Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Trams for Glasgow

The SNP Government have just announced support for trams to return to the streets of Glasgow ...

... no, I'm not joking - it's absolutely true. Have a look at the 3rd bullet-point here and at point number 4. here ...

Just a couple of days ago, I mentioned the likely failure of the Scottish Futures Trust to ride-to-the-rescue of a replacement Forth crossing as part of the wider "Strategic Transport Projects Review" ... and indeed it hasn't. But not in my wildest dreams did I expect SNP support for trams in Glasgow. You could not make it up.

And, going back to that bridge - we now know it will be additional, not a replacement, and that to fund it via 'conventional finance' will mean front-loading the capital programme with this one, single project for years and years to come. Here's the spin:

"Holyrood ministers have approached the Treasury about increasing the capital budget to fund the new crossing while it was being paid for, with a reduction in later years. However, the Scottish Government has yet to receive an answer."

Now, they wouldn't be thinking of blaming London would they :-((

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

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