Iain Gray accuses Alex Salmond of economic 'failure'

Published on Thursday 23 September 2010 14:11

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond was today accused of a "legacy of failure" over the Scottish Government's record on the economy.

Labour leader Iain Gray hit out at growing unemployment levels in Scotland while the rate falls south of the Border during First Minister's Questions today.

But Mr Salmond told MSPs Scotland fared better than England through the recession and insisted greater economic powers are needed for the Parliament to secure growth.

The Labour leader highlighted a report this week by think tank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which indicated unemployment has reached it highest levels since the mid-1990s.

Scotland is getting "poorer faster" than England, Mr Gray said of the report.

He said: "This First Minister is leaving Scotland poorer than he found it - and now the Tory cuts are coming. Is that not a legacy of miserable failure?"

But Mr Salmond insisted that the think tank had also attacked the poverty record of the last Labour Government.

"They tore it to shreds," he said.

Construction jobs in Scotland have risen 20,000 in the last quarter while it fell across the UK, Mr Salmond added.

He said: "We should also reflect on the other challenges to Scottish economic recovery - these challenges are both in the public sector with the swingeing cuts forecast, two-thirds from the last administration, one third from the current administration, and from the inability to get finance to a small and medium grade business sector."

• Bill Jamieson: Alex Salmond is down but not out (premium)