April column (2)

Published on Wed 25th Apr 2007

***************************************************************************************************************

Chancellor damaged on pensions - but predecessors share the blame

***************************************************************************************************************

Gordon Brown appears to have suffered damage from the accusations that he hit pensions by ending tax relief in his first budget against advice from senior advisors.

Part of the problem is that pensions and savings have taken a hit under Gordon Brown's tenure at the Treasury - although the causes are more complex.

Certainly the Conservatives, to be fair to them, did oppose the tax changes although avoiding saying where they would have raised the money or applied the cuts instead (Gordon Brown was, after all, implementing Tory spending plans).

The trouble is the Tories sowed the seeds of pension failure. They sanctioned contribution holidays and allowed pension funds to be invested in the business.

For those with personal pension plans they sanctioned the distribution of so called orphan funds - what were deemed to be "excess profits" made from policy holders.

The sorry scandal of underperforming endowments and failed pension funds has made people understandably wary of investing more into savings or pensions.

That is why we need a pension guarantee that applies to all schemes so that whatever happens most of the money will be secured.

Restoring the earnings link to the state pension is welcome but why should they wait? It will still not make the basic pension enough for most people to live on.

***************************************************************************************************************

English seek identity to share in changing Union

***************************************************************************************************************

Strange that St George's day should occur in the middle of our Scottish election campaign. Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has clearly concentrated the minds of the English on how to promote and sustain their own identity.

The English flag is seen on many more occasions and not only for international sporting events and now one of my colleagues has proposed a quest for an English national anthem for purely English occasions.

Classic FM had a day of playing English music and people talked about looking for a new patron saint instead of St George.

Are these all signs of a growth of English nationalism or the imminent break up of the United Kingdom? I don't think so. It seems to me that all parts of the United Kingdom are redefining their relationships internally and with each other.

This could and should be healthy and reinvigorate the Union. As each of its components becomes more secure in its own identity it is easier to become enriched by what the union offers and less inclined to retreat into a smaller and more restrictive identity.

My only concern is when any one political party tries to adopt national symbols as their own. The English flag should not become a symbol of the National Front. The Union Jack is not the property of the Conservatives or the Unionists; nor does the saltire belong to the SNP.

***************************************************************************************************************

Grampian viewed with more affection than STV North

***************************************************************************************************************

STV is anxious to persuade us that the takeover of Grampian has led to more and better programmes. As I have little time for watching TV I am not the best one to comment.

I do know, however, that killing off Grampian TV and renaming it STV North is popular with no-one. I know it could be argued that Grampian really only describes the North East but the TV station was regarded with affection across its whole transmission area in a way that STV north cannot replicate.

It is ironic that Aberdeen was one of the first outposts of the BBC when it was founded and that for many years Aberdeen was able to boast its own television station. This nurtured talent, which often went on to greater things elsewhere in Scotland or across the UK.

As technology makes it cheaper and easier, local managers driven by the quest for ratings and revenue, look to ever larger audiences. Surely, the time should come when we can do both - fund big national events and programmes and provide couthy local coverage.

Maybe Grampian didn't do that but it felt like it.

***************************************************************************************************************

Transport improvements will happen

***************************************************************************************************************

One persistent question of the election is do you support the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, the dualling of the A90 at Tipperty and other improvements, will they happen and when?

It is easy enough for me to say unequivocally, yes, and I will keep up the pressure for their delivery.

Nevertheless, we must all acknowledge there is a process of dealing with objections through public enquiry which take time. Nevertheless the timetable does allow for this - and I cannot imagine after all the time and effort has gone into these that much slippage will be allowed.

I would really like to see positive action on railways. I see no reason why work should not start soon on the necessary improvement to the Aberdeen Inverness line that will allow for improved frequency, faster services and investment towards an Inverurie-Stonehaven commuter link.

These are the signs that will enable people to judge that the North East is beginning to get a fairer share of transport investment.

***************************************************************************************************************

Good news for schools and more to come?

***************************************************************************************************************

There has been some good news on the education front locally. A drive to recruit more teachers has been launched to meet some of the shortfalls.

A £4 million school upgrade programme has been announced which will please the parents and pupils of Balmedie Primary and Kemnay Academy which Kintore Primary pupils move up to.

Balmedie gets a stand alone nursery, meeting room, disabled toilets and kitchen.

Kemnay gets a much needed upgrade and improvements to provide a dance studio, music room and improved PE changing rooms.

The pressure on facilities was raised with me when I visited recently and I hope it won't increase the frustration of other schools such as Newmachar and Tarves Primaries and Inverurie, Ellon and Alford Academies.

The commitment to keep improving our schools is real but cannot all be done at once. I hope there will soon be more cash for others.

***************************************************************************************************************

Turra Coo remembered

***************************************************************************************************************

So there is to be a statue of the Turra Coo. I think, such is the fame or notoriety of this event, that it should be recorded.

Of course the protest was in effect against the Liberal Government after Lloyd George's People's Budget introduced national insurance payments for employers to pay for sickness and unemployment benefit.

Aberdeenshire farmers were not too keen, although I suspect their workers were.

Now times have changed and relatively few farmers employ outside help and those who do do so at a reduced level.

Well, well. Let's just celebrate the coo and not ask too many questions as to who was on which side of the argument!

***************************************************************************************************************

Supermarkets march on - where next?

***************************************************************************************************************

The march of the supermarkets is a feature of the development of our towns. Work starts on Ellon's Tesco, now a feature of Westhill, Inverurie, Huntly and Keith - when will they reach Turriff?

And word has it that M and S Food, recently opened in Westhill, may come to Inverurie.

Waitrose, the supermarket arm of John Lewis is looking for an Aberdeen location.

This may be good news for many consumers but a challenge for many local retailers. But some have shown they can rise to it and find their own niche.

Change is not always comfortable but it offers opportunity for some.