On Monday the Scottish Government proposed that the UK needs £80 billion of investment for a Coronavirus recovery plan – equating to 4% of the UK’s GDP. Instead, Boris Johnson has revealed his ‘New Deal’ for £5 billion of investment – 0.2% of the UK’s GDP – in a speech full of rhetoric.
Green New Deal
“You can tell a Green Deal in a second. It involves setting targets, declaring ‘climate emergencies’ and making theatrical speeches about how much you love trees. But there is no identifiable action and when asked what is actually being done there is a lot of talk of ‘investment opportunities’. That just means yet more wealth-stripping.”
Robin McAlpine: ‘Green New Deal’ and ‘Green Deal’ are opposites – Scotland has to choose
“I am sick to the back teeth of independence, a cause very dear to my heart, being kicked around the gutter in a game of image management.”
Robin McAlpine: The impact of the virus on the independence movement
“This crisis is being borne by the people of Scotland and it is the people of Scotland who should have the say on what happens next.”
Robin McAlpine: The kind of political leadership we need – and are not getting
“Times are interesting enough without fettering our country with rules that no longer make sense, never did, and will ultimately leave us vulnerable to another round of crises as the economic cycle returns to ‘normal’.”
