Swinney in pro-business pledge after Sir Tom showdown – Daily Business

John Swinney: listening (pic: DB Media Services)

John Swinney has pledged a more pro-business approach from the new government after entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter called for “early wins” that could be achieved by his ministers.

The two held a private meeting at Bute House on Tuesday where Sir Tom hammered home a series of demands to lower costs on business and help create investment and jobs.

Sir Tom told the CBI Scotland annual lunch in Edinburgh today that the session with Mr Swinney was “the best political meeting I’ve ever had from a business point of view”.

He also called for a chief assessor to oversee a reform of the rates revaluation process and suggested a zero rate of income tax up to £40,000 with higher earners paying more.

Fundamentally, he called for government to set the conditions for investment and job creation and to “let business get on with it.”

The First Minister told guests at the lunch that he would “do all that I can to take those ideas forward”.

He promised that the reform of planning and business rates as well as a focus on skills would be key to delivering economic growth over the next five years.

Sir Tom Hunter: let us get on with it (pic: DB Media Services)

The event was Mr Swinney’s first engagement outside Holyrood since his re-election. He said another meeting in Perthshire meant he could not stay to hear Sir Tom speak, nor did he stay on to take questions from the audience, but he urged business leaders to come forward with ideas.

“The business community is on the front line, and I need to hear loud and clear from you what is and what is not working,” he said.

He explained that he had appointed Stephen Flynn – who was in the audience – as Economy, Transport and Tourism Secretary “with the very clear instruction to prioritise engagement with the business community.

“We want to work with you, we want to hear about your businesses in the round, understand more fully the environment they are operating in, not only the pressures that we can help ease, or the representations we can make on your behalf, but the opportunities that we can help turbocharge.”

He has asked Mr Flynn to work with Ben Macpherson, the Innovation and Technology minister “to be creative and flexible” in catching the next wave.

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