Wednesday 2 January 2008

True words.


Mr Smith cannot really add much to the comments made by Glasgow Evening Times Political Editor Brian Currie. Perhaps its time that our elected Members of the Scottish Parliament just got on with doing what they have the power to do better rather than banging on about using powers they don't have on issues which are reserved to Westminster.

"ONE of the biggest frauds Holyrood politicians have perpetrated is the pretence they're going to ban airguns in Scotland. Labour started it after the death of Easterhouse toddler Andrew Morton and the SNP government embraced the cause. There's nothing wrong with the aim but the problem for the previous executive was it couldn't and neither can the present government - power over firearms is reserved to Westminster. Labour started it when former Home Secretary Charles Clark promised a crackdown. Some Labour supporters interpreted his statement as a pledge to take them off the streets but that wasn't what he said and it didn't happen. Now SNP Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is accusing "the dead hand of the Scotland Office" for blocking devolving the power. The reality is if Westminster relinquishes its authority over firearms, the SNP will have an effective lever to ask for more powers. It's time all parties stopped playing politics with an issue which has cost lives and were more honest about what they can achieve."

Offering false hope to people, really is pretty contemptible.

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