THE spin attached by politicians to economic statistics is, in some cases, as demoralising as it is predictable.

So it was on Wednesday when David Mundell threw his tuppence-worth into the post-release analysis of the latest Scottish gross domestic product data.

Noting economic growth had been slower north of the Border than in the UK as a whole in the third quarter, the Scottish Secretary proclaimed: “The UK Government is investing – including with an extra

£2 billion announced in the Budget – to increase prosperity in Scotland, and I urge the Scottish Government to use its extensive new powers to do the same.”

He declared Scotland’s exports to the rest of the UK were “worth four times more than those to the EU”. And he attempted to lecture the Scottish Government about working with Westminster in “making our exit from the EU work”.

The last point would almost be amusing, if the issue were not so grave. It seems Mr Mundell might be suggesting the onus is somehow on the Scottish Government to help fix what many, although perhaps not the Scottish Secretary, would view as the Conservatives’ Brexit mistake.

Here is a reality check for him.

It was former prime minister David Cameron who decided to call a referendum on European Union membership in the first place, in what was regarded by many as a move driven by internal Conservative Party strife. It was certainly not good for the country – something obvious both at the time and with hindsight as the forecast economic damage has begun to unfold.

After calling the referendum, Mr Cameron then tried to campaign for the UK to stay in the EU but this attempt failed.

The noisy right and a whipping up of xenophobia and intolerance by some players seemed to sway the debate as many of the electorate

were persuaded the EU was somehow to blame for what, in fact, Conservative austerity had done

to them.

Mr Mundell’s “making our exit from the EU work” phrase seems to imply this folly could yet bring net positive results. The situation is actually about damage limitation.

Sadly, the UK Government has so far shown no sign of being able to limit the damage, from the perspective of the economy or society. Nevertheless, and in the face of a struggling UK economy blighted by weak growth and falling real wages as well as the ongoing austerity, Prime Minister Theresa May seems as determined as ever to ensure “Brexit means Brexit”.

Against this backdrop, even with the best will in the world, there is not a great deal the Scottish Government can do to propel economic prosperity north of the Border.

Mr Mundell talks about “extensive new powers” but, in reality, the Scottish Government still has little in the way of big economic levers.

Scotland’s economy grew by

0.2 per cent in the three months to September. Over the same period, the UK as a whole recorded expansion of 0.4 per cent. The difference is not insignificant but, in the grand scheme of things, it is far from major.

In the second quarter, Scotland’s growth of 0.1 per cent trailed UK-wide expansion of 0.3 per cent.

However, in the opening three months of 2017, the Scottish economy grew by 0.6 per cent. This was double the corresponding UK-wide expansion of 0.3 per cent during this period, and was in contrast to warnings of recession from the Conservatives in Scotland.

Scotland has its specific economic challenges. It has undoubtedly taken a disproportionate hit in a UK context from the North Sea downturn, which was triggered by the global oil price slide. And, with the surge in public sector infrastructure work having passed with the likes of the completion of the Queensferry Crossing, Scotland’s construction sector is struggling.

However, at the end of the day, Scotland’s lacklustre growth has most to do with the general UK malaise. And we must not lose sight of that fact, whatever spin may emanate from the Conservatives at Westminster or in Scotland.

That is why Mr Mundell’s comments are so demoralising.

Mr Mundell also proclaimed the Scottish Government’s “recent decision to make Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK risks damaging, rather than growing, our economy”. This seems pretty rich, given the Conservatives’ UK economic track record. Glass houses and stones and all that.

While the Conservatives have pursued stifling austerity, Mr Mundell appears to be taking issue with a minor tweak of income tax rates by the Scottish Government. These income tax changes seem to have solid support in Scotland.

Looking at what has happened, rather than what Mr Mundell foresees, the weakness of Scottish growth reflects the Conservative Government’s failed austerity programme. This has seen aggregate demand reduced dramatically by savage welfare cuts and public sector pay caps.

Moves by the Conservatives to cut corporation tax dramatically have failed to bring any obvious benefits, with business investment consistently disappointing and this weakness weighing on productivity.

The UK Government has had all the economic levers with which to make things better as quickly as possible after the global financial crisis but has used them most ineptly, much of the time pushing when it should have been pulling or vice-versa. Then along came the Brexit vote, and made things far worse still. It is interesting to note the UK outlook has deteriorated significantly as that in the eurozone has brightened encouragingly.

Scottish growth has been weak. And, of course, the Scottish Government must do everything it can to use its limited powers to make things as good as possible.

But the notion that weak growth north of the Border is largely down to the Scottish Government is just plain ridiculous. As is the suggestion that it is the Scottish Government’s duty to sort out the Tory Brexit shambles.