Scottish Labour has today (Saturday) demanded that the SNP government provides urgent financial support for businesses to stop thousands going to the wall before new funds become available in January.

Despite Kate Forbes announcing new funds for businesses last Wednesday, scores of businesses are still struggling to access support and many are at risk of going to the wall before the new funds become available in January.

In addition, the SNP has failed to come clean over just how much funding made available in the Coronavirus Resilience Fund and the Hardship Fund has actually made it to businesses. The criteria for applying was so tight that many businesses were rejected.

Dr Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce has labelled the SNP’s deferred support ‘cold comfort’ for businesses, and the Scottish Licenced Trade Association has labelled it a ‘Christmas cracker joke.”

Today, Scottish Labour has demanded that the SNP delivers vital business support funds ‘without delay’, and has called on the SNP to come clean over what proportion of business support funds made available so far have actually made it into the hands of businesses.

Commenting, Scottish Labour deputy leader and finance spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP simply cannot abandon Scotland’s businesses and the thousands of the workers that they employ to a winter of closures, unemployment and misery.

“There is no sense in deferring support when thousands of businesses are at risk of going to the wall now. Buisness owners and the workers they employ haven’t the luxury to move at the languid pace of the SNP – they need help now.

“The SNP must also, as a matter of urgency, make public the proportion of business support funds that have actually made it into the hands of businesses. There is no point grandstanding over the level of support you are offering if it is sitting, collecting dust, in the Scottish government’s bank account.

“Businesses will be the dynamos of our economic recovery, but unless the SNP pulls the finger out now we will be left with a skeleton economy and spiralling unemployment. It’s time for action.”