Published: Thursday, 15th January, 2009 10:10am

Bridge debate needs Lib Dem support

Comments (0) | Print | Email

JUST what are Willie Rennie MP and Jim Tolson MSP up to over the funding of the next Forth road bridge that everyone is agreed on should go ahead?

In Fife Council the Lib Dems are partners to the SNP in leading the administration but you wouldn"t think so to judge from all the criticism and negative comments that come from their two parliamentary members.

Mr Rennie is a fine talking machine 'supporting' many a popular cause but achieves nothing at Westminster. Mr Tolson should know better as a Holyrood MSP. The Scottish Parliament was set up by Westminster under the Scotland Act and is expressly forbidden from borrowing money on its own account.

This is so different from Westminster which builds up debt year after year and has now reached the highest figure ever under Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.

Now our London government plans to lash out money on 'internships' for unemployed graduates, fund more modern apprenticeships for younger people, possibly extend the school-leaving age to 18 in England, to say nothing of the billions of pounds committed to the banks. But, where are the jobs? Well, in Scotland, there will be thousands of design and construction jobs in building the new Forth road bridge but this doesn"t seem to figure in Gordon Brown"s thinking. These are real jobs not just payouts to the unemployed and should also produce more construction work long-term.

As I understand it, the SNP Government at Holyrood is not actually asking for more money, only for our annual block grant entitlement to be brought forward a bit. Gordon Brown and his Chancellor are doing it for other projects so why not for us? Press readers will make up their own minds.

PFI or PPP money is just not on as it is so very expensive for the taxpayer. Or perhaps Gordon Brown and co want to re-introduce sky-high crossing tolls to pay for it!

As for the Lib Dems, are they not in favour of more fiscal and economic autonomy for the Scottish Parliament so that this situation wouldn"t occur in the first place?

Mr Rennie and Mr Tolson, get off your knees and start supporting your country! You may not support everything the Scottish Government is doing but can you not see what Labour is up to here?

Kyle Paterson,

Oakley.