Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has called on SNP Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to perform a U-turn

Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has called on SNP Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to perform a U-turn and reverse her decision to scrap business rates relief for the newspaper industry at the end of next month.

By John A. MacInnes

Published 8th Feb 2021, 13:11 BST

There's a fear that local news may disappear

The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “I've been very impressed at how our local journalists have kept going during the pandemic and kept their readership up-to-date with what is going on locally.

“They are doing a great job and deserve to be supported. They are hugely important as a source of news for locals.

“I find it extraordinary that Kate Forbes can seriously be contemplating a situation which would leave Scotland as the only country in Europe not providing Covid-related support to newspaper publishers.