Scotland avoided recession – by trading with rest of the UK

DEMAND for Scottish goods in the rest of the UK helped the nation narrowly avoid going back into recession this summer.

Scotland’s economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the three months to July. However, a report yesterday by the Fraser of Allander Institute shows that 0.6 per cent of the growth was contributed by exporting products and services to the rest of the UK.

Experts at Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, said the figures ‘offer a surprising insight into what actually drove the strong results’ which helped Nicola Sturgeon and her ministers avoid an economic crisis.

The UK Government said the figures showed the need for a ‘UK-wide framework’ following Brexit to avoid trade ‘barriers’. A spokesman said the UK market was ‘vitally important for businesses in Scotland’.

Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘It seems the SNP’s face was saved by the very market it doesn’t care about.’

Products which saw the highest levels of growth included oil, metal, machinery and manufacturing.

Last night, the Scottish Government slammed Conservative ministers for their ‘disastrous Brexit plans’, which they claim are putting the economy at risk.