Published: Tuesday, 17th November, 2009 1:11pm

Borders lowest paid in country

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LOCAL MP Michael Moore has called on the Government to take action to support the Borders economy after statistics showed that the average earnings of people in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk are amongst the lowest in Scotland.

Figures published last week by the Office of National Statistics revealed that average income in the Borders is the second lowest in Scotland at £18,771. This is almost £14,000 less than the average figure for some areas of Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Only one area, Ross, Skye and Lochaber, recorded a lower average income than the Borders for 2009.

In recent weeks, Mr Moore has pressed the Government on the economic challenges facing the Borders, securing a debate on the future of the Scottish textile industry and challenging the Prime Minister on additional support for Borders pensioners.

Commenting, Mr Moore said: "After 12 years of a Government which claims to be committed to reducing the gap between rich and poor we can see that things are actually getting worse.

"This new research demonstrates clearly that both within communities and across the country as a whole, inequality has continued to rise.

"Closing the gap between average earnings in the Borders and those in the rest of the country will depend on the ability of our local economy to recover from the effects of the financial crisis. It is clear that at present, many of our businesses are not getting the support they need.

"Unless action is taken to address issues such as the failure of the banks to lend on reasonable terms, I fear that this situation is likely to get worse before it gets better."