Sometimes the cliche can be the best way for describing a situation. So the old phrase "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you" seems an appropriate way to describe things at the moment.
Today's papers are full of reports about the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) demanding answers to eleven questions from the SNP about independence. (Take a look at http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1204270.0.0.php) This story gets my blood boiling in various ways.
Firstly, there is the fact that the SNP have already answered these questions. The CBI's query had already reached the SNP and they did the organisation the courtesy of responding outlining their position in relation to each question posed. So for the CBI to then release a story to the press that they are demanding answers to these same questions strikes me as more than a little bit
snide.
Secondly, the CBI are claiming that they are seeking a meeting with Alex Salmond, with more than a hint in their spin on this "story" that he is being uncooperative in arranging this meeting. It is my understanding that in actual fact Alex Salmond offered to meet with the CBI in the SNP's response to them. Again, this is just a snide claim by the CBI.
The CBI are quite entitled to participate in the body politic by seeking to represent the interests of their members. However it seems to becoming quite the habit for the CBI to focus their energies on attacking Scottish independence and less on making any form of positive case for business interests.
In this way they are becoming less an organisation equipped to fight for those business interests in Scotland and more a fully feldged arm of the unionist body. And the irony is that they are doing business a great disservice in doing so.
The SNP has repeatedly set out its business credentials - not because we want to become in thrall of the business community, but because we recognise their role in ensuring a revitalised Scottish economy that can go some way to lifting people out of poverty and getting the unemployed off the dole and into work. In other words because we see not only the economic need in being pro-business but the social need as well.
The party has made clear commitments to abolishing business rates for the 120,000 smallest businesses in Scotland and for reducing rates for a further 30,000. Whilst this might not directly benefit many of the members of the CBI themselves, the SNP pledge to reduce corporation tax from 30% to 20% certainly would. These policies, along with many others put forward by the SNP would allow business to much more readily flourish in an independent Scotland than in devolved Scotland. So in attacking independence - as this story was undoubtedly designed to do - they are doing business absolutely no favours.
Its seems then that the CBI is less the Confederation of British Industry and more the Confederation of Bristish Unionism. This is nothing new though. This is the same CBI Scotland that in 1997 opposed devolution (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/news/09/0908/scotland.shtml) and this is the same CBI Scotland that has for the past few months done nothing but pour scorn on the independence movement.
Iain McMillan, the Chief Executive of CBI Scotland, has been busy in the last few months in an exchange of opinions in the various letters pages of our media with both Alex Neil MSP and Jim Mather MSP. For some reason he seems to think it is his business to be an ardent unionist despite there being a weight of evidence that independence can benefit the business community in Scotland. Doutbless there is an MBE or some other bauble in the post for him. But he and his organisation, by their strident opposition to independence are doing the people they claim to represent - the business community - absolutely no favours. They are doing our country none either.
Today's papers are full of reports about the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) demanding answers to eleven questions from the SNP about independence. (Take a look at http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1204270.0.0.php) This story gets my blood boiling in various ways.
Firstly, there is the fact that the SNP have already answered these questions. The CBI's query had already reached the SNP and they did the organisation the courtesy of responding outlining their position in relation to each question posed. So for the CBI to then release a story to the press that they are demanding answers to these same questions strikes me as more than a little bit
snide.Secondly, the CBI are claiming that they are seeking a meeting with Alex Salmond, with more than a hint in their spin on this "story" that he is being uncooperative in arranging this meeting. It is my understanding that in actual fact Alex Salmond offered to meet with the CBI in the SNP's response to them. Again, this is just a snide claim by the CBI.
The CBI are quite entitled to participate in the body politic by seeking to represent the interests of their members. However it seems to becoming quite the habit for the CBI to focus their energies on attacking Scottish independence and less on making any form of positive case for business interests.
In this way they are becoming less an organisation equipped to fight for those business interests in Scotland and more a fully feldged arm of the unionist body. And the irony is that they are doing business a great disservice in doing so.
The SNP has repeatedly set out its business credentials - not because we want to become in thrall of the business community, but because we recognise their role in ensuring a revitalised Scottish economy that can go some way to lifting people out of poverty and getting the unemployed off the dole and into work. In other words because we see not only the economic need in being pro-business but the social need as well.
The party has made clear commitments to abolishing business rates for the 120,000 smallest businesses in Scotland and for reducing rates for a further 30,000. Whilst this might not directly benefit many of the members of the CBI themselves, the SNP pledge to reduce corporation tax from 30% to 20% certainly would. These policies, along with many others put forward by the SNP would allow business to much more readily flourish in an independent Scotland than in devolved Scotland. So in attacking independence - as this story was undoubtedly designed to do - they are doing business absolutely no favours.
Its seems then that the CBI is less the Confederation of British Industry and more the Confederation of Bristish Unionism. This is nothing new though. This is the same CBI Scotland that in 1997 opposed devolution (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/news/09/0908/scotland.shtml) and this is the same CBI Scotland that has for the past few months done nothing but pour scorn on the independence movement.
Iain McMillan, the Chief Executive of CBI Scotland, has been busy in the last few months in an exchange of opinions in the various letters pages of our media with both Alex Neil MSP and Jim Mather MSP. For some reason he seems to think it is his business to be an ardent unionist despite there being a weight of evidence that independence can benefit the business community in Scotland. Doutbless there is an MBE or some other bauble in the post for him. But he and his organisation, by their strident opposition to independence are doing the people they claim to represent - the business community - absolutely no favours. They are doing our country none either.
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