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.