Brexit has been and gone for some time, but only now are we really feeling its impact on the Scottish economy.
From skills shortages and empty supermarket shelves to lengthy delivery delays and unexpected duty or VAT charges – each of us are noticing the effects of the end of free movement in some way or another.
Away from individual consumers, Brexit is having a big impact on Scottish businesses and it’s thought that the end of EU migration will be a major factor in reshaping the UK economy.
On June 30th, the deadline passed for EU citizens living in the UK to apply to the EU settlement scheme, which gave people already living here the chance to apply for ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status.
According to figures published in The Financial Times, by March 2021 there had been 5.3m applications to the EU settlement scheme by almost 5m individuals looking to regulate their status. However since the deadline, there has been concern about what will happen to those who didn’t apply on time.
The huge number of people applying to the EU settlement scheme highlights just how many EU nationals make up the UK workforce, contributing to the economy. The impact that this may have in Scotland is worrying, particularly as we try to rebuild from the financial damage of the pandemic.
Previously we had free movement; people could work where they wanted to in the EU with no need to apply for a visa to do so. The same applied for EU nationals working here in the UK, they could apply for citizenship without having a sponsorship or visa in place.
Following Brexit, the rules have changed and EU nationals now need to have documentation showing that they’ve been living in the UK for at least five years in order to have the right to reside.
Many people won’t have had a record of this as it wasn’t a legal requirement previously, so despite the settlement scheme being in place, a lot of EU nationals will have had to start at square one.
The pandemic also resulted in many EU citizens returning home, which will have impacted their settled status. This is having an impact on various industries across the country.
In recent weeks, we’ve heard stories in the news of skills and labour shortages as a result of Brexit, with a spotlight on the hospitality industry in particular. With large numbers of migrants traditionally working within hospitality, Scottish companies are struggling to fill vacancies and ensure their businesses can function properly.
It’s important that Scottish business owners find out exactly what they need to do when it comes to hiring EU nationals – as there are now new procedures and red tape to follow moving forward.
UK businesses are now legally required to carry out right to work checks on current and prospective staff who are EU citizens. The onus is on bosses to check if staff have applied for a status to work in the UK and to see the relevant documentation proving that they have a right to reside.
If a person is arriving from outside of the UK, their employer must help them with their visa application so that they can specify that they’re coming here for work. This is the process that has always been in place for American nationals, and the same now goes for EU nationals.
UK employers need to have a sponsor license to employ anyone who’s not a UK national and who doesn’t already have a regulated status in Britain.
Workers from the EU have shaped Scotland in a huge way, and it’s already evident that the end of freedom of movement will reshape our country yet again.
It’s an uncertain time, but it’s important to remain positive. Brexit could be beneficial for businesses in terms of accessing a wider and more varied staff pool; opening up opportunities of attracting talent from beyond the EU.
There could also be new opportunities for the Government to sign fresh trade deals with more markets outside of the EU, giving us access to dynamic and vibrant markets.
It will take time to adjust to the changes that are happening, and that lie ahead. But I’m positive that we will adapt and thrive.
It was great to hear in an announcement last week that a planned visitor centre, located within the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, has taken a step closer to realisation, as it secured major funding from a number of new sources.
Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre, which is set to cost £5.5M, has now received funding from a number of bodies including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which announced a £1.9M investment in the facility, alongside NatureScot, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and SSE Renewables.
Additional funding has also been sourced through a crowdfunder, which was set up by the team at the centre earlier this year.
The concept will see three connecting timber-framed “hub structures” built at Kincraig in the Cairngorms National Park, promising a world-class experience for visitors, encouraging them to learn about and to connect with the surrounding natural world.
The new centre will focus on raising awareness around the practical ways visitors can help to protect the native species found within the Highland Wildlife Park through immersive experiences and digital technology to encourage action and learning. The space will also contain areas to host exhibitions, training, function room, café and shop.
I was delighted to see this new wave of funding for the Wildlife Discovery Centre, which I hope will come to fruition soon. It will play a pivotal role in creating jobs and training opportunities within the community, and in doing so, help bolster the local economy.
This new site will also provide a great day out for tourists at a time of renewed interest in the Highlands as a holiday destination. As UK tourists look closer to home for their trips, the new Discovery Centre will be key to re-activating our tourism industry in a long-term and meaningful way.
It Made Me Laugh
A number of sunny destinations might currently be off-limits, but who needs a summer holiday when the sights of the US are brought straight to your door?
You only have to travel as far as Glasgow’s city centre to see the iconic red, white and blue flags, bunting, shop fronts and traditional American mailboxes, as the upcoming Indiana Jones movie gets ready to film in central Scotland.
With a little imagination and potentially ignoring the rain and chill in the air, you can find yourself transported to the blockbuster capital of the world.
Big-name actors including Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are set to star in the movie, and just last month a motorbike race was spotted being filmed in the Highlands. I’ll be on hand in case they’re looking for a stunt double.
It Made Me Weep
I was saddened to see that Glasgow took second in the league of the UK’s worst restaurant ‘no-show’ hotspot areas.
TheFork, a restaurant booking platform, revealed that customer no-shows could cost UK restaurants £6.2M in the next four weeks alone, and that Scotland’s biggest city is hit worst by the problem, with only London beating its record.
The rising issue of no-shows is largely owed to the new trend of spread-booking, where diners make multiple restaurant reservations for one occasion so that they have more options with restaurants, currently working at a reduced capacity, fill up so quickly under current restrictions.
We need to get behind our hospitality sector at this precarious time, so book a table at your favourite restaurant this week – and show up!
