The Flag in the Wind
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I quite like the idea of a new colour, particularly as we are not ditching the yellow and black, which is good on posters, and led to Labour in Glasgow changing the colour of the speed cameras in case people thought they were SNP posters! The new slogan sounds OK, too, as the idea is "Give us the chance to show what we are made of", and it is a new departure. I am still seeing "Fiscal Autonomy" being floated about, and I had hoped for "Economic Independence" or even "Financial Independence", as some potential voters may have had bad experiences with fiscals of a different sort.

Anyway, a briefer Flag in the Wind this week , as I am off to Inverness to the Conference; I will not be doing a Conference Report as such, but merely impressions, as I go to meet old friends and sample the atmosphere ( go to the pub). Next week will also be fairly brief, as I am going on holiday on Thursday 3rd October for two weeks, but you will be left in the capable hands of Peter D Wright.

So, proportional representation for local elections - at a stroke, or not , as the case might be, and an end to Labour hegemonies in Scottish local government? It just so happens that the biggest party in the coalition, Her Majesty’s Loyal Imperialist Labour Party, is less than amused by this announcement; Glasgow District Council is opposed, COSLA (representing all Scottish local authorities, but dominated by Labour) is opposed and the executive of the Scottish Labour Party is opposed. As the chairman of the Scottish Labour Party, Richard Leonard, put it to Labour activists in Glasgow Kelvin at the weekend "We do not speak as a vested interest but as democrats when we say as a party we do not support proportional representation for local council elections. That is why we will enter the 2003 elections on a platform pf reinvigorating local democracy but not breaking the direct link between councillor and community; of strengthening local government not undermining it to create local administration." (I am assuming that he actually said this tosh, as it was reported verbatim in two different newspapers.)

The only platform that Labour are concerned about is the one they might be left standing on while someone else is at the controls of what has been up to now their gravy train; as far as Labour Party democracy is concerned, I am reminded of a TV programme some years back on the Durham Miners’ Gala. It was hailed as the Greatest Democratic Demonstration in the world; being interviewed "If you vote Tory up our way, you get a brick through your window." quoth one democratic miner.

The First Minister, Jack McConnell, is not expected to give the bill his public backing at this stage, and he might well be in the position of actually attacking his own agreed policy during the election campaign; this should not give him any problems, having already allowed Lord Watson to flout cabinet responsibility during the Glasgow health fiasco. In any event, if Labour have an overall majority at the next election, the the bill goes no further. If the Liberals were interested then they could have supported Tricia Marwick’s bill, which the business committee of the Parliament had put on hold pending the Executive’s announcement; this was the bill which Mr McConnell scorned just a month or two back saying "I see no bill", so Tricia produced one, just like that. According to reliable reports there is virtually no difference between it and the one proposed; there are two big obstacles, though. The first is that Tricia is in the SNP, and the second,even weightier objection, is that it could become law for the elections in May 2003; as it is the whole issue is being kicked into the long grass, just like the abolition of student tuition fees that never was.

Whatever the Liberals think, or wish to delude themselves with, Scottish Labour will fight tooth and nail to retain the present voting system, and the power and privileges this gives them; the Liberals decision to join Labour in coalition before a vote has been cast is naive in the extreme.

A former Labour Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan, earned notoriety when, in response to calls for a General Election, he sang at the Labour Conference in 1978 "There was I waiting at the church, she left me in the lurch" before crashing to defeat in 1979; we recommend the practice to Mr Wallace.

HECTOR’S HAVEN

I understand that the issue has now been mentioned on BBC TV, although I missed that, but I have now seen it referred to in the Observer, the Scotsman and the Herald over the last few days; apparently the Inland Revenue said it was selling the properties to a UK company, Mapeley Ltd, when in fact it was selling them to Mapeley Steps, owned by George Soros, he who made a few billions out of the pound on Black or White Wednesday. To those who missed the original story, a recap: the Inland Revenue sold all its buildings for £2 billion to a company called Mapeley Steps on a rent and service cost basis for the next 20 years. The company, being registered in Bermuda, pays no tax; we do not know how much this deal is costing the Inland Revenue (ultimately - us) due to commercial confidentiality. The National Audit Office may investigate the deal, but a Treasury spokesman says "It is not a political question."

This is all part of the Private Finance Initiative, which Labour condemned when in opposition, and while the Chancellor has been shouting about "naming and shaming" the worst tax havens, more and more Government agencies are using tax havens to save money; Network Rail, the London Underground and the Strategic Rail Authority are all funnelling millions into Guernsey, where insurance costs less. These are not commercial undertakings, these are massive consumers of public money (ours) using legal, but not necessarily moral , ways of dodging tax; they are following the example of these great British institutions, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone, who all have insurance companies registered offshore.

However, now that the press is on the job, it is nice to know that somebody is looking after the non-taxpayer’s money.

WE TOLLED YOU SO

As a car-owning Edinburgh resident for over 30 years I did not see a questionnaire, so nobody consulted me; how many more of us are there? Also, the study carried out by the University of Westminster (pardon?) found that 51% of the people had "voted" for a city centre toll cordon, so by a narrow majority it could go ahead. Well, just like first past the post voting, a majority of one is a majority. Then another wee skeleton popped out of the cupboard; apparently, only 42% actually "voted" for the cordon, but because not enough non car owners had responded, the researchers upped the figure to compensate! Run that one past me again; because not enough people "voted" for the preferred option, it was decided that this is what they would have "voted" - if they knew what was good for them! It is hardly credible, but that is what happened, and Labour were aggrieved when they were found out.

There is no doubt that some action is required to sort out Edinburgh’s traffic problems; at the moment there are "traffic calming " measures everywhere, which infuriate motorists, but don’t help pedestrians, and another little thing which Professor David Begg landed us with before he emigrated to Aberdeen, bus lanes, or Greenways. Now we have a long line of cars, lorries and vans occupying a single lane, with a totally empty lane beside them for buses; as Edinburgh busdrivers are due to go on strike in the next week or so, can drivers then use the bus lanes? The other consequence of the Thatcher years is that because there are no bus conductors, buses spend longer at stops, poisoning the air even further; that is happening everywhere, not just Edinburgh.

One salient point the survey team and their political commissars didn’t even think about; all pedestrians are not drivers, but all drivers are pedestrians.

FOOT IN THE MOUTH NOTES

Or to put the matter into perspective as historian James Halliday does in "Scotland A Concise History" "There was no such thing as a "Union of the Crowns". The king of Scots merely, and personally, inherited an additional office, which paid much better than his old one. The two kingdoms were in no sense united, and Scotland was left in the hands of managers while her king went off to better himself."

Friday 13th September 2002 was the deadline for former Tory Westminster Council leader, Dame Shirley Porter, to pay a £27 million surcharge in the council houses for votes scandal. The House of Lords had upheld the district auditor’s finding that Dame Shirley, daughter of Tesco’s founder, had sold council houses off cheap to potential Tory voters to influence the voting in marginal wards.

Friday 13th was definitely unlucky for some, but not La Belle Dame; she has now moved all her assets to Israel and has paid and will pay nothing.

It would seem that correct pronunciation of the English language still has a way to go if a British Airways advert in the Observer is any guide.

For only £89 return, you can fly from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Benbecular.

Jack Straw, the foreign secretary has apologised for previous government statements claiming that they had not received any application for a licence to export hawk jet trainers to India; he said "This new information is obviously important and I am sorry that an oversight by officials meant that our public position has given a misleading impression."

The application from BAE Systems was recommended by Foreign Office ministers before the last election, and it was approved by ministers at the department of trade and industry in September last year; despite the high profile of the issue the government has steadfastly denied knowledge of the application. Got found out, then.

Tesco and four other supermarket groups are being investigated by the Thai government on charges that they forced price cuts on local suppliers in return for agreement to stock their products; those found guilty would be liable to a fine of £100,000, and executives could be jailed for three years.

Scottish dairy farmers are watching this with interest.

I was listening to a news report on Classic FM on Wednesday about the new Wembley Stadium; it did not say that the deal was being financed by the German bank, WestLB, or even that fees to bankers and lawyers so far amounted to £82 million, but it contrasted its proposed cost of £712 million with other stadia throughout the world.

I am at a loss to understand why I burst out laughing when the announcer said "And...........Stadium in Japan, where England beat Argentina, only cost.........."

Some of them would just claim the fines through their expenses.

ROSEANNA TACKLES YOUTH CRIME & FAMILY COURTS
Wed 25 Sep 02

At a debate on youth justice at SNP Conference Shadow Justice Minister, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, said the SNP would deal with the problem of youth crime and disorder that blights our communities. Ms Cunningham promised a twin track approach that would tackle serious offenders as well as early intervention programmes to stop youths starting on a life of crime.

Speaking in Inverness Ms Cunningham said, "The SNP have come up with practical proposals which will make a real difference. We need Children's Panels to be properly resourced; young people need early education in civic behaviour; we need a network of early intervention programmes across Scotland which would support vulnerable youngsters before they set out on a life of crime. Parents must take more responsibility for their children's offending behaviour; serious, repeat offenders must be confronted with effective sanctions up to and including custody, which is why we have called for the number of secure accommodation places to be increased. For all of that to work properly, we need to see more police on the beat, something else the SNP has been saying for years."

MARGARET EWING MSP ADDRESSES SNP CONFERENCE
Wed 25 Sep 02

Margaret Ewing MSP, Moray MSP and Chair of the SNP Scottish Parliamentary Group today addressed the SNP Conference in Inverness telling the audience that the alternative for Scotland was either more fixes, more fudges more muddles, more scandals from the current Scottish Executive or releasing our potential with the SNP.

In her speech Mrs Ewing said, "This party is closer to power than at any stage in its lifetime and mine. Never in my 21 years as an elected representative have I ever felt more confident that independence lies just ahead of us. We have potential in spades, but we need the full financial and economic powers of independence if we are to release it."

'INDEPENDENCE WOULD GUARANTEE SCOTTISH HOST CITY' - EWING
Wed 25 Sep 02

SNP Leader, John Swinney MSP, has given his backing to the Inverness and the Highlands bid to become European Capital of Culture 2008. Support for the bid was the subject of the opening debate at the SNP Conference this morning. Speaking in the debate Inverness East MSP, Fergus Ewing, pointed out that independence for Scotland would guarantee a Scottish host city for the international event.

Mr Ewing commented, "As an independent country within the EU, Scotland would be entitled to have one of its cities become European Capital of Culture for a particular year, as member states take it in turn to host the event. That compares to the current situation where the Inverness bid is competing against many other candidate cities from throughout the UK, all wanting to become the Capital of Culture in 2008."

SNP PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR SCOTS FIREFIGHTERS
Wed 25 Sep 02

At their annual conference in Inverness today, the SNP pledged their support for Scots firefighters in their campaign for better pay. Conference passed a topical resolution tabled by Shadow Public Services Minister, Tricia Marwick MSP and supported by Stewart Maxwell, SNP spokesperson for Eastwood constituency, who works in the Emergency Control Building of Strathclyde Fire Brigade. Before the debate Mrs Marwick and Mr Maxwell welcomed a delegation of Inverness firemen to conference to listen to the debate.

Commenting Mrs Marwick said, " The SNP recognise the valuable and courageous work undertaken by the Fire Service and by fire service personnel. We therefore call for the introduction of a new pay formula and for a commensurate level of pay for firefighters. Firefighters are essential public servants and it is incumbent on the Labour Government to recognise that fact and ensure that negotiations to settle the dispute are held as soon as possible."

LIB-DEMS PLAYING CATCH UP OVER FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
Wed 25 Sep 02

Commenting on the news that the Lib Dems propose to devolve control of employee's National Insurance contributions to Holyrood, SNP Shadow Economy Minister, Andrew Wilson MSP, said that we need to complete the powers of the Scottish Parliament if we are serious about placing our economy at a competitive advantage. Mr Wilson said, "I welcome the fact that the Lib Dems now agree that the current complete lack of financial powers in the Scottish Parliament is unsustainable. However this latest attempt by them to catch up on this debate still leaves Scotland with utterly marginal responsibility and could make little or no difference to our economic competitiveness. We need proper powers and proper responsibility so that we can have a more complete approach to funding public services, restoring trust in taxes and placing our economy at a competitive advantage."

SNP LEADER URGES CAUTION ON IRAQ
Wed 25 Sep 02

The leader of the Scottish National Party has urged the UK Government to abide by international law before taking part in any military strike against Iraq. Opening his party's annual conference in Inverness John Swinney said "incontrovertible evidence" of the threat from Saddam Hussein was needed before an attack could be launched. The SNP chief told delegates he had no doubt Saddam was a "brutal dictator" who had "flouted the wishes of the international community" on numerous occasions. But he insisted that international law had to be upheld when deciding how to deal with his threat. And he said his party was totally opposed to any unilateral action against Iraq by individual countries without a UN mandate. The SNP leader said: "As a matter of course UN weapons inspectors must be given free and unfettered access to sites they wish to investigate in Iraq. Before any military offensive is launched, there must be incontrovertible evidence to justify any action. Any unilateral action by any country is, in this party's terms, completely and utterly unacceptable." Mr Swinney also said that more needed to be done to restore stability to the Middle East as a whole.

SNP CALLS FOR CHARITY WATCHDOG
Wed 25 Sep 02

SNP activists today backed plans to set up a regulator to crack down on bogus charities. Delegates backed a resolution tabled by MSPs Tricia Marwick, Roseanna Cunningham and Kenny MacAskill which said a law was needed to "maintain public confidence" in Scottish charities. The McFadden Report, which was published in May last year, called for a regulator to be established, but so far ministers have failed to bring forward legislation. On the first day of the SNP conference in Inverness, delegates agreed a charity law should be one of the top priorities if the party triumphs next May. The Mid-Scotland & Fife MSP said the law would give the public confidence that their donations were being properly spent. She said: "Charities must be able to do their work in a professional manner while retaining the trust of the public, whom they rely on for donations. The regulator is absolutely necessary to oversee their work. At present there is no organisation in Scotland that deals with such matters and this situation cannot be allowed to continue."

JOHN SWINNEY TALKS "POTENTIAL" TO RECLAIM INDEPENDENCE
Tue 24 Sep 02

SNP leader John Swinney today unveiled his plans to woo potential swing voters and deliver Independence. Mr Swinney said he was convinced that the party's new slogan "Release our potential" and its election campaign would resonate with the electorate and deliver a SNP government. Mr Swinney  spoke as his party prepares to meet for their annual conference, which this year is being held in Inverness. As well as the new slogan, the party also unveiled the new colour which forms part of its election posters between now and next May. Party bosses chose the colour, Heather, after extensive research conducted among its own supporters as well as the wider electorate. New campaign posters featuring Mr Swinney and other senior party figures were also unveiled today and are set to appear on billboards up and down the country over the next seven months. Mr Swinney said: "Release our potential is simple, and it means Independence. Our powerful new slogan encapsulates and underpins the main themes we will use in our bid to win the trust and confidence of the Scottish people. It places Independence at the heart of our campaign. It enables the SNP to reclaim Independence from those who, in 1999, tried to label it as negative, and provides the platform we need to persuade the Scottish people of the positive benefits of Independence." At a pre-conference media briefing at the party's headquarters in Edinburgh, the SNP election co-ordinator Nicola Sturgeon described the new campaign as "positive and ambitious". She said: "We want to speak about solutions not problems, the future not the past and of Scotland's potential not its shortcomings. Release Our Potential allows us to present ourselves as the credible party for power, a party with popular policies and a party that reflects how Scots want their government to be."

SNP Euro MP Ian Hudghton is encouraging budding artists (aged 10 to 15 years old) to take part in a Europe-wide competition to highlight 2003, the European Year of People with Disabilities. Explaining what's behind the competition, which is being staged right across the continent, Mr Hudghton said, "The EU is running the competition to highlight the themes of 2003, the European Year of People with Disabilities and to enable young citizens to share their ideas on what can be done to improve the lives of people who have a disability. Their ideas can focus on changes in the workplace, at home, in the classroom, on holiday, playing, travelling or whatever. The choice is theirs to make." One winning design will be chosen per country and it will be used to create the official national postcard for the European Year of the People with Disabilities 2003.

HOMELESSNESS REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH UNDER LABOUR
Tue 24 Sep 02

SNP Shadow Social Justice Minister, Kenneth Gibson MSP, today attacked the Executive's plan to change the way they count homelessness as a "fiddle". His attack came as new official figures show that homelessness in Scotland has reached an all time high. The new figures show that applications to local authorities by households for assessment as homeless has risen to 46,380 in 2001-2002, compared to 40,989 in 96-97. Commenting Mr Gibson said, "These figures show the abject failure of New Labour to address the blight of homelessness. To make matters worse, rather than addressing the problem, New Labour have adopted the old Tory trick of fiddling the figures by changing the way they are assessed. They have been rumbled and must now come clean on what they will do to make homelessness in Scotland a thing of the past."

Shadow Transport Minister Kenny MacAskill MSP and SNP PPC for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, David Thompson, today launched a paper calling on the Scottish Executive to act to roll out Broadband for the Highlands. Visiting Inverness to publish the paper Mr MacAskill said Broadband was essential for Highland businesses and communities and published details of Broadband roll out in countries such as Norway and Sweden and even the South Pole. Calling for Executive action on a coherent Broadband strategy, he said. "For too long the Highlands have been damaged by poor transport infrastructure. We must not replicate the wrongs and errors of the 20th century regarding transport. We must ensure that this does not re-occur with Broadband in the 21st century." Mr MacAskill said this could not be demand led but there needed to be government investment. "We need Ministerial action not words. There must have a coherent thought out strategy, if the South Pole can have Broadband why can't Sutherland?" David Thompson agreed saying, "The Executive must show more support for Highland communities and businesses. They must put their money where their mouth is and give Highlands and Islands Enterprise the backing and resources needed to roll out broadband."