Meeting of the Parliament 17 December 2025
I thank Rachael Hamilton for bringing this important debate to the chamber. The subject is very close to my heart. Before I joined politics, I was heavily involved in the catering industry—I draw colleagues’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests.
Small businesses are the lifeblood of our neighbourhoods. They create wealth, provide community and bless their neighbourhoods with a rich and distinctive identity. Take Argonaut Books, a thriving independent bookshop down the road from my office on Leith Walk, which I visited last month. Argonaut is a shining example of the qualities that small business Saturday seeks to champion. It satisfies our niche tastes. I was amazed by the sheer range of books on sale. It gives the area a distinctive identity and, with its bustling cafe, it provides a kind of community that a larger business simply could not replicate. It ensures that the community grows with it. The cafe buys its coffee from Artisan Roast Coffee Roasters, its cake from Tasty Buns Bakery and its tea from PekoeTea—an example of local businesses working together. Leith Walk today is a rich tapestry of successful local businesses.
While I firmly believe in the role of the state in regenerating communities, that role must be played in partnership with small businesses. Despite the successes, I am aware of the challenges that small businesses face. To run a small business is to take a risk. The UK Government is helping small businesses to face that risk, with funding to make training for apprentices under 25 completely free for small and medium-sized enterprises, the chance to open up individual savings accounts—ISAs—for investment in SMEs and a guarantee that customs duties will be levelled on parcels of any value, to stop online firms undercutting high-street businesses.
The motion notes that the
“recognition of small businesses must continue throughout the year”,
beyond small business Saturday. I agree, and I would echo the words of Guy Hinks, the Scotland chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, in his statement on the recent UK budget:
“All eyes will be on the Scottish Government’s own Budget in January and how they invest the extra £820 million they are set to receive”.
Small businesses in Scotland have made clear to the Scottish Government what they need. It remains to be seen whether the budget will honour the spirit of small business Saturday and lend a helping hand to those—like my family—who want to take the chance to establish a small business.
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