The Scottish Government

Finance and Sustainable Growth Secretary John Swinney

Friday, November 30, 2007

For too long Scotland's economy has underperformed. Not only does our historically low growth rate compare poorly with the UK, but we are left standing by successful small independent countries like Ireland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

For too long politicians have sat complacently while young bright and mobile Scots have left this country to seek better opportunities elsewhere. The world is full of successful Scots. We want to create the opportunities to enable our talented people to build a successful Scotland.

Ours is a government of ambition. That is why we are determined to match or exceed the UK's growth rate by 2011. We will create the conditions for successful business and through them make Scotland wealthier. And we want to see more Scots sharing in that wealth.

We want Scots to benefit from the learning process on a lifelong basis - we want people to go to university or college to improve their chances of a good job, or to improve their performance in the job they are in and so to contribute ever more to the economic growth of our nation.

We can make a good start with the powers currently available to the parliament. With greater powers we could do so much more - more to attract and retain business activity, for example, and ensure that the additional wealth they create helps to fund the front-line services we need to make our country more productive, more competitive, and just.

With over 1,500 responses in two weeks I am delighted at the overwhelming response to the national conversation. I welcome the debate it has generated across all sectors of Scottish society on ways to make our country more successful, wealthier and fairer.

This blog is now closed to further comments.

Comments

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• 131. sid burnett - aberdeenshire

  Wednesday, January 16, 2008 08:20

  alan m largs. we still have oil and gas fields to be found in the scottish north sea there is the pentland firth and its powerful tides to be harnessed like another massive north sea oil field we have wave power we have wind power we have hydro power.there is solar power imagine 3 million homes with cheap solar panels from america produceing electricity.every home could have a wind turbine.there is geomass to be exploited and biomass.hydrogen and titanieum fuelcells we could have them all in scotland and no more nuclear waste it will be a great planet that doesent need destructive oil.sadly the next wars in the middle east will be over religion and water we have that in plenty too

• 132. Ian Burnett - Glasgow

  Tuesday, January 22, 2008 01:05

  Well judging by the comments so far there are a lot of people with their own thoughts. As a national debate I would have to say that is questionable. Certainly there are many well read people placing there comments and views on the various ministers streams but overall what percentage of the scots population does this really represent! Anyway thats not the reason I am making this posting.
  My question is what is this government actually doing to support the many thousands of people who are involved in the voluntary sector. These people provide many varying services to our communties to help those less fortunate than many in todays society and yet all I hear these days is "There's no guarantee that I will have a job in a few months time as no decision appears to have been made about the availability of future funding for my post/project". Many people are now activley seeking alternative employment outside of this sector because of the uncertainty of their posts and this is a sad state of affairs. Even if long term funding cannot be announced prehaps an interim announcement that levels would be at last years levels for at least one year whilst the goverment debates the future support for all of these organisations. When I search the governments site for funding there is nothing say that support is forthcoming, indeed I personally find it difficult to find out exactly who is responsible for this area.
  There are many people who may be forced to leave this particular vocation that will be a loss to our communities so come on, stop the rot and announce something that will encourage these people to stay. Our communties need them as they work on the ground and really understand the people behind the statistics.

• 133. Kenneth Hegney - Glasgow

  Thursday, January 31, 2008 13:06

  Sir,
  I have liced near to the River Kelvin for many years now and find it amazing that no-one has considered using these hydro resources to produce cheap elecricty for the immediate area.
  Surely many small water turbines placed alone many Scottish rivers would be cheap, efficient and, lets face it in Scotland, unlikely to fail due to lack of water.
  It must be a possibility, either with state funding or through agencies to encourage local groups to purchase and deploy such equipment.
  Gings!, we many even be able to export some of that hydro power for cash money!
  

• 134. sid burnett - aberdeenshire

  Thursday, February 7, 2008 08:35

  :0))) so the budget got the nod pity we didnt get the extra five billion they are coining in out of the oil from the scottish north sea. and labour are still sitting greetin with faces like skelped erses.:0(( labour and their policies are the biggist incentive for independance weve got

• 135. K Brown - Glasgow

  Thursday, February 7, 2008 14:00

  Just want to say what en excellent result yesterday in the budget vote. John Swinney has done a fantastic job in getting this through parliament with a minority government. This really shows how the SNP have been so successful in government, i.e being able to work with others for the greater good of us all. Just think what more can be done if we had the full set of tools avaliable to us.
  What we now desparatly need is the chance for us to vote for that in an independence refurendum. Yes would be my vote to that and Yes to Independence.

• 136. Dave Eastabrook - Largs, Ayrshire

  Friday, February 8, 2008 16:55

  135. K Brown
  Congratulations too, to Annabel Goldie who showed no supportive reaction at all when a young "firebrand" MSP of her party did the usual party slagging (of Labour I think, though my memory dims).
  
  I don't think there's anything wrong with younger hot-blooded and hot-headed members going a bit too far, but credit to Annabel Goldie for acting with maturity and towards concensus.
  
  I'm not a Tory by the way, I guess I'm apolitical when it comes to parties!

• 137. Dave Eastabrook - Largs, Ayrshire

  Friday, February 8, 2008 17:25

  135. K Brown
  Congratulations too, to Annabel Goldie who showed no supportive reaction at all when a young "firebrand" MSP of her party did the usual party slagging (of Labour I think, though my memory dims).
  
  I don't think there's anything wrong with younger hot-blooded and hot-headed members going a bit too far, but credit to Annabel Goldie for acting with maturity and towards concensus.
  
  I'm not a Tory by the way, I guess I'm apolitical when it comes to parties!

• 138. Jacquie Johnstone - Sutherland

  Saturday, February 9, 2008 05:11

  Have heard rumblings that the Scottish banks are considering removing their notes in favour of Bank of England ones.
  Surely this is a step back and I would hope that Mr Swinney is addressing this issue as a matter of urgency.
  Surely the answer is to enforce the recogniton of our currency as opposed to being dictated to by the Bank of England,an independant Scotland without her own currency?
  The mind boggles.

• 139. Scottish Bank Notes - Fife

  Saturday, February 16, 2008 13:36

  #138
  
  Jacquie
  
  The people who will decide on whether or nor Scottish banknotes continue are the Scottish banks!! Just as Northern Ireland, Isle of Man etc will decide whether to continue printing their own editions.
  
  They will also have the option, just as we do, to decide whether or not to use these editions in exchange for goods and services. The young lady on the till at the motorway service station was very quick to reject a 50p piece with the Gibraltar crest, when I returned from that place some years ago. The fact that it was accepted by the vending machine did not stop her exercising her option not to accept it in the first place. Was this acrime? I think not.
  
  Another imaginary fight?
  
  

• 140. Jacquie Johnstone - Sutherland

  Tuesday, February 26, 2008 05:01

  Isle of Man,NI,Gibralter,these places do not affect,me.
  i am not in the habit of imagining things,forewarned is forearmed.Have you tried using Scots currency over the border? many times I have been refused,this is not anti english this is fact.
  How often have you heard 'shutting the door after the horse has bolted'?
  Need I say more

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