StevenPaterson

“The Stirling area benefits from a rich historical and natural heritage, making our local communities a key destination for tourism - a sector that supports thousands of local jobs in industries such as hospitality.

Tourism-related industries face regular challenges with pubs, restaurants, and hotels experiencing seasonal periods of volatility.

With the majority of economic leavers under the control of the UK Government in Westminster, it is vital that they are properly held to account over how small businesses are supported.

Theresa May’s unrelenting Hard Brexit is by far the biggest threat to these industries and these jobs. The vote on June 23 last year was a UK-wide vote to leave the European Union, not the Single Market.

Scotland’s access to this tariff-free market place supports an estimated 80,000 jobs by enabling trade, movement, and cooperation between European countries. For a nation that voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, the UK Government cannot ignore the compromised proposal of the SNP Scottish Government to protect Scotland’s access to the European Single Market.

Last year, I ran a consultation with local tourism-related businesses on the impact of the current rate of VAT.

I am grateful for the large number of responses from business owners who were clearly concerned that the flat 20 percent rate is unsustainable, particularly in the hospitality sector, stunting growth the creation of more local jobs.

However, I am deeply disappointed in the response that I received from the Chancellor after writing to him with the voices of local business owners on this matter.

The current Tory position is to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to VAT and how it affects businesses.

However, the local tourism sector in the Stirling area deserves and needs a much greater commitment to supporting local businesses and local jobs here in the Stirling Constituency.”