Trust in short supply as SNP fails to carry out its promises

Published on Sunday 23 November 2008 20:34

Government's vows on public building projects leave a lot to be desired – it's time to see some action, says ANDY KERR

TODAY, Fiona Hyslop is opening a school in Fife. Duloch Primary School and Community Campus in Dunfermline will be a fine learning establishment and provide a great environment for the children to learn and teachers to teach. The reason I can be so sure about this is because Duloch Primary has been open since August 2007.

The lack of progress by the SNP on building the schools, hospitals and other major projects has meant that the Education Secretary is forced to formally open schools that have already been open for 15 months to try desperately to show progress.

Like the rest of the school estate being delivered at the moment, the commitment to build was made by Labour, plans were drawn up by Labour and the deals were done by Labour.

Pupils, parents and teachers understand that the SNP are prevaricating when it comes to providing the new improved schools that Scotland needs.

When the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney talked about 250 new schools in this parliamentary term in The Scotsman last Friday, one can only imagine he will be counting schools like Duloch Primary that his party has had little or no involvement in – and schools which they sometimes campaigned against and definitely had no hand in.

This is a shameful ruse and one that few people are buying.

The SNP government has been in power for the last 18 months and in that time, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), their so-called delivery mechanism, has produced a chairman and two board members. Not one school, not one hospital – nothing. Mr Swinney's "jam tomorrow" vision for the Scottish Futures Trust is failing Scotland now.

The Scottish Futures Trust is a mirage, a product of spin and bluster. No future, no trust. In an effort to protect another broken promise, the SNP keeps trying to describe the SFT as a "not-for-profit" model when it clearly is a "for-profit" model.

In fact, it is a "guaranteed profit" model. The idea that companies will build schools, hospitals and major transport projects for nothing is complete fantasy and one that the Nationalists have tried desperately to peddle.

The SNP says that the SFT will save money but have produced no evidence to that effect.

Indeed, the Institute of Public Policy Research think-tank concluded that the non-profit distributing partnership model would generate more profit, rather than less, and could be worse value for money for taxpayers.

John Swinney's approach won't provide the investment that Scotland needs and the SFT is fooling no-one these days while the flagship policy flounders.

Certainly business in Scotland is wise to Mr Swinney's approach. After 18 months of promises to deliver the SFT, evidence given to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee last month could be paraphrased as:

&#149 No-one knows what the SFT will do and how it will do it

&#149 The construction industry is in crisis because of the hiatus in building projects

&#149 The delay is putting off investment in Scotland

&#149 The delay has led to a loss of skills in construction and finance sectors

&#149 Any imaginary SFT savings will be lost through construction costs inflation

While Scotland waits for Mr Swinney to get his act together, the situation gets worse. The Scottish Building Federation said recently: "If we do not take action now, there will be no point in doing so in six months' time when the work dries up. Work is coming through by traditionally funded means, but such work would have come through anyway."

For Scotland to get through the difficult economic times we have ahead, you would think that Mr Swinney would listen to organisations such as the Scottish CBI, The Scottish Building Federation and accounting and consultancy group Grant Thornton. However, he appears hell-bent on proceeding down this financial blind alley.

The real cost of this hiatus will be felt by ordinary Scots. Schools won't get built, hospitals will not be improved and the transport projects we need will remain on the drawing board.

Mr Swinney keeps on talking about facilities like the new Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, but work will not commence on that project for some time – and with some of the cash for that deal being predicated on Glasgow Health Board raising cash through land purchase to fund it, the story is not over on that deal.

Mr Swinney certainly promises a great deal but we know that the SNP doesn't keep its promises.

At a time of global recession Scotland needs consistency and sure-footed leadership. What the SNP can offer is a half-baked, unpopular and expensive quango.

It's time for Mr Swinney to dump his Trust and get on with supporting Scotland.

&#149 Andy Kerr MSP is Labour's spokesman on finance