Blog 2023 Malcolm Blair-Robinson

Senate Inquiry

Scottish Ministers and officials have refused to appear before the U.S. Senate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the release of the Lockerbie bomber. This is the right. The decision to release Al Magrahi, whether you like it or not and whether it was lobbied for or not, was taken by Scotland, under its own law, within its own jurisdiction about a convict serving a sentence in that country for a crime committed in its airspace and on its land beneath.

Whatever the feelings of the American Government, Congress, or people, however outraged they are and however righteously these feelings are held, the plain fact of the matter is their nation, which is still recognised as the most powerful in the world, has no jurisdiction whatsoever in these islands. Once they too were part of us, but they took up arms and kicked us out. So that is that.

Of course we are friends and, yes, there is the Special Relationship and we know how they are hurting and we want to be kind and help. But as they very well know, there are lines in the sand, perhaps none greater than due respect for national sovereignty. This is why we did not summon George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld to appear before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war.

Growth Figures

These are better than expected and better still because they show almost all the growth coming from the private sector. Osborne is pleased because it underscores the view that cutting now is essential, a cry being taken up all over Europe, though not in the U.S. so far. He points out that with growth coming from the private sector, this will take up the slack from the public sector cuts.

It may not be quite as simple as that. Manufacturing and construction did well but most of the growth is from the service sector. If, through cuts, people in the public sector see incomes shrink or lose their jobs, they will spend less in the service sector. If fewer shools are built, construction will be hit.  We have to cut, but we are not yet through the deep dark wood.  Maybe, though, we can pause and enjoy this sunny clearing on the way.