On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Since the sudden death of Alex Salmond, social media has been a pretty unpleasant place.  Mainstream media took every news opportunity to go over the past few years, using their own library footage. On social media there were pedestals, totally false claims, calls for unification of pro-independence groups and, from a few, some very disruptive language. Meanwhile, in the only organisation that gets the majority votes at the ballot box for independence, some movement is appearing. The Chief Executive has stepped down. The stand in actually has work experience of being a Chief Executive. All sorts of consultation is taking place. There are group talksRead More →

On:
In: Michael Hance

Alex Salmond’s death in North Macedonia from a massive heart attack has led to a period of reflection amongst observers of Scottish politics. Salmond changed Scotland and changed the SNP. His special skill was in making Scottish nationalism about the future. Salmond didn’t want to take our country back, he wanted to move Scotland forward.  The nationalist vision has to be about the future. The Scotland of the present – cut off from the world by Brexit and England’s suffocating self absorption – limits our potential and our development.  Salmond helped many Scots understand that there were multiple possibilities outside the UK. The referendum whichRead More →

On:
In: Aileen Orr

We are living through turbulent times.  Goodness knows what it’s like living in Gaza and Ukraine at this moment.  That’s without even looking at other war zones. We have even more people appearing on meagre rafts to try and get to this country, then trafficked for slave labour instead of being their so called saviours. All of this happening live on our TV and social media daily. The shock value now limited as we sit wondering what can be done. The truth is very little, we occupy our island and dictate to the world, then have tea. Our Westminster guardians procrastinate but have no solutions.  They won’t evenRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird, Uncategorized

As regular readers will know, I really don’t have much faith in any of the London based parties. Generally, the labels switch but the policy platform remains pretty much the same. But I have to confess that even I was amazed at just how quickly the wheels came off the new Government. From the first budget statement from Rachel Thieves which singled out the most vulnerable for attack by withdrawing the Winter Fuel Payments to an estimated 10 million pensioners the trajectory has been on a way one ticket to the bottom of the barrel where it will no doubt collide with what is leftRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Something tells me that today (Wednesday 18 September) is not going as well as the unionists wanted it to, despite MSM trying its best to assist them. It started early today with social media being used to post statements and pictures showing support for independence is still here. As usual. Lots of different styles and imagination. This evening there are a breadth of demonstrations by various groups the length of the country. Yet still, the MSM are spouting the Tory mantra that we don’t want it, we don’t have the support. One thing they have got right is that nobody is going anywhere. Well, exceptRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Tuesday saw the vote in the House of Commons to try and block the removal of the winter fuel from all pensioners. 53 Labour MPs abstained, it is thought two of them were Scottish MPs. Some newspapers are referring to this as a rebellion. How ridiculous, nothing like a rebellion. The meaning of ‘rebellion’ is ‘an outbreak against authority’. Sitting on your hands and refusing to speak up for your constituents is simply mere cowardice. Pleasing their master and protecting their future progress within their party. It is high time MPs were made accountable for their voting behaviour. Individuals feel they are unable to makeRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

I am at a total loss as to people’s understanding of money. The unionist parties are determined to have us believe that the black hole in the Scottish Governments budget is the fault of the SNP. They keep waving the report by the allegedly independent Scottish Fiscal Commission. I looked up the commission, some senior professors in areas of finance, a banker or two and some economists and accountants. Many seem to have worked in UK and Scottish Governments. They work with the Scottish Government and also with a few of Westminster’s departments. What has been lifted from the report, which the unionists want toRead More →

On:
In: Aileen Orr

Nothing like a dark Scottish wet day to focus the mind on hiding under the duvet. Makes you wonder how big the Starmer bedcover is. With his popularity ratings falling, the mask has slipped and I’m reminded of the Thatcher rhetoric about how good England is to Scotland. Aye right. Here is a greyness over the UK just now, it hung over us all from the 1970s, but this feels different. The gloom is on us and the nights are drawing in but it all seems familiar, or are we moving into a transition stage where we take control and move onto our own path?Read More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Sadly, the Scottish Government is having to look again about what it can afford within the tight budget allowed us by the Westminster Government. I am sure those of you who read this are well aware that all the money generated by Scots goes to the Westminster coffers. They then decide what percentage of that can be returned to us to spend on our people and their future. Everyone, who paid attention, knew that there was going to be a huge deficit in the Westminster Governments budget. I mean, nobody can keep giving money away to their pals like the Tories did and expect allRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

Watching the drama of the US Presidential election this week, I was struck by a simple phrase from Democrat Vice-President candidate Governor Tim Walz. He said there’s a simple political rule of thumb in small town America; “mind your own business”. It strikes me that this rule applies just as much to Scotland as it does across the pond. Governments do well when they only step into people’s everyday life a) when it’s necessary and b) to make things better. Anything else is asking to be punished. In the 20 months or so until the 2026 elections the Scottish Government has the time to turnRead More →