Sally Pattle - get the economy back on track

Sally Pattle, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Linlithgow, lives and works in Linlithgow. She runs an award-winning bookshop that, like many other businesses, has been hit hard by the pandemic. She well understands the pressures the past year has placed on small businesses and the self-employed.

“It is essential we get the economy back on track,” says Sally. “Over a million people in Scotland are self-employed or work for small businesses and they have proved their worth over the past twelve months. They have been there for their customers: they’ve supported them through these darkest of times; and I will campaign to support them. I will fight to keep our High Streets as the beating hearts of our local communities.”

“I have campaigned for years to reform the outdated and unfair business rates system, and will continue that fight for as long as it takes,” says Sally. “I also call on the Scottish Government to guarantee that every sector that has been penalised in the past year has the chance to become viable once again, with targeted funding in place.”

“The furlough scheme has been an enormous help, but the compensation on offer is laughable. We also need comprehensive retraining packages in place for those who wish to change direction in light of the pandemic, and proper government support to create those new green jobs which our economy needs going forward,” she explains.

“The last thing we need right now is the distraction of another bitterly fought independence referendum,” says Sally. “Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats are putting recovery first and foremost in their manifesto, so vote for us to make a real difference to everyone’s lives.”