Glasgow Business . 29 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


TOUGH QUESTIONS ON THE FUTURE OF SCOTLAND


Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explores the major issues raised by the independence referendum for local businesses


G


lasgow Chamber of Commerce is conducting a detailed fact-finding exercise on the issues raised by the independence referendum prior to


expressing its views. It is looking at the issues arising from the


independence referendum and the campaigns that are “particularly Glasgow in their focus”. Glasgow Chamber’s Constitution


Commitee decided that it would formulate detailed requests for information that would go to the Yes and Beter Together campaigns and the main political parties. Te commitee, chaired by Katy Wedderburn of MacRoberts, met in early March to agree the detailed questions and those questions have now been put to the parties and campaigns. Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow


Chamber of Commerce, said: “Te intention is to get all the material back and then publish everything on the website so that we have got a position from the players against a whole series of questions.”


Some of the questions will relate to


particular business sectors that have a strong presence in the Glasgow city region, while others are more general issues relating to cities, business and the economy, including issues on taxation and regulation. “Te main driver here is to try to isolate and


highlight issues that are relevant to the city of Glasgow,” Mr Patrick said. He said that most of the debate had been conducted on a Scotland- wide level rather than looking at the specifics of how Glasgow, its business community and its jobs would be affected. “We wanted to set out and deliver a robust


process for gathering information so that we can give our members as much guidance as possible on the issues that affect them,” he said. Glasgow Chamber’s approach, he said, had


allowed member businesses to have specific questions and issues raised that concerned them but, for whatever reason, they did not want to raise directly with the campaigns.


Te original intention was for Glasgow


Chamber to host a debate-style event with representatives from the two sides in the campaign. However, having viewed the recent ‘head-to-head’ TV debates, Glasgow Chamber has decided to hold two separate events for the cases to be put by the for and anti- independence campaigns. Following the discussions and the whole


information gathering phase, the Constitution Commitee will collate and review all the information and then give recommendations for what position Glasgow Chamber should take on the referendum issue. Te recommendations will, in turn, be


discussed by the Council of Directors which will then publicly determine and declare the Glasgow Chamber position on the referendum and give their views on the issues affecting Glasgow and its economy. It is expected that Glasgow Chamber of


Commerce will outline its position on the independence referendum in May or June.


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