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 |
[…] to the Business for Scotland single market membership declaration, where the first 100 employers put their name to a pledge to call on all political parties to back […]
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