The Scottish Conservative leader has called for pubs and restaurants to be given 100% rates relief when the Scottish Budget is introduced next month.
The plan suggested by the party would mean pubs and restaurants would pay no business rates at all next year.
On a visit to a Glasgow deli and restaurant this morning, Russell Findlay will say it is part of a “common sense approach” that would “help a sector struggling more than ever after Labour’s tax-grabbing budget”.
The Scottish Conservatives say the call is part of a plan to support business and "undo the damage of SNP tax rises".
Their plans would also offer 40 per cent rates relief for Scottish retail, hospitality and leisure venues and reductions in income tax and LBTT.
The calls comes after the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said MSPs must avoid passing “unwarranted costs” on to businesses in the Government’s spending plans.
The group urged ministers to cut down costs, deliver “competitive” tax and regulations, and combat crime against retailers.
The call follows a letter from the SRC last week warning Finance Secretary Shona Robison that it remains a “testing time for shopkeepers”.
READ MORE:
- Calls for MSPs to unite to pass pro-business Budget
- 'Massive gulf between SNP and Lib Dems ahead of Scottish Budget'
- John Swinney: 'We need to create conditions for people to thrive'
Mr Findlay said the Scottish Conservatives would “put money back in the pockets of workers, businesses and would-be homeowners".
The Scottish Conservative leader said: “Pubs and restaurants have been hammered by the SNP’s high taxes and anti-growth policies.
“Our 100% rates relief for pubs and restaurants is a bold move to help a sector struggling more than ever after Labour’s tax-grabbing budget.
“The Scottish Conservatives want to start to undo the damage inflicted by Labour and the SNP with our plans to reduce income tax, business rates and LBTT.
“Unlike the left-wing parties in the Scottish Parliament, our common sense approach would put money back in the pockets of workers, businesses and would-be homeowners.
“The Holyrood consensus is to take more and more taxpayers’ money while offering less and less in return. We want to give households and businesses more freedom and control over the money they’ve worked hard for.”
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here