Scottish hospitality calls business rates relief ahead of budget

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.

1. Hospitality bosses fear Scottish companies could be paying up to 70 per cent more in business rates than rivals in England.

UKHospitality, the trade body, said the widening gap will affect pubs, restaurants and hotels unless Holyrood ministers introduce some form of rates relief.

English firms in retail, hospitality and leisure have had two years of discounted rates with Rachel Reeves using last month’s UK budget to commit to a further 40 per cent discount from April.

UKHospitality wants to see Shona Robison match that 40 per cent relief when she unveils the Scottish budget on December 4.

Leon Thompson, the executive director for UKHospitality in Scotland, pointed