No startling revelations this week to make us sit up and say "well well", but the building of new schools was Ian Gray's hobby-horse today and I thought he could make a hit with this subject. He did quite well bringing up Ellon Academy because I know it well and it's been in a bad state for at least 15 years. His wee dig about pupils having to cross a road to attend various classes was a little vacuous but that's politics. Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting says 'it's not enough for the government of the day to say well your lot didn't do it either'. I would, labour are the ones who neglected them for 50 years, but I would like to think he means the SNP really do have to come up with a way of funding such projects and fast. They've had two years to arrange something and we haven't heard of any progress. Alex Salmond was given enough leeway by Ian Gray to get a chance to inform the Parliament of the Scottish government's progress on the issue of school building/upgrades and Ian Gray lost his bulls eye.
Aunty Annabelle concentrated on the legal loophole allowing prisoners in Scottish prisons to sue the Scottish government in cases of slopping out being against their human rights. The compensation in some of these cases is back-dated years and the Scottish government want it in line with the English system where the time limit is one year. Kenny MacAskill made it clear in a speech to Parliament yesterday that he has been doing his utmost to work with the Westminster to achieve this change as they (Westminster) have control over the legislation.
Tavish Scott was absent but I'm confused about the reason. Alex Salmond seemed to think Tavish's wife had delivered another wee Scott but Brian Taylor (at the end) mentioned something about her scan was all right so they're just as confused as me. Mike Rumbles seemed a little confused too. His question was about whisky and the increased cost that would be applied to it by the new alcohol pricing plans. Alex Salmond responded by explaining the big difference between tax rises and minimum pricing, particularly as whisky is in the premium price bracket and is a premium product. Mike Rumbles didn't look particularly interested as he gazed at the rafters. I wonder if he's worried one of them will drop one day and make mincemeat of him.
A good FMQs for the government but how much longer can they continue to be without a solid and fair capital funding policy?
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2 comments:
Ian Gray I reckon knew exactly what he was doing. Get Eck to list his Governments supposed achiuvemts in term of school builing. Already the Labour reasearch machine will be analysing what he claimed against the reality.
Let's hope Alex boasts stack up. He sounded impressive in the chamber as ever. But not the point of the question i reckon.
Ian Gray got exactly ye answer he was looking for. Watch next week's FMQs for the real action
I think Alex will have done his homework well as always AWC. The last stooshie, when they insisted he lied, has proved he didn't.
They really need to come up with a funding policy though - like yesterday.
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