Meeting of the Parliament 17 December 2025
Small business Saturday is an annual opportunity to celebrate the hard work of small businesses across the UK. Shopping locally is not just good for the economy; it is good for our communities and good for Glasgow. It is also not just for Christmas. We need to do it all year round.
There are so many small businesses in Glasgow to celebrate in this great city today. In the south side, there is the brilliant Bespoke Beauty, a family-run business that not only provides incredible therapies such as massage and skin care but acts as a sanctuary for many of its customers who enjoy the peace of self-care at the hands of brilliant, highly trained professionals.
Then there is Launch Coffee on Cresswell Street, where you can get the best homemade cookies out there and know that every purchase will help feed a child in the city of Glasgow; or Mootz, the brilliant, new Italian-inspired sandwich shop on Byres Road, whose menu is so delicious that you will find those sandwiches nowhere else.
Roots, Fruits and Flowers also has its own unique offer. Established in 1980, it has supplied organic wholefoods, fruit and veg and bespoke flowers for 35 years. If you grew up in Maryhill, the Jaconelli’s roll and sausage or full breakfast will have been a constant feature of your week.
Last December, Byres Road was ranked number 9 in the American Express top 10 list of UK high streets—the only high street in Scotland to make the list. The business improvement district there worked tirelessly to get that in order to bring customers to Byres Road and to showcase what the area has to offer. Its work to organise events such as the Vinicombe Street Christmas gala, which I enjoyed very much this year, and its collaborations with WestFest do much to keep the vacancy rates in the area low—they sit at 3 per cent against a national average of 14 per cent.
All those fantastic businesses represent the hard work of Glaswegians who are committed to entrepreneurism and their communities. They are often the product of years of passionate grafting and long hours, but that pays off in spades for our local economy and community. However, those businesses have endured years of difficulty, and they have felt let down by the Scottish Government. Many worry about parking provision, including charges, yet Glasgow City Council does not seem to listen. In the south side, many have raised concern about Glasgow City Council’s plans to introduce parking charges in Shawlands, Strathbungo and Battlefield, with businesses such as the Battlefield Rest speaking out about the detrimental impact it could have.
We should empower and not constrain our small businesses. That means increasing flexibility to unlock potential and giving certainty so that great ideas can flourish. Scottish Labour believes that we can and should do that in many different ways, such as through a new approach to planning. We would better incentivise investment, support bricks-and-mortar retail, tackle empty properties, make town centres attractive places to visit and support entrepreneurship.
We would also modernise business rates to reflect changes in local economies. The UK Labour Government is already doing a lot of that and is delivering comprehensive packages of support and reform for businesses across England and Wales. Those measures include permanent reductions in business rates with multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure, funded by higher rates for online giants to level the playing field.
Since the 2024 general election, Labour has delivered £10.3 billion of additional funding for the Scottish Government. There is a real opportunity to deliver for small business owners across Scotland, if there were the political will to do so. Scottish Labour would also help businesses to partner and share the delivery of apprenticeships, which could be transformational for businesses in Glasgow, because, as in many areas, skills in key sectors, including in small businesses, are in short supply.
Small business Saturday happens once a year. However, as I said, support for and recognition of small businesses is not just for Christmas, but for every day. To all those who are listening and watching today, I say: pop out to your local street, find a local business and support it. You will get what you need, you will feel great and you will be celebrating the vital contribution of small businesses to this great country.
17:59