If anything makes the case for independence its COP26, yet sadly Nicola Sturgeon’s more likely to use it kick the can down the road than to drive the cause on. After all what makes the case for Scottish powerlessness more than the gathering of the world’s great and good in Scotland’s largest city. Leaders from Nations great and small descending… Read more »
The Tory Governments contempt for Scotland was fully displayed in their failure to support the Acorn carbon capture and storage facility at St Fergus. This wasn’t a charm offensive, or even a respect agenda. Instead, it was a “know yer place Jock, yer getting nowt” declaration. It’s a bitter blow for Scotland, not just its north east and shows that… Read more »
MACASKILL BACKS RMT IN COMMONS MOTION OVER STRIKE ACTION ALBA Depute Party Leader Kenny MacAskill MP has today backed the RMT over its proposed strike action in a motion tabled in the House of Commons. He is taking this initiative with a week to go before the start of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow and as the RMT trade union faces… Read more »
Returning to Westminster this week after the conference season break, it’ll be a sombre place following the tragic death of Sir David Amess. Having only been elected in 2019 and lockdown intervening, I’ve never really had an opportunity to get to know him. But what little I saw was of an affable and decent man, with a touch of panache… Read more »
The separation of powers between executive, legislature and judiciary’s viewed as fundamental in any democracy. In Scotland the issue has more focussed on the conflict caused by the twin roles of the Lord Advocate, being senior government legal advisor and head of the prosecution service. But the wider concept’s accepted by the Scottish Government even if the First Minister’s showing… Read more »
Boris says no to another referendum, so is that it? Well, that may suit some and even the First Minister seems phlegmatic about it, saying she has time on her side. But for many independence cannot wait, and with the hardship being inflicted and the economy being wrecked, it’s neither an option nor sustainable for many. So, it’s no wonder… Read more »
Policing has been under the cosh in London and in Scotland. Sarah Everard’s murder was truly shocking, serious mistakes have been made and changes there must be. That applies in Scotland as well as south of the Border, even if transgressions have been fewer and the situation less severe. But Police Scotland isn’t the Metropolitan Police. Both the scale of… Read more »
“The Saudi Arabia of wind’s” – the rhetoric, that’s even trumpeted by Boris Johnson. With Scotland possessing 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resource you’d therefore think we’d be firing on all cylinders. For sure there’s much happening with fields opening and work progressing. But for Scotland rhetoric isn’t matching reality. As I sat down to write this an e mail… Read more »
Preparations continue for the wealth that’s going to flow ashore in East Lothian from offshore wind but there’s still no sign of the county and its citizens benefiting from it. Research from the House of Commons library confirmed what I had suspected that there’s a gap in legislation. If the turbines were onshore, then community benefit would apply, and funds… Read more »
A billion pounds pledged to the NHS by Nicola Sturgeon, who could possibly disagree? We want the best health service we can possibly afford. Compounding that Covid has proven costly and not just in lives, with waiting times lengthening and delays increasing. But is it all about the money? And with life expectancy increasing and pressures through the benefits of… Read more »