The Flag in the Wind
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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November 1926)
Compiled by Jim Lynch
[24 November 2000]

THE GHOST STALKS ANNIESLAND

In a brilliant campaign, the Labour Party in Anniesland were successful in hiding their two candidates for the by elections from the public gaze, and managed to elect the ghost of Donald Dewar. Aided and abetted by the sycophantic Daily Record, they cynically exploited the memory and achievements of the much respected former First Minister, the late Donald Dewar; there were no public meetings, and no TV debate, despite this being a unique occasion, of the first, and hopefully the last , by election for both Holyrood and Westminster. If Labour were proud of their achievements why were they afraid to face the press and public?

The SNP can take cold comfort from the fact that our share of the vote went up marginally; this was a seat where there are 16500 old age pensioners, rock solid Labour territory, and as we know, the grey voters vote, and the older one is the harder to change attitudes. The low turnout, explained by a smug and gloating John Reid, Secretary of State for Scotland, was because people were happy with the Government! As one critic put it, this was an excuse for not having elections at all.

If the tone is ascerbic, it is because, like most people, I am ashamed of the depths to which politics has sunk in my country.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

		23 Nov 00		May 99
		Votes	%	Votes	%
	Labour	9838	48.65	16749	59
	SNP	4462	22.07	5756	20
	Tory	2148	10.62	3032	11
	Lib Dem	1384	6.84	1804	6
	SSP	1429	7.07	1000	4
	Soc Lab	960	4.75	139	1
	Majority	5376		10993
	Electorate	20221		54738
	Turnout	38.42%		52%

WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT

		23 Nov 00		May 97
		Votes	%	Votes	%
	Labour	10539	52.14	20951	62
	SNP	4202	20.79	5797	17
	Tory	2188	10.83	3881	11
	Lib Dem	1630	8.06	2453	7
	SSP	1441	7.13
	Others	212	1.05	797	3
	Majority	6337		15154
	Electorate	20212		52955
	Turnout	38.29%		64%

ISSUE NUMBER 25

As I remember it, when you had given 25 pints of blood, you received a red and silver badge; this is now 25 issues of blood, sweat, and bad language, but I do not anticipate a silver Flag from the Scots Independent Editor, Kenneth Fee. All of the issues are still on file under Archives, and can be accessed at the click of a mouse.

It was stated at the very start, in June this year, that Scottish politics was moving fast, and that changes were happening all the time; this has been borne out, as although we publish weekly, before even the first day has passed we can be out of date! This is a great improvement on the monolithic steamroller progress we were used to when Westminster was the sole legislature, even if some of the events are not entirely to our liking.

ADMIRAL CANAVAN

Well, as we said, things change very fast; when our big brother, the Scots Independent, went to press the headline was "Three Awkward By Elections Looming for Labour". Then, lo and behold, Dennis Canavan started a reconciliation with Labour, and we were down to two. One week later, and Dennis Canavan changed his mind, or had it changed, and the headline is accurate again!

What is going on between Dennis Canavan and the Labour Party? Did he find out what they really thought of him? The BBC interviewer on Newsnight was blunt when he said words to the effect "If you did not know you were only offered re admission to avoid a damaging by election, you were the only person in Scotland who didn’t know that". As it is, Mr Canavan has now totally destroyed any credibility he had, and it may be that his ego is such that he feels his conduct should be acceptable, because he is "Dennis".

He burned his boats when he left Labour to stand as an independent; he burned them again, more spectacularly, when he applied to rejoin, and yet again, perhaps when he found that they did not really want him at all. The cry now is "Dinna gie him ony mair boats!"

THE RAIL TRACK RECORD

We seem to be prescient; only a week or two back we suggested that the Chief Executive of Railtrack, Gerald Corbett had his resignation refused because they wanted to sack him; he has now resigned, apparently because Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott pointedly refused to give him backing. There’s more than one way of getting the sack. His successor is the Finance Director of Railtrack, who is an accountant, and again, there does not seem to be any railwaymen on the Board. This is nothing new; I remember, some years ago, in the days of British Rail, a book entitled "Why Do Retired Railwaymen Never Become Generals?" There wasn’t an answer to that either.

Apart from the track problems, there are also shortages of rolling stock; according to the Observer, about 100 brand new trains are stuck in sidings either with teething problems or delayed paperwork (Maybe coming by rail) and putting these into service would go some way to mollify the unfortunate passengers. It is the case that the fragmented nature of the rail network, works against the resolution of these problems. And in the midst of this, Babcock International is selling its Railcare business, because it is losing money. Ah, John MacGregor, one time Tory Transport Minister, what a dog’s breakfast you made of that lot.

SOMEONE HAS MOVED THE BANANA SKIN

It would seem that the report of the Health Committee of the Scottish Parliament is in favour of implementing the full proposals of the Sutherland Report, meaning that the state (Us) would pay for anyone having to go into an old folks’ home, as it should be. The report was leaked to the Holyrood Live programme, and everyone is furious about it. Well, Labour is furious about it, because the story is that while Labour in Scotland would like to do it, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, says they can’t, because Labour is against it in England. So Mr McLeish is keeping the issue under wraps and making all the right noises, until the Anniesland by election is over. However, now that Mr Canavan is not accepting the twenty pieces of silver another by election will be along shortly.

It’s tough being an unprincipled politician in New Labour (Too much competition).

PAX BRITANNICA

All the fuss and uproar, coming mainly from the Tories, about Britain’s contribution to the European Rapid Reaction Force. As the Tories presided over the dismantling of most of the Armed Services, while gaily flying the Union Jack, it would seem that the objection is to the European angle.

The whole proposal brought to mind the Wisdom of Oliver Brown. He wrote that it had been averred that the Union of 1707 had put an end to centuries of war between England and Scotland. "It is true that the raids which ruined Scotland for centuries ceased - apart from Cumberland’s repression of the Highlands. We then enjoyed the Pax Britannica which meant we fought the French, the Spaniards, the Dutch, the Germans, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Americans, the Russians, the Africans, the Maoris, the Indians, the Italians, the Austrians - and here I must stop because the SI is not an eight page paper. (The SI was then, January 1971, a four page weekly).

We wonder which troops will form the backbone of the proposed force?

WAITING FOR WAITING LISTS

Waiting lists for treatment in Scottish hospitals have increased by 15% since last year. These figures were not so much released by the Scottish Executive as allowed to escape when they thought no one was looking. No official announcement was made, no press release, just an update on the NHS website earlier this month, and no reference on the Executive website.

Sneaky.

AIR TRAFFIC OUT OF CONTROL

It is now accepted, if it ever was in doubt, that privatisation of the railways was driven by profit, and safety factors were ignored. Bearing in mind the Labour Party’s opposition to the rail sell off, and their hysterical reaction to the Tory proposal to privatise air traffic control, is it any wonder that electors regard politicians with cynicism, as Labour are absolutely determined to privatise air traffice control? There was a back bench rebellion in the Commons last week, when 37 rebels voted against the Government, but Mr Blair will just ignore them. Perhaps, even the Labour candidates in Anniesland might have rebelled, since the constituency is under the flight path to Glasgow Airport, but one of them said he would make up his mind when the time came.

The whole issue of privatisation is so basic it is a wonder anyone is fooled. If a person puts their money into a business, they expect a return, a dividend, on what they invested. This can only be paid if the concern makes a profit; the way to make profits is either to increase turnover, or to cut costs, preferably both. With air traffic control, if they increased turnover, ie, put up charges, the airlines would create, it would be a tax on travellers, holidaymakers, etc. So they will cut costs, and aeroplanes will crash. When a train crashes, it is on the ground; if an aeroplane crashes........

Apparently, the only country to have privatised their air traffic control is Fiji.

FOOT IN MOUTH NOTES

Fergus Ewing MSP has written to the Rail Regulator, to complain that passengers going from Inverness to Edinburgh by rail are being taken by bus; GNER are charging them the full rail fare, which is £15 more than if they got the bus!

Lib Dem Margaret Smith, in her annual report to constituents, says they supported the Executive in abolishing tuition fees; Andrew Cubie, chairman of the independent inquiry into student finance, has attacked the Executive, saying that their proposals amounted to a graduate tax, and it would act against students from poorer backgrounds.

The Scottish Prison Service told MSPs that the cost of running the privatised Kilmarnock would be £130 million over 25 years; a leaked internal document has shown that the cost will actually be £290 million. It looks as if all the crooks aren’t locked up.

The Scotsman did a feature, entitled "Who’s sleeping with the enemy", linking politicians with journalists, in press and TV; they were all New Labour, in keeping with the Labour hegemony, apart from one. Yes, David Kerr, former editor Newsnight Scotland, was linked to ...David Kerr, SNP candidate!

An Indian billionaire, Srichand Hinduja, was given citizenship after his family donated £1 million to help bail out the Millennium Dome; the family tried to buy the Express Newspaper Group, and are apparently also interested in buying the airline Go. It is anticipated that Indian courts will ask for him to be extradited to face corruption charges concerning illegal kickbacks of £7 million in the Bofors arms contract.

DATES IN HISTORY

24 November 1589
Marriage of Anne of Denmark, daughter of Frederick II, to James VI, King of Scots, in Oslo.

28 November 1930
W Oliver Brown, candidate for the fledgling National Party of Scotland, polled 4,818 votes in the Renfrew Easy By-Election and became the first NPS candidate to save election deposit. The National Party of Scotland amalgamated with the Scottish Party in April 1934 to form the modern Scottish National Party.

30 November 1292
Coronation of John Balliol, the last recorded inauguration of a King of Scots on the Stone of Destiny. Known as 'The Toom Tabard', (empty coat), Balliol was seen as a puppet of Edward I of England.

THE REBELS CEILIDH SONG BOOK

JOHNNIE LAD

I bought a wife in Edinburgh for ae baw-bee,
I got a farthing back again to buy tobacco wi,
And wi' you, and wi' you, and wi' you Johnnie lad,
I'll drink the buckles o' my shoon wi' you my Johnnie lad.

When auld King Arthur ruled this land
He was a thieving King.
He stole three bolls o' barley meal
To make a white pudding.

Chorus: An' wi you, and wi' you, and wi' you Johnnie lad,
We'll drink the Bauchles aff wur feet wi you my Johnnie lad

The pudding it was awfu' guid,
'Twas weel mixed up wi' plumes;
The lumps o' suet into it
Were big as baith ma thooms.

Chorus

Samson was a michty man
Wha focht wi' cuddies' jaws:
He focht a score o' battles,
Wearing crimson flannel drawers.

Chorus

Napoleon was an Emperor,
And ruled by land and sea,
He was King of France and Germany
But he never ruled Polmadie.

Chorus

On the royal tour ti Glesga,
Ye should hae seen the Queen
Playin' a gemme o' fitba',
Wi' the lads on Glesca Green.

Chorus

The Captain of the other side
Was scoring in such style,
The Queen cried owre a polisman,
And clapped him in the jyle.

Chorus

The Queen wis in her Parlour,
Suppin' Cream and Honey,
The Knave wis in the Coontin'-Hoose,
Fiddling Scotland's Money.

Chorus

Bit Johnnie wis a raucle boy,
He gied the Knave a fricht,
And fotch back Scotland's money
And the people danced aa nicht.

Chorus

Johnnie is a bonnie lad,
He is a lad o' mine;
I never had a better lad,
An' I've had twenty-nine.

Chorus

Click here to listen to the tune in midi format

See the Songbook in our features section

A KIST O FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots Tung
By Peter D Wright
(Note: All words underlined in this section are RealAudio links)

• bonnie: beautiful; considerable

• dule: grief; distress

• laich: low

• owreset: translate

• plunk: be absent

• Plunk the Schuil: Be absent from school without leave

• It'll cost ye a bonnie penny: It will cost you a great deal of money

• Flee laich, flee lang - Do not be over ambitious
  
  "Twas a bonnie day-and a day o dule
   The day I plunkit the Sawbath Schule!"
  
  frae "Conscience" - Walter Wingate

See Scots Language in our Features Section

THE MONTHLY PRIZE CROSSWORD

Each month the Scots Independent Newspaper offers a prize crossword and we're now offering this online in the Flag in the Wind as well.   Should you complete the crossword by the deadline you can fax it over to the SI and the first correct one opened on the closing date will win a £10.00 book token.

SI Prize Crossword No. 11
[Clicking on the picture will bring up a life size version which you can copy to your desktop or print out]