Jackie Baillie paid a visit to You’ll Love Our Home Bakes in Dumbarton East on Small Business Saturday, a national campaign day to help promote small businesses across the country.

It came as new figures showed the number of registered businesses in Scotland falling for the second year in a row.

In 2022 the number of registered businesses in Scotland fell for the second year in a row, meaning the number of registered businesses in Scotland has now plummeted by 4,285 since 2020.

Both the SNP and the Tories have failed to support Scotland’s businesses with disastrous results for the economy.

The Dumbarton constituency MSP caught up with business owner Gayle McCallum about the benefits of running a small business within a tight-knit community like Dumbarton.

Jackie Baillie said: “It was a pleasure to visit Gayle on Small Business Saturday at her You’ll Love Our Home Bakes café in Dumbarton. Her enthusiasm for her business and the community really shone through in the conversation I had with her.

“Gayle has not had an easy time since she opened the business in December 2019. Despite the challenges she faced resulting from the Covid pandemic, she has not let that get her down, focusing on serving the community and providing a welcoming and comfortable space for people to meet.

“In recent months, Gayle has seen her energy bills rise significantly, a trend which has been replicated across firms throughout the area. This is causing economic turmoil as businesses face soaring bills during the cost of living crisis.

“Sadly, both the SNP and the Tories have been missing in action while businesses struggle. They really need a proper plan to support businesses through this crisis.

“Small business owners like Gayle are the lifeblood of our communities and I thank her and all local independent business owners for continuing to work hard to serve their customers. Let’s support them by shopping local this Christmas and throughout the year.”