February 2012
1 post
December 2011
1 post
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"Post hoc ergo propter hoc"
SNP praised Ireland’s competitive tax rates, their VAT now hiked to 23%; not such a good idea now? #NoAnswersfromSNP.
While Alex Salmond is in China building diplomatic and trade links, Fiona Hyslop is not long back from the US and Canada building cultural links and Stewart Stevenson has been in South Africa highlighting Scotland’s world leading climate change legislations: Jim...
November 2011
10 posts
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“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie… but the myth,...”
– President John F. Kennedy, 1962. Just watched Diomhair, a BBC Alba documentary on how successive UK Government’s have lied and hid the truth in order to undermine the argument for Scottish independence. To this day, unionists play on fear, myths and cliches to fight independence: this quote...
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Labours 5 Point Plan for Jobs
Labour have announced a 5 point plan to create jobs and Margaret Curran has launched a tartan version. The ‘PlanMcBrit’ has only one point within the current powers of the Scottish Government which in itself is interesting. But the point itself is a contradiction in terms: it calls on the Scottish Government to increase capital expenditure on infrastructure projects AND increase...
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Wee country with a big voice or part of a big...
President Obama is in Australia this week and the talk is of the shift in the axis of world influence to the Pacific. However, the real story should be his comments on the crisis in the Eurozone and how this signals a realignment of influence in Europe. In particular he praised Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy for their effort to resolve the Eurozone crisis. Indeed, this shift was...
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The Referendum Debate: State of Play
A quick glance at the Scottish Politics pages tells us that the debate over the independence referendum is alive and kicking. George Osborne has said ‘uncertainty’ over the referendum is damaging investment in the economy and Ruth Davidson is on message with her ‘colleague’ George, questioning Scotland’s future membership of the EU. Even Brian Taylor is blethering...
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Scotland Will be a Force for Good in the World
At school they often make you study dated and archaic poetry. But some poetry has an affect on you that makes it stick with you. Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen is one of those poems for me. The language in the last paragraph still creates such a strong, harrowing image in my mind. It reminds us that war is something to be avoided at all costs, for it is only ever a waste of innocent lives....
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Is this really the best our politics can be?
I was going to write a piece today about the ‘corrosive negativity’ of Scottish Labour politicians and how this, and their failure to articulate a positive alternative to the policies they oppose, is why they have lost two Scottish elections in a row. It was all typed out, it even had a clever corruption of a ‘future fair for all’. But it didn’t sit well with me. As...
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October 2011
7 posts
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Will the Member for Glasgow South take an...
There was a time when the only people that discussed the finer points of constitutional referenda were legal academics at obscure Quebec universities: not now. No, the champion of fairness in referenda is now none other than the Honourable Member for Glasgow South and would-be Scottish Labour leader Tom Harris. Mr Harris has made it his personal mission to challenge every aspect of the...
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Facebook and Criminal Law
The English Court of Appeal has rejected the appeals of two men who were accused of inciting riots (which never took place) on Facebook. They had objected to the harshness of their sentences: both had been sentenced to 4 years in jail. This in the same week as Stephen Birrell was sentenced to 8 months in jail for writing hate messages about Celtic boss Neil Lennon.
The cases raise two...
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The Chattering Classes are Playing Fiddle while...
Dr Liam Fox has resigned as Defence Secretary. As another political career ends in scandal, I am reminded of one of my first blog entries (from 6th February 2010):
“There was a time when politicians fought over policy. You were on the right wing or the left, you believed in the free market, or nationalisation; in government intervention, or the family. The ideal of the best argument...
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“A rat race is for rats. We’re not rats. We’re human beings. Reject the insidious...”
– Jimmy Reid’s speech at his inauguration as Glasgow University Rector, 1972.
40 years on from the UCS work-in, we remember Jimmy Reid and remember that those in Scotland who continue to fight injustice walk in the footsteps of giants.
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Dodge One Alcohol Act, Get Minimum Pricing Free
The Alcohol Act, which, amongst other things, has outlawed ‘irresponsible’ alcohol promotions in off-licences has now came into force in Scotland and already the supermarkets have dodged it. Instead of a ‘3 for £10’ offer on wine, each bottle is now £3.33. This has meant the price of alcohol in supermarkets has actually came down.
This is unfortunate but...
September 2011
7 posts
8 tags
Partnership or Subordination: Scotland's Two...
In 2010 the coalition, at the height of its fluffy and nice ‘we’re all in this together’ mood, extended the hand of friendship to the Scottish Government, hailing a ‘respect agenda’. This has not been the case, and Danny Alexander’s latest threat to Scotland’s budget is just one more example of it. In response to a request by the Scottish Government to...
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Why Cardinal O'Brien Is Wrong
Cardinal Keith O’Brien of the Catholic Church has said marriage equality would “shame Scotland in the eyes of the world”. The Bishop of Paisley Bishop Tartaglia said:
“Marriage is an institution which does not owe its existence or rationale to governments or legislatures.
“Governments do not have the authority to say what marriage is or to change its nature or to...
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Will there be a chicken run in Scotland after UK...
A boundary review of all seats for the UK Parliament was the deal the LibDems made in order to get their AV referendum and next month the Boundary Commission for Scotland will announce it’s proposals for Scottish constituencies. We know already that Scotland will send 52 MPs to London, 7 less than at last years election. We also know that two seats will not be changed (Na h-Eileanan an...
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How Do Governments 'Create' Jobs?
Been watching the latest debate in the race to be the 2012 Republican nominee for President and it brought up something I’ve long been puzzled by: how can governments ‘create’ jobs and how on earth is that measured? Apparently, Jon Huntsman was the best at creating jobs in Utah, Rick Perry had an okay record in Texas and Mitt Romney was pants (though rumour has it that he...
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Scottish Tories to Rename Cif?
Another week, another example of how two successive SNP victories at Holyrood is realigning Scottish politics. Murdo Fraser, currently front runner for leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has announced that if elected he will disband the party. But don’t celebrate too soon! He plans to relaunch it as a new centre-right party with a new name. It reminds me of when they renamed toilet bleach...
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Proud: The SNP Government Back Equal Marriage
[UPDATE] See comments below re ‘celebrants’. I stand happily corrected!
I felt nothing but pride yesterday when the Scottish Government opened their consultation on marriage equality, with Nicola Sturgeon stating that they are leaning towards a more equal Scotland. Whilst a commitment to a consultation on the issue was in this years election manifesto, it was...
August 2011
3 posts
3 tags
The Lost Generation #englandriots
“Like, it’s the government’s fault I dunno…”
“…conservatives…”
“Yeh, whatever who it is, I dunno…”
If we are sure of one thing about riots in London it is this: the left will say it is a result of poverty; the right will say they are criminals who need punished and the nationalists will say “no riots here”....
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"A nest of fearties is what they do not want."...
Last month New York State became the latest US state to grant full marriage equality to it’s gay citizens. The marriage bill’s passage was won by the courageous support of four Republican senators who defied the party to support the measure. With the sharks in their own party already circling they face a difficult political future but one safe in the knowledge that they have made...
June 2011
1 post
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A Year is a Long Time in Scottish Politics...
After a long hiatus, I’m back to the blogging! Long is perhaps an understatement as you will see from my last posts. In that time the Tory/LibDem coalition has went full steam ahead with the deepest cuts in at least a generation, the UK has voted no to a change to the AV voting system, and the SNP has turned the electoral map of Scotland bright yellow. The map reminds me of when, as a kid,...
May 2010
2 posts
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New Post: Is David Cameron a Giant #Condem?
The Scottish people woke up today to a beautiful sunny, blue sky. But they also woke up to an uncertain political future: the only certainty being it would not be what they voted for yesterday. The results are in and Scotland voted a resounding no to a Tory Government. Actually, a no to any sort of change - not a single seat changed hands from the 2005 election result. It’s as if the last...
April 2010
44 posts
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The First Cut is the Easiest - the Scotland Office
Shortly after becoming Prime Minister, Gordon Brown restored the Scottish Secretary position to a full time one, appointing Jim Murphy. In spite of the fact that nearly all of the Scottish Secretary’s former functions have gone to the Scottish Government in the last ten years, the Scotland Office has grown. Since devolution the cost of the Scotland Office has rocketed from £3.7million in 1999 to...
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The State of #ge2010: Backing Change
It feels like there has been an earthquake. The earth has moved and changed the landscape forever, the political classes now survey that change trying to map out the road ahead unsure what the coming weeks will bring. Since the first debate the UK political landscape has changed: three party politics, for this election at least, has landed and Labour and the Conservatives don’t know what to do.
In...
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The Pink Elephant In the Room: Gay Rights, the...
So finally, in the second debate we got a question on gay rights. But did it really get to the heart of the issue? Was it even answered?
Firstly, I take issue with the question itself, it bundled up gay rights with the Pope’s visit, the child sex abuse scandal, contraception in Africa and the Catholic church’s view on science. Why not ask a substantial question on gay rights? The question gave...
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Second #leadersdebate Instant Reaction
Going into the second debate Gordon Brown looked strongest, strangely buoyed by polls that, although putting him in third place, should result in him staying in office. Nick Clegg started nervously but grew in strength. I do think David Cameron did look weakest. He dodged questions that he didn’t like – notably on gay rights of which he didn’t mention – and he flapped when challenged. Cameron...
FInally someone mentions gay rights #leadersdebate #iagreewithnick
“Women and you are one of them” love it #leadersdebate
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After the Dust Has Settled: The @SNP #ge2010...
I thought I’d wait a day till I wrote this post, allow the dust to settle on the SNP’s manifesto and see it with a fresh pair of eyes.
My instant reaction was that it was wordy, predictable and lacked one definable vision. That’s not to say that the content isn’t good, just that the presentation is poor. Admittedly the writers had a hard job on their hands: the SNP’s...
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LibDems Polling In 2nd Place in Latest #ge2010...
On figures just released by YouGov, the LibDems have lead-frogged Labour on the back of Nick Clegg’s performance in the debate last night. The figures are:
CON 33%(-4), LAB 28%(-3), LDEM 30%(+8).
According to UK Polling Report if this were translated into a uniform swing across the country it would, bizarrely, lead to Labour winning the most seats in Parliament. If ever there was a case...
RT @SNPTacticVoting: Footage of the alleged ‘punch’ from a politician on a Govt adviser. Looks like a push to me - http://tinyurl.com/yy …
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The Great #leadersdebate
Hailed as a night that would change the face of politics forever, the first of three elections debates took place on ITV last night. As intriguing as the debate was, and the aftermath over the winners and losers, I can’t help but feel that it was a bit of a missed opportunity.
Take the world’s leading change expert David Cameron.
A man who has an absolutely appalling record...
90 Minutes, No Patriots
Historic, it keeps being banded about but was the leaders debate really historic? My instant reaction was that it was just what our politicians do week in week out: it’s just that nobody tunes in normally. I actually think the quality of the debaters was much better than in the US debates because of this. I feel, however, that the level of gravitas was stunted by the set - my previous post...
I’ve favourited a YouTube video — Green party - 2010 Party Election Broadcast http://youtu.be/wHLfzPFsz5c?a
I uploaded a YouTube video — Major Mistake - Eric Joyce MP http://youtu.be/8L2sIkKXS8w?a
David Cameron reminds me of the demon headmaster - don’t look in his eyes! #leadersdebate
RT @Plaid_Cymru: 43 minutes in… Scotland and Wales count = 0 #leadersdebate #walesspeaks #scotlandspeaks
Ridiculous, whole debate is totally confusing to voters in Scotland, it’s got nothing to do with SNP, its just confusing #leadersdebate
The first clarification on how Scotland is different was fluffed by the presenter #scotlandspeaks #leadersdebates