04/11/2015 Politics Scotland

several of the things we have seen around the opinions of purchasing

managers index, the job figures from the Office for National Statistics,

the Scottish Government's gross domestic product, total output from

the economy, all of them suggest that quite recently there has been

this divergences in the Scottish economy and that of the rest of the

UK. I am speaking earlier today to Professor Brian Ashcroft, and this

is one of the biggest downgrades he has faced. In June it was 2.5% and

it is very much lower now. The economy is starting to slow down.

Worse than that, it is slowing down in relation to the United Kingdom so

we have revised our forecast down to 1.9%. We have revised our forecast

for next year is slightly. Hopefully, we will pick up in 2017.

I guess one thing we ought to say is, Scotland versus the rest of the

UK, it does not mean the rest of the UK is doing better than Scotland.

There will be some regions in Scotland not doing as well. We talk

about the north -south divide and Scotland has not really fitted that.

That is between the south-east of England and the North of England.

Scotland, for several years through the downturn years, has been

performing as well as parts of the UK. Do you have any idea why the

problems are happening now? Oil and gas is the region Scotland is

diverging at the moment. There are positives for users of energy. We

are paying less to pay to fill up our car tank. You would have thought

with much lower energy prices, that would feed through into more

optimism and confidence and investment and indeed the owners of

cars taking the savings from a much cheaper tank of fuel and using that

to go and spend on something else. That simulate the economy. The

Institute are seeing with this report today that Scotland has a

slightly higher average likelihood of taking many to save it than the

rest of the UK. If you save ten or 20 quid on a tank of fuel, because

there are big savings over what we were paying. So we are still

stingy? I thought that reputation had gone. People are paying down

debt. The level of household debt remains as high as it was going into

the financial crisis and that is something we should be much more

worried about than we are. Oil and gas is clearly one of the issue. The

other thing for exported as is the strong pound. Whiskey, oil and gas

are finding it very tough going. A brief word on what has come up

today. Rangers, the employee benefits case, HMRC has finally won

at the third attempt. Long awaited. Does it have any significance? About

5000 companies, I am told, have used the employee benefits trust to

offshore the many that they are paying people. What was argued by

the Holdings group, Sir David Murray's former company, now

liquidated, which owned Rangers Football Club before it was

liquidated, that this was not many being paid for the work that was

done, for the performance of footballers. Three judges today have

come back and said it is common sense that the money was related to

the work being done, not just the players, it was senior managers as

well and this money should have been taxed by the company at source. The

company no longer exists so it is quite likely a lot of that money is

going to come back to the tax authorities. They have to get very

worried. Thank you very much. Now, a human rights group

has criticised what it says is excessive secrecy

surrounding the investigation into claims that Scottish airports

were used as stop offs for planes transferring suspected

terrorists to secret jails. Police Scotland's inquiry

into rendition flights started over two years ago after the BBC was

denied information about the case. Amnesty International called it

a smokescreen. From our Investigations Unit,

Fiona Walker reports. Let the world hear what is

happening! Guantanamo Bay and the voice of the last UK resident to be

detained there. But on Friday he flew into Britain after more than 13

years without trial. Except this time the flight was not a rendition

flight, not like when this man was taken out of Afghanistan in a covert

operation. Police Scotland has been investigating these so-called

torture flights for two and a half years. So what has happened to

Police Scotland's investigation? We asked a series of questions to try

and find out and we have come up against a brick wall. We asked for a

copy of the peace's interim report and access was denied. It is

reasonable there might be confidential elements in a report

like this so we suggested a black some bits out but again, Access

denied. We even asked how many pages were in the report and again, Access

denied. Ultimately, we asked if they had received a crucial document from

the United States government on rendition flights. They were not

able to tell us. Police Scotland's decision on the interim report has

been backed by the Scottish information Commissioner. One of the

reasons given by the police for access is national security. We

already have so much information that is saying things can't come out

because of national security. We just see it as being a smoke screen

to the reality -- smoke screen. That is bringing more of a national

security threat to the UK and other countries than actually having a

very open process where people can be held to account. Police Scotland,

the Crown Office and the Scottish Government all say they can't

comment further while investigations are ongoing. Two and a half years

into the police's investigation, have they come up against this too?

If so, will we ever know the truth? My apologies as some gremlins

appeared to have crept into that report.

Joining me on the programme today is political commentator Gerry Hassan.

Let me ask you something on a slight tangent to rendition, there has been

comment about issues like that and the new interception of Internet

data, a discussion which is going on in Parliament, people saying that we

are down to brass tacks, people don't care. People often don't care

when it is about other people but they do care when it is about

themselves and you can't make public policy in that ad hoc way so I think

people in some way don't quite get it but they realise there is

something at her, there is a lack of fundamental entrenchment of

people's writes. But the problem for the civil liberties camp, it

obviously affects people if they think the Internet history can be

accessed by the state, they might not like that idea, but if it is to

catch terrorists, they are not going to use it against me so what is the

problem? But you can't make law about worst-case scenarios, just

about terrorists, you have got to make the law about everyone. And

people have a suspicion that there is a data gathering exercise by the

state and by states of the world, but maybe it is too big for people

to get their head around and they often think it is just about bad

guys. We are about to see a debate in Parliament which is about tax

credits. Labour has made its first test if you like of its new Kezia

Dugdale, we are going to win territory back. What did you make of

Labour's conference at the weekend? Are they starting to carve something

out? I think they did. They are starting to carve something out.

There is also shades, are they making policy on these issues or are

they just trying to money or reduce the potential of the SNP to make

hay, as with Trident. We can't quite tell yet because the devil is going

to be in the detail. How is it -- easy is it to do these policies? We

don't have the infrastructure in Scotland. The argument will be that

the devil is not in the detail, what Scottish Labour need is a story they

can tell the people of Scotland about, then being a left-wing party

and the SNP not being as left-wing as they claim, and with the issue of

Trident and tax credits, they are getting themselves onto the

platform. That is absolutely right, but the story has got to link to

some kind of reality, otherwise what is it? Just a set of myths. Like the

Lib Dems in the last election, they were not advancing fairness, it

becomes disingenuous and voters eventually see that. It has got to

have some relationship you can deliver on it. The other side of

this is, do you think it is a story which has been told to all people in

Scotland or just some people in Scotland? One of the comment that

has been made on the tax credit is that this is to attract core Labour

voters, according to the SNP. If you live in certain areas of the

country, perhaps you are on tax credits, you might want to vote for

someone who says you will be. But is it the kind of issue middle Scotland

will get attracted to? They say middle Scotland votes en masse now

for the SNP. They are trying to identify the left leading Labour

voters. They are trying to chase that slightly mythical social

justice group which people think -- which is slightly bigger than people

think. It does then have, because you are making trade-offs, people on

?50,000 incomes and over, you are going to have to take a hit for us

to deliver on these credentials. It is whether they lose some voters for

that. But it is interesting, it is an assertive statement, it is doing

something rather than not doing something. It is like saying to the

SNP, what are you going to do with tax credits? Don't leave, we will be

back with you later. Now, Labour have chosen this

afternoon's debate and, following Kezia Dugdale's pledge to reverse

the UK government's planned cuts to tax credits, their motion calls on

the Scottish government to do the same, using new welfare powers

being devolved to Holyrood. Labour's Public Services and

Wealth Creation Spokesperson If the SNP do not support our motion

today, it will confirm once and for all that the politics of grievance

is more important to them than helping working families in

Scotland. We have the power to make change, we

have the many to pay for that change, the question is, there's the

SNP have the political will? Scottish politics is about to get

real and, Presiding Officer, it is not before time. The Scottish Labour

conference this weekend, Kezia Dugdale outlined Labour's plans to

protect working families. Scottish Labour will restore in full the

money for tax credits. Scottish Labour will make different

choices on tax to the SNP government in Edinburgh and different choices

to the Tory government in London. We would not implement the Tory tax cut

for higher rate earners, we would not implement the SNP's tax cut on

airlines. Residing officer, tax cuts actually cost money. You spend money

to cut a tax but we would spend that made differently. We would use that

revenue to restore the money lost for tax credits for families in

Scotland, using the new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament

through the Scotland Bill. I am grateful to Jackie Baillie for

giving way. How much money will be raised by the tax changes she

proposes? I wonder whether I could get you to reflect on the words of a

Tory MP, David Davis, when he said the Government needs to look at this

again. ?3 million he is -- families, it does not mean cancelling your

holiday, it means an empty pantry, and I hope this does not end up

being a poll tax. I wonder whether he would confirm whether he agrees

with David Davis or not? Labour will use the new powers coming to this

Parliament to fulfil its historic mission, to stand up for working

people. I can promise you that no one will pay more tax than they are

paying now under Labour's plans to restore the money lost from tax

credits. Not 1p more. We would use the air passenger duty of ?250

million to help working families rather than give a tax cut to

airlines, as the SNP propose. We will not increase tax thresholds for

those earning more than ?42,000, which the Tories propose, giving

funding of ?440 million. There is more than enough from both these

sources to fully fund the policy and give them a bit more. The SNP really

do need to keep up. The claim that our funding has already been

committed for education is absolute nonsense. Unlike the SNP, we don't

spend the same amount of money over and over and over again. As Kezia

Dugdale outlined at the weekend, we will use the powers coming to

Scotland to set a 50p top rate of tax on those earning over ?150,000 a

year to invest in education, specifically, a fair start fund for

our poorest pupils. An idea... Labour's Jackie Baillie

speaking there. And from the Garden Lobby

at Holyrood I'm joined now by the Conservative Alex Johnstone,

from the SNP Linda Fabiani Neil Findlay, what is your response

to the point the SNP made that no matter how grand the pledge not to

implement tax credit cuts sounds, even under the powers which have

been transferred to the Scottish parliament, you couldn't do what you

are planning to do? That is an ambitious statement from the SNP.

Surely we have the ability, and we have the powers to create new

benefits, to take action to put money back in the pockets of working

people who are having it ripped out of their pockets by Alex's party. I

wish we could see similar ambition from the SNP. That is not a reply to

the SNP's point. That is like saying surely if we wished to do time

travel, we could do it? No, we can do it. It has been confirmed, so

let's do it. Sorry, what has been confirmed by the Scottish

parliament's research bureau? We will have the power to top-up

benefits and create our own benefits. Therefore, we can do this.

These were the same argument is we had when the bedroom tax came in.

The SNP told us we could not do anything, and yet it was a Labour

proposal that sorted out that issue and forced the SNP to take action.

They are using the same arguments now as they did then. Why don't we

get on with doing it? Linda Fabiani, what is the answer to that

question? Even if there is ambiguity about this being transferred in the

Scotland Bill, why not say, if we can do this, we will? That research

is ambiguous, because it talks about benefits. If you look at information

that has come from constitutional experts, there is a question of

whether it is benefits or tax. That is why the SNP has put down an

amendment to the Scotland Bill, looking for full power over tax

credits so that we can take these decisions properly. We have

mitigated as far as possible for the excesses of the Tory government, a

government that Scotland didn't vote for and has had these cuts imposed

on it. It is entirely undemocratic. So we are looking at ways best to

deal with it. We always do what is best for Scotland. We want the

unambiguous power to look at tax credits. Is it best for Scotland

give businessmen travelling to London flight reductions, rather

than putting money into working people's pockets? Linda Fabiani, why

don't you say, if it turns out that the powers being transferred will

allow us to do this, we will do it? We will look at it. That is not the

same as saying, we will do it. There is a lot to be worked out. We are

talking about a Tory government which may implement these tax credit

cuts immediately. We will not have the powers transferred for some

time. We should be joining together, Labour and SNP and the

Greens and independence, and fighting these tax credit cuts all

the way and tried to make sure that when Georgia Osborne comes back with

his Autumn Statement, he listens. I am sure Neil Findlay will make the

point that this is typical of the SNP. You would rather manufacture a

grievance with the government in London about a power you allegedly

haven't got that make a commitment to doing something with the powers

you have. You are not prepared to stand there today and say that if

you're wrong and these powers are in the Scotland Bill, you will use them

to stop the cuts in tax credits? The SNP does the proper research and is

not opportunistic. We have proved that with the bedroom tax. We proved

it with the Scottish welfare fund. It is ridiculous that we have a

Labour Party which is pledging money over and over again from the same

source for different things through no more than political opportunism,

when they should join with us in fighting Georgia Osborne's cuts.

Alex Johnstone, you are presumably a great supporter of Labour's new

policy in Scotland, given that you and with Davidson's last-minute

conversion to finding that tax credit cuts are an evil thing? We

are in a position where the move to reduce tax credits is currently

under review. We will hear in the Autumn Statement what the Chancellor

wants to do. But the powers contained within the Scotland Bill

have been clarified with amendments brought forward this week. They are

clear in what they mean. It means that if tax credits are reduced, the

Scottish Government have the power under the Scotland act to top-up

these benefits. That is not the view of an independent expert, it is the

view of the Secretary of State, David Mundell, who I am sure will

still be Secretary of State when this government are using these

powers if they are re-elected next year. That is the view of David

Mundell about what the Scottish parliament could do. What is the

view of the Scottish Conservatives about what the Scottish Parliament

should do? Should use its powers to top up benefits and stop the cuts in

tax credits? If we can get the changes necessary to make sure the

alternative is to tax credits are in place before tax credits are cut,

then it is practical that we could proceed on this basis. But any

future government in Scotland will have the power under the current

Scotland Bill to take forward a programme in which they can

mitigate. I would support the right to do that. I would have to look at

the circumstances when the proposal came along. As a conservative, I am

of course concerned about the level of tax increases that would be

necessary in Scotland to fund that. As we have seen in the past, if you

are going to fund major programmes like the one being proposed by both

the parties to my left here, then you have to say where the money is

coming from. If you want to raise huge amounts of tax revenue through

income tax, you have little alternative than to do that by

raising basic tax. So I don't see how they will make that possible.

Neil Findlay, at PMQs today, David Cameron said they will come up with

proposals to mitigate the effects of this in the Autumn Statement. If

Georgia Osborne does do what -- if is Mr Osborne does do not collect

Johnstone said, your policy could evaporate? Let's see. You are suing

alliance of the SNP and tour is coming out of the same things.

Labour have said clearly that we will resolve this so that

Labour have said clearly that we at ways to SN -- bash the SNP.

Labour have said clearly that we talking about substantial issues. It

is like the bedroom tax, volume two. They are just trying to outmanoeuvre

each other, and labour are trying to outmanoeuvre the SNP on the left,

which should not be that difficult, given that the SNP should be a big

tent party. It is an issue of trade-offs, and no one is honestly

talking about those trade-offs. Do you think we are just seeing a first

stab at this from the SNP, although they come up with something more

specific? You would hope so. If we are going to mitigate tax credit

cuts, it will not happen immediately because the powers that be are going

through the UK Parliament at the moment. So we will not have the

powers to mitigate immediately. Then there will be the issue of

administration. The Department for Work and Pensions have not been

historically devolution sensitive. But there has been a change in both

the Conservative and UK governments over the last few months. It has

gone from, we are letting you do what you want, ten, hey, have more

powers. I would not be surprised if David Mundell stick something in the

Scotland Bill specifically saying, you can mitigate the effect of tax

credit cuts if you want to, because they want to say, fine, you can do

this. Now tell us where you will put taxes up. Yes, be careful what you

wish for. In a way, the Scottish Parliament is being given more and

more power. You have ethical issues like abortion, and that will throw

problems to the SNP if you get what you ask for, because you then have

to do it. Back to the chamber now, where MSPs

are debating a Labour motion which looks at how the

Scottish government could reverse the effects of the UK government's

planned tax credit cuts. The Social Justice Secretary

Alex Neil is responding

for the government now. She is still leading for Labour as a

spokesperson on public services. Presiding Officer, how can Labour

have any credibility on public services when their cheerleader in

this debate votes to spend ?167 billion on on their fear instead of

welfare? To be fair to Jackie Baillie, her colleagues in London

also failed to oppose the Tories' Welfare Reform Bill. He then acting

leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman, wanted to vote for the Tory

Bill. They eventually agreed to merely abstain. But at no point did

I hear Jackie Baillie criticise Harriet Harman for wanting to vote

for this Tory Bill. Jackie Baillie herself made it clear during the

referendum that she was opposed to social security powers coming to

this Parliament. Had... Order, please. Had Jackie Baillie had her

way and no powers coming to this Parliament, we would not now be

getting the power to reverse the Tory tax credit... I have a point of

order. Can I ask the presenting offers a's guidance? I thought it

was in order that a member spoke to the debate and not the debate of the

previous day. Thank you, Ms Grant. The Cabinet Secretary is opening the

debate and speaking about welfare. It is up to me whether I stopped the

Cabinet Secretary or not. Cabinet Secretary, continue. They don't like

the truth, presiding officer. If we had listened to Jackie Baillie and

social security powers were to be denied to this Parliament, we

wouldn't be in the position we are in now to undo the dirty work of the

Tories on tax credits. No wonder the Scottish Labour Party for. In order,

please. They have no authority when it comes to fighting the Tory cuts.

Unlike the Labour Party, the SNP has fought the welfare cuts tooth and

nail at every opportunity, while they tried to get into bed with the

Tories. Cabinet Secretary could you address the whole. Unlike the Labour

Party, we will not run up the white flag while there are still a

relisting chance of forcing the Tory Chancellor to drastically amend his

proposals for tax credit cuts in the Autumn Statement 's. These cuts will

do enormous damage to the living standards of some of the poorest

working people in Britain today. And now to

Prime Minister's Questions, where Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly

questioned David Cameron on tax credits

for a second week running. The Prime Minister said he'd have an

answer for him, just not quite yet. Last week I asked the Prime Minister

the same question six times, Mr Speaker, and he could not answer. He

has now had a week to think about it. I want to ask in one more time,

can he guarantee that next April nobody is going to be worse off as a

result of cuts to working tax credits? Let me be absolutely clear

with the honourable gentleman, what I can guarantee next April is there

will be an ?11,000 personal allowance so you can earn ?11,000

before you pay tax. I can guarantee there will be a national living wage

at ?7.20, giving the lowest paid in our country a ?20 a week pay rise

compared with the election next year. On the issue of tax credits,

we suffered the defeat in the House of lords so we have taken the

proposals away, we are looking at them, we will come forward with new

proposals in the Autumn Statement and in exactly three weeks' time, I

will be able to answer his question. If he wants to spend the next five

questions asking it all over again, I am sure he will find that very

entertaining and Indus -- interesting, but how it fits with

the new politics I am not quite sure. This is not about

entertainment, this is about... This is not funny for people who are

desperately worried about what is going to happen next April. If the

Prime Minister will not listen to the questions I have put, will not

listen to the questions put by the public, then perhaps the Prime

Minister will listen to a question that was raised by his honourable

friend the member who last week, concerning tax credit changes said,

and I quote, their changes cannot go ahead next April and that any

mitigation should be full mitigation. What is the Prime

Minister's answer to his friend? It is very much the same answer I gave

to him. In three weeks' time, we will announce our proposals and he

will be able to see what we will do to deliver the high pay, low tax,

lower welfare economy we want to see. That is what we need in our

country. Is the Prime Minister aware that many service widows continue to

be deprived of their forces pensions if there is a change in their

personal circumstances? Does he agree this is a clear breach in the

spirit of the military covenant and what will he do to rectify this

wrong? We made a big change last year at around the time of Armistice

Day to make sure that many people who had remarried were able to get

their pensions and that was a very big step forward, welcomed by the

British Legion. If there are further steps we need to take or need to

look at, I am happy to look at them and see what can be done.

Our Westminster correspondent David Porter was watching.

He's standing by with a group of MPs.

This is the type of politics we like, when it looks as if it is

raining they are going to allow us to come in. We need more of this.

Joining me now three MPs and we are going to discuss a number of

matters. Ian Murray, Stuart McConnell and Donald Stephenson. Let

me start with you first, your leader is response to questions about tax

credits, I will tell you in three weeks. Is that going to hold? There

are two aspects to the tax credit issue. The specific one, where we

want to be as a country. The Prime Minister wants us to move towards a

low tax, low welfare economy. On the specific issue of tax credits, in

three weeks' time there is a combo pensive Spending Review and that is

when any amendments to the tax credits regime will be announced and

I think that is the right way it should be announced to Parliament.

Another way of looking at that could be that they made a complete mess of

this, it was rejected by the House of lords and now your party is

scrabbling to try and find an answer to the problem. The Chancellor

recognising there has been some criticism of the ideas with regards

to the tax credits, he is now looking into it, it will come back

to Parliament, that is the correct way to do it. More importantly is

getting across the message that we want to get to a high wage, low tax,

low welfare economy. It must be quite frustrating if every time you

get up to ask a question about tax credits, David Cameron says, wait

until the Autumn Statement. This is the extraordinary position we find

ourselves in in Scotland where we have a Tory government that Scotland

did not vote for. We hear continuously in the chamber that the

Conservatives have a long-term economic plan. You can't have a

long-term economic plan and not be able to tell us whether working

people will be better or worse off in six months' time. As a result of

that, in Scotland, the Scottish Government have made clear they have

to wait and make clear what the Chancellor announces in the Spending

Review and we will take the proper approach in the same way we have

done with council tax benefit, housing benefit changes and the

bedroom tax as well. Have we got a commitment from your government in

Edinburgh that if there are reductions in tax credits, they will

be fully recompensed by the Scottish Government? We have tabled an

amendment to give the Scottish Parliament full control over tax

credits and welfare powers. It is not enough for us to keep on making

things up all the time and instead we need the power. The big challenge

is whether Ian Murray will tell is in a moment whether his party will

support that amendment at the Scotland Bill. At the risk of

jumping on a question, Ian Murray, will Labour support the SNP if they

say they will top-up tax credits if that motion is debated in the

Scottish Parliament? The answer is no, they have no intention of

topping up the tax credits in Scotland because they want to create

more constitutional grievance. Kezia Dugdale very clearly in her speech

on Saturday said we will recompense anyone with the current powers in

the Scotland Bill. It is clause 21, it gives the Scottish Parliament

full powers to proper any benefits from the UK Government. It is fully

funded. For Stewart to go on about putting in another amendment, to

devolve this or devolve that, is missing the point. We have got the

powers to do this, let's get it done for the most vulnerable working

people in Scotland who did not deserve what the Chancellor did to

them in the Autumn Statement last year. Is there a frustrate them --

restoration from you in Labour that for at least three weeks this row

appears to be diffused because they say they are thinking about it again

and we'll tell you in the Autumn Statement. Let's look at where we

are. The Lords have spoken, sent it back to the Chancellor, the

Chancellor is having to act on that, because his backbenchers are also

uncomfortable with this, but what Kezia Dugdale did on Saturday,

regardless of what mitigation measures the Chancellor comes back

with, on the current state of play today, which is the current policy,

we will mitigate the problems with tax credits in Scotland with the

powers currently in the Scotland Bill. It is fully funded, the

legislation is there, let's get on with it. The SNP will not tell us.

Labour have promised to fund this using money they have already said

they are going to spend on education. That is not true! Labour

are guilty of full sleep raising the hopes of the troubled people. That

is a total lie. It comes from not taking a passenger duty and not

taking the increase from thresholds. It is a lie. You have spent it

twice. We are trying to manage the economy. From your point of view,

your opponents are arguing amongst themselves on this issue, you are

getting off scot-free at the moment. Not at all, we are getting on in

government. We want a productive economy with people on high wages,

lots of employment, a growing economy, the appointment rates are

going up, unemployment is dropping, that is the sort of country we want

to create. Will you give us the full powers in Scotland to mitigate a

policy that people in Scotland did not vote for? That is all we get

from the SNP. This is a party to my right, coincidentally, that does not

have a plan. They are all over the place on tax credits. I am happy to

take up the rest of your programme explaining the Labour Party policy

again, it is fully funded. It comes in clause 21 of the Scotland Bill.

We are going to leave it there. Somehow, I think we will be

returning. Thank you very much. If you don't behave yourselves, I will

take you all outside in the rain again. Back to you.

Time for a final chat with our political commentator

Is it my usual inability to misunderstand the statements from

politicians but was what Alex Neil said quite the same as what Linda

Fabiani was telling us? No, it was completely at odds. It was a bit

with follicle, maybe he meant by reversing the tax credit cuts, maybe

he meant in the House of, and is. I do think he was literally trying to

set unilaterally new SNP policy. But you still think they need a bit more

thinking? This argument about raising pupil's hopes falsely, is

that going to run? No. Before they started to spa, Ian Murray got the

tone right. He was animated and really driven by wanting to reverse

the tax credit cuts. That is the right thing to do. Stuart MacDonald

did not look like he was doing that, he looked like he was playing for

time. And the Tory argument, we will tell you in three weeks what is the

problem. It is not bad, is it? That is what the Tories do. They govern,

they have statecraft. Hang on, we have got an Autumn Statement in

three weeks, we will tell you. That comes with a certain arrogance of

power which the Tories are very good at. Last week, they were in a

terrible place, this week they are playing for time. We will have to

leave it there. but stay tuned for coverage of

Scottish Questions from Westminster. Thanks for being with us.

Goodbye.