Good news!
The oil companies have conceded a major saving to the Western Isles.
As a spokesman said:
Of course, this isn't the vicious, nasty, rapacious oil companies but a bastardised version of the press release from Keith Brown and the SNP Government as the ferry fare increases are reduced from fatal to utterly crippling.
There is, as always, and alternative view.
This view is from the derrière of Mr Brown where Mr Allan was obviously desperately searching for promotion, as he described a 50% increase as "major progress". Please protect me from "minor progress".
As a spokesman said:
Today we are providing more evidence of our commitment in support of the Western Isles and everyone in those communities. We are investing £2.5m on these transitional arrangements for consumers next year. This will ensure all consumers will face rises of no more than 50% in any year over the transitional period.Bunting in the streets, and double hemlock all around.
Of course, this isn't the vicious, nasty, rapacious oil companies but a bastardised version of the press release from Keith Brown and the SNP Government as the ferry fare increases are reduced from fatal to utterly crippling.
There is, as always, and alternative view.
This view is from the derrière of Mr Brown where Mr Allan was obviously desperately searching for promotion, as he described a 50% increase as "major progress". Please protect me from "minor progress".
18 comments:
SMOKE AND MIRRORS ON FERRY FARES FROM SNP GOVERNMENT
In response to SNP Transport Minister’s statement, David Wood of Woody’s Express said:
“The SNP government and their local representatives are twisting in the wind on this issue. After weeks of denying that their flawed ferry pricing policy would take millions of pounds out the islands’ economy the Government has just conceded that they’ve found £2.5 million pounds of “transitional relief” for islanders. This “transitional relief” represents a slow drawn out death for our economy. The withdrawal of support still represents a brutal blow for our communities, in reality island customers will have to find the equivalent of £ 2.5 million, every year, to make up for the removal of support. The SNP Government constantly fail to recognise that this is not a “hauliers issue” but a matter for every man, woman and child in our islands – our campaign must continue and it most certainly will”.
Gail Robertson – of DJ Buchanan Haulage said:
“By stating that no fare will increase by more than 50% - is the minister saying that he is content with fare increases of 49.9%? the level of support available for commercial traffic for islands is being greatly reduced. Mr Brown keeps referring to hauliers and the prices they will pay – this is not a tax on hauliers but a tax imposed by the SNP Government on island households and island communities. The OHTG is meeting with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar later this week to see how we can win more concessions for our islands. We have got momentum but we have to continue the fight until we retain what our islands currently enjoy, if not people and island based business will pay dearly. We are pleased that the Government is taking up our idea of having a proper impact study. In the meantime they should leave the current support in place”.
Under labour the Island had no RET, something is better than nothing.
Re 10.43
You're a great believer in crumbs from the plate.
Labour's issue was the expense involved in bringing RET to all islands that would benefit - from the Firth Of Clyde to Orkney.
The SNP rushed in where angels fear to tread, giving it only to a constituency where they themselves might benefit politically. Now, they're having to withdraw it, inch by inch, bit by bit...
So I suppose it all depends what you think was the more honest and considered approach.
12:57 Let's look at what actually happened, as both parties have had power for several years.
Labour: RET not brought in.
SNP: RET brought in for the Western Isles.
Seems pretty straightforward. Which part of this do you not grasp?
Re - 12.57
Let's look at what actually happened...
Labour - Looked at RET. Did their sums. Decided that it was too expensive to introduce it to Western Isles, Inner Hebrides, islands of the Firth of Clyde - all the communities that might benefit from it.
SNP - Looked at RET. Did their sums. Decided that it might be worthwhile to introduce it as a 'pilot scheme' to the Western Isles, helping to win that seat for them.Later on, took fright at the cost of it, especially as Orkney, the Inner Hebrides, the islands of the Firth of Clyde were asking for equal treatment. Decided to withdraw it. First for the hauliers. Then for the ...
Cheap at the price...
David please tell us how much you reduced freight charges by during the ret period; I seem to recall some hauliers stating " they didn't want ret", and would not reduce haulage charges
6.30 we all know what happened last time Labour did their sums; Darling claimed people would come to the islands to benefit from cheap fuel.
The "prudent chancellor" flogged the family gold for a pittance. They Bankrupted the Country for the 3rd time in living memory; I don't think anyone will accept their "sums" they have made a b***s of most things so far
This shows that the Western Isles is no longer a key seat for the SNP. They can aford to loose the seat and ABM/AA.
However I think they feel it is safe (but obviously willing to take a gamble) and as such they can wield the axe without too much concern. There is little credible opposition from labour or anyone else. Even if RET was pulled altogether would the SNP really loose enough votes to allow the likes of DJM and thon other fellow (voted forward as a candidate by absentee coories via the post box) ever get elected? I doubt it.
All politics needs credible opposition which in the Islands right now we don't have, which is a real shame as the Islands have a lot of talented people. I'm not a SNP fan however when ABM & AA came along I thought that between them they may have been able to achieve something good for the Islands however I've not seen it. All good intentions when they stand but once voted in they just nod to their boss.
What a lot of garbage. The Hauliers didn't have any support previously, and when they were given it we have seen no evidence of savings being passed to the customers, and they are now scaremongering the customers they didn't benefit into backing their case.
Why has the Council Leader not set up a Thatcherite Task Force to take on the Fuel Price Scandel that is hitting the Islands FAR FAR worse than this.
The poor sulking Labour supporters and councillors are clutching at straws on this one. The very same hypocritical fools that got a kicking last year and hopefully get kicked out this May. You know the ones who didn't support RET in the first place and the others who sit in their Fuels depots and offices on the side of Scottish Fuels.
Re - 3.32
This is an example of justification after an event.
If the SNP had such concerns about hauliers abusing the public purse, why didn't they raise it as an issue till months after the May election? Why did they give the Western Isles electorate the impression that things were going to carry on as before and then change RET some seven months after being re-elected? If haulliers failing to pass on the benefits of the RET scheme was such a serious problem, why didn't the SNP warn hauliers that they were considering changing the situation a year or so ago?
Despite the slavish response of some SNP supporters, this cannot be justified in any serious way. I can't believe that their loyal legions are even trying to do so.
RE: 12:57 PM
Oh dear, your still in denial about your parties self destruction which was long overdue.
The country as a whole is crippled due to Gordon Brown's cavalier approach to fiscal management, labour never do there sums, if they had they'd have stopped spending at the rate they were years ago.
Idiot.
How do you square accusing Comhairle of flawed consultation on Schools then run a cosultation to 28th March and bring in changes 29th March. In between already impose the higher prices in the booking system and change the goal posts twice during the cosultation period.
Pot & Kettle
"RET here to stay" or what ever version makes the token gesture believable.
Re- 9.54
'You are...' or 'you're' mispelled as 'your'
'Their' mispelled as 'there'.
Entire argument irrelevant to the issue of RET and the broken promises made to the local electorate in May 2012 that it would continue in its present form.
And you call someone else an 'idiot'???
1.20pm
What utter rubbish you write.
I will go back to 1994 when 5 Labour councillors were elected "the first political group on CNES". At that time the local SNP were horrified that the council was being politicised "As Angus can confirm".
In the present Council the Labour Party have 2 elected members where as the SNP have 4 elected members. Of the independent councillors Labour have 9 sympathisers, where as the SNP have at least 8 sympathisers.
As for RET no one fought as hard or was as vociferous as the last Westminster Labour candidate D J Macsween.
Can you tell us what the SNP Government have done for businesses in the Western Isles since taking power.
I will give you a couple of things. Stopped ADS for businesses and are now stopping RET for hauliers.
We also hear the local SNP on about the Schools program in the Islands which I was and am totally opposed to as the contracts should have been kept locally. But what is the the SNP doing with in the new Forth Bridge. Hypocrites to the core.
p.s. by the way I am 6.50 pm who called you an idiot, but I think the cap may fit.
10.45 am.
Sorry the last post should have rear I am not 6.50 pm.
You will never have a grasp of local or national politics as you are to temperamental.
It is people like you who give the SNP a bad name. If you do not agree with us you are an idiot.
Even when you know your party is in the wrong you will not admit to it.
Your rantings are very similar to that of the Anderson Road Jeweller and the Point letter writer.
p.s. Can you tell me where there was anything communist in the last post?
Like I said previously. If the cap fits wear it.
Re - 10.45
I was the person who called you an idiot.
I apologise now for this. I shouldn't have bothered.
Some things are far too obvious.
Let's back to more serious points...
At present, the Tory Government is being rightly and heavily criticised in the media for the way they are conducting their NHS reforms. Specifically, there's the way they chose to meet only selected groups at a political summit on the subject, ignoring those who opposed them.
Isn't this exactly how the SNP acted when they attempted to select those who represented the hauliers etc at their meeting about RET? Coupled with this, there is the fact that none of the changes proposed for RET were announced at the election in May, leaving the electorate to assume that things would carry on as they are.
Yet their supporters continue to defend these clear breaches of democracy their party has been guilty of undertaking...?
Frightening!
@8:53 PM
I didn't vote SNP so I fail to see to see how I'm giving them a bad name.
What staggers me about labour in Scotland is they don't acknowledge their failure in Scotland, they still haven't got why the people voted them out, let’s not even start on the main party in Westminster. A government tha created the FSA, says it all really. And the Scottish party opposed RET and now bleats because it's been removed, laughable.
It'll 20 years before you get back into power so suck it up my anonymous commie chums.
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