In that climate, trumpeting the relative success of Scotland's labour market, compared to the rest of the UK, was always going to be a risky strategy.
In November, John Swinney proclaimed Scotland's lower unemployment, higher employment and lower economic inactivity rates compared to the rest of the UK, claiming credit for making the difference in Scotland with a Plan MacB strategy emphasising increased capital spending.
It should be a priority to tackle youth unemployment
The UK's economic recovery over the past three years has been precarious and hard to control, especially given the ongoing crisis in the eurozone.
In that climate, trumpeting the relative success of Scotland's labour market, compared to the rest of the UK, was always going to be a risky strategy.
In November, John Swinney proclaimed Scotland's lower unemployment, higher employment and lower economic inactivity rates compared to the rest of the UK, claiming credit for making the difference in Scotland with a Plan MacB strategy emphasising increased capital spending.
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Don't show me this again.