Dave Thompson MSP

We are in the heart of the Burns season and I am preparing to attend six different Burns Suppers and speak at four of them. Just as well I like haggis! The first is in Tain tonight (Friday) and the last on 21st February.

Many other people will be doing the same and this will just be the start of a year long celebration of Rabbie Burns in this 250th anniversary year of his birth. Rabbie is a central feature of the year of Homecoming when Scots and those who have an affinity with Scotland from all over the world will come home to Scotland to help us celebrate the strength and diversity of our nation.

There will be many events all over Scotland and it is hoped that the Year of Homecoming will give a boost to Tourism in what will otherwise be a very difficult year economically. In this context, the weakness of the pound to the Euro and Dollar will make it more attractive to visitors from the Eurozone and America, so it is currently looking good.

Credit for initiating the Year of Homecoming must go to Jack McConnell when he was First Minister (not everything Labour did was bad) and Alec Salmond and Jim Mather should also be congratulated for picking up the idea and developing it into the fantastic year it is going to be.

Why don't you join in and also invite your relatives from abroad to come home and bring all who love Scotland with them for a special treat in 2009. For more information on the Year of Homecoming have a look at the webpage on: http://www.homecomingscotland.com/default.html.

Wednesday last week saw the Stage One vote on our second SNP Scottish Government Budget Bill. I am pleased to say that it passed that first major hurdle with Labour, Tory and Green Party MSPs joining us in voting for the general principles of the Bill. The 16 LibDems voted against it, while Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald abstained.

The Budget Bill is extremely important if we are to deliver the vital spending plans which will support Scottish economic recovery in these difficult times, including accelerated spending of £230 million, which will support 4,700 jobs across Scotland.

The position of the LibDems is difficult to understand and very unhelpful economically. Their proposal to cut income tax by 2p, which was rejected out of hand by the Finance Minister, would mean slashing annual roads spending by £800 million. LibDem Jamie Stone, therefore, has some explaining to do on how he would fund his plans for dualling the A9 from Tore to Tain when he voted against the SNP budget and supported LibDem plans to cut £800 million annually from the roads budget!

Of course, this position highlights the hypocrisy of the LibDems when one considers LibDems were Transport Ministers for the lion's share of the 8 years they were in power with Labour. During that time they failed to deliver any significant advances in improving the infrastructure of the Highlands & Islands. In contrast, our SNP Government is already moving to dual the A9, upgrade the A82, improve the A 836, electrify all rail lines (including the Wick/Thurso and Kyle lines) and start the Inverness by-pass among other things.

I hope the LibDems don't think they can take the people of the Highlands and Islands for fools by saying one thing on the doorstep in the Highlands and Islands and another in Edinburgh. If they do they will soon discover the error of their ways as the people of the Highlands and Islands have a tendency of punishing such duplicity at the ballot box.