Hand-Up v Hand-Out


The Private Eye, the UK's best and only fortnightly satirical magazine, contained this little gem on Scottish affairs in one of its recent editions.  

It's unlikely that many in the Scottish government raised a glass of Adelphi whisky over Hogmanay.

 Last June the SNP's rural affairs secretary, Richard Lochhead, announced that his government was giving Adelphi a £1.8 million grant to develop a new distillery in Argyll. 

 A press release said the project would "produce high-quality Scottish whisky made of pure Scottish-sourced malting barley, as well as provide natural by-products for Scottish farms".

 Last months the Scottish "Yes" to independence campaign revealed that Adelphi director Donald Houston had given the "Better Together" Union group (ie the "No" campaign) £600,000 - some £100,000 of his own money and £250,000 each from two of his companies, Rain dance Investments and Beinn Bhuidhe Energy - making him its biggest donor.

 How's that for gratitude!  

I have to say I quite agree, but more to the point what does an entrepreneur need public money for when he's got so much of his own sloshing about?

 I imagine if the chap had appeared on Dragons' Den - the Dragons would have wasted no time in showing him the door.    

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