10 September 2005

Less than grateful

It's really not fair. The First Minister makes the economy his first priority; he announces a reduction in business rates; he invites business people to the Parliament and feeds them wine and nibbles the night before. Are they grateful? Not according to The Scotsman (here):
"BUSINESS leaders yesterday seized the opportunity of a major business-political conference to issue a stinging attack on Jack McConnell, the First Minister, and his administration's commitment to business.
Speaking in the opening session of the second Business in Parliament conference, Janette Anderson, chief executive of Glasgow-based rail infrastructure company First Engineering accused the Executive of "failing to fly the flag for Scots business", and the political class in general of bogging down economy-enhancing infrastructure schemes in parliamentary procedure.
She also accused the Executive of focusing on hi-tech businesses such as life sciences and IT at the expense of traditional "basic" industries.
Her tone was picked up by, among others, Ian Graham of software firm Graham Technology, who launched an equally scathing critique of the government's procurement policy, which he said
discriminated against indigenous companies."

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