The Chancellor, Alastair Darling, set out a clear plan in the Budget last week to secure economic recovery and create jobs for the future. He didn’t dodge the need to ensure the public finances were on a sound footing but made it plain that front line services in education and health would be protected. For the future, he also announced new investment to create skilled jobs in green industry.

There were no cheap give away measures but the Scottish Government’s budget will go up by an extra £82 million in 2010-11 so there can be no excuse for cuts because of lack of funding next year.

There was new spending as well in other areas such as:

• The extension of the Young Person’s Guarantee of a job or training for 18 – 24 year-olds unemployed for six months or more
• An increase in tax credits for families with very young children
• A new government backed investment bank to provide finance for green industry and transport

New spending will be paid for through a crack down on tax evaders, the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses and the new 50% rate of tax on those on highest income.

People in all walks of life work hard but could never hope to earn what leading bankers earn. The banks were forced to turn to the Government for help when they hit trouble and the least we can expect is that the highest earners should pay their fair share in tax.

I hope that the banking industry will continue to be a major employer in Edinburgh but we must develop industry, and in particular new green industry, because that is where the skilled long-term jobs of the future will be.

The success of a business can owe as much to things like good transport and a skilled workforce as a single genius, important though new ideas and discoveries are. For instance, I recently visited Telford College with Jim Murphy, the Secretary of State for Scotland, where I saw how the Government’s policies on youth training are paying off.

I am glad that the Government has taken decisive action to support businesses and protect those on modest incomes since the financial crisis struck. Alistair Darling made it clear that Government has a positive role to play in the future as well in creating the basis for a stable and successful economy. It has no intention of standing aside and just leaving the future to the market to decide.