Business leader calls on local authorities to aid economic recovery

A SCOTTISH business leader has called on councils across Scotland to “redouble efforts” to support growth and jobs ahead of next month’s local government elections.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which has 20,000 members in Scotland, launching its local government manifesto today, said that action from local authorities could hold the “key” to local recovery.

The manifesto, titled ‘Taking centre stage: the role of local government in Scotland’s economic recovery’, says that while councils cannot transform their local economies single-handedly, they should “redouble efforts” to support growth and jobs.

Andy Willox OBE, the FSB’s Scottish policy convener, said: “The recovery is everyone’s business. “We must see all parts of all of our councils consider their role driving growth.

“Every department should be signed up to that goal, thinking about how their behaviour is impacting on local businesses and how they could improve.

“Local government is going to face some tough times over the next few years. But things will only get worse if we don’t get local economies moving again.

“In practice, this means the procurement department really understanding how taxpayers’ money is spent locally.

“It means cross-department consistency in regulation. It means getting planning moving and reasonable, proportional local fees.

“In the short term, we need to see our local authority leaders, both members and officers, coming up with and driving local recovery plans which understand the importance of local growth.”