Next First Minister must focus on Economic Recovery

 

Monday 29 April 2024

 

Reacting to the resignation of First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP, the Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, David Lonsdale, said:

“The Scottish Retail Consortium valued our engagement with First Minister Humza Yousaf and his government, in particular the SRC was an early supporter of his attempts to reset the relationship with industry through his New Deal for Business.  

“His successor’s preeminent priority should be economic recovery. There is a pressing need to lift private sector investment, productivity, and growth. After all, an expanding economy is good for living standards, job prospects, and government revenues. If the economy recovers other policy challenges become more manageable, conversely a weak economy will exacerbate the existing pressures on households and public finances.

“Central to this should be a plan to ease the regulatory burden, and lower the tax burden on business by scrapping the mooted public health surtax on grocery stores, and finally delivering on the pledge to restore business rates parity with England for medium-sized and larger commercial premises.

“Ultimately, every policy should be tested against a simple benchmark - will it help or hinder Scotland’s economic recovery. SRC looks forward to engaging positively and constructively with the next First Minister and Ministerial team to prioritise private sector growth and deliver that recovery.”

 

 

-ENDS-