Holyrood maintenance costs likely to be high

It is suggested by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body that in its first year of operation the new Scottish Parliament building will cost around GBP640,000, plus a further 'reactive' cost of GBP206,000 to maintain. Independent (formerly SNP) MSP Margo MacDonald is quoted as saying:

"I won't be at all surprised if this figure is simply the starting figure and we end up spending £1m a year."

I rather suspect that Ms MacDonald may well be correct, indeed that she may be unduly optimistic; experience over the past few years has taught me to take the utterings of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body with the proverbial pinch of salt.

Tomorrow we have the 'excitement' of the Offical Opening of the new Scottish Parliament building by Her Majesty The Queen. Although I have put the word excitement in 'scare quotes' above, and whilst it does reflect my somewhat sceptical (read very sceptical) attitude toward the whole devolution project, on numerous grounds, it is true that as a reasonably patriotic Scot I am in fact quite excited by tomorrow's shindig and will no doubt be recording it in case I want to watch it again; I will endeavour to refrain from further sarcastic comment on the building costs until after the event is over, as a mark of respect to Her Majesty - whoever is responsible for this whole mess, it certainly ain't Her.