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Bill Jamieson: SNP's covenant and the lost arc of prosperity



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Published Date: 30 May 2008
By Bill Jamieson
WHATEVER happened to the "arc of prosperity?" I had quite forgotten about it until the finance minister John Swinney jolted my memory this week. Speaking to leaders of the financial services industry at a business breakfast, he reminded them of the SNP's aspiration to match not just the GDP performance of the UK but also "in the longer term" to match the performance of the smaller, northern European economies.
Ah, yes, that arc: the election speeches of early last year came flooding back. The "arc of prosperity" was a shining rhetorical device – often accompanied by an expansive gesture of the arm – by which Alex Salmond, Mr Swinney and other leading ligh...



The full article contains 1033 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 29 May 2008 9:15 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Bill Jamieson
 
1

The Answer,

Glasgow 30/05/2008 00:29:49
Since the landslide snp victory, 10,000 males have become unemployed in Scotland, yet 253,000 males have become employed in England!

What has the snp to say about that?
2

donald,

glasgow 30/05/2008 09:11:24
That's been going on for 300 years.
3

Melly,

Sussex 30/05/2008 10:08:31
The nationalisation of Northern Rock has added more than £92Bn !!!! ( that`s £92,000,000,000 of our money ) to the public debt according to the Office of National Statistics. The UK`s national debt is 43.1% of GDP in March and will now be more. Can Bill Jamieson give us the national debt of these countries so that we`ll get a better idea who is running their country better ?
4

Itchy,

30/05/2008 11:00:01
#1 Labour at Westminster still control all the major purse strings.
5

Neil,

Glasgow 30/05/2008 11:48:46
"Once the envy of Europe, Ireland's economy is set to grow this year at its slowest rate in 20 years. House prices, which had sky-rocketed more than 300 per cent in the past decade, have started to fall"

Unfortunately, since Ireland's average over that period was 7% their slowest rate in 20 years is better than our best in that period. Falling house prices are not inherently any worse for the country than falling computer prices, if they are a sign that there are enough houses to go round. We have developed the idea that houses are for speculating in more than for living in, but this is not really in the national interest, as is now apparent.
6

Rev. S. Campbell,

Bath 03/06/2008 14:46:26
"Growth" is just economics-speak for the gap between rich and poor getting bigger. It's actually the enemy of stability and social justice.

 

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