It's all a matter of Parliamentary Record

I've had several nationalist-leaning friends bemoaning one of my posts from a few days ago ... their line of accusation has been:

OK, we know the First Minister is liable to occasional exaggeration and bluster ... he's a politician for goodness sake ... but that Finance Secretary is a decent bloke, not like your usual careerist Party-hack, so back off would you?

Well, believe it or not, I did think very carefully before putting up the post in question - and I concluded I should publish it because he DID speak an untruth. Whether that's his usual style, others can decide?

... but do have a look here at the relevant debate from the Scottish Parliament on the 27th June 2007 - specifically go to col 1130, and read on a bit and you'll see the Minister for Transport makes it quite clear what the cancelled tram money would have been used for: bus developments.

Now, later in that debate, said Cabinet Secretary took part and never mentioned schools - in fact, no one from any Party mentioned schools.

I'll continue to be polite about it - but frankly, it is an untruth to suggest that tram monies would have been used for schools if the project had been cancelled.