THE SNP say Unionist think tank These Islands has been left “red-faced” after a criticism of the party’s Sustainable Growth Commission was published on the same day as newspaper reports highlighting the devastating impact of Brexit.
In a new analysis, the anti-independence campaigners say the proposals in Andrew Wilson’s report would, had they been applied over the last decade, have seen public spending slashed by somewhere between £58bn – £66bn.
The group also claim the commission’s proposals, if implemented, will lead to austerity far greater than anything Scotland has recently experienced, or is forecast to experience within the UK. They argued that Wilson’s long-awaited report, released in May, inadvertently strengthened the argument for preserving the Union.
The Growth Commission’s report was, effectively, a blueprint for independence. It called on Scotland to emulate successful small countries such as New Zealand, Finland or the Netherlands, and recommended an independent Scotland keep using the UK pound for an extended period, and strictly limit public spending and borrowing in a bid bring down Scotland’s deficit.
Kevin Hague, the chairman of These Islands, claimed the Growth Commission’s report contained “highly misleading analysis” and had failed “to address the key economic questions”.
But the SNP said Hague's report hadn’t even bothered to look at the impact of Brexit.
Reports in today's newspapers warned about the possibility of “civil unrest” after a hard Brexit, and the impact leaving the EU might have on food supplies.
The SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said it was “predictable” that an “anti-independence group” were against independence.
She said their report had been “seriously undermined by events over the weekend".
Blackman, the SNP’s deputy leader in Westminster, added: “It is clear for all to see the damage that Scotland is set to face by remaining part of the UK after Brexit – with a UK Government paralysed by division, warnings of ‘civil unrest’ and a possible state of emergency, and food safety checks being abandoned so that people can still put food on the table after we are dragged over the Tories’ cliff edge.
“Scotland should have the opportunity to choose a better future – one based on ambition, not the chaos and economic damage of Brexit.
“If the Growth Commission’s approach had been followed in the 10 years up to 2019-20, the period where we are facing serious UK austerity, the £2.6bn of cuts to the Scottish Government’s budget by Westminster would have been completely reversed, with additional public spending driving our country forward."
READ MORE: SNP hit back at critics of Growth Commission
She added: “The fact that the These Islands report has basically ignored the consequences of Brexit on Scotland’s economy is striking – and consequently it can add little value to an informed debate over Scotland’s future.”
In tweets responding to this article, Hague dismissed Blackman’s comments as “complete bollocks” and accused her of not engaging with the paper’s “actual content”.
“Our analysis takes the Growth Commission’s Brexit impact assumptions at face value and simply goes on to show that two wrongs don’t make a right”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel