Jamie Greene, Conservative MSP for West Scotland region, praised local businesses for their input to the Scottish economy in a recent speech to the Scottish Parliament. During a fiery debate on the Scottish economy, Mr Greene made mention of Arran Aromatics on the Isle of Arran, and Fergusson Marine in Port Glasgow as prime examples of thriving businesses which demonstrated that the Clyde coast had much to offer not just Scotland but the rest of the world.
During his speech, he talked of how the world once looked on in wonder at the great industrial ship building capital during the industrial revolution but that the area had seen many tough decades. He spoke of the need of small, medium and large sized businesses to work in balance to give employment opportunities to local people and provide much needed skilled employment.
The praise also came with a stark warning however. Mr Greene said that Scotland was “teetering on the edge of another recession and we have to keep our eye on the ball if we are to avoid it”.
He criticized the Scottish Government for their plans to introduce higher business rates for medium to large businesses saying in effect it was a tax on the vey companies we need to attract to the region. He also said that his party was very clear that people in Scotland should pay no more tax than the rest of the UK. Tax rates and bands will now be devolved to the new session of the Scottish Parliament and the local Tory MSP said he would fight to ensure that Scots pay the same as those south of the border.
