Tory election result was the right one for business while UK should remain in the EU

First of all, I am not aligned to any political party. From a business perspective, and speaking as someone who does a lot of business in London and globally, the election result was the right one. It gives the Conservatives the time to push ahead with a plan that seems to be working and is giving the country some stability.

But as a proud Scotsman, it was a seismic result for the SNP. Something big has happened when someone like Douglas Alexander loses his seat. With all due respect to the lady who beat him, it wasn't because she has more experience or she's necessarily better, it's because there is something else going on.

The SNP have governed very well and the depth and calibre of its team is something Labour didn't have, which is why it lost out.

And I haven't found the SNP to be anti-business at all; in fact it has been very pro-business in all my dealings with it.

The only worrying thing is that it is so anti-Tory. Scotland is still part of the UK, so we will have to work together and it's important Nicola Sturgeon remembers this.

I don't believe the Tories hate Scotland. Yes, there is a legacy issue and we Scots have long memories, but I honestly think David Cameron wants to keep the Union together.

On a UK level, Labour didn't have a credible leadership and didn't speak to business at all – the tone was in fact scary at times.

In terms of what happens next, I think David Cameron should have appointed Alex Salmond as Scottish secretary as a gesture towards the SNP. I watched David Cameron's speech and he said the Union is his priority, and Sturgeon has offered her hand to the rest of the UK, so it would be a good gesture to have an SNP member around the cabinet table. It wouldn't look good if Cameron appoints the one Scottish Conservative MP to do the job.

In terms of the future of Scotland, I don't think the SNP should be firing straight for independence. But I do worry about the focus of the Scottish government now. I think the Smith Commission is a good settlement. Let's devolve more powers and see where we get to. Then, ultimately, we have to let the people decide.

The Hunter Foundation will soon be releasing a report showing who promised what and whether it has been delivered, in a very matter of fact way, so people can take an informed view of Scotland's future.

When it comes to Europe, as a businessman doing business in Europe, I think the UK should remain within Europe. I do think our membership should be renegotiated, but looking at the bigger picture, we need to be in Europe, not out of it.