Enterprise held back by taxes and red tape

DEEPLY dispiriting news from the self-employed sector of the economy, with an average 80 businesses going to the wall daily over a three-month period, while overall Scottish unemployment has risen to 120,000.

The excuse that this is somehow down to Brexit uncertainty holds no water at all. If Brexit were to blame, the entire UK economy would show similar signs of atrophy.

Sadly for us, though, the malaise seems worse in Scotland where our economy bumps along the bottom even as the rest of the UK is doing considerably better.

And rather than the convenient bogeyman of Brexit, doesn’t the blame for sluggish economic performance sit much closer to home at Holyrood? And doesn’t it have its roots in soaring business rates, government red tape and an onerous tax burden?

There have long been questions over the SNP’s economic literacy and Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has shown little grasp of how to create the conditions needed to help businesses thrive.

As Bill Bowman, Scottish Conservative taxation spokesman, argues elsewhere on this page: ‘When people go out on their own professionally, they should know they have the backing and support of the Scottish Government.

‘Instead, we have an anti-business SNP set on making life as difficult as possible.’

Smaller firms are the lifeblood of the broader economy and the self-employed are among the most motivated people within the workforce.

We should all be deeply concerned that, like the canary in the coalmine, these key sectors are showing signs of serious distress. That has implications for us all.

And instead of bleating on about powers it does not have, shouldn’t the SNP be using the very many powers it does have to nurture businesses and workers instead of constantly squeezing them dry?

Scottish Secretary David Mundell certainly thinks so.

He said: ‘Scotland’s employment level has improved and this is good news for people who have the safety and security of a job.

‘However, this rate is still below that of the rest of the UK.

‘I urge the Scottish Government to use its powers to help more people into work and strengthen Scotland’s economy.’

Instead of more shroud-waving on Brexit and constant agitation about independence, the SNP ought to be buckling down to the hard work of growing the economy, but questions about their ability to tackle this crucial task persist.