The Sustainable Growth Commission represents the first major work produced by the SNP on the topic of economy, currency and independence since the 2014 "Scotland's Future" White Paper.
The Sustainable Growth Commission was set up by Nicola Sturgeon in September 2016 after Britain voted to leave the EU, as part of a "new conversation" on Scottish independence.
[8] The SNP launched a series of "National Assemblies" in summer 2018 in Ayr, Aviemore and Edinburgh, specifically to discuss and debate the findings of the report with a view to coming to a consensus.
Alex Neil, an SNP MSP and former government minister, said that he believed the issue should be debated to show that the party was not afraid of public scrutiny.
[11] There was criticism from opposition politicians, including Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard (with the latter branding the Growth Commission as the "cuts commission", referring to the budget cuts that the report deemed necessary to lower the deficit), as well as some independence campaigners who were anxious that capping public expenditure and keeping the pound could damage the case for an independent Scotland.
[3][12] George Kerevan, a former SNP MSP, worried the six tests could leave Scotland using the pound indefinitely and result in cuts to services and spending.
[13] The Common Weal, a pro-independence think tank criticised the Annual Solidarity Payment [14] saying that Scotland should not be reliant on "buying in" services from the United Kingdom.
[18][3] The Fraser of Allander Institute questioned how a country running a deficit could be able to build up reserves, but recognised the report as an important contribution to the debate on Scotland’s economic future.