One of the grubbier aspects of the SNP Government is its persistent quest to show that devolution doesn’t work. It’s not that they wish to demonstrate giving some authority to Scotland is bad, they want us to believe that the cause of every problem is they don’t have complete power.
Those in the queue for a ferry which won’t be coming or wondering why standards in Scottish Schools are collapsing or why there are now so many more potholes in our roads – all of which are policy areas completely within the power of the Scottish Government, and in each of which it has made a total horlicks – might dare to suggest that complete power for the useless Scottish Government, and the SNP Government is useless, might not be such a good idea.
No matter. Despite the mounting evidence of their incompetence all the SNP’s efforts are bent towards persuading us that Scotland’s place as a devolved part of the UK just won’t do. This requires them at all times to try to show devolution isn’t working instead of doing their actual job which is to use the considerable powers they do have in the interests of the people of Scotland.
Nowhere is that trait more obvious than in infrastructure. The astute reader may have noticed that Scotland is not blessed by a position in the middle of Europe and is in fact at its edge. Worse, unless you fly (increasingly a social no-no) or take a ferry (relax – there aren’t any) in order to get to mainland Europe you need to go through England and no amount of wishing or digging by the SNP is going to change that.
What is therefore obvious is that connectively between Scotland and the other parts of the UK is very important to us not only because England is by far our biggest market but because it is the gateway to wider markets.
Amusingly the much-maligned Boris Johnson totally gets this. He has appointed Sir Peter Hendy, a transport expert, to lead a review with a view to improving transport links across the UK. This is a good idea.
Just think of all the obvious candidates the Scottish Government could have put forward on our behalf as projects for inclusion in the review as worthy of investment by the UK.
UK money could be used to ensure Scotland gets greater benefit from HS2, the embarrassing A1 and A75 roads could have been put forward for upgrades, the case for the extension of the Borders railway to Carlisle could have been vigorously pressed.
Sadly this is not what has happened. The SNP’s bizarre response was that this review undermined devolution and was not to be co-operated with, full stop. This is in marked contrast to the eagerness which they used to co-operate with the EU to obtain funding for exactly the same purpose.
The real reason for this pathetic stance is obvious. Transport links which better connect England, Scotland and Ireland in an improved UK wide network are obvious examples of the Union working clearly and directly in Scotland’s interest. This sort of thing, despite being good for Scotland, doesn’t chime with the Nationalists plan to make us feel so hard done by that we want to leave the UK.
The Scottish Government sniggers at Boris Johnson’s desire to at least consider a fixed link between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Then, as part of its consultation on the solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful route , it puts forward not one but four bridges including one between Dunoon and Gourock which in relative terms is a bigger investment for Scotland than a bridge to Northern Ireland would be for the UK. Pot, kettle, black – but the Nationalists never have the grace to see it like it is. The job of the Scottish Government is not to try to wreck devolution but make it work – it should get on with it and stop being childish.
Guy Stenhouse is a Scottish financial sector veteran who wrote formerly as Pinstripe
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