To miss rates aid

of the increases. Managing director Bill Dean said his rates are still set to rise around 30%.

Mr Dean said: “We’re still to get the actual figures through the letterbox, but that’s the indication we’ve been given – it’s a very chunky number.

“There’s enough on everyone’s plate with the uncertainty of Brexit, there’s crazy things happening with the pricing of commodities because of the pound being very weak just now, labour costs are going up significantly and more.

“This is just more on our plate. Do we really need it at this moment in time? The honest answer is no, but what are our options? It seems to me we’ll have to see businesses suffer, or some businesses unfortunately collapse, before they address things more properly. It is very disappointing.”

Mr Dean said although he was pleased to see relief offered to hospitality and office-based businesses, he would have preferred a more equal approach.

He added: “How can you say that one sector is more deserving than others when it comes to support, when we’re all in the same boat?

“There’s been a huge knock-on effect in terms of trading for everyone in the north-east due to the oil downturn.

“And businesses such as our own are not exempt from that.

“But costs are coming at us from all different angles, and we can’t take them all, it’s impossible.

“What we’re looking for is a period of stability. There’s just so much uncertainty with the pound, Brexit, there’s so much going on just now – why throw more petrol on the fire at this time?

“Businesses are an easy target.

“One business, one vote – it makes political sense to attack them, rather than upset the man and women on the street.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Our business rates package is already ensuring that almost 14,000 premises in Aberdeen city and shire, Dundee and Angus will pay no business rates whatsoever, while more than 750 are excluded from the large business supplement.

“We have listened to businesses and are now providing further targeted support – capping bill increases for some 2,200 additional businesses across the area.”

“There’s been a huge knock-on effect in terms of trading for everyone”

Allan Gordon and his son Andrew outside their family business in Alford which will close for good next year