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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Nicola Sturgeon says tackle inequality to create prosperity | Nicola Sturgeon says tackle inequality to create prosperity |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Tackling inequality would generate £1,600 more per head of population, according to the Scottish government. | Tackling inequality would generate £1,600 more per head of population, according to the Scottish government. |
| In a speech later, Nicola Sturgeon will highlight new analysis of research by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). | In a speech later, Nicola Sturgeon will highlight new analysis of research by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). |
| The first minister will argue that policies which are fair and equal will lead to greater prosperity. | The first minister will argue that policies which are fair and equal will lead to greater prosperity. |
| The UK government has insisted its austerity policies have led to record employment levels in Scotland. | The UK government has insisted its austerity policies have led to record employment levels in Scotland. |
| Setting out Scotland's economic strategy, Ms Sturgeon will say that the true cost of inequality and austerity can no longer be ignored. | Setting out Scotland's economic strategy, Ms Sturgeon will say that the true cost of inequality and austerity can no longer be ignored. |
| The Scottish government has looked at recent OECD research and said the UK GDP could have been nearly £100bn higher in 2010 had the UK economy been more equal in the previous decade. This equates to about £1,600 per person. | The Scottish government has looked at recent OECD research and said the UK GDP could have been nearly £100bn higher in 2010 had the UK economy been more equal in the previous decade. This equates to about £1,600 per person. |
| Ms Sturgeon will argue that by becoming a fairer society, Scotland will also become a more productive and more prosperous society. | Ms Sturgeon will argue that by becoming a fairer society, Scotland will also become a more productive and more prosperous society. |
| Scottish Labour said the first minister was "right to point out appalling inequality in Scotland". | Scottish Labour said the first minister was "right to point out appalling inequality in Scotland". |
| MSP Jackie Baillie said her party had a powerful vision for making Scotland a "better and fairer country". | |
| Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael had previously accused Ms Sturgeon of "trying to turn good news into bad" by suggesting the UK economy was performing poorly when in fact it was "growing strongly". | |
| Take two views... | |
| Ben Southwood, head of research for the Adam Smith Institute | |
| "We can achieve economic growth and inequality in an economic strategy but we have to be very carefully about what measures we use. | |
| "So, it does seem that the poorer counties in the world are unequal as well whereas the richer countries are more unequal, but that doesn't necessarily mean that reducing inequality lets you get richer. | |
| "In fact what we tend to see is first you grow very fast become more unequal and then young carry on growing and everybody else catches up. | |
| "Redistributing wealth is very important for alleviating poverty but in the long run it has barely lifted anyone out of poverty compared to amount economic growth has lifted out of poverty. | |
| "Economic growth has lifted billions of people are around the world out of poverty, redistribution has lifted millions of people out of poverty. Redistribution is important but it isn't nearly as important as growth and we should always be focusing on growth." | |
| Morag Gillespie, a senior research fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University's Women in Scotland's Economy group | |
| "Once you have a level of growth, and the UK and the United States are well past that, then you start to get diminishing returns from simply focussing on growth alone. | |
| "And I absolutely agree with Nicola Sturgeon, I think it is essential that we pursue equality as part of our economic strategy. | |
| "And if you look at some of the richer nations across the world you will see that some of them are much more equal than others and it isn't to do with how long they have been growing, or how much growth they have had, but how much they focus in ensuring that all the people of the country can benefit from economic growth and it isn't just a few people that profit. | |
| "One of the things that we really, really need to tackle in Scotland is that the jobs being created are better paying jobs and that we are not just creating minimum wage jobs, that we don't have more and more people working in really exploitative work situations, such as zero hours contracts, temporary employment, and that we tackle the really high levels we have of under employment." |