The Scottish Conservatives will today highlight their “unwavering support” for the Scotch whisky industry.
Party chairman Craig Hoy will visit the Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow alongside the Scotch Whisky Association to showcase their importance to Scotland’s economy.
Figures released earlier this year show the industry in Scotland contributed £5.3 billion to the economy in 2022, while the sector supports over 40,000 jobs across Scotland.
Craig Hoy says that all Scottish Conservative MPs elected on July 4 will be “strong voices” for the industry, including campaigning to end the permanent removal of tariffs on whisky exports to the United States.
He says that Scottish Conservative MPs in the last Parliament were already instrumental in securing duty freezes on whisky in recent Budgets from the Chancellor.
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “Whisky is one of Scotland’s continued success stories and is hugely important for helping to grow our economy.
“I’m delighted to be alongside the Scotch Whisky Association at one of our newer distilleries to toast the industry.
“The Scottish Conservatives will always be unwavering in our support for Scotch Whisky and our MPs elected on July 4 will be strong voices for them in Westminster.
“We have shown that before with our MPs being instrumental in securing duty freezes from the Chancellor.
“We also stood firm against the SNP-Greens’ botched bottle return scheme and proposed ban on alcohol advertising, both of which would have inflicted great damage on the whisky industry.
“There is more to do and we will campaign for the permanent removal of tariffs on exports to America.
“If voters unite around the Scottish Conservatives in key seats up and down Scotland, then we can get the focus onto people's real priorities like growing our economy and backing key industries, rather than the SNP continuing to obsess over independence.”
Notes to editors:
The report from January 2024 from the Scotch Whisky Association can be read here: https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/scotch-whisky-boosts-uk-economy-by-71bn/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CScotch%20Whisky%20is%20a%20world,we%20have%20here%20in%20Scotland.. Click or tap if you trust this link.">https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/scotch-whisky-boosts-uk-economy-by-71bn/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CScotch%20Whisky%20is%20a%20world,we%20have%20here%20in%20Scotland.