Dear All
You cannot buy something if you don’t have the money to pay for it.
This is simple enough for most people to understand, unless you happen to be in the Labour Party.
Finance Secretary John Swinney scrapped the Glasgow Airport Rail Link in his budget announcement.
The reason; we cannot afford to pay for it.
When Westminister cuts the Scottish budget, there is no choice but to cut capital projects.
Labour however in the shape of Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, said that scrapping GARL was a “dagger in the heart of Glasgow”.
It is a train link Purcell, get a grip on yourself!
The GARL project was part of the bid document that won the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Glasgow, it would be nice to have it but in the long run this will not impact on the Games.
Anyway, here is what Glasgow MSPs say about the issue.
Bill Aitken (Tory);
"I will continue to push for a recognition of Glasgow's metropolitan status. The city has been the poor relation for many years and I intend to highlight this in the course of the Budget debates.
Robert Brown (LibDem);
"Glasgow is hit by the outrageous decision to cancel the long-awaited Glasgow Airport Rail Link. This would have provided a high-quality transport link to visitors arriving in the city, not least for the Commonwealth Games.
Bill Butler (Lab);
"This Government has already shunted Glasgow Crossrail into the sidings and now has completely derailed the Glasgow Airport Rail Link."
Margaret Curran (Lab);
"I am shocked at the decision to cancel the GARL project and I know that serious questions are being asked about the figures used because there are suggestions that the project was robust."
Bob Doris (SNP);
"The cost of the GARL project had spiralled too far from the original costing to represent value for money at a time when Downing Street is slashing the Scottish Budget."
Patricia Ferguson (Lab);
"Glasgow deserves special recognition in light of its health and employment statistics but there is nothing in this Budget for Glasgow. Instead we're being robbed of £120million investment threatening 1300 jobs."
Charlie Gordon (Lab);
"This cancellation is a major blow to Glasgow and Scotland; the fight over the issue has just begun."
Patrick Harvie (Green);
"Fastlink is not a substitute for the true public transport improvements that the GARL project would have brought, especially for Paisley residents and others commuting into Glasgow."
James Kelly (Lab);
"I am furious that the GARL has been cancelled. This penalises those who stay in the central belt and will cost 1300 jobs directly and many more indirectly."
Bill Kidd (SNP);
"The full project couldn't be completed because Labour and the rest have insisted that Edinburgh will have an expensive tram system which has taken £500m away from Glasgow and the rest of Scotland."
Johann Lamont (Lab);
"It is a cruel and irrational decision to cancel GARL. That project was not just about creating a faster link to our airport but critically about providing real investment and real opportunities for families across the West of Scotland."
Paul Martin (Lab);
"I will take every opportunity to call for a Metropolitan Supplement for Glasgow. The current economic climate makes it more urgent.
Frank McAveety (Lab);
"The last Labour Government provided a cities growth fund which was fairer than the SNP's Capital City Supplement only for Edinburgh."
Anne McLaughlin (SNP);
"Despite the savage Westminster cuts imposed on Scotland by London Labour, the SNP government is increasing spending on Glasgow's NHS by nearly £50m."
Their comments as you would expect follow along political lines.
However the SNP Government would be wise to set up a sub group to look into the claims of an ‘Anti Glasgow’ bias as this statement has been continually said throughout the last Labour/Lib Dem administration at Holyrood as well.
If proven then the SNP can take action, if there isn’t it will show up those involved making these claims once and for all.
One thing certain about this budget there is still a long way to go before it reaches the Holyrood Chamber for a vote.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
You cannot buy something if you don’t have the money to pay for it.
This is simple enough for most people to understand, unless you happen to be in the Labour Party.
Finance Secretary John Swinney scrapped the Glasgow Airport Rail Link in his budget announcement.
The reason; we cannot afford to pay for it.
When Westminister cuts the Scottish budget, there is no choice but to cut capital projects.
Labour however in the shape of Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, said that scrapping GARL was a “dagger in the heart of Glasgow”.
It is a train link Purcell, get a grip on yourself!
The GARL project was part of the bid document that won the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Glasgow, it would be nice to have it but in the long run this will not impact on the Games.
Anyway, here is what Glasgow MSPs say about the issue.
Bill Aitken (Tory);
"I will continue to push for a recognition of Glasgow's metropolitan status. The city has been the poor relation for many years and I intend to highlight this in the course of the Budget debates.
Robert Brown (LibDem);
"Glasgow is hit by the outrageous decision to cancel the long-awaited Glasgow Airport Rail Link. This would have provided a high-quality transport link to visitors arriving in the city, not least for the Commonwealth Games.
Bill Butler (Lab);
"This Government has already shunted Glasgow Crossrail into the sidings and now has completely derailed the Glasgow Airport Rail Link."
Margaret Curran (Lab);
"I am shocked at the decision to cancel the GARL project and I know that serious questions are being asked about the figures used because there are suggestions that the project was robust."
Bob Doris (SNP);
"The cost of the GARL project had spiralled too far from the original costing to represent value for money at a time when Downing Street is slashing the Scottish Budget."
Patricia Ferguson (Lab);
"Glasgow deserves special recognition in light of its health and employment statistics but there is nothing in this Budget for Glasgow. Instead we're being robbed of £120million investment threatening 1300 jobs."
Charlie Gordon (Lab);
"This cancellation is a major blow to Glasgow and Scotland; the fight over the issue has just begun."
Patrick Harvie (Green);
"Fastlink is not a substitute for the true public transport improvements that the GARL project would have brought, especially for Paisley residents and others commuting into Glasgow."
James Kelly (Lab);
"I am furious that the GARL has been cancelled. This penalises those who stay in the central belt and will cost 1300 jobs directly and many more indirectly."
Bill Kidd (SNP);
"The full project couldn't be completed because Labour and the rest have insisted that Edinburgh will have an expensive tram system which has taken £500m away from Glasgow and the rest of Scotland."
Johann Lamont (Lab);
"It is a cruel and irrational decision to cancel GARL. That project was not just about creating a faster link to our airport but critically about providing real investment and real opportunities for families across the West of Scotland."
Paul Martin (Lab);
"I will take every opportunity to call for a Metropolitan Supplement for Glasgow. The current economic climate makes it more urgent.
Frank McAveety (Lab);
"The last Labour Government provided a cities growth fund which was fairer than the SNP's Capital City Supplement only for Edinburgh."
Anne McLaughlin (SNP);
"Despite the savage Westminster cuts imposed on Scotland by London Labour, the SNP government is increasing spending on Glasgow's NHS by nearly £50m."
Their comments as you would expect follow along political lines.
However the SNP Government would be wise to set up a sub group to look into the claims of an ‘Anti Glasgow’ bias as this statement has been continually said throughout the last Labour/Lib Dem administration at Holyrood as well.
If proven then the SNP can take action, if there isn’t it will show up those involved making these claims once and for all.
One thing certain about this budget there is still a long way to go before it reaches the Holyrood Chamber for a vote.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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