In a speech to the Scottish Parliament today SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin called on the Labour Party to apologise to our neighbouring countries Ireland, Iceland and Norway on the back of continued attempts to label these nations an ‘Arc of Insolvency.’

The Glasgow MSP spoke out after latest figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed that despite the claims of British ministers and Labour MSPs to the contrary, far from being insolvent these nations are wealthier per capita than the United Kingdom.

Speaking in the debate on the economy in Parliament today, Ms McLaughlin said that the latest IMF estimates for this year and up to 2014 had demolished the opposition’s claims that the three countries had fared worse than the UK in the recession. Latest estimates running to 2014 show that these three countries remain in a stronger position based on gross domestic product per capita using purchasing-power-parity. Furthermore the gap between these countries and the UK is estimated to increase over the next 5 years.

Commenting on the latest estimates Ms McLaughlin said: “Whilst it remains a damning indictment of Labour’s handling of the economy that we find ourselves in a weaker position than our neighbours, it is only proper that the dishonesty of the Labour politicians is exposed.

“Jim Murphy revelled in the apparent economic difficulties of our neighbours and spun them out of all proportion to try to back up his usual claim that Scotland is somehow incapable of doing what normal countries do and running its own affairs. The new IMF statistics however, show the only thing that is in difficulty is his reputation.

“Time and again the House of Commons has echoed to sneering fanciful jibes about the Arc of Insolvency. It is time for Jim Murphy and the Labour Party to do the right thing and apologise for their petty insults.

“Basing diplomatic relations with our neighbours on a party political desire to keep Scotland tied to the Union was never a good idea and we see the consequences of it in the damage it does to our international reputation.

“The Labour Party’s attempts to talk down Scotland and her neighbours so as to keep the Scots in the Union have come back to haunt them - the stats clearly show this. If this is the kind of diplomatic representation Scots get via Westminster then it only makes the case for independence even stronger than it already is."

Note:

1. Jim Murphy- Hansard HC Deb, 6 May 2009, c157; HC Deb, 29 October 2008, c881

2. For the statistics see here.

3. The Figures to 2014 are here.