On:
In: Jim Lynch

The die has been cast: on Tuesday 28th March the Scottish Parliament voted to ask Westminster for the authority to hold a Referendum. The SNP had 64 votes and the Greens cast their 5; the other parties had 59 votes.  I knew the Greens were going to support the SNP, but  there can be many a slip between cup and lip, and the Greens main plank is the environment, not independence.  Nevertheless they were  true to their word.  Ruth Davidson bleated protest in a quickfire fashion, I did not see Kezia Dugdale nor Willie Rennie. David Mundell burbled away as Theresa May’s stooge – nothingRead More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch, Political News

23 Mar 17 TRUST IN SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT REMAINS OVER TWICE AS HIGH AS UK GOV People in Scotland are overwhelmingly more likely to trust the Scottish Government than the UK government to work in Scotland’s best interests, new figures show. The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2016 shows that 65% of people trusted the Scottish Government to work in Scotland’s best interests, compared to 25% who trusted the UK government. This trust rating is 14% higher than when Labour left power. The survey also showed that 75% of people believe the Scottish Government should have most influence over the way Scotland is run, with only 14%Read More →

On:
In: Maureen Forbes

I try really hard not to watch Question Time on BBC1. Perhaps it is because I find David Dimbleby an ineffectual Chair, perhaps it is because I can guarantee Scotland will be mentioned with sneers and condescension or maybe it is because the whole format is just tired, jaded and run its course. A long, long time ago when there was still a degree of separation from politicians and the public, it was a respected political discussion show and the panel were accorded a level of dignity and respect due simply to their career choice. Nowadays things are, quite rightly, very different in that ourRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

Whether you call it trust, honesty or integrity it’s the single most important commodity in life and especially in politics. When trust goes out of a relationship there is rarely anything left of value. I was reminded of this simple fact again quite recently when watching that car crash of an interview poor Kez had with Andrew Neil on the back of Sadiq Khan’s speech to the Scotland Branch of Labour. Trying to defend the indefensible is never an edifying sight and Kez was in an impossible position. The more she refused to condemn Sadiq, the more distance she put between herself and the ordinaryRead More →

On:
In: Kay Ullrich

We have just arrived home from our annual visit to the beautiful Philippine Islands.  Breakfast of mangoes every morning and perpetual sunny skies.  Envious or what?  Of course that is not the whole story – leave the gated communities of the wealthy and witness the poverty suffered by so many of these lovely people.  Children beg at traffic light stops, they sleep on the streets. The “lucky” ones live in make-shift homes lining every highway. Such absolute poverty seems pitiable and disgraceful to the Western eye.  Beyond giving a few pesos to the beggars there seems little that can be done by the tourist. FeelingsRead More →

On:
In: Steven Marwick

The comments by Sadiq Khan (which were toned down in his Labour Conference speech but widely reported in the media nonetheless) show that the campaign for the new independence referendum has started in earnest and independence supporters are going to face even worse lies and smears than in 2014.   Make no mistake, this wasn’t bad briefing or a simple misunderstanding of the Scottish political landscape. This was tactics. You don’t get to the dizzy heights of London Mayoral office without a large measure of political nous and the ability to finesse your arguments. You certainly don’t get there by going off-message at party conferences.Read More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch

Strange things happening today; I customarily look at Wings Over Scotland and newsnetscotland more or less every day, but have been having a few problems, no doubt due to Windows 10, Word and general auld man’s incompetence.  However today when I clicked on newsnetscotland I got a big notice  “403 –  Access to this site is forbidden.”  So I have been unable to read the thoughts of Derek Bateman;  I tried going through his website but fell at the first twitter!  Might come all right.  Wings was OK.   I returned last week from a fortnight in Lanzarote, very nice.  My eldest son and hisRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton, Uncategorized

So, we have had yet another week of the Tory Westminster Government treating us like a bit of smelly pooh on the end of their foot. The behaviour of the English MPs towards the Scottish MPs has been diabolical. The Deputy Speaker certainly wore his heart on his sleeve in his treatment of Joanne Cherry last week during the Brexit debate. The Tory MPs were criticising John Berkow for his non impartiality over the Trump statement. Someone should pull Lindsay Hoyle up for his open hostility to elected members of his own house. So, as I write this on a sunny St Valentine’s day, whereRead More →