This week, Paul Kavanagh (aka “The Wee Ginger Dug”) gave a talk to the City of Stirling branch of the SNP in what can only be described as a morale-boosting, motivational address for fellow independence travellers. It’s a talk, which he explained was something he does on a regular basis the length and breadth of Scotland. As with many non-SNP members in the independence movement, he has his views of how to win independence and many of them I agree with. For independence, we must increasingly let it be ‘whatever people want it to be’, i.e. the important detail of whether we are in theRead More →

Gordon Wilson The week ending 1 July this year was a momentous one for Scotland.  At 5.30 on the morning of Sunday 25 Jun, the SNP’s former leader, Gordon Wilson, died in Roxburgh House Dundee.   He had been ill for a few short weeks. When I joined the SNP Gordon was the National Secretary, then the second most powerful person in the Party, after the Chairman.  At that time I was unaware of his colourful past as the instigator of Radio Free Scotland.  I had never seen any of the broadcasts, as they came at the closing down of the BBC for the night, butRead More →

Slight problem with items this week, Scottish Parliament in recess, Compiler struggling with Windows 10, Word, and old age?   Sunday 2nd July SNP WARN UK GOVERNMENT AGAINST BYPASSING PARLIAMENT ON SYRIA STRIKES The SNP’s Defence spokesperson has written to Michael Fallon warning the UK government against bypassing parliament in order to “fall blindly in line to the Trump tune,” with extended military action in Syria without approval. During Business Questions, Stewart McDonald MP raised Sir Michael Fallon’s TV interview in which the Defence Secretary stated that the UK “will fully support any US action”, reminding the UK government that any attempt to bypass parliamentRead More →

It is the end of another school year and for my eldest child, the end of primary school as he looks forward to starting at the big school after the holidays. Having spent his time in P7 in the brand new Noss Primary in Wick and the wonderful learning environment that if offered, he will now be the first full S1 in the newly opened Wick High with all the opportunities that this community campus has available including the adjacent public library and swimming pool. Neither school has been without its problems during construction and settling in with many more no doubt to come butRead More →

We are saddened to share the press release from the SNP with you, below. Gordon had a long history with the Scots Independent newspaper and published quite a few books through us. He was a good friend the newspaper and its volunteers. GORDON WILSON, FORMER SNP LEADER, DIES AGED 79 It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Gordon Wilson. Gordon passed away earlier this morning in hospital after a short illness. He was leader of the Scottish National Party from 1979 to 1990, and was SNP Member of Parliament for Dundee East from 1974 to 1987. First Minister and SNP leaderRead More →

The 2017 General Election may well go down in history as the “Ironic Election”. A seemingly popular PM decides to go to the Country on a weekend walk in Wales after denying no less than seven times that she would call an election. Summing up just how much the concept of collective responsibility matters now. The same PM campaigns on a mantra of bringing “strong and stable” government and claims that if she is not returned to No 10 there would be a “coalition of chaos”. She is returned to Number 10 (albeit on a very short lease) and creates the worst possible coalition ofRead 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 →

Today, the day before the General Election, is #SNPBecause day. I’m looking forward to reading and watching the reasons that many people will give why they are members of the SNP. I have been a member for over twenty years and I joined because I held then, as I hold now, the firm and unwavering belief that my country of Scotland is the equal of every other country in the world. There is a common misconception, often assisted by the media, that the SNP falsely aggrandise Scotland, that we claim Scotland is better than it actually is, for political gain. We don’t, we see theRead More →