Scottish independence: CBI chief says focus on constitutional issues a ‘completely missed opportunity’

Most Scottish businesses think now is not the right time to focus on independence, the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has claimed.

Tony Danker told The Herald that the Scottish firms he dealt with were “not convinced of the notion this is the right time to be having this debate.

“They don’t want to have the conversation. I don’t think it is the politics per se,” he added.

His comments come as Nicola Sturgeon claimed Downing Street was attempting to “rig” the result of a second referendum on Scottish independence.

Reports on Monday suggested UK ministers were pushing to allow Scots living in the rest of the UK a say in any future votes on Scotland’s place in the Union.

Asked whether Scottish businesses were feeling any impact from constitutional uncertainty, Mr Danker said: “The Scottish businesses I have spoken to are either not really thinking about it or don’t want to think about it because they are so focused on getting the economy moving again.

“To be distracted by the independence question I think would be a completely missed opportunity for Scotland.

“This is the time we should be talking about recovery,” he added.

“It is also the time, whether we like it or not…that investment is being made for the next decade.

“It is in nobody’s interests to get in the way of that potential momentum.”

On Tuesday, Sir John Curtice, polling guru at the University of Strathclyde, suggested it was currently impossible to call who would win a second vote on Scottish independence, calling a referendum an “enormous gamble” for both sides.

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