SCOTLAND'S potential is being stifled by having its economic policy dictated south of the Border, John Swinney will claim this week as he publishes a 10-point plan to move towards full employment under independence.
The SNP Finance Secretary will say a Yes vote would allow Scotland to tailor and co-ordinate its economic and tax policies to maximise the country's strengths, improve productivity, and create more and better job opportunities.
The Scottish Government recently said more net migration, higher employment rates, and higher productivity could yield an extra £5 billion in taxes for Scotland by 2029-30, a so-called independence bonus of £1000 a head.
Speaking yesterday, Swinney said: "Scotland has vast natural resources and huge human talent but those advantages have been stifled by having our economic policy run by Westminster
"The one-size-fits-all economic policies of successive Westminster governments have failed and continue to fail the people of Scotland.
"We perform well at the moment but we should be doing so much better.
"Independence will give us the chance to build an economy that takes advantage of Scotland's unique strengths to deliver a more outward, focused, fairer and resilient economy, boosting revenues and creating many thousand more jobs."
The definition of full employment varies between countries, but is less than 100%. In the UK it is 5% unemployment - the level at which everyone who wants a job can find one.
Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Gavin Brown was scathing about Swinney's comments: "One sentence states Westminster economic policy is failing the people of Scotland, and the next one says we're performing well.
"The credibility of this Scottish Government is withering by the day.
"The public will be keen to see information on what our finances will look like if the wildly optimistic oil forecasts don't materialise."
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