AS the UK economy struggles, amid excessive and poorly-targeted fiscal austerity, an analysis of the number of Scottish retailers at risk of insolvency should ring another alarm bell for the Coalition Government.
However, Chancellor George Osborne still appears in no mood to listen to the growing cacophony of warning signals.
The International Monetary Fund, which supported the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government's austerity measures, yesterday slashed its forecast of UK growth this year from 0.8% to 0.2%. The Office for Budget Responsibility, set up by the chancellor, had projected growth of 2.8% this year before Mr Osborne's first Budget in June 2010.
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