Alex Salmond attacks economists, BBC and media for faulty recession warnings Alex Salmond has launched a scathing attack on one of Scotland’s most respected economic institutes, the BBC and the wider […]

Alex Salmond has launched a scathing attack on one of Scotland’s most respected economic institutes, the BBC and the wider media after warnings of a recession proved to be incorrect.

The former First Minister described the positive GDP figures published earlier this week as an “abject humiliation” for those who predicted that Scotland was heading for a recession.

“There is nothing more stupid than a politician who misreads the economy” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Alex Salmond

The statistics published on Wednesday showed that the country’s economy grew 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, four times faster than the UK as a whole.

Before the results were announced, economists at the Fraser of Allander Institute warned that the chances of a Scottish recession was “in the balance” after negative growth in the last quarter of 2016.

Mr Salmond said the think-tank’s analysis had been “badly flawed”, before accusing Unionist politicians, the BBC and the wider media of trying to turn their report into a “full-scale economic crisis”.

“In one fell swoop they have all been laid low, and if the SNP Government is sensible they will endeavour to remind these merchants of doom of that on a daily basis for many months to come,” he wrote in the National newspaper.

“It is the economy stupid – and there is nothing more stupid than a politician who misreads the economy.”

BBC attack

The former SNP leader, who lost his Gordon seat at last month’s general election, singled out the BBC for particular criticism and said the corporation was “greatly to blame” for misreporting the likelihood of a recession.

He specifically highlighted the Sunday Politics Scotland programme’s coverage and called on presenter Gordon Brewer to “look back very carefully” on the decision to base the show by “treating a forecast as fact”.

Mr Salmond also accused Labour and the Conservatives of “talking down” Scotland, claiming they were hoping for a recession so they could blame it on the prospect of a second independence referendum.

Alex Salmond v the BBC: A short history

The former First Minister has criticised the BBC’s coverage of Scottish politics on a number of other occasions. In August last year he accused the corporation of having a “blatant” anti-independence bias.

In an interview with i in 2015, the former First Minister also said that his “biggest regret” of the independence campaign had been failing to foresee the extent of the corporation’s “institutional bias”.

The BBC has always denied bias of any kind. In response to Mr Salmond’s latest comments, a spokesman said: “Our coverage focused on reporting expert economic indicators to which we gave full context and analysis.

“We made it clear in our coverage of the original Fraser of Allander report last week and the official figures published on Wednesday that regardless of whether Scotland was technically in recession or not, it’s the general trend that is important.

“Our output on Sunday Politics, Good Morning Scotland and Reporting Scotland had contributions from all sides reflecting on this.”

Professor Graeme Roy, director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, said: “Our reports on the current health of the Scottish economy are based on rigorous independent analysis and are made publicly available for all.

“The Fraser of Allander Institute is proud to bring together internationally-renowned economists to provide informed analysis to a wider audience than ever before.

“Our latest commentary and analysis of this week’s positive GDP figures provide a comprehensive and impartial assessment of current trends in the Scottish economy – analysis which is entirely consistent with both this week’s GDP data and wider economic indicators.”