Remarks by Lord Mandelson that people should stop being 'so darned pessimistic' and should look on the 'up-side' have been condemned as showing bad taste and bad judgement by SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson, John Mason MP.

Glasgow East MP Mr Mason said: "Peter Mandelson’s extraordinary remarks are yet another indication of just how out of touch the UK Labour Government is.

"Lord Mandelson may not be feeling the pinch, but when families and businesses across Scotland are really struggling – with figures this week showing sharply rising unemployment in Glasgow – it is bad taste and bad judgement for him to deny the reality of the Downing Street Downturn.

"If Peter Mandelson can only lecture people – and cannot understand what is actually going on in the economy – then he has wasted the public money spent on the Cabinet’s visit to Glasgow, because he has clearly learnt nothing about the impact of Labour’s recession."