by Lucy Ashton
Scotland’s economy urgently needs to be saved from the SNP following “dire” predictions for the country’s productivity growth in the coming years, the Scottish Conservatives have said.
The call comes as the party launched a new economic policy paper this afternoon entitled ‘Growing a Productive Scotland’ which they say is the “perfect antidote” to two decades of the SNP’s failure to support Scotland’s businesses.
Shadow business and economy secretary Murdo Fraser, right, highlighted figures from the Scottish Fiscal Commission that downgraded Scotland’s productivity growth rates compared to the predictions they previously made in December 2024.
According to the SFC’s independent analysis, which was delivered in the wake of the SNP’s Budget in January, Scotland’s productivity growth is expected to be below one per cent in each year until 2030-31.
Fraser says this is a “damning indictment” of the SNP’s failure to prioritise economic growth and ministers remaining wedded to their approach that has hammered Scotland with the highest taxes in the United Kingdom and is strangling them with red tape.
The Scottish Conservatives’ new policy paper includes plans to cap business rate rises for firms as well as ensuring that apprenticeships are delivered on a demand-led basis, while support for businesses would be administered by a new one-stop-shop, Growth Scotland.
Fraser added that it is clear the SNP cannot be trusted to oversee Scotland’s economy for another five years and that is why it crucial voters use their peach ballot paper to vote for the Scottish Conservatives to help stop an SNP majority at May’s election.
Scottish Conservative shadow business and economy secretary Murdo Fraser MSP said: “Independent analysts have confirmed that Scotland’s economy is stagnating and lagging behind the rest of the United Kingdom on the SNP’s watch.
“Their downgrading of Scotland’s projected productivity growth in the coming years is a damning indictment of the SNP’s failure to prioritise economic growth over their two decades in power.
“These dire forecasts confirm the need for a new dynamic economic approach in Scotland. That is why our bold new policy paper is the perfect antidote to everything that the SNP have got wrong since 2007.
“We have set out ambitious plans to deliver the apprenticeships Scotland is crying out for based on demand as well as capping rate rises for businesses who are set to face eye-watering increases in a matter of weeks thanks to the SNP’s disastrous revaluation rates scheme.
“John Swinney and the SNP cannot be trusted to be in charge of Scotland’s economy for another five years with their high-tax agenda. If Scots want to ensure economic growth is always a top priority, then they should use their peach ballot paper to vote for the Scottish Conservatives to help stop an SNP majority at May’s election.”