Margaret Hamilton (Page 10)

For some considerable time now I have struggled to understand why the Scottish Government’s decision to implement the minimum unit pricing policy has been such a bug bear to the Scottish Whisky Association. Way back we used to go to their fringe meeting at SNP conference. They were a nice bunch of guys who chatted informally while allowing the invited delegates to try different whiskies. When we started the Moray Whisky fundraiser stall for Moray SNP constituency they were extremely complimentary of our display and promotion of the Speyside malts. Two things happened. Firstly, the wooden marquee bouncy floor and health and safety meant noRead More →

So, as I write this we are in a bigger mess than last week. I am going to the Country, she said, to get the mandate I need to complete Brexit. What she meant was I will get a majority that no-one can overturn and I will plough Brexit through the way I want it. The good people of the United Kingdom of course had other thoughts. For those in England who did not realise they were voting for more austerity last time, they looked around. They saw that Jeremy was enjoying campaigning, relaxed, and saying things they liked the sound of. If only theRead More →

This morning (Tuesday 23rd May) I awoke with no other thoughts in my head other than finish leafleting the village and prepare for an appointment in the afternoon. Switched on laptop to check mail and social media. SHOCK! Our youth, our future had been attacked, killed, injured and maimed for life. Out of nowhere at what should have been an enjoyable night, as they should have been going home chattering and singing. Understandably all political parties called a cease to campaigning. I have wandered round all day, not really settling to any task. There has been so much silence and too much time to thinkRead More →

Being my turn this week I thought what can I write about? Schools on holiday, Parliaments in recess. Just leaves local election campaigns and believe me you don’t want me to go there! Then I looked at today’s newspaper. Another cash cow in the public system, halted by the SNP and wanted to be reinstated by a professional body. I had absolutely no idea that health service consultant doctors were being given a performance bonus of up to £75,000 per year. I am not a total innocent in the health care world. In a previous life I was a nurse. I sort of drifted intoRead More →

My interpretation of what I heard of Theresa May’s speech is this. You will be proud to be a backward looking failed British Empire. You will do as we tell you. We will shut our door to our European neighbours and be most unwelcoming to people from other lands. No matter how we treat others they will be glad to trade with us as we know we are the superior Nation. In the Great British Empire days we traipsed around the world riding rough shod over other countries. We told them how to live and to worship. We enslaved them and shipped them to farRead More →

As there have been a few weeks of no positive news from Scotland I have decided to share some of the things that are happening here with links to the full stories.   New hospitals and health centres due to open in 2017-18 Nearly £500 million of new healthcare facilities, including two new hospital buildings, are expected to open to patients in 2017-18. Funded through Scottish Government investment, these new NHS and local council facilities will provide patients across Scotland with treatment in purpose-built, 21st century settings. Ms Robison said: “As we enter a new year, it seems apt to reflect on the significant progress madeRead More →

When I posted my comment on facebook the morning after the USA presidential election a friend commented ‘cyclical, like the cicadas’. It has been going on for some time in France. Germany and Belgium experienced it after the recent terrorist attacks. The UK has watched it growing in elections, most strongly in England, and it ended up with Brexit. Now North America has experienced it. I can see that if someone attacks you or threatens you, you become wary of them. When does an odd comment become a regular saying? How often does a regular saying have to be repeated before it becomes real inRead More →

The United Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had an advisory referendum in June on whether to leave the European Union. 51.89% of the public who bothered to vote, did so to leave. 48.11% of these voters wanted to remain. This meant that the government were going to remove us from the European Union on a vote with a majority of 3.78%. In my book that is hardly a decisive majority. I would say it was too close to call! So we all panicked. Argued over what it was going to mean to our different sections of society. Scotland’s First Minister immediately startedRead More →