Coronavirus Scotland: Kate Forbes announces plan for economic recovery

The policies are designed to ensure that the recovery process recognises the disproportionate effect of the pandemic has had on certain sectors of society.

Both major investment in entrepreneurship and business support are fundamental to the plan.

She argues that by using both votes to re-elect the SNP in May, voters are ensuring that "economic recovery and job creation" are at the heart of governance.

The plan will include a new £50 million Women’s Business Centre to create, develop, and advance the next generation of women-led businesses.

It will also include a £100m Digital Boost scheme to aid small businesses to become entirely digitalised, to reap the benefits of the digital economy.

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Additionally, the SNP have vowed to launch a National Challenge competition - from which the project with the greatest potential to transform Scotland’s economy will win £50m of funding.

Credit: PA

Finally, the party is pledging a new £20m Rural Entrepreneur Fund, to provide grants of up to £10,000 to support the establishment of new businesses 2000 new businesses.

Forbes is expected to say: “Just as responding to Covid-19 has been a collective effort, so economic recovery must also be a national endeavour, empowering everybody to play their part.

“Too few women get the help they need to start out in business, and so we will create a Women’s Business Centre, backed by £50 million of investment over the next parliament, to help create, grow and develop the next generation of women led businesses.

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“Our capital spending review published in February set our plans for infrastructure - including £2 billion for new schools, £1.2 billion in major rail improvements and over half a billion in our City and Region Deal programme.

“And if re-elected we will go further. To inject confidence in our economy, create jobs and deliver infrastructure that works for households and businesses, we are committing to an ambitious programme of investment.

“Firstly, we will embark on a ten-year programme to deliver 100,000 affordable homes, with 70,000 for social rent – ensuring everybody has a safe, warm home.

“Secondly, we’ll establish a £100m Digital Boost scheme to support small businesses to become fully digitalised and access the benefits and productivity gains of the digital economy.
 
“Thirdly, we will launch a National Challenge competition, providing funding of up to £50 million to the project with the greatest potential to transform Scotland’s economy.

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“In my part of the world, jobs go hand in hand with population retention - so to encourage people to move to the Highlands and support entrepreneurs here already, we will create a new, £20m Rural Entrepreneur Fund – providing grants of up to £10,000 to support the creation of 2000 new businesses.”

She will add: “We will commit to using every penny and every power to invest in this country and support businesses to create jobs.

“But the bottom line is, that despite all the many strengths of the Scottish economy, we need the full levers of control, if we really want to be more prosperous, more just and fairer.

“On the 6th of May the people of Scotland have a choice. With both votes SNP you can elect a government that will put economic recovery and job creation at the heart of everything we do - a government that will reject austerity and invest in our economy, our NHS and our public services.”