Forecasts of a shortage of skilled and unskilled workers had led to an international recruiting drive, but have more recently given way to a preference for local labor.
In August Brazil's trade and industry minister Fernando Pimentel unveiled tax breaks, cheap credit and a misconceived government preference for buying local.
Mr Crawford says the SNP will now be scrutinising the local election data, trying to work out where people's second preference votes went and whether they can persuade Labour voters to think about supporting independence.
He was then promoted in 1994 to minister for local transport and road safety but stood down at the 1997 general election in preference of earning some "serious money" and became director general of the Road Haulage Association.