Scotland could have missed out on economic growth worth more than £900 per person as a result of Westminster's handling of the economy, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has claimed.
Mr Swinney said that while Scotland was "wealthy and productive", the country's economy could have performed better if it had been independent.
He argued that "sticking with the status quo" and remaining in the UK had seen Scotland "lose out on significant opportunities for growth, job creation and increased wealth".
The Finance Secretary spoke out as the Scottish Government was preparing to publish a new report on the economic powers that leaving the UK would give the country and how it believes these could be used to boost growth and jobs north of the border.
The paper, to be published tomorrow, will state that if the Scottish economy had grown at the same rate as other small, independent nations between 1977 and the start of the recession in 2007, GDP per capita would be 3.8% higher than it is now - the equivalent of £900 per person.
Meanwhile, if Scotland had matched the UK's rate of economic growth over this period, GDP per capita would still have been 3% higher than it is now, the equivalent of about £720 per person, according to the report.
Mr Swinney said: "Scotland is a wealthy and productive country. We have paid more tax per head in each of the last 30 years than the UK as a whole.
"As new experimental figures issued just last week show, gross national income (GNI) per head in Scotland in 2010 is estimated to have been approximately £26,000. In comparison, UK GNI per head is estimated to have been approximately £24,000."
He insisted: "We are doing okay but we could do so much better. As these figures demonstrate, Scotland may have missed out on economic growth worth more than £900 a head as a result of London economic management and not being able to take the same approach as other independent countries in supporting our economy.
"Sticking with the status quo has seen Scotland lose out on significant opportunities for growth, job creation and increased wealth that could have transformed Scotland's economy and reduced inequality."
The Scottish Government report will state that "on the basis of the evidence the UK is clearly failing to rebalance its economy to a more sustainable model, with the reliance on the service sector increasing, continued weakness in the manufacturing sector, increased levels of debt and further concentration of investment and policy design in London and the South East".
It will argue that remaining part of the UK would "leave the people of Scotland exposed to the risks of an economic system that is likely to continue to be one of the most unequal in the OECD, is prone to instability, is increasingly unbalanced, is less resilient than competitors and has significant imbalances in regional prosperity".
As a result, it will warn: "Scotland's economy is likely to become ever more a regional hub - or branch-economy - of the UK economy."
The paper will state that the UK is ranked 28th out of 34 nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for income inequality and that small countries, particularly those in Scandinavia, have much lower levels of this.
It will also claim the UK's manufacturing output is lower than Germany, Sweden, Austria and Finland, with UK business investment, investment in research and development and exports also below the levels in these nations.
Mr Swinney said being part of the UK impacted on Scotland with a "one-size-fits-all policies designed to suit the needs of the economy in London and the South East - not Scotland".
He claimed successive Westminster governments had "continually failed to support our key industries" as he argued: "Scotland simply cannot afford to continue as a regional part of the UK economy.
"Under the status quo we have witnessed the decline of major manufacturing industries, a continual trade deficit with the rest of the world and ever-rising levels of debt that are holding the economy back.
"With independence we will have the full range of economic tools we need to target all of our efforts and resources at increasing investment, boosting long-term job opportunities and creating a more prosperous Scotland."
With a referendum on independence to be held next year, Mr Swinney stated: "We have the opportunity now to break out of the low-growth trap of London government , rebalance our economy and establish both a more prosperous and just society."
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