'GIMMICK' FLOP
Holyrood group meant to boost economy has NEVER met despite being announced by SNP years ago
It was meant to feature then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plus key cabinet members
A HOLYROOD group meant to help boost the economy has yet to meet two years after being launched.
The flop project was branded a “gimmick” and could now be scrapped, it has emerged.
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New First Minister John Swinney’s No2 Kate Forbes launched the economic leadership group as Finance Secretary in March 2022.
Due to meet twice a year, it was meant to feature then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plus key cabinet members and a council umbrella body’s chief.
But senior Nats failed to schedule a meeting owing to diary clashes, the economy director-general Gregor Irwin admitted.
He was quizzed by Holyrood’s public audit committee after Audit Scotland watchdogs highlighted a “gap in collective political leadership”.
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Mr Irwin insisted there was still “collective ministerial oversight” of the strategy to kick-start the economy.
But he admitted: “It is absolutely true the economic leadership group has not met as originally planned. The reason was because of the challenge of getting ministerial diaries to align and to find the appropriate moment to have the meeting.”
Committee convener MSP Richard Leonard asked: “You weren’t able to co-ordinate the diaries of half a dozen, at the most, cabinet secretaries and the president of Cosla to fix up a meeting?
“I’m struggling to understand why it hasn’t met.”
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Of suggestions the ELG could be axed, Mr Irwin said officials will be supplying advice to ministers, adding: “This is one area we will specifically look at.”
Nats have previously been accused of deterring investment and presiding over periods of lower growth compared with overall UK levels.
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Scots Tory shadow finance secretary Liz Smith hit out: “An economic leadership group which, two years later, hasn’t even met is like an illustration of their entire approach — a gimmick produced with fanfare, then complete failure to deliver.
“Despite repeated promises to listen to business, there has been no action beyond expanding the tax gap with the rest of the UK."