Burning Issue: Should Alex Salmond go to the Middle East to fund Scottish public projects?

Published on Sunday 28 September 2008 22:30

Yes ALEX NEIL SNP MSP and member of Holyrood's finance committee

The SNP are working toward a fairer and wealthier Scotland. As part of that, we are consistently working to secure new jobs and investments for Scotland, and to build the infrastructure that can deliver economic growth.

With people around the world having a strong affinity for Scotland, building our trade links is an essential part of making Scotland a wealthier nation.

Already the Scottish Government is delivering an impressive series of infrastructure projects and, importantly, is doing so without creating the extreme profits for private sector investors that were allowed to escalate wildly under the previous Labour administration.

In building Scotland's infrastructure, it is vital we secure the best possible value for the taxpayer. That's why the Scottish Government will no longer use ridiculously expensive PPP and PFI schemes backed by Labour, which deprive communities of access to their assets.

The Scottish Futures Trust, chaired by the well respected financier Sir Angus Grossart, is an essential part of delivering that value for money, making sure the benefit to taxpayers comes before the profits of private investors.

Last week the SNP Government was not only promoting Scottish business and tourism in the USA, but it was also building business links in Hong Kong, putting Scotland on the world stage. With global financial markets increasingly dominated by countries in the Middle East and Asia, the First Minister's plans for a visit to Qatar will be welcomed by all those with an interest in seeing new jobs and new investment in Scotland.

No

ANDY KERR MSP and Labour finance spokesman

Alex Salmond's plans for a Scottish Futures Trust are in ruins. In opposition, the SNP promised to match Labour's investment in new schools "brick for brick".

Since they won the election, we have had 18 months of wasted time, in which ministers have failed to commission a single new school. Alex Salmond promised dynamism, but he has done nothing but dither, and our children are paying the price.

When SNP ministers came to Parliament, they offered precious few details about the Scottish Futures Trust.

Instead, we were dazzled by the appointment of leading banker Sir Angus Grossart and told that this "poacher turned gamekeeper" would sort it out.

Alex Salmond is reported to be travelling to Qatar to seek funds for the new Forth Road Bridge and other major infrastructure projects.

If he expects to be received with an open cheque book, then good luck to him, but here too he may have dithered too long, as much of these sovereign funds have been affected by the global credit crunch.

This visit also suggests to me that even the First Minister has lost faith in the Scottish Futures Trust.

Worse still, the SNP now look likely to break another promise. We were told they would explain how the new Forth Road Bridge would be funded before the end of the year.

Alex Salmond should also show some humility and accept that his Scottish Futures Trust is utterly discredited. He recklessly ditched PPP, basing much of his criticisms on old models of PFI, and now he has no alternative.