Spend your money locally, urges Fife MP

Siblings Violet, 6, and Isaac, 4, Herd added to Harry Boa, Forfar’s latest “pet”.

The “snake”, made up of painted stones, has been amusing local children since it appeared at the edge of Forfar Loch and has been growing daily.

A similar “caterpillar” in Monifieth has reached more than 1,000 stones since it appeared last month.

Businesses across Fife have risen to the challenge of coronavirus and the region’s residents should repay them by using their services once lockdown is lifted, an MP has urged.

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath SNP MP Neale Hanvey is asking Fifers to spend their money locally to support job creation and drive economic growth in the area.

The call comes as the Scottish Government announced businesses across the country have been awarded more than £100 million through the Scottish Government Business Support Fund, designed to protect jobs, prevent business closures and promote economic recovery.

However, critics say the time being taken to process the grants is still too long after it emerged more than 800 businesses are still awaiting support across Fife.

Mr Hanvey has urged everyone in the region to spend their money locally where possible when restrictions are eased.

“Up to this point, the focus has been on making sure businesses have as much support as possible to stop them going under and to protect local jobs,” he said.

“But as we slowly lift lockdown, we need to start seriously thinking creatively about how we rebuild our local economy, and about the value we place on local businesses.

“Just look at the tremendous effort of local firms making face masks and PPE, like the designer Loraine Walker Couture in Kinghorn and Mirka Jankowska, the bridal dressmaker in Kirkcaldy.

“The same community effort that has seen us through this difficult period will now be needed to get the Fife economy up and running again.”

Figures from the Scottish Government for June 2 suggested 844 out of 4,948 businesses applying for support had still not received it, and Conservative MSP Dean Lockhart, who represents MidScotland and Fife, described the delays as “staggering”.

“That has the potential to threaten jobs and livelihoods across Fife and ruin the local economy,” he said.

“The council appears to be processing all the simple applications, but then left hundreds in the lurch as the weeks have gone by.

“That’s an irresponsible and damaging way to run an administration and many small businesses simply won’t recover.”

In a statement, Fife Council co-leaders David Alexander and David Ross maintained payments were being turned around as quickly as possible, adding: “We’re working really hard to get through all the applications, including working with businesses to get more information where it is needed so they don’t have to reapply.”