Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
07/06/2014
Where is the English National Solidarity for Scotland and Wales?
I, unequivocally support the supporters of a Yes vote in the forthcoming Scotland referendum. I am jealous that the cause for Welsh Independence has not been made so forcibly because I believe that independence for Wales is the only way to get us out of the rut that we are in of being the bottom of the pile in the UK on so many issues. We are bottom of the pile in the UK because of the UK, the only way of dragging Wales away from that situation is by divorcing ourselves from the UK and building our own prosperity.
Having said that, I can understand loyalty to the UK, I can understand the concept of Better Together, I am almost disappointed with the paucity of the arguments made for the continuation of the Union, because I could do much better (if I was that way inclined)!
What I find confusing, however, is the attitude in the debate of those who claim to be English Nationalists.
I am as much a Welsh Nationalist as I am a Scottish Nationalist, in that I believe that Scotland should be an independent Nation. I am as much a Welsh Nationalist as I am an English Nationalist in that I believe that England is a proud historic nation that should control its own independent destiny; because of that I would expect Scottish Nationalists to support Welsh Nationalism (which most do) and English Nationalists to support both Scottish and Welsh Nationalism which, confusingly, very few do.
The most vile comments about Scottish or Welsh self determination, on most comment threads, don't come from those who self identify as British but from those who self identify as English.
In the 1966 World Cup final most of those supporting England were waving Union Flags. In Brazil supporters of England will be waving the English Flag, is that an indication of a change of national identity, where English people see themselves as primarily English? Or just a rag change where the English still see England and Britain as interchangeable words, but are more honest about it and call the whole of this island England now?
Does True English Nationalism exist, or is English Nationalism just another guise for British nationalism?
26/02/2014
Will Brussels be kicked out of the EU?
It is interesting that when Cameron, Rajoy and Barroso make
comments about the difficulty that newly independent nations might have in
remaining in the EU they only concentrate on secessionist movements in Spain
and the UK, they forget about the third EU member state that has secessionist
issues and is, possibly, more likely to split than the UK or Spain – Belgium!
If a newly independent Catalonia and a newly independent
Scotland might find continuing membership of the EU difficult, if not impossible, then the same MUST be true of a newly independent Flanders and a newly
independent Wallonia! And therein lies a rather interesting problem, in that
the EU could find itself in a position where its parliament and headquarters
are in a country which would find it difficult, if not impossible, to remain in
the EU.
Any scenario that envisages Brussels being kicked out of the
EU is based on abject stupidity, of course. It would never happen, it could
never happen; but remember the basis of the scenario is the exact same stupid argument
as Cameron, Rajoy and Barroso are making about Scotland and Catalonia's
continued membership of the EU!
18/08/2013
Who are the anti-English?
According to the Scotsman, BBC reporter Andrew Marr has claimed that Anti English Feeling is Entrenched in Scotland and is the basis of the Yes campaign for Scottish independence. So much for BBC neutrality!
To many people the terms United Kingdom / Britain / England are coterminous. It is beyond their ability to accept that England isn't the UK and the UK isn't England!
The problem with Andrew Marr's comments is that he cannot distinguish between being opposed to the UKainian State and being Anti-English!
As a proud Welsh Nationalist I have no hesitation in saying that I am 100% Pro-English. I support the Yes cause in Scotland, I want Wales to be part of the family of World Nations and I want England, a nation that I love and have a huge amount of respect for, to be an Independent World Nation too!
The anti-English are the pro UKainians in the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP parties - who cannot perceive the concept That England is a Nation in its own right, rather than a by-word for Britain / the UK!
It is not the pro Welsh in Plaid, the pro Scots in the SNP or the pro Cornish in MK who are anti-English. The parties who oppose Plaid, the SNP and MK are the ones who don't want England to flourish as a nation in its own right! They are the truly anti-English.
(Photo credit and HT to https://twitter.com/SteCymru14)
To many people the terms United Kingdom / Britain / England are coterminous. It is beyond their ability to accept that England isn't the UK and the UK isn't England!
As a proud Welsh Nationalist I have no hesitation in saying that I am 100% Pro-English. I support the Yes cause in Scotland, I want Wales to be part of the family of World Nations and I want England, a nation that I love and have a huge amount of respect for, to be an Independent World Nation too!
The anti-English are the pro UKainians in the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP parties - who cannot perceive the concept That England is a Nation in its own right, rather than a by-word for Britain / the UK!
It is not the pro Welsh in Plaid, the pro Scots in the SNP or the pro Cornish in MK who are anti-English. The parties who oppose Plaid, the SNP and MK are the ones who don't want England to flourish as a nation in its own right! They are the truly anti-English.
(Photo credit and HT to https://twitter.com/SteCymru14)
17/01/2012
What is the Labour and Tory Vision for an Independent Scotland?
In trying to follow the Scottish Independence referendum debate, there is one strain of argument that confuses me. It is the argument where Unionists (usually) ask questions about the policies that an Independent Scottish Government would follow, which are sometimes answered, quite authoritively, by Nationalists.
Questions like:
But are they questions for the YES side alone?
I think not.
If Scotland votes Yes the answers to these questions will not just be in the hands of the Yes voters. Those who vote No and those who don't vote will also live in an independent Scotland and their opinions will still count in an independent Scotland.
The idea that the SNP should be forced to answer these policy questions whilst the unionists snigger is bad for the possible future of Scottish politics.
If Scotland votes Yes the first elected independent parliament may not be formed by the SNP. Voters may think that, having achieved its goal, the SNP is defunct. There may be a Labour Government, possibly even a Conservative Government in the newly Independent Holyrood Parliament.
In order to get the fullest possible picture of what an independent Scotland might look like those who oppose Scottish Independence should surely tell us how they would run an independent Scotland should the referendum vote go against them!
Questions like:
What sort of currency would an independent Scotland have?They are all fair questions, I suppose. They may be questions that an "undecided" might want an answer to. They might be questions that a truly independent commentator (if such a creature exists) might be able to guess at by looking at the historic polity of Scotland.
What would Scotland's defence policies be? If England went to War would Scotland Support England? How many Aeroplanes would the Scots Air Force have?
How would Scotland deal with welfare and benefits? Would taxes be higher, lower, or similar?
What sort of economic policies would an Independent Scotland follow? What would Scotland's international relations be like?
But are they questions for the YES side alone?
I think not.
If Scotland votes Yes the answers to these questions will not just be in the hands of the Yes voters. Those who vote No and those who don't vote will also live in an independent Scotland and their opinions will still count in an independent Scotland.
The idea that the SNP should be forced to answer these policy questions whilst the unionists snigger is bad for the possible future of Scottish politics.
If Scotland votes Yes the first elected independent parliament may not be formed by the SNP. Voters may think that, having achieved its goal, the SNP is defunct. There may be a Labour Government, possibly even a Conservative Government in the newly Independent Holyrood Parliament.
In order to get the fullest possible picture of what an independent Scotland might look like those who oppose Scottish Independence should surely tell us how they would run an independent Scotland should the referendum vote go against them!
11/10/2010
The Belly or the Chequebook?
John Jones is unemployed.
He gets Jobseekers allowance through the Llandudno JobCenter. His benefit is clearly noted as one paid in Wales.
When he visits the JobCenter on Monday he sees a job that fits his profile so he applies for it. The interview is on Friday, so in preparation he goes to Asda to buy a new suit, he buys the cheapest one, of course (he is on benefits).
Despite buying the suite in ASDA Llandudno, Wales, and paying VAT on his purchase, that VAT isn't a tax paid in Wales; the tax will be paid in Leeds, where ASDA has its accounting office.
The person who serves him on the clothing counter lives in Wales and works in Wales, but her income tax will also be paid in Leeds, because her pay check will be taxed in head office.
John gets the job, so he comes off the Welsh benefit take, but his job is also taxed in England so he doesn't become part of Wales' contribution to taxation.
Of course it is swings and roundabouts.
John's new job may involve manufacturing a component that is created in Wales and is exported to the rest of the world, something that is measured on a Wales basis and will show up as a plus in Welsh exports.
But remember that cheep suit he bought in Wales in order to go to the interview? That was probably imported through England, so statistics that show that Wales has a good balance of payments between imports and exports might not be as good as it first looks.
The fact is that the UK produces economic statistics for UK reasons. The UK would never, ever produce economic details that promoted nationalism.
Data that proved beyond doubt that Scotland or Wales or, Heaven forbid, even England would be better off outwith the UK will never, ever be available.
Of course the complete lack of proper data is a means to an end. Without the data we can't make a proper decision based on economic policy as to whether nationalism is good for our nation's economy, or a recipe for disaster. That is precisely why the data isn't available!
We can argue these economic points till kingdom come, but why should we?
Shouldn't the campaigns for English, Scottish, Cornish and Welsh self determination come from a fire in the belly rather than from a chequebook?
He gets Jobseekers allowance through the Llandudno JobCenter. His benefit is clearly noted as one paid in Wales.
When he visits the JobCenter on Monday he sees a job that fits his profile so he applies for it. The interview is on Friday, so in preparation he goes to Asda to buy a new suit, he buys the cheapest one, of course (he is on benefits).
Despite buying the suite in ASDA Llandudno, Wales, and paying VAT on his purchase, that VAT isn't a tax paid in Wales; the tax will be paid in Leeds, where ASDA has its accounting office.
The person who serves him on the clothing counter lives in Wales and works in Wales, but her income tax will also be paid in Leeds, because her pay check will be taxed in head office.
John gets the job, so he comes off the Welsh benefit take, but his job is also taxed in England so he doesn't become part of Wales' contribution to taxation.
Of course it is swings and roundabouts.
John's new job may involve manufacturing a component that is created in Wales and is exported to the rest of the world, something that is measured on a Wales basis and will show up as a plus in Welsh exports.
But remember that cheep suit he bought in Wales in order to go to the interview? That was probably imported through England, so statistics that show that Wales has a good balance of payments between imports and exports might not be as good as it first looks.
The fact is that the UK produces economic statistics for UK reasons. The UK would never, ever produce economic details that promoted nationalism.
Data that proved beyond doubt that Scotland or Wales or, Heaven forbid, even England would be better off outwith the UK will never, ever be available.
Of course the complete lack of proper data is a means to an end. Without the data we can't make a proper decision based on economic policy as to whether nationalism is good for our nation's economy, or a recipe for disaster. That is precisely why the data isn't available!
We can argue these economic points till kingdom come, but why should we?
Shouldn't the campaigns for English, Scottish, Cornish and Welsh self determination come from a fire in the belly rather than from a chequebook?
31/05/2010
No Comment
Me and my computer are going to have a trial separation for a few days.
The last time I was away, a very nasty libellous comment was left on one of my blogs. Fortunately on that occasion the person libelled was very understanding and didn't take the matter further.
However to avoid the risk of a similar occurrence I have put comments onto moderation until my return on Friday night.
Where will I be? Here is a clue:
The last time I was away, a very nasty libellous comment was left on one of my blogs. Fortunately on that occasion the person libelled was very understanding and didn't take the matter further.
However to avoid the risk of a similar occurrence I have put comments onto moderation until my return on Friday night.
Where will I be? Here is a clue:
19/08/2009
The Laws of Compassion
Whoever was responsible for the Lockerbie air atrocity showed no compassion for the 270 people who died as a result of the action. The bombers didn't give a dam about the family circumstances, the children, the parents or friends of those who perished as a result of their actions.
If Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was one of those responsible then I don't see why he should be shown any more compassion, because of the fact that he is dying, than the compassion that he showed to those who he was responsible for killing. He wants to be with his family and loved ones when he dies, his family and loved ones want the comfort of being with him too – a comfort which was viciously denied to the victims of Lockerbie.
However there seemed to be a possibility that he was not guilty, that he was a scapegoat and that he had a chance of a reprieve based on the strength of his case for appeal. But it appears that he will not live long enough to see the outcome of that appeal, so the appeal has been dropped in order to enable the Scottish Justice authorities to expedite either his release on compassionate ground or his return to his homeland to serve his sentence there on compassionate grounds.
This totally confuses me and confirms the law is an ass theory.
By dropping his appeal he accepts his guilt. If he is guilty he deserves no compassion.
By continuing with his appeal he maintains his innocence and leaves open the possibility of doubt about his guilt. I can accept, given his poor health, that where doubt remains he might be given the benefit of that doubt and be shown compassion. I could understand if he was released on bail or sent to serve his sentence in Libya, prior to returning to Scotland (should he live) for the appeal.
The fact that he can only be shown compassion by admitting his guilt (even if he is really innocent) makes an ass of the law and a complete bollocks of the concept of true compassion!
If Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was one of those responsible then I don't see why he should be shown any more compassion, because of the fact that he is dying, than the compassion that he showed to those who he was responsible for killing. He wants to be with his family and loved ones when he dies, his family and loved ones want the comfort of being with him too – a comfort which was viciously denied to the victims of Lockerbie.
However there seemed to be a possibility that he was not guilty, that he was a scapegoat and that he had a chance of a reprieve based on the strength of his case for appeal. But it appears that he will not live long enough to see the outcome of that appeal, so the appeal has been dropped in order to enable the Scottish Justice authorities to expedite either his release on compassionate ground or his return to his homeland to serve his sentence there on compassionate grounds.
This totally confuses me and confirms the law is an ass theory.
By dropping his appeal he accepts his guilt. If he is guilty he deserves no compassion.
By continuing with his appeal he maintains his innocence and leaves open the possibility of doubt about his guilt. I can accept, given his poor health, that where doubt remains he might be given the benefit of that doubt and be shown compassion. I could understand if he was released on bail or sent to serve his sentence in Libya, prior to returning to Scotland (should he live) for the appeal.
The fact that he can only be shown compassion by admitting his guilt (even if he is really innocent) makes an ass of the law and a complete bollocks of the concept of true compassion!
24/05/2009
Aye We Can - A song for Europe
This is Scottish blogger Aye We Can's song for the European election. I enjoyed it I hope that you do too!
25/01/2009
Poems & Politics: A Man's a Man For a' that - Burns
As today is not only St Dwynwen's Day but also Burns Day, indeed the 250'th aniversery of the bàird's birth, I think that Burns deserves a Poems and Politics post.
His most political poem is probably A Man's a Man For a' that
A Man's A Man For A' That
His most political poem is probably A Man's a Man For a' that
Famous for its expression of egalitarian ideas of society, which may be seen as anticipating the ideas of liberalism that arose in the 18th century, and those of socialism which arose in the 19th century.
The song was sung at the opening of the Scottish Parliament, and also at the funeral of Donald Dewar, the original First Minister of Scotland.
The words 'pride o' worth' appear on the crest of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
A Man's A Man For A' That
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that.
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man's a Man for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that;
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
20/09/2008
BBC Alba - first impressions
I have watched the opening night of the new Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba. On the whole I would say that it was a successful launch and an enjoyable evening of watching the telly.
The evening started with A Chuirm, what the Irish would probably call a ceilidh and we Welsh would call a noson lawen. Personally I am not fond of this sort of programme. I really enjoy attending a ceilidh or a noson lawen, its just that I don't feel that the fun one has in being present can be translated into a tv experience. But as an example of such programmes this one was as good, if not better, than others of its type. Even on tv the haunting sound of unaccompanied Scottish island Gaelic singing can still send a shiver down the spine.
The second programme, Eilbheas, was the best of the night. A drama about a young Punk Rocker in 1977 who was haunted by the Ghost of Elvis Presley! Poigniantly heart tugging in parts, hilariously funny in others, a good story and one of the best tv dramas that I have seen for some time.
The third programme was a docudrama about a mass murderer called Peter Manuel. This evil bastard was, probably, the most notorious of all Scottish murderers - despite that I had never heard of him before. I am uncertain about programs like this. Should we make such people "famous" by dramatising their exploits? More importantly should we turn their evil deeds into "entertainment"? Despite my miss-givings the programme was extremely interesting and very watchable.
Moral doubts apart, I do have one "editorial" complaint about this programme. I don't speak a word of Gaelic, but I was able to follow the story by virtue of on screen subtitles. But I am very hard of hearing and I have particular difficulty understanding people speaking with unfamiliar accents. Unfortunately the subtitling was switched off when some contributors with strong Scottish accents were speaking English. So I found myself in the odd position, of being a non Gaelic speaker being able to follow the Gaelic content with much more ease than I was able to follow the English content! In future BBC Alba, please keep the subtitles going throughout the programme.
The evening ended with the second half of A Chuirm.
There is no doubt at all that I will watch BBC Alba again, I will keep a special look out for new dramas. So Hearty Congratulations to all at BBC Alba, and best wishes for the future.
The evening started with A Chuirm, what the Irish would probably call a ceilidh and we Welsh would call a noson lawen. Personally I am not fond of this sort of programme. I really enjoy attending a ceilidh or a noson lawen, its just that I don't feel that the fun one has in being present can be translated into a tv experience. But as an example of such programmes this one was as good, if not better, than others of its type. Even on tv the haunting sound of unaccompanied Scottish island Gaelic singing can still send a shiver down the spine.
The second programme, Eilbheas, was the best of the night. A drama about a young Punk Rocker in 1977 who was haunted by the Ghost of Elvis Presley! Poigniantly heart tugging in parts, hilariously funny in others, a good story and one of the best tv dramas that I have seen for some time.
The third programme was a docudrama about a mass murderer called Peter Manuel. This evil bastard was, probably, the most notorious of all Scottish murderers - despite that I had never heard of him before. I am uncertain about programs like this. Should we make such people "famous" by dramatising their exploits? More importantly should we turn their evil deeds into "entertainment"? Despite my miss-givings the programme was extremely interesting and very watchable.
Moral doubts apart, I do have one "editorial" complaint about this programme. I don't speak a word of Gaelic, but I was able to follow the story by virtue of on screen subtitles. But I am very hard of hearing and I have particular difficulty understanding people speaking with unfamiliar accents. Unfortunately the subtitling was switched off when some contributors with strong Scottish accents were speaking English. So I found myself in the odd position, of being a non Gaelic speaker being able to follow the Gaelic content with much more ease than I was able to follow the English content! In future BBC Alba, please keep the subtitles going throughout the programme.
The evening ended with the second half of A Chuirm.
There is no doubt at all that I will watch BBC Alba again, I will keep a special look out for new dramas. So Hearty Congratulations to all at BBC Alba, and best wishes for the future.
19/09/2008
BBC Alba
A new tv channel broadcasting in the Gaelic language starts tonight at 9 pm. BBC Alba can be seen on Sky channel 168 and on other digital services.
If you would like to learn a little Gaelic inorder to enjoy the new service then the Beeb is also providing on line lesson: Beag air Bheag (little by little)!
If you would like to learn a little Gaelic inorder to enjoy the new service then the Beeb is also providing on line lesson: Beag air Bheag (little by little)!
17/08/2008
Exit Music for Labour
In the latest book in the series, Exit Music D.I. Rebus solves his last crime and retires from the police force. The end of his creations carer might mean that the author of the Rebus books has some time on his hands, time that might be put to use by standing for parliament perhaps.
A friend of a friend of a friend of Ian Rankin assures me that the author is seriously considering throwing his hat into the ring as a potential Labour candidate in the forthcoming Glenrothes by election.
The other name that had been strongly rumoured to be a favourite for candidate, former First Minister Henry McLeish, seems to have been fatally stabbed in the back by unnamed Labour colleagues. I wonder if Inspector Rebus can find out who wielded the knife.
06/06/2008
A Pedant Posts
Ordovicius posts a list of the top 10 Welsh blogs according to WIKIO.
This is his list:
1. Peter Black AM (=)
2. ORDOVICIUS (=)
3. Don't Trip Up (+1)
4. Paul Flynn - Read My Day (-1)
5. Miserable Old Fart (+1)
6. Valleys Mam (+1)
7. Normal Mouth (-2)
8. Dylan Jones-Evans (=)
9. Miss Wagstaff Presents* (=)
10. Ceredig (=)
If there was a Welsh version of the Scottish type love in meme, most of Wikio's top ten would be in my top ten of Welsh blogs too.
The one I have difficulty with is no 3 in the list Don't Trip Up, a good blog, which I read often and is in my "feeds reader". It is Written by Stephen Farrington who is based in Cardiff, but is it a "Welsh" blog?
If it wasn't for the fact that Matt includes it in the Welsh Political News wire and that it mentions Cardiff as the blogger's domicile in the profile, I wouldn't know that it was a Welsh blog.
The posts suggest that Wales doesn't exist in this blogger's mind, that he is unaware of the existence of the Assembly on his doorstep and if he is aware of it he couldn't give a toss. So does he deserve to be called a Welsh blogger?
I feel the same about Mr Eugenedes who is regularly mentioned in the Scottish Roundup, but who rarely has a word to say about Scottish politics.
The fact that the most popular Scottish blog and the third most popular Welsh blog can blog politics without even acknowledging the existence of the countries in which they post from is a very sad reflection on Welsh and Scottish politics.
This is his list:
1. Peter Black AM (=)
2. ORDOVICIUS (=)
3. Don't Trip Up (+1)
4. Paul Flynn - Read My Day (-1)
5. Miserable Old Fart (+1)
6. Valleys Mam (+1)
7. Normal Mouth (-2)
8. Dylan Jones-Evans (=)
9. Miss Wagstaff Presents* (=)
10. Ceredig (=)
If there was a Welsh version of the Scottish type love in meme, most of Wikio's top ten would be in my top ten of Welsh blogs too.
The one I have difficulty with is no 3 in the list Don't Trip Up, a good blog, which I read often and is in my "feeds reader". It is Written by Stephen Farrington who is based in Cardiff, but is it a "Welsh" blog?
If it wasn't for the fact that Matt includes it in the Welsh Political News wire and that it mentions Cardiff as the blogger's domicile in the profile, I wouldn't know that it was a Welsh blog.
The posts suggest that Wales doesn't exist in this blogger's mind, that he is unaware of the existence of the Assembly on his doorstep and if he is aware of it he couldn't give a toss. So does he deserve to be called a Welsh blogger?
I feel the same about Mr Eugenedes who is regularly mentioned in the Scottish Roundup, but who rarely has a word to say about Scottish politics.
The fact that the most popular Scottish blog and the third most popular Welsh blog can blog politics without even acknowledging the existence of the countries in which they post from is a very sad reflection on Welsh and Scottish politics.
03/02/2008
Scottish Labour woes
Whilst waiting for the Electoral Commission to make a decision on alleged illegal donations to her leadership campaign, Wendy Alexander, the leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament has received a blow from an unexpected quarter. The Standards Commissioner of the Scottish Parliament has referred her case to the Procurator Fiscal in Lothian and Borders. Ms Alexander, who is a close friend of Gordon Brown, now faces a police investigation and possible charges if the fiscal concludes the alleged offences are criminal.
To add to the party's problems another Labour MSP has also been reported to the police for allegedly failing to declare a gift worth £1,000. Former health minister Andy Kerr, apparently received hospitality from McDonald's, the burger company. In fairness I can understand why a former health minister might feel embarrassed by such a gift - £1k's worth of hospitality adds up to a lot of Big Macs & fries!
To add to the party's problems another Labour MSP has also been reported to the police for allegedly failing to declare a gift worth £1,000. Former health minister Andy Kerr, apparently received hospitality from McDonald's, the burger company. In fairness I can understand why a former health minister might feel embarrassed by such a gift - £1k's worth of hospitality adds up to a lot of Big Macs & fries!
16/12/2007
A few quick points about Scotland
I haven't blogged about Scotland for a while, so here are a few quick comments to make up for the deficiency:
1. We were robbed! Rhydian was a much better singer than Leon on the X Factor, Rhydian should have won it!
2. A poll in the Sunday Herald shows support for independence in Scotland has grown to 40%, an all time high. If this growth in support continues its upward trend for another 12 months there will be a very clear majority in favour of independence by next Christmas. Interestingly a poll in the Telegraph last week put support for independence in Wales at an all time high of 22%. The growth in support for Welsh independence is probably a side effect of the Scottish debate. How many Welsh people would support our country's freedom if Plaid campaigned as positively as the SNP does for independence rather than continuing to be a devolutionist party?
3. The Labour, Conservative and Lib-dem Unionists in Scotland are trying to thwart the march towards independence by proposing a joint proposal for further Scottish devolution within the UK. None of them believe that their proposals would need a referendum before they are enacted (they wouldn't dare). If Scotland doesn’t need a referendum for even more devolution why are the Unionists in Wales so insistent that a referendum must be held in order to give Wales fewer powers than Scotland currently enjoys?
18/09/2007
Devoloution MAX
The Institute of Welsh Affairs poll on attitudes to Devolution gives lots of food for thought.
One of the most interesting things about it is that it isn't a Welsh opinion poll of the usual (crap) type that we know and love in Wales. The institute has been tracking Welsh opinion on a regular basis since 1997. Even if the IWA poll has the same huge margin of error that other Welsh polls have shown, the trends that it measures should still be reliable.
Only the 1997 and 2007 results were released in the press, the intervening results were made known on the Datganoli programme on S4C this evening. I didn't make a note of them so I hope that they will be published in full in tomorrow's papers.
I have made no secret of the fact that my preferred option is independence. I was pleased to see that support for independence has remained fairly constant over the last 10 years, hovering around the 11 to 15% mark. Given that (a few blogs apart) there has been no real campaign for independence (even Plaid hasn't really campaigned on the issue, Plaid has taken the evolution of devolution route), it is pleasing to see that devolution hasn't killed off independence as a legitimate view, as some hoped / feared that it might do.
Dr Richard Wyn Jones claimed in tonight's programme that the poll tracking has shown a seismic shift in attitudes towards devolution. I disagree. I agree with Penddu, that the polls don't show that much change of opinion. If you split the 1997 result between those who wanted the status quo and those who wanted devolution and compare them with those who want the new status quo (or reversion) now and those who want more than the present settlement the figures have remained the same thorough the last 10 years.
The term used for enhanced powers for the National Assembly, that the majority now appears to support, is a Scottish Type Parliament. The Scots have had a very Scottish Type Parliament for the last 10 years, and have found it deficient. About the same number of Scots who supported devolution 10 years ago now support enhanced devolution for Scotland. Either Independence or what is called Devolution Max.
If Scottish type powers for the very Scottish type people of Scotland have proved, after 10 years, to be deficient then a Scottish type parliament is hardly going to be good enough for the Welsh type people of Wales!
Its almost a foregone conclusion that in a few years time, having gained Scottish type powers, Wales will be in the same situation that Scotland is now. So why shouldn't Wales skip that step, and go for Devolution Max, with Scotland in 2011?
One of the most interesting things about it is that it isn't a Welsh opinion poll of the usual (crap) type that we know and love in Wales. The institute has been tracking Welsh opinion on a regular basis since 1997. Even if the IWA poll has the same huge margin of error that other Welsh polls have shown, the trends that it measures should still be reliable.
Only the 1997 and 2007 results were released in the press, the intervening results were made known on the Datganoli programme on S4C this evening. I didn't make a note of them so I hope that they will be published in full in tomorrow's papers.
I have made no secret of the fact that my preferred option is independence. I was pleased to see that support for independence has remained fairly constant over the last 10 years, hovering around the 11 to 15% mark. Given that (a few blogs apart) there has been no real campaign for independence (even Plaid hasn't really campaigned on the issue, Plaid has taken the evolution of devolution route), it is pleasing to see that devolution hasn't killed off independence as a legitimate view, as some hoped / feared that it might do.
Dr Richard Wyn Jones claimed in tonight's programme that the poll tracking has shown a seismic shift in attitudes towards devolution. I disagree. I agree with Penddu, that the polls don't show that much change of opinion. If you split the 1997 result between those who wanted the status quo and those who wanted devolution and compare them with those who want the new status quo (or reversion) now and those who want more than the present settlement the figures have remained the same thorough the last 10 years.
The term used for enhanced powers for the National Assembly, that the majority now appears to support, is a Scottish Type Parliament. The Scots have had a very Scottish Type Parliament for the last 10 years, and have found it deficient. About the same number of Scots who supported devolution 10 years ago now support enhanced devolution for Scotland. Either Independence or what is called Devolution Max.
If Scottish type powers for the very Scottish type people of Scotland have proved, after 10 years, to be deficient then a Scottish type parliament is hardly going to be good enough for the Welsh type people of Wales!
Its almost a foregone conclusion that in a few years time, having gained Scottish type powers, Wales will be in the same situation that Scotland is now. So why shouldn't Wales skip that step, and go for Devolution Max, with Scotland in 2011?
16/09/2007
Plaid's Laptops (again)
One of the most unusual policies to be put before the electorate last May was Plaid's policy of giving all school students a laptop computer. A pilot project for this policy is part of the One Wales Agreement but no announcement about when the pilot is to begin has been made yet.
A school on a Hebridean island has beaten Plaid to it by giving every pupil in Bowmor High School on Islay a laptop. So far the scheme appears to be successful and has proved to be popular with parent, the students and their teachers.
One of the complaints leveled against Plaid's policy (of course) was that it would cost too much. The Scottish scheme is much more expensive per head than the one proposed by Plaid. Bowmor school has chosen to spend £750 per pupil in order to purchase the best computers and the best software. But despite the cost the school's headmaster suggested that the scheme would save the school money in the long term. In fact he told Politics Scotland this afternoon that the school would be able to purchase computers for new pupils starting in the school next year out of just half of the savings that the school would make on its photocopying bill alone.
This Scottish scheme is one that Plaid should keep an eye on as proof that some of its more unusual policies are not quite as daft or unaffordable as the other parties like to portray them.
A school on a Hebridean island has beaten Plaid to it by giving every pupil in Bowmor High School on Islay a laptop. So far the scheme appears to be successful and has proved to be popular with parent, the students and their teachers.
One of the complaints leveled against Plaid's policy (of course) was that it would cost too much. The Scottish scheme is much more expensive per head than the one proposed by Plaid. Bowmor school has chosen to spend £750 per pupil in order to purchase the best computers and the best software. But despite the cost the school's headmaster suggested that the scheme would save the school money in the long term. In fact he told Politics Scotland this afternoon that the school would be able to purchase computers for new pupils starting in the school next year out of just half of the savings that the school would make on its photocopying bill alone.
This Scottish scheme is one that Plaid should keep an eye on as proof that some of its more unusual policies are not quite as daft or unaffordable as the other parties like to portray them.
19/08/2007
Scotland to Join the UN?
In today's edition of the Sunday Herald, there is an interesting guest article by John Mayer. I'm unsure if this is John Mayer the musician or somebody who just happens to share the same name, the article is worth reading, however, whatever the author's background.
Mayer argues that Scotland could become a member of the United Nations. A silly argument on first consideration - only sovereign states are members of the UN and Scotland hasn't attained that status yet. However Mayer gives examples of countries that have been members of the organisation despite not being independent sovereign states. Apparently India, Belarus, The Philippines and Ukraine were all members of the UN before becoming independent, and the Palestinians have observer status membership despite the fact that there appears to be little short term prospect of an independent Palestinian state being created.
One SNP MSP has already given his support to the call, Michael Matheson has urged Alex Salmond to give the matter serious consideration and important but anonymous "sources" within the SNP have suggested that the idea is in line with First Minister Salmond's desire to see Scotland represented on international bodies.
If Scotland applied for UN membership and was refused because of UK government opposition it would be a big publicity coup for the SNP, if it applied and was successful it would be a major step on the road to recognising Scotland as an independent country. A win-win situation for the SNP.
Of course if Scotland was to gain membership of the UN, then there could be no reason for Wales not to do likewise.
Mayer argues that Scotland could become a member of the United Nations. A silly argument on first consideration - only sovereign states are members of the UN and Scotland hasn't attained that status yet. However Mayer gives examples of countries that have been members of the organisation despite not being independent sovereign states. Apparently India, Belarus, The Philippines and Ukraine were all members of the UN before becoming independent, and the Palestinians have observer status membership despite the fact that there appears to be little short term prospect of an independent Palestinian state being created.
One SNP MSP has already given his support to the call, Michael Matheson has urged Alex Salmond to give the matter serious consideration and important but anonymous "sources" within the SNP have suggested that the idea is in line with First Minister Salmond's desire to see Scotland represented on international bodies.
If Scotland applied for UN membership and was refused because of UK government opposition it would be a big publicity coup for the SNP, if it applied and was successful it would be a major step on the road to recognising Scotland as an independent country. A win-win situation for the SNP.
Of course if Scotland was to gain membership of the UN, then there could be no reason for Wales not to do likewise.
19/06/2007
Salmond, Paisley, Adams - but not Jones
One of the problems about devolution, raised across the political spectrum, is that many in the centre have treated Devolution as an event. It concerned Whitehall in 1979 when it was happening, but now it is long forgotten. Ministers and their mandarins make decisions without any consideration given to the existence of the devolved bodies.
The media is much the same. When health, education or cultural announcements are made by the ministers responsible for these issues in England they are reported as "British news", without the qualifier that they are purely English announcements. The Welsh media fairs no better than the London media in this respect. Sunday's Waterfront, for example, included a discussion about re-introducing museum charges, despite the fact that this is a devolved matter and not a matter of debate in Wales.
One of the reasons for this has been that the functions of the Northern Ireland Assembly have been has been administered by a Labour minister and the Scottish and Welsh First Ministers have been Labour representatives. Agreements that have been made have been made through informal party mechanisms, rather than through formal inter governmental mechanisms. When Labour Ministers have made a cock-up in announcing changes in Wales and Scotland before consultation, we have seen the farce of Welsh and Scottish ministers announcing, after the fact, that that is what they would have done anyway, in order to save the face of a party colleague.
With Ian Paisley in charge in Northern Ireland and Alex Salmond in charge in Scotland, this state of affairs cannot continue with respect to those two countries. To this end the First Ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland had an historic meeting yesterday to discuss ways of insuring that their responsibilities are no longer ignored by Westminster and means of joining together to lobby Whitehall on reserved issues.
One of the arguments put forward by the Red-Green supporters in Plaid is that only Labour can deliver a referendum on extra powers for the National Assembly. They see these extra powers as an essential part of improving the devolution settlement and as a major step in the process of nation building. However Scotland has enjoyed many more powers than can be obtained through the Government of Wales Act referendum for eight years, but yet Scotland has been ignored.
Having a non Labour First Minister who can join in a tripartite alliance with his Scottish and Northern Irish counterpart to ensure that the present settlement is given full heed in Westminster might do a lot more for strengthening the settlement and nation building than would gaining extra powers that are ignored.
Allowing Ieuan Wyn Jones to join forces with Salmond, Paisley and Adams could be of far greater constitutional significance for Wales than Jones joining forces with Numpti Morgan and seeing Wales sidelined again by the Labour old pals act.
The media is much the same. When health, education or cultural announcements are made by the ministers responsible for these issues in England they are reported as "British news", without the qualifier that they are purely English announcements. The Welsh media fairs no better than the London media in this respect. Sunday's Waterfront, for example, included a discussion about re-introducing museum charges, despite the fact that this is a devolved matter and not a matter of debate in Wales.
One of the reasons for this has been that the functions of the Northern Ireland Assembly have been has been administered by a Labour minister and the Scottish and Welsh First Ministers have been Labour representatives. Agreements that have been made have been made through informal party mechanisms, rather than through formal inter governmental mechanisms. When Labour Ministers have made a cock-up in announcing changes in Wales and Scotland before consultation, we have seen the farce of Welsh and Scottish ministers announcing, after the fact, that that is what they would have done anyway, in order to save the face of a party colleague.
With Ian Paisley in charge in Northern Ireland and Alex Salmond in charge in Scotland, this state of affairs cannot continue with respect to those two countries. To this end the First Ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland had an historic meeting yesterday to discuss ways of insuring that their responsibilities are no longer ignored by Westminster and means of joining together to lobby Whitehall on reserved issues.
One of the arguments put forward by the Red-Green supporters in Plaid is that only Labour can deliver a referendum on extra powers for the National Assembly. They see these extra powers as an essential part of improving the devolution settlement and as a major step in the process of nation building. However Scotland has enjoyed many more powers than can be obtained through the Government of Wales Act referendum for eight years, but yet Scotland has been ignored.
Having a non Labour First Minister who can join in a tripartite alliance with his Scottish and Northern Irish counterpart to ensure that the present settlement is given full heed in Westminster might do a lot more for strengthening the settlement and nation building than would gaining extra powers that are ignored.
Allowing Ieuan Wyn Jones to join forces with Salmond, Paisley and Adams could be of far greater constitutional significance for Wales than Jones joining forces with Numpti Morgan and seeing Wales sidelined again by the Labour old pals act.
16/05/2007
Congratulations Scotland
Many congratulations to Alex Salmond on his election as First Minister of Scotland. He will have a difficult, and sometimes frustrating, task ahead of him trying to govern Scotland without a majority and in the opposition of a Labour Party that has the same divine right to rule attitude in Scotland as it has in Wales.
Alex Salmond is an astute politician and a capable man. I am sure that he will succeed to overcome all the difficulties that the unionists put on his path and that he will transform the government of Scotland to the benefit of the country's people.
As Scotland embarks on one of its most exciting periods in 300 years, Welsh patriots will be very interested in what is happening there. One of the best places to keep up with Scottish political goings on and gossip is the Tartan Hero blog. His latest post includes a video link to Alex Salmond's acceptance speech in Holyrood.
Alex Salmond is an astute politician and a capable man. I am sure that he will succeed to overcome all the difficulties that the unionists put on his path and that he will transform the government of Scotland to the benefit of the country's people.
As Scotland embarks on one of its most exciting periods in 300 years, Welsh patriots will be very interested in what is happening there. One of the best places to keep up with Scottish political goings on and gossip is the Tartan Hero blog. His latest post includes a video link to Alex Salmond's acceptance speech in Holyrood.
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