Swinney must move beyond old orthodoxies

Data published this week shows that Scotland’s economy shrank by 0.3% in February, leaving the country on the brink of recession. Economic downturns rarely spell good news for voters or politicians. But if the new first minister is to turn Scotland’s economy around, they must look far beyond immediate GDP figures. In reality, Scotland’s economy is facing a profound series of interlinked challenges. Nowhere are the failings of the prevailing economic model more evident than in peoples’ paypackets.