CLARE HAUGHEY MSP ENCOURAGES SHOPPERS TO KEEP IT LOCAL

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CLARE HAUGHEY MSP ENCOURAGES SHOPPERS TO KEEP IT LOCAL

SNP MSP Clare Haughey is encouraging consumers in Rutherglen to shop locally and support the 9,050 small businesses in the local economy.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting businesses in Scotland, including retailers, providing the most competitive package of non-domestic rates reliefs anywhere in the UK in the 2018/19 budget. This includes the Small Business Bonus scheme that has already saved smaller firms £1.5bn, lifting 100,000 business premises out of rates altogether.

SNP MSP for Rutherglen Clare Haughey commented:

“Shopping locally is good for communities, good for the environment and great for the local economy, supporting 46,930 workers in South Lanarkshire in small businesses.

“Today’s market provides many new challenges for retailers, including the move to online shopping as well as Brexit-fuelled inflation and more expensive imports that translate into higher prices at the checkout. Brexit is the biggest threat facing the Scottish economy and the SNP will continue challenging the Tory government’s extreme Brexit plans and standing up for Scottish businesses and jobs.

“Given these challenges, wherever possible, we should all seek to support Rutherglen’s huge variety of brilliant independent, locally run businesses. Each small business offers something unique and special, and it is important that we support them and help our local economy to thrive in a market that is increasingly dominated by the big players.”

ENDS

Notes:

Below is a photograph of Clare Haughey MSP at Padano’s restaurant on Small Business Saturday 2017.

Scottish small business statistics (More: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00527402.pdf)

• Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99% of all of Scotland’s businesses.
• These firms provide 1.2 million jobs, 55% of private sector employment.
• Official data shows that there were 365,600 private sector businesses operating in Scotland during 2017, up 3 per cent from 2016.
• 40% of Scotland’s private sector turnover can be attributed to SMEs
• SMEs provide 4 out of 5 private sector jobs in rural areas.

FSB table:

		0 – 249 employees
Year	Local Authority	Number of enterprises	Total Scottish employment
2017	Aberdeen City	8,980	57,870
2017	Aberdeenshire	14,040	62,230
2017	Angus	3,970	20,030
2017	Argyll and Bute	3,960	19,600
2017	City of Edinburgh	18,710	102,830
2017	Clackmannanshire	1,165	5,520
2017	Dumfries and Galloway	6,355	32,910
2017	Dundee City	3,430	23,990
2017	East Ayrshire	3,265	16,880
2017	East Dunbartonshire	3,035	12,580
2017	East Lothian	3,170	15,600
2017	East Renfrewshire	2,690	10,960
2017	Falkirk	3,900	21,850
2017	Fife	9,675	52,300
2017	Glasgow City	18,515	117,510
2017	Highland	10,925	54,550
2017	Inverclyde	1,710	9,610
2017	Midlothian	2,410	13,820
2017	Moray	3,295	17,520
2017	Na h-Eileanan Siar	1,175	5,410
2017	North Ayrshire	3,365	18,760
2017	North Lanarkshire	7,680	44,330
2017	Orkney Islands	1,490	6,780
2017	Perth and Kinross	6,240	32,810
2017	Renfrewshire	4,685	28,430
2017	Scottish Borders	5,130	25,400
2017	Shetland Islands	1,510	7,550
2017	South Ayrshire	3,630	19,700
2017	South Lanarkshire	9,050	46,930
2017	Stirling	3,920	19,610
2017	West Dunbartonshire	1,880	10,610
2017	West Lothian	4,705	27,240
2017	Total:	177,660	961,720