The Scottish Government

Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism

Friday, November 30, 2007

This Government's purpose and ambition of increased sustainable growth is the 'North Star' to which we should all be steering a constant course.

Our objective of matching the UK growth rate by 2011 is important but it is only a step on the way to building a stronger economy able to match and exceed our competitors.

We need to face the fact that Scotland's growth record over the last three decades has been mediocre. But the current situation is a great opportunity to catch up and converge with the arc of prosperity that surrounds our country - Ireland to the west, Iceland to the north, Norway to the east.

These countries are amongst the wealthiest in the world and they illustrate Scotland's potential for sustained economic growth.

As a nationalist, I don't think we can fully release Scotland's boundless potential without independence. However that doesn't mean we cannot begin to move in the right direction with the effective exploitation of microeconomic levers currently at our disposal and an agenda to de-clutter and increase confidence in Scotland.

I believe strongly that the best way to make progress - and the only way to achieve our fullest potential - is independence.

We operate in a global economy where competition is fierce and getting fiercer, where the pace of change is accelerating all the time. But that situation is tailor-made for a small flexible asset-rich nation of able talented people - with an international reputation for integrity and reliability - and the full power to compete.

I have absolutely no doubt that we have the capacity within us as a Government and as a nation to achieve a real, positive and beneficial change in our economic prospects in the years ahead.

This blog is now closed to further comments.

Comments

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• 71. Just as I thought - Fife

  Monday, October 15, 2007 20:43

  #70
  
  I was right, this space to be reserved for the 'Free Scotland Brigade'
  
  Sorry to introduce a measure of objectivity to the forum. I'll leave the floor to the blinkered group you belong to.

• 72. martin - Edinburgh Scotland

  Tuesday, October 16, 2007 15:53

  Different people on this site have took the time and effort to interact with you and shown you there is no need for negativity Where the future of your country Scotland is concerned, i have watched others take on your points one by one on numerous topics and allay your fears even demolish your fears/arguments on any given topic you highlighted.
  
  It is far easier, in my opinion, to sit back and be negative than be positive (which requires a bit more thinking when asked what kind of future do you want for your country) as proven by you when others asked you what you want on numerous occasions.
  
  You failed to answer the question.
  
  When they disproved your so called facts/comments and presented it with the accurate picture about faslane, rosyth etc you then responded by going off in a huff and resorted to criticising and what a unionist does best going off the subject and calling us separatists etc.
  
  Well if wanting to join the world again like all other self respecting nations on this planet is divorce then so be it. It would be one unhappy world if all these tens of millions of people who have divorced/separated had had no choice but to stay together because they were told they had to.
  
  The political map in Scotland has changed and the SNP are in power in holyrood, Independence is coming for our country its just a matter of when.
  
  Right will always triumph over wrong in the end.
  
  The Scottish people have and will always have the democratic right to run their own country.
  
  Whether you take 'your' blinkers off or not is for you. Its 'your' choice.
  
  Scotland to be responsible for running their own country, its as simple as a b c.
  
  
  
  

• 73. You know who - Fife

  Saturday, October 20, 2007 22:25

  #72 Martin
  
  Funny I was just thinking the same about you.
  
  A wee lesson in democracy. If you have a majority in parliament, even if its a coalition, then you are in GOVERNMENT. It you are are running about hoping to convince a majority you have, in effect, a begging bowl.
  
  So what happened to £2,000 for first time buyers, elimination of the Community charge, cancelling the Edinburgh tram project.....?

• 74. martin - Edinburgh Scotland

  Sunday, October 21, 2007 12:33

  re; 73
  
  So youre back again, what a surprise!
  Just like a true unionist who never could keep their word. You defeat yourself and prove to us all that your word isnt worth the paper its written on and CANNOT be trusted.
  
  lib/dems were 4th in scotland - fact.
  They done a DEAL to keep Scotland stagnant for as long as they were in power as we all found out, thats why they are OUT.
  The SNP are the largest party and are in power, remind us though - tony blair's labour had only 23 percent of the vote yet that didnt stop them. Enough said.
  
  A begging bowl - well all polls, surveys and even your unionist leaders admit the SNP are impressing the majority in Scotland.
  
  The only begging bowl is all our taxes , oil etc going to another country and us having to ask for our own money back!
  
  Defra still not paying out to Scoltand's farmers? Our fishing waters been giving back yet? The list is endless.
  
  Hope your enjoying watching another countrys television with the saturation of England and St. George's flags, thats normal for us up here though eh,oh forgot we pay the licence fee for the privelige dont we?
  
  Normal state of affairs its not, but then with the Scotland flags up here too - where does that leave 'YOUR Britain '?
  
  Times have changed and its a matter of time before Scotland is independent, get used to it.
  
  I take no lesson from you, just get used to the facts, it will do you good.

• 75. Jim Mather - Edinburgh

  Thursday, October 25, 2007 10:00

  I would like to thank ALL the contributors to this blog, I have been reading the comments on a regular basis and would now like to add an initial response. Since the start of the Conversation and indeed since mid May we have had a new type of politics and a new type of debate in Scotland. It is no longer of a matter of "if Scotland will gain more powers" it is now a question of when as all the major parties have now moved further in that direction since the election.
  
  I have also carried out face to face conversations with people in specific industry sectors such as Tourism and Constrauction....and I have done the same with areas such as Cowal and Kintyre in my own constituency. Those sessions have been listening sessions recording and mapping the views of real people, regarding their goals, ability to achieve these goals and the matters that constrain progress.
  
  They have been positive sessions.
  
  It may be that we will have to run an event such as the above to invite in the contributors to this blog and have a similar session to staisfy and blend the range of opinion that has so far been recorded if that is so - then I would be willing to make that happen.
  
  Meantime, I will continue to focus my efforts of those who want to make Scotland all that it can be and who are willing to work to close the growth gap on the rest of the UK.

• 76. Hello Again - Fife

  Friday, October 26, 2007 15:26

  #74 Martin
  
  Just as well I made some comment otherwise you would be talking to yourself!! Some CONVERSATION eh. The crowd is on his feet.

• 77. bryan clark - Isle Of Skye

  Friday, October 26, 2007 17:15

  "Matching the UK growth rate by 2011"
  
  Who cares about the UK growth rate. Do they give damn about stealing ours wealth.
  
  Our progress is to be part of a modern world not a dead empire with one wealthy colony.
  
  Forget the UK lets grow up and look after ourselves. It amazes me that the "independent fools" in Scotland always compare us to Iceland Ireland and Norway. Does Switzerland look at France or Germany or Italy or Austria to check their progress?

• 78. Kevin H - Glasgow

  Saturday, October 27, 2007 17:26

  We as the people of Scotland should, in this "democratic" country of ours be for the first time in 300 years, allowed to decide for or against the union. We deserve the right to vote in a referendum.
  
  I don’t understand how the London based parties can so confidently say, the majority of the people of Scotland want to keep the union some 60% approx. if you assume everyone who voted labour, libdem or conservative are against Independence, which I myself know not to be true. There is only one way to find out and that’s with a REFURENDUM now.
  
  I’m puzzled as to why they refuse, maybe they think that we are so stupid up here in the cold, that we can’t be trusted to vote, as proven in Mays election maybe so or maybe they don’t think they have quite got us as sufficiently fearful of our own country as they would like.
  
  With Labours horrible election strategies, which is to say, vote for us or the Tories will win (Westminster elections). They are not saying vote for us we are the right party to run the country, basically what they are instead saying is, they are the lesser of 2 evils. But remember the lesser of 2 evils is still evil. Then in Scotland, vote for us or you'll end up -£5000. I don’t know about anyone else but I'm instead going to be £2000+ better off when I graduate this year thanks to the SNP.
  

• 79. Montrosian - Montrose, Angus

  Sunday, October 28, 2007 15:31

  Independence? when in 2015 oil runs out then what? Oh sh*t why did we do this silly thing by going alone the oils ran out so now what? All the firms are moving off to the far east so there will be none of these anymore. More people will have moved off to other countries as me and my family will have done by then and the extended family too and all those scots who are happily married to english people heading south as the fear of the past comes back to haunt them! There are many english people in scotland who are very nervous of the future here in Scotland and i dont blame them one bit look at the past history and there is much evidence that racism is happening again in schools and pubs across the land! I'm 100 percent scottish and love scotland to bits but im not for independence one bit and if it happens which, it wont there will be much regret across the land and many a job loss too so dream on!

• 80. Jeremy - Edinburgh

  Monday, October 29, 2007 09:36

  As minister for Tourism, amongst other things, I would like to know how the government is going to promote tourism. This is an industry that employes more people than any other(apart from civil service of course) and yet seems to be bottom of everyones agenda, the cinderella of the economy. All we get is Alec Salmond on a freebie to New York.
  How about some real money to Visit Scotland to seriously promote this country as a world wide destination.
  Labour were just as bad as this and no doubt the Tories would be as well, this is not a political rant, its real life stuff.
  Come on Scottish Government, an extra £100m would benefit the whole of Scotland and generate far more in return.

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