DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

Pacific Quay mob linked to disappearance of £1.3 billion

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a huge sum of money after it suddenly vanished into thin air.


The sum, thought to be in the region of £1.3 billion, was highlighted by the Scottish government’s finance secretary John Swinney on the afternoon of Wed 23rd June. However by six o’clock that evening there was virtually no trace of the money and instead a loan of £180,000 had appeared in its place.


Concerned members of the public have reacted with fury with some alleging that the notorious Glasgow outfit ‘The Pacific Quay Mob’, headed by godfather Brian ‘Toodle-oo’ Taylor, are behind the money’s disappearance. The organisation is thought to be heavily involved in ‘organised news’ in and around Scotland .......


Well, last Wednesday the annual Government Expenditure for Scotland Report (GERS) revealed that for the fourth successive year Scotland ran a budgetary surplus, or to put it into simple terms Scotland generated more money than she spent - £1.3 billion more to be precise.

This meant that a Scotland with full control over its own finances would have had £1.3 billion MORE to spend this year than it has. Indeed, if we go back four years then the nation would have had a tidy £3.5 billion more.


And here’s the rub, the £1.3 billion INCLUDES Scotland’s share of the cash cost of bailing out the banks - Northern Rock, HBOS and RBS.

Well, this staggering news was virtually ignored by BBC Scotland in its main news bulletins that day and beyond. The state broadcaster decided that the biggest political story that day was an eleventh hour loan of £180,000 made last year to the company organising ‘The Gathering’ which was the centrepiece event of ‘The Homecoming’ celebrations.


The news of the surplus is staggering for two reasons:
The first of course is that for the last few weeks the political landscape has been dominated by the huge debt left behind by Labour. Scotland faces unprecedented cuts to her block grant from London and there are very real concerns over the impact to public services and jobs.

The second is that for as long as anyone can remember, the main thrust of Labour’s attacks on the SNP and/or independence is that Scotland could not support herself, that we rely on subsidies from Westminster in order to survive.


The revelation that Scotland has been consistently generating more money than she spent was therefore very significant.


So, how did the BBC actually report the news that day?


Newsnet Scotland decided to have a look and we began with BBC Scotland’s main radio programme ‘Newsdrive’. The programme is broadcast weekdays between 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock in the afternoon and will be the first port of call for many Scots travelling home from work.


Incredibly the Newsnet Scotland team were unable to find any reference whatsoever to the £1.3 Scottish surplus within the two hour period . However there was extensive coverage of the £180,000 ‘Gathering’ loan within minutes of the programme starting.