least one more person to be employed, delivering further investment of £50 million and another 10,000 new jobs.
Year three would see a further minimum of 10,000 jobs created, with a five per cent Young Entrepreneurs tax rate applied, before taxation reverted to the standard rates in year four when businesses would be well established.
Such a scheme would not only incentivise growth and job creation, it would also draw a stark contrast between a pioneering and open for business message in Scotland and a UK government approach which seems content to simply manage decline.
The UK Government’s moves to freeze personal tax thresholds will increase the amount of tax that households pay, as more people are hit by so-called fiscal drag and pulled into higher tax bands and some will also start paying tax on their earnings for the first time. The Resolution Foundation has estimated that this would be the second worst UK parliament on record for income growth, ‘beaten’” only by the 2019-24 parliament, which was disrupted by the pandemic.
For any government in Holyrood which is committed to independence, showing what can be achieved with even limited fiscal powers would go a long way to demonstrating what might be achievable with the full set of economic levers.
As we head towards the Holyrood election in May, such bold choices may be too much to hope for in the Budget. A safety-first approach, with a few pre-election sweeteners thrown in to the mix, seems more likely.
However, if we are ever to truly break out of an economic cycle which has been stuck on repeat for far too long and instead kickstart the bottom-up economic growth so many of our communities are crying out for, then this is exactly the kind of approach we should see.
Dr Marie Macklin CBE is a leading Scottish businesswoman and investor.
Malcolm Offord, the Tory turned Reform candidate - a glimmer of light
Marie’s Column in The Herald | Wednesday 31st December 2025
Scotland faces a turning point as 2025 closes, with the loss of key industrial sites echoing the devastation of the 1980s – and raising urgent questions about energy policy, jobs, and the future of our economy, says Marie Macklin.
As we leave 2025 behind, it risks going down in history as the year in which the final nail was hammered into the coffin of Scotland’s industrial capacity, impacting many of the same communities which have yet to recover from the last wave of manufacturing decline in the 1980s.At the same time, rapid advances are fuelling dreams of how a brave new world of innovation can help change our lives for the better. But while developments in fields like AI hold out hope for transformational change, it is also worth considering just how much we still depend on existing technologies.
More than a generation ago, Scotland was suffering the effects of rapid deindustrialisation as huge swathes of our working infrastructure were shut down or mothballed, most of which was never again put back into productive use.That led to the mass unemployment which impacted working class communities across Scotland’s industrial heartlands.
Mining and steel manufacturing joined the nation’s shipbuilding tradition on the scrapheap of history.As someone who comes from one of those areas, no one needs to explain to me just how devastating the effects of deindustrialisation can be.
It not only leads to despair among individuals, it rips the heart out of entire communities.It is not too far a stretch to suggest that many of the deeply ingrained health and social issues which Scotland faces today, including our shocking record as the drug deaths capital of Europe, can be traced directly or indirectly to that legacy of deindustrialisation.
And it is also worth reflecting upon just how much history repeats itself. Because the last year has seen the shutting down of the Grangemouth refinery, a key piece of Scotland’s industrial infrastructure for fully a century, but which now looks set to become little more than a monument to past glories.Despite recent moves to support continued employment at the plant – as well as UK and Scottish Government plans aimed at transforming the site unto a hub for new, greener energy markets – nothing that has been proposed looks like providing the jobs and economic value at the scale needed to replace what is being lost.
More recently came the news of plans to close the Fife Ethelyne Plant at Mossmorran, another bitter blow to what remains of Scotland’s industrial base.As if all that wasn’t bad enough, the triple whammy has been completed by the continued running down of what remains of our North Seal oil and gas industry.
The failure to remove the Energy Profits Levy in the recent UK Budget makes no sense at all and is another example of a government which appears to pay lip service to the notion of fair and equal treatment for Scotland.
Until UK energy policy is fit for purpose it will not be possible to build an industrial strategy or manufacturing strategy fit for purpose. And to compete with the likes of China, India and the US, we need to look again at making the most of all types of energy at our disposal. That includes a renewed focus by Holyrood to concentrate on the issues that matter most to people – jobs and the economy – rather than other issues.That focus must include fossil fuels whilst we still have such resources to exploit, and until green energy can be produced at sufficient scale.
In the US, energy policy is being taken in that direction through a series of executive orders.Unfortunately, here in the UK politics appears to be stuck on repeat, and the ability to effect the changes we need to see is hampered by short-term political point-scoring.That includes Reform UK, who have yet to prove that any real substance lies behind the presentational glitz.
Reform hopes to make ground amid those same working-class areas left behind since the 80s, including in May’s Holyrood election. However, one thing people in these places do not take kindly to is being taken for granted,So far, Reform have not shown that they have the answers, but there is a glimmer of light for them. Step forward Malcolm Offord, the straight talking, Greenock-raised former Scotland Office minister who recently defected to the party from the Conservatives.It was Offord who delivered, as a UK Government minister, £800 million in Levelling Up funding for deprived communities across Scotland’s central belt.
It is exactly this kind of bottom-up growth and investment that is so badly needed and which all parties should aspire to.I am struck, decades on from the last wave of industrial decline through the 1970s and into the 80s, just how much those of us who were affected by it, depended on community spirit. Despite strikes, surging food prices and power blackouts which left many with no heating and which I remember left me having to do my homework by candlelight, that family and community spirit saw us through.Thankfully, those kinds of privations are, mostly, a thing of the past.
However, that same spirit, including the hugely important role played by women, is needed today in those areas impacted by industrial downturn and job losses.The last year has been a bitter one for those who can remember the last time that waves of closures and redundancy washed over Scotland. Let us hope that 2026 can be a year in which, however slowly and whatever our political differences, that tide can start to be turned.
View article on The Herald website
Marie Looks Back at 2025 and Shares Hope for 2026
Marie Looks Back at 2025 and Shares Hope for 2026
As we approach the end of another year and look ahead to a new one, it’s more important than ever that we do so with hope and optimism. Those are sentiments that are sometimes hard to come by. At a time when many people are struggling to get by and face huge difficulties in making ends meet, it can be tough to feel optimistic. But it is at times like these that hope is needed most.
And it is why I will continue to drive forward my business interests and my wider special project work to help benefit as many people as possible. My own year has been one of many challenges, but also one of solid achievements which pave the way for more successes in 2026 and beyond. However, the festive season can be particularly tough for those facing uncertainty over their livelihoods.
And that includes the many workers affected by the industrial plant closures across Scotland this year.
Shutdowns at places like Grangemouth and Mossmorran have left many fearing for their future. But it has also raised the prospect that Scotland could be facing an industrial wipeout similar to the 1980s, which left so many families and communities feeling abandoned.
I am determined to do all I can as a leading Scottish business voice to try and avert that.
And it is why I give evidence recently to the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee and their inquiry into industrial transition in Scotland.
I was also pleased to accept an invitation from First Minister John Swinney to meet with him at his official Bute House residence in Edinburgh earlier this year, to discuss the unfolding situation at Grangemouth.
That is the kind of positive engagement I aim to have with leading politicians from all parties. And, as Scotland gears up for a pivotal year in politics with the Holyrood election next May, I will continue to work with all sides.
That open, cross-party approach to politics is one I would like to see more of all-round.
So, I was delighted earlier this year to help launch, in partnership with the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling disillusionment with politics.
“Political Conversations” takes leading figures from front-line politics into schools to debate with each other in front of an audience of senior level pupils as well as engaging directly with students themselves.
As co-Founder of the initiative, I’m pleased to have agreed to help fund the project into next year as it looks to expand its work.
At a time when public debate is beset by polarisation, division and at times outright toxicity, it is so important that we help show young people, including the potential leaders of tomorrow, that politics can be a force for good and can be conducted in a civil way, whatever people’s disagreements.
The first Political Conversations event took place in June at Kilmarnock Academy, and was a huge success, being warmly received by pupils, staff and politicians.
It was not the only time I was back at my old school this year. I also paid a visit after being invited to deliver the keynote speech to pupils and invited guests at the school’s annual prizegiving ceremony.
It’s the kind of local community event that I thoroughly enjoy taking part in.
I also delivered the keynote address at the Rotary Club of Kilmarnock’s Young Achievers’ Dinner. And more recently, I visited East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action (EACHA) and St Joseph’s Church to support their Christmas food provision work. That builds on the faith summit of local religious leaders which was held at HALO last year.
These events are so important in fostering a sense of community togetherness and are the kind of initiatives I will continue to lend my support to from my base here at HALO.
HALO itself remains in prime position to benefit from a partnership with energy manufacturers XLCC as part of the company’s plans to bring hundreds of jobs to Ayrshire.
My other project work this year has included my ongoing role as Founding Ambassador for the University of Edinburgh’s ENDO1000 research project aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
The campaign recently announced it had broken through the halfway point towards its target of raising £1 million. And, thanks to ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government, it is hoped that figure can be boosted further.
This year has also been a busy one for my media engagements, which has included output with the BBC, STV, Radio Clyde, the Scotsman, the Herald and the Daily Record & Sunday Mail.
I have particularly enjoyed taking part in STV’s Scotland Tonight programme as a panelist to discuss key economic and business issues.
And more recently, I was pleased to make my debut on BBC Scotland’s Debate Night show, alongside leading politicians for a lively discussion in front of an equally lively Glasgow audience at the city’s revamped Citizens’ Theatre.
2025 has been a busy and productive year, but one which shows there can be no let up in efforts to support our communities, rebuild our industries and create opportunities for our young people.
2026 will be a year in which I redouble my work on all those fronts.
WATCH the best bits from across the year captured below…
Powering the Local Community this Christmas
Powering the Local Community this Christmas
Marie is the Founder and Executive Chair of HALO Urban Regeneration Ltd.
Christmas is a time for connection – a moment to come together and celebrate the season with family, friends and colleagues. At HALO, supporting our community is a commitment we honour all year round. But the festive season brings a special opportunity to shine a light on those who inspire, uplift and strengthen Kilmarnock. This year, our Founder and Executive Chair, Dr Marie Macklin CBE, has chosen to support three remarkable local organisations spanning sport, faith and recovery.
Dean Thistle Football Club, St Joseph’s Church and EACHa have been selected as this year’s HALO Community Beneficiaries, each receiving a donation to help them continue their incredible work throughout the year.
Marie said: “Christmas is a time for giving, for compassion, and for investing in the people who make our communities stronger. These organisations represent the very best of Kilmarnock – dedication, resilience and heart. We’re proud to support them this Christmas, and I very much look forward to visiting them all very soon.”
You can hear from Mark, Steph and Fr Stephen McGrattan, who share how this support will help them make an even greater impact in the months ahead.
Fr. Stephen McGrattan | St Jospeh’s Church | https://rckilmarnock.org.uk/our-parishes/st-josephs/ |Kilmarnock – “The donation from HALO will be used this Christmas to provide a festive meal for the senior citizens of St Joseph’s parish. Many of those attending live alone and will benefit from the company at Christmas time. Additionally, part of the donation will be used to provide a festive buffet for the users of the Food Bank and extra foodstuff in their bags for Christmas.
The EV Bus which HALO has made available this year for St Joseph’s Church to use has enabled members of our parish community and friends to share in a number of days out to places of interest locally. Many of the participants of these trips live alone and benefit from the company. Additionally, the EV Bus is used to bring people with mobility or transport issues to join the community at Church on a Sunday and share a cup of tea in the hall afterwards. The bus has also been used to transport groups of young people to bring them together for pilgrimages and other youth gatherings and trips. We look forward to finding other uses for the EV Bus with the goal of building community and eliminating transport/mobility barriers.
Steph McCutcheon |East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action (EACHa) | www.eacha.org.uk | Kilmarnock – “EACHa would like to express our sincere thanks for the generous donation supporting our Christmas Programme 2025. This funding will be used entirely to spread warmth and kindness over the festive period by providing: Christmas meals and hampers for individuals and families who would otherwise go without. A small 24-hour emergency food packs for those in crisis over the holiday period, ensuring no one is left hungry when other services are closed and gift tokens and wellbeing parcels for our volunteers, recognising their tireless contribution throughout the year and ensuring they, too, feel valued and supported this Christmas.
The donation allows us to reach people at one of the hardest times of year — offering not just food, but compassion, dignity, and a reminder that our community cares.
Thank you for helping us make Christmas brighter for so many across East Ayrshire.”
Mark | Dean Thistle Football Club | www.facebook.com/DeanThistleFC?_rdr | Kilmarnock – “The support provided will directly empower our young squad by providing branded hoodies that foster team identity and pride, while also helping fund towards our football trip to Blackpool – a milestone experience that builds resilience, camaraderie, and ambition. It’s more than financial support; it’s a legacy gesture that inspires belief in every player and strengthens our grassroots movement within our community and shows the level of commitment that HALO and Marie have shown towards our 2016’s team. Thank you so much”.
Marie will be visiting all three across the season to see first hand the impact of the donations.
#PoweringTheCommunity this Christmas
Marie appears on STV’s Scotland Tonight programme to discuss the UK Budget
Marie appears on STV’s Scotland Tonight programme to discuss the UK Budget
Wednesday 26th November 2025 | STV | Scotland Tonight
Marie last night capped off a busy week of media engagement by appearing on STV’s flagship current affairs discussion programme Scotland Tonight to discuss the implications of yesterday’s UK Budget.
Appearing with host Rhona Dougal and alongside fellow guests Kezia Dugdale, Liz Lloyd and Jaoa Sosa, Marie outlined her deep concerns about the impact of the Budget on SME business, ordinary workers, pensioners and young people.
Branding it a “Stand and Deliver” Budget, she stressed the need for measures to boost bottom-up economic growth.
Marie also highlighted the UK Government’s failure to heed pleas to scrap the Energy Profits Levy on North Sea oil and gas exploration, a measure which is severely impacting the economy of North-east Scotland and costing jobs.
Last night’s appearance came after Marie’s appearance in other national media this week discussing current economic issues, beginning last weekend with her article in the Sunday Mail about the planned closure of ExxonMobil’s Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran, and then a prominent piece in the Herald previewing the Budget.
You can view Marie’s contribution below.
Marie Comments on today's UK Budget Statement
Commenting on today’s UK Budget, Dr Marie Macklin CBE said:
“The fact the Budget was effectively published by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) before it was delivered by the Chancellor is utterly extraordinary and unprecedented, and must be the subject of a full leak inquiry and investigation.
“However, the drama around the leak should not be allowed to overshadow the measures in the Budget and what they say about the state of the UK economy.
“Overall, the Chancellor’s statement reflects the fragility of the economy and the Budget lacks the measures needed to truly transform prospects for growth. That is underlined by the fact that the OBR’s long-term growth forecasts have been downgraded.
“And while the Chancellor made much of efforts to address the cost of living crisis, such as measures to cut household energy bills by slashing green levies, the reality is that for many people this Budget will not lead to an easing of financial pressures for ordinary families.
“The proof of that lies in the fact that the overall tax burden is now forecast to have risen to an all-time high of 38 per cent of GDP by 2030. The freezing of income tax bands will simply add to that burden.
“It is welcome that the UK Government is signalling a relaxation of the rules around exploration for North Sea oil and gas. It makes no sense to cut ourselves off from using our own resources whilst importing fossil fuels from elsewhere.
“But it is deeply disappointing that the Budget has failed to see the scrapping of the Energy Profits Levy – a so-called windfall tax that has proved devastating for a hugely important part of Scotland’s economy, costing thousands of jobs.
“What is urgently needed are measures to kickstart bottom-up economic growth which can drive opportunity for the long-term, bringing jobs, hope and a brighter future for people and communities.
“That means we need more focus on infrastructure investment for a just transition and for industrial facilities like Grangemouth and Mossmorran here in Scotland, not sticking plaster solutions.
“Overall, this is a missed opportunity which underlines the fundamental weakness of the UK economy and which does not do enough either to promote business, growth and investment, or to address the cost of living crisis being felt by so many.
“Bluntly, this was a ‘Stand and Deliver’ Budget that would leave Dick Turpin in the shade – one where SME businesses, ordinary workers, pensioners and young people will all pay the price.”
Stark facts of living standards 'should give everyone pause for thought.' Marie's feature in The Herald
THE HERALD | Wednesday 26th November 2025
The forthcoming Budget might have been seen as a chance for the UK Government to reset its relationship with business, gaining some much-needed credibility in the process. Having weathered fierce political and financial headwinds in the 16 months or so since taking office, the Chancellor and her colleagues still have no shortage of fiscal and wider economic challenges.
But in the wake of the heavily trailed and now seemingly reversed plan to break a key manifesto commitment by raising income tax, not to mention the political intrigue sparked by Number 10 briefing around the Prime Minister’s future, Budget Day now looms with a sense of foreboding for most, both inside and outside government.
The news that UK-wide unemployment has risen, albeit the picture in Scotland is more positive, simply underlines the challenges for Rachel Reeves, as does the fact that for far too many people, the cost-of-living crisis is as real as ever.
That should not be surprising given that, on most available measures, the average standard of living for many people has still to recover to the levels they enjoyed before the 2008 financial crash. That stark fact – that for a huge part of the UK population, there has been no uptick whatsoever in their real-term finances for the best part of two decades – should give everyone serious pause for thought about the policies pursued by successive governments.
However, those twin goals – of how to deliver a package of measures which businesses approve of and which are capable of kick-starting sustained economic growth, whilst also coming up with policies that ease the burdens of everyday living costs for ordinary people and start to give them hope of a brighter future – are the combined task facing the Chancellor.
Together, they encapsulate the fundamental economic challenge of the current moment. It is a challenge which may defy easy solutions but which, if addressed with enough imagination and flair, is capable of being successfully addressed.
That is why I was pleased to see recent pronouncements from UK ministers on the need for bottom-up economic growth of the kind which not only provides opportunities for business development but also delivers valuable employment opportunities for individuals; opportunities which are capable of lifting whole communities out of the economic and social malaise which continues to afflict too many parts of the country.
I was particularly heartened to hear UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband say that plans for a new generation of clean energy jobs were about creating an environment in which no one would be forced to leave their hometown to find a decent job.
That is the kind of approach which communities across Scotland and other parts of the UK which have suffered most from the impact of deindustrialization have been crying out for.
As a businessperson and investor who wants to see the best for the Scottish and UK economies, and who cares passionately about the need to regenerate growth and opportunity in our communities, I welcome such an approach.
But we need to see more action to help boost growth. And the focus on clean energy jobs should not mean deprioritizing our oil and gas sector.
The Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland recently reported that small business confidence has fallen significantly.
The FSB is calling on the Chancellor to take steps in the Budget to support entrepreneurship whilst easing tax and employment costs on smaller firms. Principal among those is the hike on employers’ National Insurance contributions, a move which has been met with near universal opposition since its introduction, and which it is difficult to separate from the aforementioned rise in UK-wide joblessness. But the Chancellor should also resist the temptation to replace the measure with stealth taxes which would prove equally restrictive on business.
I echo the calls from the FSB. Smaller businesses make up 98 per cent of all enterprises in Scotland, employing 900,000 people and turning over £93 billion annually – but more than a quarter of those firms expect to shrink over the next year.
Of course, the UK Budget also has knock-on consequences for the Scottish Government as they prepare their own spending plans. They should also resist the temptation to place more constraints on business growth, instead reinvesting underspent money to help drive entrepreneurship.
There can be no long-term recovery for the UK economy to put the country on a path to economic growth without support for business which creates a climate in which entrepreneurialism, investment and risk-taking are rewarded.
But equally, there can be no path to sustainable growth without ensuring that its benefits are widely felt and not confined to boardrooms and shareholders, so that working people begin to see their real terms income and their standard of living starting to rise once again.
In the short term, the Chancellor must look again at measures which are hampering growth and which are, in some cases, actually costing jobs.
Balancing the books is never easy for any government, but this Budget is still an opportunity to chart a course which can deliver for people, business and communities for the long term.
Dr Marie Macklin CBE is a leading Scottish businesswoman and investor.
