FSB responds to the latest Scottish GDP figures

Scotland’s economy grew by 0.2% during July and September of last year, according to official figures. The UK economy grew by 0.4% over the same period. 

Colin Borland the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) head of devolved nations said: “Like large parts of Scotland’s transport network this morning, these figures show that the Scottish economy is disappointingly slow-moving. 

“The next stage of the Scottish Government Budget is a key opportunity for Ministers to put Scotland’s economy first. The economy should be the top priority for every department – not just the finance and business briefs.

“On the other side of the coin, on the back of the Carillion collapse there’s an opportunity to ensure that we’re making the most of Scottish public sector spending power. Worryingly the average Scottish council spends less than a fifth of their procurement budget with local firms. More should be done to use public sector procurement power to drive local economies and power local firms.”