THE GRAHAME GREMLIN

Our first article last week, "The Wonders of PC" produced some comment, and the first comment came from Christie Grahame himself, as there was a line missing from the second verse and he objected to censorship!

I am unsure of the origin of the phrase, but always understood it to have become more widely used at the end of the Second World War, as the Jews hungered for their own state; with the present actions of Israel this is no doubt politically incorrect.

The Westminster voting intentions are largely academic, since there will not be a General Election until 2005, or 2006 if things are tough and Blair emulates John Major by hanging on to the last; interesting things will happen here, as there will be a boundary review, which will result in some Glasgow seats being lost. The comments in the paragraphs above on Glasgow Council now have some relevance, when we know that Glasgow Govan will be abolished, so Mohammed Sarwar is moving his allies into positions of power; he may be facing a contest against George Galloway. We could speculate as to whom Saddam Hussein would support in that contest?

The SNP seems to be a bit bogged down, although it is the Executive that has been digging themselves into a hole, so we can expect an improvement once Conference has passed. As the electorate get to know John Swinney, so his stock will rise, of that I have no doubt at all.

THE GOOD NEWS FROM TALLINN

Thought I'd drop you a short note from a country that answers many of the scare stories offered by our Unionist opponents. With very little in terms of resources, certainly compared to Scotland, this country of 1.4 million inhabitants decided it wasn't too small, or too poor, or too stupid to be an independent nation and what a splendid job they are making of it.

After years of watching their big neighbour make all the decisions, countries like Estonia are showing what is possible when the energy of independence creates a national will to succeed. Attracted by that energy and determination, companies from all over the world have been investing in Estonia in a big way. Now just over a decade later there is strong economic evidence that a substantial and growing proportion of that investment is being made by successful Estonian companies themselves. Estonian companies that did not exist ten years ago!. Would Scotland only take the same steps. I have been privileged to spend a lot of time in Estonia during the last decade and have been struck by the rising confidence and pride the people have in what they have achieved. I met three lads from Aberdeen tonight who had been here for the first Scotland match in Tallinn in 1993. This was their first trip back since that time and they thought the plane had landed them in the wrong country! I explained to them it's called progress with independence and harnessing the skills and resources for your own nation's benefit. I suspect they were already SNP but they might be more likely to join now they see the results first hand!

I commend a visit by all nationalists. It will do your heart good!

AND MORE GOOD NEWS

It would seem that Her Majesty’s Royal British Imperial Labour Party (Scottish Branch) is skint; we already know that the UK lot are £6 million in the red, so they won’t be forking out for the Scottish elections this time.

I came across an item in the Co-op News the other week, telling how much money the Co-op Party (the Labour Party by any other name) had received in donations from consumer co-ops between April and June; they got £212,000 in all. The comment was that this was four times the amount given to the Scottish National Party, a strange remark indeed; the Co-operative Group gave £68,000, Midlands Co-op gave £44,000, Oxford Swindon and Gloucester £25,000, Plymouth and South West £23,000 and United Co-op £20,000. Two things about this; first you will note that all the Societies are in England, so this is not a comparative figure at all, but a snide aside which is totally irrelevant. The second is that the societies concerned do not publicise the fact, and what a furore there would be if the SNP got money from Tesco, Safeway or any other retailer! I wonder if the societies show these political donations in their Annual Reports?

The Labour Party in Scotland is also going to have to manage without any help from the Party in England, apart from bussing in canvassers and running a call centre in Newcastle. Certainly they will get some cash from SNP voters who are in Trade Unions, (and Tory voters and Liberal voters, and no voters) because these unfortunates will have difficulty in opting out of the political levy, but they will not be able to use Westminster parliamentary assistants paid out of the public purse as they did last time. When John Reid was caught at that, he huffed and puffed, and his Parliamentary pals let him off, although the Standards Commissioner stated categorically that he did misuse public money. The Westminster answer was "Shoot the Sheriff", so the Commissioner got sacked!

Having had a horse laugh at the SNP for lack of donors, Labour in Scotland is singing small. They do not have either the cash or the workers, so perhaps this time the SNP will have a more level playing field. Apparently there is also concern about the campaign itself; last time it was run by Douglas Alexander, reporting to Gordon Brown, but this time they have been left on their own and they do not like it one little bit. It must be the Scottish Labour cringe, for the SNP has no need for outside help in organising elections, but Scottish Labour obviously do not believe in themselves, or their country.

FOOT IN THE MOUTH NOTES

Looks like a case of inside information.

Labour, in love with businessmen, wants them to run prisons, schools and all other public works.

If you had £10,000 to spend in 1999, you could have bought a Ford Fiesta; if you were cautious and decided to invest it in the glamour stock of the time, Marconi, it would now be worth £2.15p. Wonder if you can bankrupt a prison?

We are pleased that an article in the Guardian by Jonathan Freedland (what an appropriate name) saying that financial independence for Scotland had logic and appeal has elicited a response from Mrs Helen Liddell, Secretary of State for Scotland.

It gave her something to do, even if she did regard the power of the Scottish Parliament to raise or lower tax by 3p as "extensive". Save the 3p - sack Helen!

The two men who ran Enron were Kenneth Lay and Jeffery Skilling; twice a year 15% of the workforce were ritually sacked, and 30% warned to improve. Lay had a salary of $3.8 million and a bonus of $14 million; we do not know what Skilling’s salary and bonus was, but he became the chief executive after Lay.

Mrs Lay says her husband was a good decent, honest man, and they are now broke; Mrs Skilling is demanding $875,000 in severance pay from Enron. It would bring tears to a glass eye.

Billy Connolly got headlines when he branded the First Minister, Jack McConnell "a half-wit".

We disapprove of that comment; everyone knows that Jack is a knave - not a fool.

Prior to his address to the Scottish CBI, Digby Jones, director general of the CBI, gave a newspaper interview in which he expressed the view that fiscal independence for Scotland was a good idea.

CBI Scotland, establishment apparatchiks to a man, were horrified; then the Liberal Agriculture Minister called him an "English prat", and Mr Jones’ comments were lost in the resultant stushie. Who says politics is not a dirty game?

SYNOPSIS

MARGARET EWING BACK IN POLITICAL FRAY
Thu 5 Sep 02

Veteran SNP politician Margaret Ewing MSP led off the First Ministerial Question Time of the new session on her return to Holyrood today, in her first appearance since surgery for breast cancer. The 57-year-old MSP for Moray said she was "very pleased to be back at work". She said: "My illness has been a difficult time for all but I'm very pleased to now be back at work fighting for Moray and for Scottish independence. Fergus and the rest of my family have been a huge support but I have also been genuinely touched by the good wishes I have received from staff, colleagues, political opponents and particularly from the people of Moray. I will never forget the warmth of feeling, the help and the support that has been offered over the last few months." Mrs Ewing also paid tribute to the "professionalism, dedication and expertise" of the NHS staff who took care of her. Welcoming Mrs Ewing's return and her re-election as Parliamentary Group Convener, SNP Leader, John Swinney, said: "Margaret's re-election as Parliamentary Group Convener is a mark of the esteem and respect with which she is held by everyone in the party. It is great to have her back fighting for Moray and fighting for Scottish independence."

McLEISH LEAVES POLITICS
Thu 5 Sep 02

Fife MSP Tricia Marwick said today's announcement from former First Minister Henry McLeish that he will not stand at the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections and is quitting politics, was, "The worst kept secret in Scottish politics". Mrs Marwick predicted, "The Labour activists in Central Fife, who have been working behind the scenes to secure the nomination for themselves, will now be forced out into the open provoking a bloodbath as they tear each other apart." The MSP who is contesting the Central Fife seat said, "Labour has enormous problems going into the 2003 election because the Third Age saga was not just about Henry McLeish - it was about how the Labour Party in Fife conducts itself. Just as it was the Labour Party that lost the recent Thornton council by-election Party to the SNP, so it will be that the Labour Party, and whatever candidate they choose, who will lose the Scottish Parliamentary seat."

SWINNEY ACCUSES WALLACE OF COMPLACENCY AS WEAPONS CONVICTIONS UP 500%
Wed 4 Sep 02

SNP Leader John Swinney MSP today slammed Justice Minister Jim Wallace's complacency as new figures showed an unprecedented upsurge in crime involving knifes and offensive weapons. The figures obtained by the SNP in a Parliamentary Answer, show that between 1996 and 2000 convictions for carrying a blade rose by 347% and convictions for carrying an offensive weapon rose by 501%. "By his comments today Jim Wallace has completely failed to acknowledge that there is a problem. This is complacency at its very worst and is not what the Scottish people expect from the Justice Minister," said Mr Swinney. "These latest figures only confirm that carrying and using knives is commonplace on our streets. More therefore needs to be done to combat this knife carrying culture and those who carry knives must face the full force of the law." Mr Swinney added, "It is important however that there is a dual approach whereby adequate resources are made available at a local level to divert young people away from a life of crime in the first place while the hardcore of young offenders are taken off our streets." Mr Swinney also welcomed the growing consensus over the need to tackle knife crime as the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said the message about the danger of carrying knives must be driven home and Victim Support Scotland warned knife attacks had a terrible effect on the victims.

CUNNINGHAM - PRISON INSPECTOR'S REPORT "SCATHING"
Wed 4 Sep 02

Roseanna Cunningham MSP today described Clive Fairweather's last Annual Report as Chief Inspector of Prisons as "scathing" and said neither the Executive nor prison service senior management come out of the Report well. "The pulls no punches in highlighting what shortcomings within the prison system. Overcrowding and slopping out are yet again exposed as unacceptable," said Ms Cunningham. "Mr Fairweather is particularly scathing about the lack of work being done with short-term prisoners and frankly, if we are sending offenders out of prison gates unchanged in their behaviour from when they went in then the system is failing society." The SNP Shadow Justice Minister also said the report which makes particular mention of the exceptional work done amongst sex offenders at Peterhead prison, underlined "how completely wrong-headed the Executives plans to close such a successful and trail-blazing institution was". She also said the report's comments on staffing levels at the private prison in Kilmarnock being 'dangerously low' were extremely worrying, particularly in light of the fact that over a quarter of all deaths in custody sinc e last March have happened at Kilmarnock. Ms Cunningham continued, "Both the Justice Minister and the Chief Executive of the SPS need to take responsibility for a prison system which does not deliver the service which should be expected in a civilised society."

LABOUR MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOLDING MINISTERIAL OFFICE
Tue 3 Sep 02

Fiona Hyslop MSP, the Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business today called on Labour to disclose how many members of the Scottish Executive had demanded time off from their ministerial jobs to allow them to attack the SNP. Ms Hyslop was speaking after media reports revealed that Deputy Justice Minister Richard Simpson had demanded his workload be reduced to allow him to campaign against SNP MSP George Reid in the key marginal seat of Ochil. "It is disgraceful that Richard Simpson has asked civil servants for time off from his ministerial job to allow him to spend time attacking the SNP. Dr Simpson is happy enough to accept the extra salary and ministerial car that goes with his post, but he seems reluctant to accept the responsibilities that come with the perks," said Ms Hyslop. "The taxpayer is paying him a substantial salary to do his job as Deputy Justice Minister. This is a post that covers crucial policies such as drugs, yet he seems more interested in attacking his local SNP opponent, the Parliament's Deputy Presiding Officer George Reid. Many MSPs outside of government hold senior positions, such as Committee Convenors, and neither get paid for their efforts, nor expect to be allowed to shirk their responsibilities by taking time off." Ms Hyslop said the public now needed to know how many other ministers were treating their jobs with such contempt by demanding time off and abandoning their responsibilities in an effort to stave off defeat at the forthcoming election.

The SNP's National Secretary Stewart Hosie Policy Vice Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP today published the agenda for the Party's 68th Annual National Conference. "We have a packed agenda with 43 resolutions to be debated in Inverness later this month and SNP members will be taking part in a number
of debates," said Mr Hosie. "They range from current topics of debate like the first resolution supporting the Inverness-Highland European City of Culture Bid to the privatisation of postal services. We also have resolutions covering many other important areas of Scottish life like age discrimination, charity law, Gaelic, child poverty, defence, asylum seekers, rural affairs, transport, tourism, local government, pensions, and the enhancing and rejuvenation of the role local authorities play in Scotland." Fiona Hyslop added, "I am delighted to report that democracy and debate are very much live and kicking in the SNP. Unlike other parties who stage manage their conferences, their debates, and the topics for discussion, the SNP embrace the process and positively encourage our membership to take part in the policy making process." The Vice Convener for Policy concluded, "After Conference this year has discussed and debated these policies the SNP will be the best placed Party to deliver well prepared manifestos next year for the Scottish Parliament election and the elections to the 32 Councils across the country." And in his welcome message within the Conference Handbook SNP National Convener John Swinney MSP added, "This Conference is extremely important. It is our chance to convince the people of Scotland that the SNP are capable of improving this country and it is our opportunity to say: work with us not just to improve but to transform this great nation of ours. We will do that by openly debating in detail, resolutions on real things that matter to real people - the economy, justice, education, health, local government and across the public services."

SWINNEY REVEALS MASSIVE JUMP IN A&E WAITING TIMES
Tue 2 Sep 02

SNP Leader John Swinney MSP today exposed that waiting times for patients in Accident & Emergency Departments have risen massively since 1999. "These figure reveal the full extent of Labour's lack of delivery on the Health Service. They have put billions into the NHS yet the service has actually got worse," said the SNP leader. "A&E is a life saving service, yet waiting times just to see a doctor have gone up by half under Labour. Patients are now waiting on trolleys for the best part of four hours to get treatment." Mr Swinney also said patients were "effectively facing a postcode lottery in A&E care" as he highlighted areas of the country where departments, such as the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, are achieving very good results with 90% of trolley cases seeing a doctor in the first thirty minutes yet just down the road at Glasgow Royal Infirmary only a quarter will be seen as quickly. "Labour's refusal to recognise that the first step in sorting out the NHS must be sorting out the staffing crisis means that they will never be able to deliver on their health promises. Until we pay our staff a rate that gives Scotland a competitive advantage and attracts staff into out health service, we will not be able to reverse the continuing decline. That's why we have proposed an 11% pay rise for nurses, not just because they are underpaid, but also because it is the essential first step in improving patient care."

SNP Leader John Swinney MSP is to write to Scotland's Chief Inspector of Prisons calling on him to conduct an emergency inspection of HMP Kilmarnock after the SNP revealed official figures which show it to be the worst prison in Scotland. In response to SNP questions, Parliamentary Answers reveal that the private prison is: bottom of the league for unauthorised absences by prisoners; bottom of the league for possession of unauthorised material; bottom of the league for crimes of arson; and bottom of the league for damage or destruction of property. "These figures reveal a picture of Kilmarnock that makes it easily the worst prison in Scotland with a disciplinary record that is staggeringly poor, said Mr Swinney. "Despite this, ministers remain intent on going ahead with their plan to build yet more private prisons. Their own statistics tell them that private prisons don't work yet they are so obsessed with privatisation that they cannot accept that it is time to dump their crazy plan.

Shadow Enterprise Minister Andrew Wilson MSP has called on Environment Minister Ross Finnie to resign after he called the Director-General of the CBI an "English prat." Speaking after it was revealed that Mr Finnie had apologised for his insulting remark, Mr Wilson said the Minister had become an embarrassment and must now go. "Ross Finnie's comments may have been intended to be private, but he is a senior member of the cabinet and he knows that he is an ambassador for Scotland whether he is speaking publicly or privately. He may not like Mr Jones but to use his national identity as a personal slur is no better than the worst form of prejudice. His comment was rude, crude and verging on the bigoted." Mr Wilson said Mr Finnie was out of touch with the Scottish people and an embarrassment to both the Scottish Executive and the nation. "Just as with his incompetent handling of Glasgow' s water crisis, Ross Finnie's first instinct on being found out was to deny he had done anything wrong. He has been running round claiming he was misunderstood but has now had to issue an abject apology. It is time that he realised that all patience with him has now run out. He should resign and save himself and the nation any further embarrassment."

Children as young as 14 would be given access to college courses under proposals unveiled by the Scottish National Party. The new policy would make vocational courses available for the less academic youngsters in S3 and S4. It is among the SNP's policies for next year's Holyrood election, which were detailed to an audience of educationalists in Edinburgh by education spokesman Mike Russell. The party has also restated its commitment to smaller class sizes and called for greater simplicity in the system. Mr Russell said: "We are in danger of producing a generation of young people who because they are not interested or attuned to academic subjects find themselves marking time and wasting time in their final school years. I want to see developed a programme of activity which will allow pupils aged 14 and over to access subjects and facilities in our further education colleges - both to enhance vocational education and the life opportunities of those of our young people that wish to follow such a route." He argued that the "rigid structures of schooling" should not be allowed to hold back pupils who would do better elsewhere. Speaking at Edinburgh University's Moray House on Friday, Mr Russell highlighted the party's commitment to ending the use of Public Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes. He said the SNP would introduce not-for-profit trusts which he promised would match the levels of investment promised by Labour. Mr Russell claimed that the savings made under the SNP scheme would make it possible to build 92 new schools. He said the "Byzantine complexity" of the Scottish exams system failed to deliver certificates that were clear passports containing transparent and portable information. Mr Russell promised that an SNP government would simplify the system. He also stressed that a reduction in class sizes remained his top priority.

STILL NO GO FOR "SCO" NUMBER PLATES
Fri 30 Aug 02

A drive to have the Saltire flag displayed on the registration plates of new cars has been launched by the Scottish National Party. The party's transport spokesman Kenny MacAskill said that 40,000 newly registered cars will arrive in Scotland on Sunday. He said the number plates will either be blank at the side or bear "GB" under a European Union flag, despite a promise to change the law allowing Scottish symbols to be used. Last year the government announced a u-turn on a ban it had imposed on national symbols such as the Scottish flag being placed on number plates but the new rules have not yet come into force. "Scottish drivers want to display Scottish number plates," he said. "However, almost 40,000 new cars will drive off the forecourts on Sunday with the new registration, but so far it's still no go for SCO. The UK Government said they would address this problem, however no progress has been made so far. Scots motorists want their plates and want them now." The MSP said Westminster's failure to deliver the necessary rule changes meant the Scottish Parliament should be allowed to have control over the issue. He added: "How many more new cars must be bought and driven on our roads before we get our national plates. It's time to drive SCO forward."

NHS WAITING LIST FIGURES PAINT "A PICTURE OF LABOUR FAILURE"
Thu 29 Aug 02

Hospital waiting lists in Scotland have risen by nearly 8,000, according to figures released today. And the number of patients covered by a waiting list guarantee has also risen, the figures disclosed. The rise was set to prompt fresh criticism of the Executive by the SNP. The figures show 79,944 patients were waiting for in-patient or day-case treatment in June, an increase of 7,982 on this figure this spring. SNP shadow health minister Nicola Sturgeon claimed today's figures amounted to "a picture of Labour failure". She went on: "To make matters even worse, the Executive has failed to make any progress towards their new priority of reducing waiting times. Median waiting times are static and the number of patients waiting more than nine months for treatment has increased by more than 3,000 since 1999." She said the previous quarter's low figures came at a time when the Executive was striving to meet a target, and the figures had now risen again. That would suggest that in the last quarter they were simply indulging in their old trick of fiddling the figures," she claimed. "These figures paint a picture of a Lab-Lib coalition that is failing to deliver any real change for Scotland on health."