‘Subdued’ growth forecast for Scottish economy

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.

1. Scotland’s economy will be “subdued” this year compared with other faster-growing parts of the UK, researchers have warned.

PwC’s UK economic outlook predicts growth of 0.9 per cent for Scotland, which would be behind the UK average of 1 per cent.

It would lag behind London and Northern Ireland each at 1.2 per cent, Wales and northwest England each on 1.1 per cent, and the east of England on 1 per cent.

Scotland is expected to grow at the same rate as Yorkshire and the Humber, the southwest and the East Midlands.

Jason Morris, regional leader for PwC in Scotland, suggested that the growth rate could be