The Prime Minister has praised small businesses in the Scottish Borders ahead of Small Business Saturday.
The initiative, now in its 6th year, is designed to encourage people to shop local and support their small businesses and will be taking place on Saturday 1st December. Last year, more than £740 million was spent in independent businesses on Small Business Saturday across the UK.
At Prime Minister’s Question Time today (Wednesday 28th November), local MP John Lamont pointed out that the 340,000 small businesses account for over 1.2 million jobs in Scotland.
Small businesses Lindsay Grieve, the butchers from Hawick, Stems the Florist in Jedburgh and Archie Hume the country clothing shop in Kelso were commended by both John and the Prime Minister in the House of Commons as part of the exchange.
In what was a relatively light-hearted exchange amongst the ongoing debate about Brexit, the Prime Minister praised Small Business Saturday and said she hoped to visit some of these businesses next time she was in the Scottish Borders.
The Prime Minister concluded her answer by saying: “I congratulate Lindsay Grieve, Stems the Florist and Archie Hume, I look forward to possibly visiting them and I am sure that many Members of this House will be recognising the importance of small businesses on Small Business Saturday and championing the excellent contribution they make to our economy.”
Speaking afterwards, John Lamont MP said: “Prime Minister’s Question Time is the most high-profile event in Westminster covered by all the major news outlets, so I was pleased to take the opportunity to mention a few of the excellent small businesses we have in the Borders.
“It was good of the Prime Minister to respond with praise for local businesses - I’d be more than happy to host her in the Borders, if she ever gets a second to spare.
“The wider point was about the importance of Small Business Saturday, which is an excellent opportunity for people in the Borders to show our support for traders in our local communities.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and are vital to the future of our high streets across the Borders.
“And while we are incredibly lucky to have some fantastic independent retailers in the Borders, the only way to keep them is to shop online less and instead pay your local small business a visit.”