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Marie last night (Wednesday 11^th  June 2025) took part in a panel discussion on STV’s flagship current affairs programme Scotland Tonight, to discuss yesterday’s Comprehensive Spending Review announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Marie highlighted the crucial importance to the Scottish and UK economy of investment in infrastructure projects.

She also pointed to the fact that there are currently shovel-ready projects in the green economy and just transition sector which are poised for development, but which still need government input to ensure they go ahead, and to guarantee the jobs that come with them are not lost to other countries.

You can view the programme here: (STV account required) | http://player.stv.tv/episode/4r77/scotland-tonight

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS –

“Let Your Heart Sing.“

Kilmarnock Academy | Keynote | Annual Prizegiving 3rd June 2025

Marie was invited to her former secondary school, Kilmarnock Academy to deliver the keynote speech to pupils and invited guests at their annual prizegiving.

Below is a copy of Marie’s speech.

…

“On the 4th of July 1776 the founders of the USA came together and declared a new national revolutionary idea –

The belief that they were all created equal.

That they were free to govern themselves and that each one of them was entitled to a life of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Today some 249 years later each one of you have come together to celebrate your awards.

You have worked hard, faced fear with belief and hope in your heart that this momentous day would become a reality, and it has.

Now some of you who will be leaving school this year my message is this.

You are a huge asset not just to Ayrshire and Scotland but to the world. 

And from the bottom of my heart, I want to congratulate you all for your tenacity and having the heart to never give up.

2.

Now for some at school it is not always easy, and you feel you might not fit in.

So, I am going to share a story …

Many years ago, I knew a girl who faced fear,

A girl who wanted to sing again, a girl who had a Love for music but lacked confidence, bullied at primary school and kept back a year at school with a condition now termed dyslexic.

A girl from a challenging post code area where life was tough.

But her bricklayer father said stay true to yourself, work hard, dare to dream and dare to be different.

She watched her community’s economy decline during the 1970s & 80s deindustrialisation and life was tough.

But music gave her an escape.

3.

She aspired to be educated in the city of greatness – Glasgow. The city of lights, the city

built by the hands of men and women of greatness, where entrepreneurs created Tomorrow’s World.

Times were hard, studying she found difficult, but here beloved band Simple Minds got her through with their song ‘New Gold Dream’.

That girl aspired to work in London and NYC which she did. She then returned to Scotland to build a dream that dream is about helping our young people some who have no aspiration and who have disengaged from education and life.

That girl stands here today at her beloved Kilmarnock Academy.

4.

Her message to the amazing students at Kilmarnock Academy is….

The Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July 1776 was a result of the Founding Fathers of the United States. One was a 19-year-old Alexander Hamilton who had huge heart and tenacity.

He became the 1st Secretary of the Treasury and the main author of economic policies of the George Washington administration.

He was said to be the Patron Saint of American school of economic philosophy.

He was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton the 4th son of Laird Alexander Hamilton of Grange Kilmarnock Ayrshire, yes Kilmarnock.

The Grange area of Kilmarnock where that girl aspired to build her home and did.

 5.

You see it doesn’t matter where you come from its where you’re going and having heart on the journey. Just like Alexander Hamilton a son of Ayrshire whose heart changed the world.

Former Kilmarnock Academy pupils like Willie Mcilvanney and Alexander Fleming had heart and changed the world.

Today is about letting your heart sing, I want you all to think about heart and how you all can use your heart when making key decisions when leading Tomorrow’s World.

You are now advancing in a new direction in your education here at Kilmarnock Academy or on your next journey in further education or work.

 You will be taking with you community values that will never leave you and those values will create “Transformation” for Ayrshire, Scotland and the World.

When I look round this room, I believe you are all going ‘Rock’ the economy, putting Scotland at the forefront of a new Tomorrow’s World.

1. Never Give Up
2. Be Kind
3. Have Faith
4. Keep Your Values
5. Work Hard.”

PUBLISHED BY XLCC | Tuesday 3rd June 2025

It’s been nine months since we officially opened the doors to our 12,500 sq. ft XLCC Training Academy in Irvine, North Ayrshire. Now firmly established as hub for developing skilled cable joiners, the facility features a state-of-the-art workshop, modern office space, conference rooms, and welfare facilities.

We were delighted to recently welcome back Dr. Marie Macklin CBE, founder and executive chair of HALO Urban Regeneration Co, who officially opened the site last year. Dr. Macklin returned to see first-hand the significant progress made at the facility and learn more about the positive impact it’s already having in the region.

During her visit, Marie spoke with David Stevenson, our Cable Jointing Supervisor, to learn more about XLCC’s journey and long-term ambitions for Ayrshire and the wider UK. She also met with Kerr and Linda, two apprentices currently progressing through our training programme.

The visit comes as we recently entered into an exclusivity agreement that is expected to see the Sales and Project Delivery Headquarters of subsea cabling manufacturing company XLCC being established at the award-winning HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre Kilmarnock, Ayrshire Scotland.

This forms part of our wider commitment to investing in Ayrshire’s future. We also plan to construct the UK’s first high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable factory at Hunterston, Ayrshire—bringing 1,200 additional jobs to the region.

Marie commented on the visit, “What an inspiring experience it was at the Training Academy with David, Linda, Kerr, and the wider team. The cutting-edge work happening at this future-proof facility in Ayrshire is not only boosting local economic growth but also cultivating pioneering skills essential to driving the U.K.’s leadership in the just transition. This is a transformational opportunity — and both the U.K. and Scottish Governments must go all in to ensure Ayrshire, and the nation, reap the full benefits of this bold and visionary initiative.”

Ian Douglas, CEO at XLCC said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the progress we’ve made at our Training Academy in Irvine. This facility is a cornerstone of our mission to build a skilled workforce capable of powering the UK’s clean energy future. Welcoming Dr. Marie Macklin back to see the growth first-hand was a proud moment for our team. Our partnership with HALO and our wider investment in Ayrshire reflects our long-term belief in the potential of this region and its people. Together, we’re laying the foundations for a new era of green industry, innovation, and opportunity.”

View the video hosted by Marie and featuring David, Linda and Kerr from XLCC who provide an update on progress at their Training Academy in Irvine, North Ayrshire as they help Power the Nation.

SUNDAY MAIL Feature | Sunday 1st June 2025

We have come a long way since the banks of the Clyde echoed to the din of riveting and welding as the river and its yards produced many of the vessels which the world’s seagoing trade and travel depended on.

And where once the name Clyde-built was a byword for shipbuilding excellence, of skill and craftsmanship of global renown, now it is attached to the depressing spectacle of the ferries fiasco.

It is a saga with no clear end in sight. The latest twist involves a further huge cost rise in the price tag for the MV Glen Rosa, soaring to £185 million, with the launch of the vessel into service on the Arran route pushed back well into next year.

And some who have knowledge of the procurement process believe that even once the new ferries set sail, they are likely to be plagued by technical issues and breakdowns for years to come.

It would be all too easy to blame the workforce at Fergusons – easy, but wrong. The blame for this surely lies at the top, and with many of the decisions taken at senior level.

The scale of the scandal surrounding the procurement of new vessels to serve on island routes almost beggars belief, and it would take far too long to recount every twist and turn in a saga which stretches back a decade and more.

But the ferries debacle exposes a much deeper issue – that of what seems to be a chronic problem when it comes to major infrastructure projects across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Our transport network alone is creaking at the seams, and in many places in need of a massive overhaul to bring it into the 21^st century and up to speed with the services offered to travellers in other countries.

But whether it is our transport services or other major capital projects, we seem completely unable as a nation to get them finished on budget and on time – that’s assuming they even get started.

In Scotland alone, we have an inglorious recent history of procurement and infrastructure failure – the Edinburgh trams and the Holyrood building project immediately spring easily to mind as examples of public money being wasted and poor project management from the top down.

It doesn’t have to be this way.  Other countries near and far seem to be able to manage such projects much better than we do.

Our great history of innovation and manufacturing shows what we are capable of given the chance. There is nothing inherently stopping us from replicating those engineering and technical feats of generations gone by – what is needed is the political will and the right leadership when it comes to individual projects.

And if it comes down to a question of where powers lie, the Scottish and UK Governments should be able to come to a sensible agreement about the investment needed. Ordinary people want to see results, not bickering.

Other countries are not shy about their ambitions when it comes to building the industrial base they need to prosper, and nor should we be. The US, for example, has recently announced plans for a major expansion of shipbuilding in a bid to reverse decades of decline and see it rival the likes of China which has soared ahead and now accounts for much of global seagoing manufacturing.

That is the kind of reindustrialization and regeneration that Scotland and the rest of the UK are crying out for.

And while it may not be realistic to imagine recreating the glory days of Clyde shipbuilding, that does not mean we should abandon industrial expertise and craftsmanship where it still exists.

That is because we are currently living through potentially the most transformative era in modern times, an age when every advantage we have needs to be used to create the green energies and technologies of the future.

And that means repurposing existing facilities and skills to apply them to that new world of opportunity.

It is already happening in parts of the country, where workforces and hardware which was previously used to support the North Sea oil and gas industry are being redeployed for use in renewable technologies such as wind power, carbon capture and hydrogen fuel.

And that is exactly the kind of innovation which can help secure a viable future for what remains of our once great shipbuilding sector.  I personally know of companies who are eager to invest significantly in Scotland and who would be keen to discuss ways in which shipbuilding expertise could be used in a way which supports their projects.

That would see Clyde workers use their skills to help power the great transformation which will revolutionise the world around us over the next 25 years or so.

It is sometimes said that we only make progress because we are standing on the shoulders of giants.

It would be the most fitting legacy imaginable – and a welcome antidote to the sorry saga of the long-running ferries fiasco – if some of the great green technologies of the future were founded on the shoulders of those giants of Scottish shipbuilding who once made the Clyde the envy of the world.

Marie’s insider.co.uk feature 23rd May 2025.

When the UN climate change summit arrived in the UK nearly four years ago, it was seen as a genuine opportunity to help deliver the transformative change needed to secure not just a more sustainable future for the global economy, but one in which the journey to net zero would be fair and inclusive.

In a world still largely consumed by the Covid-19 pandemic and its social and economic aftershocks, global leaders gathering in Glasgow were keen to promote the concept of a just transition for all, whether for communities in the west, or for those in the developing world, where the effects of climate change are often most felt – but where those impacted are least able to cope.

Thus, the concept of climate justice was central to COP26. And amid the rhetoric, one initiative in particular was conceived as a vehicle to help deliver it. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero was created to bring together many of the world’s leading financial institutions to help deliver on climate objectives.

Launched by former Bank of England governor and now Canadian premier Mark Carney, the group’s stated mission was to accelerate the drive towards a decarbonised global economy, as part of the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.

Four years on, however, the high hopes created by the creation of the group have largely dissipated.

The gathering, and more specifically its key sub-group the Net Zero Banking Alliance, has more recently seen many high-profile members – including half a dozen major US banks – quit, citing overly-stringent requirements.

The influence of the new US administration is cited by many as the central reason for the fracturing of the group. And while it is certainly the case that the policies pursued by the current White House have led to a fundamental tilt away from the sustainability agenda by many organisations, that is far from the whole story.

That is because, even before the arrival of the Trump administration, the steps required of signatories had become significantly more onerous than the terms which were initially signed up to in Glasgow.

This speaks to a wider and deeper issue about how we collectively look to achieve the fastest sensible and practical transition of our economies.

I believe that the UK’s net zero targets should be pushed back. That includes the overarching UK-wide target date of 2050, and the separate, more stretching goal in Scotland, where the Holyrood administration has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

Advocating a more realistic pace on the path to achieving a decarbonised economy is not a surrender to climate denial, as some might claim, but rather a prudent and necessary step to not only ensure our targets are rooted in reality, but that crucially we also deliver a fair and just transition in fact, as well as rhetoric.

There is nothing just about a race to reach an arbitrary target date, but which leaves too many people behind.

As a businessperson and investor who has overseen complex regeneration projects over many years, and who is also engaged in creating jobs and opportunities within the green economy, I am aware of how difficult it can be to balance the need for sustainability whilst also ensuring that the transition is truly just.

We cannot allow the move to a greener future to leave swathes of our society effectively abandoned, as happened previously with the decline of traditional heavy industries.

Where, for example, there are existing skills, infrastructure and resources, every effort should be made to have them repurposed. A prime example is the current situation at the Grangemouth refinery in central Scotland, which faces imminent closure, with workers left with nothing to take its place.

That simply cannot be right. Indeed, Grangemouth is a case which calls for the type of investment the global financial alliance created in Glasgow was set up to deliver.

When it comes to the pace of the decarbonisation march, there are some encouraging signs that common sense is starting to be applied to the issue. Across the UK, the debate on net zero and associated targets has more recently begun to acquire a more realistic tone.

Again, such moves should not be seen as defeatist.

Instead, they should be regarded as part of the hard-headed realism that needs to become firmly embedded in the net zero agenda, an approach that is needed for both our climate and our economy.

Link to insider.co.uk article: https://www.insider.co.uk/news/its-not-defeatist-push-back-35276566

The Herald, Saturday 19th April 2025.

More than half a century has passed since vast quantities of oil and gas were first discovered in Scottish waters, off our east coast. It began with American oilmen, some resplendent in Stetsons and cowboy boots, arriving in Aberdeen with a swagger, much like the pioneers of the Old West. And, just like those prospectors who sought out the “gold in them thar hills”, the rush for the black gold locked in our seabed sparked a rush and then a boom.

In the decades since, countless billions of pounds have flowed from that North Sea bounty into the pockets of successive UK Governments. But in all that time, not nearly enough thought has been given to how we lock in rewards for the long term, to ensure that our own natural resources benefit everyone who lives here, across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

There was a grim joke which used to do the rounds in the first couple of decades or so of the North Sea oil boom. Scotland, so it was said, was the only country in the history of the world to discover oil and still get poorer. It wasn’t true of course. At least not literally. But it contained enough grains of truth to speak to some of the underlying disenchantment that, while parts of the country were booming, huge swathes of it saw nothing of the wealth drilled from the North Sea.

Communities like my own, in west central Scotland – in common with others across parts of the rest of the UK – suffered the crippling effects of deindustrialisation, many of which are still being felt today, while the oil and gas wealth went elsewhere. The bounty was squandered.  So much for history. I am much more concerned about the here and now. That is because the lessons from what has happened to our North Sea oil and gas wealth have not been learned, and the same mistakes are in danger of being repeated. Scotland has huge and growing potential in the industries of the future, something I am proud to be playing my own part in when it comes to attracting green jobs to this country.  But we cannot let the ‘Green Rush’, being led by the new pioneers exploiting a new frontier, fail to deliver a just and fair transition for our communities’ future wealth and health. However, unless decisive steps are taken that is exactly what will happen, and we will indeed repeat the mistakes of the past.

As a businessperson, I am all for private enterprises and for allowing the companies and individuals who invest in exploration and development of our energy reserves to profit from those endeavors. It seems to me, however, that something has been lost along the way – something important and fundamental. Namely, the way in which our communities and country as a whole are not reaping the long-term benefits of having such an abundance of energy riches on our doorstep.

And what makes that failure even more galling is that other countries do things so much better, because they do ensure that their people have a stake in their own nation’s resources. Other countries have sovereign wealth funds, like Norway’s, which are in effect huge national pension pots. Or, like the Danish Government has recently done in relation to a green energy project which they have taken a 20 per cent stake in, they find other ways to ensure that the state and its citizens see a return.

Here, it always seems to be a different story, with cash from our resources flowing overseas and into the Treasury coffers of successive UK Governments of whichever party, with little if anything saved for the long-term. The time has come to change that.  But ensuring our communities are not left behind as they were in the past will require several things.

Firstly, we need to see a decisive rebalancing of the economy back towards one with a serious manufacturing base, supporting and creating jobs. That reindustrialisation of Scotland and the UK is badly needed – and, contrary to what some might imagine or suggest, it doesn’t mean a backwards step to the industries of the past. Instead, it involves a bold and imaginative leap forward, where the green industries of the future are fully embraced, with support from governments and the private sector. But that does not mean allowing firms to sit on valuable assets at a time when energy security is a priority and when we need investment.

Other countries are more forward-thinking in fiscal and economic policy, which means the corporate giants see them as more investable and potentially profitable.  UK Governments have not acted quickly enough to develop economic policy to give confidence to speculators that the green dream is truly worth investing in.Secondly, transitioning to a green industrial future also means making use of the huge advantages we already have, in terms of natural resources, skilled workers and existing technical capacity. The biggest untapped asset is our young people and their skills, which are not being developed quickly enough to deal with the vast opportunity that is before Scotland and the UK.

A just transition to Net Zero also means holding on to what we have, and where necessary repurposing it.  And the most glaring current example of that is the Grangemouth refinery, where hundreds of workers face the imminent prospect of being laid off with nowhere to go within the next few months. Grangemouth is a key piece of the nation’s infrastructure and our energy security, so it is vital we ensure it and facilities like it are retained for the communities and taxpayer’s benefit.

Finally, we need to ensure that the right steps are taken to safeguard the fruits of our resources to benefit the country as a whole, as so many other nations have done, whether through sovereign funds, a direct public stake in projects or other means.

At a time when we are clearly living in a new global era of protectionism, we must do more to protect ourselves.

Only then will we lay to rest the ghosts of missed opportunity which has seen far too much of our national wealth drain out of the country for the last 50 years.

View article: https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/25101348.must-reindustrialise-scotland—difference/

Marie yesterday, Monday April 14th, met with First Minister John Swinney after being invited to his official residence, Bute House, to discuss issues relating to Scotland’s economy, jobs and regeneration. The wide-ranging discussion touched on a variety of current issues, including the impact of global trade tariffs, the potential for overseas investment in Scotland and the future of the Grangemouth refinery.

Commenting following the meeting, Marie said:

“I’m very grateful to the First Minister for the invitation to meet him to discuss issues of common concern relating to Scotland’s economy.

“Our discussion comes at a time of extraordinary challenges – but challenges can also bring moments of opportunity, and I am determined that Scotland is as well placed as possible to take advantage of those.

“I had the chance to hear first-hand from the First Minister about his recent visit to the United States and the trade and investment prospects which that involved.

“However, our meeting was also a chance to talk about some of the very real, pressing threats to Scotland’s long-term economic prospects.

“That includes the situation at Grangemouth, and I was very pleased to hear the First Minister yesterday make the case publicly to the UK Government that it should offer the same type of rescue package for the plant as it has done for British Steel workers

“Quite simply, what is good enough for Scunthorpe must be good enough for Grangemouth. Anything else exposes blatant double standards on the part of the UK Government.

“The First Minister and I agreed that we would keep in contact regarding the situation at Grangemouth, with a view to facilitating wider discussion on how the best possible outcome can be reached for the facility and its workers.”

Marie also returned to the STV, Scotland Tonight programme on (Tuesday 15th April) to discuss topical issues relating to Scotland’s economy, jobs and regeneration. There was a particular focus on the UK/ US trade deal progress and what that means for both the UK and Scottish economy. 

You can view the interview with Rona Dougall and Marie below…

“The downgrading in forecast growth outlined by the Chancellor may well have been expected, but the fact that growth projections have been slashed by half shows the extent of the deep-seated challenges facing the UK economy.

It poses the fundamental question of where long-term growth is going to come from. And it means we can’t keep on with more of the same economic policies and expect to get different, better outcomes.

Instead, what is needed is a fundamental rebalancing of the economy, with a determined focus on reindustrialisation, and specifically on manufacturing. Without a solid manufacturing base, Scotland and the UK will not produce sustained economic growth and will struggle to match the performance of many of our international competitors.

That means serious and sustained investment in manufacturing is essential, in addition to efforts to protect and safeguard existing industry, such as the Grangemouth plant here in Scotland. Allowing such key pieces of national infrastructure to be lost flies completely in the face of stated goals for a just transition to the industries and jobs of the future.

Making the most of our huge assets – natural resources, infrastructure and skilled people – is the path to a sustainable future.

We also need dedicated efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, so that more people are persuaded to start their own businesses, creating the small and medium enterprises that are the engine of our economy.

While I agree that getting substantially more people back into the workforce and economically active is not only a good but a necessary thing, it is also essential that that is done in a way that supports both growth and society as a whole. Cuts to welfare should not mean reducing support for those who need it most.”