Leader: SNP’s bold vision would be just the job – in Dreamland

Published on Wednesday 7 December 2011 02:08

FOR reasons both immediate and longer-term, Scotland urgently needs an infrastructure programme. For this to lift business confidence, attract investment and galvanise momentum and support, it needs to strike a credible balance between boldness, achievability and immediate practical benefit.

Yesterday, Alex Neil, minister for infrastructure and capital spending, unveiled a programme that lacked for nothing in boldness. It spans 54 projects with a price tag of “up to” £60 billion over 15 years.

Also announced yesterday (though not included in that £60bn figure) was a commitment to a stretch of high-speed rail running from central Scotland to the Border, there to link up with the HST2 project when (or if) it extends north of Manchester. The cost to the Scottish Government of this stretch in Scotland is reckoned at between £8bn and £9bn. Other calculations put this figure as high as £13bn. The completion date – assuming HST2 is indeed extended north of Manchester – is put at 2040, almost 30 years hence. Evidence of economic benefit will be required.

Now recognition of the vital importance of infrastructure is long overdue. That is why a clutch of business organisations yesterday – including CBI Scotland, the Scottish Building Federation, Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry – all gave this announcement a broad welcome. Given the bleak forecasts for the economy and the near certainty of further rises in unemployment, the move of capital spending programmes to the centre of the Holyrood administration’s purpose and mission cannot come soon enough.

However, on financial practicality, this programme founders. It is not so much realistic finance as Dreamland economics. It rests on heroic assumptions that the SNP administration will secure maximum borrowing powers; that private-sector finance will cascade in and that other funding will be found from within the Holyrood budget. It also assumes a political commitment to these projects stretching at least 15 years ahead, covering the independence referendum and beyond. Even assuming such ambitious borrowing can be raised, the cost of that finance is not mentioned once.

For many, the biggest disappointment will be over the déjà vu – or déjà lu – impact of the package. Many of the projects “unveiled” yesterday have already been well trailed: dualling of the A9; the replacement crossing over the Forth; the reduction of Glasgow-Edinburgh journey times; the Southern General Hospital (where work has already started); more energy-efficient homes and expansion of digital broadband. Not to deliver these would be a retreat from existing commitments.

Finally, two other issues need addressed urgently: what are the priorities within this list of 55 projects? And how soon they can be made “shovel-ready”? Outside of Dreamland, time, as well as finance, is of the essence.

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Bunch of malcontent whingers

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 06:59 PM

#8 Iteration is a common method of education, which is exactly what the SNP are doing. I'd lay money that it is part of the strategy to promote a "YES" vote in the referendum. All the griping and whinging of the opposition will just serve to highlight the SNP's long term approach to improving the future of Scotland.

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Logie88

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 11:31 AM

#2 You are absolutely right. The beef is that the spin doctors are presenting this as a new programme whereas it is only the existing long term capital programme repackaged.

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e2toe4

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 10:59 AM

They're totally unrealistic ...what is needed are projects with vison and ambition..and an eye catching £1000 Billion decent sized big number attached..North Sea Tunnel to Norway, with a branch to Denmark so no-one need drive or train through England to get to Europe. ------ ---------- ------------- A few puny dual carriageways with a bit of Hospital building is still thinking far too small...we need to get out of the Billions and into the Trillions. ---------- ------------- -------- -----------------

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neoloon

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 09:56 AM

God forbid that Scotland should have ambition - that would never do in a unionist dreamland.

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JPJ2

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 09:24 AM

"Now recognition of the vital importance of infrastructure is long overdue" Does the "overdue" refer to yourselves? The SNP has been going on about this for eons. It was never a priority for the Lib Lab coalition at Holyrood was it? I'd prefer to be in dreamland rather than supporting the continued government of Scotland by the Tories, who would seek to thwart much of the SNP's infrastructure plans, and that is the de facto effect of your emotional Brit Nat opposition to Scottish independence as it results in the Tories being in power over Scotland the majority of the time. "Dreamland?"-your "vision" of a future Scotland is an avoidable nightmare!!

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gus1940

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 09:09 AM

Surprise Surprise - JP spread their customary blanket of Doom and Gloom over any positive initiative to improve life in Scotland

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A Thouroughly Decent Bloke

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 07:42 AM

Oh and Westminster announced a hiatus on thier HS rail link - therefore a hiatus will be equally applied to Scotlands connection. Wheres the beef?

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A Thouroughly Decent Bloke

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 07:41 AM

£60bn over 15 years. That's £4bn of capital spending a year. Or 13% of the annual pocket money from Westminster per year. To me, that seems about right. Where's the beef?

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Mercutio

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 07:12 AM

"Yesterday, Alex Neil, minister for infrastructure and capital spending,"------------------------------------------------------------------------------Has he spent the £100k profit he made from the Edinburgh house he sold, the mortgage of which was paid by the taxpayer. You can take the man out of Labour, but you can't take Labour out of the man.

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