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Plans to tackle economic growth | Plans to tackle economic growth |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Scotland could be a "celtic lion" economy within a generation, but only as an independent nation, First Minister Alex Salmond has claimed. | |
He said the goal for his devolved government was limited to raising Scottish growth to UK levels. | |
Mr Salmond's comments came as he outlined his economic strategy. | |
But the UK government said the Scottish economic growth miracle in the Victorian period was because of the union, not despite it. | |
Launching his blueprint in Glasgow along with senior ministers, Mr Salmond said the Scottish economy had suffered from "decades of mediocrity". | |
Scottish people value the union because the last decade has delivered sustained growth David CairnsScotland Office minister | |
The SNP government wants Scotland to match UK economic growth levels by 2011, while achieving the economic growth rate of small European independent nations by 2017. | |
Over the last 30 years, Mr Salmond said, Scotland's growth had averaged 1.8% - about half the average rate of growth for small European countries. | |
He said that while the strategy would enable his devolved powers to lift Scottish growth to the UK level, with independence Scotland could become a "celtic lion" to equal Ireland's so-called celtic tiger. | |
"We have a history and present reality of innovation, examples of educational excellence and individuals and companies succeeding in a competitive global market," said the first minister. | |
"But we need to set our sights much higher than we have delivered to date." | "But we need to set our sights much higher than we have delivered to date." |
Public services | |
The 42-page economic plan set out a goal of narrowing the gap between Scotland's best and worst performing regions as well as measures to remove business rates from many small firms. | |
Scotland office minister David Cairns said it was "extraordinarily arrogant" to assert that Scotland would be independent within a decade. | |
"Scottish people value the union because the last decade has delivered sustained growth with record levels of investment in public services, and a record low in unemployment," he said. | |
"And even the first minister must accept that the Scottish economic miracle in the Victorian period was because of the union not despite it." | |
The growth plan came a day before the SNP administration was due to outline its first budget, amid what ministers claimed was the tightest financial Treasury settlement since devolution in 1999. |
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