Labour aims high on employment

Gordon Brown (right) praised Labour's record on the economy

The chancellor has claimed that full employment in Scotland is "within the grasp" of the Labour Party.

Gordon Brown, on a visit to Scotland, said that Labour would work "night and day" to move the country towards the goal of full employment.

His Conservative shadow, Michael Howard, UK Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy and Scottish National Party leader, John Swinney have all hit back.

They said a further drop in the jobless total masked an appalling growth record.

More apprentices

"Since 1997 we have created a record number of jobs," said Mr Brown.

"We have now people in work than ever before and we are closer to full employment in Scotland than in four decades.

"Scotland is not only eliminating the scourge of long term youth unemployment, but employers are now building on the future by employing more and more apprentices."

But the Tory Shadow Chancellor, who also travelled north on the campaign trail, accused Mr Brown of creative accounting.

Michael Howard hit back at the chancellor's claims

Mr Howard said: "The truth is that 600,000 jobs have been lost across the United Kingdom since Gordon Brown became chancellor.

"Many of them were in Scotland. Business investment is falling. Productivity growth is falling.

"These are the things which matter for our future. These are the things which Gordon Brown ought to be addressing and talking about."

The UK leader of the Liberal Democrats also hit out at Mr Brown's claims.

Mr Kennedy said: "We have been haemorrhaging jobs in manufacturing as a whole, tourism, farming, other industrial sectors, as a result of the overvalued price of the pound.

"That is not something to be optimistic about whatsoever."

'Huge embarrassment'

And the SNP leader pounced on another set of statistics which he said showed the total number of jobs in Scotland had fallen by 24,000 between December 2001 and 2002.

Mr Swinney said the figures, from the Office of National Statistics, proved that the Scottish Parliament, not Westminster, should have control over Scotland's economy.

He said: "It is a huge embarrassment for Gordon Brown and Tony Blair in the week they decide to come up from London and lecture people in Scotland how well everything is going.

"Above all it's dreadful news for the thousands of Scots who are being denied the opportunity to work and provide for their families.

"That is a waste of potential that our country cannot afford."