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The first 100 employers sign the BfS Single Market Declaration

Written by Michelle Rodger

100 SME owners sign Business for Scotland’s Single Market Declaration

Within the first few days of launch, 100 directors and owners of Scottish SMEs have signed the Business for Scotland EU Single Market Declaration.

54% of these employers trade within the European single market and understand the damage that a hard Brexit will do to Scotland’s economy. So they have joined with Business for Scotland to call on all political parties to back protection of Scotland’s single market membership.

Our declaration:

“We believe that membership of the single market is vital for Scottish businesses, jobs, prosperity and economic growth.

We call on all political parties to back protection of Scotland’s single market membership, the opportunities for investment, skills and trade that it offers businesses like ours and the wider benefits to Scotland’s economy.”

Business for Scotland’s EU campaign, and the Single Market Declaration, have both been welcomed by pro-European former Scottish Conservative MEP John Purvis, who said:

“We spent 30 years developing a single market unlike any other in the world, more comprehensive even than the USA and covering 500 million consumers – why on earth would we want to throw that away?

“But that is where we are inevitably heading if we deny a common arbitrator, if we impose unilateral conditions such as restricted free movement, if we ‘cock a snook’ at 44% of our export market.

“Apparently Brexit per Mrs May means being outside the Single Market, Why? And what alternative can be even half as good and will maintain the businesses and jobs we have built up these last 44 years.”

Callum McCaig, former SNP Westminster business spokesperson and SNP candidate for for Aberdeen South, said:

“Business needs to speak out against a hard Brexit and for maintaining Scotland’s membership of the single market, so I welcome this Business for Scotland initiative.

“Here in the North East 61% of our exports go to the EU and Aberdeen’s exports alone are worth £18,100 per worker. Any plan to tear Scotland out of single market membership will be extremely damaging, especially to the North East.

“If we want to protect jobs, exports, household incomes and our standard of living then Scotland’s voice and the voice of Scotland’s business leaders need to be heard loudly during the Brexit negotiations.”

Making the announcement today, BfS founder and CEO Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp said:

“As well as 54% of these companies trading within the European single market, more than one in three employs (37%) an EU national as part of their team. It is entirely possible to leave the EU but maintain membership of the single market and customs union.

“Scotland’s prosperity depends on membership of the single market and a hard Brexit will hurt Scotland’s exports, cost jobs and damage our prosperity.”

His views were echoed by Bill Rodger of the European Movement in Scotland, who said that “unleashing” a hard Brexit will not improve the lives of the many, but will degrade our environment through a “deregulated dog-eat-dog economic model and reduce the security and freedom of us all to live, work, study and love across our own continent.

“This is not just about a few tariffs,” said Rodger. “Brexit is about being wrenched out of the world’s wealthiest integrated market; the barriers in modern global trade are about intellectual property, regulation and standards, tax and state aid regimes. That’s why trade deals are complex and take a long time.

“Brexit is damaging us now and it will gather pace. Investment is already dropping, prices are rising and young productive Europeans are not coming here to study, to work in our health service and elsewhere, or to start new businesses.

“We believe that Scotland and the UK should stay fully inside the EU but we understand the practical considerations that have arisen from the Referendum. For that reason the European Movement in Scotland is delighted to endorse Business for Scotland’s Declaration.

If you are an employer in Scotland you can sign the Business for Scotland Single Market Declaration here.

 The first 100 employers to sign the Single Market Declaration:

Name Company Position
Gillian O’Neil 29studios Founder and CEO
Bryan Stuart A G Stuart Holdings Ltd Managing Director
Jim Meikleham A1 Builders Owner
Rob Aberdein Aberdein Considine Partner
Kenny Anderson Anderson Construction (Aberdeen) Ltd and Anderson Buchan Properties Ltd Managing Director
Ronnie Young Aqautron Breathing Air Systems Partner
Nazim Bashir Argyll Hotel Management Ltd Owner
Dave King ASK Wealth Management Senior Partner
Adam Davidson BoConcept Scotland Director
Brandon Malone Brandon Malone & Company Director
John Gibson Broxburn Group Financial Director
Brendan Burns Burns Burns & Burns Senior Partner
Donald Maclean Business Cost Consultants Managing Director
Avril Gold Canopus Scotland Partner
Mark McKergow Centre for Solutions Focus at Work Director and Principal Consultant
Barry Murdoch Clyde & Solway Systems Ltd Managing Director
Graeme McCormick Conveyancing Direct Managing Partner
Fiona Cook Cook Stevenson & Co Senior Partner
Gavin Barry Crossfit Skirmish Ltd Managing Director
Iain Maoileion CSP Partnership Partner
Tom Barrie Currie European Transport CEO
Serena Arif Delphian Ballistics Operations Director
Peter Wilson Director Timber Design Initiatives Ltd
Stewart Wright Doricmor Ltd Director
Gavin Scott Moncrieff Dun Flodigarry (Holiday) Hostel Owner
Scott Barr ecoHEAT Scotland Ltd Director
Anthony Veitch Edinburgh Building Company Ltd Director
David Hood Edinburgh Institute for Collaborative & Competitive Advantage Director
Alex Mackie Edinburgh Risk Management (General) Ltd Finance Director/ Co-Owner
Robert Stevenson Ex Control Systems Ltd Managing Director
Linda Ferguson Fergus Neilson Limited Director
Richard Hunter Forthside Leisure Ltd Owner
Niall McLean Geo Rope Ltd Managing Director
Ian McDougall Glasgow Distillery Founder
John Cowie & Jonathan Conkey Glasgow Guild Co Directors/ Owners
John Godsman Godsman Tyres & Exhausts Ltd Owner and Managing Director
Elizabeth Carnahan Gracefruit Ltd Managing Director
Dave McGrath Grampian Energy Services Owner
Ian Forrester Great North Lodges Ltd Managing Director
Margo Page McCoy Great Scot (Scotland) Ltd Managing Director
Charles White Greencare Sports Ltd Owner
Matthew Constable Heart of Scotland Tours Operations Manager
Sam Hinks HinksBrandwise Creative Director
Donald Macleod Holdfast Entertainment Group/ CPL Managing Director
Frank Taylor Indigo Sun Retail Ltd Managing Director
Peter McCann ISFT Ltd Director
Angus MacRuary Isle of Skye Chocolate Company Owner
Iain Robertson JJR Print Limited Owner/ Director
Julia Stryj Just Food Services Ltd Director and Co-Owner
Jillian Anderson Kilpatrick Blane Services Ltd Owner
Kevan Shaw KSLD Design Director
Gordon Slight Landfall Scaffolding Ltd Managing Director
Joe Lafferty Lifetree Scotland Founder and CEO
John Lyon Logisitics Scotland Owner
Graham MacPherson MacPherson Electrical Owner
Robert Miller McAdam King Business Psychology Director of Business Psychology & Co-Owner
Paul McLaughlin BSc MRICS McLaughlin Construction Director
Martin Izatt MI Home Improvements Owner
Francis Gilhooley Midlothian Blockpaving Ltd Managing Director
Alan Simpson Minuteman Press Paisley Owner
Ian Muir Muir Walker & Pride, Chartered Architects and Interior Designers Director
Michael McGhee Neo Environmental Ltd Director
Andrew Collins NetMR Scotland Ltd Director
Philip Lawrence NKTech2017 Limited Managing Director
Owen Caldwell Old Bridge Inn Owner/ Manager
Neil Smith ORRO Director
Robert Alexander Parepark Ltd Director
Iain Lawson Pest Protection Services Ltd Director
George Lappin Pinmar 1st Aid Director
Willie Orr Port Selma Lodges Partner
Ian Chisnall Printing Services (Scotland) Ltd Managing Director
James Craig Hill Protective Suppliers & Services Limited Director
Patrick Byrne Pursuit Marketing CEO
Malcolm Purves Purwood Scotland Ltd Diector
Steven Gray Rovop CEO
Ian A Henderson and Francoise Henderson (CEO) Rubric Europe Ltd Chairman
Al Brown Rushbrook Managing Director & Chartered Fire Engineer
Scott McBride Schiehallion Hotel & Bar Ltd Director
Robert Fergusson Scotia Micro Models & Grendel Castings Ltd Director
John Boyle ScotLet Owner
Derek Cameron Scotmas Group Chairman and CEO
Jim Birley Scottish Wood Manager
Steven Duncan SDNUK Limited Managing Director
Rodric Selbie Select Wallpaper Owner
Bob Costello Sidlaw Executive Travel (Scotland) Ltd Managing Director
Jack Marshal Tapside Coffee Machine Rentals Managing Director
Iain Rankin TaxKings Limited Director
Stephen Benzie The Alamo Guest House Limited Director
Patrick Balfour The Balfour Manor Hotel Owner
Frances Barron The Dessert Depot Ltd Managing Director
Christopher Carnie The Factary Ltd Chair
Frank Park The Lade Inn & Scottish Real Ale Shop Owner
Ken McNab The Travel Company Edinburgh Managing Director
Kevin Kelly The UPAC Group Director
Dr Willie Wilson Thistle Pharmacies Owner/ Partner
Uta Rosenbrock Uta’s Joolz Ltd Director
Pat Ballantyne and Iain Richardson Vcodex Limited Directors
Anthony Craven Walker Craven Homes Ltd Director
Rachel MacNeil Wild and Magic Islay Travel Co Owner and CEO
Stephen Fairclough Wild Goose Holidays Ltd Director
Tim Rideout XYZ Maps Director

 

If you are an employer in Scotland you can sign the Business for Scotland Single Market Declaration here.

About the author

Michelle Rodger

Michelle is a former national newspaper journalist who co-founded an award-winning IT business before launching Tartan Cat Communications. A social media and crowdfunding expert she manages media and communications for Business for Scotland.

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