Councillor Thomas Heald is a Scottish Conservative councillor for Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, former Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate for Dunfermline and former political advisor in the Scottish Parliament.
It goes without saying that Andy Burnham and I are not political soulmates.
But when the probable next Prime Minister starts talking about helping pubs and hospitality businesses, and fixing the mess made by his own colleagues, it does make you wonder what has happened to Scotland.
Because while politicians elsewhere are discussing how to support one of our most important sectors, too often the message from Holyrood seems to be that pubs, restaurants and hotels should simply absorb yet another cost.
And then another.
And another.
Having worked in pubs myself before entering politics and still being partial to an evening in my local, I confess I probably look at these issues differently from some.
Behind every one of our hospitality businesses are people putting in extraordinary hours to make a living and provide something valuable to their communities.
As a councillor, I see first-hand just how important hospitality businesses are to us all.
They employ local people, support local suppliers, and bring life to our town centres and high streets. They also sponsor sports teams, donate prizes to local causes and provide the venues where many community groups meet.
Indeed, if you want to know what is really happening in a community, spending half an hour in the local pub will often tell you more than a dozen policy papers. Admittedly, you may also be informed that Scotland would have been to every major tournament since 1998 if only somebody had listened to the man nursing his pint of Tennent’s.
You might also receive some unrequested advice on potholes and planning applications. As any councillor knows, one of the occupational hazards of having a quiet pint is discovering that your constituents have very strong views on bin collections. Usually just after you’ve ordered.
We should never underestimate the importance of these businesses.
When a pub closes, we do not simply lose a business. We lose somewhere birthdays are celebrated and football victories dissected. Somewhere neighbours become friends and where people who might otherwise never meet somehow end up discussing all manner of issues from politics to gardening to the best local takeaway.
There’s something wonderfully democratic about that. Where else can a crime fiction novelist, a plumber, a farmer and an academic put the world to rights together?
Yet Scotland’s hospitality sector encounters pressure from every direction.
Energy bills have risen, food costs have increased, staffing pressures remain acute, National Insurance increases have added another burden thanks to the current Labour UK Government, household budgets remain stretched and of course, businesses are now struggling with the consequences of rates revaluations.
One of the frustrations expressed by the Scottish Hospitality Group is that there continues to be a persistent misunderstanding about the businesses affected by these changes.
The Scottish Government’s interim relief for properties with a rateable value below £100,000 will undoubtedly help some operators. But many independent venues sit just above that threshold and are therefore enduring significant increases with little meaningful support.
There seems to be an assumption that businesses with higher rateable values are necessarily large chains or corporate operators with deep pockets. In many cases, that simply isn’t true.
As has been pointed out, some venues with fewer than 80 seats are now carrying rateable values in excess of £130,000.
These are hardly multinational corporations. Nobody is confusing an 80-seat restaurant in Stirling with Amazon headquarters.
Many family-owned pubs, restaurants and hotels employ local people, support local suppliers and work on tight margins. They are exactly the sort of businesses Conservatives should want to champion.
These are not faceless corporations. They are owner-managers working long hours, worrying about payroll, dealing with rising costs and hoping that next month will be just a little better than the last.
They are not asking for special treatment; they are simply asking for a little common sense and, perhaps above all, a little breathing space.
That hardly strikes me as an unreasonable request.
Conservatives believe in enterprise, not dependency. Businesses succeed or fail, markets change and consumer habits evolve.
But there is a world of difference between allowing businesses to compete and making life unnecessarily difficult for those already carrying substantial burdens.
Too often in Scotland, we seem to have become comfortable with decline.
Another empty unit on the high street.
Another restaurant shutting its doors.
Another village losing its last remaining pub.
We’re told this is simply the way of the world.
I don’t believe that for one second.
Scotland should aspire to be the best place in the United Kingdom to start and grow a business. We should want thriving town centres and vibrant hospitality sectors and we should celebrate those willing to take risks, create jobs and invest in their communities.
Instead, too often, it feels as though the Scottish Government views businesses as a convenient source of revenue rather than partners in creating prosperity.
Having stood behind the bar myself, I know most customers only see the pint arriving on the table. They don’t see the deliveries, the paperwork, the staffing headaches or the long days which make it all possible.
The people who run Scotland’s pubs, restaurants and hotels are not asking for medals. Most would settle for a little certainty and a government that stops making life harder.
If that means that I am occasionally in agreement with Andy Burnham, perhaps I’ll raise a glass to that too, though nowadays perhaps a couple of hours before last orders.