G7 a 'crucial milestone' on road to COP26 in Glasgow, Alister Jack says

The G7 is a “crucial milestone” on the road to delivering COP26 in Glasgow, Alister Jack has claimed.

The Scottish Secretary claimed the event showed the UK’s role as a “leading global player” and the summit in Cornwall would help drive jobs and attention to Scotland.

He claimed the event showed the UK’s role as a “leading global player” and the summit in Cornwall would help drive jobs and attention to Scotland.

This includes work in Scotland on plans to deliver the Prime Minister's pledge to improve education for vulnerable girls.

Alister Jack claimed the Cornwall summit was “crucial milestone” on road to COP26 in Glasgow

Mr Jack pointed to the decision to move 1,000 staff to the Foreign Office in East Kilbride, saying the decisions made at the G7 were being driven by staff across the UK.

He said: “The UK’s position as a leading global player is highlighted by us holding the G7 Presidency, giving us the ear of the world’s most powerful leaders, including US President Joe Biden, making his first foreign visit for the summit.

“The UK's hosting of the G7 has been an opportunity for us to drive the agenda on the major issues that matter to everyone in Britain, including climate change, recovery from the Covid pandemic and human rights.

“These are issues that unite people right across the UK.

“The UK is a powerful force for good on the global stage, shaping our world as a leading member of the UN Security Council, NATO, Commonwealth, G7 and G20.

“And the G7 is a crucial milestone on the road to the UK hosting the UN’s Climate Change Summit COP26 in Glasgow later this year. COP26 will bring world leaders – and the attention of the world – to Scotland.

“Many of the decisions agreed at the G7 and COP26 will be implemented and pushed forward by the 1,000 staff at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s joint HQ in East Kilbride.

“There can be no clearer commitment to our joint HQ in East Kilbride than the announcement in March that we are re-deploying 500 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office jobs from London to Scotland.”

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference and will take place in Glasgow in November.

Officials are believed to be pleased with the global reaction to the G7 summit in Cornwall, and hope the same in Glasgow can show the benefit of the UK working together.

It comes as the SNP accused the Prime Minister of "threatening the UK's recovery from Covid" by failing to invest at a time the US President Joe Biden urged G7 countries not to withdraw support.

They pointed to figures from Statista and the International Monetary Fund that show as a proportion of GDP, the UK has the smallest stimulus package of any G7 country.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: "Boris Johnson is threatening the UK's recovery from Covid by imposing another round of Tory austerity cuts and failing to deliver the investment needed to protect the economy.

"It makes no sense that the UK has the smallest stimulus package of any G7 country despite suffering the worst economic slump.

"Tory plans to slash Universal Credit by £1,040 a year, impose a public sector pay freeze, and end furlough prematurely will act as a road block to recovery and leave millions of people struggling to get by.”

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