Chancellor's Budget a "Threat to Scottish Jobs"
With a General Election for the UK Parliament likely next year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer's annual Budget speech to the House of Commons this week was inevitably up-beat and pointed to the "longest period of sustained economic growth in the UK for 200 years", low interest rates, low inflation and low unemployment. The Budget itself did not introduce any radical changes or any major tax increases (or decreases for that matter). But opposition parties in Scotland focused on the plans to go ahead and place paper tax stamps across the top of whisky bottles, despite the strenuous resistance from the whisky industry. The stamps are intended to provide physical proof that duty has been paid on each bottle but will be expensive for whisky companies to implement. They also argue that the figures calculated by the government for tax avoidance are grossly over estimated. Scottish National Party MP Alex Salmond attacked the plans, commenting "Two years ago, he (Mr Brown) was warned against a tax hike on the oil and gas industry but he did it anyway. Jobs were lost and the industry is still recovering from the damage that was done. This year, he has blundered into imposing damaging tax stamps on whisky, which threatens jobs in this vital industry." Jack McConnell, the Scottish First Minister has also publicly criticised the tax stamps, a most unusual move as all such disagreements between members of the Labour Party are normally kept behind closed doors.
Unemployment Down Again
The number of people claiming unemployment in Scotland fell again last quarter. At 96,100, it is the lowest level since 1975. Even so, the jobless percentage in Scotland is higher than the UK average. Increases in income earned by those in employment surged to 4.4%, up from 3.5% in the three months to December. The increase was being attributed to bonuses being paid in the private sector.
Record University Funding Package
Funding worth £212 million has been allocated for research in universities for 2004-05 - a rise of 11.6% compared with the previous year. The rise is part of the funding allocation package unveiled by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council this week. This package allocates to individual universities over £800 million being invested by the Executive in higher education for 2004-05. The aim is to increase the higher and further education budget by 16% in the three years up to 2006.
UK Capital for Refugees
Glasgow has twice as many asylum seekers per head of population than London and has more refugees than in Wales, Northern Ireland and the east and south-east of England combined, according to government statistics. There are around 5,565 refugees living in free accommodation in Glasgow, often in the poorer parts of the city. The City of Glasgow Council is the only one in Scotland participating in the UK government's dispersal scheme which was aimed at moving asylum seekers from the south of England where many of them had entered the country. The Council is proud of the fact that Glasgow has welcomed asylum seekers for over 30 years, long before the current dispersal programme.
2,500 Extra Seats on Peak Trains
The first eight of 29 new trains bound for the Scottish rail network were introduced this week on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route, Scotland's busiest commuter line. These new trains will result in a 37% increase in seats available on the Glasgow to Edinburgh route and will help tackle overcrowding. At a cost of nearly £4 million each, these new trains are part of the biggest single investment in rail to date. In total, more than £100 million is being committed to these new trains which will also allow replacement of some of the older and poorer quality trains. Passengers will benefit from modern cleaner and more reliable services. But it won't happen overnight - it will be twelve months before all 29 trains are delivered.
Glasgow and Edinburgh in Race for Sports Arena
The Scottish Executive have earmarked £50 million to create a new national indoor sports arena. A number of local authorities have registered an interest in attracting the building to their part of Scotland but Edinburgh and Glasgow have the most ambitious plans. Last week, Edinburgh unveiled a plan to create a complex costing £110 million. This week it was Glasgow's turn to announce a 5,000-seat indoor stadium and complex in the east end of the city, near to Celtic's football ground and to upgrade Scotstoun stadium, which already hosts international indoor sports events. The Glasgow proposals depend on getting 40% of the funding from the Scottish Executive and sportscotland but that would leave finance for other regional projects. The Edinburgh scheme, which involves the sale of Meadowbank Stadium in the capital, would leave just £5 million for the rest of Scotland. Tying the Glasgow development to cleaning up the deprived east end of Scotland's largest city should be attractive to the Labour-led Scottish Executive.
Scottish Executive at Tartan Day 2004
Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell will be in New York and Washington to take part in the Tartan Day celebrations next month. For five days, New York will host a range of events ranging from a 10k kilted fun run, a ceilidh, a ‘dressed to kilt’ fashion show, and a parade of pipers and drummers down 6th avenue. The Executive’s 2004 Tartan Day programme includes "Scotland in Central Park" on Sunday 4 April - a 10k qualifier for the New York Marathon, sponsored by the Scottish Executive. Five thousand runners are likely to take part, including Scotland's Finance Minister, Andy Kerr. Also on Sunday, Showcase Scotland is an exhibition of the best of Scotland and participants include VisitScotland, Scottish Parliament, National Museums, several universities and SDI. On Monday, 5 April, Jack McConnell and Sean Connery will attend a celebrity fashion show "Dressed to Kilt" (see www.dressedtokilt.org ).
Illustration courtesy of Graeme Smith and Tunes of Glory Web site.
Tartan Day in Scotland
Appropriately, the town where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed will be holding a commemoration at the gates of Arbroath Abbey at 1.20pm on the 6th April. In 2004, for the first time, there is a Black Tie Dinner at Carnoustie Hotel on 6th April, where the speakers will include Cecile Shea (U.S. Consul), Professor Ted Cowan (Glasgow University Scottish History specialist). On 7th April there is a Business Breakfast at Carnoustie Hotel and then the Carnoustie Golf Challenge on around the venue for the 2007 Open Championship.
Tartan Day Around the World
Many thanks to the many readers of this Newsletter who have contributed to the Web page detailing Tartan Day events both big and small being organised around the world. See the Tartan Day Events web page. If there are any omissions or updates, contact Scottie@RampantScotland.com with details.
Hydro Power Scheme Rejected
Scottish Ministers have refused the application by Highland Light and Power Limited for consent for a Hydro-Electric Generating Station at sites around Shieldaig and Slattadale in Wester Ross. The scheme would have provided 3.55 MW, generating enough electricity to supply around 5,300 homes. But the Scottish Executive decided that the potential impact of this scheme on an area of national and international significance was simply too high and outweighed the potential benefits. The area of the proposed generating scheme is located in an area of mountain and lochs within, or close to, a number of nationally and internationally designated sites recognised for their specific importance with respect to landscape character and because of the presence of both European and UK protected plants and animals. Many organisations had registered objections to the scheme including Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Council, the John Muir Trust, and the Mountaineering Council for Scotland. Since 1999 the Scottish Executive has approved five proposals for wind farms and four proposals for hydro power stations. This Shieldaig application is the first to be refused since the setting up of the Scottish Parliament.
Mackie's Licking the Cream in Far East
Family-owned ice-cream company Mackie's has signed an exclusive deal with its Korean partners to supply its products in lucrative markets in Japan, Singapore and China as well as Korea. The deal with the Aberdeenshire company should see an increase in output and staff. Mackie's currently derives around 5% of its current turnover from Korea but the number of ice-cream parlours in Korea is to grow from 35 to 100 franchises by the end of the year before expanding throughout the Far East. Mackie's were the official supplier to the World Cup in South Korea in 2002 and have built on that base.
End of Amo, Amas, Amat?
Not so long ago, entry to a Scottish university required a pass mark in Latin. Now, the only university in Scotland to offer teacher training in Latin and Greek has suspended the course, because it says demand is so low. But a campaign has been started to persuade the education minister to save the "Classics" because it is being claimed that the course is being axed to save money. Although most independent (fee-paying) schools still offer Latin at Higher and Advanced Higher level, only 34 out of 577 state secondary schools do so. Last year the number of students taking classics at Standard Level rose by 30% and students doing honours courses at university are up by almost a third. If the teacher training is indeed abandoned, schools will have to recruit from outside of Scotland.
Baxters Cooks Up Profits Growth
Baxters, the family-run Speyside company which is famous for its range of canned soups has unveiled a 36% rise in profits in the last year. Founded in 1868, the company has embarked on an expansion policy since Audrey Baxter became chairman four years ago. It has grown more than 50% since you took charge. In addition to introducing new products and label design, the company has followed a policy of acquiring companies with products which fit in to the Baxters range. As a result, turnover is expected to rise above £100 million next year. Baxters has lost count of the number of approaches made to take them over but there is now speculation that they may be heading for a stock market floatation. Baxters is now establishing a few niche direct sales outlets in addition to its own "Highland Village" attraction at Fochabers. The entire Baxters range is now available in a unit at the Ocean Terminal at Leith and they are the anchor tenant at a new tourist centre being developed at the Tullibardine distillery at Blackford on the main Stirling to Perth road.
Forth Bridge Scuppers Warship Design
The design of Britain's largest and most expensive warships has had to be altered - because it didn't fit under the 114-year-old Forth rail bridge. The two new aircraft carriers costing £2.9 billion are 950ft long and the 60,000 tonne monsters have only 150 feet to allow them to pass under the bridge as they sail up the Firth of Forth to the naval dockyard at Rosyth. When the USS carrier Nimitz visited Scotland in 1974 it had to anchor at sea as it was 207 feet above the level of the water.
Police Hunt for Slippery Customer
Police in Fife were hunting for a seven-feet long carpet python which either escaped or was stolen from a car in the Rosyth area. They warned the public to be careful if they came across the snake as it could be dangerous. If it escaped, however, it is unlikely to survive for long in the cold Scottish climate. Although it is not poisonous, it is a constrictor and could cause injury if it managed to wrap itself round anyone who got too close and didn't know how to handle it properly. The python is a "family pet" of someone living in Dunfermline and is valued at £600.
Angling Reels in £113m for Economy
According to a report published this week, angling is worth £113 million a year for Scotland's economy and supports almost 3,000 jobs. If correct, the value is higher than that generated by golf. The report by Glasgow Caledonian University and Cogentsi Research International includes the results of surveys of anglers and fishery owners throughout Scotland. The Highlands derives the largest financial benefit but central Scotland accounts for more than a third of the angler days in Scotland. Commenting on the findings, Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson said: "Angling is reputedly Britain's biggest participative sport. For a long time, there has been a perception that angling was important to the Scottish economy. This report makes that perception a reality. The sport of game and coarse angling, not only helps foster an appreciation of our country's natural resources, but also brings clear economic benefits to Scotland, particularly rural Scotland."
Bid to Stop Frogs Croaking
Great Western Road in Glasgow is one of the busiest trunk roads in the city but frogs spawning in Bingham's Pond beside a hotel beside the road do not appear to have learned the rudiments of how to cross a road safely. As a result, at the spawning season which lasts from March until July, many of the frogs end up being squished by passing traffic. But now Glasgow City Council is to build a ramp from the bottom of the pond where they spawn to a grassy area so as to steer the frogs away from the road. Road signs will also be erected to inform motorists to look out for the frogs - though whether busy commuters speeding along the road will take avoiding action is probably unlikely.
Whatever
When the trustees of the remote Highland estate of Applecross spotted an advert for the latest Sony computer game using a photo taken of an empty road on the estate with a road sign saying "Whatever", they demanded to be paid for the "use of the view" - and, surprisingly, Sony agreed. Copyright experts are amazed as it has always been accepted that copyright law can only be applied to public works such as statues and buildings and cannot be used for landscape. Proof is required that items were "created from original thought" and this cannot be applied to a landscape. Sony obtained permission from Highland Council for the photo which was taken from a public road and not on the estate. Sony say that they "made a small donation to the Applecross people."
Weather in Scotland This Week
After reaching 13/14C (55/57F) and even 16C (61F) on the sheltered Moray Firth in the early part of the week, temperatures fell again so that by Friday there was an overnight fall of snow on some of the higher parts of central Scotland and maximum daytime temperatures only reached 7/8C (45/46F). Sunshine was in short supply for much of the week with only Wednesday providing any appreciable amounts of sun. There were frequent showers and heavy overnight rain on Friday impacted on some sports fixtures where games had to be postponed because of water-logged pitches.
This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland show first of all the waxy flowers of a Chaenomeles. The picture was taken in Stirling this week - as was the shot of the daffodils (below) on the steep hillside below Stirling Castle. The tiny, packed flowers of the Saxifrage, on the other hand, is growing in my own garden.
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