Lib Dems save haggis
Written by The Voice on 25th January 2008 – 11:51 amNews reached the Voice yesterday that nine Lib Dem MPs have signed an EDM supporting haggis, which brings over £1m into the Scottish economy, particularly in the run up to Burns Night.
The future of the haggis has been jeopardised by the withdrawal of funding currently used to train workers in the meat industry. Leading haggis producers consider there to be a shortage of the skilled workers necessary for ongoing haggis production.
You can find the EDM itself here, and the BBC report about it here.
Posted in Campaigning, Scotland
25th January 2008 at 12:07 pm
We do it cross party in the European Parliament.
25th January 2008 at 1:12 pm
The biggest threat to the Haggis is that Salmond and his buddy Donald Trump are planning to turn their natural habitat into a golf course. For shame!
25th January 2008 at 2:22 pm
Is this right - Haggis producers claim they need money from the state to make them?
We’re meant to be a party of free trade and liberty not one of rent seeking and special interests.
We should not be proud of this, we should be ashamed.
25th January 2008 at 3:40 pm
I know this is meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek, but I was going to make a comment related to that of Tristan’s.
Sometimes this kind of state investment can really be valuable, but I do have to wonder about this.
How big is it? If the industry is £1M, is there £100K being spent on training? Haggises would be 10% cheaper than they should be because they’re being subsidised. Is it just £10K? If so, were all the haggis producers across the land not able to make up £10K?
25th January 2008 at 4:05 pm
I have a recipe for make your own and have done it successfully once. It’s a mite stomach-churning (boiling the lung while hanging the oesophagus over the rim of the pot to collect any fluid is as bad as it gets). Can I get some of this protectionist state funded training money then for preserving the beast?
I love a good haggis. The best game in the world
25th January 2008 at 4:43 pm
What Tristan said. What a stupid waste of taxpayers’ money.
25th January 2008 at 5:16 pm
A useful story to remember for the next time our MP’s are demanding a bigger pay rise, or saying they don’t have the time for xyz . . .
25th January 2008 at 5:28 pm
Hang on doesn’t state money go to fund the training of workers in the construction sector, the IT sector, dance and drama etc (http://danceanddrama.lsc.gov.uk/)
25th January 2008 at 5:43 pm
I have to agree Hywel. We are talking about funding training here not subsidising the industry itself (which is a different argument). Presumably the opponents of this would like to shut down the whole FE sector (or at least anything to do with butchery)?
25th January 2008 at 6:33 pm
I’m surprised it’s still possible to buy haggis in the shops, what with the hunting ban now in place.
26th January 2008 at 9:04 am
It’s legal as long as you don’t hunt them with neeps.
26th January 2008 at 10:42 am
And besides, tradition dictates using a spud gun.
26th January 2008 at 2:39 pm
The Haggis industry needs government funding to protect the natural habitats of the Haggis. Tristan dude, its not that bigger deal our nation needs more haggis hunters and the government is the best sector to provide em
26th January 2008 at 2:53 pm
I’m getting really confused here. I thought that haggis was some ghastly concoction of the entrails and organs of a dead sheep. Are you guys saying that they actually run around on legs?
Smiley.
28th January 2008 at 10:11 pm
Yup - two short ones on the uphill side and two long ones on the downhill side so they can run round hills with ease.