THE SNP has condemned the Tories’ decision to scrap a UK Government industry body tasked with improving skills and productivity as the UK’s productivity gap widens to a record level.
Shadow Treasury spokesperson Roger Mullin said the UK was languishing behind other European countries, with our productivity gap widening to the worst level since records began.
JP Morgan bank had also predicted that UK GDP will fall by 0.5 per cent in July-September because of Brexit, leaving the UK as the worst-performing advanced economy this quarter.
The UK Government withdrew funding for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills – an industry-led organisation that offers guidance and advice on skills and employment issues in the UK. Its chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield, also chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, highlighted that in the past year the UK’s productivity gap had widened to the worst level since records began.
Mullin said: “The Tories must not use the economic uncertainty caused by the EU referendum result to impose these disastrous policies further.”
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