The SNP has hit out at Labour’s growing economic pressures on Scottish firms, warning that small businesses from South Lanarkshire to the Highlands are being squeezed by rising costs and broken promises.
SNP Leader John Swinney says businesses now face a fresh tax burden, thanks to the UK Labour government’s decision to raise employers’ National Insurance Contributions, costing an extra £850 per worker.
At a time when energy prices are still climbing and communities are trying to recover from years of financial strain, many see it as a step backwards.
By contrast, the Scottish Government has been quietly rolling out targeted support, offering a lifeline to thousands of small traders across the country.
In South Lanarkshire alone, more than 6,000 properties are receiving a share of £30.3 million in business rates relief.
Over 5,000 of them have had their rates scrapped altogether.
And from Fort William to Fraserburgh, the message from the SNP is the same, support local, protect jobs, and back the people who keep our communities alive.
The party’s flagship Small Business Bonus Scheme has lifted more than 100,000 premises across Scotland out of paying rates altogether.
It’s now considered the most generous of its kind in the UK.
That support matters deeply in the Highlands, where family-run businesses and independent shops are often the heart and soul of rural life.
From cafés in Kyle to craftspeople in Caithness, many rely on rate relief to stay open and continue employing local folk.
John Swinney made his case in simple terms.
“Scotland’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and communities,” he said.
“That’s why the SNP is investing in them, while Labour is increasing costs and breaking promises on energy.”
“While Labour treat Scotland as an afterthought, the SNP is always on your side.”
Katy Loudon, SNP candidate in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, echoed that sentiment, saying her area, like the Highlands, is full of talent, energy and ambition.
“Labour decisions mean that every person employed by a business here costs £850 more than before,” she said.
“That’s the cost of a Labour government.”
She pledged to stand up for local business at every turn, adding that only the SNP has a clear track record of support.
As June’s vote approaches, the debate over who’s best placed to protect small Scottish businesses is heating up from the Lowlands to the Long Walk in Inverness.
