Having just watched some news coverage of the latest indictments in the US political saga, I’m again seeing a number of people walking through the melee of reporters while whispering the words ‘no comment’.

This approach is rarely wise.  A conversation is a two-way street.  When you talk to someone, you expect an answer.  When you don’t get one, it jolts the brain, and tells you something isn’t right, or someone is being evasive.  It is the same when someone stays stony silent or gives the response ‘no comment’.  It just transmits a sense of negativity to the people watching.

Even if you simply say, ‘we’ll be issuing a statement shortly’, that at least is a normal interaction and is providing the recipient with some information whilst keeping the conversation going… at least in part.

I was recently invited to speak at an event during Scotland Week, which has grown out of Tartan Day celebrations in the US.

Having taken part before, I always find it a privilege to be asked to speak at these events in Washington DC. It is also immensely interesting to meet the many Scottish Americans, Senators and Congressmen and women who attend.

Whilst the so-called ‘special relationship’ is often talked about in political circles, usually at a point when decisions on one side of the pond might impact on the other, it’s only when you attend events like those during Scotland Week when you realise just how deep the bonds between us go.

I have met so many Americans whose love for Scotland burns brightly. Their families may have left our shores decades, or hundreds of years ago, but they are as proud as we are to be Scots.

In some ways, this is the legacy that Scotland leaves throughout the world. Our culture and identity – our brand – is so strong that it resonates positivity and inclusiveness around the world. As a nation we should look to further build upon these bonds, the benefits of doing so would be felt right across Scotland.