AN OPEN LETTER that appeared in The Sunday Times Scotland calling on the Scottish Government to rule out plans for a referendum breaking up the UK has so far been signed by 162 senior business leaders.
Representing companies employing tens of thousands across Scotland, the UK and Ireland, the men and women at the head of some of Scotland’s most established and newest businesses, such as Jim McColl (above) have united behind the campaign coordinated by independent, non-party business group Scottish Business UK (SBUK) to insist that saving lives and livelihoods, protecting jobs and ensuring businesses survive must be the Scottish Government’s priority in the wake of the pandemic.
The message from business reflects the same message sent by voters to politicians of all parties at last week’s elections: they expect the new Scottish Government to steer the country through the Covid-19 crisis toward long term recovery. That entails setting aside plans for a referendum on breaking up the UK so that the attentions and energies of policymakers are undivided.
The support received for this letter shows that business leaders in Scotland are of the same opinion that plans for a referendum are a huge distraction from the task at hand. The Scottish Government needs to listen and stop trying to position the election result as a pretext for breaking up the UK, which is by far Scotland’s biggest market.
Since its publication and an accompanying news article in The Sunday Times, other major news outlets that have covered the letter, including The Times, The Herald, The Scottish Daily Express, The Press & Journal and Daily Business.
SBUK, of which I am CEO, is now urging other business leaders who support the letter’s message to become signatories or sign up as subscribers or donors to the organisation. A full copy of the letter and signatories is copied below.
To find out how to support SBUK visit https://scottish-
Post-election letter from business leaders
THE PEOPLE of Scotland used the election to send politicians a clear and unambiguous message: the new Government has been voted into power to steer the country through the Covid-19 crisis.
The stakes could not be higher. Scottish voters want and deserve a Scottish Government that will focus all of its energy on recovery from the pandemic – saving lives and livelihoods, protecting jobs and ensuring that businesses survive.
Every political party standing in the election put responding to and recovering from Covid at the heart of their manifestos. Fulfilling those promises means ruling out a referendum while our economy and businesses are still suffering.
A divisive and distracting referendum on separation would put any chance of sustaining economic recovery at risk. This is not the time to be throwing into question our economic ties to the rest of the United Kingdom, which has guaranteed the survival of thousands of Scottish jobs through the pandemic and remains Scotland’s biggest market by far.
The decisions taken in the coming years about how Scotland emerges from this pandemic will define this country for decades to come.
The Scottish Government should put everything else aside and remain laser-focused on the Covid-19 crisis and recovering from the significant economic damage it has caused. Doing anything else would not be in the best interests of the Scottish people and future generations.
Issued c/o Scottish Business UK (SBUK)
Stuart House, Station Road, Eskmills, Musselburgh EH21 7PB
Signed:
Gordon Adam, Managing Director, Drumgolf Tours Ltd
Hugh Andrew, Managing Director, Birlinn Ltd
Charles Armitage, Co-Founder & CEO, Florence
Walter Barr, Senior Consultant, Drummond Consultants
Alan Baxter, Director, Davidson Baxter Partnership Ltd
Charlotte Black, Founding Director, Artclear Ltd
Iain Black, Managing Director, IBT Travel Ltd
Cameron Bryce, Company Director, Sculptur Ltd
Jonathan Bruneau, Director, Headstart Nursery Schools Ltd
Ian Burgess, Director, Linked IT Ltd
William Carmichael, Global Account Manager, Securitas
Mike Channing, CEO, Cordatus Real Estate
Colin Clark, Chairman, Nessgro
Sandy Clark, Non-Executive Director, Global E&C
Ian M P Condie CA, Consultant
Cllr Barney Crockett, Councillor (Aberdeen City Council)
Tommy Crooks, Managing Director, Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company
Syd Daily, Company Director, Syd Daily Consultant Ltd
Allan Dawson, Director, Portland Street (Scotland) Limited
Ken De Soyza, Sole Business Owner, CAA Drone Pilot, Astra UAV Operations
Colin Devine, Property Agent, Devine Property Consultants Ltd
Belinda Dickson OBE, Founder, Belinda Robertson, Cashmere Circle & BJD Design Ltd
Ghill Donald, Chairman, BD Network
Mike Elliott, Managing Director, Linell Group Ltd
David Ellis, Chairman, OMC Partners Ltd
Terence Erskine, Director, Coast To Coast Travel Ltd
Angelina Fairgrieve, General Manager, The Travel Company Edinburgh & In2Scotland
Graham R Figes, Managing Partner, Whitelaw Baikie Figes
Gwyneth Fleming, CEO, G.S. Associates Ltd
Jon Fleming, Chief Executive, The Jon Fleming Group Ltd
Chris Flockhart, Managing Director, The Garden Doctor
Angus Forsyth, Chairman, Nexus Business Space
William Frame, Managing Director, Braemore Estates
Andrew Gladstone, Owner, Craichlaw Estate
Robert Gladstone, Partner, R H Gladstone & Co
Iain Graham, Partner, Aird Farming Group
Puneet Gupta, Joint Chief Executive Officer, PG Paper Company Ltd
Kevin Hague, Chairman, These Islands
John Hailstone, Chairman, Compello Staffing Group
Fred Hallsworth, Independent NED & Corporate Adviser
Gary Hamilton, Director, Stagecoach Performing Arts Glasgow
Fergus Hardie, Managing Director, Hardie Polymers
Tom Harris, Non-Executive Director, Third Avenue Public Affairs Ltd
Amanda Harvie, Company Director
Mark Henzell, Director, Glenkindie Business Support Ltd
Sandy Herd, Director, Edinburgh Provisions Ltd
Gavin Hewitt, Company Director, CMG
Sandra Hill, Company Director, Manor Estate & Lettings Agency
Scott McKenzie, Company Owner, estreetshops
Sir Michael Hirst, Company Chairman
Sir David Hope-Dunbar, Managing Partner, St. Mary’s Isle Estate
Alasdair Houston MBE, Chairman, Gretna Green Ltd
David Houston, Director, Houston Investment Holdings Ltd
Peter Howard Johnston, Company Director, Howard Johnston Cars
Sarah Jane Hunt, Owner/Managing Director, Purple (UK) Ltd
Dr Azeem Ibrahim, Chair, Ibrahim Foundation
Ian Irvin, Owner, Ian Irvin & Co
Angus Jack, Chief Investment Officer, North Capital Management
Caroline Jack, Life Coach, Caroline Jack Life Coaching
Joy Jack, Business Owner, Joy Jack Interiors
Alex Jardine, Managing Director, Load Straps & Slings Ltd
David Jarvie, Managing Director, Jarvie Plant Ltd
Brian Johnstone, Managing Director, Lothian Caregivers Ltd
Shannon Kidd, Bakery Owner, Cake by Shannon
Robert D. Kilgour, Founder & Chairman, SBUK
Vijay Kumar, Managing Director, Harveys Group
Farquhar Laing, Director, Black Isle Bronze Ltd
Scott Landsburgh, Company Owner / Managing Director
Ross Laurie, Co-Founder & CEO, Visible Capial
Ken Lewandowski, Chairman, Emblation Medical Limited
Emma Little, CEO and Founder, ExecSpace
Gordon Livingstone, CEO, The Edge Agency Ltd
Neil Lovatt, Commercial Director, Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited
Sheila Low, Non-Exec Director
Reiner Luyken, Director, Polbain House Farm Limited
Angus MacDonald, Chairman, Renewable Parts Ltd
Prof. Ronald MacDonald OBE, Chair of Macroeconomics & Int. Finance, University of Glasgow
Robin MacGeachy, Chairman, Peak Scientific Instruments
Chris Mackenzie, Director, East Lothian Property Management Ltd
Donald MacKenzie, Director, Drive Business Services Ltd
Elaine R MacKenzie, Director, Namaste Partnership Limited
Kenneth MacKenzie, Founder & Chief Executive, Target Fund Managers Ltd
Alastair MacMillan, Managing Director, White House Products Ltd
Dr Richard J Marsh, Company Direct
Paul Mason, Partner & Head of Corporate Finance, Chiene + Tait LLP
Les McAndrew, Senior Partner, Graham & Sibbald
Jim McColl OBE, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Clyde Blowers Capital IM LLP (pictured above)
Iain McGill, Director, The Harmony Employment Agency
John McGlynn, Founder, Scottish Capital
Tony McInnes, CEO, Caley Construction Ltd
Mairi McLellan, Director, Badachro Hydro
Sir Iain McMillan CBE FRSE
Darren P. McMurray, CEO, PFI Group
Hugh McNally, Managing Director, Forsyth of Denny Ltd
Ann Medlock, Director, Golden Decanters
Alex Meldrum, Owner Director, ASM Development
Diana Miers, Director, Scottish Clans and Castles Ltd
Carolyn Miller, Owner, Millers Tale
Dr James S Milne, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmoral Group
Graham Mogford, Partner, The Bridges Partnership LLP
Marie Mogford, Principal, The Bridges Pre School Nurseries Ltd
Baroness Nosheena Mobarik CBE
Brian Monteith, Editor, ThinkScotland.org
Lawson Muncaster, Co-Founder & MD, City AM
Robert Napier, Director, John Smith&Company (Edinburgh) Ltd
Maureen O’Neill, Managing Director, The Social Care Community Partnership
Ian Paltiel, Director, Internet Creation
Domenico Panetta, Owner/Director, Migele Experience Ltd
John Penman, Managing Director, Fife Fabrications
Jack Perry CBE, Chairman, European Assets Trust PLC
Jim Pickard, Managing Director, Foodscience Ltd
John Quinn, Chairman, Bluewater Scotland LLP
Catherine Quinney, Director, Guyana Ltd
Will Ramsay, CEO, Ramsay Fairs
Anthony Reid, Professional Racing Driver
David Reid, Managing Director, Because Brands Matter
Michael H Reid, Director, MH Reid Consulting Limited
Kenneth R Richards, Business Consultant
Jeremy Richardson, Chief Executive, Four Seasons Health Care Group
Ian Robertson, Proprietor, DC Robertson Contractors
John Robertson, CEO, Entertainment Seating (UK) Ltd
Colin Rowley, Group Managing Director, Dron & Dickson Group
Murray Roxburgh, Managing Director, Grail PR Ltd
Kenneth Russell, Non-Executive Director, Panmure Estates Ltd
Lucinda Russell, Race Horse Trainer, Lucinda Russell Racing
Michael J Salter, Company Director, James Fisher & Sons
Katherine Sangster, National Manager, Scottish Fabians
Robin Shedden, Director, A & J Shedden Ltd
Duncan Shreeve, Director, Duncans of Grantown Ltd
Barry Sime, Managing Director, Sime Racing & Engineering Ltd
Charles Simon, Organ Director, Video Marketing and Sales Ltd
Grant Simpson, Director, Etive Consulting Engineers Limited
Colin Smart, Managing Director, Kingdom Homes Ltd
Tom Smith, Chairman, Inverusk Services (Aberdeen) Ltd
Paul Sokhi, Managing Director, Morrison Community Care Group
Keith Steele, CEO, IOTech Systems
Guy Stenhouse, Chairman, Shancastle Investments Limited
Chris Stevens, CEO, Kangaroo Self Storage Ltd
Allan Stevenson, CA & Company Director
Colin Stevenson, Director/Owner, 3D Exhibitions Ltd
Struan Stevenson, Chief Executive, SBUK
Ewen Stewart, Director, Walbrook Economics
Jamie Stewart, Managing Director, McDonald Water Storage
Anthony Stodart, Managing Director, ArdMoor Ltd
Mungo Taylor, Managing Partner, M F Taylor Road Haulage
Alan Thomson, Partner, Forth Fire Protection
Eileen Thomson, Director, Thomson Interim Management Ltd
Susanne Thorsen, Director, Thorsen Translations Ltd
Gilad Tiefenbrun, Managing Director, Linn Products Ltd
Chris Tiso, CEO, Tiso Group
Bill Toner, CEO, CH&CO
Ashlie Turner, Managing Director and Founder, Magenta HR Consulting Ltd
Lally Walford, Director, Lally Walford Interiors Ltd
David Walker, Director, Bruce Douglas Marketing Ltd
Cllr Derek Wann, Director, SARKAR Dev Ltd
M.L. Weddell, Property Developer
William Wemyss, Chairman, Wemyss Development Company Ltd
Niall Whyte, Managing Director, The Real Firewood Company Limited
Andrew Wilson, Manager, Blackchub Farming Company
Brian Wilson, Director, Paterson (Scotland) Ltd
John Wilson, Manager/Owner, The Corner Shop
David Young, Director, David Young + Co
Sunday 16 May 2021
Scottish Business UK (SBUK) is an independent, non-party voice for business leaders who want to see Scotland thrive economically as part of the United Kingdom. SBUK is a registered company known as ‘SB Supports the Union Ltd’. https://scottish-
SBUK’s Advisory Council currently has a membership overseeing business interests that together employ over 10,000 people in Scotland and 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. Profiles of each member can be read at https://scottish-business.
