SNP attacked as Scotland lags UK in innovation – Daily Business

Scotland is lagging behind other parts of the UK on business innovation, according to the SNP government’s own ‘scorecard’.

Tory leader Russell Findlay drew on the findings of the scorecard to accuse the government of failing to support growing businesses.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, he said: “The scorecard shows performance is declining over more than half of the government’s own key measures. I’d like to ask the First Minister, is that really good enough?”

Mr Swinney replied that economic growth is central to the government’s policy agenda and highlighted the growing games industry as one “sparkling” example of how it was taking forward the innovation agenda.

Mr Findlay,, who is due to reveal a paper on the economy on Friday, said that, with regard to the number of companies innovating, Scotland was ranked behind every region of England.

He asked: “In the week of Scotland’s innovation summit can John Swinney explain why Scotland is trailing behind the rest of the UK?”

The First Minster replied: “Recent data indicates that Scotland has the highest rate of start-ups in the United Kingdom apart from one part of England.”

The Tory leader said the SNP had “marked the scorecard themselves and it shows that they are failing.” He said that on the number of high growth companies, Scotland is ranked at 23 out of 28 European countries.

“Under the SNP we’re behind Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania.. and within the UK we’re behind Wales and almost every English region. Is this really a record to be proud of?” he asked.

Mr Swinney said those European countries listed by Mr Findlay “are all independent with the full range of economic powers at their disposal.

“I’m delighted Mr Findlay has come to parliament today and made the economic argument for Scottish independence.”

Mr Findlay said he had “lost count” of the number of Scottish businesses who had told him “about their despair at the anti-business actions of the SNP government.

“They are being stifled by a torrent of regulation,” he said. “The SNP have imposed more red tape on businesses in hospitality, oil & gas, housebuilding, food & drink and more. SNP income tax rates are punishingly higher than elsewhere in the UK and this means there are fewer opportunities for aspirational Scots to get on in life.

“So will the First Minister accept that his government is actively harming Scottish business innovation and putting jobs at risk?”

Mr Swinney said: “No, I won’t accept that doom-laden analysis of Scotland’s position because the facts don’t support Mr Findlay.

“Since 2007, when the SNP came to power, GDP per person in Scotland has grown by 10.3% compared to 6.1% in the rest of the United Kingdom, while productivity has grown at an average rate of 1.1% compared to the UK average of 0.4%.”

Mr Swinney said the rise in National Insurance Contributions was stifling growth. “That was not a decision of my government,” he said. “That was a decision of the hopeless United Kingdom Labour government which is damaging our economy. So I rest my case.”

Innovation Scorecard (Source: Scottish Government)