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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Craig Meighan

Starmer, Farage and Badenoch all head to Scotland four months before election

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Scotland is at the forefront of his plans to lower energy bills (Ben Stansall/PA) - (PA Wire)

The UK’s top political leaders, including the Prime Minister, will descend on Scotland on Thursday.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected make an announcement on clean energy just a day after confirming that one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms will be built off the coast of East Lothian.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will be in Fife to announce his party’s Scottish leader.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will visit Edinburgh, where she will attack the Scottish Government for raising taxes and benefits in its recently announced Budget.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage will unveil his Scottish leader on Thursday (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

The three visits are unrelated but come just four months ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election.

The Prime Minister will join Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander during his visit north of the border, where he will meet people engaged in the energy industry.

The Labour leader is expected to make an announcement on his plans to deliver more domestic clean energy.

On Wednesday, the UK Government awarded a contract to SSE to build one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.

The 307 turbines are predicted to generate enough electricity to power more than six million homes.

Sir Keir said: “Our plan to get your energy bills down is working and Scottish jobs are right at the forefront of making that happen.

“Twelve million homes, in part powered by thousands of highly skilled Scottish jobs, paving a way for a more secure future free from Putin pushing your monthly bills up.

“I promised to restore Scottish people and their interests firmly back at the beating heart of everything this Government does, and that is what I will continue to do.

“This May is a chance to do the same at Holyrood, reclaiming it and making it work for you with a new first minister working with us.”

During his visit, Mr Farage will announce the leader of Reform UK Scotland.

Lord Offord, the former Tory minister, is tipped to lead the party into the Holyrood election in May.

Polls suggest the party could come second at the Scottish Parliament behind the SNP.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch will visit Scotland over the course of two days (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Mrs Badenoch, meanwhile, will be joined by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie in the Scottish capital.

She will spend two days in Scotland, also visiting the north east, where she will meet business and energy leaders.

Ahead of her visit, she attacked the SNP’s Budget for raising taxes.

She said: “Scotland needs a government that will back business, cut welfare and grow the economy. Instead, Scotland has the SNP, whose Budget raises taxes and benefits, and leaves hardworking Scots worse off than people in the rest of the UK.

“Under the SNP, nurses, teachers and families are being forced to pay higher and higher taxes just to bankroll a failing nationalist agenda.

“Labour’s decision to stand aside and let this terrible Budget pass shows they can’t provide the alternative Scotland desperately needs. Reform just want more welfare spending.

“Only the Conservatives are serious about cutting taxes for working people, getting a grip on benefits, backing businesses and restoring economic growth to Scotland and the whole of the UK.”

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