Musk lists US Consulate in Edinburgh for closure – Daily Business

The United States consulate in Edinburgh is expected to become a victim of Elon Musk’s spending cuts.

Leaked documents list it among 17 consulates, mainly in Europe, that are scheduled to close. It would mean the end of an American presence in the Scottish capital since 1798.

The consulate has been in Regent Terrace for the last 74 years and provides services for American citizens as well as functioning as a forum for Scotland and US events and meetings.

According to the The Washington Post the Trump administration is also proposing the closure of ten embassies in smaller nations with operations to be folded into embassies in nearby countries.

The move is part of cuts instigated by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative. At a briefing on Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the US Department of State, did not deny the authenticity of the leaked documents but insisted no final decisions had been taken.

She said: “There is no final plan, final budget, final dynamic, that is up to the White House and the president of the United States.”

Hannah Bardell, a former SNP MP who worked at the consulate in Edinburgh when Barack Obama was in office, told The Times that is closure would be a “devastating blow” to US businesses and citizens in Scotland, as well as its staff.

“I have seen first hand the importance of its consular work and the important engagement and work it does with business, the arts, politicians and many communities,” she said.

“It’s a strange decision from President Trump who himself has Scottish roots. I hope his administration will think again as the closure of the US consulate in Edinburgh would be a huge blow to the American community here in Scotland.”