Growth Commission report divides even those who back independence, says John McLellan.

The great British Lions captain Willie John McBride had a simple message to his team at the start of what was expected to be a brutal 1974 test series against the Springboks: “Get your retaliation in first.”

No “99” calls are needed to spark a punch-up over the SNP Growth Commission report finally published yesterday, but its chair Andrew Wilson used his skills as a public relations consultant to make sure that, in the ensuing political ruck, the first blow was going to be his. So the initial trails on Wednesday evening which duly appeared in Thursday’s papers were that if an independent Scotland matched the economic performance of other similarly sized countries we would all be £4,100 better off.

The high-ground duly commanded and the idea of a four grand prize duly planted, the second wave of publicity confirmed what had already been widely leaked, that the Commission was lancing the currency boil that had infected the 2014 campaign by urging the new country to set up its own currency. That one of three sections is devoted to currency shows not only how difficult the establishment of a truly independent economy would be, but also how much work wasn’t done by the SNP last time round.

READ MORE: SNP Growth Commission report: ‘Enough grandstanding’ say opposition parties

But no matter how much detail on currency the report contains, if it scared the horses then, it will do so again and the report hadn’t even been officially launched before the first problems arose, firstly from Glasgow University macroeconomics professor Ronald MacDonald who inconveniently pointed out that £300 billion would be needed to establish a central bank to underpin the new system.

Then on the supposedly sympathetic Common Space website, tax campaigner Professor Richard Murphy of City University London slammed the suggestion that Sterling should be kept for a transition period. The commission, he wrote, has “crushed any chance of a fiscal stimulus by committing Scotland to decades of austerity with the sole purpose of keeping the old oppressor in London happy ... For those who hoped for a bright independent future it offers nothing but despair.”

At least Wilson’s report summary was ahead of the game in admitting “inevitably, much of what we recommend involves further work, analysis and consideration”. That’s one box already ticked.

In fairness to Wilson and his team, the report has many commendable ideas but on even a cursory glance few require the break-up of Britain to deliver. Even the extensive recommendations on encouraging immigration through a “Come to Scotland” programme are not impossible under current arrangements. Similarly, expanding universities and attracting more international post-graduates does not rely on independence. As for “securing a frictionless border with the rest of the UK”? That’s two boxes.

READ MORE: SNP Growth Commission report: Five key points

As we all know, the problem with offers that seem too good to be true is they almost always are, and the “£4,100 better off” number glosses over the yawning gap in public expenditure which even by the Commission’s own numbers would cost £27bn over ten years to become manageable. Maybe people really are prepared to pay more tax to cover costs rather than see public services eviscerated? The new shining example Scotland should follow, New Zealand, actually raises only around £38bn through taxation compared to approximately £45bn here and, according to the New Zealand Treasury, it spends a total of about £23bn on health (£8bn) and welfare (£15bn), compared to Scotland’s £35bn (£12bn and £23bn).

Nor do the aggressive population targets the report contains come without consequences, claiming that if growth elsewhere had been matched then Scotland’s population would already be up to 6.1 million, even though authorities like Edinburgh are already struggling to cope.

Of all the unanswered questions in this paper, the biggest one for the person who commissioned it is whether it provides the solid launch-pad for another tilt at independence. It may well have re-opened a debate First Minister Nicola Sturgeon didn’t wanted closed in the first place, but it is also opening up differences within the independence movement. Wilson was certainly on the money when he wrote: “We do not expect universal support from within the party or indeed from anywhere.” Another box ticked.

Complaints backfire

The Scottish Government didn’t get what it expected when the Independent Press Standard Organisation this week threw out its complaint against the Daily Express for alleging that rule changes limiting the flying of the Union Flag on Scottish public buildings was a snub to the Queen. Sometimes even if you are convinced you are right, making a complaint just isn’t worth it, like two other cases just off the IPSO conveyor belt.

A Hamilton man was convicted for assaulting a man in a shop after he himself had been assaulted and the sheriff remarked, “There’s no doubt Mr Burns was the victim of an assault but there is also no doubt what happened 47 kicks later.” The Scottish Sun ran the story under the headline “Boozed-up Hamilton thug John Burns kicked and stamped on shop attack victim 47 times”. After a ruling that there had been a breach because he was not drunk, the paper has to publish the following correction: “We would like to clarify that Mr Burns was in fact sober when he launched his ‘sustained attack’”.

And agitator Katie Hopkins complained about a Mirror story headlined “Katie Hopkins banned from leaving South Africa after taking ketamine”. She had been taking the drug for a shoulder injury and in fact the ban had been for spreading racial hatred. Bet she’s glad the record is straight ... IPSO upheld both complaints, so the moral is if you’ve done the crime, it doesn’t pay to whine.

Different boats

My colleague Cllr Mark Brown took some flak from the PC brigade for asking on Twitter, in best traditional Glesca, if the SNP’s Growth Commission thought we’d come up the Clyde in a banana boat. A white-supremacist, post-colonial, racist slur apparently. There is the 1956 Harry Belafonte song I suppose, but I always thought the phrase referred to the pudding involving a dollop of ice cream with two halves of a banana sliced long-ways on either side. Nevertheless, describing naiveté by coming up the river of your choice on a Jacob’s water biscuit is a safer choice these days...

Housebuilder Stewart Milne Homes has been given the green light for new developments in East Lothian and made “significant investment” in land acquisitions.

The firm said that positive planning decisions had been awarded for developments in Pencaitland, East Linton and Haddington, with an application to be submitted in the coming month for the redevelopment of Edenhall House in Musselburgh.

In total, more than 440 homes are expected to be built across East Lothian, with a proportion to be affordable to help address a “critical need” for new housing in the region.

The Orchard in East Linton will comprise 113 homes in a landscaped community and include 19 individual home styles. Meanwhile, 120 homes have been approved for the Castle Gardens community in Pencaitland along with 165 homes and apartments at Letham Views in Haddington.

Proposals for Edenhall in Musselburgh will deliver 45 new detached homes in 11 differing styles, 19 affordable apartments and houses and include the retention and conversion of Category B Listed buildings.

Work on these new developments is planned to commence from this summer.

The Aberdeen-headquartered firm said it would work closely with resident contractors and craftsman to “capitalise on local skills, knowledge and experience”. It is expected that some 1,600 jobs will be supported with The Orchard, Castle Gardens, Letham Views and Edenhall communities.

Gerry More, managing director of Stewart Milne Homes Central Scotland, said: “Our vision is to create a series of new communities in East Lothian that are fit for 21st century living but which incorporate traditional values and features from historical East Lothian towns and villages.

“It’s encouraging that our vision is being shared and recognised by the local authorities as evidenced by the positive outcomes from the planners and planning committees to date.”

First occupations are expected in spring 2019.

When my father suffered a severe stroke more than a decade ago, among the many things my sister and I had to deal with were his finances while he was in hospital.

He was in his early fifties at the time, and had never considered that he’d fall so seriously ill – therefore leaving no plans in place for us to take over his money management if he was incapacitated.

Picking up the pieces during my father’s six-month recovery was troubling, to say the least. We had to write to all the financial companies he dealt with, alerting them to the situation and requesting that they contact us if any payments had been missed, which we then had to fund ourselves.

Then, when my father had become well enough to do so (and under a doctor’s supervision and guidance), we had to sign a third-party mandate so we could temporarily operate his bank account.

Dealing with a variety of banks, lenders and insurers was a mixed bag back in 2003.

Some were understanding, and made things relatively straightforward. Others continuously ignored our mandate or refused to accept it.

One bank even made us go through heavy ID checks and a grilling by a local branch manager to ensure we weren’t fraudsters. With time, I understand the bank was, ultimately, looking after my father’s interests. But in that moment, it was quite a distressing experience.

I’m thinking about this now because this week has seen the launch of the annual Dementia Action Week – an awareness campaign designed to encourage people to take action to “improve the lives of those affected by dementia” and ensure that the right provisions are available in the UK to deal with the rising number of people suffering from it.

In just over 30 years’ time, it is thought that two million people will be suffering with dementia in this country.

Although my father’s illness was vastly different, those dealing with the consequences of a debilitating condition, particularly the management of finances, are bound to have similar experiences.

A 53-year-old man in relatively good health with two teenage children, my father had made all sorts of responsible arrangements – life insurance, a will and we were even the nominated beneficiaries of his pension.

But he’d, understandably, never even considered the one thing that could have saved us all of the hassle we went through – Power of Attorney.

Power of Attorney is a legal document where one person (the donor) gives others (their attorneys) the right to make decisions on their behalf.

You can only set up a Power of Attorney while you still have the ability to weigh up information and make decisions for yourself, known as “mental capacity” – making it worthdoing now in anticipation of the unexpected.

In Scotland, there are three types: Continuing Power of Attorney (CPA), Welfare Power of Attorney (WPA) and General Power of Attorney (GPA).

A CPA is an ongoing arrangement giving your attorneys the power to make decisions about your money and property, including managing bank or building society accounts, paying bills, collecting a pension or benefits and, if necessary, selling your home. It can be set up to be used when you have capacity, as long as you have given consent to your attorney.

A WPA gives your attorneys the power to make decisions on issues such as your daily routine (washing, dressing, eating), medical care, moving into a care home and life-sustaining medical treatment. It can only be used if you are unable to make your own decisions.

It is also possible to combine both the CPA and WPA into one document so you are fully covered for financial and personal/welfare issues.

A GPA gives another person authority to act on your behalf for a temporary time period. But as soon as you lose mental capacity, the General Power of Attorney will expire. This means it’s not suitable if you need someone to manage your affairs after you’ve lost the ability to do it yourself.

This option is most useful if you temporarily want someone to make decisions for you – for example, while recovering from an injury or during an extended overseas trip.

You can find out everything you need to know about Power of Attorney from the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), the government body that sets up and holds these agreements. In my view, it is an essential thing for all people to consider.

We’re fortunate that my dad made a fantastic recovery and was able to take back control of his finances, but he said that he didn’t want my sister and I to repeat the experience we had. So, as a family, we decided that we would set up Power of Attorney. Should he ever get ill again, it would be far simpler for us to take over.

But whether you’re a new parent, planning your later life finances, or thinking of tidying up your financial affairs, put Power of Attorney front and centre.

Hopefully you’ll never need it, but you and your family will be grateful you did should the worst happen.

Gareth Shaw is head of Which? Money Online

A TOURISM tax of £1 per person per night could raise an extra £11 million a year and would not deter visitors from coming to the Capital, council chiefs have claimed.

A new report on the Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) said Edinburgh’s strongly performing hospitality sector, which has some of the highest occupancy rates in Europe, could comfortably absorb the impact of a small price rise.

The desk-based exercise looked at the Capital’s accommodation sector and how a tourist tax worked in other cities.

It recommended the tax should apply across the range of accommodation options – hotels, serviced apartments, B&Bs, guest houses and Airbnb-type properties.

But it did not consider imposing a levy on tour operators, retail units, transport companies, restaurants or bars.

READ MORE: Edinburgh tourism tax ‘unlikely’ to deter visitors

The report estimated the revenue which could be raised by a range of different charges. A dollar (72p) per night per room would bring in £4.9m; £1 per night per room would produce £6.8m; but if it was £1 per night per person that would be £11.5m; three per cent on the cost of a room would bring in £17.4m; and five per cent £29.1m. The report said: “The most favourable option for visitors would be the percentage room cost option as it would have had less impact on budget tourists or off-season trade.”

It also highlights how the money could be invested in local services to the benefit of residents, visitors and the tourist industry itself – such as investing in parks, public spaces, clean streets and reduced ticket prices for cultural attractions.

Council chiefs have been pressing for the power to introduce a tourism tax for some time. The report will be debated by the council next week. It then plans further engagement with stakeholders and to develop a detailed proposal to be presented to the Scottish Government.

Council leader Adam McVey said: “First of all, it is important to point out that this would not be a tax on business; rather a small contribution by tourists towards the services they use during their stay.

“This research demonstrates that not only is a TVL unlikely to adversely affect Edinburgh’s hotel industry, but that handled correctly, it can help to secure the ongoing sustainability and health of tourism in the city.

“I understand that there are those who remain to be convinced but I can assure them that this is only the beginning of a considered, thoughtful and professional engagement with our partners across the tourist and hotel industry, the people of Edinburgh and the tourists who would ultimately pay the levy.”

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AG Barr is voluntarily recalling 750ml glass bottles of drinks including Irn-Bru amid fears the caps might pop off unexpectedly.

The company said it is recalling the bottles as a precaution due to an “intermittent fault” in how some caps have been applied.

There have been a small number of reports of the caps popping off unexpectedly.

The bottles being recalled include Irn-Bru, Irn-Bru sugar free, Irn-Bru Xtra, Cola, Cream Soda and Ginger Beer with use-by dates up to and including May 2019.

Bottles of Lemonade, Limeade, Pineapple, Red Kola and Soda Water are also covered by the recall notice.

Anyone who has bought a bottle is advised to open it carefully like a bottle of sparking wine and then return it to AG Barr.

READ MORE: Watch: US star Donald Glover tries Irn-Bru for the first time

The company said: “We have identified an intermittent fault in how some caps have been applied across our 750ml glass bottles.

“The quality of the drink itself is not affected, however the issue may cause a small number of caps to pop off unexpectedly.

“As a precautionary measure we are asking consumers who have any of the products detailed to open the bottles with care to release the pressure.

“The bottle should be handled carefully, pointed away from the body at arm’s length, as you would when opening a bottle of sparkling wine.”

The company added: “At AG Barr plc we take great care to ensure that our products reach our consumers and customers in perfect condition and are sorry that on this occasion a limited quantity of our products has not met expectations.”

Anyone who has any of the affected products at home is asked to contact AG Barr on consumercare@agbarr.co.uk.

Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling the products explaining to customers why the bottles are being recalled and telling them what to do if they have bought the product.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said: “The company has already taken steps to remove these products from the market.

“However, if you have bought the products listed please carefully open at arm’s length to release the pressure and return to the store or contact AG Barr directly.”

Some of Scotland’s best-known writers, artists and academics have slammed Edinburgh city council’s decision to permit a Virgin hotel near the Capital’s Central Library.

Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Jackie Kay and John Byrne are among 19 signatories to a letter to the Times, accusing the council of indulging in a cynical exercise in “asset-stripping” and betraying future generations.

The writers also criticised the council for abandoning earlier proposals to expand the Carnegie library and added that the original building had been a cornerstone of the city’s intellectual life since its foundation in 1890 by Andrew Carnegie.

The historic India Buildings at the top of Victoria Street will be coverted in to 225-room, 11-storey hotel, which will reportedly block an estimated 82 per cent of natural light from the library.

Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson endorsed the project while visiting the site of the hotel this week. He said he had selected Edinburgh for his new brand because the city had a “big gap in the market” for high-end five-star hotels.

READ MORE: Richard Branson: Edinburgh tourist tax could drive visitors to Glasgow

The protesters are also concerned that the famous Edinburgh Room, closed as pressure on space intensified, may never reopen.

Sir Richard, who hosted a party for industry leaders to herald the start of work on what will become the first Virgin Hotel in Europe when it opens in 2020, insisted the development would respect the heritage of the site.

He revealed that up to 300 jobs will be created in the hotel, which will contain at least four bars and restaurants and is expected to generate £5 million for the local economy.

Sir Richard entered Edinburgh’s increasingly heated tourist tax debate days after a new poll found three-quarters of small businesses in the city were opposed to the idea. Asked about the prospects of Edinburgh becoming the first destination in the UK to ask visitors to pay an additional levy, Sir Richard said: “There is a problem with any tax where an individual city is singled out. The government would have to watch it very carefully. “There is a danger that if it is done in one city [Edinburgh] you could have everyone going to Glasgow. If you’re going to do it, it would be better if it was done nationwide. “It would also have to genuinely support the tourism industry and not just disappear into a general pot.”

Sir Richard was visiting Edinburgh just days after a long-running heritage watchdog urged the city council to introduce an “immediate moratorium” on new hotels in the Old Town over concerns that they are putting its historic character and vitality “seriously at risk.” Earlier this year an official report warned that parts of the Old and New Towns were struggling to cope with the huge influx of visitors during peak periods. However Sir Richard said: “I don’t think a city can have too many tourists. It can be slightly overwhelming if you have floods of people coming off cruise ships. “From what I can tell, the amount of tourists Edinburgh gets is manageable.”

Depute council leader Cammy Day praised the hotel development, saying the plans have been “developed very much with the local area in mind” and “have been endorsed by key heritage groups.”

Alan Taylor, the editor of Muriel Spark’s collected works and a former reference librarian in Carnegie building said the council “didn’t know what their heritage is”.

READ MORE: Virgin to open its first UK hotel in Edinburgh

About 30 years ago, Steve Cassidy was celebrating his graduation from Napier in the glitzy surroundings of The Caley hotel in Edinburgh’s West End.

He is now paying a return visit in a different guise, as senior vice-president UK and Ireland at Hilton, which in 2000 took over the running of the hotel, and reopened it as the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh in 2012.

Cassidy is responsible for 144 hotels in the UK, including 22 in Scotland, and there are nearly 40 more in the pipeline. He sees “huge” growth across the geographies he covers.

Sitting in the refined surroundings of The Pompadour by Galvin Cassidy restaurant, looking out to Edinburgh Castle, he says the Scottish capital is seeing some of Hilton’s strongest growth, not only in the UK, but across Europe.

PwC recently reported that the cost of spending the night in a hotel in the city grew three times faster than the UK average last year, while Edinburgh’s 83 per cent room occupancy rate is higher than anywhere else in Europe.

Hilton in fact has six hotels in the Scottish capital, spanning 911 rooms. In addition to The Caley these comprise the Grosvenor and Carlton Hiltons (in 2016 the latter unveiled the results of a £17 million refurbishment), Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End in Fountainbridge, which opened last year, and DoubleTree properties on Bread Street and at Edinburgh Airport.

Another hotel – a 240-room site at the airport – is set to open next year.

Altogether Hilton now has 22 hotels and 3,663 rooms in Scotland– employing more than 2,500 staff –with three more properties in the pipeline, and has just added the 148-room DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort to its portfolio.

Cassidy highlights the explosion in visitors to Scotland – and its capital city in particular.

“We’re proud that in Edinburgh we’re able to meet that demand for hotel rooms with quality product in different price categories,” he says.

And he welcomes the boom both in staycations and overseas travel driven by the fall in the pound.

“Last year, visitor numbers to the UK in general were pacing well ahead of GDP growth, so it’s an important part of the economy,” he says, adding that Hilton has seen strong performances from Europe and the US as well as China, with particular potential in the latter.

The group is also opening a 200-room property at the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

PwC said the city saw its occupancy rate and revenue per available room fall in 2017 as the slowdown in oil and gas continued to bite.

Cassidy admits that Aberdeen’s hotel market has been troubled in recent years for “obvious” reasons, but he is confident it will rebound. “We’re fully committed to the development pipeline that we have there, and we’re looking forward to developing even further.”

Back in Edinburgh, Cassidy is conscious of a concern that the proliferation of city-centre hotels is threatening the historic character and vitality of the Old Town and stretching infrastructure.

He stresses that while Hilton has an important role in people experiencing new cultures, it is “very conscious” of its social responsibility, particularly regarding local communities.

As a consequence, the company has just unveiled new targets to double its social impact investment and halve its global environmental footprint by 2030.

Cassidy is well-travelled himself, born in Bermuda to Scottish parents who met at primary school in Wishaw, brought up in Germany, and later living in Asia. But while he’s spent his life on the move, his heart is “very much in Scotland”.

He joined Hilton’s revenue-management team in 2009 after several years with British Airways, starting off in finance but gradually moving to more general management roles, and latterly running the cargo operation for the airline, based in Hong Kong for about three “wonderful” years.

His background in accountancy would have fitted him for range of careers, but “I always knew I wanted to be in a big team, community-type business where we were all working hard for one common purpose and cause”.

The Hilton group as a whole now encompasses more than 5,300 hotels worldwide across 14 brands and 106 countries. In its first-quarter results published in April, it said core earnings came in at $445m ($333m), marking a 9 per cent year-on-year jump.

Cassidy moved into Hilton’s hotel operations in 2011, and his remit expanded to its current focus in 2015.

He is also a board director of UKHospitality, which represents the industry that generates £130 billion in revenue each year and was created from the merger of the British Hospitality Association and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.

Such a role comes as he seeks to give greater clout to a sector that is a major employer in the UK. “It’s important that we have a voice within government, so I felt being part of the UKHospitality was an avenue for contributing to that and representing the wider hospitality sector – and not just Hilton’s needs.”

Cassidy says skills and talent are going to be a “critical focus” going forward for the trade body, “and working with government to ensure that our messages around the attractiveness of our industry for workers from the UK get through”.

UKHospitality states that about one in 12 of the roughly 3 million workers in the sector are EU nationals, and Cassidy is keen to remove uncertainty caused by Brexit both for the business and staff.

But despite challenges presented by Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, and the growth of alternatives to hotel accommodation such as Airbnb, Hilton believes has great scope to expand further.

“If we can take our business and our ethos and our brands to more places, frankly geographical boundaries shouldn’t be a hindrance to that,” he says. Specific plans include developing types of location, especially airports and sporting venues.

Returning to the topic of the classic, historic grandeur of The Caley, which first opened in 1903, he insists it can more than hold its own against the influx of high-end hotels to Edinburgh.

The city is proving a magnet for luxury hotels, with St Andrew Square set to welcome both a new Malmaison in 2019, and the first Virgin hotel outside the US, a luxury 225-room property set to open by 2020.

Cassidy forecasts increased growth for The Caley backed by investment from new owners Twenty14 Holdings, which acquired the hotel in an £85m deal announced in January – the biggest hotel sale in Scotland in three years. It was revealed that a £20m programme would be rolled out over two years from 2019 by the Abu-Dhabi-based firm, with plans including another 50 rooms and creating 100 jobs.

“We’re very interested in the next developments for the hotel,” says Cassidy, adding that there is no room for complacency, with continued investment required to develop both the product and the guest’s experience.

“[With] investment complemented by an ambitious owner who’s willing to invest in the property, I think we can continue to be the pre-eminent destination for luxury travellers to Edinburgh.”

Looking at Hilton overall, he acknowledges the troubled economic backdrop in recent years, but points out that the group is behind one in five hotel rooms being built internationally, and is opening one hotel a day on average.

Cassidy also notes that Hilton is a “pure play” management and franchise business, meaning its growth comes from convincing owners that it’s the best hotel company to manage their properties.

And he believes that with its owners seeing growing value in their relationship with Hilton, its footprint of hotels will continue to expand.

Cassidy is proud the company has overseen better engagement from staff and offered guests better experiences in recent years.

“I want to continue to grow that every single year and off the back of that, our owners will be happy, we’ll be serving our communities better, and we’ll see a growth in the number of Hilton hotels in every market.”

Finding the right mortgage deal isn’t always easy – and new research from the City regulator suggests many borrowers are getting it wrong. With a mortgage being the most costly regular outgoing for many people, this can be an expensive mistake to make.

Three in ten customers fail to find the cheapest mortgage for them, according to the Financial Conduct Authority, which is looking at ways to make it easier for mortgage borrowers to shop around.

In the meantime, here are some factors to consider when navigating the mortgage maze.

Weigh up whether you want a fixed or variable rate

Fixed rates give borrowers certainty over what their payments will be for a certain period – but if you’re taking out a longer-term fixed deal, you’ll also need to be sure that you’re able to lock yourself in for that length of time.

Bear in mind mortgage rates have been edging up

While the Bank of England base rate remained at 0.5 per cent in May, mortgage rates have been edging up recently. According to Moneyfacts, 27 providers increased their rates in April – some doing so more than twice. Charlotte Nelson, a Moneyfacts finance expert, says: “It is important for borrowers to note that there does not need to be a base rate rise for mortgage rates to increase.”

Utilise online tools

There are tools which can help you see what’s available quickly – for example, MoneySavingExpert.com has a Mortgage Best Buys tool (moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/best-buys/).

Look at more than a low rate

Always consider the whole package when weighing up a mortgage deal to work out the overall cost. Some mortgages will come with fees, while some may have perks such as cashback which may be worth considering. There has recently been a surge in the number of cashback deals on offer. Moneyfacts.co.uk says by mid-May, there were 1,315 mortgage deals on the market offering cashback – representing 28 per cent of the mortgage market.

Consider brokers carefully

Mortgage brokers have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to scouring the market for a good deal, and they understand key details about lenders’ criteria. But choosing the right broker for you could be vital. One question to ask could be whether they look at the whole of the market or make a selection from a panel of lenders. You may also want to consider recommendations from friends if they have used someone who was helpful.

Find out what re-mortgage deals are available

If your existing mortgage deal is coming to an end soon, make sure you don’t just end up sitting on a higher rate by default. Research from MoneySuperMarket found one in six people on a fixed-rate mortgage claim have no idea what will happen to their repayments once their fixed term period comes to an end.

Don’t forget about what else is important

Buying a house can be stressful, with the mortgage being one important aspect to consider. But insurer LV= has found 27 per cent of home owners didn’t spend any time researching which buildings insurance would be best for them, meaning they might not have had the right cover in place.

Too many young people are killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads.

Road Safety Scotland says that an average of 54 accidents a week involve a young driver aged between 17 and 25. They account for ten per cent of all licence holders, yet young drivers are involved in one in five accidents. That’s an average of one death and more than 70 people injured every week.

UK Department for Transport data shows that young drivers are at a much higher risk of being killed or seriously injured on the road when they drive at night. The level of accidents at night is vastly disproportionate to the number of drivers on the road and the mileage they have clocked up.

It’s worst at weekends, when young drivers can be as much as 20 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured. But even throughout the week, young drivers cause a vastly disproportionate number of accidents between midnight and 4am.

So what’s the answer? Scotland on Sunday has highlighted the TRL report commissioned by Transport Scotland, which found off-road driving courses aimed at under-17s could put them at greater risk of accidents (News, 13 May).

Off-road experience is no equivalent to qualified on-road instruction. The report author, psychologist Dr Neale Kinnear, said: “In the absence of controlled evaluation, the simplest way to control the risk of harm would be to introduce a minimum learner period.”

Northern Ireland is doing just that in a new Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) scheme. Under the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act passed at Stormont in 2016 young drivers there may still send off a driving test application form on the day they turn 17. However, under the new law they will have to wait and practise for another six months until the can sit their test.

This Minimum Mandatory Learning Period will introduce regulations for a learner driver programme including a compulsory log of training which needs to be signed off by an Approved Driving Instructor before a student can sit their test.

It will also restrict when and how many passengers a newly qualified driver can carry. Between 11pm and 6am drivers up to the age of 24 who have fewer than six months on their licence will be prohibited from carrying more than one passenger aged between 14 and 20 years old. There will be exemptions for family members and other specific circumstances, but the ban will tackle the problem of young inexperienced drivers travelling too fast at night with a car full of their peers on board egging them on.

The ABI would go further still. We propose a 12-month minimum learning period but we’d want young people to start learning earlier, at 16 and a half. We also want to see intensive driver training courses banned.

Improving young driver safety and minimising the risks they pose is also the most sustainable way of tackling the high cost of insurance they face.

There is political support for GDL and maybe a window of opportunity too. Prime Minister Theresa May asked officials to look into GDL after Labour MP Jenny Chapman raised it at Prime Minister’s Questions.

UK Transport Minister Jesse Norman is looking at the Northern Ireland scheme as a pilot to gather evidence on the potential for GDL in Great Britain.

Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf would like to see DfT take GDL forward for the UK or else see those powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

In a Westminster Parliament divided by Brexit, a minority government might just find the cross-party support for a new law to protect our young drivers – and the rest of us.

Alastair Ross is Head of Public Policy for the Association of British Insurers

A Dumfries and Galloway distiller has launched what it claims is the first Scottish Dry gin, created using a “scientific understanding of flavour compounds”.

The Dalton-based Oro Distilling Company has debuted the small-batch gin made with a “unique” blend of botanicals, distilled over 15 to 17 hours in a purpose-built, fully coppered still.

“Specific scientific research has been applied to Oro at every turn; from the dilution point and solvent extraction method through to the particular type of still used,” it said of the spirit, whose name means gold in Spanish and Italian.

Oro Gin is distilled with 15 botanicals, with juniper, vanilla and coriander “most notable”, as well as cinnamon, pink peppercorns, and a secret ingredient.

Owned by the Clynick family, the gin was developed by head distiller Ray Clynick, a graduate of the Heriot-Watt International Centre for Brewing & Distilling, and creative director Jacqueline Clynick, along with their team of experts in science, chemistry and distilling. The gin’s logo uses concentric circles to represent the atomic suborbital structure of gold itself.

Ray Clynick said: “Months of scientific research has gone into developing the first Scottish Dry gin, and we are confident that the end result will bring a unique dimension to the premium gin market.”

Flight delays are the most complained-about travel trauma – and Resolver helped more than 120,000 people reclaim their money for free last year. Delays can be caused by lots of problems – anything from sudden snowstorms, foggy mornings or even the occasional active volcano. But if you’re raring to go on holiday – or you’re ready to go home – flight delays are certainly frustrating.

You can’t pre-empt a flight delay, but you can stack the odds in your favour. Try to book a flight that leaves earlier in the day, for example. The fast turnaround time of the budget airlines means if there’s a delay at any of their stops during the day, it will carry over till later. Night time flights may be cheaper, but you may find you’re waiting around longer – and missing your transport connections when you get home.

But what else can you do to avoid a travel trauma? Here are a few tips.

Get insured

A surprisingly large number of people travel without insurance. From missing baggage to delayed flights, it’s cover you can’t afford to travel without. Make sure you start the policy now, not just before you travel. That way you can avoid getting caught out by cancellation costs.

Keep the kids calm

Keeping the kids occupied if you’re delayed can be stressful. Take some disposable items like colouring books to keep them occupied so you’re not weighed down before you board.

Plan ahead

Make sure you’ve got some flexibility built in with your booking with your hotel. Call ahead and confirm and write down the contact details. Make sure you’ve checked out the cancellation policy before you book – and book direct from the hotel if you can. Cancellation can sometimes be a little more complicated if you’ve booked through a third party.

Expect the unexpected

The baggage carousel is running empty and there’s no sign of your luggage. What next? Well, your insurer should be able to help with an emergency payment but avoid the holiday being ruined by having emergency cash. Take a credit card specifically for holidays (don’t use it the rest of the time). That way you’ve got access to funds if there’s a problem.

Get details of the problem

If your flight is delayed, stay calm. Ask for written confirmation of the delay and what you’re entitled to if things don’t improve (like food vouchers). Keep the documents should you need to claim. You can use Resolver’s website to claim for delays and cancellations up to six years ago.

Hiring a rental car

If you’re planning on getting a rental car abroad, make sure you take an inventory of anything that’s wrong with the car when you get it. We hear too many stories of people being caught out by charges for damage that was already on the car. Always get the rental people to sign off anything you spot that might be wrong – even if they tell you it isn’t necessary.

Other disasters

Snap a few pics of your passport and travel documents and save them under a well-hidden file on your phone or online. If you lose your stuff, you can always get hold of people who could help you.

James Walker is the founder of online complaint-resolution service Resolver.co.uk

Left-wing independence supporters have said the SNP’s new vision for breaking up the UK will be a “hard sell” on the doorsteps because it will create more austerity.

Splits in the Yes movement opened up the day after Nicola Sturgeon’s party published its new economic case for independence. Jonathon Shafi, the co-founder of the Radical Independence Campaign, said the SNP’s economic plan must remove its most “damaging” elements.

At the end of last week, economist and former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson published the SNP’s long awaited report from the Sustainable Growth Commission. The 354-page document, commissioned by Sturgeon, set out a plan for Scotland to emulate 12 other small, advanced, independent nations including Denmark, New Zealand and Norway.

The paper, entitled Scotland, A New Case For Optimism, admitted that an independent Scotland would take up to 25 years to match the economic performance of such countries and outlined a ten-year plan to cut the country’s £13.3 billion deficit. Among the recommendations were plans to pay the rest of the UK an annual £5bn solidarity payment to cover Scotland’s share of UK debts and shared services. An independent Scotland would retain the pound outside a formal currency union with the rest of the UK until such time as the economy was strong enough to sustain a separate Scottish currency.

Wilson argued increasing growth could ensure public spending was kept above inflation while the deficit was being cut from 8.3 per cent of GDP to 2.6 per cent.

But the Scottish Conservatives and Labour claimed his approach would lead to years of cuts in public services worth billions of pounds.

The threat of austerity also concerned Shafi, who criticised the report for failing to take account of the views of trade unionists.

Shafi said: “In 2014 the independence movement was galvanised around opposition to crushing Westminster austerity. That too was the theme of the successful SNP general election campaign. The Growth Commission, despite claims to the opposite, would open the door to various forms of austerity politics.

“The report advocates tight fiscal discipline, reducing an independent Scotland’s prospective deficit to no more than three per cent in the first five to ten years, and lower than the growth rate during the transition period. This means reducing public spending to satisfy the City of London, who an independent Scottish Finance Minister would have to answer to.”

Shafi added: “The Radical Independence Campaign will engage with this debate in various ways, and believes that through the course of that debate the most damaging elements of the document can be altered. If they are not, it will be a very hard sell on the doorsteps of all those looking for bold change and who need radical economic transformation.”

Meanwhile, Labour claimed Wilson’s proposals would leave Scotland with a larger deficit than any other OECD country including Greece, Italy and Spain.

The SNP, however, accused Richard Leonard’s party of being “miserable” and said bringing down the deficit would be combined with public spending increases. Of Shafi’s remarks, an SNP spokesman said: “The Growth Commission report is explicitly anti-austerity, and offers an alternative to the Tory hard Brexit – which would leave Scotland facing real downward pressure on public spending as the economy slows. The report provides the opportunity to look afresh at the case for independence, to replace the despair of Brexit with optimism and hope about Scotland’s future. We look forward to hearing views on the report’s recommendations – from community groups, businesses and trade unions, to the wider Yes movement and across civic Scotland.”

No fanfare, not even a standing room only press conference for the much heralded launch of the SNP’s Growth Commission report last week.

Two years in the making and running to 354 pages, surely a drum-roll of sorts could have been laid on. But instead it was eked out in dribs and drabs, with all the compelling sideways momentum of a rheumatic crab.

Outwith the hard-core band of independence supporters, the SNP is finding it tough to rekindle support for a second independence referendum. Brexit is cited as the reason for having one. But it is the very uncertainty of the Brexit outcome that makes it difficult for the SNP to capture public attention, let alone put forward a compelling argument for a second indyref.

All that said, however, its author, the former SNP MSP, Andrew Wilson, has advanced a refreshing set of ideas to spur economic growth.

First, there is a “Come to Scotland” campaign to drive immigration and population growth. This would include tax relief for highly skilled migrant workers to attract the “best and brightest”, measures to encourage international graduates to stay in Scotland, and a simplified visa system.

There are policy ideas to grow the economy through incentives for business investment, greater participation in the labour market and improved productivity.

Indeed, throughout much of the document is a recognition that improvement in economic growth and performance is not a function of independence per se but a range of policies that would need to be adopted and pushed forward – whatever the shape of the constitutional architecture.

Gone is the insistence on a separate currency from the off. The report says an independent Scotland would keep the pound for at least ten years and would then move towards introducing its own currency – once a series of economic tests had been met. There are outline proposals to help fund continuing UK debt to promote “respect and good order” towards the rest of the United Kingdom.

Historic debts would fall to the rest of the UK – but Scotland would contribute about £5 billion a year to meet debt commitments and fund international aid.

Whether that would prove enough to contain Scotland’s debt growth when our annual budget deficit has been running at some 9.2 per cent of GDP – more than double that across the UK as a whole – and the implications for financing of this debt commitment on other areas of Scottish Government spending arguably matter less at this stage than the SNP’s belated recognition of the need for a debt management policy. The very word “debt” seemed to have been expunged from the 2014 referendum campaign.

This more realistic approach should be welcomed. However, searching questions are inevitably begged. Take the proposal to encourage skilled labour immigration. Here it exposes a glaring policy inconsistency. The SNP government has racked up the tax take on higher earners. So why should a high-skilled immigrant to the UK opt to come to Scotland when similar employment elsewhere in the UK is less heavily taxed?

Are such incentives to be offered by the Scottish Government to all skilled immigrants? What of those from the rest of the UK? How would Scottish voters feel about paying English migrants extra?

As matters stand, employers in the private sector are already able to attract skilled labour through all manner of devices – help with housing costs and removal expenses, relocation disbursements, language learning assistance and performance bonuses. Public sector applicants can also be incentivised by appropriate training and apprenticeship schemes.

And when it comes to “promoting economic growth” there is much that the SNP administration can –and should – be doing already. It hardly needs constitutional separation to kick-start growth, as the document itself implicitly concedes. Nor, for that matter, does Scotland need to wait ten years for a separate currency to enhance our growth potential.

“Optimism” is not the exclusive preserve of independence; rather it is to be found in those sectors and activities of an economy that are innovative, encouraging of entrepreneurship and internationally competitive. The imperative now is to build and expand on these characteristics, independence or no.

An economist laments

A telling criticism of the Scottish Parliament is that it is not holding government ministers and the administration to effective account; that too often it is giving them an easy ride.

This was the central charge of a prominent Scottish economist last week after a recent meeting of the parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee. Professor Tony Mackay has run an economic consultancy business in Scotland and overseas for more than 30 years, having served previously on the economics staff of Aberdeen University and as a visiting professor at various universities in Scotland and abroad.

Last week he wrote to John Mason MSP, deputy convener of the committee, and fellow committee member Gordon Lindhurst to express “my serious disappointment with its meeting last week, where witnesses included Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary.

“I was very disappointed by the questioning of the Cabinet Secretary and his officials.

“The Scottish economy has performed very poorly during the last few years and significantly worse than that of the UK economy as a whole.

“I expected your Committee to ask some very difficult questions but that did not happen. Most of the questions were ‘easy’ and some completely irrelevant.

“Further, some of your members seemed to spend most of their time sending messages on their mobile phones/tablets and paying little attention to the evidence…

“I do not know who is responsible for suggesting the questions… but I believe that the Committee is being badly let down by your officials and/or advisers.

“Your recent report on Economic Statistics/Data was very poor and has been heavily criticised – and rightly so – by professional economists and statisticians…

“Based on Tuesday’s Committee meeting I fear that this next report will be another whitewash.”

In the interests of transparency, I should begin by declaring that Andrew Wilson, chair of the SNP’s Growth Commission and the man First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hopes will reinvigorate the campaign for Scottish independence, is a good friend of mine. I hold him in the highest regard, considering him a man of integrity and great kindness. His departure from the Scottish Parliament after a single term, in 2003, robbed our politics of one of its brightest young stars and – like many who know him – I hope, one day, he’ll return to Holyrood.

We could do with more Andrew Wilsons in public life.

This particular Andrew Wilson, after some time away from the spotlight building his strategic communications company, Charlotte Street Partners, finds himself back at the heart of our national political debate as he attempts to rebuild the badly damaged case for independence.

Across more than 350 pages, the Growth Commission’s report – Scotland, A New Case For Optimism, published on Friday amid great fanfare – seeks to present a new and, crucially, plausible argument for ending the centuries-old Union. Wilson and his colleagues on the commission have consulted widely, seeking the views not only of those sympathetic to the idea of independence but of those who remain sceptical.

The document’s cautious tone and frequent concessions that the establishment of a new independent state would not be without cost stand in stark contrast to the Scottish Government’s 2014 White Paper, the promises and claims contained within which became increasingly laughable as one read on. Former first minister Alex Salmond may have presented the White Paper as the most detailed prospectus for a new state ever published but, in reality, it was 600-odd pages of wild assertion, reckless optimism, and downright bollocks.

The engagement of Wilson to head the Growth Commission and build – from scratch – a new case for independence suggests that view of the White Paper is accepted by senior SNP figures.

So has Wilson succeeded?

Nationalists have already hailed the document for its substance and its authors for their integrity and seriousness of purpose. Unionists, naturally, have pointed out support for independence remains a minority pursuit and dismissed the work for leaving big questions unanswered.

When it comes to the matter of the detail of establishing a new country, unionists have an inbuilt advantage. Nationalists must persuade voters to take a step into the unknown; unionists, on the other hand, can point to the here and now and ask whether a) things are all that terrible and b) whether it’s really worth risking constitutional change with all of its implications.

Wilson and his colleague have not, I think, succeeded in solving the SNP’s problems when it comes to the issues of currency and the economy in an independent Scotland. The report’s suggestion that Scotland would engage in a period of Sterlingisation – a concession, surely, that the commission’s authors don’t reckon the UK government was, as Salmond claimed, bluffing when it ruled out the possibility of a currency union in the aftermath of a Yes vote in 2014 – is hardly inspiring. Why should something considered a poor second best four years ago now be rated a genuinely appealing option?

On the economy, the commission’s authors describe how 12 small nations have grown and prospered and suggest an independent Scotland might follow their examples. But sceptics might say that the selection of a different dozen would have produced a very different pictures of the harsh realities facing some small economies.

When it comes to changing minds, I doubt the commission’s report has the power; those who are in favour of independence will cling to it as a game-changer, those who are opposed will dismiss it as little more than a well-written wish list.

Both will be wrong. The Growth Commission, under Wilson’s chairmanship, has not created a blueprint for an independent Scotland but it has given the SNP ideas for government and, while doing so, it reminds the party about a long-forgotten strategy that once served it very well, indeed.

When the nationalists won their first election in 2007, they were not carried to victory on a tidal wave of pro-independence sentiment.

Instead, SNP leader Alex Salmond employed a more cautious approach (hard to believe, now, isn’t it?). A vote for his party was not a vote for independence, it was a vote for competent devolved government. Let us show you what we can do, said Salmond, and then if you ever want to talk about independence, I’m listening.

This softly-softly approach led to rather cautious government. After 2007, the SNP was so concerned about ending, once and for all, the accusation that it wasn’t fit to govern that it didn’t dare take on controversial reform of public services for fear of any backlash.

After 2011, the SNP was so concerned about any potential negative impact on the independence case that it continued its rather managerial approach.

With recommendations about how economic growth might be encouraged under the current devolution settlement, Wilson’s team might concentrate the minds of SNP ministers who, as their party’s star slowly falls, really do need to focus – and be seen to focus – on the domestic agenda. In the absence of an SNP-affiliated think tank, the growth commission has put forward ideas which might be developed into policy.

Scotland, A New Case For Optimism does something else of considerable value. It attempts to change the tone of our debate. There is not a trace of Salmond-style bluster in a single sentence of the report. Instead, it recognises with some humility the challenges the Yes movement faces and it accepts that the views of those who oppose independence are held in good faith.

My friend Andrew Wilson has not delivered to the SNP a document containing the secret to referendum victory but he has made a powerful case for a Scottish Parliament using its existing powers to their fullest and because of that, the Growth Commission report should be considered by nationalists and unionists alike as a document of some substance.

The makers of a new Edinburgh Monopoly board are struggling to find an option to replace the original Old Kent Road – because they feel the city is “too posh”.

Winning Moves UK – makers of the board under official licence from owners Hasbro – said they have sifted through a wide range of suggestions, but there is “a distinct dearth of nominations for an Edinburgh Old Kent Road equivalent”.

They said they may end up opting for “something old” such as the Royal Mile to keep with the Old Kent Road association.

The original Edinburgh Monopoly board hit the shops in 1998. However, it is now undergoing a complete makeover which will include Edinburgh-themed tokens in place of the traditional pieces of a top hat, dog or car.

The previously released Edinburgh board boasted Shore Place in Leith as the equivalent of Old Kent Road.

A spokesman for Winning Moves said: “We announced last month that Edinburgh is Passing Go and we have been spoilt for choice with very many great suggestions that have poured in.

“At the top end of the board, it’s going to be a challenge getting all the great landmarks on such is the abundance of crown jewels and gems – from the castle to the Scott Monument and everything on the Royal Mile and in the Old Town.

“However, at the other end of the board we face a very different challenge. We have sifted through each and every suggestion and there’s a distinct dearth of nominations for an Edinburgh Old Kent Road equivalent. Maybe the city is just too posh to have one.”

He added: “But we will find an equivalent – the space won’t appear blank. We may select something old in keeping with the spirit of the title of Old Kent Road.”

The public was asked to send in suggestions for inclusions on the new board, which could see James Bond star Sean Connery, who was born in the capital, among the tokens, while Greyfriars Bobby, a miniature Edinburgh Castle and a giant panda were also listed. It is understood that the office for The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday has done well in the voting and is in line for a spot on the board.

The current board features landmarks including the former Bank of Scotland headquarters on The Mound and the St James Centre – which has recently been torn down to make way for a new development – as well as the former Scotsman building on Holyrood Road.

Other Scottish cities, including Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow, also have their own editions of the game – there is even an Isle of Arran edition. The revamped Edinburgh game is expected to be released in time for Christmas 2018.

Suggestions on the game’s official Facebook page include replacing the traditional train stations with the four sports stadiums of Murrayfield, Meadowbank, Tynecastle and Easter Road.

Lord Provost Frank Ross, said: “I can’t wait for my chance to play the updated version. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they’ve incorporated recent changes to the capital into the new game. I’m sure the makers will have been spoilt for choice of landmarks to use.

“Surely the City Chambers must be worth at least £100!”

RBS has failed to fully appreciate the “damage” that will be caused by its decision to close dozens of its Scottish branches, a damning report from MPs has found.

The Scottish Affairs Committee urged the bank, which is majority-owned by the taxpayer, to halt plans to axe 52 branches across Scotland, describing the move as a “devastating blow” to those communities affected.

Publication of the report by the 11-strong committee, which included four Tories, led to one of the Conservative members criticising the UK government for a lack of action on the issue.

Tory MP John Lamont said: “It remains a point of frustration that the government has decided not to use its influence to get the outcome that we wanted.

READ MORERBS ‘failing to notify’ rural communities of closures

“It’s quite a critical report for Conservative members to sign up. That speaks for itself on how the four [Tory MPs] on the committee viewed the government’s approach, and indeed the wider Conservative group in Scotland.”

RBS said the closures were a response to the increasing numbers of customers using mobile and online banking.

However, the plans attracted fierce criticism from local communities, business groups and politicians.

The committee report said the closures would remove “vital services relied upon by businesses and disproportionately affecting vulnerable customers”.

It states: “We are not convinced that RBS fully appreciate the damage these closures will do to the communities and businesses that rely on these branches.”

An RBS spokesman said: “We would like to reassure our customers and the committee that we do understand closing a branch can be difficult for some customers and colleagues who work in these branches. It’s not an easy decision. The way our customers are banking is changing and it is important that we respond to that change. Across Scotland, usage of our branches is down 44 per cent since 2011.”

The prospect of a UK Labour Government bringing an end to austerity in Scotland is “for the birds”, according to the head of a sweeping SNP blueprint to transform Scotland’s economy after independence.

Andrew Wilson, chair of the party’s Growth Commission, has defended the proposed spending curbs earmarked for the first decade of independence amid concerns from left-wing supporters of independence this is a recipe for more austerity.

But it came as Labour leader Richard Leonard launched a stinging attack on the SNP’s record at Holyrood in tackling Tory austerity.

Mr Wilson insists that the report shows public spending could still increase in the first decade of independence, but must remain within the broader rate of GDP growth. This would bring the country’s £113 billion spending deficit - the difference between the cost of public services and taxes raised to pay for them - under control.

“All of the evidence of the country’s we’ve looked at shows the outcomes are better - not only do they have higher living standards, but they have better and more coherent societies,” he told the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland.

“Waiting for a Labour Government to make the UK better is for the birds - it’s not going to happen.

He added: “Let’s see if they (Labour) ever have the chance to deploy whatever plan they’ve got. I’ve not really seen a coherent plan from that side of the debate thus far and there certainly isn’t one for Scotland where the financial controls are so limited.

“What we can see and what we can learn from history is that Britain is the most unequal performing economy by a mile, in Europe and in the industrialised world.

“There is nothing in any of the prospectuses I’ve seen to tackle that problem of regional inequality. All of the risks for Scotland are in doing nothing - sticking with what we’ve got right now.”

The former Nationalist MSP said he “absolutely and emphatically” wants to see another independence referendum which Ms Sturgeon is proposing, but left the timing to political leaders.

“We will require to choose what’s in our best interests at a time when we’re ready really,” he said

“All of the conclusions of the report are that if we want to succeed as a country to get the same living standards and social cohesion of the countries that we’ve identified, we need to be the same as the most successful countries in the world which would mean independence.”

“The timing for me really is for political leaders to determine - what we’ve tried to do is to say whenever we’re asked to choose, then we will be prepared for it and we’ve got a prospectus which sets out in some detail exactly what we would be starting with.”

Mr Leonard used a weekend interview to slam the SNP’s record on social equality.

“The Scottish Parliament is not being used as fully as it was designed to be,” he told the Daily Record.

“It should be a bulwark against Tory policies but the SNP are stagnant and timid.”

Mr Leonard insisted that his mission was to “fundamentally change” the economic system.

The crippling impact of bank closures on communities, charities, pensioners and tourism have been set out in a series of stark warnings to MSPs.

Many areas face a “nightmare” getting cash and access to banking services without travelling miles from their home, with growing concerns that the heart is being ripped out of many towns and villages as their last bank disappears.

The tourism industry, which supports thousand of jobs and accounts for hundreds of millions of pounds in spending, could also be hit as visitors struggle to access cash in some areas, evidence gathered by Holyrood’s economy committee has also revealed.

The House of Commons Scottish Affairs committee has already called on RBS to halt plans to axe up to 62 branches across Scotland, warning this will be “devastating” for communities affected. The Bank of Scotland has also earmarked 49 to close this year.

And MSPs at Holyrood will this week hear from community groups affected who are warning that the closures will have a disastrous effect.

Elderly Scots are among those worst affected, Age Scotland said in its submission to the committee.

The charity said: “We are told by older people that dealing with a call centre for inquiries which they used to undertake in branch can be unnecessarily stressful due to the quality of the sound, remembering complicated passwords and security answers, having to verbally articulate what their issue is and the fear of phone scams.”

Going to the bank is part of a routine for many older Scots that “gets them out of the house”, the body adds, and there are fears the closures could undermine efforts to tackle the “devastating impact” of loneliness and social isolation.

The impact on smaller towns is set out in blunt terms by residents.

In Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, the impact has been “awful” according to Erica Johnson, chair of the local community council.

She said: “People have to drive or take the bus [2 hours again] just to get money. People struggle to get cash for a taxi fare if they are going somewhere where the bus does not go and you cannot get a mini statement to check your finances!”

Another Dalbeattie resident, Robert McGoldrick, said the closures have caused “real problems”.

He said: “Our shops, hotels, pubs are having problems with cash flow. The retired have nowhere to open an account for their pension to be paid into.”

Margaret Rae of Whitburn, West Lothian, said the closure of the bank there came after other closures in Armadale, Harthill, Fauldhouse and Blackburn

“The RBS branch in Whitburn was the biggest in the district,” she said. “There was never less than 10 people waiting to be seen, worst times there could be 20+ people queuing to be seen.”

The disappearance of branches in Longniddry and Prestonpans in East Lothian meant disruption for local woman Una Kerr, who said the replacement mobile branch stop near her was withdrawn in order to cover further closures, including North Berwick.

Ms Kerr added: “On using the RBS branch in North Berwick twice in the last few weeks I have had to queue, so how can anyone say it is underutilised?

“By way of a sweetener, a notice in the branch suggests customers should come along to a launch of a mobile bank in the town. Why bother when it is likely to be killed off to accommodate areas in the next round of branch closures.”

According to the Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers (ASSC), tourists could even be driven away as the dearth of cash point in remote areas escalates.

The ASSC said: “Many tourists and visitors, especially those from urban areas, readily assume that card facilities will be available. However, this is not always the case, thereby limiting potential spend.”

Charity chiefs could also face the risk of failing to comply with “legal duties” under charities legislation over problems with banks such as the “complex and lengthy” processes for change of signatories on accounts.

Scots charity regulator OSCR also warns that opening account “difficulties” and issues with online banking availability and services could also pose problems.

The regulator said: “While there are other ways to conduct these transactions, having access to the local branch is viewed as important as a means of direct contact on issues that may arise.”

RBS said it was responding to changes in the way its customers banked, with branch usage falling by 44 per cent since 2011, while seven in ten customers were now using mobile or online banking.

It added: “We recognise that every customer will have different banking needs and we are committed to ensuring all our customers receive the best possible service.”

Engineering consulting group IKM has secured a string of high-profile contracts worth a multi-million-pound sum in recent months.

The firm, which employs more than 80 people, has just signed a two-year agreement with Petroineos to provide civil and structural engineering, surveying, and environmental support to the crude oil company’s Grangemouth refinery.

The deal comes after IKM secured a contract with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park to undertake the feasibility study for a potential new £300,000 bridge and associated upgrade of footpaths and car park at Falls of Leny, near Callander.

Partnering with Burnley-based specialist architectural lighting firm LITE has also helped the group secure a £5 million five-year contract to provide the electrical infrastructure design element to the Perth “City of Light” action plan.

IKM, which has been helped by Business Gateway Falkirk, has seen turnover remain steady at some £5.7m in the year to the end of March and now projects that figure will rise by at least 10 per cent over the next three years, aided by the new work.

David Taylor, managing director of IKM Consulting, which was set up by chairman Ian Maclachlan, said: “We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and although our business is very successful and firmly rooted in oil and gas, we realised that our highly skilled workforce can lend their skills to a much broader variety of projects within new sectors.
“What these new contracts allow us to do is showcase those skills to these new industries.”

Lorraine Taylor at Business Gateway added: “IKM Consulting is an established firm that turned to us for support to put in place new structures that will help facilitate future growth.

“By coming to us, David and his new management team have been able to benefit from our Growth Advisory Service and our connections to Scottish Enterprise which helped them access tailored support through a strategy workshop and the organisational development programme.”

If you go down to Leith today you’re in for a big surprise. Teddy bear picnics aside, there is a fast-growing ecosystem of tech start‑ups that have abandoned Edinburgh’s city centre for a work life on the shore. While lower rents and rates are part of the story, as one prominent tech investor told me recently, “there’s more grit about Leith, it’s more like Glasgow than Edinburgh and that suits some people better”.

Well, we know grit and grind are essential for every start‑up so there’s undoubtedly something in this. Neither should it be forgotten that two of our most successful digital success stories of recent times – Skyscanner and Bigmouthmedia – began their corporate lives in Leith, on Timber Bush. Less well known is how some of the search engine optimisation (SEO) specialists Skyscanner hired from Bigmouthmedia helped the flight search specialist to really take off. Going even further back, Leith Agency co-founder John Denholm says “back in 1984 when we decided that Leith would be a great place to start an ad agency, it was the sense of bohemian dereliction that appealed to us, to give us a creative edge in contrast to agencies in Edinburgh’s West End that looked like accountants. The Malmaison was a hostel for the homeless, Commercial Quay was still a whisky bond and there was only one eating place, the Waterfront.”

The executive search and headhunting agency that John Denholm now runs with his wife Nicki, Denholm Associates, recently struck up a partnership with a Leith-based tech start‑up who many see as having the form to be one of Scotland’s next big tech stars. Amiqus, whose compliance software product Amiqus ID is making waves across the legal and professional services sectors, has an equally fancied CEO at its helm in the form of Callum Murray and Sir Sandy Crombie as its chair.

One of Scotland’s first bona fide tech accelerators, Seed Haus, was born out of iZettle acquiring IntelligentPOS and its founder Robin Knox launching what is already one the most important fixtures on Scotland’s tech map. Entrepreneurial leadership group FutureX is also key to Leith’s growing tech credentials and the team shares office space with film production company, Campfire, on Constitution Street. Kate McKay, a former Saltire Fellow and associate partner at angel firm Galvanise Capital, who are based in the Round the World studios in Leith, identifies the strong focus on creative industries and a new generation of entrepreneurs who reflect the changing nature of work. McKay says: “There’s nothing too flashy going on but it does feel like there is a growing population of like-minded people who have their heads down and are getting on with interesting work.”

At the top of Leith Walk, Edinburgh Greenside, formerly known as Blenheim House is winning awards with 50 per cent of the space pre-let to Scottish fintech player Nucleus Financial and other tech businesses expected to follow. While the site is arguably more city centre than Leith, there is growing optimism that stronger links between Edinburgh and Leith are in the making.

Nick White of property consultants Cuthbert White, who were involved in the sale of Greenside, is seeing a lot of commercial activity in the city going east, a trend he thinks will markedly increase with the extension of the tram line. White says: “Leith is still seen as dislocated from the city but the tram will be a catalyst for change and its new spine should see a significant ripple of development.” Edinburgh architectural firm 7N produced a white paper last year titled “What If?” that re‑imagines Leith Walk as Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, although admittedly with a cafe culture more akin to Copenhagen than Catalonia. Leith Walk is an underrated boulevard that has still to punch above its weight. Champs-Elysees? What about Champs Eh Leithie? Perhaps the next few years will help to cement the revival of Edinburgh’s twin city on the shore.

- Nick Freer is a founding director of the Freer Consultancy and Full Circle Partners