Easy loans......

The cycle of meetings at the Comhairle is there so that the usual and unusual decisions can be taken in public view and discussed and approved by the Councillors before being implemented. Sometimes this can take forever, and I remember how frustrating it could be, but such is the nature of democracy.

It would therefore be wholly understandable if a large loan to a high profile local business avoided all these unnecessary complications of scrutiny, due consideration by Councillors, and the pesky need to justify the appropriateness of the plans to repay the loan.

Why should Councillors even need to be told that £50,000 was being given to help a loss making business that was in direct competition with local business who actually pay rates into the Council coffers? I'm sure that all the other businessmen are only too happy to subsidise the competition, especially in these hard times.

Having seen the original business plan in privileged circumstances, I can't comment much further except to say that my analysis of the original figures highlighted the problem that I understand has now come around, and a sensible revision of the forecasts actually poses more fundamental questions that need answers.

No doubt the fact that the accounts showing a huge loss were only lodged after the loan was approved (and paid over?) doesn't mean that there was any accidental misunderstanding over the current position when whoever it was took the fateful decision.

No doubt details of the process will come out, and allow the rest of us the chance to get subsidies for our favourite loss-making business, without the need for financial reality to intrude.