Writing in Scottish Construction Now, on the 22nd March, Bellway, a UK-wide housebuilder, made clear that independence would not change their Scottish growth strategy. With revenue over £1 billion, the company has now seen eight years of continuous growth and were unaffected by the Referendum in 2014. They expect to be similarly unaffected by Scottish Independence. Here’s what they had to say:
‘If you do end up with a scenario where Scotland becomes a different country to the UK, to separate that, it’s so embedded I can’t see how it becomes structurally a different country to invest in, in the way it’s different to invest in France…..The barriers to entry can’t be that great. Of course it has a degree of uncertainty for people but we’re still investing in Scotland and Scotland is doing very well for us. Demand is strong, we’re buying land and reservations are coming through well. We’ve got a good business so I don’t see how the referendum will change that.’
There’s a message there for all the companies tempted to join in with Project Fear 2. An independent Scotland is going to be a country free to make its own decisions but also one that will remain familiar, welcoming and convenient to work in.
Talking-up Scotland 