RACHEL Reeves’s growth plans have been criticised as “deeply disappointing” for treating Scotland as an “afterthought”, by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the Chancellor promised major new investment plans including proposals to realise the economic potential of the Oxford and Cambridge corridor which she claimed could be “Europe's Silicon Valley”.
Reeves’s speech was criticised for containing little reference to Scotland as one of the only mentions of the country was about the economic benefits expanding Heathrow Airport would have for Scottish exports.
Forbes said the Chancellor’s speech on kickstarting economic growth lacked any initiatives that would directly benefit Scotland.
The Deputy First Minister said that she is “concerned” that the UK Government is further concentrating investment in prosperous areas in the south east of England.
She added that Scotland has been treated as an “afterthought” despite the country’s expertise in energy and technologies along with world-renowned universities and highly skilled workers nationwide.
Forbes (below) said: “I welcome the Chancellor’s attempt to outline an economic plan, after the very legitimate concerns around her approach to growth which have been raised by many since the UK Budget, in particular the damaging decision to raise employers' national insurance contributions.
“However, I am deeply disappointed in the lack of any initiatives which would directly benefit Scotland - especially given our energy expertise, strengths in new technologies like space and AI, world-leading universities and colleges, highly skilled workforce and our reputation as a world-class entrepreneurial nation.
“For instance, there is no mention of Grangemouth and I am concerned that UK Government investment is being further concentrated in prosperous areas in the South East of England and around Oxford and Cambridge. This will deepen concerns that Scotland is being treated as an afterthought by this UK Government.
“The Scottish Government is focused on delivering economic growth and jobs. For example, we are committing up to £500 million over five years to boost private investment in the offshore wind supply chain by up to £1.5 billion, while this week the First Minister signed an agreement with the City of London Corporation to bolster Scotland’s finance sector and secure further investment.”
Forbes's comments were echoed by her fellow SNP colleagues as Stephen Flynn, the party’s leader in Westminster, posted a meme on social media intended to show Scotland being left out in Reeves’s speech.
Dave Doogan (below), the SNP’s economy spokesperson, said the speech offered “nothing for Scotland” and instead of delivering “vital investment” the Labour Government have cut £800m of supercomputer funding from Edinburgh and failed to deliver £1bn of carbon capture funding Scotland was promised.
He added that the UK Government also failed to provide HS2 investment to Scotland and failed to restore millions of pounds in lost EU funding for communities across the country.
The Angus and Perthshire Glens MP added that Labour were the “biggest roadblock to economic growth” and that instead of “fixing broken Brexit Britain” Reeves has taken the UK economy in the “wrong direction”.
