Independent Gers data not easy to dismiss

Sir, – As in previous years, the release of the Gers figures (General Expenditure & Revenues Scotland) are met with very superficial and muted analysis across news networks, portrayed as some sort of quaint annual Scottish tradition in which the participants give their expected response, and everything is forgotten about the following day. Gers are important. They are economic statistics compiled by Scottish Government statisticians, but free of political input.

They are the best estimate of Scotland’s economic position that we have.

Those who don’t like them are free to put together a better methodology, but they never do.

The current SNP Scottish Government have had since 2014 to put together a better methodology, but they have not been able to either.

We have to assume therefore that Gers are the best set of figures that we can get.

Gers are important because members of the public always ask politicians for “facts”.

The vast majority of people in Scotland will consider whether a given course of action will make them and their families better or worse off when deciding on the issue of the day.

Gers is very clear on this.No-one can demonstrate otherwise.

When politicians say that things will be different if only we had a different constitution, they have got to be made to say how that would happen, and what they say should be tested using the Gers methodology, by the same independent statisticians.

Those who dismiss Gers so easily are letting us all down.

Maintaining the intrigue and uncertainty of our current debates seems to be so much more important to many who should know better.

Victor Clements. Mamie’s Cottage, Aberfeldy.