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Cabinet gathers for Scots meeting Cabinet gathers for Scots meeting
(about 1 hour later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his ministers have gathered in Glasgow for the cabinet's first meeting in Scotland for almost 90 years. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has brought his cabinet to Glasgow for its first meeting in Scotland for almost 90 years, with a focus on the economy.
The agenda will be dominated by the state of the UK economy. He declared next week's Budget would be about jobs, as he took questions from an invited audience at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Ministers also held meetings related to their different portfolios across Scotland. Meanwhile, protesters, angered at proposed school closures in the city staged a demonstration outside.
Mr Brown attended a memorial service in Aberdeen on Wednesday for the 16 men who died in the Super Puma helicopter crash in the North Sea. The cabinet event was the latest in a series being held across the UK.
The Glasgow meeting was the latest in a series across the UK, designed to show the cabinet engaging with people. Speaking to an audience of almost 300 people, drawn from a cross-section of Scottish life, the prime minister said the government was working to support jobs, help school leavers and assist graduates get the employment or training they need.
Mr Brown and his ministers spent the morning at a series of events across Scotland, before facing questions from an invited audience.
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Footage of the last time the cabinet met in ScotlandFootage of the last time the cabinet met in Scotland
In the afternoon, the cabinet meeting will be briefed by the Scottish Secretary, Jim Murphy, on Scotland's economy. "I know there are many people afraid that unemployment is going to hit them, I know many people are worried someone close to them may lose their job," he said.
He will urge his colleagues to do more to stress the "substantial role" of the UK Government in Scotland. "Next week's Budget will be a Budget about jobs.
Mr Murphy will tell the meeting: "The last 12 years have been some of the best in Scotland's history. Sustained growth has cut unemployment below the UK average for the first time for decades, and employment levels in Scotland are the third highest in the European Union. "We will want to help people who are unemployed back into jobs, we will want to give people the skills for the future so they can get the jobs of the future."
"Despite the global downturn, we should be confident about the future. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy said he was urging his colleagues to do more to stress the "substantial role" of the UK Government in Scotland.
"Scotland has a strong economic base for growth in the key industries of financial services, high-skill engineering, energy - from clean coal to tidal, tourism and quality food and drink." "Despite the global downturn, we should be confident about the future," he said, adding: "Scotland has a strong economic base for growth in the key industries of financial services, high-skill engineering, energy - from clean coal to tidal, tourism and quality food and drink."
The prime minister met Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and other Holyrood leaders over dinner on Wednesday evening. 'Capital spending'
Mr Salmond had previously called for the cabinet meeting to be held jointly by Scottish and UK ministers, but this suggestion was dismissed by the Scotland Office. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who attended a dinner with Mr Brown on Wednesday evening, had called for the cabinet meeting to be held jointly by Scottish and UK ministers, a suggestion which was dismissed by the Scotland Office.
'Overcome recession' A spokesman for Mr Salmond said the Scottish and UK Governments had shown they could work well together to help families and business during tough economic times.
Speaking ahead of the cabinet meeting, a spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "The Scottish and UK Governments have shown that we can work well together to help families and business during tough economic times. But the £500m cut in the Scottish budget as a result of Westminster efficiency savings needed to be reversed so Scotland could make its contribution towards economic recovery, said the spokesman, who also reiterated the call for borrowing powers to be devolved to Holyrood.
"We demonstrated that in the way we co-operated to accelerate capital spending, and the Scottish Government's six-point plan is supporting some 5,800 jobs in Scotland. "We demonstrated that in the way we co-operated to accelerate capital spending, and the Scottish Government's six-point plan is supporting some 5,800 jobs in Scotland," said the spokesman.
"When the UK cabinet meets in Scotland, it needs to take decisions in the interests of Scotland.
"In terms of Scotland making our contribution to recovery, that means reversing the planned £500m cut in our budget - which would destroy 8,700 jobs across the economy - and Holyrood having the borrowing powers we need to reflate the economy and overcome recession."
The cabinet last met in Scotland in 1921 - when Winston Churchill was the Colonial Secretary and a Liberal MP for Dundee.The cabinet last met in Scotland in 1921 - when Winston Churchill was the Colonial Secretary and a Liberal MP for Dundee.
The meeting was held in the council chamber at Inverness Town House because Prime Minister Lloyd George was on holiday in the Highlands.The meeting was held in the council chamber at Inverness Town House because Prime Minister Lloyd George was on holiday in the Highlands.
On the agenda was the Irish emergency, unemployment and Armenian refugees.On the agenda was the Irish emergency, unemployment and Armenian refugees.