Hammond’s £1.5 billion Budget boost for high streets
Scotland’s high streets could be set to benefit from a cash injection from tomorrow’s Budget.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is poised to announce a £1.5 billion boost for small town centre retailers when he delivers his speech to the Commons.
A proportion of the money will come to Scotland but as the issue is devolved it will be up to Holyrood how it is spent.
Yesterday the Scottish Federation of Small Businesses called for it to be used on initiatives to boost trade, including filling empty spaces in town centres. A spokesman said: “Small businesses are already given a generous package of relief by the Scottish Government.
“This may be the time to look at new ways to boost town centres, for example with new measures to turn empty retail units into housing or non-retail premises as it will drive more footfall.”
But SNP MPs will refuse to vote for tomorrow’s Budget if it will make Scotland poorer.
Ian Blackford, the party’s Westminster leader, accused the UK Government of “pulling the rug out from under future generations”.
He said: “SNP MPs simply cannot and will not support a Budget that will weaken Scotland’s economy or makes our constituents poorer.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard wants to see the Budget used to end the two-child cap on social security payments, which affects 3,800 households north of the
border.