Scottish business confidence has risen AFTER a recent dip, according to the Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer for April 2018. The MSM are clear that this rise is a good sign for Brexiteers but just how that might explain the previous dip is not considered. Brexit has been in the background for years, but correlating more precisely with this recent rise, has been the surge in support for Scottish independence and for the SNP. Might this have something to do with it? Scottish independence and retained EU membership are much more plausible now and most businesses want that. The Scottish Government has been particularly, relative to rUK, kind to small businesses:
Scottish Government support for small businesses superior to that in non-Scottish parts of UK
From the regional director for Scotland at Bank of Scotland:
‘The rise in positivity was the biggest of any UK region, which bodes well for Scotland’s prospects during 2018, though we still expect levels to fluctuate through the year.’
Talking-up Scotland 
Another wee business snippet from Scottish Legal site describing German efforts to forge links with Scottish businesses that we can, safely, assume won’t find airtime on beeb Scotland. (This seems to be an attempt by relevant parties to work around the britnat Brexit disaster – more power to all their elbows). Link and snippets below:
https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/euan-smith-germany-knows-scotland-is-open-for-business
The first Scottish-German Business Exchange Conference (SGBEC) was attended by high-profile business executives, civil servants and politicians and laid the foundations for a closer business relationship between the two countries regardless of what type of Brexit the UK ultimately faces.
The conference was a most welcome initiative by German businesses to reach out to Scottish counterparts and our politicians and to establish mutual relationships and connections which will continue to develop, whether Brexit happens or not.
In addition, a number of speakers emphasised that German business was particularly impressed when last year First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led a Scottish Development International (SDI) trade delegation to Berlin. The First Minister’s visit followed the opening of the Germany Innovation and Investment Hub which is aimed at promoting investment and encouraging collaboration between the two countries.
The message appears to be that this visit and the Scottish presence in Berlin was really appreciated by the Germans who have noted Scotland is making a concentrated effort to maintain relations as best we can, despite the uncertain circumstances ahead.
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