Rishi delivered: Now SNP must start helping Scots business

ONCE again, Rishi Sunak has stepped up and offered a lifeline for Scottish jobs and businesses. With Covid-19 cases on the rise, and the immensely successful furlough scheme winding down, it was right for the Chancellor and the UK Government to take further action.

Make no mistake, we remain at a perilous stage. The winter months are approaching and more restrictions are being applied to our day-to-day lives.

That’s why it was so vital that the UK Government acts swiftly to protect wages and livelihoods.

Indeed, I had made the case directly to both the Chancellor and the Prime Minister in recent days for continued support for Scottish business, and protection for employees facing an uncertain future.

The new Jobs Support Scheme – topping up salaries for firms that cannot take staff back full time – will act as a lifeboat for many workers who otherwise might be cast adrift.

None of us could have envisaged a year ago that a Conservative UK Government would be subsidising the wages of private sector staff up and down the country.

But we are living in unprecedented times and the Chancellor has taken bold, radical action to help steer our economy through the storms ahead.

The furlough scheme was so successful that it earned praise even from the SNP and Labour. Furloughing staff who were told to stay at home during lockdown from March onwards was the right thing to do.

It was a huge commitment, and the scheme protected more than 900,000 Scottish jobs and helped thousands of Scottish businesses stay afloat.

The additional package of grants, loans and direct support for the self-employed – as well as £6.5billion in extra funding for Holyrood – allowed us to get through those initial months.

It is hard to imagine what would have happened without that safety net in place.

However, I think most people would agree, even reluctantly, that the Government

cannot go on paying the wages of a third of the Scottish workforce indefinitely.

And, as the Chancellor made clear, no government, no matter what policies were pursued, could save every job or every business.

With a return to more stringent restrictions, there is bound to be a negative impact on trade, on footfall for shops and restaurants and on demand for goods and services.

Now is the time for more targeted support to help those sectors of the economy that need it the most.

In addition to the Jobs Support Scheme, I was pleased to see the extension of the VAT cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for the hospitality and tourism sector.

This is vital for Scotland.

Lifeblood

In my own constituency of Moray, and indeed across the country, tourism-related businesses are the lifeblood of many communities.

This will save many jobs that would otherwise have been lost.The repayment extension for bounce-back loans will also provide many firms with more breathing space – with the ability to spread payments over ten years rather than six.

And, of course, extending the Self Employment Support Scheme will provide help to many people who are facing uncertainty in terms of their income over the next six months.

In contrast to the sniping from the SNP benches at Westminster, the reaction from business and trade union leaders to the Chancellor’s announcements has been very positive.

The Confederation of British Industry said the measures would save ‘many hundreds of thousands’ of jobs across the country.

The TUC said the Chancellor had ‘done the right thing’.

I am sure these measures will be welcomed by businesses across Scotland, particularly the small and medium-sized firms which will be wondering if they can get through this crisis.

Right now, I know it will seem that there is no end in sight.

We are again facing severe restrictions on our social lives, and reductions in face-to-face contact with our loved ones. A widely available vaccine remains a distant prospect.

Hopefully, these financial measures will provide some level of certainty for businesses and their staff.

But we should be in no doubt that our economy remains very fragile.

The Chancellor’s actions yesterday will help to save many jobs and that is why the new measures were necessary, and timely.

It is also why the Scottish Government must also now step up to the plate.

There is no doubt that the UK Government has delivered – from back in March when the furlough measures were first introduced – right up until now, with this latest financial support package.

But it cannot and should not be left to the UK Government alone to act.

The Scottish Government must show similar ambition and use all the powers at its disposal to help our country through this crisis.

The Economy Recovery plan that Benny Higgins produced for the Scottish Government had many welcome points and ideas that could have acted as starting points for progress.

But it has largely gathered dust on the desks of SNP ministers. The so-called plan that the SNP Government brought forward in response to the Higgins report was more like a plan to make a plan.

As we’ve seen time and again with this SNP Government over the years, it rarely thinks of the needs of Scotland’s small businesses. It seems to think business is something that just goes on, without anyone putting in the hard graft to make it happen. Even its own adviser, the businessman Jim McColl, has recognised that SNP ministers don’t really get business.

This time, it’s absolutely crucial that the SNP kicks into action and delivers a platform for our small businesses to survive and thrive.

The UK Government delivered the furlough scheme and bounce-back loans – what has the SNP Government done for small business during this pandemic?

We need it to finally step up – but it’s not just about demanding that the SNP acts. We also need our two governments to set aside their differences and work together more closely. I think people across Scotland want to see that happening. It is something that I have been calling for throughout this crisis.

Grievances

The SNP can continue to have its grievances, and we can continue to make our political points.

But the next few months won’t be smooth sailing, They won’t be easy for any of us.

This virus remains a real threat. It’s not going away any time soon and we’re all going to have to tough it out and make the necessary sacrifices to protect people around us – our friends, neighbours and older family members.

But we can and we will get through it, together.

That last word is the most crucial – together. We’re only going to be able to rebuild our economy and get Scotland back on track with both of our governments firing on all cylinders, together.

What we need is both of our governments united in decisive and ambitious actions that protect jobs and give businesses the tools they need to come through the other side of this crisis.

That’s what I will be campaigning for in the coming months – a unified economic response that streamlines support to those who need it.

If both of our governments do what’s necessary, together, this pandemic doesn’t need to be the point where Scotland’s businesses hit rock bottom.

It can be the moment where we start to bounce back and go on to new heights.