Scottish Lib Dems say lack of new businesses since Covid ‘deeply concerning’

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have called on the Scottish Government to act as they say lack of new businesses in Scotland since Covid-19 is “deeply concerning”.

Statistics released from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that business births from 2023-25 remain 8% lower than they were in the three years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene has called on the Scottish Government to act and said it “has been side-tracked for years”.

Mr Greene said: “Years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, new business creation in Scotland is still not back to where it was in the years before.

“This is deeply concerning as business births are a key indicator of both economic health and investor confidence, both of which are clearly suffering under the SNP. The Nationalist government has been side-tracked for years, and has lost focus on what Scotland really needs: strong economic growth.

“The Scottish Government must act immediately to restore faith in the Scottish economy by sorting out business rates, supporting small businesses, encouraging start-ups, and letting entrepreneurs know that Scotland is open for business.”

During the budget negotiations Scottish Liberal Democrats secured £2.5 million for young entrepreneurs and £70 million for Scotland’s colleges.

However, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have said that to gain support for the budget, ministers will also have go further on business support.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is working with businesses to drive economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets. The overall number of businesses in Scotland in 2025 was almost 30,000 higher than 2019 – a year prior to the pandemic. This is a rise of 8%.

“The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that more than 10% of Scotland’s working-age population were involved in early-stage entrepreneurship in 2024-25, the highest ever figure, and higher than 2019 when it was just over 6%.

“Newly registered business births are lower than pre-pandemic levels across the UK – not just Scotland. However, the latest figures show an increase in business confidence and a rise in the number of registered businesses in Scotland.”