BoE governor leaves Salmond’s currency union in tatters

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has delivered a hammer blow to SNP plans for a currency union should Scotland vote for separation. Speaking today in Edinburgh, Mr Carney stressed that such a successful monetary union with the rest of the UK would “require some ceding of national sovereignty”. This would mean surrendering controls over fiscal policy, such as tax and spending rates, contradicting Alex Salmond’s claims in his White Paper that an independent Scotland would have “full autonomy”.

Mr Carney added that, even with a currency union, the creation of a border between a separate Scotland and the rest of the UK “can influence trade flows, even between otherwise highly integrated economies”. As it stands, 70 per cent of Scottish exports go to the rest of the UK, while Scotland receives 74 per cent of its imports from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson MSP said: “When it comes to sharing the pound Alex Salmond has repeatedly claimed a separate Scotland could have its cake and eat it. That under independence, the country could have a currency union with the rest of the UK but still have total fiscal control over tax and spending. Now, the governor of the Bank of England has blown this assertion right out of the water, leaving Alex Salmond’s currency plans in tatters.

“He concludes that one of the main lessons to draw from the Eurozone crisis is that to have a durable, successful currency union requires some ceding of national sovereignty. Alex Salmond’s kneejerk reaction when he hears something he doesn’t like is to simply dismiss it out of hand, but he cannot ignore the views of the governor of the Bank of England.

“This is a crushing blow for the SNP’s plans to keep the pound, making it even more incredible that they haven’t come up with a currency plan B. Even senior figures within the Yes campaign don’t think a currency union would be possible under independence. Alex Salmond is becoming more and more isolated on this key issue by the day. 

“Mr Carney also made it clear in his speech today that in the event of a currency union, the creation of a border between a separate Scotland and the rest of the UK could influence the flow of trade. Given the vast majority of Scotland’s trade is within the UK, this is the one of the clearest signals yet that if we allow the SNP to create a barrier with the rest of the nations in the UK it would severely impact Scotland’s economy.”

White ‘H’ advisory markings update

I previously posted that I intended to contact the chief executive of Dundee City Council to ask if he would review the council’s decision to no longer provide white lines across driveways where there are access problems caused by heavy demand for on street parking. 

Although the lines are only advisory, for the most part they are observed which gives residents easier access and egress as vehicles aren’t parked right up to the edge of driveway crossovers.

The chief executive has sent me the following response after requesting feedback from Neil Gellatly, the council's head of transportation:

‘I understand that 'H' bar markings are a continuous white lines with a short line at either end and are typically placed across an entrance to off street premises or a private drive which should be kept clear of waiting vehicles. Historically these were used by Dundee City Council but since these markings are not legally enforceable their use has been discontinued as police and parking service staff were unable to act when complaints were called in regarding parking on these white lines. Therefore our policy is to no longer install these markings (and this has been in place for approximately four years).

Where parking problems are of a serious and continued problem Neil has reassured me that the use of yellow lines and the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders will be followed through, however where the problem is of short duration, such as the ones your constituents are raising around Grove Academy / Eastern Primary School, then the parking restrictions can be disproportionately intrusive. 

I have asked Neil to give this sort of problem some further thought and his engineers will investigate with other roads / parking authorities across Scotland to identify any innovative solutions.'

Although the provision of white lines isn’t to be reinstated I am pleased that the chief executive has asked the traffic engineers to give the parking issue some further thought. 

If there is an issue with a driveway being blocked then this is obstruction, which is a police matter.

Sandy Loan

Monday’s City Development Committee will consider a recommendation that the new road at the development of flats on the lock-up garage site at Churchill Place/East Links Place should be called Sandy Loan.

Suggestions for a name were submitted by the city archivist, Broughty Ferry Community Council, the agent for the development and ward councillors.  My suggestions were Sandy Hole, the name given to the community who used to live in the area currently occupied by the garage lock ups and industrial estate and Cowan Place/Court in memory of the family who financed the building up of the area and donated some of their personal fortune to the construction of the Esplanade.

As well as being property owners the Cowans were active in civic life; Edward Cowan was the last town clerk of Broughty Ferry; David Scott Cowan was elected onto Broughty Ferry Town Commission (the body which preceded the Burgh Council) and James Cowan was a Dundee town councillor.

Conservative Friends of the Union meeting

Last night I attended a meeting of the Conservative Friends of the Union held at Dundee University.

The guest speaker was Murdo Fraser, a former deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives. Murdo serves in the Scottish Parliament as a Mid-Scotland and Fife Regional MSP and is the convener of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee in the Scottish Parliament. 

Donald Hay and Murdo Fraser

 

The meeting was attended by many Dundee residents who aren’t usually politically active but share the desire to see Scotland remain as part of the United Kingdom. 

Murdo spoke positively about being part of the UK and afterwards answered questions on a wide range of topics. He mentioned that our pensions, mortgages and jobs are more secure as part of one of the biggest economies in the world, Scotland’s biggest trading partner is the rest of the United Kingdom and we are represented by one of the world’s most influential and respected diplomatic networks of embassies, high commissions, and consulates around the world. 

The attached picture is of Murdo with Donald Hay, who chaired the event.

Updates

Dundee Road

The new 30 mph speed limit on Dundee Road between Margaret Crescent and Ellieslea Road was introduced this morning at 9.30 following the rush hour.

Dog bins Lower Broughty Ferry Road

It was established that two dog bins were missing and these have now been replaced.

Whinny Brae

The carriageway from Queen Street to Rowanbank Gardens is currently provisionally included in the 2014/15 resurfacing programme subject to finance being available and priorities remaining unchanged.

Claypotts Road/Brook Street/Dundee Road/Westfield Road junction

An order was raised to fill a number of potholes and the area will be considered for future localised patching subject to funding being available. It will be monitored during routine inspections and any defects noted will be repaired to ensure safety is maintained.

More pavement improvements in central Broughty Ferry

I have been notified that works to reconstruct the south footway on Brook Street from Gray Street to  326 Brook Street (Bruach Bar and Restaurant) is programmed to commence on Monday 3rd February 2014 and will last for approximately 2 weeks.  The contractor for the works is Tayside Contracts.

 

The council has issued a letter to the owner/occupiers of the nearby properties advising them of the arrangements. It indicates that in the interest of public safety a lane closure will be implemented and westbound traffic will be diverted via St Vincent Street, King Street and Gray Street for the duration of the works.

 

The works will be carried out in sections so that at least one area will be kept available for taxi parking adjacent to the works. Parking will still be allowed on the north side of Brook Street.

 

 Access to car parks within this area will be maintained as will vehicular delivery access to properties, although vehicular traffic movements are asked to be kept to a minimum where possible. Some minor delays may be encountered during some phases of the works.

 

 Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained throughout the works.

Dog fouling at Dawson Park

The issue of dog fouling at Dawson Park has recently generated a lot of complaints. I raised the matter with the council’s Environment Department and in response I was advised that animal control officers carry out regular patrols in all of the parks within the city including Dawson Park. They recently carried out early morning and late night checks specifically at this location and talked to many dog owners who were happy to see their presence in the park and were also pleased with the new and more prominent signage.

I have been told that enforcement officers will continue to issue fixed penalty notices where they witness anyone failing to clean up after their dog.

Unfortunately on Saturday a lot of dog fouling still had to be cleared away by users of the sports pitches. I have made the Environment Department aware of this and have asked what further action can be taken.

Salmond’s EU plan branded unlawful by former legal head

Alex Salmond’s plans for a separate Scotland’s entry into the EU have been branded unlawful by a former legal head of the EU Council. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson MSP has accused the First Minister of misleading the public on what would happen to the country’s EU membership under independence.

The SNP have continually claimed they would be able to jump the queue into Europe by using article 48 instead of going through article 49 – the route used by every other accession country to gain entry. This claim was contained in their White Paper, and at last December’s European and External Affairs Committee, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on five separate occasions that nobody had questioned whether this is “a valid and sensible route to take”. But a new submission to the same committee compiled by Jean-Claude Piris, the former Director General of the Legal Service of the EU Council, reveals that “it would not be legally correct to try and use article 48 for the admission of Scotland as a member of the European Union”.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson MSP said: “Once again, the First Minister has been caught red-handed trying to mislead the people of Scotland on Europe. Alex Salmond pretended he had legal advice on what a separate Scotland’s position within the EU would be when none actually existed, and he even spent public money going to court trying to hide this fact.

“Thoroughly discredited, he then attempted to pull a rabbit out of a hat in the White Paper, claiming he had found a new route in. Now, the position set out by one of Europe’s leading legal experts is crystal clear – the SNP’s plan to gain entry into the EU under separation is unlawful.This blows Alex Salmond’s European case right out of the water and contradicts everything he and his deputy have been telling the people of Scotland. The public are fed up with these half-truths and assertions and the First Minister needs to come clean on the true consequences of independence.”

Dog bin required

A constituent who regularly uses the coastal walkway from Douglas Terrace has asked me if additional dog bins could be provided at the Stannergate end. Apparently the (damaged) one that had been there was removed when the Lower Broughty Ferry Road carriageway received a surface dressing last year and it hasn’t been replaced.

At a time when incidents of fouling appear to be on the increase it makes sense to ensure that sufficient bins are provided at popular dog walking locations.

 

I have contacted the council’s environment department about it and hopefully this will result in a replacement bin being installed.

Traffic on Strathern Road

Over the years I have been contacted by residents of Strathern Road about the increasing volume of traffic using the thoroughfare and the speed at which some vehicles are travelling at.

Last year, at my request, the council carried out a series of speed surveys along Strathern Road and Craigie Drive and whilst some vehicles were identified as speeding the council concluded that flows and speeds were as would be expected on such a major route.  The police were made aware of the speed surveys and give the vicinity occasional enforcement.

In recent weeks local residents have asked me if the speed of traffic on Strathern Road could be looked at again. I have raised the matter with the council’s transportation manager asking for his comments and I have suggested that it might be useful installing a vehicle activated sign that lights up to advise drivers of the 30mph limit, similar to the one on Arbroath Road near to Kemnay Place.

Potholes needing attention

I had a busy couple of surgeries on Saturday; I received a lot of complaints about potholes and the condition of our roads in general. This issue was raised with me more than any other issue last year and it looks like it will be the same this year.

Brought to my attention on Saturday were potholes in Maule Street and another pothole in Queen Street near Brae Cottage residential home. I was also asked about the deteriorating condition of the carriageway at the junction of Claypotts Road/Brook Street/Westfield Road/Dundee Road and in Whinny Brae.

I have made the roads maintenance partnership aware of these locations. It usually responds very effectively and any actionable defects are repaired to ensure safety is maintained however I have also asked about the likelihood of more permanent repairs being carried out at the locations where there is considerable wear and tear.

At the council's budget meeting in 2012 the Conservative Group tried to get more resources allocated to road reconstructions by diverting funding proposed for the redevelopment of the environment department’s headquarters. Unfortunately our proposal didn’t win the support of the majority of the councillors.

Updates- speaking clock; Beach Crescent bollards

Happy New Year to all my constituents and readers of this blog, wherever in the world you might be reading it from.

 Speaking clock

I thought I would start 2014 with a couple of updates.  An earlier post reported that public bodies had spent more than £14,000 of taxpayers’ money phoning the speaking clock over the past five years. Dundee City Council accounted for a small part of that total and I raised the matter with the council’s chief executive. In response the head of information technology has confirmed that the speaking clock telephone number is blocked on mobile phones and all landlines.

Apparently it has always been blocked on mobile phones. It should have been blocked across all landlines in the council but due to a technical failure, which has since been resolved; it wasn’t blocked for a period of time on some of them.

 Slipway Beach Crescent

 

I was pleased to see the bollards installed at the old slipway in Beach Crescent. Towards the end of 2012 I was contacted by a constituent who told me that she had been standing at the railings at the bottom of the slipway watching the swans with her young grandchild, when one of the cars parked at the top of the slipway rolled down, without any occupants, and banged into the railings. It just missed her but it gave her a huge shock. Speaking later to one of the shopkeepers she was told the same thing happened a couple of weeks before. I asked the council’s head of transportation if he could arrange for his traffic engineers to check the safety of the location and he agreed that a bollard type system would prevent similar occurrences. Unfortunately due to other priorities it has taken until the latter part of this financial year for the scheme to be implemented.

 

The council confirmed that it is not a functioning slipway but the bollards are able to be removed just in case it needs to be used in the future.