Friday 23 May 2003

Scottish "Enterprise" under threat?

Tory leader David McLetchie has reshuffled his team of MSPs. I note that he has appointed Murdo Fraser to the position of party spokesman for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. Mr Fraser has previously upset the government agency known (bizarrely) as Scottish Enterprise:
Two months ago Tory MSP Murdo Fraser called for Scottish Enterprise, Scotland's main economic development agency, to be abolished.

He said its annual budget, which is funded by the Scottish Executive, should be given to the private sector.

It looks as though the Tories will be taking a more rigorous line against Labour's policy of taking money from productive businesses to support unproductive ones. Good.