Scottish Economy

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 11:37 am on 26 March 2003.

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Photo of Alex Neil Alex Neil Scottish National Party 11:37, 26 March 2003

If there is a theme to the Executive's contribution, it is that of déjà vu. I am old enough to remember the 1962 Toothill report, which I sat in my pram and flicked through in great detail. It outlined all the infrastructure plans for the future of Scotland and what we needed to do. Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and Michael Noble was Secretary of State for Scotland. Throughout the rest of the 1960s, and through the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s, we heard the same old story about how we would sort out the growth rate, how we would get the infrastructure and how Scotland's economy would eventually grow to the same level as the UK economy. We were told that that would happen, but that we had to take the long view. We have taken a 40-year view but, after 40 years, the gap between the UK growth rate and the Scottish growth rate is not closing; it is getting bigger almost year on year.

We have had 40 years of unionist failure under the Tories, then under Labour, then under the Tories, then under Labour, then under the Tories and then under Labour again. No matter which has been in office, the reality is that we in Scotland have never been in power in terms of controlling our own affairs.

Only an idiot would not welcome the vast bulk of what Iain Gray outlined. Of course it is right that we are investing in broadband. Of course it is right that we are investing in skills, higher education and all the rest of it. However, no matter how good the microeconomic policy, if the macroeconomic policy is running against that tide, the microeconomic policy will never succeed.