Rennie responds to IFS report into sluggish Scottish growth

8 Aug 2023
Willie Rennie MSP

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP has today warned that the Scottish Government must get serious about growth as he warned that years of sluggish economic performances means less money is available for public services.

His comment comes as an embargoed report from the IFS report warned that:

  • Since 2014 Scotland has seen slower growth than the rest of the UK and that in 2014 the employment rate in Scotland was one percentage point higher than rUK but by 2021 had fallen to around one percentage point lower.  
  • Average monthly earnings grew by just 1.5% in Scotland between 2015 and 2022 despite an almost 5% real-terms expansion in rUK outside London.  
  • The figures reflect a 'marked deterioration' in the Highlands, Islands and North East.

Mr Rennie said:

“It’s astonishing that despite the disastrous economic record of the Conservative party over the past nine years, somehow the nationalists have managed to be even worse.

“Low growth means less money for public services.

“The SNP must get serious about delivering highly skilled, high wage jobs and ending a decade of depressed economic performance.”

This website uses cookies

Like most websites, this site uses cookies. Some are required to make it work, while others are used for statistical or marketing purposes. If you choose not to allow cookies some features may not be available, such as content from other websites. Please read our Cookie Policy for more information.

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the website to function properly.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
Marketing cookies are used by third parties or publishers to display personalized advertisements. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.
Administrator preview
Live version at www.scotlibdems.org.uk