It had to happen. The impatience, nay rage, of critics of SNP sloth, such as the Rev Campbell and Peter ‘Absolutely’ Bell, has clearly got to even those former champions of moderate politics, Tom ‘Prince’ Gordon and Ms Spowage at the FoALI. They make the case for a full independence spurge (go wild), now, with great clarity.
In the Herald today:
SNP ministers need to be bolder and more innovative in response to the coronavirus crisis, and not just complain about Holyrood being shortchanged by Westminster, the country’s top economic thinktank has said. The Fraser of Allander Institute said the UK Government had been “quite bold”, while the Scottish Government was harping on its usual complaint about limited borrowing powers.
What else can this mean but full independence with borrowing powers? As the lives of workers in England are spurged up against a wall by the PM, you’ve got to agree. He has been ‘quite bold’.
Now, I’m going to be bold too. Let’s not do anything to risk our R number. Let’s go for independence and, even more, follow the life-saving strategies of our Northern European neighbours.
Footnote: Spowage: This unusual and interesting name is of early medieval English origin, and is a topographical surname denoting residence by a place where the species of plant called ‘spurge’ grew in abundance. The name derives from the Middle English word ‘spurge’, developed from the Old French ‘espurge’, and describes the species of plants characterised by an acrid milky juice possessing medicinal properties.
Read more: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Spowage#ixzz6MYbxl4nX
Footnote 2: Spurge: When you have the sporadicurge to do something wild…
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
OK, John. You started it!
“Spurge is a unique, original and cute perennial. It is subdivided into a great number of species: over 2300 have been accounted to this day. Practically the only thing they share in common is the sap which is highly irritant and poisonous.”
For more, see:
https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/spurge.html
It’s also called “euphorbia”. A last thought it brings to mind is that there seem to be quite a few highly poisonous and irritant saps around these days. 🙂
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Fantastic and fascinating and better than my adolescent masturbatory implications.
When I read your ‘irritant saps’ I immediately thought Hancock! And we’re back to my implications again.
And what are you doing up at 05:24am?
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Had to get up to pee. The dandelion tea got to me. 😦
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“The Fraser of Allander Institute said the UK Government had been “quite bold”, while the Scottish Government was harping on its usual complaint about limited borrowing powers.”
Really rigorous academic language – “harping on its usual complaint …”. To be charitable to FAI, I will assume that the Herod reporter is putting his own interpretation on what has been said.
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I don’t go behind The Herald’s paywall so can’t tell whether ‘harping on’ was contained within a quote attributable to Ms Spowage or not. But I too have my suspicions!
However, I did find more on the same matter here:
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/spending-plans-must-be-bold-to-boost-economy-after-pandemic-think-tank-warns/
And there are quotes here, NONE of which contain the term ‘harping on’! However, IMHO the account doesn’t remove negative criticism of the FAI position.
Mairi Spowage, its deputy director is quoted as saying that Holyrood ministers need to do more than “JUST the same old stuff”, and “not JUST saying we need more flexibility around the fiscal framework to borrow more money”.
And then there is this in the same article: ‘… Graeme Roy, director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, stressed “the policy response in Scotland can’t JUST always be about asking for more powers and more money”.’
Surely the FAI must have a more reasoned commentary than this? The notion that the SG’s response has been, currently is or will in future be “JUST” about asking for more powers and more money is simply NOT CREDIBLE. Candidly this kind of polemic damages a university institute’s reputation for objective, balanced and evidence-based commentary.
Ms Spowage is reported also saying: “It can’t just be about the UK Government being bold and ambitious, the Scottish Government needs to think about how it can spend ITS MONEY in this unprecedented time to support economic recovery.’
‘She urged the Scottish Government to also “be QUITE bold” in its thinking on HOW TO SPEND ITS BUDGET THIS YEAR in order to support economic recovery in Scotland.’
So in order to comply with the FoAI’s strictures, the SG is to respond to the crisis by using JUST the budget which it already has available to it. Is that the insistence? DON’T seek further borrowing powers/flexibility; DON’T seek additional funding from Westminster – even though Westminster has effectively unlimited borrowing powers and of course we in Scotland always pay our share of subsequent interest payments on the UK’s debt! Why ever not?
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