[0762]

Just reading a report from the HOC library that compared UK wealth with other European neighbours and it transpires that the UK is the "poor man" of NW Europe. The UK has had the lowest wealth per head for every year of the 21st century!!!
It shows the UK is behind all 13 neighbouring nations, incl Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, France and Germany. The analysis, using IMF data, shows the UK is £5062 poorer per person than the average of all countries in NW Europe! And £15,739 less wealthy than those independent countries with a population similar or smaller than Scotland. It also reveals the wealth gap has grown worse over the past two decades. IMO it becomes increasingly clear that independence is the only way to unlock Scotland's full economic potential and move on to being as wealthy and successful as our European neighbours as this evidence shows that independent countries of Scotland's size, or smaller, do better. Tory austerity and a hard line Brexit have already cost Scotland billions of pounds and lets not forget the effects of a pandemic that has exposed huge income inequality, hardship and poor wellbeing. We need a "reset" as part of a post COVID serious national conversation re the new direction that our country must take to "change it" and, more importantly, "change it for the better" with self-determination and full powers/governance to deal positively with our own affairs.