With elections on the horizon, one message is coming through loud and clear:
politicians want to hear from family businesses – and they are ready to listen.
Matt Jaffa, FBUK Policy Director
Following our visit to meet Welsh politicians at the Senedd in January, Family Business UK’s policy and public affairs team has continued engagement across the Nations & Regions with a productive trip to Edinburgh.
The Scottish Parliament elections on 7 May are expected to bring significant political shifts. With the economy ranking as the top concern for Scottish voters, the voice of business – and particularly family business – has never been more important.
Our visit to the Scottish Capital began with a roundtable hosted by the Business Growth Fund and led by the Scale Up Institute. Senior advisers from the Treasury joined us to discuss growth, investment, and the tax policies needed to support thriving businesses.
We were particularly pleased to have FBUK Member Ross McAlpine join us for this session to share his perspective on the impact of Business Property Relief (BPR) on investment, growth and tax receipts.
While Scotland holds various tax raising powers, BPR and APR remain UK-wide tax policies administered from Westminster. This made the roundtable and our subsequent discussions an important opportunity to inform MSPs and their teams about the realities facing family firms.
Following this session, we joined four Members of the Scottish Parliament to explore key FBUK priorities. When we sat down with those Members, one thing became abundantly clear: politicians want to hear directly from family business owners. Hearing Ross share his lived experience had a powerful impact – so much so that MSPs immediately arranged a follow-up constituency visit to his business.
At FBUK, we will always champion our members in the corridors of power. But the most influential voice is yours – the voice of real family business experience. So, our call to action for members across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England is simple:
Speak up and make sure your voice is heard.
How you can get involved:
- Join us for political meetings and roundtables (in-person and virtual),
- Take part in policymaking sessions with civil servants, such as our recent meeting with officials from the Treasury,
- If you’re visiting London let us know – we’ll contact your local MP and try our level best to arrange a meeting in Westminster,
- Tell us if you’d like support arranging a constituency visit – just as we facilitated a mayoral visit for a member this week.
Policy Summit
Ahead of that, join us at our inaugural policy summit: Building Britain for Generations, taking place in London on the 31st March which will provide a unique opportunity for FBUK Members to engage with policymakers, industry leaders, and key stakeholders on the pressing issues shaping family business thinking.