Perthshire North MSP, Mr John Swinney, has welcomed a new Scottish government initiative to help organisations put forward their views on Brexit. 

The £150,000 stakeholder engagement fund will provide grants to Scottish organisations that would not otherwise have the resources to gather and promote the views of their members on preparing for the UK leaving the EU.

The new fund will focus primarily on enabling community and third sector organisations to consider the impact of Brexit, highlight their concerns and plan for the future – giving them a greater platform to be heard at a Scottish, UK and EU level.

Commenting, Mr Swinney said:

“With the disastrous impact of Brexit becoming clearer by the day, it is vitally important that organisations within my constituency have their concerns and views heard.

“Accordingly, I am pleased that the Scottish government is giving a megaphone to those that may lack the resources and budget to effectively have their voice heard.

“From speaking to organisations and communities across my constituency, I know that the uncertainty surrounding Brexit is causing significant economic damage. The Scottish Government’s new fund is an acknowledgment that, in order to mitigate the damage of Brexit, we must help raise the concerns of all groups.”