Needless to say, they will be neatlessly sidestepping the boneheaded 'anti-Glasgow' line of attack as adopted by Steven Purcell, as if there is any significant difference between Glasgwegians and Edinburgers.
Ah well, that's West-coast thickos for you I suppose...
Anyway, the Tweets I speak of are as follows:
So it looks likely that there will be a motion or a press release coming out soon condemning the Scottish Government for reneging on its promise to the Commonwealth Games committee to deliver the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, as was part of the original bid.
This is all based on my assumption that GARL was indeed a 'promise' and not a mere 'aim'.
First up, it's worth noting that many Commonwealth Games have been held in major cities without rail links and have been a great success. Melbourne (2006) and Victoria (1994) are recent examples with Delhi (2010) also going to be lacking a rail link.
Kezia's charge that these cities may not have had rail links promised in their bids may well be true but it smacks of putting one's fingers in their ears and deciding they've won the argument prematurely. It is, after all, up to the Games' Organising Committee to decide how significant an issue this will be. John Swinney has already written to Games officials to explain his decision and it's very difficult to envisage a scenario where Glasgow won't be hosting the event in 2014 over something as trivial as this, particularly with Fastlink looking likely to get the go-ahead.
Labour were not so slow with their errant criticism that the SNP are 'anti-Glasgow', but the party should be careful with such catcalls in the light of this apparent line of attack.
Surely needlessly playing up the scenario that the dropping of GARL will jeopardise Glasgow hosting the Commonwealth Games is a much more negative message to send than the Finance Minister merely dropping one of the city's many transport projects due to unavoidable cash constraints?
16 comments:
Q - "Which independent countries of the world don't have a rail link to any of their major airports?"
A - Very few, I guess.
Another Q - "Which nations without independent control of their economy don't have a rail link to any of their major airports?"
A - Almost all of them, I guess.
Moral of the tale - Kez is arguing the case for independence but is just too caught up in the latest knee-jerk bile from Labour to realise it.
Can't wait 'til she gets elected. She'll make Richard Baker look thoguhtful and pragmatic.
"Can't wait 'til she gets elected. She'll make Richard Baker look thoguhtful and pragmatic."
Ouch - wonder if Anonymous writes Salmond's jokes?
Nice post Jeff - just like to point out that i don't write any of the Labour party's press releases.
as i said before, as a genuine west coaster, i take issue with being told what is good for me.
as for the bitching about the commonwealth games, neither glsagow central or the airport are anywhere near hampden and/or ibrox/the village, all of which are served by the subway and low level trains.
@kezdugdale
(Or spell-checks for the Lib Dems...)
A motion it is then, I look forward to it.
What were Kez's tweets for the non twits out there
Anon, I included the relevant Tweets in the post as a photo.
I'll add a link to the Labour lass' Twitter page for more pearls of wisdom.
Jeff,
She doesn't write the press releases, she types them!
Either that or she's colour blind and doesn't like using crayons!
Who the hell is going to vote for her after Labour's record in office, we're not in 5th year and Kez yer far too far up Lord Fatty Foulkes' erse to be taken seriously.
Ken fit a'mean
Crazy D
Labour appear to be completely desperate with this one, the closure of schools is obviously hurting them in Glasgow NE.
Nothing like slinging a bit of unfounded mud when your in trouble.
Heard Craig Reedie (spelling?) on Radio Scotland.
He's our "Olympics man" and was obviously chosen by the BBC to put the boot into the SNP. He did however pour scorn on the idea that anyone outside of George Square would worry about the lack of a minor part of the Games 5 years hence. "Things change" was his message. BBC own goal.
Jeff
Anon is right about Radio Scotland.
Sir Craig Reedie was a real tonic to all this fake drama spin by the negative/no ideas party.
Laura Maxwell couldn't believe what Sir Craig was saying. "We all live in the real world", he said.
And.."We've got 5 years to prepare for this, and I'm sure we'll be able to put a bus alternative on instead, and we will."
Finally she asked..
"Does there ever come a situation where a host city or country says "we just can't build something, and the Commonwealth or Olympic Committees say "hang on, this was such an important part of your bid, that we'll have to discuss this with you?"
Sir Craig..
"..the last time was the 1908 Games in London. They were due to go to Naples, but Mt Vesuvius erupted"
LoL
i lived in melbourne for 5 years 98 to 03, working in the airline industry.
there was no demand for a rail link for the games. melbourne is road orientated, the coaches run every 5 or 10 minutes to the town centre from tullamarine in the north west of the city 25kms from city centre, and from avalon, some 40kms away to the south west.
motorways are good and fast except at peak time in the morning rush hour.
the issue was actually more problematical if one wanted to get off before the town centre. it was town centre as the transport hub and nothing else.
if a city of 4 million people does not need a specific rail link city centre to airport, then assuming other public and private transport links work then it is no real loss, and money in mebourne was spent on other infrastructure such as more sporting stadia, which in melbourne is a far more pressing issue with joe public.
i think swinney should say to labour, return the 500 mill your wastemonster buffoons unexpectedly took off the scottish budget figure and the project then gets the go ahead the next day!
this decision to cut revenue was made solely in london.
on topic again, if one thinks about it the size of scotland dictates there really should be only one MAJOR international airport.
edinburgh airport is off the m8 with easy links to glasgow and is the uk's 5th busiest airport in terms of movements. and a commendable 7th in terms of pax.
(not as many big planes so movements and pax do not equate exactly)
250 mill is being spent to expand it over the next 10 years.
perhaps in light of purcell's rant they should change the name and call it central scotland airport so the weegies do not have a heart attack and refuse to fly in protest.
i accept glasgow is the bigger city, and if we were starting from scratch and money was no object we might build the NEW airport at shotts or livingston, or falkirk, somewhere halfway in between, but as of NOW the vast majority of scotland's population is within an hour of "edinburgh" airport, perth, dundee, and yes even glasgow.
for those on the eastern fringe of glasgow going from turnhouse may be quicker and more CONVENIENT than going through glasgow to fly from a smaller airport with fewer facilities close to renfrew.
let me explain my own position as to why this edinburgh -glasgow waffle is a charade.
when i fly to see my folks who live in shrewsbury i fly to manchester and not birmingham. birmingham as a city is a lot closer but the airport is south east of birmingham on a clogged up section of the m6/m1 intersection whereas manchester airport is south of manchester with less busy roads south and therefore it is more CONVENIENT. looking at a map amap you would question it but it makes sense LOGISTICALLY.
so do not equate the airport position with the city!
finally any commitment to finance a project is subject to circumstances being as advised and expected.
for labour to cut the budget and then whinge is classic nit picking. let them say what they would be cutting to pay for another transport project which along with trams is clearly a "want" rather than a "need".
*** as per your twatter; rather disappointed i did not stick to my chair after watching the most popular mr brown in the country.***
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Thanks for the long comment redcliffe, good stuff (and nice work with the gig in Melbourne)
You make a good point about Melbourbe spending its money on sports stadia instead of a not-really-needed train line. It's what the city wants.
In terms of Glasgow, they claim they are being 'ripped off' because they have the most social ills, the most drug problems, the most health problems etc so deserve more money. BUt then spit the dummy out when £300m doesn't get spent on a rail link?
Their Arthur Ashe stadium equates to the extra £500 a head they receive relative to the rest of the country. GARL won't solve the social ills they claim is the city's, and allegedly the country's, main priority.
in melbourne, with the mcg updated oval, the docklands stadium oval, and the new olympic park, soccer shape, they are going to be well served. throw in the new tennis centre and sport is a priority. matches of afl normally have 30 to 60,000, tonight's game collingwood geelong at the mcg may have 90,000 for example.
the key is utilising facilities after the commonwealth games. the games themselves are only a couple of weeks. the games village was used for housing, turning a lower suburb area called preston into one where people really wanted to live.
i agree if health is truly a priority then a rail link to a 2nd string airport suitable only for trips to majorca and tourist centres, (at least without real infrastructure investment), is not a priority in a recession.
i rather hope swinney reads this and notes the total irrelevance of a rail link to the commonwealth games in 2006. to either of melbourne's airports!
in 1981 i visited glasgow as a geography student and met some of the pollies involved in the GEAR, (glasgow east area renewal) project. many of those ideas about health and housing were excellent and had all party support and should not go to waste. that bi- partisan approach is needed again, rather than purcell's divide and rule.
i note that having a rail link from drumchapel to abbotsinch was not part of the agenda!
yep, agreed, i was living in Melbourne earlier this year, albeit only for 5 weeks.
It is amazing how so much can be in walking distance of the city centre and the trains/trams seem to work well, part of the reason why I think Edinburgh will (eventually) embrace the trams once they get here.
Your mentioning sport being a priority for Melbourne is interesting as I think it could be a key win for Glasgow too. Why not make Glasgow a centre for sporting excellence after 2014? What a legacy!
Which is all the more strange that Labour want to paint free school meals as a vanity project. The next generation of Chris Hoys won't be built on pies and beans.
And the SNP should pull their socks up with getting kids doing more sport. I know it's a council decision to set how many hours of P.E. there is in schools but the SNP did promise it in the manifesto so they need to find a way to deliver it.
You see Melbroune and everyone is into cricket, rugby, aussie rules, surfing and even soccer now. It's awesome and the city is bursting with health no doubt as a result.
So yes, you're bang on as far as I'm concerned redcliffe, some joined up thinking and less party political posturing (on all sides) and maybe a real difference can finally be made to a centuries-old problem.
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