THE SNP has laid claim to a traditional Scottish Tory mantle by declaring it is now the “party of business” in Scotland.
The Nationalists cited official figures showing a record number of private-sector firms last year, with the total growing by more than 27 per cent since the SNP took office.
Government figures recorded 279,940 private firms in Scotland in 2007, but 356,550 in 2019.
However 80% of the increase was in firms with “zero employees”, such as the self-employed and gig economy freelancers.
The number of firms employing more than 50 people grew by 11%.
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson credited a national scheme for low or zero business rates that had saved small firms £1.8bn since 2008/09, and said opposition plans to end it by letting councils set business rates locally would be “disastrous”.
He said: “We are the party of business. A majority of Scottish businesses benefit from the lowest poundage in the UK. Plans to ditch this support would deliver a body blow to business.”
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