Wednesday, 21 March 2012 21:34

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Dave Thompson, the SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, who has three major ski centres in his consituency, has today welcomed the Chancellors announcement which will mean a cut of VAT resulting in cheaper ski lift passes for the tens of thousands that ski and board on the slopes of Scotland’s mountains.

Mr Thompson has long canvassed the UK Government to remove the VAT on ski centres’ transportation systems, and bring the levy in line with European ski resorts.

Mr Thompson said:

“I have been in touch with HM Treasury for well over a year now with the support of my friends in the snow-sports industry in Scotland.  It is essential for the long term viability of the Scottish Snow-sports industry that the unfair imposition of VAT should be corrected – to bring it in line with Europe.

“Obviously the pressure we have applied has had a major impact on the Chancellor’s announcement today, and I commend him for taking note of this.

“The reduction to 5% is a welcome step in the right direction and represents a big U-turn by the Tory-Lib Dem Government and its increasingly loose hold on Danny Alexander’s constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey.”

Wednesday, 21 March 2012 18:33

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First Minister Alex Salmond’s decisive policy to forgo a referendum over the future of the monarchy in Scotland has been praised by leading academics as “the right approach”.

Speaking on Newsnight Scotland, Professor of Scottish history Tom Devine said, “The current queen is extremely popular; to add the issue of Republicanism into the current debate on independence, would muddy the waters.