Andrew Wilson: Leaders with real vision needed

The rejection of Sir Ian Wood's plans for Aberdeen's Union square shows a lack of leadership, says Andrew Wilson. Picture: TSPL

ECCLESIASTES is possibly the most depressing book in the Bible, even though it was written, quite literally, with the wisdom of King Solomon.

It argues that for all our endeavours to find meaning and fulfilment in life – in learning, career, wine or any pleasure – it is all in the end “meaningless”. Harrumph.

I am generally an optimistic and hopeful sort, though this part of my spirit is tested sorely from time to time. But I was drawn to the repetitive hopelessness of Solomon’s words this week: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

The reason? The 20th – count them – annual publication of the Government Expenditure and Revenue report in Scotland. Created by the Tories in the 1990s to argue that Scotland was a financial basket case, it remains a useful source of information about the past and how we have been run. It tells us next to nothing about the future, unless you buy into Solomon’s core belief.

We truly live in an Orwellian world when the innocent citizenry are asked to buy an argument that goes something like this: “We are in charge of the UK public finances and can tell you that under our leadership and policies Scotland runs an unsustainable financial deficit. It is therefore imperative that we keep things as they are now.”

Only in Scotland would we be asked to believe that the beggaring of future generations and the blowing of North Sea oil means that things should stay the same and the people responsible should stay in charge.