ISSUE NUMBER 100

The wonderful thing about this decimalisation is that not only did we get calculators, but we also get two bites at the anniversary cherry! This week we celebrate 100 Flags, and in another four weeks, we can celebrate two years of the Flag.

We started the Flag in the Wind on a weekly basis as with the setting up of the Scottish Parliament, political coverage in Scotland mushroomed overnight, and we could not adequately cover all that was happening with the monthly paper; we also did not have the time or resources to go weekly with the Scots Independent. The original title of this column was supposed to be "The Link" (how banal) but when Alastair McIntyre of Electric Scotland came up with the Flying Flag, the column named itself "The Flag in the Wind."

And just to celebrate our 100th issue listen to The song "Scots Wha Hae" by Gaberlunzie

When the Queen addressed both Houses of Parliament this week, she flagged up that she was prepared to continue to occupy the throne, and that retirement was not an option; maybe she doesn’t get the pension. Whatever her reason, as her mother lived to 101, it would seem obvious that Prince Charles has nae chance of becoming King; he can then go ahead and marry without disturbing the Church of England as he will never be its head.

It seems to be a preoccupation with the media that the Royal family is dysfunctional, and that this is a deplorable state of affairs; royalty has always been dysfunctional, and kings, queens and princes have done as they pleased throughout the ages. It is only now that the glare of publicity is upon them and that they are perceived to "know better" that even a semblance of shame is being shown.

A thousand years of royal lineage gave us Prince Charles; a thousand years of the common man gave us Robert Burns.

THE FIVE YEAR ITCH

Well, they had promised to renationalise the railways, but it was left to market forces to finally pull the plug on RailTrack, and the company staggered into administration more by accident than design; there does not seem to be any coherent way ahead, and there might be a grand plan somewhere, but nobody’s found it yet. They said they would not under any circumstances privatise Air Traffic Control, and, when elected, proceeded to do just that; this one has run into deep trouble before it got off the ground, and the taxpayer (ie us) will have to fork out to sort this new mess.

I, for one, expected that they would save the National Health Service, and was totally dismayed as they continued with the privatisation agenda of the Tories. No fool like an old fool, as they say. Belatedly, they have begun to grasp that the NHS is creaking and that they must do something to put it right, but rather than an issue of principle, we are seeing the first moves for the next General Election. Three years ago, they rubbished the SNP proposals for a "Penny for Scotland", and gave tax cuts of the Penny instead; now they have imposed the Penny+Penny for the National Health Service, and are making a virtue of necessity! Look at us, we are the white hats, riding to the rescue of the poor old NHS, when their lack of action over the last five years had exacerbated the problem. The National Insurance charges levied will fall equally on employers, and the Labour Party are now rubbishing the SNP proposal that they should not impose the increase on Health Service employers as this is increasing the cost of the Health Service.

Devolution was a plus, but it was designed to head off Nationalism in Scotland and Wales, and not for the better governance of these countries; the Blessed Tony tried to run the Welsh Parliament by having his placeman appointed, and that ended in tears. He did not do this in Scotland, as his placeman was already there; in London, he attempted to have his nominee selected for the post of Lord Mayor, which happened as they twisted the selection process, but the people there went for Ken Livingstone. Mind you, Ken Livingstone has achieved very little, if anything, since his election two years ago, but that might be due to government malevolence rather than his lack of ability.

And how about reform of the House of Lords? Whatever machinations have been going on, the composition of the House of Lords is at present:

Power and privilege is still there.

In the trade magazine PR Week in March, a panel of experts from the world of public relations voted Labour’s public relations machine in 1997 and 2001 the most effective of all time; this week the English local elections will show whether the glossy promises are still working, or has the magic worn off?

THE GRUBBY FIRST MINISTER

So what has our First Minister, Jack McConnell, been up to, now that he has completed the counting of the words in the SNP booklet "Talking Independence"?

Mr McConnell has been appointed as rapporteur to the Convention on the Future of Europe for the Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Constitutional Affairs and European Governance. Now that’s a real mouthful, and the title will no doubt take up the first page of the Minutes. This is by way of a sop, as the Scottish Executive did not wish to be involved, being happy to let the Disunited Kingdom government make its decisions for it; they were embarrassed when the two Scottish positions on the Committee were taken up by Neil MacCormick, MEP, and Keith Brown, leader of Clackmannanshire District Council. (See, we can have as long names as they can). However in true New Labour fashion, maybe Jack will get paid.

He tried, when speaking at another meeting, the Progress Conference of Labour modernisers, to smear the SNP by linking it with the far right politics of Jean-Marie Le Pen, and this did not just raise the hackles of the SNP ; there were editorials in the Scotsman and the Herald attacking his remarks, and neither of these organs have much love for the SNP. In the words of one columnist "The first minister did not mention the SNP by name, but there wasn’t a person in the hall who was in any doubt about what he meant, including Labour’s own spin doctors." We have now been treated to a defence of Mr McConnell by one of his acolytes, Brian Fitzpatrick, in both the Scotsman and the Herald, who accuses the SNP of "protesting too much", while he protests too much!

Came across a strange word in Mr Fitzpatrick’s letters to the editors; he used a word "equiponderate" in the Scotsman, which somehow materialised as "equiparate" in the Herald; I could find neither in the Oxford English Dictionary, but I did find "equiponderate" in Roget’s Thesaurus. It means "make amends", but it sounds like a fancy word used by lawyers when they are ripping off their clients; in any event I shall look for its appearance in crosswords, but perhaps Mr Fitzpatrick was just trying to baffle with science - or bull’s ordure.

As is well known, even, or especially, by the First Minister, as he has read " Talking Independence" (or counted the words, anyway) the SNP is a very open, democratic and inclusive party, and it wants the same for Scotland; Mr McConnell should also be well aware that Sir Oswald Mosley was a member of the Labour Cabinet in 1931, but before he transmogrified into a fascist, he left them, apparently not a requirement for Mr McConnell’s Westminster colleagues today.

OPEN AND INCLUSIVE

There were about 150 people there, from trade unions, charities, voluntary organisations and business; John delivered a keynote address, and then took questions from the floor. Professor Alice Brown, prominent academic, hosted the meeting; members of the media were invited to attend the speech and the question and answer session, but they were not invited to question John during the main event, as there was a press conference at 1215, when they could ask all they wanted.

I saw a report on it on BBC, which used a word John did not use; he did not use the word "whinge" at all, but concentrated on the theme that we were responsible for our own situation, and it is pointless to try blaming anyone else. The BBC, through Labour luvvie Brian Taylor, trotted out Rev I.M. Jolly, as their way of making a serious point facetious, a rare attempt at political humour, to keep knocking Scotland.

In his speech John said, "I am not of the nationalist school that blames others for the situation that we find ourselves in today. I do not want to spend my life complaining about what has been done to me. Nor do I want to spend my life apologising for what cannot be done. I want to spend my life actively working to improve what is around me.

"I am calling for an end to the dependency culture of Scottish politics. We must stop waiting for others to make decisions - and then merely mounting protest campaigns when these decisions turn out to be disastrous.

"The politics of grievance will not deliver the kind of Scotland we want."

He continued "If we want to take the kind of ambitious and imaginative decisions I think we need to take, we must have the normal powers of an Independent Parliament. The achievement of these powers is fundamental to creating a new political culture in Scotland - a political culture of taking decisions - and a political culture of taking responsibility for ourselves.

John concluded "My message to the SNP and to the Scottish people is clear: London does not owe us a living.

"The responsibility for delivering the best Scotland possible is a responsibility that lies with Scots and we should have the tools to take on the task. That is why we are Talking Independence and that is why only Independence will deliver the best Scotland possible."

And that takes us nicely into the continued serialisation, for want of a better expression, of the SNP booklet "Talking Independence"; it is particularly apposite that the subject this week is "Inclusive Nationalism", as the media and Jean-Marie McConnell become obsessed by the voting in France.

A new country – the SNP’s inclusive nationalism

Isn’t nationalism a bad thing?

The opponents of Independence often use the word "nationalism" to mean ethnic strife, intolerance or isolation. Obviously, the SNP rejects any of these as deserving any place in Scotland. Nationalism, like many other political ideas, can indeed be misused, but not when it is founded in democracy and a respect for human rights.

People know that what the SNP promotes is civic nationalism. That means that we believe all who live in Scotland have a valued part to play in our new country, regardless of their place of birth or ethnic background. We pursue our goal by exclusively peaceful and democratic means. That’s why so many people of different national backgrounds, and large numbers in Scotland’s ethnic minority communities, vote SNP

The SNP’s nationalism is about Scotland ending its present isolation, and regaining its place in the international community as a tolerant, outward-looking country.

Will I be a citizen of the new Scotland?

In the context of EU citizenship, the SNP has an open and inclusive approach to citizenship. The automatic right of citizenship will be open by right to all those living in Scotland, all those born in Scotland, and all those with a parent born in Scotland. All others are free to apply, and dual citizenship would be an option. The SNP believes that Scotland is not full up – Scotland’s problem is emigration, not immigration. We should therefore welcome the contribution of the new Scots who choose to make this country their home.

What if I don't want to become a Scottish citizen?

Even if a resident of Scotland, as of Independence Day, chooses not to take up Scottish citizenship, he or she will continue to enjoy an unaffected right to residency in the country, and the constitution proposed by the SNP would preclude any laws which sought to remove these rights.

Next week, we move on to income, savings, and what is dear to my heart (at my age) pensions, after Independence; with pensions, we expect a better deal than the Westminster one, where the link with wages was taken away by Margaret Thatcher, and not restored by the present Tory government. (Old Age Basic Pension £75.50 per week - Poverty level £130.00 per week.)

The Annual Book Sale at St Andrew’s and St George’s Church in George Street, Edinburgh, takes place next week; times of opening are :

Saturday 11 May 10 am to 4 pm
Mon 13 May to Fri 17 May 10 am to 3.30 pm (Thur to 8 pm)

The week long sale of thousands of second-hand books (including antiquarian), printed materials and other collectables attracts buyers from throughout Scotland and beyond. Last year it raised the record amount of £98,000 for the world’s poor.

The Parish Church of St Andrew & St George, 13 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PA
Telephone : 0131 225 3847 Fax: 0131 225 5921

Further details are available in the May issue of the Scots Independent newspaper.

The lady peer, (or should it be peeress?) is Baroness Strange.

I have a very vivid memory of the event, and in particular of the shock throughout Scotland when this great liner, the Pride of the Clyde, was named the "Queen Elizabeth II", after the present Queen, who is Queen Elizabeth I in Scotland; the abbreviation to QE2 was a belated attempt to correct this fauxpas. Seven weeks later, Winnie Ewing won the Hamilton by-election.

What’s the downside?

I don’t care; it was magnificent!

Now that’s news.

Let’s hope that the lessons of the Western Isles and BCCI have been learned, and that they put it into something safe - like Marconi - or RailTrack.

They are now about to replace 540 of them, by buying HCI Clydebank - from the private financiers - clever economics that - for private financiers.

The book is, appropriately, entitled "Amerike, The Briton Who Gave America its Name."

It now turns out that the tree planters only get 12p per tree.

NO ROOM FOR PRIVATE PROFIT IN FIRE SERVICE - ROSEANNA CUNNINGHAM

The Scottish Executive has published a consultation paper into the future of the fire service in Scotland which recommends the greater use of private finance and is being backed by justice minister Jim Wallace. Commenting on the report Roseanna Cunningham MSP said, "The funding of our essential services should be a matter of public need, not private greed, and I am appalled that the Executive would even consider embarking on a programme which would see profit being taken out of such a core service." The Shadow Justice Minister said, "Scotland's Fire fighters do an extremely hazardous job and they do it extremely well with immense courage and commitment. We owe them the best and the best does not come with the cream skimmed off as profit." Ms Cunningham added, "The truth about private finance for public projects is at long last coming out. They do not work out cheaper for the public purse instead, money that should go to fund front line services is diverted into the pockets of private companies. I don't want to see that within the prison service, and I most certainly don't want to see it happen to our fire services.

PARENTS SHOULD PAY THE PRICE FOR CHILDREN's CRIMES - NICOLA STURGEON

"Too many people, in too many communities are living a nightmare at the hands of mindless young criminals and it's got to stop," says Nicola Sturgeon. Writing in the Evening Times, the SNP frontbencher argues it's time to reclaim Glasgow for the law-abiding majority. "A more visible police presence would make people feel safer and feeling safe in our own communities is something we should all be able to take for granted," she said. Ms Sturgeon also argues that parents should take more responsibility for their children. "If a child is running wild, surely we should be able hold their parents to account. And if that child steals your car radio or smashes your window, why should you, the victim, have to foot the bill? It should be open to the courts to impose compensation orders on parents, to make them pay for, or in some other way, make good the damage done by their children." She concludes: "It's time to toughen up our approach. Tackling crime and giving people back a sense of security has got to be a priority for all of us who represent this city."

SNP MP MARCHES AGAINST LE PEN IN PARIS

Shadow foreign affairs spokesperson Angus Robertson will travel to Paris on Wednesday to take part in the May Day pro-democracy, anti-Le Pen rally. The Moray MP said: "I am proud to be taking part in the rally in Paris, and will ensure the Saltire is hoisted high for democracy, and against the fascism of Le Pen. The challenge for democrats across Europe - who reject the racism, intolerance and isolationism that Le Pen stands for - is to inspire and engage the public in the democratic process, so that we can consign Le Pen and his ilk to the margins of European politics where they belong."

MSP CALLS FOR LIMITS ON LAP DANCING

An MSP is calling for councils to be given powers to stop more lap dance clubs opening in their areas. The move by the SNP's Sandra White comes as it was claimed proposed new venues meant Edinburgh could soon have one lap dancer for every 250 people. Ms White said the clubs were demeaning and treated women as sex objects, and has now tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament urging greater controls. "I went along to a club with an open mind and I was absolutely disgusted," she said. "The girls may tell you that they make good money, but they don't tell you that they give a percentage of it to the club"

NUMBER OF PRISONERS SOARS TO RECORD HIGH

Scotland's prison population has soared to 6,515 - its highest level ever - Scotland on Sunday can reveal. Cornton Vale, Scotland's only all-women jail, has seen the fastest growth in population. On Friday, April 19, the last day for which records are available, 233 women were locked up. The average daily figure in 1997 when Labour won power at the General Election was just 184. SNP justice spokesman Michael Matheson said: "Jim Wallace, like Henry McLeish before him, said reducing the prison population would be a key target. They have failed spectacularly. We already lock up more people per head of population than almost any other European country, and ministers can 't halt that decline. That's a sign of failed government."

FLIGHT CHARGES HOLDING BACK AIRPORT EXPANSION

Hundreds of thousands more Scots holidaymakers are choosing to fly from English airports, driven away by high flight supplements, new figures have revealed. And today the supplements imposed by airlines on flights out of Scotland were blamed for the exodus south. Glasgow MSP Kenneth Gibson said that without the supplements most of the passengers would have flown from Glasgow Airport, creating jobs and allowing it to grow as an international hub. He also claimed the increased passengers would have added to the pressure on the Executive to build a rail link to the airport. The new figures come as pressure mounts on the Executive to fund a rail link to Glasgow Airport ahead of similar plans to improve Edinburgh Airport. Mr Gibson urged the Executive to take up the issue of flight supplements with the Office of Fair Trading. "These supplements are outrageous and we are being discriminated against," Mr Gibson said. "The Executive must shake off its complacency and get the Office of Fair Trading to do something about it."

FISH VOTE WIN FOR SCOTS PARLIAMENT

SNP Euro MP Ian Hudghton hailed an important vote today in Brussels which will give recognition to the Scottish Parliament and ensure that MSPs are kept informed of important European decisions. Although the move was voted down at last month's fisheries committee - when the Scottish Labour group voted against it - the SNP reintroduced it at today's full session of the Parliament and won a resounding victory. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Hudghton said: "The SNP amendment ensures that MSPs will be informed directly of today's important decision and sets an important precedent for future decisions of the Euro Parliament."

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SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
(if you have any suggestions on what you'd like us to include email peter@scotsindependent.org)

See our Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs in our Features section

DATES IN HISTORY

SING A SANG AT LEAST
(compiled by Peter D Wright)

"That I for poor auld Scotland's sake
Some useful plan or book could make
Or sing a sang at least ........"

- Robert Burns

See the SING A SANG AT LEAST in our features section

A KIST O FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots TungA Keek at the Guid Scots Tung

By Peter & Marilyn Wright 
(Note: All words underlined in this section are RealAudio links)

See Scots Language in our Features Section
for other poems, stories, songs, sayings and words in the Scots language

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. 29 MAY  2002
[Click here to bring up the crosswords]