There was a bit of good news last week from the Office for National Statistics. The UK economy grew a smidgen more in 2017 than previously thought – up 0.1 per cent to 1.8 per cent. Not exactly setting the heather alight, but if there needs to be a revision, at least it is in the right direction.

The UK’s lacklustre growth rate, and stubbornly low productivity, was a key focus of the last budget and saw Philip Hammond commit to a £25  billion cash injection to strengthen the economy. But there is one part of the UK where no such concerns exist and no levers are being pulled to improve results – and that’s Scotland.

According to Nicola Sturgeon, “Scotland’s economy is strong and we are determined...