tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4409045981027073052012-03-21T05:52:06.914ZIndependence ConventionWe are an umbrella group whose aim is to further the cause of restoring Scotland’s independence. Our platform draws together all the political parties, organisations, politicians and individuals, in Scotland and beyond, who share this one basic, democratic objective.Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-89449525906017697232011-05-28T14:37:00.000+01:002011-05-28T14:37:43.267+01:00Gerry Hassan review by Kevin Williamson<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4Wboh1hXsM/TeD6BGd7ysI/AAAAAAAAAD0/ePpSQESxv_c/s1600/Gerry+%2526+Elaine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4Wboh1hXsM/TeD6BGd7ysI/AAAAAAAAAD0/ePpSQESxv_c/s200/Gerry+%2526+Elaine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Kevin Williamson, Secretary of the Scottish Independence Convention, reports on a lively meeting held in the Scottish Parliament on 26th May.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first post-election meeting of the <a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.com/Blog.asp" target="_blank">Scottish Independence Convention</a> was packed out to hear and discuss Gerry Hassan’s ideas on where Scotland is going next. Over the last few weeks Gerry has managed to articulate within the mainstream media positive challenging ideas related to Scotland and Independence that need to be addressed by the whole country. Gerry’s enthusiasm was infectious and as always he managed to provoke and stimulate – which is exactly why he was asked to speak.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a remarkable event for a number of reasons, not least because, while SNP members were understandably at the forefront, the SIC brought together a disparate ensemble which included members and activists from at least four Scottish political parties (including a Lib Dem peer, the quiet pro-Independence maverick that is Jamie, Earl of Mar.)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before the meeting I went up to Luath Books at the top of the Royal Mile to get some copies of <em>‘Radical Scotland: Arguments for Self-Determination’</em> – edited by Gerry Hassan and Rosie Ilett– to sell at the event. The publishers only had three copies left. I’d also asked for some copies of <em>‘A Nation Again’</em> – edited by Paul Henderson Scott and <a href="http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2011/04/08/book-review-a-nation-again-why-independence-will-be-good-for-scotland-and-england-too-edited-by-paul-henderson-scott/" target="_blank">reviewed here</a> on Bella Caledonia – but the entire print run has sold out. These are recent titles. It would seem there is a currently a hunger for serious ideas related to where Scotland is going.<br /><span id="more-3120"></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />It was good to hear from so many old timers of the SNP – some who spoke had 30 and even 50 years SNP party membership under their belts – bring their experience and ideas to the Convention. You could feel a tangible sense of renewed optimism and purpose in the air. Their thoughts and tactical ideas were especially appreciated.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another thing worth noting in passing was that senior figures from the Scottish Socialist Party sat among their counterparts from Solidarity and discussed, in positive terms, ways to build support for an Independence referendum, plus their hopes for an Independent Scotland. It would seem that the renewed sense of purpose around Scottish Independence and the forthcoming referendum has managed to bring two previously warring factions of the Scottish left under the same roof for the first time in years, united in a common cause. Its early days but these are positive signs and indicative of a bigger process at work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only disappointing thing was the absence of the Scottish Greens, but hopefully that was more to do with logistics and timing. The Convention needs their input in terms of both vision and practicalities.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Where the Scottish Independence Convention goes from here is still at the suggestion-planning stage. But it was generally agreed that the ways of operating pre-5<sup>th</sup> May won’t suffice. The game has changed. As the SIC’s National Chair, Elaine C Smith, said, “OMG, there’s a Yes vote to be won!” The Convention intends to turn outwards and play its part. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">------</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-8944952590601769723?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-69489942320141608102011-05-20T07:25:00.000+01:002011-05-20T07:25:49.506+01:00Alan McCombes and the socialist Scotland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QBxrbqD29ss/TdYI1b_iMxI/AAAAAAAAADw/kiFEf05q22A/s1600/Alan+McCombes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QBxrbqD29ss/TdYI1b_iMxI/AAAAAAAAADw/kiFEf05q22A/s1600/Alan+McCombes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Alan McCombes, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">Policy Co-Ordinator for the </span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">Scottish Socialist Party. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over 150 years ago, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels called on the working class of all countries to unite and fight for a socialist world.<br /><br />At a time when there were no telephones, no cars, no aeroplanes, no TV and no radio, their internationalist vision represented an extraordinary feat of historical imagination.<br />In today’s world of the internet, satellite TV, high speed air travel, global capitalism and the World Social Forum, the philosophy of socialist internationalism no longer looks like a utopian flight of fantasy.<br /><br />But what does socialist internationalism mean in practice?<br /><br />“Imagine there’s no countries, I wonder if you can; nothing to kill or die for, a brotherhood of man,” sang John Lennon in his celebrated radical anthem.<br /><br />Such a world may well be built sometime in the distant future by generations who are not yet born. But how do we begin to move from here to there? And how do we apply the principles of socialist internationalism to the 21st century world that we live in?<br /><br />There are three key questions the Left has to address. We may not reach agreement on the answers, but even to ask the questions would at least be a step forward. <br /><br />First, does socialist internationalism mean that we are striving to replace capitalist globalisation with socialist globalisation? Are we aiming to build gigantic socialist mega-states? Or should our more immediate goal be to build socialism from below - a socialism that is based on decentralisation, diversity and voluntary co-operation?<br /><br />Linked to that is a second question. Should socialists be in favour of larger, broader states under capitalism? Is bigger always better? Do large-scale multinational states unify and strengthen the working class or can forced unity from above sometimes aggravate national conflict and resentment? <br /><br />The third question revolves around the process of change. Will socialism be achieved as the product of a single big bang, a simultaneous, world-wide revolt of the working class and the oppressed? Or, because of differing national conditions and traditions, will social change be more fragmented and disjointed? Will it tend to develop at local and national level first, before spreading outwards?<br /><br />For those who subscribe to the ‘bigger is better’ theory of internationalism, multinational states such as the United Kingdom represent historical progress. Whatever the social costs, the Act of Union and the destruction of the Scottish Gaedlltacht after Culloden paved the way for the rise of large-scale capitalism and the emergence of a powerful British working class. Any attempt by Scotland or Wales to break free of the United Kingdom today would be regressive step.<br /><br />Logically the same arguments should be applied to the development of the European Union. Those trying to push forward towards a European superstate represent historical progress; while those Swedish and Danish trade unionists and women’s organisations who successfully campaigned against the euro were putting their own narrow interests above the greater historical project of internationalism. <br /><br />Moreover, socialists in Canada and Mexico - and the rest of Latin America too, for that matter - should be advocating union with the United States of America on the grounds that such a continental state would unite hundreds of millions of working people from the Amazonian jungle to the Arctic Circle. After all, a manual worker in Toronto or Guadalajara has more in common with a worker in a Detroit car factory than with a Canadian banker or a Mexican landowner.<br /><br />Unfortunately, all historical evidence illustrates that forced unity from above tends to inflame national division rather than eradicate it. The European Union, for example, rather than cementing international harmony has become a breeding ground for suspicion and division between nations. <br /><br />The tides of anti-European resentment now surging through Scottish fishing communities are likely to foreshadow more widespread discontent as industrial communities in ‘Old Europe’ become increasingly pitted against the sweatshop economies of ‘New Europe’ after enlargement.<br /><br />Swapping the Union Jack for the Saltire would not rid Scotland of inequality, low pay, pensioner poverty and the other problems inherent in any capitalist economic system. But it would allow normal class politics to develop more naturally than ever before.<br /><br />Especially since the 1960s nationalism - in its broadest sense - has permeated every pore of Scottish political life. There are times when it has played a progressive role, for example magnifying the intensity of the campaign against the Poll Tax. <br /><br />More frequently it has acted to deflect attention away from the real source of Scotland’s problems. Independence in and of itself won’t rid Scotland of these problems, but it would at least clear the way for politics to be fought out on the basis of ideology and class rather than on the basis of nation.<br /><br />An independent Scotland would also mark an important democratic advance. From the 1980s onward, the Scottish labour and trade union movement spearheaded the battle for devolution. <br /><br />Whatever the shortcomings of the Scottish Parliament, it has marked an important democratic advance, opening areas such as health, education, transport and the environment to public scrutiny and democratic accountability for the first time ever.<br /><br />Yet there remains a democratic black hole at the heart of Scottish society. On the big decisions that really matter power is retained at Westminster, an institution which now has a virtually built-in, centre-right majority. <br /><br />It is Westminster which will decide whether nuclear weapons remain on the Clyde, whether Scottish soldiers are sent to kill and die on behalf of George Bush, whether Thatcher’s anti-trade union laws remain on the statute books, whether pensioners should continue to be paid a pittance, whether the rich should continue to pay some of the lowest rates of taxation in the world, whether the minimum wage should be raised from its existing pitifully low level, whether asylum seekers should continue to be locked out of our empty, depopulated land.<br /><br />A further reason why the Left should back independence is that the break-up of the United Kingdom would weaken capitalism and imperialism internationally. In Scotland, support for the union has always gone hand in hand with support for imperialism. Even today, the official title of the Tory Party in Scotland is the ‘Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party’. <br /><br />The old British Empire has long gone but Britain continues to play a key role on the world stage as the staunchest ally of the US in its drive to conquer the resources of the planet for multinational capitalism.<br /><br />The departure of Scotland from the United Kingdom would mean more than just the loss of a big chunk of territory. Scotland is a vital cog in the western military machine, with vital nuclear submarine and air bases. More than 80 per cent of all European Union oil reserves are in Scottish waters, while Edinburgh is the fourth finance centre in Europe. <br /><br />The tearing of the blue out of the Union Jack and the dismantling of the 300 year-old British state would also be a traumatic psychological blow for the forces of capitalism and conservatism in Britain, Europe and the USA. It would be almost as potent in its symbolism as the unravelling of the Soviet Union at the start of the 1990s.<br /><br />It is no accident that big business and the conservative right in Scotland are fanatically pro-union. The break-up of the United Kingdom might not mean instant socialism, but it would mean a decisive shift in the balance of ideological and class forces. Political attitudes in Scotland are not necessarily any more left wing than in some of those regions of England which have huge working class concentrations, such as Tyneside, Merseyside or South Yorkshire.<br /><br />But on a national scale, for close on half a century, the political centre of gravity in Scotland has been more heavily tilted to the Left than in England.<br /><br />That is reflected, for example, in the fact that the Tories have never won an election in Scotland since the 1950s. Media pundits down south may have proclaimed Old Labour unelectable in the 1980s, but Old Labour beat Thatcher hands down every single time in Scotland. <br /><br />In 2010 a Westminster Tory / Lib Dem coalition was elected and immediately enacted savage spending cuts while the 2011 Holyrood election saw an SNP government elected on an essentially left of centre social democratic manifesto.<br /><br />The one legitimate fear expressed by left wing opponents of independence is that the unity of the trade union movement could be torn asunder. But that fear is groundless. <br /><br />Generations after Ireland won partial independence, a number of British and Irish trade unions continue to organise on both sides of the border. There are many US-based trade unions organised in Canada. There is also close collaboration between the trade union movement across Scandinavia. <br /><br />In today’s world of global corporations, trade union organisation will tend to transcend international borders, though that may well be accompanied by greater decentralisation within trade unions.<br /><br />Independence is not a synonym for isolationism. In today’s globalised economy, it would be no more possible erect a new Hadrian’s Wall today than it would have been possible for Robert Burns to hop on board a transatlantic flight at Prestwick Airport. <br /><br />Nor would anyone claim that it’s possible build a fully-fledged socialist society in a small country on the edge of Europe. But what we can do is push forward in a socialist direction, blazing a trail which others will then follow.<br /><br />As a general rule, social and scientific progress is not achieved by waiting until all conditions have ripened to fruition. The Wright brothers didn’t wait until the jumbo jet had been invented before flying across the Atlantic. Nor did Fidel Castro and Che Guevara wait until the USA was ready to break with capitalism before leading a revolution in Cuba.<br /><br />With the victory of a majority SNP government on May 5th 2011 there will be an independence referendum in the next 5 years. <br /><br />That will be preceded with at least a year of wide-ranging constitutional debate on the history of the UK and its relevance today. For the Left, there will no hiding place. <br /><br />Silence will not be an option. We will have to spell out where we stand. Do we stand with the forces of conservatism on the side of the Union? Or do we strike out courageously on the side of change through participation in the Scottish Independendence Convention that could eventually pave the way to a new, socialist Scotland? </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-6948994232014160810?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-33742142340609435042011-05-08T22:26:00.000+01:002011-05-08T22:26:15.432+01:00The Post Election Election Blog - Stephen Maxwell<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> 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QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuB1Xh7PaSo/TSTI2IDmBwI/AAAAAAAAABE/x0jg3pn9ags/s1600/StephenMaxwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuB1Xh7PaSo/TSTI2IDmBwI/AAAAAAAAABE/x0jg3pn9ags/s200/StephenMaxwell.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Stephen Maxwell is the Treasurer of the Scottish Independence Convention. </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><i> </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">SNP members in Edinburgh South have long consoled themselves at election times with the maxim that if they were to win their seat then the SNP could win every seat in Scotland.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Yesterday morning that consoling mantra came true – as good as. Our candidate Jim Eadie, unknown in the seat six months ago, went straight past all the three unionist parties who had traditionally dominated the seat to take it for the SNP. And while the SNP did not capture all the seats in Scotland, as if doing its best to follow the Southern script it took sixty nine out of the one hundred and twenty nine seats in the Parliament to secure an absolute majority. “Historic” “game changing”, “transformational” were just some of the superlatives applied to the outcome.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Alex Salmond wasted no time in exploiting this most sensational of all his campaigning victories. Two hours after the final result he was laying down markers to shocked Westminster politicians – a beefing up of the economic powers in the Scotland Bill, the transfer to Scottish Ministers of the Scottish functions of the Crown Estate Commissioners and an independence referendum in the second half of the five year term of the new Parliament.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Supporters of the Independence Convention could not have asked for more. The Convention was formed in 2005 to provide a forum through which the then three independence parties – SNP , Scottish Socialist Party and Scottish Greens – along with unaffiliated supporters could collaborate in developing and promoting the case for independence in a referendum. The election of the first SNP Government in 2007 put a referendum firmly on the political agenda until a combination of the Government's minority status and the opposition parties' disdain for the democratic right of the Scottish people pushed it off again. With the anti-independence parties reduced to just forty seven members in the new Parliament against seventy two pro-independence members a referendum is now assured. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">But that is all that is assured. The occasion of the SNP's greatest triumph is also the moment of its greatest peril. Votes that came as easily as the swinging LibDem votes can just as easily swing away. The new Government faces a major challenge in funding its spending commitments when its block grant from Westminster will be in decline for the next four years. The Scottish economy is effectively in recession with national output some 6% lower than before the 2007 credit crunch. Recovery continues to be slow and fitful. The new Scottish Government faces a major challenge in keeping the trust of its new voters through three years or more of cuts and slow growth before an independence referendum is held.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">That is one reason why the independence cause cannot rely on the Government to do all the campaigning for a Yes vote. Another is that it will need all the time available before a referendum to persuade a sceptical Scottish public. Government Ministers with urgent agendas will simply not have time to devote to a long campaign. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">The Scottish National Party, as opposed to Government, will be eager to campaign but its effectiveness will depend crucially on the standing of the Government. And its capacity to clarify some of the unresolved issues around independence – notably on the currency and defence – is uncertain given the current centralisation of policy making within the SNP.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">The campaign for a Yes vote must start early and build as broad a base as possible. This is where the Scottish Independence Convention can make its contribution. Even though the SSP and its Solidarity split off have faded and the Scottish Greens have been frustrated in their ambition to recover the level of representation they enjoyed in the 2003-7 Parliament the Convention continues to offer an independent and open platform from which to promote public debate on the opportunities, challenges and requirements of Scottish independence across Scottish civil society.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to Convention</a> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-3374214234060943504?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-3271718647576682322011-05-05T06:16:00.000+01:002011-05-05T06:16:28.604+01:00The Final Election Blog - Elaine C. Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qc50L96TJ0/TYuvfOCnB7I/AAAAAAAAABM/qMbYRk2rz1M/s1600/elaine_c_smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Qc50L96TJ0/TYuvfOCnB7I/AAAAAAAAABM/qMbYRk2rz1M/s200/elaine_c_smith.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So where are we now? On the eve of the election result the signs are good for another term of an SNP government. From the Scottish Independence Conventions point of view and for all of us who believe in Independence this can only be a good thing and the work for a referendum on Independence has to continue.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This has been a long run in to polling day and I have to say that at the start I worried that Labour would win by default. if the agenda continued to be dominated by the coalition in Westminster then Labour's anti Tory message may have won through and as ever with Scottish Labour, the scare tactics would work. I feared that the SNP victory in 2007 would be seen as an experiment and that the old tribal patterns would emerge as they did in the UK election. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I underestimated the intelligence and canny nature of the Scottish electorate. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had conversations in January with Alex Salmond where he indicated that he believed absolutely that they could win. I was more sceptical but impressed by his enthusiasm, verve and passionate appetite for the fight ahead.... </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had also been made aware during the UK elections by party workers that the Scottish electorate knew exactly what they were doing. They were voting Labour in the UK elections to keep the Tories out but telling SNP activists that they would "get their vote the next time son!!!!". Again I thought it was good banter but dismissed it . I just didn't see how the dominance of the media with the coalition in London and their real refusal to properly come to terms or catch up with the fact that the UK is actually a devolved state, would keep the agenda away from Scottish issues and that would only help Labour.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, the successful campaign by the Nationalists to shift things back onto the Scottish agenda seems to have worked and when voters are considering who they believe will fight Scotlands corner within the UK best...the answer is Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon,John Swinney, Kenny McAskill and Mike Russell and the SNP. This is not because they think that they have done everything right but because they are realistic....they have done enough right. Another factor is that they are the party that has some vision for this country...some vision and some hope. The strategy that during times of great struggle and adversity that what the people need is some hope and light is, in my opinion, the correct one. The consistent message by the Unionists that Scotland isn't good enough, brave enough or intelligent enough to run its own affairs has turned the people off.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The electorate are also comforted by the fact that the last four years have not been dominated by a continuous fight or struggle over Independence. The scaremongering by the Unionist parties that an SNP government would have us all painted in woad, running up and down Princes Street with Lion rampants hanging out our arses didn't come true. We didn't even have a Referendum. There has been no repeat of "We're on the march with Ally's army", no feeling of foolishness or getting too big for our boots. Even over the Megrahi episode...many may disapprove of the decision but agree that it was ours to make. Thats grown up politics for me, grown up Scotland understands that you cannot always get every decision right.....it might be rubbish but its our rubbish!!!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So when it comes down to it, I believe that the electorate feels safe with the Nationalists. And the switchback to the the old tribal, scaremongering tactics of Labour in the last few days hasn't done the job. No doubt a few waiverers who were considering not voting Labour for the first time will be scared back into the fold, but it doesn't seem that the message has penetrated this time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This has been helped by the Scottish media ...a phrase that I never thought I would hear myself utter!!! Maybe its that the the journalists themselves are less afraid or simply that the thought of losing an intelligent big hitting politician like Alex Salmond (who helps many others to raise their game) from the Parliament and from their political commentary is too much to contemplate. I daresay the thought of following Ian Gray around as First Minister is not one that many of our political journalists relish. They have been easier and less vociferous in their hatred and loathing ( well not the usual Labourite papers as we would expect) but the Scotsman coming out in favour of the Nats is the stuff of fantasy...yet there it is in bold print on the front page!!!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I doubt we will see a paper with a picture of a noose on its front page on election day this time around.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I realised that things had altered even more when out on the campaign trail in Govan with Nicola Sturgeon. The high esteem and genuine affection shown to her was wonderful to see....and this in a constituency that used to rip up SNP leaflets and slam the door in the face of Nationalist workers....they too have reported a sea change in attitudes even from people who state they won't vote for them.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So it looks like things are good...but only the electorate will determine who will govern us. But there are many challenges ahead...not least the challenge to let the Parliament function and run in a better way. We have a new Parliament and again it is not and will not be perfect, but the ability to change, enhance and improve it is there for us..... and that is a great thing. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We have a chance to continue to be a model for other countries to see what the future of Parliaments and their countries could and should be...to set a positive agenda and be a beacon for others as a modern social democratic country looking to the future for the good of its people, aware of its place in Europe and the rest of the world.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lets hope we get the chance to continue on this road...one thing is for sure, the path embarked on by the Scottish electorate in 2007 and the small revolution that took place is not going to end...and the Unionist parties have a lot of thinking and soul searching to go through over these next months and years to adjust to this new vision of Scotland.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-327171864757668232?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-75609184920323247922011-05-04T06:21:00.000+01:002011-05-04T06:21:13.536+01:00Murray Ritchie - The Election Blog 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> 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style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Murray Ritchie is the former Scottish political editor of The Herald.</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">GREAT DAY IN PROSPECT</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Not long now. Fingers crossed, it could just be that on Friday we shall wake up to a new Scotland in which we have a second successive SNP government and independence is closer than ever. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So much of the credit must go to Alex Salmond, the master tactician, who has outperformed Labour and the Unionists at every turn. He might not care too much for the comparison but Alex Salmond is now the Donald Dewar of our time, a man whose command of Scottish politics seems unassailable. The difference now is that Salmond has plenty of potential successors. Donald, we now know, did not. The future looks more inviting than ever.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It has been such fun to watch Salmond’s confused critics running round in ever-diminishing circles trying to land a blow on him. On the one hand Ed Miliband and Iain Gray have whinged about him being obsessed with independence and on the other the wider Unionist family (and a couple of dissident nationalist voices) have accused him of parking the independence debate. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But the bold Alex just smiles and carries on with his canny game of keeping the SNP inching towards another electoral success after which there is every likelihood of an independence referendum. It is at this point that finally, after all these years, we have to get serious about the route-map to independence.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Alex Salmond seems to think that by 2018 we will have done the deed. Well, that’s a little too long for someone of my advancing years. Time to step up the pressure, please, now.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If Alex Salmond finally pushes a referendum bill through Holyrood, the SNP must work on proclaiming the advantages of independence. Too many Scots are still doubters. They need to have their fears calmed with a reworked, fuller and clearer explanation of what independence will mean and what benefits it will bring.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The starting point should be a forceful response to the tired pejorative language of the scaremongers and their talk of separatism, secession and isolation, and, of course, economic ruin while “breaking up the UK”. Let’s admit it, we are not short of people who are, sadly, still moved by this dishonest rubbish. We need to dish the doomsayers with strong and positive responses that are attractive to doubters and undecided voters. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For example, if independence was won at the price of keeping the monarchy for another generation or two I would find that acceptable. Not my preference, but still worth the candle. If we became an independent state in a new confederal United Kingdom that, too, would be fine by me. I have always argued that if we are independent in Europe – a good idea in my view – then we can be independent in a reformed UK where some powers are shared with our closest neighbour. And power-sharing is the answer to separatism. A confederation of independent UK states is the least scary option for those who might still suffer from the Scottish cringe, and it is only one step beyond full fiscal control which is the final stage before devolution becomes independence. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Scotland and England were, after all, independent states under a single crown for more than 100 years after 1603. Surely it is not too difficult to adapt that constitutional arrangement for a new Union - the United Kingdoms – in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. That way we gain independence – a seat in the UN and all – but no-one can say we are breaking up the UK.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If the results of the 2011 election go as we wish and the SNP is soon back in government, then Alex Salmond’s gradualist approach will have been vindicated. And those who want a faster track to independence – the so-called fundamentalists – will find that their time has also come. This conjunction of arguments looks like a happy prospect. A second SNP government with time on its side would be wise to take a couple of years to broadcast the benefits of independence – and hold its referendum when it knows it can win.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">------</span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-7560918492032324792?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-61766902823368007672011-05-03T06:34:00.000+01:002011-05-03T06:34:32.028+01:00Ken O'Neill - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> 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gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2X7-yuMc-o/Tb-TtIo5yhI/AAAAAAAAADs/dIHQsxX7lnI/s1600/Ken+O%2527Neill.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2X7-yuMc-o/Tb-TtIo5yhI/AAAAAAAAADs/dIHQsxX7lnI/s200/Ken+O%2527Neill.png" width="151" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>Ken is an independent candidate standing in Leith.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Independence: <span style="color: black;">The state or quality of being independent; freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by, others; self-subsistence or maintenance; direction of one's own affairs without interference.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">As an independent candidate standing for the Lothians in this election, I can clearly see how this relates to me.<span> </span>I don’t follow party lines, will not have a party whip<span> </span>visit me, will have the freedom to judge any kind of proposal in Holyrood on its merits.<span> </span>I can set out my own agenda and vote for what I believe is right and just.<span> </span>On the other side, I will have no support from a party, cannot use the input of think-tanks, don’t have the party faithful to help me with my campaign.<span> </span>However, if I want to achieve something, I will have to work together with other members of the parliament.<span> </span>Independent, but interdependent at the same time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Can we make the same analogy for an independent Scotland?<span> </span>I think we can.<span> </span>An independent Scotland can decide the direction it wants to go, can allocate the necessary funds for the goals it wants to achieve, without interference from Westminster.<span> </span>At the same time, when we have to make unpopular decisions, such as raising taxes, we will not be able to lay the blame at the door of Number 10.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">However, with that independence, an interdependence will be created.<span> </span>They say no man is an island and Scotland certainly isn't and never will be.<span> </span>We will have to work closely with the neighbouring countries to build strong economical ties.<span> </span>We will have to find our way into the international institutions, such as the European Union and<span> </span>the United Nations.<span> </span>I have no doubt a strong, confident and independent Scotland can make a difference in the world.<span> </span>How well we perform on the world stage will depend on our domestic performance, which in turn will be influenced by our place on the world stage.<span> </span>Scotland already has a strong image and reputation.<span> </span>If we want to capitalise on that, we have to make sure our internal affairs are in order.<span> </span>That means not only our economy, but also our society, our politics, our government.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Scotland can become an example for excellence, but we need to grow up.<span> </span>The Scottish Parliament has to set an example and give the people the right to vote in an independence referendum.<span> </span>This will need to include a national debate on the subject in a grown-up manner and with a factual exchange of opinions.<span> </span>We cannot allow party political lines to decide on such an important issue.<span> </span>All Scots have the right to a sensible debate on the matter, with access to all the relevant figures.<span> </span>That way they can make up their own minds, independently. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">------</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Back to Convention</span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-6176690282336800767?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-64346799141429985512011-05-02T13:13:00.000+01:002011-05-02T13:13:11.759+01:00Tommy Sheridan - The Election Blog 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_Q53QtOrqM/Tb6e0EGEbxI/AAAAAAAAADo/4rYEDyffjio/s1600/tommysheridan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_Q53QtOrqM/Tb6e0EGEbxI/AAAAAAAAADo/4rYEDyffjio/s200/tommysheridan.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Tommy Sheridan is the leader of Solidarity.</span></i> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So the Scottish elections are less than two weeks away.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The difference between the main parties is as thin as cigarette paper. In the land of the blind even a one-eyed king can reign supreme. Hence Salmond, with his more assured approach and decades of debating experience is head and shoulders above the others in leadership qualities.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They all support the agenda of making ordinary folk pay for an economic crisis made in the boardrooms and banks of the greedy bosses but given the political convergence the issue of personality is allowed to assume extra importance. I expect the SNP to win the election, and maybe able to govern outright.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's no bad thing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although their cuts package hasto be fought tooth and nail, and the alternative of fighting for more resources to avoid cuts and the need for public control of Scotland's economic assets lioke the oil, gas, electricity, water, rail and the financial sector has to be put on the table, an SNP victory would underline yet again how distant Labour has become from its roots. Nowadays New Labour is just a pale imitation of the Tories.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blair and Brown dragged them into a rightwing abyss of free market worship and warmongering immorality. The spur of electoral defgeat could lead them to change their direction, but I won't hold my breath.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure, on a UK scale when the choice is Tories or New Labour then the latter is more palatable, but ion a Scottish context the SNP offers, however superficially, an alternative that is more radical than both the Tories and New Labour and an activist base that is increasingly left of Labour.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I would vote for Chris Stephens of the SNP with my first vote if I was able to, and George Galloway and the coalition against cuts with my second vote. I hope the second vote for Solidarity elsewhere and for George in Glasgow will be significant.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Until New Labour abandon their Tory adopted philosophies and policies, they deserve to be electorally be kicked in the private parts.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-6434679914142998551?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-59324597471011716362011-05-01T11:33:00.000+01:002011-05-01T11:33:30.326+01:00Janie Orr - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> 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style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1gcfvidX9k/Tb02uoZSVWI/AAAAAAAAADk/pUldKFtI470/s200/Janie+Orr.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Janie is a member of the Young Scots for Independence, a student at the Scottish Agricultural College and an active member of the SNP.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I was lucky enough to take part in the Young Scots for Independence/Federation of Student Nationalists national tour in a full to capacity bus filled with young people from across Scotland. In total we estimated we travelled more than 900 miles across Scotland leafleting, canvassing, meeting activists, sharing ideas and having fun with politics. Our first stop was Glasgow campaigning in the city. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I admit as a farmer’s daughter this sort of canvassing was not what I was used to. Generally what I did was get in the car and canvass farms and entire villages at a time. This was a bit different as it involved streets covered in people with yellow badges and what felt to me like mile high closes. To show you how little I knew of city life I had to quietly ask one of the guys was campaigning with what a service button was and how to get into a close. The look of ‘you have got to be joking’ was enough to say that I needed to get out more. It was great fun just converting lifetime Labour voters, by the end of time in Glasgow it had actually become a hobby. But my absolute favourite thing to do on the doorstep was to ask the question, “Who do you believe would make a better First Minister.” Now the reason is not because I wanted to hear Alex Salmond’s name being suggested as a better first minister from a Labour voter. It was to watch a Labour voter (and sometimes member) try to remember or even guess whom the leader of the party was. I heard a few suggestions; Gordon Brown, Wendy Alexander, Jack McConnell and even Margaret Curran from one poor labour voter. The real question of this election is who is the Labour leader? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Another question that was raised was where were the Liberal Democrats? It would have been nice to meet more than one on the entire time spent across Scotland. It seems they have disappeared without a trace, maybe never to be seen again perhaps. Whatever happens to them, it is obvious voters will show them no mercy. This election from what we saw on tour will be very cruel for them. Labour to is looking like a crash and burn. I almost feel sorry for how bad an election they have run. Copying policies from SNP, attacking positive policies for Scotland for political gain and even running into fast food chains to escape voters. If I had a £1 for every time someone said “My father voted for labour and his father before him etc.” I would be a rich girl. However it is remarkably easy to then persuade them to not only vote SNP but also understand that becoming independent would be the best for Scotland. One vote gained for the SNP for about 2 minutes work, breaking a generation of tradition. Try it. It really works. One of my favourite moments of the tour was after campaigning with John Mason in Glasgow, decided to head off to the pub. This is a well known drinking hole for the YSI and there were more than 15 of us walking in ordering drinks. Who should be sitting in the pub but a labour campaign manager whose face was visibly shocked to see the sheer amount of young activists. It was satisfying to see the fear on their face. Labour knows they have run a bad campaign. Heads will roll. But will it be the mystery leader to go first? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Politics aside, the friends you make with this common bond of being a Nat will I know be a friendship that will last a lifetime. I loved travelling across Scotland in the back of a bus with a group of folk who passionately believe as much as you that Scotland should be independent. I would like to thank every single candidate, stressed out election agent, activists and campaigners who met and greeted us from across Scotland. They made the trip as successful as it was and if what we saw on the doorstep is what we see in the final results, we know as young Nats that we will have made a difference to Scotland. That is pretty cool.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span><span></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span><span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-5932459747101171636?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-36469759712647251232011-04-29T09:07:00.000+01:002011-04-29T09:07:47.747+01:00Luke James - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:PixelsPerInch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>544x376</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> 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style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KT6mY0wP12o/TbpxNVstXSI/AAAAAAAAADg/Nf2xh-UXbuI/s200/Luke+James.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center" class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Luke is a student representative from Swansea, Wales. Former chair of Plaid Cymru's youth and student section and current bureau member of the European Free Alliance Youth.</span></i></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">“For once we find ourselves swimming with the tide of history,” Adam Price concluded in his recent article on the economics of Welsh independence. Unsurprisingly I agree, but I also believe that the tide of public opinion is starting to turn in our favour too.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">On March 4th this year we saw Wales united in voting yes for Wales to have primary law making powers. Monmouthshire was the only constituency to vote no, with a recount and by the smallest margins. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">That’s in stark contrast to the result of the 1997 referendum when Wales was a nation divided over the question of a National Assembly. Wales was split right down the middle, the cultural divide of East and West evident for all to see.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">What a remarkable change in just 14 years, the mindset of the Welsh people has been transformed. And just a day later I was equally excited to see the results of an ICM poll on BBC Wales which put support for independence at 16%. What a difference a day makes. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Unionists were probably relieved to see the words ‘Wales will never be independent’ emblazoned across the front of our one national newspaper a few weeks later. The Western Mail’s survey on independence asked people whether they thought Wales would ever be independent, 53% said never, 38% said yes and 9% didn’t know. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">But break the figures down and we have cause to be optimistic. For example, young people were more likely to believe Wales would be independent, 40% said they thought they would see an independent Wales whilst 47% disagreed. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Women, people in lower social classes and the people living in Wales’ most disadvantaged areas along with young people were more likely to believe Wales would be independent. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">To me the survey results show a clear theme - it’s the fat cats who have most to lose in an independent Wales. It’s the people who reap the rewards of London’s unregulated capitalism at the expense of young people, women and working people who don’t want to see Wales break away from London rule once and for all.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">The alternative is the economics of independence that Adam Price made the argument for so clearly in his recent article. But that’s not a new message.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">In 1966 Carmarthenshire sent shockwaves through Wales and the World by electing Gwynfor Evans as Plaid Cymru’s first MP. Gwynfor made a historic broadcast announcing Wales was still alive, in it he said: “We’re not puppets at the mercy of economic forces, we can control events, we can control economics and we can control politics - they should serve our community, no destroy it.”</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Gwynfor went to London alone for Wales, swimming against the tide of the Labour movement in Wales but he wouldn’t be silenced. My party, Plaid Cymru, has delivered so much in government over the last few years which we should be proud of, not least the referendum. But we shouldn’t lose sight of our history, for most of it we have been outside the mainstream and alone in calling for Welsh solutions for all of the people of Wales. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">We should learn from our own history that opinion changes, sometimes quickly and sometimes there’s slow progress but if we don’t lead the debate it won’t ever happen. </span></span></div><div class="Body" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wales looks set to vote Labour to ‘protect us from the Tories but it’s another false dawn for the people of Wales, there’s only one way to liberate ourselves from colonial capitalism and that’s independence. </span></span><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-3646975971264725123?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-77247048643355823042011-04-27T06:47:00.000+01:002011-04-27T06:47:51.430+01:00Stephen Maxwell - The Election Blog 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> 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Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXVfwle8u90/Tberd8zwjVI/AAAAAAAAADc/zWSIDp0dB24/s1600/StephenMaxwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXVfwle8u90/Tberd8zwjVI/AAAAAAAAADc/zWSIDp0dB24/s200/StephenMaxwell.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stephen is the Treasurer of the Scottish Independence Convention and retired Assistant Direct of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Many of Scotland's established commentators are in a state of despair about the Election debate.<span> </span>Take this sample from the pages of The Scotsman over the last<span> </span>two<span> </span>weeks.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Writing from a temporary refuge in Tunisia Michael Fry contrasts the excitement of<span> </span>“lively and searching” late night debates among supporters of the Jasmine revolution with the “pork barrel politics” and “miserable trivialities” dominating our grey northern Election.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jim Sillars bemoans SNP's neglect of the case for Scotland breaking free of the crisis stricken UK in favour of<span> </span>making spending pledges to “every interest group they can identify” while intoning the mantra of “more powers”.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Despair, scorn,hair tearing frustration or straight disbelief<span> </span>dominate the contributions of Gerry Hassan who believes that the social democracy which is the default mode of Scottish politics is “in tatters “ throughout Europe,<span> </span>John McTernan<span> </span>surely the last living Blairite in Scotland and Joyce Macmillan<span> </span>the most persisitent champion of an ethical policis for Scotland as of academic commentators such as Professors David Bell, Gavin McCrone and Stewart Sutherland.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The avatar<span> </span>of despair and scorn is Bill Jamieson, The Scotsman's own Executive Editor.<span> </span>“This Election is heading to be one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated on the Scottish public....... How has Scotland the country that shone the torch of Enlightenment, the nation of Adam Smith, been brought to this?”.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There will be few champions of independence who do not sympathise with some at least of these sentiments.<span> </span>But we should be aware of their very different political premises.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Michael Fry is an idealist free marketeer who supports independence and believes that the national movement has “enough mental vigour and conceptual depth” to redeem its current failings.<span> </span>Jim Sillars is a professed<span> </span>“unreconstructed fundamentalist” who holds that SNP's current gradualism is misconceived.<span> </span>Gerry Hassan is an intellectual entrepreneur who is continually stretching for the next Big Idea.<span> </span>Joyce Macmillan is a champion of a value based politics who has been persuaded to support SNP for this Election<span> </span>by<span> </span>its defence of public service universalism.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">McTernan and Jamieson present altogether different challenges to the Scottish mainstream.<span> </span>They share a frustration at the refusal of Scottish politics to accept the UK's fiscal crisis as the grounds for abandoning its consensual social democracy for</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span>more radical change.<span> </span>McTernan, a former senior policy adviser to Tony Blair, wants Scotland to take up the Blairite programme of reforms to the NHS and education.<span> </span>Without radical reforms to the public sector and the abandonment of universalism Scotland will fall further behind a more dynamic England.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jamieson targets the size rather than the shape of Scotland's public sector.<span> </span>We must cut our spending to the exigencies of the UK's fiscal crisis.<span> </span>Election promises to maintain let alone extend public spending are “lollipop politics”, an insult to the intelligence of the voters which will breed yet more cynicism towards politicians.<span> </span>While he has expressed support for greater fiscal powers for Scotland he sees these first of all as a way of confronting the Scots with the hard financial realities rather than an escape route from the UK's decline.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The policy challenges presented by this sample of commentators will survive the Election.<span> </span>Whether their common scorn for the quality of the parties' policy offerings is shared by the voters will be shown by the turnout on May 5<sup>th</sup>.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-7724704864335582304?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-4323631260304008492011-04-25T08:14:00.000+01:002011-04-25T08:14:40.003+01:00Peter McColl - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> 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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cIHrx8Fsh9M/TbUedsH9LRI/AAAAAAAAADU/3Xm2ogMplgA/s1600/Peter+McColl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cIHrx8Fsh9M/TbUedsH9LRI/AAAAAAAAADU/3Xm2ogMplgA/s200/Peter+McColl.JPG" width="155" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>Peter McColl is Convener of the Edinburgh Green Party, previously he was Convener of the Scottish Green Party's Elections and Campaigns Committee. He blogs at <a href="http://www.brightgreenscotland.org%20/">www.brightgreenscotland.org </a>and is on the Editorial Board of the Scottish Left Review.</i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This election has been characterised by a remarkable focus on the personalities of party leaders, on the UK coalition and by little focus on the powers of the Scottish Parliament. I had hoped that 2007 marked the point where the Scottish Parliament was taken seriously and the extensive powers over tax, education, health, environment and planning were acknowledged by the Scottish press. But this campaign has thrown that hope into doubt. The significance of the welfare reforms being pushed at Westminster is one reason for this. I was given some inspiration by this wonderful video of an RSA seminar:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/u6XAPnuFjJc/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u6XAPnuFjJc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u6XAPnuFjJc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s important to consider how these ideas of autonomy can help to make the case for more power to be given to people, communities and the Scottish Parliament. By empowering people and communities we can increase people’s quality of life and lay the groundwork for an independent Scotland. Giving people more autonomy can make clear the benefits of independence. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The value of autonomy in increasing an individual's quality of life is fundamental to my belief in Scottish independence. Powers should be devolved as close to the individual and community as is practical. That might mean local currencies in addition to national currencies; it might mean more powers being given to communities over planning or other significant decisions. If we can build a movement that seeks to increase the power held by individuals and communities we can embed a culture of autonomy that will deliver more power to Scotland. This is particularly relevant at a time when the media is even more antagonistic than usual to the idea of an independence referendum. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the ways in which autonomy can be seen in the Community buy-outs in the Highlands. Assynt, <a href="http://www.gigha.org.uk/">Gigha</a><a href="http://www.isleofeigg.net/">Eigg</a> have shown how communities can be much more effective at running their own affairs than either the state or private landlords. The power to buy community assets is one we must extend to urban communities – so we can multiply the benefits of community buy-outs.</span> and </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We must learn lessons from how neo-liberal right made its ideas an inevitable solution. In the 1982 preface to “Capitalism and Freedom” Milton Freedman says “There is enormous inertia—a tyranny of the status quo—in private and especially governmental arrangements. Only a crisis—actual or perceived—produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes politically inevitable.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The neo-liberal right developed a worldview that answered any problem, from stagflation to a banking crisis with a simple prescription of more privatisation, lower taxes and less welfare. That's how we've ended up with a government that sees the destruction of the welfare state as the answer to a crisis of global capitalism. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's clear to anyone who uses a service, works for a service provider or has contact with private companies that there is little advantage to privatisation. The purported cost savings regularly fail to materialise. Often privatisation displaces very significant costs to other public services. But time and again our politicians resort to privatisation as a fix-all solution. This is the product of the embedding of the customer-provider relationship in society. It has become our dominant mode of relationship with each other and the state. In society empowerment and autonomy lies only in the ability to buy things.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cIHrx8Fsh9M/TbUedsH9LRI/AAAAAAAAADU/3Xm2ogMplgA/s1600/Peter+McColl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One way to fundamentally reconfigure the relationship between the individual, community and state may be to explore concepts like co-production. This will embed social democracy much more deeply in the fabric of our lives. Co-production is an idea being promoted by think tanks like <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/coproduction">NESTA</a> and the <a href="http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/co-production">New Economics Foundation</a>. It means placing service users at the heart of services. It allows a move away from the bureaucratic and municipalist models of service delivery that frequently alienate service users. It promotes self-help and services tailored to the user. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft_lBjAeMLk/TbUeedstbiI/AAAAAAAAADY/-7eA5ocrYhY/s1600/%25C2%25A3eith+decides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft_lBjAeMLk/TbUeedstbiI/AAAAAAAAADY/-7eA5ocrYhY/s200/%25C2%25A3eith+decides.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">In Edinburgh, Green Councillor Maggie Chapman was able to convince Edinburgh Council to allow the community in Leith to control the small grants programme. <a href="http://maggiechapman.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/leith-decides/">The £eith Decides</a> day involved over 400 people in a carnival atmosphere. Rather than decisions made behind closed doors, people were able to see how voluntary sector projects improved their community. We should aim to widen participatory budgeting projects like £eith Decides to determine much more of state spending. Similarly, we should spread the right to buy land to urban communities.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This could be at the heart of a new way of doing government. By empowering people to design and contribute to their own services and government spending we will be able to deliver better services. We will also embed an idea of autonomy in our society that is not centred on the consumer-provider relationship, but on a more humane model of community empowerment. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By freeing people and communities from control by the bureaucratic state and the power of big business and the ultra-rich we can make the case for autonomy. This will allow us to promote the inevitable solution to the next crisis not as destruction of the welfare state, but full powers for the Scottish Parliament, and a more significant role for our communities and voluntary associations in creating better lives for everyone. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-432363126030400849?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-16911166955169711782011-04-23T08:50:00.001+01:002011-04-23T08:54:44.730+01:00Bill Kidd - The Election Blog 2011<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDebalqs-MA/TbKDukIXEMI/AAAAAAAAADQ/NgDg3Fv3mdY/s1600/Bill+Kidd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDebalqs-MA/TbKDukIXEMI/AAAAAAAAADQ/NgDg3Fv3mdY/s200/Bill+Kidd.jpg" width="123" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bill Kidd is SNP Candidate for Glasgow Anniesland</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Scotland and the Wider-World – should we know our place?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Too wee, too poor, too stupid. Is that how you see our country? Is that how we should bring up our children to think of themselves and their communities? It’s how the British Establishment, both north and south of the Border, depict us, like Alice through a concave mirror. Therefore it’s vital that we take every opportunity to promote Scotland’s right to participate in the wider-world through international organisations and on platforms of particular interest to us here.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">A couple of months after election to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 I joined PNND (Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament) which operates in the parliaments of over 70 countries and has over 800 members. I am now the first Scot to sit on the 15 Member Global Council of PNND and this has afforded me the opportunity to speak at international gatherings at the UN on four separate occasions and a chance to question NATO politicians and diplomats on the future of Trident at Partnership for Peace in Geneva.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Having been a member of a delegation which met with Ban-Ki Moon to discuss his Five-Point-Plan for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and had a personal interview with Ambassador Cabactulan, President of the NPT Review Conference 2010, it has been made abundantly clear to me that Scotland’s place in the world and our popular and parliamentary opposition to Trident is known and understood at the highest levels. We need to make this awareness known to the Scottish People in order that they can gain the self-confidence that comes from being taken seriously by high-profile people of integrity on the world-stage.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">I have to say that not only is it unquestioned by politicians and diplomats from across the world that Scots should appear at conferences and speak on behalf of delegations at international convocations but, to be fair to them, it is also accepted by ambassador level staff of the British State and we should not be shy to make ourselves known in those circles. For example, H.E. John Duncan the U.K. Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva is a career diplomat who hails from Rhu and a genuine gentleman, and although he is very precise in his promotion of Trident as a deterrent and of its use in multilateral negotiations he well understands my belief in unilateral nuclear disarmament but has still been very helpful in introductions to other attendees at nuclear disarmament conferences. If we take ourselves seriously then others will too.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Scotland needs the full powers of a sovereign nation over defence and foreign affairs and to take our place on the world-stage in the promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as well as in peace-keeping and serving as an honest broker in international disputes. Until that approaching day arrives we must as a matter of importance promote our nation as one which has something to say and to contribute on the matters of state which affect all existing members of the United Nations and the peoples of the world. </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-1691116695516971178?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-58986571484893486252011-04-21T06:53:00.000+01:002011-04-21T06:53:40.033+01:00James Robertson - The Election Blog 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zRSeiOuKDjo/Ta_E9cWltkI/AAAAAAAAADM/WQiAkPRmAg8/s1600/James+Robertson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zRSeiOuKDjo/Ta_E9cWltkI/AAAAAAAAADM/WQiAkPRmAg8/s200/James+Robertson.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">James Robertson is a writer, whose latest novel And the Land Lay Still received the 2010 Saltire Society Book of the Year Award</span></i></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Two and a half weeks to go till polling day, and the Scottish Labour Party must be desperately looking around for an enormous<span> </span>banana skin to drop in the path of Big Eck. Not much else looks like stopping him right now – not Labour’s own lacklustre campaign ,with its non-credible bleat that they alone can save Scotland from the Coalition’s cuts (who would you rather have standing between you and the bad guys of Westminster and Whitehall, Alex Salmond and his gang or Iain Gray and his?) ; not the LibDems, however much clear blue water Tavish Scott may be trying to put between himself and his southern counterpart; and not the Tories, much though one appreciates Annabel ‘Commonsense’ Goldie, the perfectly acceptable but still unelectable face of Scottish Conservatism. Only the Greens have put up a show that matches the SNP’s for professionalism and pizzazz: coincidentally, only the Greens have the courage and honesty to propose a rise in income tax to help secure the kind of society most Scots want. It looks highly possible that when the dust settles on 6th May Eck and Patrick Harvie may be sitting down over a mint tea to discuss renewables of various kinds. A Nationalist administration nudged and nipped at by an enlarged group of Green MSPs looks rather an attractive proposition.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The SNP, of course, have made something of an art of governing as a minority, and only have to pick up one or two extra seats to be able to claim a huge victory. If they can keep the lid on any tendency to adopt a cock o’ the north strut, and maintain their commitment under fire to a range of popular policies such as no student fees, free NHS prescriptions and a council tax freeze – and let’s face it, their only serious rivals for power aren’t chucking missiles at any of these – they’ll not only get their own loyal support out but sweep up loads of disaffected LibDem and Labour votes too. Even more astonishingly, so long as they keep that old chestnut – and the party’s raison d’etre – independence firmly off the election agenda, they’ll draw in committed Unionists of all hues who know in their hearts that nobody will look after Scotland’s interests within the union better than the Nats. Are there any skeletons in the SNP cupboard? In the absence of banana skins, anyone who doesn’t fancy another Salmond victory had better release them now.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Meanwhile, what about that other vote that’s being foisted on Scotland on the same day as our parliamentary one? The one about Nick Clegg’s ‘miserable little compromise’, the AV voting system? It’s not looking good for AV, according to the latest poll. Trouble is, we already have a better (not perfect, but certainly much better) form of PR for Holyrood elections, so the AV referendum looks like we’re being asked to decide between two stale, plain biscuits in a shop window 500 miles away when we’ve already got used to our own locally sourced caramel wafer.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In these circumstances, a pro-independence cynic might be tempted to vote for first-past-the-post just to ensure continuing differences between Scottish and UK politics for the next decade.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until recently, my own gut instinct was to spoil the ballot paper, on the grounds of both systems being unacceptable. But then I heard that nice John Reid saying that first-past-the-post is ‘the British way’ of doing things. This reconciles me to FPTP much as the Cleggeron’s considered opinion that it would make sense to give wee royal lassies succession equality with wee royal laddies reconciles me to the principle of monarchy. Thanks, Lord Reid, for sorting that out for me.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">------</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a> </div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-5898657148489348625?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-30384027149478055292011-04-20T06:37:00.000+01:002011-04-20T06:37:36.135+01:00Chris Stephens - The Election Blog 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJb0Dn2oN_0/Ta5wnvzb7bI/AAAAAAAAADI/qlM5h3k0COc/s1600/Chris+Stephens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJb0Dn2oN_0/Ta5wnvzb7bI/AAAAAAAAADI/qlM5h3k0COc/s200/Chris+Stephens.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chris Stephens is a Senior UNISON activist in Glasgow, the SNP Trade Union group representative on the SNP National Executive, and the Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for Glasgow Pollok.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">THERE IS A BETTER WAY</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As the STUC Annual Congress gathers in Ayr this week, the Trade Union Movement in Scotland will no doubt discuss the next set of attacks from the Tory-led Government to its memberships terms and conditions, pensions, effects of the unregulated market, and the next assault on Workers’ Rights. For some of the unreconstructed, this will be the equivalent of starring in Back to the Future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since the 14 years when John Majors Govt left office, we still have the most restrictive labour laws in the Western world - a fact Tony Blair boasted of. Indeed the Blair Government were just as guilty to gain exemptions from the European Social Chapter as the Tories were.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> David Cameron’s Government wishes to “reform” the Employment Tribunal system ensuring the balance is even more greatly weighted to employers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The myth was that these labour laws would create more employment. Due to the lack of workers right, we have seen for decades, multinational companies close business in Scotland as it is easier to pay our workers off as it is elsewhere.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The recent legal disputes between UNITE and British Airways is a classic example of large companies hiding behind the law to frustrate a Trade Union and its members in standing up to be counted and take action against unfairness in the workplace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This week presents an opportunity to demonstrate what the Trade Union Movement call – There is a Better Way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Independence supporters should use this as a clarion call. The SNP where the first political party in Scotland to support Workers Rights from the first day of employment, to support ILO Conventions, the right to join a Trade Union, the right to take part in industrial action in a workplace relevant to the dispute, the first Westminster Group to raise issues in respect to asbestos related illness, and indeed where the first political group in the Scottish parliament to recognise their own staff’s trade union.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The case for optimism lies with those Trade Unions who do not meekly follow the Labour Party in Scotland line. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union, and the Fire Brigades Union have shown in the last few years that they are willing to support candidates from Independence supporting parties including the SNP. Indeed this year will likely see a record number of Independence supporting candidates gaining the support of Trade unions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The case for Workers protection has never been stronger as the full effects of the unregulated market continue to bite. Independence can be sold to Trade Union members across the country to show how constitutional change can make Scotland a fairer place to live and work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is there a Better Way – Yes</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s called Independence </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">------</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a> </div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-3038402714947805529?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-85077785972714410382011-04-18T06:23:00.000+01:002011-04-18T06:23:11.193+01:00Lesley Riddoch - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> 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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvJAQaJy3r0/TavKrRU4NOI/AAAAAAAAADE/1L0okt5ozm0/s1600/Lesley+Riddoch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvJAQaJy3r0/TavKrRU4NOI/AAAAAAAAADE/1L0okt5ozm0/s200/Lesley+Riddoch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8scnkqwKR4/TavJxuhoIBI/AAAAAAAAADA/0xjQUVaJKZE/s1600/Lesley+Riddoch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Lesley Riddoch</i><i> is an award winning journalist, commentator and broadcaster</i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The polls are a puzzle.</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the time of writing a YouGov poll for Scotland on Sunday has the SNP resurgent – <span lang="EN">after a lead of 10 points or more, Labour is now two to three points behind the Party Known as Alex Salmond.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Why were they ever behind an Opposition that has become almost as socially reactionary as the Tories? Labour in the Scottish Parliament has churlishly opposed progressive SNP moves like prisons reform and minimum alcohol pricing. And yet Iain Gray has jumped happily (albeit belatedly) onto populist SNP bandwagons like no tuition fees, no rise in council tax and no closure for Lanarkshire A&E departments.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Fear. Apparently fear of the Tories has prompted a traditional kneejerk swing back to Labour – the traditional protectors of benefits and the welfare state.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">But as Alex Salmond powerfully pointed out on Question Times last week, it was Labour who saddled the NHS with billions of debt thanks to the use of PPP funding for new hospitals. And Labour who opted not to give the English free prescriptions when they had the chance. Labour’s Peter Hain was left blethering. Minutes later Big Lec has delivered another salvo at the finger wagging Tory grandee Michael Howard who still has a touch of the night about him despite the grey and thinning hair.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">After Howard tried to lecture Salmond about the morality of releasing the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds, the SNP leader responded calmly but forcefully accusing Howard’s Tory friends of involvement in arms sales to Libya, reminding Labour that Tony Blair was seen twice shaking hands and even hugging Gaddafi and concluding that British foreign policy was two-faced, arms-based and oil-oriented.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Fleeting cutaways of the audience suggested Alex was saying what no English politician currently dares say – both the Tories and Labour have overseen massive arms sales to dodgy regimes, both supported the war in Iraq and Bush’s War on terror and the Lib Dems have been muzzled by their membership of the Coalition.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Just as Plaid and the Greens have done in the past, Alex Salmond managed to speak for the bulk of the mainstream English audience – and restrain himself from hogging the show or looking too smug afterwards. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">It was a vintage Salmond performance. And must have reassured viewers about a few things.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">The SNP First Minister is at least as effective against Coalition Ministers as any English Labour Cabinet Ministers I’ve seen. Curiously Salmond’s even more effective in a UK context because his opponents know so little about Scottish life they can’t tell if he’s bullshitting. And Alex needs other Big Beasts to play with in Opposition, not men so scared of disagreement they hide in Subway shops when faced with Sean Clerkin. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Was it Alex’s feisty TV performance or Iain’s cowering one which turned opinion polls the SNP’s way last week? Either way, both memorable TV moment will fade from somewhat from most people’s memories over the next 18 days till polling day. So it’s all still there to play for.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.lesleyriddoch.com/">Lesley's Website</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-8507778597271441038?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-59102842911534863502011-04-16T09:52:00.002+01:002011-04-16T10:15:10.287+01:00Colin Fox - The Election Blog 2011<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAI3HPWIXj8/TalYoWjtewI/AAAAAAAAAC8/80mVzFXUgQo/s1600/Collin+Fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAI3HPWIXj8/TalYoWjtewI/AAAAAAAAAC8/80mVzFXUgQo/s200/Collin+Fox.jpg" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";">Colin Fox is National Spokesman of the </span></i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/">Scottish Socialist Party</a></span></i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";">Independence and the managerial road to liberation</span></b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">The Communist Party used to sell postcards depicting the 1919 Battle of George Square where a speech bubble emerged from the crowd asking ‘Has anyone seen the Parliamentary Road to Socialism?’ That postcard is in my mind now as I ponder why independence hasn’t figured more prominently in this election. I certainly expected it to following the election of another Tory Government [albeit in coalition] down South.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">It’s an issue the Independence movement must also be asking itself. An article in the Scotsman on April 12<sup>th</sup> written by former SNP strategist Ewan Crawford [‘Independence issue off the air but on the horizon’] sheds some light on the subject. ‘For the SNP’ he writes ‘the question of how much to campaign on independence and how much to focus on devolution has always been a dilemma. The SNP has long since decided that it is through government that independence can be achieved….and government has given the SNP more credibility than ever before.’</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Although the gap is closing the polls suggest the SNP may be removed from office in May. Labour’s barely credible exclamation ‘It’s the Tories. We need to get rid of the Tories!’ seems to have worked again just as it did last year when all their MP’s in Scotland increased their majorities. Labour, it would appear, has mined the deep seated and visceral hatred of the Tories again despite them being irrelevant in Scotland and despite Labour’s own record of neo-liberal privatizations and warmongering over 13 years. Let alone their support for 80% of Tory cuts.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">If the polls are right where does that leave Alex Salmond’s ‘nationalist managerialism’? His record looks little different to his predecessors. Lord McConnell managed Scotland capably for his neo-liberal corporate ‘handlers’ just as Alex Salmond has done. Donald Trump got his luxury golf course without much ado and we can expect pictures of Alex and Jack joining him in a four ball soon.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Doubtless pleased with his ‘area manager of the month’ award Alex Salmond looks to have blown an unprecedented opportunity for the independence cause. Indeed some argue, and persuasively, that the financial collapse severely damaged the entire Salmond ‘narrative’. An independent Scotland under the SNP, claim the unionists, would have suffered the same catastrophic financial consequences as Ireland, Iceland, Greece and Portugal. And whatever else may be said about this contention the SNP has not effectively refuted it. Salmond’s feeble excuse that it would not have happened here because he would have ensured far tighter regulation and control of RBS, HBOS and the others is demonstrably untrue. He, John Swinney and Jim Mather toured Edinburgh’s financial institutions assiduously for 8 years assuring the ‘McMasters of the universe’ that their [then undiscovered] reckless investment strategies, to say nothing of their ‘uber’ profits, would be just as safe under the SNP. He never had the slightest intension of restricting their foolhardy operations. The SNP remains a party that knows its place and it’s apparently in the lap of Edinburgh’s powerful financiers and visiting billionaires. The country’s ‘all too powerful’ bankers are not only ‘less persuaded’ of the case for independence they are its biggest opponents. Furthermore the sound of Sir David Murray endorsing Alex Salmond should set off alarms throughout the independence movement. It shows, not how omnipotent and magisterial Salmond has become, but rather how little industrialists and unionists like Murray worry about the likelihood of independence.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">All this has far reaching consequences of course. A BBC poll asked voters to list the most important issues in this election. Independence was nowhere to be seen. Even the potent democratic case for a referendum was relegated to ‘the Vauxhall Conference League’. Thus the key to unlocking Scotland’s economic, social, political and cultural ills cannot be found anywhere. That’s not good news, least of all for poor and disadvantaged Scots who need independence most of all.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: small;">For the Scottish Socialist Party independence was up front and centre in our manifesto. [Available to download free via our <a href="http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/">website</a>]. Independence for us remains a national liberation struggle with the goal of a modern democratic republic utterly opposed to economic neo-liberalism and British military aggression. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-5910284291153486350?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-58820079429357439212011-04-14T08:52:00.000+01:002011-04-14T08:52:02.527+01:00Alis Balance - The Election Blog 2011<h1><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> 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class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Alis is the lead Scottish Green Party candidate for the South of Scotland.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Saturday: Street stall in Castle Douglas. Very encouraging responses - it's always a good omen when, as you put up the "Vote Green" board, someone comes up to ask a political question - before anything else has been put on the table. A busy little town, beautiful warm, sunny day, and the stall is constantly busy with people coming round to chat. Quite a few even pick up a poster to put in their front windows. A day like this reminds you that campaigns can be fun. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Which is more than Sunday does. BBC Borders have contacted the Greens for a panellist for their pre-record radio hustings, so we drive almost two hours to Melrose, only to find they've made a mistake, "BBC Regulations" don't allow them to have List candidates - indeed List candidates aren't even allowed to sit in the audience, far less ask questions. A reminder of how much the BBC, and other media powers, are stacked against smaller parties, and why politics continues to be more of the same - those wanting anything different literally don't get a share of the mic. Back to sign the online petition to try and persuade the Beeb to let Patrick Harvie take part in the leader's debates. Why are we excluded when current opinion polls suggest our List vote is higher than the Lib/Dems?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Monday: back to the never-ending stream of emails there's 150 people out there wanting to know our policy on different issues, and I'm trying to tell them all before the baby wakes up from his afternoon nap. And a handful of organisations like the Scottish Independence Convention. Thank you. Opinion polls show that I'm on the edge of getting elected - every Green vote is going to count in this election. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-5882007942935743921?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-82602610428202832492011-04-12T08:02:00.000+01:002011-04-12T08:02:06.816+01:00John McAllion - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if !mso]> <style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}</style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2CbAg0IxHA/TaP4rC42q0I/AAAAAAAAACI/UOpkWBCH4Yc/s1600/John+mcallion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D2CbAg0IxHA/TaP4rC42q0I/AAAAAAAAACI/UOpkWBCH4Yc/s200/John+mcallion.jpg" width="200" /></a><i><span></span>John was a former Labour MP and MSP and is now a member of the Scottish Socialist Party</i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With more than two weeks campaigning behind us, it is increasingly clear that this Scottish election will be all about which of our political parties can best deliver on devolution rather than about whether our country should move on from devolution to independence.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the first of their televised debates, the leaders of the big four parties clashed over all kinds of devolved issues from tuition fees and council tax freezes to local income tax and apprenticeships.<span> </span>They even found time to disagree over the compassionate release of Abdul-Basset Al-Megrahi.<span> </span>Yet on the respective merits of independence or the union not a word.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The early party political broadcasts have followed the same pattern.<span> </span>Labour and the Tories for better or worse chose to focus on the personality of their respective leaders.<span> </span>The Lib-Dems used up their entire broadcast on keeping Scotland’s police forces local.<span> </span>The SNP broadcast boasted of 84 different achievements delivered in 4 years of government.<span> </span>No mention was made of trying to achieve the purpose for which the SNP exists – independence.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To date only Labour has made a passing reference to independence.<span> </span>They have promised that any administration led by them would not be “distracted” by the problems associated with holding an independence referendum.<span> </span>In a manifesto that explains why they are fighting “for what really matters” and that runs to 90 pages, they make only one passing reference to no more “constitutional wrangling”.<span> </span>Not even a sentence is devoted to defending their allegedly beloved union.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is scarcely surprising therefore that the latest BBC poll ranking the policies that voters thinks are important should place a referendum on independence twenty second out of twenty five different policies.<span> </span>Only a single Scottish police force, a new Forth road bridge and youngsters leaving school at 14 fared worse.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unionists will argue that this poll accurately reflects what Scottish voters think and that the vast majority of Scots simply are not interested in independence.<span> </span>Others will note that the poll reflects back what the political parties themselves argue are the important issues.<span> </span>It is no surprise that policing, free university tuition and a council tax freeze top the BBC poll.<span> </span>These are the same issues that the political parties have been concentrating on in the campaign so far.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Iain Gray may claim that his party will not be distracted from the things that really matter by the issue of independence.<span> </span>The truth is that it is Alex Salmond and the SNP who have allowed themselves to be distracted from the issue of independence by the burden of governing a devolved Scotland for the past 4 years and by the challenge of winning a mandate to go on running devolution for another 4 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They could well win another 4 years.<span> </span>Whether that will further the cause of independence is another matter altogether.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-8260261042820283249?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-70433473621129876922011-04-11T09:26:00.000+01:002011-04-11T09:26:29.342+01:00Sharon Dolan-Powers - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon Dolan-Powers is an American-Scott, from Oregan, living is Scotland.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A week is a long time in politics, and this past week was packed full of interesting and important goings-on, and not just here in Scotland.<span> </span>Just to name a few:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iain Gray and the Incident on Platform 9 1/2 at Glasgow Central Station</span></span></li><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span>A historic landslide win for the SNP in the Wick council bye-election</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span>Scottish Lib Dems discover the central plank of their manifesto (to sell off Scottish Water) is all wet</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span>'Voice of Labour' Brian Cox changes allegiance and backs Alex Salmond for First Minister</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>Poll shows more people in Scotland favour independence or additional powers for Scotland than ever before</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span>Catalonians go to the polls in Barcelona for their largest non-binding referendum on independence which, if passed, will see the Catalan Parliament move for full independence from Spain</span></li></ul><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These are interesting times.<span> </span>And there's still a lot of political time to go before we know who will form the next government in Scotland. <span> </span>The choices for voters couldn't be more stark:<span> </span>three unionist parties who answer to London overlords and will do anything to retain the union even though the model is broken vs a handful of Scottish parties led by the SNP and independent candidates who have the good of Scotland and the Scottish people in mind as we move into an uncertain future.<span> </span>Add to the mix three more weeks of PR opportunities and gaffes, one major manifesto yet to be released, and loads of intrigue and subterfuge - who says politics isn't exciting?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To the anoraks who seem to think they can project the outcome of this election by using historical trends, I have a news flash - the political landscape is <u>nothing</u> like it was in 2007.<span> </span>In many ways, the events of the last four years have caused the scales to fall from the eyes of the electorate in Scotland regarding the unionist parties.<span> </span>The behaviour of two successive governments in Westminster has not helped matters.<span> </span>Labour are promising to save Scotland from "Thatcherite cuts".<span> </span>Note to Iain Gray:<span> </span>this is a Scottish, not a Westminster, election.<span> </span>In any case it's 'Vote Gray - Get Ed'.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The poor Lib Dem voters in Scotland are in a real pickle.<span> </span>Should they trust Tavish?<span> </span>Do they agree with Nick?<span> </span>Does Tavish?<span> </span>Their credibility is in tatters.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While Aunty Bella accuses Alex Salmond of telling porkies, she behaves as if her party has some kind of mandate in Scotland.<span> </span>Isn't that a kind of porkie?<span> </span>No amount of 'common sense' talk is going to make the brutal cuts ushered in by 'Call me Dave' and company any easier to take.<span> </span>Thank goodness he can't get his hands on the NHS in Scotland!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">People in Scotland are waking up and taking a look at what Scotland <u>can</u> be. Old political alignments are shifting. <span> </span>It's been a slow process, but I'm encouraged by the things I've seen and heard out on the campaign trail.<span> </span>Hopefully voters will opt for a better future for Scotland, one with independence as the ultimate goal.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">------</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-7043347362112987692?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-43176933020521397622011-04-10T12:05:00.000+01:002011-04-10T12:05:06.597+01:00Aileen Orr - The Election Blog 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKPx5hN06Y0/TaGOtIjfnzI/AAAAAAAAACE/J2iHiHFqc1c/s1600/Aileen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKPx5hN06Y0/TaGOtIjfnzI/AAAAAAAAACE/J2iHiHFqc1c/s200/Aileen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aileen is our Vice-Convenor and the SNP candidate for Dumfriesshire.</span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.<span> </span>It all started the day we heard of Border guards and Grannies in Manchester devoid of Scottish grandchildren, weeping for her lost family in Coatbridge or Bellshill.<span> </span>The trouble with the Unionist line is, it’s a poor attempt to place fear and loathing into the masses, but it almost worked.<span> </span>The fact that they thought the people would believe them is bad enough, but to expect to close down the Independence cause would confirm that the line between stupidity and arrogance is a very thin one.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a cruel plot, and the fact the Unionist press would not print the self-satisfied leaked memos proclaiming that the target audience for this “were very unlikely to have crossed any border in their lives” indicated the crooked disdain for their own people as well as the people of Scotland.<span> </span>So the supposition was, Scots were either too stupid, or too unworldly, to know any better, or worse, that their own members would not protest because they would digest all the diet they were being fed, not using any opportunity to spit it out.<span> </span>This message was also fed to intelligent media hacks who actually started to line up potential Grannies for interviews to back up their claims.<span> </span>You could not make this up.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why are the Unionist parties so afraid of Independence?<span> </span>Well, there is the very important point of not having a job in politics when it happens. The merging of Westminster and Scottish Parliamentarians would be a substantial loss to them.<span> </span>Or a possible loss of control of the people they used to dominate.<span> </span>There is no doubt, keeping people in poverty and perceived ignorance may have worked in the past, but everyone wants a bite of the pie now, and now the pie is tangible. There is also the possibility this Independence lark just might work we know there are Unionist waverers.<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The business plan is complete, all the figures checked, all the legal jargon and cross compliance verified, the shame of it is we now have to await the bankers approval. Maybe lining pockets is the answer for some, but we have to start as we mean to go on, this means a clean slate from those who endorse corruption and subduing its own, these ways are now old ways.<span> </span>Subservience may be cute in the antics of a hungry cat, but it does nothing to bolster the pride of a Nation of people who are more than able to look after their own country.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were, in the past, encouraged to leave all our affairs in the hands of grown ups who really did know what they were doing, meanwhile our assets were being stripped out, loaded on lorries and sent South, including moving 6,000 square miles of Scottish fishing grounds to English waters, a back room deal in a smoke filled room, in a stroke it was gone. This was done as we watched, and our own people in Scotland continued to vote for them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the tide is turning, as are heads.<span> </span>We now have a media who can hide no longer; around the world the people have taken up their opportunities on the World Wide Web and are starting, and finishing, revolutions from keyboards in attics around the globe.<span> </span>Proving, independence of the mind is often the first step to the independence of a Nation.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-4317693302052139762?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-14183667304781806182011-04-08T11:50:00.000+01:002011-04-08T11:50:46.139+01:00Pat Kane - The Election Blog 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ur0BtFznc4E/TZ7oNUDesZI/AAAAAAAAACA/rvT3ui_Nxw0/s1600/Pat+Kane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ur0BtFznc4E/TZ7oNUDesZI/AAAAAAAAACA/rvT3ui_Nxw0/s200/Pat+Kane.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Pat Kane is one half of Hue And Cry, and runs the Scottish ideas blog </em><a href="http://www.thoughtland.info/"><em>Thoughtland</em></a><em> </em></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a while, I've thought that independence politics should be reoriented on a red-green axis - and that the challenge of collectively responding to low-carbon living is one that really gives a purpose to the aspiration towards a Scottish nation-state. </span><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a fascinating parallel between discussions in the green community, and among independence-supporters in Scotland, about how each of them bridges the “imagination gap” in their political appeal to the public – the gap between things as they are, and things as they should (and need to) be.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The great sustainability guru </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/consumerism-sustainability-short-termism"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tim Jackson</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> speaks of the “huge abyss” between our current consumerist lifestyles, and the systemic changes that are required for a planet-friendly economy and society. An abyss so huge that “the distance that needs travelling can engender so much fear that it actually acts as a brake on change… The difficulty for most people is that they don’t believe there is a complete system which we can jump ship to”.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a “safe bridge” is needed: “it is imperative that we are able to give indications of what it would look like and to create a spectrum of strategic interventions that develop resilience and create a vision of a sustainable future”.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Independence-supporters in Scotland have constantly attempted to construct their own version of the “safe bridge” that Jackson talks about. Surely the history of sovereignty activism in Scotland, conducted under Alasdair Gray’s phrase “Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation”, has been precisely about trying to create that “spectrum of strategic interventions” (demonstrations, publications, Claims of Right, constitutions, and the endless </span><a href="http://www.luath.co.uk/acatalog/Radical_Scotland.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">books of essays</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through these interventions, independistas try to engender a belief that the “complete system” of Scottish independence is a ship people can enthusiastically jump on to – and not a fearful abyss, needing a long rope-bridge. The more patient among us would doubtless claim that, no matter the Holyrood result in May, the imagination gap between Scotland now and a Scottish nation-state is less than it ever was. Bide your time; let the increments of change build and build.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not that patient, and never have been. Salmond characterised Scotland in his </span><a href="http://politics.caledonianmercury.com/2011/03/12/first-minister-alex-salmonds-speech-to-the-snp-spring-conference/"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">party conference speech</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as the “lucky” country, in terms of our natural, structural and human resources. But we might be lucky in an even bigger framework. It seems to me that the practical project of a green and meaningful Scotland, with the macro-power of a nation-state to set new incentives and direct new funds towards that end, is exactly the kind of governmental “safe bridge” that Jackson hopes for.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wouldn’t an independent Scotland, in which (to paraphrase the US columnist </span><a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=going-green-to-save-the-economy"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomas Friedman</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) “green is the new blue and white”, provide exactly the kind of policy zeal that’s needed? A sustainably oriented patriotism, fuelling the spirit of innovation and sustaining the hard discussions required to get to Tim Jackson’s “new territory”?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A territory which, as Jackson says, “…entails being more sensitive, open and transparent about environmental limits, a stronger sense of social justice, fixing the basic aspects of an economic system that is now demonstrably broken in its own terms and a shift in the underlying sense of what the good life means and the consumerist base of modern society.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In terms of political sentiment – which also means, yes, separating large numbers of Scottish Labour supporters and activists from the Unionist mind-manacles of their Westminster party – isn’t there a clear and historic consensus for such a national project?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need to be clear, also, about what SNP slogans like the "green reindustrialising of Scotland" might mean. For one thing, it can't mean going back to a "work ethic" which disconnects economically useful activity from personal purpose. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green critique of current working practices, as exemplified by think-tanks like the </span><a href="http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/21-hours"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Economics Foundatio</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="color: #3f5a6a;">n </span></u>and writers like </span><a href="http://www.julietschor.org/the-book/"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Juliet Schor</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="color: #3f5a6a;"> </span></u>and J</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-rifkin/the-empathic-civilization_b_416589.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eremy Rifkin</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, has the urgency of carbon-reduction and global warming at their backs. "Meaningful work" - which could as easily be fully-engaged, hacker-like play, or absorbed, intrinsically-motivated care - is what they hope will substitute for the planet-crisping satisfactions of lifestyle consumerism.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a low-carbon economy that takes itself seriously, "flourishing" in the form of participation, self-provision and conviviality will have to compensate for "growth", "wealth" and its mountains of stuff. But no party will be able to preach the benefits of plenitude-without-trinkets, the happiness that comes from relationships, mindfulness and autonomous labours (see the f</span><a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-07/14/how-to-be-happy-nic-marks"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ive virtues</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span style="color: #3f5a6a;"> </span></u>extolled by the NEF's Happy Planet Index), while financial plutocrats cavort freely and unemployment rolls burgeon.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Scottish independence agenda should be about bold proposals on labour-market regulation, new networks of public goods, visible restorations of income equality - but also an honesty about how our indicators of progress and prosperity will have to change. An SNP victory - ideally with Greens as coalition partners - will be the beginning of a decade-long reset of Scottish economy and society towards "one-planet" living. At least, that's my aspiration. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-1418366730478180618?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-85780582834959488092011-04-07T08:23:00.000+01:002011-04-07T08:23:59.018+01:00Murray Ritchie - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: 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mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDkyn5oG_JQ/TZ1mP_Ml7pI/AAAAAAAAAB8/sR2XvfltwLM/s1600/Murray1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDkyn5oG_JQ/TZ1mP_Ml7pI/AAAAAAAAAB8/sR2XvfltwLM/s200/Murray1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>Murray Ritchie was the former political editor for The Herald.</i> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">THE NEW OLD FIRM</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our general election is beginning to take on the character of Scottish football. Around the time we go to the polls next month our two biggest football clubs will, as usual, be battling for the league championship. The SNP and Labour seem to be emerging as the Old Firm of politics, two giants who dominate the rest and abominate each other, just like their footballing equivalents. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not sure this is a welcome trend given that not so long ago the Scottish Parliament gave voice to a more refreshing range of political opinion through representation from four established parties plus assorted smaller groups including Greens, socialists and independents. Most of them disappeared four years ago. But there is one undoubted advantage to the direction of Scottish politics. If we want to defeat the bad old ways of Labour and Tory self-interest we have to be strong enough in ourselves to keep the Unionists’ old joint grip on Scotland broken. And to that end we need to reinforce the SNP’s recent years of advance. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If the results go the way the polls are suggesting we may well end up with the political Old Firm crushing most of the opposition again. A clash of major parties might not be pretty but it has one advantage. There was a time long ago when one party – the Tories – dominated the old Scotland. They brought no lasting benefit. Sure, they coaxed heavy industry north of the Border in the 1960s but they simply took it away again in the 1980s. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Scotland turned to Labour during the Thatcher/Major years our pathetically feeble MPs found themselves powerless to stop the devastation. They simply put their precious Union before their country. But at least Thatcher’s dogma and Labour’s impotence spurred on nationalism strongly enough to give us a Scottish Parliament after 300 years. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That parliament is now a precious thing, a bulwark which the SNP, even in minority government, is using brilliantly to protect us from a return to the bad old days when the London parties casually took Buggins’ turn at running Scotland as no more than a handy source of Unionist voting fodder.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So at least we can say we have moved on. The SNP has replaced the Tories and, as half of the new political Old Firm, is proving itself effective against discredited direct rule. To make this change permanent we need a strong force against the combined Unionist parties. With the SNP Scotland can continue the journey away from our powerless past and prepare us for an independent future. For that reason we should suffer a two-party squeeze if it helps to prevent a return to the bad old days. The Holyrood voting system should ensure at least some smaller voices are still heard – and most of them will also support independence – while the big picture remains exciting for those of us who believe in Scotland reclaiming its lost sovereignty. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of which is why I hope we return an SNP government with Alex Salmond, unarguably the outstanding politician of his generation, as our first minister. And I couldn’t care less about the other Old Firm.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-8578058283495948809?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-47480086863998218532011-04-06T08:30:00.001+01:002011-04-06T08:35:52.226+01:00Robin McAlpine - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSz_trNojgA/TZwV8jYgCQI/AAAAAAAAAB4/FRTXO-lq67s/s1600/Robin+McAlpine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSz_trNojgA/TZwV8jYgCQI/AAAAAAAAAB4/FRTXO-lq67s/s200/Robin+McAlpine.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Robin McAlpine is Editor of <a href="http://www.scottishleftreview.org/">Scottish Left Review</a></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I'm getting pretty fed up with the patronising attitude to the Scottish Elections which I seem to be hearing quite a bit. This is not the attitude of my friends, or people I chat to in the street or the pub, but of what I will just lazily call 'the establishment' (people in some form of position of power who believe that being in some form of position of power equates to wisdom and good judgement). What they seem to be concluding is that this is a tawdry little election in which the participants can do nothing more than try to bribe us all with giveaways and populism.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">To be clear, it's not exactly that I disagree with them. What irks me is the suggestion that when a Scottish politician feels the need to play to the interests of the Scottish population that is 'cheap' but when a UK politician plays to the interests of the right-wing media and business lobby that is 'mature'. That is just a function of the ideology of our era; what is so patronising about it is the suggestion that this is a mark of the inferiority of devolved Scottish politics.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">So just to confirm the superiority and 'honesty' of UK politics, could someone please remind me when during the General Election campaign David Cameron mentioned dismantling the NHS, handing over much of the public sector to private sector companies and basically privatising the university sector? Or perhaps they could point me to the rider that accompanied Labour election pledges to the effect that 'these policies are absolutely the only choice for Britain – except if we lose in which case we will rethink the whole lot'? And on the 'not completely honest with the electorate' front, is there even any point in mentioning the Lib Dems? Is it arrogance, ignorance or prejudice to imagine that this is somehow a Scottish affliction?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Campaigning is always about pressing the right buttons – enough positive buttons to make the electorate (and media) feel good about you, enough negative buttons to make them fear your opponent. So it is the world over, with nothing different to see in Scotland. In fact, 'just enough to keep the punters happy without interfering with the financial interests of the powerful' can be taken as a basic definition of western democracy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">But this does not mean that elections are of no use. They may not tell us all that much about the nuts and bolts of what a government will do in power, but they at least give us some impression of where a politician stands and where they will draw the line (and of course a chance to punish those who do not live up to the image they paint of themselves). Which is why I find it so disappointing that we are going to have to go through this election campaign without hearing what Alex Salmond, Iain Gray and the rest make of events in the Middle East or the strategies being pursued in the regulatory reform of the banking system. It is not that I expect them to shed any particularly revealing light on either subject (any more than I expect it from Cameron or Milliband) but that I want to hear the way they answer the question.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I work hard to try and keep party political neutrality – in editing a non-partisan political magazine I think it is pretty essential. But I make little secret of the sorts of things that affect my views of the parties, and perhaps none has affected me more than the positions taken by the parties over the release of Megrahi (other than perhaps the positions on minimum pricing for alcohol). This was Scotland on the international stage and whatever your or my view on the decisions made, I suspect we would concur on the reasons positions were taken. Frankly, this told me more about the seriousness and maturity of our politics than a hundred debates on who built the most schools. And that in turn told me much about the kind of politician I want to build those schools.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">So in this at least I do agree with 'the establishment' – we need politicians who are made to face up to the big decisions with the responsibilities on their shoulders if we are to see them for what they are. If we limit Scottish politics to the division of cash handed to them from elsewhere we will see politics in Scotland in those limited terms. How much better if in this campaign we could hear candidates' views on international politics, tax evasion by big corporations, regulation of big finance, monetary policy and so on, just so we could feel the cut of their jib. But like sharp objects from a child, these powers are withheld from the Scottish politicians and so we shall never know.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Which means we must simply make the best guess we can on what these politicians would be like if they were running a proper country and we must therefore make do with the 'partial election' this bequeathed to us. <b>In the meantime, I can do no more than enjoy the spluttering impotence of those who say 'a democracy which delivers policies people want like free education, no privatisation, fairer tax and suchlike nonsense – what kind of a country is this?'. Welcome to Scotland.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b> </b> </span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-4748008686399821853?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-4253568282514657432011-04-05T08:54:00.001+01:002011-04-08T11:47:41.515+01:00Humza Yousaf - The Election Blog 2011 <style>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }</style><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ka0s_5RzZ20/TZrKcM3RAyI/AAAAAAAAAB0/Tm8U1CTDW8A/s1600/HumzaYousaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ka0s_5RzZ20/TZrKcM3RAyI/AAAAAAAAAB0/Tm8U1CTDW8A/s200/HumzaYousaf.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Humza is a Glasgow list candidate for the Scottish National Party</i></span></div><div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m glad the Christmas period is well and truly over and not due back for at least another 8 months. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Scrooge and definitely not the Grinch who stole Christmas but it’s the constant repetition which gets to me year on year.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m not talking about the TV, I actually quite enjoy watching Macauley Culkin getting one over on those pesky burglars and Christmas is as good a time as any to catch up on those classic episodes of ‘Only Fools and Horses’. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No, what gets to me is having to read the same misleading and dangerous headlines our right-wing press has to offer up at this time of year time and time again. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You know the one where Christmas trees have to be replaced by ‘festive decorations’ and Santa is banned from Schools because he might offend the minorities. It happens at Easter time too; hot cross buns are apparently replaced by fruit scones all in the name of political-correctness gone mad. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Funnily enough when Muslims and other minority groups are approached they usually shrug their shoulders and say they have never complained in their life about Rudolph or Santa Clause and are not offended by Christmas trees or mistletoe. This may come as a surprise to some newspaper readers but even Muslims have been known to put up fairy lights outside their house at Christmas time.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Followers of European affairs will know that a xenophobic right wing tidal wave, with an undercurrent of Islamaphobia, is sweeping across Europe and has most firmly crashed into the UK. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">People are queuing up to attack UK multiculturalism, while very few understand the definition other than it somehow suddenly becoming a scapegoat for all our nations social ills.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, the English Defence League and racist British National Party continue to grow from strength to strength in England, culminating in the stomach churning scene of Nick Griffin entering the European Parliament as an elected representative. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Without being complacent of racism in Scotland, where undoubtedly elements of racism exist like any other nation on earth, we have to question why time and time again the EDL/SDL and BNP leave here with their tails between their legs.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I believe this is helped, in a large part, to our notion of civic nationalism. This concept stretches beyond any party political affiliation we may hold and is embedded in the very fabric of our society. The late and great Bashir Ahmad, Scotland’s first Asian MSP probably summed it up most concisely:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>‘It is not important where we have come from; it’s where we are going together, as a nation.’</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many of us hail from other Celtic nations or Nordic heritage, we are, as Willie McIlvanney termed us, ‘a mongrel nation’. We will all also be familiar with the age-old saying ‘We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns’. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m not trying to paint a false picture of a perfectly rosy garden. Of course we have our problems; anti-Irish bigotry and sectarianism rear their ugly heads far too often, especially in the West of Scotland. However, we also have our very own unique solutions. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Far too often in the UK we obsess over identities, making people choose one over the other. Post 9/11 this scrutiny has intensified with most Muslims being asked at one time or another ‘Are you British first or Muslim?’</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Civic nationalism allows us to accept Irish-Scots, Scots-Asians, British-Scots or whatever nationality we choose without questioning our loyalty to one or the other. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having said this, ethos and the right mentality are, unfortunately, not always enough to eradicate inequality and racism, a legislative framework is needed. Currently, equalities legislation is a matter for the reserved Government; they are moving in a dangerous direction, keen to impose their ‘muscular liberalism’ agenda. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just as with many other reserved powers, the sooner Scotland has control over the equalities framework the better and only then will we be able to work fully towards a more equal and fairer society for all. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-425356828251465743?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-6902131935484967082011-04-04T03:38:00.000+01:002011-04-04T03:38:46.016+01:00Paul Henderson Scott - The Election Blog 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> <o:PixelsPerInch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>1024x768</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I7D7xSmjMmM/TZku5etzo_I/AAAAAAAAABs/kwLfFpVS91Q/s1600/paulscott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I7D7xSmjMmM/TZku5etzo_I/AAAAAAAAABs/kwLfFpVS91Q/s200/paulscott.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span>Paul Henderson Scott</span><span lang="EN-US"> is a writer, historian and literary critic.</span></i><span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span>Small is Beautiful</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span></span>The economist, E.F.Schumacher, in his famous book, <i>Small is Beautiful,</i> said that he had been brought up with the theory that “in order to be prosperous a country had to be big, the bigger the better”. As he studied the economies of the world he found that on the contrary most of the most prosperous countries, per head of the population, were very small and that many large ones were very poor indeed. He remarked that smallness also had the advantages of “convenience, humanity and manageability”.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span></span>Schumacher’s conclusion is confirmed by statistics of countries by GDP per head. In the European Union, for instance, the most prosperous one is Luxembourg by a large margin and it is also one of the smallest. As it happens, I have visited Estonia and Slovenia several times in the last few years since they recovered their independence. The obvious increase in their prosperity and sheer happiness has been very impressive.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span></span>The recovery of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 was, of course, an important step in the right direction but its powers are still very restricted. Most powers are still reserved to the Westminster Parliament in which Scottish members are outnumbered ten to one. They include taxation, foreign affairs, defence and even broadcasting. Why then do many people apparently still want to hang on to the union?<span> </span>Perhaps some of them are simply afraid of change; they want to cling on to the familiar. Others may feel safer in the world by holding on to big brother. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span></span>The Union with England has deprived us of the proceeds of the oil in Scottish waters which would have made us, like Norway, one of the wealthiest of countries. Also there is the danger and heavy cost of hanging onto a country with the illusion that it is still one of the Great Powers. The English are an admirable people with many fine qualities, but this is a serious mistake. It means, in effect, that they become a puppet of the United States and become involved in such disasters as the war in Iraq. They also want to keep nuclear submarines on the Clyde and involve us in the dangers of that as well as paying a share of the heavy cost through our taxes. In the modern world small countries are not only more prosperous, but less likely to become involved in dangerous international ventures.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span></span>As an independent country we shall have our own membership of the European Union, the United Nations and other international organisations. At present in these bodies our interests are simply ignored when they differ from those of England. As an independent country we shall be able to argue our own case. In the majority of issues Scottish and English views may be very similar and we shall be able to support each other. Scotland will no longer be a silent observer, but an active participant once again in international affairs.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">------</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.scottishindependenceconvention.co.uk/">Back to Convention</a></span> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/440904598102707305-690213193548496708?l=independence-convention.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scottish Independence Conventionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687157598786046606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440904598102707305.post-33362875728801713702011-04-03T00:29:00.000+01:002011-04-03T00:29:11.978+01:00Kevin Williamson - The Election Blog 2011<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Kevin Williamson is Secretary of the Scottish </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Independence</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Convention and joint editor of Bella Caledonia.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Come election time the members, supporters and activists clustered around political parties leap into action.<span> </span>The election assumes the nature of a gladiatorial contest between the chosen ones versus the rest.<span> </span>In this atmosphere there is little enthusiasm for seeking out common ground. These sort of things are for later, always later, if at all.<span> </span>As election day approaches it’s every one for themselves and de’il take the hindmost. <span> </span>Such is the nature of party politics.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Then there are the committed voters and their floating cousins.<span> </span>They’ll watch from afar, like punters at a race track, sizing up the runners, keeping an eye on the odds, clutching their slips.<span> </span>For them – the multitude - politics is essentially a spectator sport.<span> </span>As far as democracy goes the time-honoured process of trotting down to a school or community centre every four or five years to etch a cross in a box is pretty feeble stuff.<span> </span>It is hardly what the Chartists and Suffragettes had in mind all those years ago.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As someone who would like to live in a country where democracy is part of our everyday lives - rather than a contrived media-driven circus every five years – the whole electoral set-up we have in the UK (and in Scotland for that matter) is inadequate and uninspiring.<span> </span>It’s incredibly elitist too, with just a few hundred professional politicians deciding everything on behalf of the millions.<span> </span>A participatory democracy it is not. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But here in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Scotland</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> new ideas have been initiated at Holyrood which could be a harbinger of better days to come.<span> </span>We have a political system where members of the public can participate in the cross-party committees which feed into the decision-making process.<span> </span>Likewise any member of the public can raise a petition to go to the petitions committee which could then go before Parliament itself.<span> </span>These are small changes but not insignificant ones since they map out a political path based upon the principle of civic participation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In contrast, the British political system is archaic, anti-democratic, elitist, and, as the last few years have shown, it has been disgustingly corrupt since the dawn of universal suffrage in 1928. <span> </span>Elected MPs seem to think their first priority is to line their own pockets at the taxpayers’ expense.<span> </span>This is what happens when a parliament is deliberately kept out of reach of the public’s continuous scrutiny.<span> </span>The sad fact of this very British farce is that there is as much chance of </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Westminster</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> moving towards a participatory democracy as Colonel Gaddafi winning Best Dressed Man of the Year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To go from A to B is a process. Long ago I came to the conclusion that my best hope of living in a genuine participatory democracy was if </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Scotland</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> ditched </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Westminster</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, extricated itself from the semi-medieval British state, and created a new and uniquely Scottish model of democracy.<span> </span>For me, this is what Scottish independence is all about; re-imagining our democratic space as something we can use as a practical everyday tool to help make our quality of life better and our short time on this earth happier. <span> </span>What an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this conjures up: to engage in the process of self-liberation, and to help shape a new, involved, and potentially unconstrained democracy.<span> </span>We have a blank page to write upon.<span> </span>All that is needed is imagination and a sense of purpose.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In this context the current Scottish elections are important. <span> </span>The </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">London</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> barbarians are at the gates. Their pale pink shadow offers nothing but Deficit Hysteria Lite.<span> </span>Scottish social values, so very different from those in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">England</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, are under attack and our vital public services could be mangled over the next few years if </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">London</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> has its way.<span> </span>As Eric Burdon and The Animals once sang, <i>We gotta get out of this place.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Although it is never explicitly admitted politicians know fine well that, external events aside, when you form a government you effectively control the political agenda.<span> </span>If, for instance, Labour were to re-take power the mainstream media wouldn