Jump to content

 

 

Recommended Posts

9 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

A women only conference. Is that allowed in modern open Scotland?

Alex's past behaviour partly validates such exclusivity.

 

Is it only people who menstruate or are other women allowed in too?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Home truths to Home Rule,

from Magnus Linklater in The Times. 

 

MAGNUS LINKLATER

Alex Salmond show will be a damaging distraction

Focus should be on recovery from the pandemic and long-term economic decline — not the independence argument

Magnus Linklater

Monday March 29 2021, 12.01am, The Times

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/alex-salmond-show-will-be-a-damaging-distraction-j0rgf65bn

 

John Osborne could easily have written a play about a character like Alex Salmond. In fact he did. It was called The Entertainer, about Archie Rice, a fading old comedian trying to relaunch his career. His audiences grow smaller, he alienates those who were once his friends, and though he can still do the patter, by the end he finds it hard to raise even a laugh.

Salmond knows his return to politics is unlikely to be a stunning success, but, like Rice, he has to do it one more time. “There’s no such thing as failure,” Osborne said once. “Just waiting for success.”

 

The Salmond show can be seen as a distraction, but it is damaging for Scottish politics, nevertheless. It diverts attention from what this election needs to be about, which is recovery — from the pandemic, economic decline, the erosion of Scottish education, the loss of jobs.

It is ironic that Salmond should put the economy at the top of his agenda because his venture is taking the eye off that ball, and substituting an argument about independence.

Nicola Sturgeon can probably head him off on arguments about the when and wherefore of a referendum. A harder question is whether the SNP has a plan for the revival of an economy that has been pulverised by periods of lockdown.

 

There was a time, under Salmond, when support for business ranked high in party commitments. Its 2011 election manifesto — the one that ushered in an overall majority — talked of a pledge to have 100 per cent renewable energy by 2020, create 100,000 jobs for young people, and attract £2.5 billion of private investment in capital projects.

It nearly made the first — renewable energy matched 97 per cent of demand — failed on the second, but did get the Queensferry Crossing built, albeit mainly with public funding. At least it had an economic focus.

 

Under Sturgeon, the promises have been more opaque. The 2016 manifesto spoke of “a national drive to improve productivity, giving support for business, innovation, infrastructure, skills and fair work”.

It is hard to see evidence to suggest this has been achieved. The SNP can claim to have delivered on its promise to extend the small business bonus, aimed at removing firms with a rateable value of less than £35,000 from business rates, and it argues that 100,000 of them have benefited. In the past year, however, more than half of them, according to the Federation of Small Businesses, now fear for their future as a result of lockdown. They cling on with the UK Treasury’s furlough and small business support schemes, but there is little indication of how the SNP would safeguard them.

 

Meanwhile, its record on support for larger enterprises is questionable at best. Flagship investments, like Prestwick airport, Ferguson Marine and BiFab, have soaked up about £400 million with no profit. Two are in administration and the other may well be, without taxpayers’ support.

There is also the Gupta question. The biggest business story of the moment is gathering pace at Westminster as Sanjeev Gupta’s $20 billion-turnover business runs into crisis, with the collapse of Greensill Capital, which funded its growth. Why this matters for Scotland is that taxpayers are exposed for about £300 million should the Gupta empire collapse.

That figure is unconfirmed because it is hard to get at exactly what the deal amounts to. The promise was that 70 new jobs would be brought to Fort William and 200 safeguarded under plans to build an aluminium recycling and casting facility. But now Gupta is in trouble, and hard questions need to be asked about the Scottish government’s exposure, such as how much has gone into the Gupta businesses, what the risks are, and what has been done to safeguard public interest.

 

Sturgeon can claim that her attention has been elsewhere, and that saving lives has been a priority. She can also claim thousands of jobs have been protected during the pandemic, and, helped by a successful vaccine programme, the economy is set to bounce back. But these are achievements made possible by the UK government.

 

Business leaders in Scotland do not like speaking out about the SNP and its economic policies, but it is fair to say that most remain sceptical about its future plans. Meanwhile, particularly in rural areas, some businesses have been lost for ever. In the hospitality and retail sector — so critical for the country’s recovery — there has been devastation. We need to hear more about how the high street can recover, what plans there are to revive hospitality, and what strategy the SNP has to revive an economy that has, over the past year, declined by almost 10 per cent.

 

The first minister can argue that managing Covid-19 has been as much in the interest of business as it has of the wider public. But it has not given her much time to sketch out a recovery programme. Meanwhile her finance secretary, Kate Forbes, has yet to make a discernible mark — this year’s budget was politely described as conservative.

 

The SNP has been in power for 14 years. Bolstered by a working majority it has had the chance to change the face of Scotland and its economy. Yet, on this front at least, it has been the least radical, least innovative government since devolution. Now, as we head for an election where serious questions about all this might have been explored, along comes Salmond to shift attention elsewhere. Like Archie Rice, he has a lot to answer for.

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scott7 said:

A women only conference. Is that allowed in modern open Scotland?

 

1 hour ago, Gonzo79 said:

Alex's past behaviour partly validates such exclusivity.

 

Is it only people who menstruate or are other women allowed in too?

 

I suspect, strongly, that when Eck gropes someone, he is not looking to find the old three piece suite. 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Maybe an opportunity for Deek ‘the texter’ McKay to return?

Given the optics of whats already happened, you wouldn't rule it out.   This already feels very Farage-like.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Serious question, is Vladimir Putin a member of the Alba Party?

 

Both Alex and Tommy(Swingers' Section) work for variations of RTV. It reminds me of Sillars and Robertson launching the Scottish Labour Party in '77. All the members of the SWP, IMG, Maoists, .............. etc at Uni' were card carrying members by the weekend after the launch. All instructed to do so.

 

In Strichen, Cardonald and, Moscow; I can hear the bellowing 'Freedom Come All Ye'. All together now .... Roch the wind in the clear day's dawning ....

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.