Scottish Labour has today launched its Small Business Strategy to boost growth and investment in the sector.

The party’s economy spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP launched the document in Glasgow, pledging that a Scottish Labour government will:

• Increase the share of procurement contracts for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); make it easier to bid for tenders by delivering the contracts in smaller units; and set a new target for the amount of procurement going to SMEs.
• Require any company working on a public sector contract to pay its suppliers within 30 days.
• Improve access to finance for small business and make it easier to conduct business in Scotland
• Introduce annual revaluations of business rates to ensure the system is fair, transparent and easy to understand
• Boost the availability of apprenticeships in SMEs and get better outcomes from the apprenticeship levy
• Appoint a new Minister for Small Business

Scottish Labour said the changes were necessary because of the SNP government’s complacency over growing the economy.

The report outlines how the SNP government has:

• Failed to meet almost every economic target it has set itself
• Overseen a period in which SMEs have missed out on more than £10million of procurement spending
• Allowed small business confidence in Scotland to fall well behind the rest of the UK

Scottish Labour’s Economy spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“Small businesses are the life blood of the Scottish economy and there is such potential to help them grow, providing jobs at the heart of our communities and a much needed boost to our economy. Labour’s Small Business Strategy outlines a clear path to give businesses and entrepreneurs across Scotland the support and investment they need.

“For too long, the SNP government has failed to support small business, either ignoring it or arbitrarily attempting to raid it for funds through its shambolic business rates hikes.

“SNP ministers have also even overseen a period in which small businesses have missed out on more than £10million of government spending.

“That is unacceptable – and Labour’s Small Business Strategy outlines a plan to turn that around.

“Labour would increase the share of procurement contracts going to small businesses by making contracts easier to bid for; introduce a new requirement to ensure that suppliers for companies on public projects are paid within a month, and reform the business rates system.

“These are just some of the changes a Labour government will deliver so we can support small business and grow the economy so it works for the many, not the few.”