Tuesday, 22 April 2003

Scotland: the new Sweden

We all knew that public expenditure was far too high here but this is astounding:
SCOTLAND’S government spending is set to become the highest in the developed world, relative to the country’s economic size, as a result of Gordon Brown’s tax-and-spend bonanza.

A study by The Scotsman has for the first time placed Scotland in the international spending league tables - and found it to be only months away from overtaking Sweden for the top slot.

What is shocking is that all of our leading parties have plans for additional "public" expenditure. The Tories aren't calling for cuts in government largesse. Instead they criticise waste and inefficiency. But that's the inevitable outcome of political control. Consider this:
Scotland now spends more of its national income on health than any other country in the developed world. While this has led to higher hospital staffing levels, Scotland’s life expectancy remains the lowest in Europe.
Scotland needs much less government spending. Switzerland is the model, not Sweden.