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

[Latest First] | [Earliest First] Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

• 71. James Vickers - Alford

  Saturday, September 8, 2007 14:49

  I can't understand why Scots think they've got such a bad deal, they get to vote on english issues and england doesn't get to vote on scottish issues and they have a parliament, England doesn't.

• 72. Bryan - Isle of Skye

  Sunday, September 9, 2007 23:06

  NOT VOTING!
  Soon an election will be taking place to elect a government in London. I will not vote. I have declared myself not fit to- unlike colonial Scots living off the decent folk of England, led by paw broon.
  
  No, it is for England to choose its government and not an occupying foreign legion.
  
  We in Scotland and all living here should be attentative to the needs and wishes of those living here. Not ruling other countries, like the scottish unionists do.
  
  Their sordid defence is they come from a subsidy dependent country. Yes a subsidy of them being elected in one country and running [to] another. Aye their chist too feart to take on the Government of theit own country. Such a parcel o rouges................

• 73. JOHN NEWMAN - FIFE

  Monday, September 10, 2007 17:08

  I believe that the people of Scotlandhave the power in their own hands.Stop voting for Unionist parties
  IE Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats

• 74. hector -

  Monday, September 10, 2007 21:08

  whether or not there is an economic arguement for independence is niether here or there.if you have teenage children it would make economic sense for them to live with their parents and their rules.but as they grow in confidence they want to make their own way in the world and make their own descisions.as any parent will tell you not always in your opinion the best ones.but you support them all the same.similar with fledging independent coutries as we see across europe.with the support of the e.u.and i include england in that, the transition to an independent scotland woud be so much more pleasant.

• 75. Liam McWalter - Aberdeenshire

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 13:32

  I support wholeheartedly the push towards independence for Scotland! However, looking outwards into the wider world, the Scottish Independence debate raises the prospect of where it could ultimately lead to in respect of my own country's destiny - Ireland.
  Now I'm rightly proud of my country and of what it has achieved since independence from the British in 1922. But that independence alas, is as yet incomplete as 1/6 of the land-mass of my country remains under foreign juristiction.
  Perhaps the disintegration of the UK might ultimately lead to the reunification of my own into a proper and sovereign nation. After all, to what will the so-called unionists/loyalists cling to when there is no longer a United Kingdom? Interesting . . .

• 76. Stuart - Glasgow

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 14:01

  #66 "In my experience some of the clearest thinking comes from the least educated." I'm sure given the news story today about Sir Alex Ferguson, he'd agree. [Joke]
  
  #69 I don't see it as being rude, but to expect people to have regard for "the quality of syntax, punctuation, spelling or grammar," seems to me to be a reasonable one.
  
  On the question of where the bar ought to be set, I think that most people ought to be able to separate in their minds the difference between elections to legislative bodies and national votes on whether or not to implement fairly major constitutional change. This is precisely the reason why in the United States a constitutional amendment needs a 2/3rds majority in both houses of Congress and 3/4 of the legislatures of the 50 States to ratify it before it becomes law. The bar is set higher than for ordinary laws, partly to make it hard to change, but also hard to reverse, the founding fathers as they’re known didn’t want the constitution altered to suit every political whim.
  
  Do we not have a duty to ensure that we are certain? Do we allow a wafer thin majority (I have no reason to think that it will be, but as a thought experiment just suppose) to alter our constitutional arrangements?
  
  I contend that those who want Independence will want it to be fairly low, perhaps a 50% +1 that someone suggested, while those who want us to remain as we are, will want it far higher. The key I think is to mediate between the two.
  
  Either way, surely those on both sides of this issue incur a duty to receive an unambiguous mandate from the people in whose name they want to act?
  
  I also wish to thank you; I now know what you think on a whole range of matters, and of course how you think. I can also I’m sure, be grateful that the particularly dull lesson you were teaching is now over… If only I could remember the point of it?
  

• 77. Johno - Skotlanddd!

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 18:07

  I dont want independence coz it means i wont be able 2 get free stuff anymore :(

• 78. Craig Kelly - Dundee

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 18:09

  It is time for us as a nation to get real. For far too long have we sat, hands tied, and watched the growth of our neighbours. The arguments of the past are now seen by the majority as hollow and unacceptable. We all know the sky is not going to fall WHEN independence comes.
  My contribution is this- lets have independence now. With an ever changing climate in Europe of further and further unity, we need a voice, we need a place. Catalunia can by pass Madrid and go straight to the EU on certain issues- so lets follow that lead. Lets grab our chance.
  I understand that there will be difficulty in pushing through a referendum on independence. I understand that unionists argue that it is a waste of money. But there is another option. The SNP were clear at the last election that a vote for the SNP did not mean a vote for independence. What I propose is that at the next election that is exactly what it does mean! If the Snp can form a government at the next election then independence is declared.
  I may sound like an idealistic student, and maybe I am, but lets not waste our chance because of the unity of unionist parties against autonomy.

• 79. Andrew Henderson - Tarves

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 18:29

  Ah well,just about time for Scotland to get it's pocket money again.Tug your forelock and say "Thank ee kindly, Sor." Canny Scots? Fanny Scots,mair like.

• 80. Gordon Murray - Livingston

  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 19:18

  #76. Stuart - Glasgow
  Wednesday, September 12, 2007 14:01
  
  My point is that everyone's opinion should carry equal weight, including those I disagree with and even those of your doubtless impressive intellectual capacity.
  
  Why should a 'unionist' vote count more than a 'nationalist' vote for example?
  
  Considering the substantial and manifest disadvantages that the nationalist argument has had to overcome to even get this far is remarkable in itself.
  
  I might even give your position more time if I imagined that we were blessed with an impartial and even handed media, but that's not likely any time soon.
  
  Should you attempt to stop the stream by sticking your finger in the dam you will eventually get soaked when you can no longer hold back the growing pressure for Scottish self governance.
  
  A modest request for a regional assembly with very few real powers in 1979 became a regional parliament in 1997 when realisation dawned what we'd been conned out of.
  
  The Tories e.g. telling us to reject Labour's proposal because they'd come back with a much more attractive proposition themselves, later, when they were elected to govern.
  Aye right!
  
  Having seen that we can govern ourselves responsibly, that other peoples are giving Scots and Scotland more respect in the world, and getting an idea of what things might be possible if we put our collective resources together for the better.
  That we are not genetically programmed as a nation to need to be told what is good and not good for us
  
  The reasons I believe you'll end up losing the eventual debate is your needless throw away insults to supposed inferiors, and apparent low boredom threshold, or is that limited attention span?
  
  Now look, you've got me doing it too.
  

[Latest First] | [Earliest First] Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]