Two thirds of Scottish business leaders say recent government policy has added significant pressure to their operations, according to a live poll published today by Vistage, the chief executive coaching and peer advisory organisation.
The poll, taken at the Vistage Leadership Forum in Glasgow last week, found that 67 per cent of respondents reported the added pressure. Half named income generation as their single biggest challenge over the next six months.
Vistage, which describes itself as the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organisation, did not say how many business leaders took part.
Nine in 10 leaders, or 90 per cent, said the current business environment had negatively affected their ability to invest, hire or grow, according to the poll. Of those polled, 6 per cent said they had been forced to scale back planned growth initiatives.
Asked to name one change Downing Street could make to ease the burden on small and medium-sized businesses, 62 per cent chose reducing the cost of employment, including national insurance and wages. A further 22 per cent called for tax and regulation to be simplified.
Employer national insurance is charged at 15 per cent for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The CBI reported this month that employer contributions rose to £123.1bn in 2025-26, a 28 per cent increase on the year, and that the levy had overtaken corporation tax as the largest single source of business tax revenue.
The findings come a month before John Healey delivers his first Budget as chancellor on 28 October. The British Chambers of Commerce has asked him to cut employer national insurance contributions for all under-25s, funded in part by replacing the pensions triple lock. MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee made a similar recommendation in July, saying higher employer contributions were putting businesses off hiring young people.
Responding to the chancellor’s Labour conference speech, Shevaun Haviland, director general of the BCC, said his strategy was unlikely to succeed while the everyday cost of doing business was still rising, pointing to employment, energy and business rates.
The Vistage poll also asked leaders about the personal effect of running a business in the current climate.
Nearly half, 48 per cent, said they experienced high stress levels on a regular basis, and a further 14 per cent reported significant stress almost constantly. Over the past six months, 53 per cent said work-related stress had significantly or moderately affected their health or personal relationships.
Emma van Rooyen, managing director at Vistage UK and Ireland, said: “Caught between revenue targets, rising costs and unfavourable government policy, the pressure facing local business leaders is acute.”
The poll asked how leaders test sensitive decisions. Of the respondents, 49 per cent said they used external peer networks, 33 per cent relied on their internal leadership teams and 16 per cent turned to family or friends.
Vistage runs peer advisory groups for business owners and chief executives. Van Rooyen said: “Strategic decisions in a difficult economic climate cannot be made in isolation, nor can accountability be handed off to algorithms. Leadership was never meant to be a solo job, which is why Vistage ensures business leaders never lead alone.”
The published results did not break down responses by sector or company size.
