Scotland’s economics

Dear Editor, Ronnie Wright [Advertiser View, November 14] seems to lack ambition for Scotland.

Scotland is a rich and successful nation, in the top 25 global economies in terms of income per head, and ranks near the top of the UK on most long-term indicators.

We are energy-rich and have a skilled, educated workforce, world reputation in food and drink products, and world-class universities.

Scotland is at the cutting edge of games technology, photonics, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and industries of the future.

Despite such advantages, Scotland is not performing as well as other independent countries which are free to tailor economic policy to suit their own needs.

The median income for the 12 small economies of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland is 14 per cent higher in GDP – a gap of £4100 per person.

Small economies perform better than larger ones, by 0.7 percentage points per year over the past 25 years on average.

Disappointingly, Mr Wright prefers the model where all UK regions except London and the south-east have a fiscal gap with Scotland.

Is he happy with Scotland as a peripheral region of the UK, with an increasingly elderly population? (Ireland and Iceland have each doubled their populations since independence).

No-one is disputing the Government Expenditure and Revenue figures. They simply reflect the fact that all the civil servants, Whitehall departments and defence establishments concentrate in south-east England.

When Scotland becomes independent we will have our own civil servants paying their taxes to Edinburgh. Cllr Tom Johnston, depute leader, North Lanarkshire SNP group