AND
AS WE CONTINUE.........
If you read our first issue of The Flag
in the Wind you will know that this is a weekly Internet commentary on
the Scottish political scene; if you desire further erudition click on
Archives on the Menu Bar.
THE
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
The Scots Independent Newspaper is
independent of the Scottish National Party, but we support the Party
in its drive for Independence; while space precludes us commenting on
all the issues raised by the 35 MSPs, 6 MPS and 2 MEPs, also the Party
Office Bearers, we have provided a link to the SNP Website - click on
SNP on the Menu Bar.
THE FLAG
IN THE WIND
The above was the title of a book written
in the early Fifties by John MacDonald MacCormick, one of the founder
members of the Scottish National Party in 1934. The sub-title was
"The Story of the National Movement in Scotland". His comment in
the book said "It is perhaps in the symbols which men use that their
deepest sentiments are most readily expressed. Flags as well as straws
show which way the wind is blowing". A
fuller account appears under Features.
SCOTS
FOCUS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES
An ICM Opinion Poll published on Monday
19 Jun 00 shows the following voting intentions:
| Party |
Scottish
Parliament |
Westminster |
|
1st Vote |
2nd Vote |
|
| SNP |
36% |
33% |
26% |
| Labour |
36% |
30% |
42% |
| Conservative |
14% |
15% |
19% |
| Lib-Dem |
9% |
14% |
10% |
| Others |
5% |
7% |
3% |
Interesting to see the variance between the
voting intentions for Edinburgh and London. The Scots still fear the
return of a reactionary Tory Government; they have so far been rewarded
with a reactionary New Labour Government.
AND DEJA
VU TO YOU TOO
It was very heartening to see the Opinion
Poll above which indicates that the general public is not paying a great
deal of attention to the troubles of the SNP, despite the best efforts of
the Press and TV.
Those of us who have been around the Party
for a long time are amused at the changes in the political stance of
certain individuals since the early Eighties; it’s a long road to
Damascus that has no turning..
OH DEAR,
WHAT A SHAME, NEVER MIND
This report was published in February this
year but a few months is but the blink of an eye in PFI.
Quayle Munro, the Edinburgh Merchant Bank,
reported a 54% drop in interim pre-tax profits to £479000. This was
attributed to a significant pause in activity on Private Finance Iniatives
(PFI) projects.
No politician has ever admitted that the
banks were to be the main beneficiaries of these projects. Well, to be
fair, Labour did, but only when in Opposition. When in power they
continued with this good old Tory wheeze. It makes people wish they had
shares in either Quayle Munro, or the Bank of America, which owns the Skye
Bridge. Money for old rope.
MISSING THE
BOAT
And while we’re on the subject of
Government blunders, sorry, commercial decisions, how about the Kintyre
Ferry?
The story so far: In 1997 Caledonian
MacBrayne wanted to run a ferry from Campbelltown to Larne, which would
have opened up the Kintyre peninsula. Michael Forsyth, the then Secretary
of State for Scotland did not want them to run it , and awarded the
contract to Sea Containers (a mistype occurred here - Sea Cointainers!).
He ordered Caledonian MacBrayne to sell the ferry Claymore to Sea
Containers - for £500,000. After three seasons Sea Containers gave up the
service. They then sold the ship to a Dutch leasing company, ING, at a
handsome profit, and then leased it back.
A company called Kintyre Ferries, run by a
local businessman wants to restart the service, and Sea Containers, who
say they don’t own the ferry, want £1.2 million for it. Brian Wilson,
soon not to be Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland, says he can do
nothing.
Between this fiasco, and the Skye Bridge,
we can see how rural communities are being ripped off. What else is going
on that we don’t know about?
ENGLISH
INVASION
Saturday 24th June 2000 is the Anniversary
of the Battle of Bannockburn, when the Scots army under King Robert the
Bruce vanquished a much larger English army. This happened in 1314, and
686 years later the penchant of the English for invading foreign countries
is still evident.
These days they call them football
supporters; the BBC calls them British football supporters.
THE SARKY
KNIGHTS
The Barclay brothers, owners of the
Scotsman, have been knighted by the Queen, because of the very
considerable sums of money they have given to charity. Without wishing to
criticise their benevolence, it seems that they are tax exiles. We know
then where the money came from - or didn’t go.
HOW
INFLATION INFLATES.
Andrew Wilson, MSP, SNP Finance Spokesman,
has pointed out the anomaly in the Government figures on inflation. When
they are calculating pension increases, inflation is 1.1%; when they look
at petrol prices, inflation is 3.3%.
Aye Gordon Brown knows his duty!
DATES
IN HISTORY
23 June 1928
Inaugural Bannockburn Day demonstration by the National Party of Scotland
in Stirling. A large crowd were addressed by, amongst others, Robert
Bontine Cunninghame Graham, Lewis Spence and Christopher Murray Grieve
(Hugh MacDiarmid), and pledged support for the new political party and its
aim of achieving Independent National Status for Scotland.
26 June 1695
Formation of the Company which undertook the Darien Scheme and came to
ruin five years later through English obstruction, Spanish hostility and
Scottish mismanagement.
28 June 1790
Forth and Clyde Canal opened. The 35 mile course from Bowling to
Grangemouth was the longest of the Lowland canals. It was formally
abandoned in 1962.
WE WOULD
WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK
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