Edinburgh Sucks! | Move the goalposts I

Jack McConnell

Move the goalposts I - the HighFlyers

By The Basa ⋅ April 2, 2006 ⋅

In a bid to get publicity 3 years ago, the First Minister (who is currently on a world tour, and had a stop in Scotland this week) has let down the high flyers of the future within Scottish society and totally pee’d off the American backers of his policy which said these people would be “taking the message right into the heart of corporate America that Scotland is a country brimming with talent“. The project was grandly called Tommorows Leaders International.

Obviously the Scottish Executive don’t think that Scotland is in fact brimming with talent because in fact, the 20 places which had been set up in America for Scottish students to take up from this summer will now lie empty with the the organiser of TLI in America, Bob Creighton saying:

“I have been informally advised by colleagues in Scotland that, due to other developments in Scottish Enterprise, there seems to be some possibility that Tomorrow’s Leaders International may not now be funded,” he wrote on March 26.

“We have made commitments for this year’s programme - in good faith and in the name of the First Minister, the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise - to some of Scotland’s most important partners in America.

“By initiating the selection process in Scotland, we have also raised the hopes of many young people. It would be a travesty if this excellent programme were to be cancelled for reasons that are not entirely clear.”

“The reality is that if funding is cut now, it is difficult to see how we could again build up the goodwill and unquestioning support that the programme now enjoys.”

Oh well then, no change there. Once again the goalposts have been moved and the words of the politicians in Scotland are proven to be empty, empty, empty.

More Info: Enterprise agency axes US scheme for student high-flyers