Something must be done, and more would by achieved by targeting public sector jobs, which are at our disposal, to the west of Scotland. Those jobs could include the armed forces jobs that are out for tender at present. I understand that about 5,000 will be created in a new training college, which the Army will set up, and that it has been argued that it should be based in the east of the country, but I would argue very forcefully that it should be set up in the west. In summary, the Government understand that the economy is based inside society itself and that we are talking about people, not just numbers. Number crunching is all very good, but the people whom I represent understand the issues only on the basis of the food that they have on the table.
Prudence is sensible.
It is certainly not pap, as some might say. Clearly, because of that success, for the first time in many years we can afford to rebuild the society in which we live. The base work has been done, and we now have record spending on education and health in and around my constituency and record investment in young people. For the first time in a generation, pensioners have been helped in a way that they understand. Those cuts would most affect those who need the help most in my constituency.