Midlothian economy ‘on its knees’ over move to level three restrictions
Businesses in Midlothian face going to the wall over the "11th-hour decision" to keep the area in level three, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has said.
He is now calling on ministers to provide additional funding for firms in the area after ministers indicated last week it would move into level two, allowing greater opening hours for hospitality.
That was reversed, in a move that local council leader Derek Milligan has branded “absolutely devastating” for the area.
Ni cola Sturgeon insisted that an extra £30 million had been made available to businesses affected by the impact of the tiered regime of restric
tions in the country.
Mr Leonard told MSPS in Holyrood that businesses in the area are "on their knees”.
“We all accept that the situation can be fast moving and the evidence can move in the wrong direction," he said as he quizzed Nicola Sturgeon. "But decisions like this one need to be a genuine co-production involving the locally elected council and the local business community, workers and their trade unions.
“And in Midlothian they have been told for the last week that they would move to level two, including as recently as last Friday. It was only at 10:45 yesterday morning they were told that they may not. And only at 16:29, they were told by the Deputy First Minister that they definitely were not moving to level two."
It means that stock ordered by businesses to cater for extended hours is likely to go to waste and and staff rehired will be laid off again.
"For some business owners enough is enough," Mr Leonard said. "They are throwing in the towel.”