Fuel prices petition
The fuel prices petition instigated by UCVO has reached the Petitions Committee, who somewhat unexpectedly have not kicked it into the long grass.
Sympathetic to the arguments being made, instead of using the Petition to pick a fight with Westminster, the Committee have asked the Finance Minister, John Swinney, to see what he can do and to explore the range of powers available to him.
Than, and only then, should the matter be raised with Alasdair Darling and Westminster.
Now this seems to me an eminently sensible approach of establishing the (in)ability of the Scottish Government to improve the situation before we run off to chase the Westminster Government. I am sure that there are some powers that can be used - if the political will is there - and these will give the Scottish Government even more leverage over Westminster.
It looks like a potential winning situation for the islands, and one we need to watch very carefully.
Sympathetic to the arguments being made, instead of using the Petition to pick a fight with Westminster, the Committee have asked the Finance Minister, John Swinney, to see what he can do and to explore the range of powers available to him.
Than, and only then, should the matter be raised with Alasdair Darling and Westminster.
Now this seems to me an eminently sensible approach of establishing the (in)ability of the Scottish Government to improve the situation before we run off to chase the Westminster Government. I am sure that there are some powers that can be used - if the political will is there - and these will give the Scottish Government even more leverage over Westminster.
It looks like a potential winning situation for the islands, and one we need to watch very carefully.
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