[0762]

Just perusing recent SNP research info taken from the HOC library analyses, the data covering per capita wealth, poverty levels, social inequality, productivity, pensions, govt deficit and unemployment. It reveals how the UK has vastly underperformed compared with other northerm Euro states. Independently proved "factually correct" by readers of the Heriot Watt University, this data shows a massive failure over the past two decades eg pension payments are the worst compared with the UK's 13 nearest Euro neighbours, the worst poverty levels under the OECD definition and the least supportive UK welfare system over the past 20 years compared with 14 countries in NW Europe. Also UK productivity has been the weakest of the 13 neighbouring Euro nations for every year since 2009 - no doubt politically motivated austerity measures played a big part in this failure. It just proves that a Westminster govt and this so called precioussss Union isn't working for Scotland and that is without taking into account the massive detrimental effects to Scottish business interests and the negative accumulated change in exports since the Brexit referendum with Britain now located at the "bottom of the pile" of affected countries. It is also clear from this data that smaller countries like Scotland perform economically better than the UK. We are effectively being "held back" in a partnership where it is not a partnership of equals. We need to move hopefully sooner rather than later and also get rid of this ludicrous £205B (yep, this cost of this WMD provision has gone up!!) Trident project once and for all.