Click to get your own widget

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

JOHN SWINNEY ON NEWSNIGHT SCOTLAND

I just thought I would mention the appearance of the Finance Minister John Swinney on Newsnight Scotland last night. He was interviewed by Gordon Brewer about the reports issued yesterday one of which said we were doing well & the other badly. Gordon, who clearly does know the facts & figures pointed out that Scotland (like most countries) can be divided into the areas with deprivation (Glasgow, Lanarkshire & perhaps Dundee) the bits that are doing well & tried to get Swinney to commit to the old Labour method of micromanaging these area & pouring all the money in there (they also vote Labour & have the general useless Labour councils - whether this is a cause or an effect, or both, of deprivation is open to question).

Swinney wouldn't go for it. He said that going for growth was the way to do it. Brewer asked him several times in slightly different words & Swinney didn't flinch. That was impressive. He clearly understands that as a rising tide lifts all boats a growing economy is the necessary condition for everybody getting better off.

I didn't approve of Swinney because his support for the Yugoslav war was, if anything, more extreme than Blair's while then & future SNP leader Alex Salmond opposed it but he is an accountant & clearly not only understands the problem but intends to do something.

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

British Blogs.