Today’s Scottish Budget was a typical John Swinney fudge. It is lighter on detail than it should have been and it is disappointing that John Swinney wouldn’t give the figures for more than one year. You might have concluded that John Swinney does not expect to be Finance Cabinet Secretary this time next year. You would be [...]
Archive for the ‘Scottish Parliament’ Category
Yesterday John Swinney, the SNP Cabinet Secretary for Finance and (no) Sustainable Growth told the SNP Conference of “very significant restraint” of pay for all public sector workers in Scotland. Today, Alex Salmond is going to confirm fears that the SNP Government is going to cut the number of police forces in Scotland. The SNP is [...]
There has been considerable concern about “bubbles” – the so called ‘legal high’ – and this was discussed at the recent Harris Academy Parent Council meeting I attended. I raised the matter with Ross Finnie MSP, Scottish Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament. He advised that the issue was discussed in the parliament [...]
The Scottish Budget vote – breaking news
Posted: February 3, 2010 in Scottish Parliament, Tavish Scott MSPScottish Budget 2010 – from Tavish Scott MSP At the end of the Scottish Budget process for 2010 it is worth remarking on some points. Today the Scottish Liberal Democrats have achieved changes to Scottish Government programmes that reflect our priorities. The changes are the ones that we started this whole process campaigning on. We [...]
I don’t much rate the SNP administration at Holyrood, elected on promises undelivered, high on populism and low on any achievement. However, in terms of its long-term legacy of failure, its hopeless management of capital infrastructure financing will cause the most damage. Step forward the Scottish Futures Trust : • The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) [...]
The ‘fat cat’ pay bill in Scotland
Posted: November 22, 2009 in Liberal Democrats, Scottish Parliament, Tavish Scott MSPGood for Tavish Scott in highlighting at last week’s First Minister’s questions the burgeoning cost of Scotland’s public bodies to the taxpayer, with the disclosure that at least 1 798 employees in the sector earn more than £100 000 a year. Six public sector executive board members are paid more than Gordon Brown, the Prime [...]
At the Scottish Parliament today, Scotland’s hapless Education Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop got a bit of a roasting from MSPs, including LibDem Margaret Smith MSP, about her abject failure to cut primary school class sizes in P1 to P3 to 18. Hyslop’s response? She blames the councils, the recession, budget cuts … actually everybody but [...]
The decision of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference yesterday to reject Salmond’s independence referendum proposal (see http://tinyurl.com/referdumno) is a decision I greatly welcome. This effectively kills off the SNP referendum proposal this side of the 2011 election and judging by the latest polls (see http://tinyurl.com/snpdecline) that show the SNP firmly behind Labour in likely seats [...]
Today’s “Scotland on Sunday” (see http://tinyurl.com/scotlandtax) : “Scots facing tax hike and £1.5bn cuts Senior civil servants are making plans for the SNP to introduce a 5 per cent cut in public sector spending – as well as tax increases” Today’s Sunday Times (see http://tinyurl.com/votecost) : “SNP independence drive bill tops £700,000 Cost of [...]
So the SNP new slogan is apparently “We’ve got what it takes” – apparently that doesn’t stretch to our local SNP MSP remembering that Hugh Henry MSP is a Labour MSP rather than a nationalist Euro candidate! But do they have what it takes? To Dump Student Debt – err … no To Abolish the [...]
The article ‘Russell admits secession poll lacks support’ smacks of yet another SNP climbdown, this time over their much vaunted separation referendum proposal - see http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/latestnews/Russell-admits-secession-poll-lacks.5004350.jp to view the full article in today’s “Scotland on Sunday.” Meanwhile the “Sunday Times” reports ‘SNP backs down over drinks curbs’ – another SNP policy down the drain, following hot on [...]
Budgets – national and local
Posted: February 4, 2009 in Budget, Dundee City Council, Scottish ParliamentI am pleased that the Scottish Parliament has finally agreed its Budget – partly, of course, because it lifts the uncertainty that was hanging over the ability of our local authority (and the 31 others across Scotland) in being able to set its own budget a week tomorrow. The degree of willingness to find consensus [...]
I’m pleased that, earlier this week, the Scottish Parliament backed a LibDem motion – by a margin of 61 to 40 – for HBOS to be given access to a £37 billion rescue fund, arguing it should receive the same treatment as other major banks that have been handed the money. It further made [...]
Things getting difficult for the SNP
Posted: October 19, 2008 in Scottish Parliament, Tavish Scott MSPThere is little cheer for the nationalists in this Sunday’s newspapers. In reporting the comments of Professor John Kay, “Scotland on Sunday” sort of sums up the general theme : ‘An independent Scottish economy would be “awful” in the present financial climate, one of Alex Salmond’s key economic advisers said last night. … Kay, [...]
Last week media speculation that the SNP’s honeymoon is over gathered pace as three high profile policies were mired in confusion. “The SNP government suffered a “wobbly Wednesday” yesterday as three flagship policies ran into trouble.”Times, 29 May 2008 “Wednesday, May 27, 2008 may well go down in history as the day the electorate stopped [...]
If I recall correctly, Alex Salmond claimed last May that he was slimming down government, with the creation of Cabinet Secretaries and a slimmed down Cabinet. But, in fact, the SNP government just gets bigger and bigger… It appears virtually all their MSPs are now part of the government. Commenting on the revelation that Alex [...]
From parliamentary proceedings last Thursday, involving Labour member Frank McAveety and our local SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick … ho-hum … Mr Frank McAveety: “Will the member take an intervention?” Joe FitzPatrick: “I would be pleased to take an intervention if the member will talk about Labour’s revaluation policy.” Mr McAveety: “I would like to talk [...]
Hilarity as the Presiding Officer gets a wee bit muddled: The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 64, Against 65, Abstentions 0. Members: Oh! The Presiding Officer: Fifty-five members voted against. What did I say? Members: Sixty-five. The Presiding Officer: Oh well, you know what I am like with numbers by now. [...]
SNP regrets election outcome! Bruce Crawford, SNP Minister for Parliamentary Affairs: “It is clear that the events of the election night in May should not have happened and must never happen again.” (Debate on the Gould Report, 10 January 2008) For once I actually agree with an SNP Minister! And at the rate the SNP [...]
Planning inquiry, Scottish Parliament, Car Parking
Posted: November 17, 2006 in City Centre and Harbour Community Council, Commercial Street, Scottish ParliamentSpent Thursday morning at the Invercase Hotel as the Council’s witness in relation to a planning inquiry (about a West End planning application) and thereafter to Edinburgh for a reception at the Scottish Parliament – day job – European valuers visiting Edinburgh. A few photos below! Spoke with the City Engineers today about their proposed [...]
