FM 'may become Goodwin of politics'

Feb 2 2012

The First Minister is in "danger of becoming the Fred Goodwin of Scottish politics" by pursuing a case for independence which under scrutiny "falls apart", Labour has claimed.

Leader Johann Lamont demanded an apology from Alex Salmond for his "serious error of judgment" in writing to Mr Goodwin to back the deal with ABN Amro which proved to be disastrous for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

She likened that deal to the SNP's case for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom.

Ms Lamont said: "The fact of the matter is the First Minister's case for independence is beginning to look like the RBS deal that broke the bank: he can't provide the details and when you look at it closely it falls apart."

She added: "The First Minister is simply unable to make an economic case for independence. And isn't the First Minister in danger of becoming the Fred Goodwin of Scottish politics?"

Mr Salmond said he regretted writing to Mr Goodwin, who was stripped of his knighthood earlier this week. But he said it was his Labour predecessor Jack McConnell who had put him forward for the honour, and added that the former RBS chief executive had been an economic adviser to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He told Ms Lamont: "Fred Goodwin and the Fred Goodwin story is not the Labour party's strongest suit."

Mr Salmond also told her there was a "rather powerful economic argument for independence".

The First Minister said: "It is a fact that if we look at the last five years of Scotland's balance of income and revenue, we would have been £7.5 billion better off if we had controlled revenue and our own resources."