Wanted: Glasgow SNP for cross party consensus
Friday, 25 September 2009
So the outrage for the SNP cutting the Glasgow Airport Rail Link are now well known and we now have 5 months to campaign to convince Alex Salmond and John Swinney to change their minds.
Yesterday the leader of Glasgow Council met with the First Minister and lobbied for GARL but of course if this is to be successful this can't be seen as a Labour/SNP or Glasgow/Edinburgh fight.
And credit where credit is due. Glasgow's sole Tory MSP Bill Aitken has spoken out saying that he will "highlight this in the course of the Budget debates." Lib Dem Robert Brown has also said that this is an "outrageous decision" and Patrick Harvie has stated that "Fastlink is not a substitute for the true public transport improvements that the GARL project would have brought"
So what of the SNP? In May 2007 a number of new SNP MSP's were given the honour of representing and standing up for Glasgow so what have they said on this?
Bob Doris: "The cost of the GARL project had spiralled too far from the original costing to represent value for money at a time when Downing Street is slashing the Scottish Budget."
Bill Kidd: "The full project couldn't be completed because Labour and the rest have insisted that Edinburgh will have an expensive tram system which has taken £500m away from Glasgow and the rest of Scotland."
Sandra White: "GARL is no longer sustainable given Westminster's cuts in Scotland's capital budget."
Anne McLaughlin: "Despite the savage Westminster cuts imposed on Scotland by London Labour, the SNP government is increasing spending on Glasgow's NHS by nearly £50m."
It's incredible how loyal SNP MSP's will be to their party that even when Glasgow is losing out they will not even lobby for the city they represent. It's all very well to go for the blame game at an election but surely one of the perks of being in a party of Government is that you can use your influence to stick up for your constituents?
And is it really the case that every Glasgow Nat MSP believes that given a tight but increasing settlement that this was a project that should have been cancelled? Does anyone really believe that they would be saying this if it was a Labour Government cutting GARL?
Glasgow is not being represented by it's Glasgow SNP MSP's.
Compare this to politicians like Patricia Ferguson and Glasgow North East by election candidate Willie Bain who openly campaigned against school closures even though it was a Labour Council that was closing the school. They believed it wasn't in the interests of their constituents so they campaigned against it.
I would say that the people of Glasgow won't forget who actually represents them but of course every MSP quoted is a list MSP and so it's incredibly hard to campaign to get rid of them and I suppose they thought that in this way it was an electorally risk-free cut.
But it is interesting that Nicola Sturgeon has been remarkably quiet on this as the only constituency MSP in Glasgow. For me the most important moment in the election in 07 wasn't losing safe seats like Fife Central or Cunninghame but Govan which as the Deputy FM said was "the first ever SNP win in a general election in the city of Glasgow."
I have heard her stick up for the Scottish Governments record on Glasgow but nothing on the decision. Nothing yet from Wllie Bain's by election opponent David Kerr either. These are the 2 people who could actually lose out from this decision.
UPDATE: Oh, and John Mason too...
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18 comments:
its weird that everyone in the snp has the same opinion all the time. some folk diss the labour msps for being drones but they have rebelled occasionally.
Malcolm Chisolm on the Megrahi stuff, or even Pauline McNeill on the Trident vote years ago. Either the nat MSPs are drones or the govt. whip is very very good.
If it was a policy in their manifesto they were elected on I could understand it but on an issue of priorities in a budget I find it incredible that they are not sticking up for Glasgow.
Salmond told Purcell to grow up yesterday and it is about time the rest of Labour did as well. Budgets are being slashed so something has to give. A project which would be nice but fundamental surely can not be a priority over front line services. We have an excellent bus link and I suspect studies would show most folk use bus links from major airports as they are cheaper and just as quick.
Maybe about time ET and Herald investigated Purcell's fake promises like the non existent apprenticeship's in his pledge he has failed to deliver on rather than just acting as a mouthpiece for him.
You have to remember if your party's purpose is independence then it's pretty easy to keep everyone on side and to keep their heads down in pursuit of the "greater goal". I think there would be a bit more SNP internal dissent only if they are in power for 10 years and don't achieve Independence.
Why do you think the airport rail link is so important to Glasgow?
I'd think that a high speed rail linking Scotland to England was a much higher priority, reducing the unnecessary air travel between Glasgow and the major English cities.
A decent shuttle service between Gilmour street and the airport could easily do the job of a new Rail link - Given the street layout, that's more than feasible.
(FYI 8 trains an hour with a journey time under 15 minutes leave Gilmour street for Central)
Anon (1)'s point is valid. But here's where I want an argument with you Yousuf.
You say: "Glasgow is not being represented by it's Glasgow SNP MSP's."
Does that mean that Edinburgh is not being represented by it's Labour/ Tory/ Lib Dem/ Green MSPs who voted for the trams?
I think what you mean is that they disagree with you - and many others in Glasgow. But that is not the same as not being represented.
Your views are being represented by other Glasgow MSPs - just as folk in Edinburgh who are anti-tram are represented by their Edinburgh SNP MSPs - that is the beauty of PR.
Jim, for me the big argument is not tourism that you referenced in another comment where I think you are right the effect will not be massive but in increased business.
Both in terms of the rail link itself but more importantly in the reduction of congestion in the way-too-congested M8 will be very helpful for the city, as well as everyone who wishes to travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh of course.
Malc - the distinction I would make the trams is as follows.
Various parties made a view on them based on what they thought was best for their area, and to be fair every party to my knowledge has been consistent in their position.
The distinction I would make with GARL is that I don't know of any SNP MSP's who opposed the rail link before or ever suggested it could be used as a sacrifice if budgets were tightened yet are now defending it as their party support it.
As I say if a Labour council were going to close a school or there was a hospital closure without their being a solid case for it I would accept Labour MSP's to be equally independent in sticking up for their constituents.
Yousuf,
I've already conceded that consistency is an issue (alluding to Anon 1's point) and I accept that charge can be levelled at the SNP on this issue. Then again, arguably situations change, and you have to recognise that financial restraints are going to mean budget cuts - perhaps the SNP MSPs would still like the GARL to go ahead but would rather see hospitals stay open in Glasgow or something - its about priorities.
Anyway, my point was simply about your characterisation of Glasgow SNP MSPs not representing their constituents which I don't think is accurate. Disagreeing with an MSP's position is not the same as not being represented.
still yousuf - your previous argument being flawed - what £400 million CAPITAL project will you cut to pay for the £400 million GARL - answers please
Which national project will lose out?
"As I say if a Labour council were going to close a school or there was a hospital closure without their [sic] being a solid case for it I would accept Labour MSP's [sic] to be equally independent in sticking up for their constituents."
Have the Glasgow Labour MSPs been standing up against Glasgow City Council's school closures?
Yousuf, what I want to know is what you would drop in order to save GARL, if you think it's so important?
Complaining about cuts is all well and good, but the key to (decent) opposition is to provide a credible alternative.
Patricia Ferguson and Willie Bain opposed the closures.
Its about priorities. Are you saying that no Glasgow SNP MSP wanted to pioritise regeneration through GARL?
I also wrote about how to fund it in an earlier post, I can't link to it as I'm on the blackberry here
I think people need to remember that the upgrade to the Paisley-Glasgow line is going ahead at the cost of £182 million. What they have cut is the branch line to the airport itself. They are of course completing the M74 and that is what is supposed to deal with the wider issue of congestion. And Fastlink is going ahead. What Stephen Purcell refers to as a dagger in the heart of Glasgow is the decision not to build the one mile of track that goes to the airport and nowhere else. It's ridiculously overblown language. By the time we get to 2011 the SNP in Glasgow will be able to point to the M74 extension completed, the Paisley line upgraded, major upgrading of the Glasgow-Edinburgh lione, the rest of the Commonwealth Games infrastructure well underway - including Dalmarnock station - not to mention other capital projects like the new Southern General and of course other policies people will benefit from like council tax frozen for 4 years, hundreds more police officers on the street in Glasgow, business rates slashed, free prescriptions etc. Labour will have to come up with something a bit better than the airport link to portray the SNP as anti-Glasgow!
"Are you saying that no Glasgow SNP MSP wanted to pioritise regeneration through GARL?"
How much regeneration can be brought by a mile of track? I think if BAA and NetworkRail think it's viable, then they should go for it.
I'm sure there are plenty of Glasgow MSPs who'd rather see two airport links instead of some trams in Edinburgh, but you see, only the SNP MSPs voted against those trams...
Quite a lot of regeneration as nto only does it improve transport links from the airport to the city it also reduces congestion on the M8 which is incredibly important for improving business links.
For the Trams there was a disagreement about whether or not they were in the best interest of the capital. That's fine, it's politics.
But the point here is that there are no Glasgow SNP MSP's who were against the regeneration potential of GARL but they have decided to slavishly follow Salmonds lead rather than stick up for their constituents when it comes to priorities for funding.
It just goes to show you they are SNP MSP's first, and Glasgow MSP's second.
They haven't slavishly followed Salmonds lead rather than stick up for their constituents when it comes to priorities for funding.
Firstly Salmond did not decide to dump the link, John Swinney did. Secondly Swinney did not dump it because he hates Glasgow but because the advice he was given was that costs were spiralling and it wasn't worth the money and thirdly obviously he made sure Glasgow members were on board before announcing it.
"For the Trams there was a disagreement about whether or not they were in the best interest of the capital. That's fine, it's politics.
But the point here is that there are no Glasgow SNP MSP's [sic] who were against the regeneration potential of GARL but they have decided to slavishly follow Salmonds [sic] lead rather than stick up for their constituents when it comes to priorities for funding."
Can I just congratulate on some spectacular doublethink?
"Patricia Ferguson and Willie Bain opposed the closures."
I'm assuming you mean SCHOOL and nursery closures.
Really? Tell me what demos Willie Bain went to? Tell me what public meetings he went to? Tell me what response he made to the so-called consultation. Tell me what he even SAID (never mind DID) about the school closures BEFORE the final decision was taken because, I had never heard of him until the by election came about and that was AFTER the decisions on schools was taken. I think his old primary school was up for closure and still, this local guy who you say "opposed the closures" kept his mouth shut. Or am I wrong?
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