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 First Minister Donald Dewar"We've got a parliament and an administration that's working hard"  real 28k |
Dewar defends devolution
Mr Dewar criticised newspaper coverage
Scotland's first minister has rubbished suggestions that the prime minister is unhappy with the achievements of the UK's devolved administrations.
Donald Dewar was speaking as Tony Blair prepared to address the Scottish Parliament for the first time.
He said: "We've got a parliament and an administration that is working hard. We can point to real and solid achievements we are delivering.
Donald Dewar was speaking as Tony Blair prepared to address the Scottish Parliament for the first time.
He said: "We've got a parliament and an administration that is working hard. We can point to real and solid achievements we are delivering.
 I must confess, and I almost feel guilty about it, that I am thoroughly enjoying my job  |
Donald Dewar |
"The prime minister will be going to meet the head of the new Drug Enforcement Agency. That is a pledge that we have delivered.
"We promised that we would bring classroom assistants into primary schools - 1,500 are now in place. I could go through a long list."
And Mr Dewar criticised recent press coverage of controversies such as the row over Section 28.
Gossip columns
He listed what he saw as solid achievements of the adminstration, like low unemployment : "These are things which are very much more important than some of the storms that have blown up to fill front pages and to turn front pages into something that looks a little like gossip columns."
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Dewar rejected the suggestion that Mr Blair was regretting his backing for devolution, and said the prime minister would say so in his speech to MSPs.
"I think he will give the sort of solid support for the devolution settlement in Scotland which he has always given and for which I have on many occasions been grateful.
"You're looking at a party which has had a tremendous run over the past 18 months - has changed the face of Scottish and British politics.
"No-one wants to undo what we have done in the devolution settlement and Tony can take some of the credit for that."
'New problems'
The first minister denied that he was becoming frustrated by the job, and wanted out.
He said he was still thriving on it: "I must confess, and I almost feel guilty about it, that I am thoroughly enjoying my job. It's a very pressured one.
"If you're saying every Thursday there are new problems, then every day in government there are new problems and new priorities that have to be weighed against each other. "
"We promised that we would bring classroom assistants into primary schools - 1,500 are now in place. I could go through a long list."
And Mr Dewar criticised recent press coverage of controversies such as the row over Section 28.
Gossip columns
He listed what he saw as solid achievements of the adminstration, like low unemployment : "These are things which are very much more important than some of the storms that have blown up to fill front pages and to turn front pages into something that looks a little like gossip columns."
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Dewar rejected the suggestion that Mr Blair was regretting his backing for devolution, and said the prime minister would say so in his speech to MSPs.
 The first minister says devolution is working |
"You're looking at a party which has had a tremendous run over the past 18 months - has changed the face of Scottish and British politics.
"No-one wants to undo what we have done in the devolution settlement and Tony can take some of the credit for that."
'New problems'
The first minister denied that he was becoming frustrated by the job, and wanted out.
He said he was still thriving on it: "I must confess, and I almost feel guilty about it, that I am thoroughly enjoying my job. It's a very pressured one.
"If you're saying every Thursday there are new problems, then every day in government there are new problems and new priorities that have to be weighed against each other. "
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