Promises, promises, promises
An article in today's Scotsman with more comment on RET makes for very careful reading.
No-one can disagree with Mr Manford: -
Donald Manford, chairman of transportation with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) said that reducing transport costs was essential if the islands are to be properly integrated into the rest of Scotland. "This could be part of the promised nation building."
But the words of the Transport Minister are key: -
"The Scottish government is committed to commissioning a study into RET as a mechanism for reducing ferry fares. We will announce our plans for that study in due course."
I think that my previous hopeful comment was a bit too early, as we are not even past the stage of planning for the plans for the study. Perhaps at some point someone will actually do something rather than just talk about talking about it.
Note to self: increase scepticism
No-one can disagree with Mr Manford: -
Donald Manford, chairman of transportation with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) said that reducing transport costs was essential if the islands are to be properly integrated into the rest of Scotland. "This could be part of the promised nation building."
But the words of the Transport Minister are key: -
"The Scottish government is committed to commissioning a study into RET as a mechanism for reducing ferry fares. We will announce our plans for that study in due course."
I think that my previous hopeful comment was a bit too early, as we are not even past the stage of planning for the plans for the study. Perhaps at some point someone will actually do something rather than just talk about talking about it.
Note to self: increase scepticism
13 comments:
To be fair, given the grief that the opposition parties give the SNP if they announce things in the Press rather than parliament and the fact that Parliament is in recess (heck of a big holiday) perhaps they are not able to say more till after the summer holidays?
Yes, I should have realised that no serious announcements will be made until after the extended 8 week holiday the poor tired MSPs are currently enjoying.
This is obviously a teaser for the Western Isles, but the reaction and expectation should be clear.
I'm giving myself a going over for falling for this old ploy.
I actually don't blame the politicians for a lot of the grief that goes on.
I personally blame the media - their desperate need for 24 hour a day sensations and exclusives drives the need for blame to be apportioned instantly as well as trying to find out what minister X is going to say before he says it.
All the leaks of reports before they are published, statements before they are made and the massive amount of quoting soundbites without context makes for the worst kind of journalism if you ask me.
The world has become too impatient if you ask me.
Maybe we should all get an 8 week summer break? That might make us all more laid back.
Hmm, maybe we should campaign for a law that gives MPs/MSPs/MEPs the same holidays as is the average in their constituency? How popular would that be.
RET wont win seats
Donald Manford said.....
The Transport Minister said.....
Alasdair Allan ....... AWOL yet again. Good to see he is at the forefront of this particularly critical debate.
frankly I would vote in a party which gave RET, I thought that that was precisely what I was doing at the last election
Delivering RET (exactly as promised)will probably act an extra 1000 votes at the next election.
NOT delivering RET will probably lose the next election (all other things being equal).
Delivering anything short of full RET will leave the next election wide open.
I have to admit that I don't tend to bother voting. That said if the SNP did bring in RET then I would feel obliged to nip out there next time and vote for them. Equally if Labour had brought RET in I'd have voted for them.
Anon 9:55,
Do you think it is strange that the RET news was delivered by the Transport Minister?
Whilst Angus didn't include a quote from him, I am quite certain that Alastair Allan has been very proactive in ensuring that this study was given appropriately high priority.
Let's all get behind the study, and hope that it indeed leads to much-reduced ferry fares. Wouldn't that benefit everyone, whatever your political persuasion?
Angus, I share your cynicism. Absent Allan and Bonking Brendan DID promise RET – not a study but the real thing. What kind of study is needed. Surely Angus Brendan has got all the info sitting on a shelf in his office. If he doesn’t, why not ? What’s he been doing? Ah, sorry, he’s been out buying a new jacket – the last one had some strange stains on it.
Meanwhile, Donald Manford continues to work for us. For years he has been a constant force for good in our islands, I only wish our “national” SNP representatives – worked as hard and were as straight forward as Donald. If he were in Holyrood or Westminster – we would not have had woolly nonsense about studies into studies
'Anonymous 7:01' since you can't be bothered picking a consistent username.
This type of tabloid-like use of alliteration and insulting labels is EXACTLY the sort of thing that puts most normal people in the situation of ignoring most of what you say, which may or may not be valid, purely because you cause them to tune out by using such gutter-talk.
If you really want to critique someone on their job then do it on their job - performance. And I think you will find that Employment law tends to be quite generous in measuring job performance - i.e. they don't fire you after 100 days if you haven't met all your goals for a four year term.
And before you go off about me being an SNP activist - I've never voted SNP, I haven't bothered voting in the last few elections thus I'm apolitical
Anon 7:01
I agree with you regarding Donald Manford. In fact all three of the SNP councillors in the previous council, Donald, Annie and Angus were particularly diligent and worked their socks off for the Islands and the party which is why it was so disgraceful that they have all been sold down the river by our national politicians.
The only thing I don't understand is why Donald continues to support Angus Brendan when he seems to get nothing back from it and why Annie stood under an SNP ticket when she would have been just as succesful as an Independent. To be honest she has been very quiet since re-election.
It seems quite obvious they have both been told to tow the party line now when previously they were strong because they were allowed to voice their own views.
I'll have to stop posting late at night, when I said RET wont win seats I meant it would not win any seats outwith the Western Isles, The SNP need to make inroads into the Labour Heartland and they won't do that by spending what scarce resource they have on RET
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