nickshanagher

It was interesting to see that Fiona McLeod of the SNP has taken the Strathkelvin & Bearsden seat from David Whitton of Labour. Mr Whitton, when I met him at the NFRN Scottish conference two months ago, was an MSP who was not expecting defeat. He was also a well briefed politician - well briefed by the supermarkets - and he bought into their idea that they were good for jobs. The facts are that an extra 2.7 million square feet of selling space created by Tesco and Sainsbury in the past year was matched by a reduction of 426 in the number of people they employed, ACS research has uncovered. Perhaps there is an opportunity for local retailers in Ms McLeod's constituency to contact her and provide her with the compelling story about the good job that local shops are doing for her local people and the local economy. Similarly, there should be retailers in other parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, to a lesser extent, England who have a message for local elect...

David Whitton, a Labour MSP, addressed local retailers at the Scottish NFRN conference in Edinburgh earlier this week. Mr Whitton is a capable politician and has a good mastery of his brief. Despite his claimed affinity with news retailers, independent shopkeepers will find that his knowledge of their business affairs relies heavily on information from unfriendly sources - supermarkets and anti-tobacco lobbyists. At the age of 17 Mr Whitton found himself delivering newespapers. He recalls that it was "quite lucrative" at the time, with a good mark up and heavy bags. His audience of news retailers smiled, remembering the day. However, today Mr Whitton was promoting the Scottish Labour Party's plan to win power from May. He may talk about helping entrepreneurs but his heart is really in getting people employed. He wants local shops to employ more people and to train more people. In passing he noted that supermarkets have a "good track record of taking on staff in d...

This week's Scottish government proposal for a minimum price for alcohol of 45p a unit is likely to unleash a new wave of legislation as politicians around the world vie for credit in saving lives. The impact of regulatory interference will change the dynamics of local shops. If the proposal goes ahead, the Scottish government expects that retailers will gain an extra £90 million plus a year in revenues. What it does not know is whether this will stick with the retailer or by grabbed by the manufacturer. Its assumptions also assume that people will continue to buy alcohol in the usual places. However, from the world of tobacco, retailers can see several issues that the Scottish government ignores. Firstly, by creating an articificial price for a product, legislators create a business opportunity for people who work outside the law. The bigger the differential, the bigger the opportunity. At 45p, the politicians think they might reduce consumption by 4.7 per cent. However, the...