Strathclyde Business School academic is new member of Council of Economic Advisers

Five new members of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) have been announced to support the Scottish Government's efforts to promote inclusive growth while tackling inequalities. The Council is being tasked with ensuring the policy mix is right for delivery of the new Economic Strategy.

New members of the CEA appointed directly by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon are:

• Sir Harry Burns ‒ Professor of Global Public Health at the University of Strathclyde and former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Sara Carter ‒ Professor of Entrepreneurship and Associate Deputy Principal of the University of Strathclyde, and member of the Scottish Government's Strategic Group on Women and Work
• Professor Mariana Mazzucato ‒ RM Philips Professor in the Economics of Innovation, SPRU, University of Sussex. Professor Mazzucato advises the UK Government and the European Commission on innovation-led growth
• Amanda McMillan – Managing Director at Glasgow Airport and Chief Executive of AGS Airports Limited. A Non-Executive Director of Business Stream, and serves as a member on the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
• Professor Anton Muscatelli - Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, academic economist and former consultant to the World Bank and the European Commission.

Aligning competitive economic growth and equality is crucial if Scotland is to build on the relative success of recent years and face up to the challenges that lie ahead, according to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The CEA meet bi-annually and have provided advice on issues covering childcare and its importance to the economy, Scotland’s international presence and outlook, entrepreneurship and the importance of education and skills.

The First Minister said, "The Council's focus on competitiveness and reducing inequality reflects the fact that these are crucial areas if Scotland is to build on the relative success of recent years and face up to the challenges that lie ahead.

"To support this focus, I have invited five new members to join the group, which I believe has provided a strong balance of expertise for achieving both objectives. I am pleased to be able to draw on international expertise relating to these issues with existing Members such as Professors Stiglitz, Mirrlees and Ruane whilst the addition of Professors Muscatelli, Mazzacuto and Carter add expertise on areas including innovation, inequality and entrepreneurship, coupled with the unique perspective of Sir Harry Burns (former Chief Medical officer for Scotland) and, of course, the business expertise of Jim McColl and Amanda McMillan.

"The Scottish Government and our Council of Economic Advisers face a challenge, one that we are determined to rise to, and that is how we better align the objective of economic growth with a fairer and more inclusive economy which maximises the potential of all people within Scotland. This is not an issue specific to Scotland given international trends but is particularly pertinent for Scotland given the financial backdrop of the UK Government’s austerity measures and the impact that these have had on individuals, families and on crucial public services."

CEA Chair Crawford Beveridge CBE said, "I am delighted to continue to Chair the Council of Economic Advisers. The First Minister has set out a clear remit for us to advise upon on. Improving the competitiveness of the Scottish economy remains central to our work but aligning the objective of economic growth more closely with the need to tackle inequality and ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate is really important as we have seen a growing disparity in these outcomes internationally. It is an honour to work with such a distinguished group and to help shape government policy relating to these important objectives."