Glasgow, Scotland. A chain of events involving mostly negative economic forecasts are pushing a few select Scottish officials to push Nicola Sturgeon to drop her bid for another Scottish independence referendum. As recent data reveals the Scottish economy did not grow at all throughout 2016, compared with 1.8% growth across the UK in general. With even UK PM May suggesting now is not the “right time” for a Scexit from the UK for Scotland.
Scotland’s Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said the figures, which were published on Wednesday, reflect the “economic reality of the Brexit vote” last summer.Output north of the border fell by 0.2% in the final quarter of 2016, while the UK economy as a whole grew by 0.7%. If the economy continues to contract in the first three months of this year Scotland will officially be in recession, according to government experts.
UK minister Lord Dunlop said the Scottish Government’s agitation for independence is hampering growth. Compounding Sturgeon’s problems were remarks from Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative, who blamed Nicola Sturgeon’s mismanagement of the independence bid, ““She has made Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK and created more instability and uncertainty with her threat of a second referendum,” he said.
One perspective was from Lord Dunlop, the Conservative minister, who said the UK Government is “working hard to release our potential through the industrial strategy, city region deals and a £1.2 billion funding boost for the Scottish budget.” He called on the SNP administration to use its “unprecedented powers to make Scotland more competitive and return its economy to growth.”
Obviously, great pressure is being brought to Sturgeon in an effort to end the Scottish Independence vote before it can gain traction in a Brexit environment.