Part of First Minister's Question Time — Scottish executive – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 5 October 2000.
I certainly agree with Michael McMahon about that. At the moment we are faced with a debate that has a certain air of unreality about it. We have a bid on the table, one might say, and a firm intention and declaration, which will be met. From other parts of the political horizon there come some very strange claims, which do not stand even the most cursory examination. The important point is to get on with the business of improving public services in Scotland, reaching levels of public spending that are higher in real terms than ever before, and ensuring that the quality of life for those who depend on those services is improved.