Landlord blames pub closure on SNP's anti-business policies

Katie Long, who runs Brown and Blacks pub in Scone, is having to call time after her business rates skyrocketed from £19,000 a year to £53,000. This comes three years after her electricity bills went from £25,000 a year to over £100,000.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Ms Long said: “I am very teary today, because you feel like a failure.

“You feel like the government has forced your hand. I should have had better protection from the government so this wasn’t allowed to happen.

“They need to overhaul the rates system because it should be able to go from £19,000 to £53,000.

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“I have had no support from the government at all despite creating a community hub here.

“It is an absolute casualty I am closing - it is devastating.”

She said people do not appreciate that when rates go up, it also affects other bills such as her Sky TV package, which jumped from £2,000 to £4,500. She said the rise in electricity bills has also put her into £100,000 of debt.

Ms Long said: “The costs are just not attainable anymore, they are just too high.

“I don’t come from money, I just saw an opportunity. The government doesn’t appreciate that people just want to get on - I didn’t want to make lots of money, it was about doing what I loved, but when the weight of the world is on your shoulders and the costs are growing, the government is screwing themselves over.

“I am now having to accept that I have to close that chapter.

“I was busy, but these days busy is not good enough.”

Ms Long had previously invited First Minister John Swinney, who is the constituency MSP for Scone, to sit down for talks with her to hear directly about the struggles facing the hospitality sector, but this was refused.

She also attended first minister’s questions at the Scottish Parliament to try to speak to Mr Swinney, but was also refused.

Ms Long’s campaign was supported by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay. He told The Scotsman: “This pub is in John Swinney’s own backyard, it’s right on his doorstep.

“She’s worked hard to rebuild this, create local employment and a community hub, but the rates bill has been the straw that’s broken the camel’s back and she is now having to call last orders.

“The energy costs, employment costs and rates bills mean we are shutting pubs in Scotland at the rate of one per week, so Katie I’m afraid to say is just adding to those statistics, but this is a real person who’s worked tirelessly, put her own money on the line, created employment and paid taxes.

“It’s an absolute tragedy and when she came to Holyrood and asked John Swinney for 10 minutes of his time, he really should have done so.

“There’s a tendency within the SNP to view businesses with suspicion or hostility, and they seem to think if you’re a business person you’re rich and they can keep coming back for more.

“But eventually there’s no more left to give and they close their doors, as Katie is having to do.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish budget 2026/27 supports business and communities with a package of reliefs worth in excess of an estimated £870 million and almost all (96 per cent) of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in Scotland can benefit from some form of rates relief.

“We would encourage the owners to seek advice on relief available. It is estimated the package of reliefs available in 2026/27 could reduce Brown and Black’s bill by almost 90 per cent in 2026/27 as they may be eligible for small business transitional relief, revaluation transitional relief, and retail, hospitality and leisure relief.”