Time for all Parties to support our businesses

For all their bluster on business rates for the past two years, the Tories have failed to back the interests of local businesses by voting through an amendment in favour of scrapping business rates reliefs.

These reliefs have been of great benefit to businesses in my area who have been struggling throughout the oil and gas downturn.

My SNP colleagues and I campaigned hard to get them put in place.

However, the amendments to the Non-Domestic Rates bill that will be voted on this week in parliament would see over £308 million of relief scrapped – which is strongly opposed by the SNP.

This could impact more than 100,000 businesses across Scotland, and cost smaller businesses £7,000.

This includes the small business bonus scheme which has benefited more than 7,000 recipients in Aberdeenshire, saving local businesses £12.6millon in 2018-19 and £83.4million since the scheme was introduced.

The result of this amendment would be deplorable for local businesses across the North-east.

The SNP was the only party which opposed the amendment to the Bill – which would mean that rates would no longer be set nationally and business rates reliefs, including the Small Business Bonus and rates relief for nurseries – would automatically end.

It would also remove the ability of Scottish ministers to set the business rates poundage.

Abolishing the Universal Business Rate is bad for all businesses.

However, I’m not the only one who has these concerns with worries being voiced through a network of 27 Scottish business organisations all of whom oppose the amendment.

These plans would deliver a blow to businesses in the North-east and could risk the delivery of vital local services, the work of charities and third-sector organisations.

If the plans backed by the Tories and Labour had been in place, Aberdeenshire council would have faced a shortfall of £6.8million over the past two years.

Experts and business organisations have also warned that it could create added costs and deter investment in the North-east and across Scotland.

The Federation of Small Businesses, CBI Scotland and the Scottish Retail Consortium have all expressed concerns over the proposed changes, warning it will create added costs and deter investment.

I also know from speaking to local businesses across my constituency just how much this relief scheme means to businesses each day.

It is clear that we cannot take the risk of letting the Tories in, and watching them trade away our precious economy.

Businesses in the North-east have benefited massively in rates support, providing stability for local jobs and communities and giving firms that valuable headroom to grow and thrive.

This amendment shows contempt from the Tories and Greens and threatens to scrap reliefs for businesses in the North-east.

My colleagues across the North-east must backtrack and reverse their decision to end nationwide rates relief and introduce local rates multipliers.

Food Matters

A Happy New Year to everyone!

Unfortunately, the decade has begun with more of the same disappointment from the Conservatives in power. News broke this week that food parcel usage has soared across Scotland.

I’m not sure when the Tories will wake up, but urgent action from the UK Government is critical as foodbank use reaches crisis point across the North East. Almost 600,000 food parcels were handed out in Scotland over 18 months seeing a 22% rise.

It’s a sign of the times that people are dependent on food donations in a rich country – and an indictment on welfare reform which has left people with no other choices.

The need to remove the unfair two-child limit and benefit cap has never been more urgent.

The UK Government must take tangible steps to reversing austerity from an increase in the National Living Wage, an uprate of all benefits in line with inflation, and a ban on zero-hours contracts.

In stark contrast to Westminster austerity, the Scottish Government has been working to develop a social security system with dignity and fairness at its heart – introducing a raft of benefits to provide much needed financial support to low-income families, including a brand new benefit which will provide eligible families with £10 a week for every child under 16 by 2022.

While food banks such as the ones in Peterhead and Macduff do an excellent job of providing support for those who need it, the fact that they even exist is a damning result of UK Government policies which are actively driving people into desperate situations.

The UK government needs to wake up to the cost of this crisis and stop shunning responsibility before more families and children are pushed into poverty.