Dressed up in Tartan, Haggis and Whiskey (no stereotypes here then), the Homecoming campaign is being heavily advertised on TV, through it’s dedicated website , and via the many events carrying the campaign logo.  Interestingly the TV advert was originally planned to only screen in Scotland, but after widespread astonishment has also just recently been released on an American audience.

The message is fairly straightforward – “come to Scotland, attend our events, and spend money”.  On the face of it, the concept is a good one, and one that Golf loving, whiskey drinking Americans might actually fall for.  Start looking a little deeper however, and you could be excused for seeing this as a very clever push from Mr Salmond and some popular celebrity Nationalists to promote all things Scottishness ahead of next years Independence referendum. 

Whatever your political view, Alex Salmond recently promised the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce that the Homecoming will be critical to helping businesses survive  through the economic recession,  claiming returns of over £40 million from the 100,000 increase of expected tourists.  But will the average Scottish small business actually see any of this, or will it simply increase the profits of the likes of Turnberry Golf Course (owned by an American company)  and other “stereotypically Scottish” attractions. 

More importantly – what about the massive £1.25 million budget (already thought to be overspent) agreed by the Scottish Government to market the Homecoming or the £200,000 spent in producing the TV advert (most of which I assume went to Sean Connery and singing lessons)?  Would this have been better spent elsewhere?  I’m sure if you ask any small business owner the answer will be a resounding yes – on issues such as employment, redundancies, lending, grants, simplified public sector tendering, shorter payment terms,  tax breaks, VAT changes (the move to a 15% rate actually cost us money), and many more ‘immediate’ concerns that are directly impacting the small business sector. 

I’d argue against spending the large sums mentioned in promoting a false “shiny happy Scotland” and all things Scottishness,  when in fact things are far from rosy for small businesses (the FSB have just confirmed a 214% increase to the FSB small business help-line) – often the heart of local economies and communities, and crucial to the country as a whole.  The general idea of Homecoming is not a bad one, but to quote The Bard – “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an ‘men  Gang aft agley”.