Grahame Smith: Jobless figures requires a Scots response

Published on Thursday 16 February 2012 02:42

THE Westminster Government’s response to yesterday’s significant further jump in Scottish unemployment seemed tired, and was certainly predictable.

Few commentators have missed the fact that it was highly politically attractive for Chancellor George Osborne to draw entirely the wrong conclusion from the threat of a UK debt downgrade and to continue to ignore the paradox of thrift.

But by ignoring the actual market price of government debt, he continues to wilfully deny the signals showing that the markets will support sensible investment to boost employment and the economy’s long-term capacity to grow. In the context of yesterday’s unemployment figures, such continued boasting about credit worthiness is shameful.

As we approach next month’s Budget it is as well to remind ourselves the bulk of the cuts are still to come. The Chancellor must decide whether to take the necessary action to try to prevent rising unemployment becoming a structural problem.

If, as we expect, he remains committed to ideological austerity, he will be choosing to condemn Scotland to suffer the long-term social and economic consequences of embedded worklessness. He will be repeating the mistakes of the 1980s and 1990s.

Having spent much of last year claiming the credit for somewhat better employment news in Scotland, the Scottish Government is now placed in the difficult position of seeing the Scottish unemployment rate holding its recent trend above the UK average.

It was entirely predictable that this would take place as postponed cuts from the 2010 budget trickled through. The Scottish Government must redouble efforts to support those out of work and those at risk of unemployment.

It must also recognise that for far too long the Scottish economy has simply failed to generate sufficient full-time jobs. This will involve ensuring all spending programmes, including commitments such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme, are fully focused on job creation. The development of sustainable quality full-time employment must now become the central goal of its economic strategy.

• Grahame Smith is general secretary of the Scottish Trades’ Union Congress.

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Jolly

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:27 PM

Biscuit McVittie talks sense

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6

Jolly

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:26 PM

The Scottish government should be setting out a plan of action to counter the unemployment effects of this financial crisis, instead of wasting valuable time on referendum chit-chat.

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5

Biscuit McVittie

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:25 PM

It seems that It’s in the interests of the SNP to keep unemployment high and stir up discontent with Westminster. This is the ultimate bogey man tactic that nationalists have used from time immemorial.

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Faceless_bureaucrat

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Graham Smith - a union man , ignores the fact that 100,000 foreigners are holding down jobs when 8.6% of the Scottish workforce is unemployed. This very fact would have been inconceivable 10 years ago, such is the disconnect between the ridiculously stupid political class and the ordinary Joe in the street. - a very dangerous situation in a democracy.

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3

matrix

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Actually following the BBC article Scottish jobless are exactly the same as they were 6 months ago. Lies , damned lies and statistics. There will be a lot less when we get indpencence.

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2

Vote 'NO'

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:22 AM

Another 16,000 unemployed, and Swinney sits on his hands doing nowt. Where are the jobs you promised, Mr Swiney?

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1

Intervention

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 08:41 AM

Go for independence Grahame

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