8 Nov 2017
Scotland has a significantly lower rate of businesses per head of population than the rest of the UK, new figures have revealed today.
The official Businesses in Scotland 2017 report stated there were 393 enterprises for every 10,000 adults north of the border.
However, across the whole UK that figure is much higher at 499.
It means the number of businesses in existence is 27 per cent higher across Britain, prompting criticism of the SNP’s track record in helping new enterprises.
Shadow economy secretary Dean Lockhart has expressed concerns that Scotland will become a less attractive place to set up a new business if the SNP increases tax as threatened.
Numerous trade bodies have warned SNP ministers about increasing the tax burden on both businesses and workers, saying tax receipts could drop and the economy and public services in Scotland as a whole would suffer.
Scottish Conservative shadow economy secretary Dean Lockhart said:
“This is another indicator of how bad this SNP government has been for Scotland’s economy.
“These latest figures show that, after a decade of the SNP being in charge of the economy, people are not being supported in setting up their own business.
“This will only get worse as the Scottish Government increases taxes across the board. This will not only discourage new start-ups, but risks driving away those businesses already in existence.
“These figures must act as a stark reminder to the nationalists about what their priorities ought to be.
“If they continually make life harder for businesses, large and small, everyone will pay the price.”
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