THERE ARE TIMES FOR CUTS IN PUBLIC SPENDING: THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM

The Herald today headlines the situation in North Lanarkshire where 2 000 job losses are anticipated due to cuts being enforced on Scotland from London.

It is important to make the distinction that the budget cuts are as a direct result of a smaller block grant from the UK to run Scotland’s affairs (as predicted by Mr Osborne), and not because the government in Scotland has any wish to see jobs go.

There are some frightening figures involved when the anticipated cuts are looked at across the whole of the country. Half of Scotland’s councils have announced job losses amounting to 13 000, but it anticipated that a further 20 000 are yet to be announced.

The sum of these, already announced and anticipated job losses is a frightening figure. And 33 000 is not the end of that.

33 000 more people on the dole with little chance of jobs means another 33 000 people not spending money in shops, pubs, council facilities, sporting fixtures, which will mean in turn that the people who provide retail, sporting and leisure facilities will also feel the pinch, and have to further reduce their established employment figures.

Added to this there are an additional number of Civil Service posts in Edinburgh and throughout the country which the government will reduce, and then there are posts which are controlled directly by the London government, delivering reserved functions. It is a frightening thought how many more people may be thrown on the dole scrap heap by these cuts.

But we need to remember too that job losses are only a part of the picture. A reduction of this size in staffing in councils and the civil service will mean a reduction in the quality of service we receive from these bodies.

The theory is that they should become leaner and meaner, and that the staff will simply step up to the plate and do the work of dismissed colleagues. Of course that won’t happen. Queues in council offices will be longer, telephones will go unanswered, and more errors will be made.

Roads will deteriorate, sporting and leisure facilities will close, children will have farther to go to school, and fewer police will be on the beat, despite the efforts of the government and the Tory opposition to increase their numbers.

Parks will be left uncared for, grass will not be cut, ponds will not be cleaned, graffiti will stay in place, roads will not be swept, and bins will be collected less frequently.

In these situations it does not take long for towns to deteriorate into eyesores.

Additionally it is anticipated that costs of services will have to rise. So best to save for your care when you get old, and for creation when you die...

We are going to be paying dearly for the excesses of bankers and the incompetence of the London governments over the years ...

Unfortunately for the country, at times like this the most competent people tend to look around the world for somewhere else to live.

I’m starting a Norwegian course shortly. These two may or may not be connected....