This is my reply to “Scotland’s Economy – Working to deliver economic transformation” – by Kate Forbes MSP published on the Scottish Government’s blogs.
The economy of Scotland suffered so badly and 10,000 Scots died with the Covid pandemic because the Scottish Government was tied politically to the misgovernment of the Scottish economy and the pandemic in Scotland by the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who, in my opinion, is a man unfit for that office and something of “a killer clown”, so to speak.
Scottish leaders have a duty not only to our fellow Scots but to the people in the rest of the UK to be blunt about Johnson’s failings and to call for his removal from office.
The ministers of the Scottish Government chose to ignore good advice from able Scots, such as myself, to pursue different, more effective pandemic control policies – for effective quarantine for all entrants to Scotland, for faster vaccine supply arrangements, etc. – and instead chose to tie Scottish Government policies to the killer clown’s apron strings, calling that embarrassing dependence a “4 nations approach”, with cosmetic policy differences between England, Wales and Northern Ireland, akin to rearranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic.
It seems to be the obvious lesson to draw that if the Scottish Government is ever to have a “National Strategy” – for pandemics, for economic transformation, for anything – that is worthy of the name – then the National Strategy must be distinctly other than “tied to the apron strings of the UK”; it must be independent of the UK in certain critical areas.
A National Strategy for Economic Transformation must aim to win economically significant Scottish Government borrowing powers and the pursuit of that aim must, surely, begin with a critique of the history of the policies which has left the Scottish Government without such borrowing powers.
In my view, this means repudiating as akin to “UK daylight robbery of Scots’ savings” the policy of the UK since 1999 to deny to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive then the Scottish Government proper, economically significant, £ Sterling government borrowing powers.
Holyrood has always been a pocket-money parliament lacking economic powers and that’s a grievance that the National Strategy for Economic Transformation must address in no uncertain terms.
Scots’ savings have been borrowed by the UK Government and through the Bank of England’s monetary policies, borrowed also by the financial institutions of the City of London – for their banksters’ own enrichment and we may assume often debauchery at the expense of the Scots.
Considering the above, it is curious to me that Kate Forbes would seek the advice of Nick Macpherson, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2005 to 2016 and therefore the top civil servant saying “Yes Minister” to the UK Treasury governing ministers – Blair, Brown, Darling, Cameron and Osborne – the robber-ministers of the Scots from 2005 to 2016.
I assume that Macpherson will not be able to return to the Scottish Government the savings of the Scots which he has embezzled on behalf of his UK Treasury minister bosses – amounting to, over those 11 years, at say the economically reasonable expectation of Scottish government borrowing powers in normal times of 8% of Scottish GDP – about 88% of Scottish GDP – or about £150 billion.
Graph: UK net borrowing rose to 11% of GDP in 2009/10.
Clearly, if surprisingly Macpherson has come bearing a UK offer of compensation to the Scottish government in respect of its unfairly denied borrowing powers over previous years – let’s say a UK cheque for £150 billion payable to the Scottish Government – then I can see why indeed he would be given a seat at the table of Scottish government economic advisers. Otherwise, if Macpherson offers nothing but his empty-hand after the UK’s crimes of theft of Scots’ savings then why is this villain’s name listed as an adviser, Kate?
Macpherson, for the UK, has robbed Scots but I at least am not blind to that robbery. I can see what the UK Treasury has done with Scots’ savings. I encourage my fellow Scots to view this man’s tainted advice with suspicion.
When Scots’ savings are robbed by the UK then the least that the Scottish Government should expect from its own advisers is not to offer bad advice to agree to be a partner in crime for such a robbery.
The Scottish Government should expect good advice never to agree to a bad deal Fiscal Framework Agreement which denies the Scottish Government its proper borrowing powers, never falsely to characterise a bad deal as a “good deal”, as Anton Muscatelli gave bad advice about the 2016 bad deal Fiscal Framework Agreement, so one wonders why Muscatelli is still being asked for his bad advice?
The correct advice, if a good deal on borrowing powers is not on offer from the UK, is to advise the necessity that the Scottish Parliament must now legislate to establish Scotland’s own currency – and I have advised this course of action often, even being so bold as to suggest the name “the Scottish Pound Bannockburn” – SPB – for our new currency.
Scotland having our own currency would mean that 8% GDP borrowing powers in normal times and much more borrowing than that to deal with an economic crisis such as the Covid pandemic, would be borrowing powers secured and unlimited by the UK.
Aberdeen’s “Energy Transition Zone” is compromised by its association with Sir Ian Wood, whom I have already criticised in my earlier email, appended below. However, I do agree that the transition to “green”, renewable energy, offers the Scottish economy many business and trading opportunities.
I would like to warmly welcome the selection of Roz Foyer, the General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress. The advice of this advisory council must be agreeable to the representatives of the workers of Scotland of course.
I thank the other persons who have agreed to have their names added to this list of advisors and my main regret is that my name has not been added to that list.
“This is an official invitation to the entrepreneurs and thinkers, the job creators and the hard workers to join our national endeavour by working with us to make Scotland thrive.” – Kate Forbes
Thank you for the invitation Kate Forbes. I would be delighted to join our national endeavour by working with you and the Scottish government.
I should sadly note that I may not be able to do so as fully as I would prefer, for example, while I am held as a political prisoner or otherwise obstructed by the fascist police state acting on the nods and the winks of the SNP.
Yours sincerely etc.
On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 at 21:35, Peter Dow wrote:
I am forwarding the comment I made for publication on the Scottish Government’s blog post – Scotland’s Economy, Making Scotland a world class tech hub, in the sure and certain knowledge that my comment will not be approved for publication.
As you may know, I have offered to serve as a special adviser to Kate Forbes (and made her some other offers too, no doubt). I stand rebuffed but I still have things to say of relevance to any dutiful Finance and Economy Secretary of any Scottish Government.
“Opportunity North East” is a front for Queen’s man Sir Ian Wood who DESTROYED opportunity in the N.E. as Chancellor of RGU, crushing my academic freedom by continuing the policy to exclude me and no doubt other worthy scientists and academics.
Chancellors Wood at RGU and Camilla at Aberdeen Uni are a FASCIST THREAT to Scotland’s world class tech hub aspirations.
The decades of mismanagement of Aberdeen’s universities by their royalist, fascist officials has set back the economy of Scotland and the UK.
Wood and Camilla are agents of the monarchy that has set back our economy and ruined any contribution I might have made if I had been given a fair opportunity and not put out of both of Aberdeen’s universities by their fascist lawyers like a dog.
Students and the public shouldn’t support ANY university staff pay claim or strike
Democracy and freedom are the solutions.
Peter Dow's preview blog 