peter macdonald
20-Apr-07, 14:32
from todays Scotsman!
Q: Some voters take the view that "because Tony Blair lied to us about Iraq, I don't believe what he says about independence".
TB: That's for you guys to make your commentary on. My point is, is the message correct or not? Does this election matter or not? Answer, emphatically: yes. Do they intend to take us down the road to independence? Answer: yes, if they can, and they will be the people in the driving seat. And do they have the right policies for Scotland? I say no.
Let me give you another example, their abandonment of the PPP/PFI - how can you do it? What do business guys say about that? They're turning back the clock. Take the railway from Edinburgh airport; I personally think that is a really important thing for Edinburgh for the future. All the major capitals are developing these railways.
I remain of the belief we can get this argument through because every time we turn to policy, we are strong. Now, when people come to the process of the election, they say, have you got the right tactics, have you got your message across? Now, that's a commentary on the way the election is being fought.
Interesting thing is he has not denied lying about Iraq
"And he accuses the Scottish media of giving Alex Salmond's party an easy ride on policies he insists are "commitments they can't meet". "
Well well he is the man who sucked up to Rupert Murdoch to get the Sun on side Ever look at the amount of column inches the Daily Record gives to the Labour
party You would think they received the vast majority of the Executives advertising revenues OOOppps Alledegedly
Q: Do you really believe that? Are voters not taking a more pragmatic view, because the SNP has said it would have a referendum, so people can say, "Let's see what they can do in government first"?
TB: There are two issues there. One: who has the best policies? And two: is it sensible to have a government that wants to take us to independence, albeit there will be a referendum?
"Now, on the best policies, when you look at the SNP policies, there are unfunded spending commitments they can't meet. Look at the first page of that document they put out; there are pledges of more spending on the health service, education - now, you have to find the money for these things. And then, most particularly, there is the pledge on local income tax, to put 3p on basic income tax. That is an enormous policy change. We rejected a local income tax when we looked at it, for the very simple reason that when you move to an income tax from a property tax, if you have two earners in a household, especially if you have three, you are going to get whacked.
Now at least there should be an analysis of whether that is true or not, and then when the 3p rise in income tax doesn't fund existing council services, that actually you would require a 5p rise, then at least someone should go along and say to them: how do you explain this?
Even on the devolved policies, it's a major shift. The SNP's primary aim is to get independence, to put themselves in the driving seat of a train that leaves the station, destination independence. The referendum is them saying to the country, 'You've got the emergency brake'. But that ignores two things. First, the whole purpose of the SNP in government is going to be to create conflict with Westminster. Second, what happens in the meantime? What happens to the Scottish economy when you have got three, four years of uncertainty about whether Scotland becomes independent or not?
You can argue that's right, you can argue that's wrong. What you can't argue is that it's not fundamental. Let us agree that this election, because of the nature of the SNP case and what they want to do, this is a fundamental election.
The problem at the moment is people say, "But is it really?" Well, yes it is. In part, it's because some of the policies they're proposing, like a local income tax, are a big, big change in itself. If I'd said I was going down that path in Westminster, that would be a major part of an election campaign. When you add to that their desire for independence, how can anyone not say that is a fundamental choice for the future? "
Boy can this man NOT answer a straight question Its incredible to see his inability to be straight forward and honest The rest of the interview is on http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=607172007 if you can put up with the smarm and blue leoww
Im of for a breath of fresh air
PM
Q: Some voters take the view that "because Tony Blair lied to us about Iraq, I don't believe what he says about independence".
TB: That's for you guys to make your commentary on. My point is, is the message correct or not? Does this election matter or not? Answer, emphatically: yes. Do they intend to take us down the road to independence? Answer: yes, if they can, and they will be the people in the driving seat. And do they have the right policies for Scotland? I say no.
Let me give you another example, their abandonment of the PPP/PFI - how can you do it? What do business guys say about that? They're turning back the clock. Take the railway from Edinburgh airport; I personally think that is a really important thing for Edinburgh for the future. All the major capitals are developing these railways.
I remain of the belief we can get this argument through because every time we turn to policy, we are strong. Now, when people come to the process of the election, they say, have you got the right tactics, have you got your message across? Now, that's a commentary on the way the election is being fought.
Interesting thing is he has not denied lying about Iraq
"And he accuses the Scottish media of giving Alex Salmond's party an easy ride on policies he insists are "commitments they can't meet". "
Well well he is the man who sucked up to Rupert Murdoch to get the Sun on side Ever look at the amount of column inches the Daily Record gives to the Labour
party You would think they received the vast majority of the Executives advertising revenues OOOppps Alledegedly
Q: Do you really believe that? Are voters not taking a more pragmatic view, because the SNP has said it would have a referendum, so people can say, "Let's see what they can do in government first"?
TB: There are two issues there. One: who has the best policies? And two: is it sensible to have a government that wants to take us to independence, albeit there will be a referendum?
"Now, on the best policies, when you look at the SNP policies, there are unfunded spending commitments they can't meet. Look at the first page of that document they put out; there are pledges of more spending on the health service, education - now, you have to find the money for these things. And then, most particularly, there is the pledge on local income tax, to put 3p on basic income tax. That is an enormous policy change. We rejected a local income tax when we looked at it, for the very simple reason that when you move to an income tax from a property tax, if you have two earners in a household, especially if you have three, you are going to get whacked.
Now at least there should be an analysis of whether that is true or not, and then when the 3p rise in income tax doesn't fund existing council services, that actually you would require a 5p rise, then at least someone should go along and say to them: how do you explain this?
Even on the devolved policies, it's a major shift. The SNP's primary aim is to get independence, to put themselves in the driving seat of a train that leaves the station, destination independence. The referendum is them saying to the country, 'You've got the emergency brake'. But that ignores two things. First, the whole purpose of the SNP in government is going to be to create conflict with Westminster. Second, what happens in the meantime? What happens to the Scottish economy when you have got three, four years of uncertainty about whether Scotland becomes independent or not?
You can argue that's right, you can argue that's wrong. What you can't argue is that it's not fundamental. Let us agree that this election, because of the nature of the SNP case and what they want to do, this is a fundamental election.
The problem at the moment is people say, "But is it really?" Well, yes it is. In part, it's because some of the policies they're proposing, like a local income tax, are a big, big change in itself. If I'd said I was going down that path in Westminster, that would be a major part of an election campaign. When you add to that their desire for independence, how can anyone not say that is a fundamental choice for the future? "
Boy can this man NOT answer a straight question Its incredible to see his inability to be straight forward and honest The rest of the interview is on http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=607172007 if you can put up with the smarm and blue leoww
Im of for a breath of fresh air
PM