Holyrood Happenings

Mike Rumbles' Column

Mike Rumbles MSP

Last Thursday Alex Salmond published his plans for the two question referendum he hopes will deliver his dream of an Independent Scotland. It has taken almost three years to get to this point and the First Minister had been expected to publish the actual Bill but what we got instead was a draft Bill for which he wants yet another public consultation.

So far the Scottish Government has spent over a million pounds of taxpayers' money on this process. His 'National Conversation', the precursor of this particular consultation received scant public participation and what we have now is the Scottish Government aiming to spend up to £12 million on this referendum which few people feel is needed.

The question has to be asked as to why the First Minister has continually failed to actually publish a referendum Bill and bring it forward for a debate and vote in the Scottish Parliament. Professor John Curtice, the most highly respected academic and independent commentator on Scottish politics has said: "Will the referendum Bill be implemented any time soon? Certainly not before May 2011 even if Mr Salmond can find the votes to get his Bill passed. It would appear that the Independence project is running into the sand. History's judgement on Mr Salmond's administration is seemingly destined to be a government that failed to deliver".

The problem is that being a minority government, Mr Salmond cannot get his legislation through the Scottish Parliament and he knows that as soon as he presents his Referendum Bill to the Scottish Parliament it will fail to attract enough support. So we have a situation where Mr Salmond is perfectly happy to waste millions of pounds of taxpayers' money producing one consultation after another rather than getting on with other more urgent priorities.

I know where this money could be more effectively spent. It could be used to make safe the cliffs at the Bervie Braes which are threatening lives and homes in Stonehaven and on building a safe junction on the A90 at Laurencekirk and there would still be cash left over. I have had meetings with both the Finance Minister and the Transport Minister this week on both of these issues. I would much rather they spent our money on these practical issues rather than wasting millions on something which is simply not going to happen because it has neither the support of the Scottish people or of their representatives in the Scottish Parliament.

Mike Rumbles MSP

5th March 2010