The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
4 thoughts on “Bank of England Governor says Brexit has damaged the economy yet Scottish Labour is allowed to hide”
They are quick enough to invite him when the SNHS is being discussed, or anything else that they perceive to be a wrong move by the SG, even sticking a poster with FIRST MINISTER writ large behind him. So why not now? I suppose he needs to refer to head office before he can proffer a suitable answer.
In the House of Commons this week (PMQs November 13) the leadership of the British Labour Party was at it again, denigrating Scotland and its government.
Hansard records the response of the PM to a question from the SNP’s Brendan O’Hara on the ending of the winter fuel payment. The PM finished his answer with this: ‘I will take no lectures from his party about running the economy; the SNP’s record in Scotland is terrible.’
This rivals the false claim from Labour’s Chancellor recently that Scotland has the worst performing NHS in the UK. How to counter such egregious pronouncements in the run up to the critical election for Scotland’s future in 2026?
I’m not at all sure that cross-UK comparisons cut through with voters but for what it’s worth …..
Source: Welsh Government (September 25, 2024) Wellbeing of Wales, 2024 report:
‘Welsh performance on GVA per head is mainly a reflection of relatively low productivity levels. Productivity, measured as GVA per hour worked, is lower in Wales than in other UK countries and regions in England. In 2022 it was 82.7% of the UK figure. Since 2004, productivity in Wales has been in a range of 81.7% to 85.3% of the UK average.’
‘Latest data (for 2022) shows that GVA per head in Wales was 72.1% of the UK average, the second lowest of the 12 UK countries and English regions, ahead of the North East.’
And more: ‘The national indicator on income uses the measure gross disposable household income (GDHI). … Wales has the second lowest GDHI per head of the UK countries and regions, ..’
‘‘Underlying Welsh economic performance continues to be weaker than the UK as a whole in terms of economic output (gross value added) and household income (for both gross disposable household income and median household income), but is broadly similar to some other parts of the UK with similar features and characteristics.’
Source: Jonathan Price, Chief Economist, Welsh Government (December 19, 2023) Welsh Budget 2023 report.
‘The economy in Wales is deeply embedded in the wider UK economy.’
‘The economy has faced an unusually high level of turbulence over recent years. This turbulence has largely reflected non-economic factors: the referendum on leaving the EU, the pandemic, and latterly the cost-of-living crisis, in part a consequence of the war in Ukraine. As in other parts of the UK, the combination of very sluggish economic growth and the cost-of-living crisis has had a major adverse impact on living standards in Wales.’
And on forward projections for the Welsh economy: ‘The projected reduction in real incomes is unprecedented, and much worse than experienced in the years following the financial crisis in 2008. Given lower income levels in Wales, an incidence of poverty that is higher than in some other parts of the UK, and houses which are on average less energy efficient, it is almost certain that people in Wales will be particularly badly affected.’
On Longer term economic challenges and opportunities facing Wales: ‘… labour productivity growth in the UK lagged the G7 in the 1970s, kept parity in the 1980s and was considerably stronger in the 1990s. After 2000, in the years prior to the financial crisis the UK again kept parity. In the subsequent years the UK has very severely underperformed. Improving the UK’s productivity performance is key to increasing average living standards across the UK, including Wales.’
‘Our’ PM’s remark on the economy that ‘the SNP’s record in Scotland is terrible’ could be changed to ‘Labour’s record in Wales is terrible’.
As I’ve said here before, I have no wish to talk down Wales but do wish to expose the hypocrisy of the British Labour Party towards Scotland. For the truth, the above remarks on track record should read: ‘Westminster’s record on England’s economy is terrible and Scotland and Wales, without agency in this Union, inevitably suffer the consequences’.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
They are quick enough to invite him when the SNHS is being discussed, or anything else that they perceive to be a wrong move by the SG, even sticking a poster with FIRST MINISTER writ large behind him. So why not now? I suppose he needs to refer to head office before he can proffer a suitable answer.
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O/T slightly:
In the House of Commons this week (PMQs November 13) the leadership of the British Labour Party was at it again, denigrating Scotland and its government.
Hansard records the response of the PM to a question from the SNP’s Brendan O’Hara on the ending of the winter fuel payment. The PM finished his answer with this: ‘I will take no lectures from his party about running the economy; the SNP’s record in Scotland is terrible.’
This rivals the false claim from Labour’s Chancellor recently that Scotland has the worst performing NHS in the UK. How to counter such egregious pronouncements in the run up to the critical election for Scotland’s future in 2026?
I’m not at all sure that cross-UK comparisons cut through with voters but for what it’s worth …..
Source: Welsh Government (September 25, 2024) Wellbeing of Wales, 2024 report:
‘Welsh performance on GVA per head is mainly a reflection of relatively low productivity levels. Productivity, measured as GVA per hour worked, is lower in Wales than in other UK countries and regions in England. In 2022 it was 82.7% of the UK figure. Since 2004, productivity in Wales has been in a range of 81.7% to 85.3% of the UK average.’
‘Latest data (for 2022) shows that GVA per head in Wales was 72.1% of the UK average, the second lowest of the 12 UK countries and English regions, ahead of the North East.’
And more: ‘The national indicator on income uses the measure gross disposable household income (GDHI). … Wales has the second lowest GDHI per head of the UK countries and regions, ..’
‘‘Underlying Welsh economic performance continues to be weaker than the UK as a whole in terms of economic output (gross value added) and household income (for both gross disposable household income and median household income), but is broadly similar to some other parts of the UK with similar features and characteristics.’
Source: Jonathan Price, Chief Economist, Welsh Government (December 19, 2023) Welsh Budget 2023 report.
‘The economy in Wales is deeply embedded in the wider UK economy.’
‘The economy has faced an unusually high level of turbulence over recent years. This turbulence has largely reflected non-economic factors: the referendum on leaving the EU, the pandemic, and latterly the cost-of-living crisis, in part a consequence of the war in Ukraine. As in other parts of the UK, the combination of very sluggish economic growth and the cost-of-living crisis has had a major adverse impact on living standards in Wales.’
And on forward projections for the Welsh economy: ‘The projected reduction in real incomes is unprecedented, and much worse than experienced in the years following the financial crisis in 2008. Given lower income levels in Wales, an incidence of poverty that is higher than in some other parts of the UK, and houses which are on average less energy efficient, it is almost certain that people in Wales will be particularly badly affected.’
On Longer term economic challenges and opportunities facing Wales: ‘… labour productivity growth in the UK lagged the G7 in the 1970s, kept parity in the 1980s and was considerably stronger in the 1990s. After 2000, in the years prior to the financial crisis the UK again kept parity. In the subsequent years the UK has very severely underperformed. Improving the UK’s productivity performance is key to increasing average living standards across the UK, including Wales.’
‘Our’ PM’s remark on the economy that ‘the SNP’s record in Scotland is terrible’ could be changed to ‘Labour’s record in Wales is terrible’.
As I’ve said here before, I have no wish to talk down Wales but do wish to expose the hypocrisy of the British Labour Party towards Scotland. For the truth, the above remarks on track record should read: ‘Westminster’s record on England’s economy is terrible and Scotland and Wales, without agency in this Union, inevitably suffer the consequences’.
LikeLiked by 2 people