Yakking for Argyll

And by ‘Government’ I mean Westminster. At least up here we’ve actually got a government.

Alastair Darling is said to be furious because Gordon is determined - against strong opposition from the Treasury and the Bank of England - to spend an unbelievable amount of money to try and boost his personal approval ratings by launching a state loan scheme to support mortgages. Both expert bodies believe that it would be an expensive flop - and by expensive, we’re talking around forty billion.

It’s not long since we had the unedifying spectacle of the ousted Blair, coasting the world first class to create a ‘legacy’ for himself at our expense. Now we have his successor, unwilling to tax the ‘windfall’ profits of the oil companies (profits that have had little foundation in increased costs), but willing - nay, crazed - to spend unimaginable amounts of public money on the sort of desperate idea you get in a hot bath - and all in order to save himself.

This is fully obscene. What can we do to stop it? Nothing until the next election - but then…

And if, post Northern Rock and this current scheme (which must be stopped) we’re getting into forms of nationalisation - let’s start with transport and power - fast.