The SNP must allow business to speak

WHEN a leading Scottish businessman dared publicly to suggest the SNP should scrap its push for a second independence referendum and, instead, concentrate on the day job, the consequences were depressingly predictable.

Angry Nationalists took to social media to inform Les Montgomery, the chief executive of Highland Spring, that they would, henceforth, boycott his company.

Even more troubling was the reaction from officials working for Economy Secretary Keith Brown, who immediately contacted Mr Montgomery to ‘discuss’ his views.

It is unlikely that Mr Brown’s cohorts would have been offering much in the way of tea and sympathy during their chat. For anyone who has paid even the slightest attention to the SNP’s tactics will know that an element within the party has a history of aggressively shouting down dissenting voices.

During the 2014 referendum, those business leaders brave enough to raise concerns about the SNP’s separation plans soon learned that the party’s angry mob doesn’t tolerate those who step out of line.

The men and women who run Scotland’s successful businesses may not have political mandates, but it is essential that they feel free to express their views about how political decisions can impact on the economy. It is vital that we hear what serious businesspeople make of the SNP’s policies – and if they warn that separation would be bad for jobs, we would be fools to dismiss them.

The SNP and its supporters may not like the truths they tell, but it is crucial they feel able to do so without the fear of unpleasant repercussions.