MSP says Elon Musk should ‘forget Trump and bring SpaceX to Scotland’

The pair have clashed in recent days over a bill which the tech mogul says will increase the US budget deficit - he has since become one of Mr Trump’s fiercest critics.

Ash Regan MSP says Scotland should “be quick” to take advantage of this and lobby Mr Musk to relocate his business ventures to Scotland.

The Alba MSP, who previously called on the billionaire to open a Tesla Gigafactory in Scotland, says Scotland is an emerging force within the space and satellite industries, and branded Glasgow the “satellite manufacturing capital of Europe”.

Due to Mr Trump’s family and business ties to Scotland, Ms Regan believes such a move by Mr Musk could “prompt a bidding war between the president of the United States and one of the world’s richest men as to who can invest more in Scotland”.

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This comes after Mr Trump threatened to cut US government contracts given to Mr Musk’s SpaceX rocket company and his Starlink internet satellite services - in response, Mr Musk said SpaceX “will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately”.

He U-turned on this statement within hours, as SpaceX is the only US company capable of transporting crews to and from this space station using its four-person Dragon capsules. Cargo versions of this capsule are also used to ferry food and other supplies to the orbiting lab.

Ms Regan said: “The Scottish space industry, including satellite-related activities, is projected to be worth £4 billion to the Scottish economy by 2030.

“Glasgow is already known as the satellite manufacturing capital of Europe, and we are on the verge of becoming a global player in the industry.

“We have the sites, the people and the vision to match Elon Musk’s aspirations for SpaceX so the Scottish Government should be opening the door and advertising Scotland as the go-to place if he wishes to relocate his business ventures here if contract cancellation threats in the US are upheld.”

Scotland is currently developing multiple spaceports, including the Sutherland Spaceport in the Highlands and the SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland - Ms Regan says both these sites are ready for Mr Musk to relocate his SpaceX operations to.

The Alba MSP said other suitable sites include the proposed Spaceport 1 in the Outer Hebrides, the Macrihanish Spaceport Cluster and Prestwick Spaceport.

She says Scotland cannot be left behind as passengers in this emerging industry, and added: “I previously proposed Scotland as the site for the next Tesla Gigafactory and unfortunately Elon Musk ruled out investment due to the policies of the UK Labour government.

“However, the Scottish Government has been a key partner in the growing success of our satellite industry, so in Scotland we would have a much better opportunity of attracting such investment where the UK Government has previously failed.

“Scotland has the potential for abundant renewable energy, which is needed to power emergent technologies.

“By creating innovative investment opportunities, we can then capitalise on Scotland’s USP, ensuring we invest this bounty to benefit Scotland’s businesses and communities.

“No more being left behind as passengers while Westminster squanders the power of our own resources.

“We need to think independently and act like a forward-looking nation to show our people we can thrive with independence.”