On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

I seem to remember the word ‘respect’ being thrown around by the unionists in the past couple of years, whenever they wanted to win. RESPECT :-  consideration; deference or esteem (esteem – high regard) How much of the definition of respect have we seen in the past six months? We have had E.V.E.L. (English votes for English laws). Were they too impatient to follow procedure to create a devolved English parliament or did they know they would not succeed? Instead they took the UK parliament, a treaty of the unions of the parliaments of Scotland and England (and later Ireland), and decided that the electedRead More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch

Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, Maria Eagle MP, has said the decision “does not change” the UK Labour party policy, which will be set at a UK level. Ms Eagle also made clear that the party remains in favour of Trident renewal.   As widely anticipated, the Labour Party in Scotland Conference, held in Perth this year, decided on Halloween that they were against Trident.  What makes life difficult for them is the fact that they do not actually exist.  Now I know we all think that the SNP has virtually wiped them off the electoral map, but I am not referring to that.   WhatRead More →

On:
In: Clare Adamson

  Obituary, Councillor Lynn Adams It is always heart-breaking when a Member of the SNP passes before we have achieved our dream of Independence.  Hearts have been broken at the news that Cllr Lynn Adams from Hamilton died following a short battle against cancer.  Lynn had been a lynchpin of the Hamilton Pub scene for many years and recently the George Bar, run by Lynn and her lovely husband Colin, has been a second home to the SNP family in Hamilton.  We have had many a celebration, and a few (very few) commiserations in the warmth and welcome that are renowned at the George.  LynnRead More →

On:
In: Clare Adamson, Political News

House of Lords Rejection of Tax Credits Sparks “Constitutional Crisis” Chancellor George Osborne says he will lessen the impact of tax credit cuts on families after the Conservative Party was defeated twice in the House of Lords where it currently does not have an outright majority.  Following the defeat on October 26th, Osborne has been forced to water down his flagship tax credit reforms after peers voted to delay the measure. Tax credits were introduced under the last Labour government in an effort to help low-paid families. The government set out to have the income threshold for receiving Working Tax Credits and Child Tax CreditRead More →

On:
In: Recommended

The S.I. over many years has offered S.N.P. branches a discount if they take the paper to sell to their members. The paper is not here to make profit but to get the independence message out there and to give members ammunition to persuade the public to vote the right way. We offer a 20% discount on every paper sold. That means the branch charges £1.50 and the S.I. invoices them for £1.20. That’s 30p per paper going into branch funds. The more you sell the more money you get for the branch. If you would like to take advantage of this offer or wantRead More →

On:
In: Political News

SNP Defence spokesperson Brendan O’Hara – whose Argyll and Bute seat is the location of the Faslane Naval base – is commenting on reports that cost cutting by the MoD and Babcock at the nuclear submarine base is now raising serious safety concerns. It has emerged that Babcock, who run HMNB Clyde on behalf of the MoD, want to extend the time period that nuclear powered submarines can be berthed at Faslane without any electrical power, from the current 20 minutes to up to three hours. The fear among many of those working at Faslane is that this proposed change is principally a cost-driven exerciseRead More →

On:
In: Maureen Forbes

A favourite family film is Mary Poppins and, from an early age, my daughters have marched around the house singing “Sister Suffragettes” without understanding the story in the film.  Now slightly older, their awareness of the struggles faced in previous generations is developing and they’re currently moaning that they’re too young to go and see the new Suffragette film that is out.  The beginning of the week had seen my middle child and I visit London for a few days and during the obligatory Westminster tour, she was delighted to see the broom cupboard in which Emily Davison hid overnight to allow her to voteRead More →

On:
In: Political News

The Scottish National Party have today called on the Tory party to reverse their plans for swingeing cuts to tax credits, which will leave 200,000 Scottish families £1,300 worse off a year, and to consider the true impact the policy will have on their constituents. During an opposition day debate on tax credits, SNP MPs supported a Labour motion which called on the UK Government to think again about £4.3 billion of cuts to tax credits which will come into effect in April 2016. The opposition motion was supported by 295 members but a majority of 317 voted against reversing the Tory cuts to taxRead More →

On:
In: Political News

Local SNP representatives Clare Adamson MSP and Marion Fellows MP are commenting on the news from TATA Steel that 270 jobs are to go at their Scottish plants at Clydebridge and Dalzell. The Dalzell plate rolling works in Motherwell and the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang will be mothballed as the firm cuts almost 1,200 UK jobs as a response to difficult trading conditions. SNP MSP for Central Scotland Clare Adamson said: “Today’s announcement is obviously deeply concerning for the employees at the site, their families and everyone in the local community and my heart goes out to everyone affected. “Lanarkshire’s steel industry is iconic notRead More →