With a world recession in full swing now in the semiconductor business, Scotland is feeling the pinch. Scotland has a very high percentage of chip manufacture and design plants and is now seeing many layoffs and plant closures. From NEC through Motorola, thousands are losing their jobs and the hi-tech sector is being dismantled.

The Scottish executive needs to do all it can to attract and retain this business. The economy will recover, but who will get the new jobs and plants? Probably China, where slave labour is cheaper and environmental laws and worker rights are non-existent.

Its a bleak outlook at this point for Scottish Lives and as inward investment is NOT reallycontrolled by 'locate in Scotland' (or whatever they call themselves now) but by Westminster and the DTI. The only way to make it better is to be an independent Scotland where WE set out the incentives for the multinationals.