On:
In: Stephen Bird
With: 0 Comments

There is a re-colonization of UK politics taking place before our eyes. As the more “one-nation” Tories leave the zealots behind and, like an alien life force, take over the Lib Dems. Think Heidi Allen, Sam Gyimah or Philip Lee. What they all have in common is a policy agenda and approach to politics which is shared by the new LibDem ”leader” Jo Swinson. They are all supporters of the broad thrust of anti-social policies so enthusiastically pursued by not only David Cameron’s Tories but by Nick Clegg’s LibDems through the five horrendous years of the coalition. Little wonder that people who still think ofRead More →

On:
In: Grant Thoms
With: 0 Comments

Forty years after the initial Claim of Right for Scotland was signed and triggered the Scottish Constitutional Convention which in turn led to the re-establishment of a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers, 50 cultural heavyweights have united to publish a “manifesto for independence” –a prospectus of “guiding principles” on independence for Scotland.  The manifesto concludes: “It is our belief that the best option now open to the Scottish people is for Scotland to become an independent country. The alternative is to accept that Scotland’s fate would remain in the hands of others and that the Scottish people would relinquish their right to decide their own destiny.”   Read More →

On:
In: Maureen Forbes

And still the Brexit burach continues; into the final month, again, there is still no progress made, no clear direction on what will happen but still a wilful ignorance from those that should be leading us. From what was for all intents and purposes, a political coup, neatly overturned by by a court case painstakingly organised by Joanna Cherry MP, and rumoured to be ignored by the Prime Minister, the stakes are now ramped up; we are told legislation WILL be out in place to prevent the continuation of the Scottish Parliament in order to “protect” the Union. Quite what this will achieve is anybody’sRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

I write this on Tuesday 24th of September 2019. This day has just become a date to note in history. Lady Hale delivered her concluding speech of the trial as I sat at my workbench and listened on radio Scotland. As she talked I started slowing in my work till I fond myself sitting engrossed. One of the UK’s top lawyers and I was understanding what she was saying. Well delivered using words the non-lawyer could understand. I still find it difficult to believe that all 11 judges agreed and came down on the side of democracy. Many of you, like me, might have thoughtRead More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch

Consider the Liberals of the field, they sow not neither do they reap, but never was Solomon in all his glory as arrogant as one of these. Apologies for this misquotation from the Bible – think it should be “spin” not reap, but they actually do spin, if not in the Biblical fashion. I was watching the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, followed by Politics Scotland with Gordon Brewer. Jo Swinson, Leader, aspiring to be Prime Minister I think, was saying she would not enter into any pact with Johnson or Corbyn. Marr did not quite pin down how her tactics would work, but withRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird, Uncategorized

Brexit n The undefined being negotiated by the unprepared in order to get the unspecified. When I first started to print this on shirts, mugs etc way back in 2017 little did I realise just how apt the words were. Sure, we knew that the Government had no strategy, vision, plan or destination in mind but most of us assumed that there were enough adults in the Civil Service to ensure that something semi sensible would emerge and be accepted by the Government. Oh how wrong we were! It’s perhaps worth recalling that in 2016 one of the aims of the Leave campaign was toRead More →

On:
In: Grant Thoms

Article 155.3 of the 1985 Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal was the Treaty law sub article that was supposed to guarantee that MEPs from the sub states of Scotland and Northern Ireland would never have to start doing too much defensive work for the fish that actually swam and insufficient work for our peoples in the political mainstream. It was the Treaty law that recognised the simple fact that our sub states didn’t have, and could never get, enough MEPs to do the two jobs of representing our peoples and defending our fishing interests in a Parliiament full of MEPs from landlocked places,Read More →

On:
In: Maureen Forbes

As the polls close in the Shetland by-election, hopefully Tom Wills has snatched the seat and is now the first SNP MSP for the islands. Tavish Scott, who has been the MSP since the Scottish Parliament reconvened in 1999, resigned to begin a new career with Scottish Rugby. The association with the LibDems (through their varying forms) in the Northern Isles has had a historic longevity unmatched elsewhere in the country that has only in the recent past shown signs of decline. Tavish Scott, Liam MacArthur, Alistair Carmichael, Jim Wallace and Jo Grimond have been the only names to succeed in national politics for OrkneyRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Voices for Scotland is the campaign organisation that seeks to plan, deliver and win the next campaign for Scottish Independence. It is the campaigning and fundraising arm of the Scottish Independence Convention, a coalition of independence supporting organisations. Its goal is to lift the support for Scottish Independence to about 60%, building on the independence movement that delivered a 45% vote in favour of independence in 2014. We are looking for a dynamic, flexible and enthusiastic person who is a strong supporter of Scottish Independence to become our new Campaign Organiser. This opportunity comes at an exciting and worrying time in our politics: there isRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton, Uncategorized

Watching the lunchtime news, Ian commented ‘Is there a massive sand pit down at Westminster where they have all stuck their heads?’ I have become detached and terrified in equal measure. Boris and his team are definitely in the lead over ‘the Donald’ in the lying stakes. How the hell did the elected members down there allow such a deluded, bumbling, arrogant person to be running our affairs? Yes I do blame the other MPs. They were all elected by their constituents to do the best they could to defend and support them. Too many of them have only been concerned about their own payRead More →