Scottish business chief backs Labour as Sir Ed makes splash

The move by high-profile Scottish business leader Benny Higgins, a former senior executive with Standard Life, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Tesco Bank, to endorse the Labour Party and its UK leader Sir Keir Starmer was an eye-catching moment, and one which may well come into the thinking of some voters as polling day approaches.

The significance, or otherwise, of the move was the subject of my Business Voices column in The Herald this week, which noted that Mr Higgins’ backing of Labour may well have stung the hierarchy of the SNP.

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Mr Higgins, who now chairs Buccleuch Group among a host of senior board positions across civic Scotland, had previously been enlisted by former SNP leader – and ex-First Minister – Nicola Sturgeon as an economic adviser, had played a key role in the development of the Scottish National Investment Bank, and been commissioned by the SNP administration to devise an economic plan to aid Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic.

But anyone who may have thought his involvement in such projects was a signal of political allegiance would have been mistaken. In an exclusive article for The Herald, Mr Higgins made plain that the people of Scotland have been let down badly by the political leadership in both Edinburgh and London as he argued that “Labour and Sir Keir Starmer “represent the only credible option”.

“This can be a new dawn,” Mr Higgins wrote. “It will demand a surefooted prioritisation of decisions, which can be the necessary catalyst to recover our strength and identity. It is only by choosing Labour that we can find hope and optimism.”

His article was quickly followed by a letter signed by more than 100 British business leaders, published in The Times, which endorsed Labour’s plans for the economy.

It is unclear whether such interventions ultimately hold sway among voters, but my column observed that the backing received by Tony Blair is now widely credited with helping to propel the former Labour leader to a landslide general election victory in 1997.

READ MORE: Edinburgh chef reveals reasons behind St Andrews move

Away from politics, it was interesting to speak to renowned Edinburgh chef Roy Brett, whose thoughts on the big talking points in the world of hospitality are always worth listening to. In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Mr Brett explained why he now feels the time is right to open a second Ondine Oyster & Grill, 15 years after the original restaurant opened on Edinburgh’s George IV Bridge.

The second Ondine will be based in the prestigious Seaton House hotel, formerly the Scores Hotel, in St Andrews which is due to open early next year.

“We have waited for 15 years to do a second site, in terms of an Ondine, so it is not that we have rushed into it, or we have not had stability or [the] credentials,” Mr Brett told The Herald. “We were always thinking that we’d just be the single Ondine Oyster & Grill, but we then made a decision that we feel strong enough now. I think it is an opportunity for not just myself but the whole team; for their personal growth it is really important. Everybody is quite excited about it.”

Mr Brett praised the vibrancy of the restaurant scene in St Andrews and said he was looking forward to working with local suppliers.

“The East Neuk of Fife has just got an incredible larder and we are in a very privileged position,” he said. “We are looking forward to what we always enjoy, which are the seasons, the produce, and the provenance of where it all comes from.”

READ MORE: Scots furniture giant Sterling reveals decisive growth steps

Elsewhere this week, a Scottish furniture company that for many is a household name announced ambitions plans to expand. Sterling Furniture Group, famed for its “Tillicoultry near Stirling” advertising catchphrase of yesteryear, plans to open a giant new showroom in Hillington in Glasgow later this year, after securing a £10 million funding deal from Royal Bank of Scotland. It comes after a challenging period for the family-owned retailer, as a new executive team responded to a “historic lack of action taken to address the cost base”.

Chief executive John Pattison, the first non-family member to lead the firm, said: “With a new strategy in place [there is] an opportunity for us to really grow into something quite special, something that both the family who own the business, the team, and indeed Scotland can be proud of.”