Sandy Easdale, who owns McGill’s alongside his brother James, launched a furious attack on Mr Swinney after he announced plans to bring buses into public control.
asserted
he → own → control
Speaking at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the First Minister said buses would be brought under public control by 2031 through franchising and regulation, with a Bill tabled in Holyrood next year.
asserted
buses → speak → Holyrood
One of the owners of McGill’s, the UK’s largest independent bus operator, accused Mr Swinney of acting like a dictator.
asserted
One → accuse → dictator
Sandy Easdale said: “What has come over mild-mannered John Swinney?
asserted
What → say → Swinney
He appears to have transformed into the next Idi Amin or Robert Mugabe, both men, incidentally, who bankrupted their countries through catastrophic financial policies.”
asserted
who → appear → policies
Ralph Roberts, chairman of McGill’s Group, accused Mr Swinney of “business confiscation”.
asserted
Roberts → accuse → confiscation
He said McGill’s was “prepared to pursue every available legal avenue to protect” the business.
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McGill → say → business
Despite the attacks, Ms Gilruth promised to work with bus companies on her plans.
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Gilruth → promise → plans
Asked about the comments, she told BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show: “Well, of course, the Easdale brothers I think are significant donors to the Labour Party.
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I → ask → Party
It’d be remiss of me not to mention that point.
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It → mention → point
“Fundamentally, we’re trying to protect our people, and across the country just now we see a number of routes having been removed.”
asserted
number → try → routes
Ms Gilruth said the Scottish Government was already providing significant investment in buses, including free travel for under 22s and over 60s.
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Government → say → 60s
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She said: “Of course we work with bus operators like McGill’s and others to hear their views.
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we → read → views
We’ve always done that in terms of how we’ve rolled out our approach to the under 22s, and of course to the £2 bus cap.
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we → do → cap
At the SNP conference on Saturday, Mr Swinney also announced the extension of the £2 bus fare cap, with Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to be covered from April.
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Aberdeen → announce → April
The current cap covers the greater Glasgow area and the Highlands and Islands, with the Government planning to expand it to the whole country by the end of the parliamentary term in 2031.
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Government → cover → 2031
She said the current private bus model was “a legacy of Thatcher’s time when she took away that opportunity for there to be direct intervention from the state around about a number of bus routes”.
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she → say → routes
She added: “So we’re going back to an approach that better protects people.
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that → add → people
We only need to look at the approach that’s used, for example, in the city of Edinburgh to see how public ownership on this issue of McGill’s the number of routes that are available.”
asserted
that → need → routes
Mr Roberts said the First Minister’s announcement “threatens businesses built through years of private investment, hard work and commercial risk”.
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announcement → say → investment
“McGill’s has never been publicly owned,” the company chairman added.
asserted
chairman → own → ?
He added: “From our perspective, removing a company’s ability to operate the network it has built and putting those services out to competitive tender amounts to business confiscation.
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it → add → confiscation
“Ministers would not contemplate treating hotels, supermarkets or clothing retailers in this way.
asserted
Ministers → contemplate → way
“When the Scottish Government intervened at Prestwick Airport and Ferguson Marine, it bought those businesses rather than removing their ability to trade.”
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it → intervene → ability
He said the SNP’s plans could cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
uncertain
plans → say → pounds
He warned: “Our owners have invested substantially in growing this business and improving services.
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owners → warn → services
They have the resources and determination to defend what they have built and are prepared to pursue every available legal avenue to protect it.
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they → have → it
“Ministers should be in no doubt that any attempt to strip away that business will be vigorously resisted.”
asserted
attempt → strip → business
The Aporia
