systemx Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Just watched John Swinney trying to explain the Scottish Futures Trust on Newsnicht,how he managed to keep a straight face while delivering pure gobbledegook was amazing.If it looks like PPP,delivers like PPP,pays out profit and is financed by the private sector then it is PPP.He wants private finance to fund capital projects but wont admit that there will be a return on that investment ,what a mess and still not a brick in place at a new school since they came to power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upthehill Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Yup. But they have less credibility than the other 3 parties, at least the other 3 parties admit PPP is not perfect but they'll use it until a better plan comes along because it does get schools & hospitals built. The nats would rather change it's name and pretend it's a new super idea whilst not actually providing essentials likes schools & hospitals, and how about the new prisons we badly need? Maybe to stop us becoming the total soft touch that McAskill has us on a fast track to becoming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toggie88 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I'm not an economist, but the SFT will save Scotland millions a year. Would you rather put a house on a mortgage or credit card? Plenty new schools are currently being built. I can name 3 in Edinburgh alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
systemx Posted May 21, 2008 Author Share Posted May 21, 2008 Sorry Tog but not 1 school has been authorised since local and national elections all were put in place by previous admins.You may try but you cant defend SNPPP.It is a watered down scheme where the Nats cannot issue bonds at Holyrood so are hoping for a consortium of local councils to do the same.Returns to private funders are expected to be 15% exactly the same as the latest PPP schemes and Argyll&Butes not for profit scheme which is for profit.. NOT 1 BRICK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 What we have had in Britain is an explosion in public spending which will result in an explosion in debt as soon as tax receipts start to go down as the economy slows. In addition to that explosion in public spending there has been an explosion in off-balance sheet debt with the very expensive funding of PFI/PPP. All of this has to be paid back eventually - either by higher taxes or by inflation. The problem is that we have had a decade where the most short termist Government for generations have promised long term decisions but have favoured short term squander in order to curry favour with the electorate. The electorate have been unbelievably myopic. It is starting to fall apart though with the rises in inflation and the enormous devaluation of the pound. A mature debate on public spending (ie how much we wish to mortgage future generations by) would be welcome. But instead we get screeches about 'cuts' and how no schools have been authorised in Edinburgh in the last year. This of course at the time as there is a half billion pound squander on the tram line. I don't know if this SFT offers anything more advantageous than the ludicrous PFI/PPP schemes. But I do know that no political party in Scotland is prepared to have a mature debate on this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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