PINSTRIPE
I have fond memories of Prestwick Airport. So it is with some sadness that I view its current state. Slightly shabby but endearing - a bit like Largs, taking a dwindling bunch of people to a few obscure places - or at least a couple of hours bus ride from where they really want to go. The once key assets of a long runway and fog free location no longer relevant in an age when 747’s regularly land at Glasgow’s real airport and technology means no visibility is needed.
Radical thinking is clearly required. I have two solutions, both of which will work and be of benefit to Scotland.
My first plan, I’ll admit, is likely to be a little contentious in some quarters and requires the Scottish Government to ask Westminster nicely for a bit more power. The plan is to give the right of abode on Arran to all Hong Kong Chinese - and to let them have Prestwick too. They would have to play by our rules and stay within the territory we give them as well as, crucially, pay our taxes. When I say pay “our” taxes I really mean that, within a few years, after they had built a few sky scrapers, dug a tunnel to Prestwick which would in turn be directly connected to cities round the globe, the rest of us could put our feet up - much like the good citizens of Dubai. In time the plan could be extended (St Kilda?) but let’s not get carried away. Farfetched you say? Silly even. Let’s look at the Scottish Government’s alternative plan.
The Strategic Vision document published in October last year on the future of Prestwick is laughable except that it is your money - which could be used to build schools and hire nurses - being wasted - more than £25 million is budgeted to be spent by Spring 2016. Some parts of the plan are so secret we can’t even be told what they are but as you wade through the buzzwords and vacuous phrases you quickly realise there is no viable plan at all. Well, not strictly true there is a gem, alongside a disaster recovery co-ordination centre (how apt) - using Prestwick as the UK’s first Spaceport. You have just got to be kidding. Relying on Virgin Galactic and Co as your saviour - stick with Michael O’Leary is my advice. My Hong Kong plan is more realistic and much more beneficial to Scotland - we could make a fortune. The current citizens of Arran would need Prestwick to park their private jets.
Ok, so my plan A is ambitious, the Scottish Government’s plan B is ludicrous - what’s plan C?
Glasgow already has a well-run, well located airport which has plenty of scope to grow its business and which is currently being harmed by the Scottish Government’s insistence on propping up Prestwick. All the statistics the Government gives on jobs and economic activity associated with Prestwick and which justify it being saved rest on two complete falsehoods. First, that you can defy economic gravity - you can’t, in the end commercial reality means that Prestwick will close. The second falsehood is that when it does close these jobs and economic activity will disappear, when the reality is that they can largely relocate elsewhere - mainly Glasgow. The longer the Scottish Government persists in its current Prestwick Airport adventure the less will be left to be saved in the long run. If Prestwick shuts then Glasgow Airport, Glasgow and Scotland as a whole will gain.
Be bold Nicola - or get real.
Pinstripe is a senior member of Scotland's financial services community
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel