Being of sound mind \u2013 well sometimes \u2013 I did not watch any of the fanfare of the opening of the Olympic Games, but the newspaper reports\u00a0 reminded of a famous Scots quote of yesteryear, no doubt apochryphal: \u201cAh dinna ken if it was a wedding or a funeral \u2013 but it was a grand affair\u201d.<\/p>\n
The other quote which sprang to mind, possibly more apt, was from the journalist Chris Baur\u00a0 after the 1979 Referendum.\u00a0 He said it was \u201cthe last kick of the dying horse\u201d, a quote which will go down with Lord George Robertson\u2019s one that a Scottish Parliament would \u201ckill Scottish nationalism stone dead\u201d.<\/p>\n
I am sure that you all wonder, as I did, at the expenditure of \u00a327 million on the Grand Opening ceremony, including the spectacle of Her Maj being parachuted into the \u201cBetter Together\u201d campaign \u2013 sorry, I actually meant the Olympic arena.\u00a0 The ceremony was beamed around the world so that a billion viewers, or so we have heard could Ooh and Aah at how \u201cGreat\u201d Britain was, and say \u201cWe heard Great Britain was a busted flush, and look at how beautifully and lavishly they spent all that Lottery money.\u201d\u00a0 I am also sure that 99.9% of them, including Brits, are totally unaware that Great Britain is a geographical term and has nothing to do with her self assumed place in the world.<\/p>\n
While there has been some correspondence, at least in the Herald, as to the correct name for the British athletes, which many feel should have been Team UK, the use of GB meant\u00a0 they could call themselves \u201cGreat\u201d again.\u00a0 Perhaps also, as Gordon Brown was Prime Minister when the planning started he maybe thought it was a personal compliment.<\/p>\n
In any event I was disappointed that the procession was not led by a Trident submarine, on castors of course, pulled by the athletes, as a further example of the might of \u201cGreat\u201d Britain, and a declaration that this bankrupt United Kingdom still has clout in the world, so forget about the BRIC countries, we are superior people.\u00a0 The fact that Brazil, Russia, India and China are so much bigger, and their economies are growing, puts the UK gas at a wee peep.<\/p>\n
Yes, it was a grand affair, and a magnificent memento of the sun finally setting on the British Empire \u2013\u00a0 the last kick of the dying horse?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is difficult to know what to make of the initial stage of the Campaign for Independence, but one thing is abundantly clear \u2013 this is not a sprint, it is a marathon combined with an obstacle race.<\/p>\n
So far we have had smoke and mirrors from the No campaign;\u00a0 they urge people to stay with the trusted, bankrupt UK and they will give us something better.\u00a0 What that something is they are remarkably coy about specifying; they demand the Yes campaign produce a fully costed detailed plan for an independent Scotland \u2013 just like that \u2013 but only say that they are prepared to look at more powers if the people vote NO!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I know that rather a lot of voters were not even born in 1979; it is 23 years ago so people who have been born since and anyone under the age of 16 in 1979 may only have a hazy notion of what happened, but we are talking of those in the 18-39 year bracket \u2013 a sizeable chunk of the electorate.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In any event, Labour\u2019s plan for a Scottish Assembly was very divisive\u00a0 in the Labour Party itself, and an amendment by George Cunningham, a Scot, but Labour MP for Islington North stated that the Assembly could only come into being if 40% of those on the voters\u2019 roll voted Yes.\u00a0\u00a0 This amendment was accepted, so anyone who did not vote was counted as a No, even if they were dead!\u00a0 Sounds suitably Kafkaesque, does it not?<\/p>\n
Labour had become exceedingly unpopular, the winter of discontent etc, and the Tories were riding high.\u00a0 Lord Home of the Hirsel, a person trusted by many Scots, said publicly that if Scotland voted No, the Tories would give them something much better.\u00a0 Well, Scotland actually voted Yes, but did not pass the 40% mark.<\/p>\n
The Tories under Margaret Thatcher came into power shortly after, and the Scotland Bill was junked \u2013 no ifs, no buts, no maybes, and no discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust me \u2013 I\u2019m a Tory\u201d, but my \u201cBetter Together\u201d is run by a Labour figurehead, one Alistair Darling MP, who helped pilot the good ship UK on to the Northern Rock.<\/p>\n
You couldn\u2019t make it up.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Saltire Society is to award Dolina MacLennan the Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun award for 2012.\u00a0 The presentation will be at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh on 30 August.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I suppose I know what this means, but it clashes somewhat with the touchy feely brigade! Start date 03\/08\/2012<\/strong> – End date 28\/09\/2012<\/strong><\/p>\n This consultation seeks views on the implementation of EU Regulation 1099\/2009 on the protection of animals at time of killing, which will come into effect on 1 January 2013. Regulation 1099\/2009 permits Member States to maintain national rules and adopt stricter national rules in certain areas.<\/p>\n ______.______ <\/p>\n Tha aon duais gasta ri fhaotainn anns na taghaidhean comhairle a tha fa-near dhuinn \u2013 Glaschu. R\u00e8 mo bheatha agus beathannan mo ph\u00e0rant is am p\u00e0rant tha am baile air a bhith na \u00e0ite daingeann a\u2019 Ph\u00e0rtaidh L\u00e0boraich agus gun teagamh th\u00e0inig iomadh S\u00f2isealtach ainmeil mar Jimmy Reid \u00e0 sg\u00ecrean mar Baile Ghobhainn. A dh\u2019aindeoin sin th\u00f2isich Reid air taic a thoirt don SNP, a\u2019 faicinn buannachdan neo-eisimeileachd mar a tha iomadh neach-leantail dualchasach a\u2019 Ph\u00e0rtaidh L\u00e0boraich. A r\u00e8ir coltais tha na lathaichean a\u2019 tighinn gu cr\u00ecch mu dheireadh thall far am b\u2019 urrainn do \u201cmuncaidh le suaicheantas dearg\u201d cathair a bhuannach sa chomhairle, mar a tha na taghaidhean-P\u00e0rlamaid mu dheireadh a\u2019 sealltainn.<\/p>\n Chan eil mise air a bhith a\u2019 fantail ann an Glaschu ach bliadhna ach tha mi air atharrachadh ann am beachdan poileataiceach dhaoine a mhothachadh, fi\u00f9\u2019s san \u00f9ine sin. Thathar a\u2019 faicinn nam L\u00e0borach mar Ph\u00e0rtaidh \u00e0s-aimsireil, iomallach, socrach agus \u00e0icheil, a\u2019 leantail gu h-\u00e8iginneach soirbheas a dh\u2019fhalbh. A bharrachd, cha bhi iad a\u2019 tairgsinn l\u00e8irmheas sam bith son an \u00e0m ri teachd \u2013 d\u00ecreach d\u00f9bhlan a bhith d\u00f9bhlanach. Fo cheannardan eadar-dhealaichte a\u2019 toirt a-staigh Johann Lamont chan eil a\u2019 bhuidheann fi\u00f9\u2019s na b\u00e0ta a\u2019 dol a dhol fodha ach tha i air a dhol fodha cheana agus air an rathad do ghr\u00f9nnd na fairge.<\/p>\n Nuair a bhios p\u00e0rtaidh a\u2019 cr\u00econadh tachraidh str\u00ec. An d\u00e8idh do L\u00e0bor a\u2019 tuiteadh \u00e0s-a-ch\u00e8ile sa choinneimh-iomhais sa Ghearran tha seann chomhairlichean L\u00e0borach m\u00ec-chaidreach air dealachadh bhon ph\u00e0rtaidh gus fear \u00f9r a st\u00e8idheachadh, Glasgow First. Chunnaic na daoine sin muinntir Lunnainn a\u2019 d\u00e8anamh measadh connspaideach a dh\u2019fh\u00e0g 17 \u00e0 47 comhairlichean leis a\u2019 bhreith gun robh iad claoidhte agus cha robh iad math gu le\u00f2r a sheasamh a-rithist. Nan robh dearbhadh ann riamh gun robh reachd ann an Lunnainn nach robh e\u00f2lach air Alba no Glaschu b\u2019 e seo e.\u00a0 \u2018S d\u00f2cha gun d\u00f9isg cuid eile a-nis. \u2018S e fear de na rudan as cudtromaiche do Glasgow First ath-fhasdachadh le taghadairean mi-shona leis a\u2019 Ph\u00e0rtaidh L\u00e0borach sa bhaile-mh\u00f2r \u2013 rudeigin nach bi doirbh. Cuiridh e ri trioblaidean Lamont gu bheil cuid de na comhairlichean ceannarcach a\u2019 riochdachadh roinnean-taghaidh ann am Pollock, an sg\u00ecre-p\u00e0rlamaid aice. Faighnichidh iomadh taghadair \u201cmura t\u00e8id aice air d\u00e8iligeadh ri muinntir a p\u00e0rtaidh fh\u00e8in san sg\u00ecre aice fh\u00e8in, ciamar fo shealladh a dh\u00e8iligeadh a p\u00e0rtaidh leis a\u2019 bhaile agus an d\u00f9thaich?\u201d Ma bhuannaicheas an SNP bidh neo-eisimeileachd nas fhaisge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is one grand prize to be won at the upcoming council elections: Glasgow. Throughout my lifetime and that of my parents and grandparents the city has been a fortified stronghold of the Labour party and indeed many prominent socialist figures such as Jimmy Reid emerged from areas like Govan. Nevertheless Reid came to support the SNP, seeing the virtues of independence as have many traditionalist labour party supporters. The days where \u201ca monkey in a red rosette\u201d could win a seat on the council seem to be finally coming to an end evidenced partly by the last Scottish parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n I have only been resident in Glasgow for just over a year but have noticed, even in that\u00a0 period of time, a change in people\u2019s political attitudes. Labour are seen by many as an outdated, static, out of touch, negative party desperately clinging on to their past election success. Moreover, they offer no vision for the future \u2013 just opposition for opposition\u2019s sake. Under consecutive leaders including Johann Lamont the entire organisation isn\u2019t even a ship about to sink but has sunk and is quickly descending to the bottom of the ocean.<\/p>\n When a party is in decline it descends into internal conflict. After Labour\u2019s meltdown in February\u2019s council budget meeting disaffected former Labour councillors have split creating a new party, Glasgow First. These individuals saw London Labour carry out a controversial vetting process which saw 17 of Labour\u2019s 47 sitting councillors being told they were unfit to stand for re-election and were rejected as \u201cdead wood.\u201d If ever there was an example of a ruling authority in London out of touch with Scotland and Glasgow then that was it. Maybe now others will wake up. A key part of Glasgow First\u2019s pitch will be to reconnect with voters unhappy with Labour in the city \u2013 not a difficult task. To add insult to injury for Lamont many of the rebel councillors currently represent wards in her Pollok constituency. Many voters ask the question: if she can\u2019t deal with those elected officials in her own party in her own constituency how on earth could her party run the city and country? With an SNP win\u00a0 independence will be closer.<\/p>\n Calum Mackechnie<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Hugh MacDiarmid micht hae threipit that he wad hae nae hauf-wey hoose; bit it seems that i the rin up ti the Independence Referendum, the voters o Scotland are ti be shawn a wheen o them. Whuther ony are rael, is anither maitter aathegither.<\/p>\n In parteeclar, the ane that the papers hae taen the maist tent o wes the \u201cDevo Plus\u201d plan, supportit bi MSP\u2019s frae aa fower o the Unionist pairties. It propones that the Scottish Pairlament soud hae pouers owre the hail soum o Income Tax an Corporation Tax, an a dale (foundit on geography) o the stent on ile. The Westminster Pairlament wad kep the lave. This seestem, it is said, wad mean that the Scottish Government wad raise aa it needs frae its ain income.<\/p>\n Are we, than, ti walcum thir Unionist politeecians that back it, as repentant sinners? Weel, we maun tak a closer luik.<\/p>\n On their wabsteid, Devo Plus tell us that the heid an centre o the haill plan is that the Scottish Pairlament sound spend nae mair nor whit it raises itsel. There isnae a hint that Scotland soud hae mair pouers ti mak laws, ainly ti raise taxes. This is whit A caa \u201cNeo-leeberal devolution\u201d: no ti eik Scotland\u2019s pouers, bit ti kep them unner strick owerance.<\/p>\n Nanetheless, it\u2019s no unlikely that the feck o the Scottish voters wad sattle fir sic a schame, gin they haed the chance. Bit wul they ivver git it? No gin the \u201cDevo Plus\u201d curn hae their wey! They dinnae want a saicont quaistion i the Referendum. They wad raither wait till efterhaund, whan, nae dout, they howp the voters wul hae turnit doun independence, an the Westminster Government can forget aboot Scottish maitters agane.<\/p>\n At this pynt, ye hae ti ken that the \u201cDevo Plus\u201d curn haes, in fack, taen the maist pairt o their plan frae an airlier ane pit furrit lest year bi the Reform Scotland think-tank ti the Westminster Pairlament\u2019s comatee on the Scotland Bill. At first sicht it luiks gey lik the Devo Plus plan: bit there is anither pairt o it that somehou gat left aff. Reform Scotland proponit that their schame ocht ti be pit furrit as a saicont quaistion i the referendum. Devo Plus, we may think, haes pickit up the pairt o the plan that they likit the luik o, an said naethin aboot the pairt that they didnae. Nae surprise there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Being of sound mind \u2013 well sometimes \u2013 I did not watch any of the fanfare of the opening of the Olympic Games, but the newspaper reports\u00a0 reminded of a famous Scots quote of yesteryear, no doubt apochryphal: \u201cAh dinna ken if it was a wedding or a funeral \u2013 but it was a grand affair\u201d. The other quote which sprang to mind, possibly more apt, was from the journalist Chris Baur\u00a0 after the 1979 Referendum.\u00a0 He said it was \u201cthe last kick of the dying horse\u201d, a quote which will go down with Lord George Robertson\u2019s one that a Scottish Parliament would \u201ckill ScottishRead More →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1000"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1001,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000\/revisions\/1001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scotsindependent.scot\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/b><\/p>\nThe implementation of Council Regulation 1099\/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing<\/a><\/h2>\n
\nI see the Taxpayers Alliance,( who they?) are having a go at East Dunbartonshire Council (Labour\/Tory\/Lib Dem administration) for spending \u00a321,000 on chairs for new premises.\u00a0 As my wife and I have been currently looking at chairs I would recommend the TA to do the same, or perhaps they are not concerned with modern prices?<\/p>\nGlaschu N\u00e0iseantach<\/b><\/h2>\n
Calum MacEacharna<\/h4>\n
Nationalist Glasgow<\/b><\/h2>\n
A hauf-wey hoose<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Kenneth Fraser<\/strong><\/h4>\n