Living in the Scottish Highlands offers plenty advantages, and more than a few disadvantages. Quality of life for most is higher than other parts of the United Kingdom, there’s plenty of capacity in the health services, little crime, bearable traffic and weather more clement than you’d think. In June we have 20 hours of daylight.
On the other hand there are few private sector businesses, so job opportunities are hard to find. The combination of local politics and public sector organisations creates a scary mixture of personal self aggrandisment and politically correct social engineering. Economic growth and incomes are far below those achieved in England and embarrasing when compared with other small countries in Northern Europe. And in December we only get 6 hours of daylight.
A quick spin through the news this week finds plenty of ammunition for dinner party discussions about the sweet side of living here and the sour side of public sector dominance causing private sector poverty.
The Scottish Daily Record reports a wonderfully uplifting story about cancer survivor Sue Thomson and how a move to the Highlands saved her life. This will make a great feel good movie, explaining as it does how de-stressing improves quality of life.
Meanwhile there’s a huge fuss being made by the Nannie State about setting a minimum price for the sale of alcohol. The government just keeps on its brain washing about the benefits while the Press and Journal reports the results of a poll showing the Minimum Price Will Not Curb Drinkers. Meanwhile the Telegraph tells us Alcohol drinking in Britain sees its sharpest fall since 1948. This is typical of Socialist Scotland (The SNP is no better than Labour) with the government pissing down our necks while telling us its raining.
While the media is making a fuss about booze, Scottish Enterprise is making us all feel better because our Offshore Wind Sector MAY create 48,000 jobs. It doesn’t tell us why that’s been talked about for years, but there’s nothing happening about it, up here at least.
But the Public Sector is having a grand old time, spending money on itself, again. The Herald reports redundancy packages for 100 senior managers in Glasgow Council will cost us £13 millions and Press and Journal says NHS Grampian finds itself in hot water over plans to spend £75,000 on tea trolleys.
The rest of us will find life tough this winter because 150,000 council workers will be on strike this winter because they don’t like their pay rise. Which magazine found in a recent poll Bank of Scotland came dead last for Customer Service. And the Inverness Courier warns we’re likely to lose the direct train service connecting Inverness and London.
The SNP is finally getting something right with MSP Brian Adam suggesting a new oil find in the North Sea should be used to set up a national oil fund similar to Norway’s. Back in the days of the original oil rush Norway decided to put money charged to oil companies into a fund to benefit its people. That fund is now £300 billion. Scotland didn’t. Now Norway has the highest standard of living in Northern Europe, and Scotland has the lowest. Go Figure.
And saving the best till last – the Western Isles council has asked the government to transfer to it the business development role and budget from Highlands and Islands Enterprise – HIE. Because it can do a better job. In response Highland Council’s political leaders have voiced support (surprise, surprise) for HIE although they said its management structure should be changed.
The fact is this part of the world has enormous potential to be just like Norway, with the highest standards of living, combining quality with wealth. But that isn’t going to happen anytime soon because the public sector is too busy feeding itself to do anything for the people who pay for it.
We live in hope that Danny Alexander, local MP and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will turn it around for us, but not holding our breath.
Do you have Highlands experiences you can share with our readers? Please add your comments, suggestions and memories in the Comments box. The more news and views the better!
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