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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November
1926)
"Promoting all that is best in Scottish
Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland."
[Issue 166 -
8th August 2003]
|
Compiled by Jim Lynch |
Lots of great information to
read and enjoy under our
Features Section:
Scots
Language | Scottish Food |
Dates in History |
Scot Wit and lots more!
LATE BUT IN EARNEST
The above is the family motto
of the Kerr family, and it was prompted by a conversation with Andrew J T
Kerr, that dedicated Nationalist and inveterate writer of letters; looking
at the latest System Three Opinion Poll, he commented to me that the
political obituaries for John Swinney, seemed a bit premature. My response
was that the media had failed to notice that it was his wedding that had
just been held, not his funeral. As it is, the good news in the poll is a
bit late, but well meant!
With typical political
arrogance, the "challenger" to John Swinney told the press that it was his
challenge that had generated the increase in the SNP percentage! As the
challenge was perhaps high profile in the media and political world, it
passed the average voter by; System Three send out researchers to speak face
to face to voters picked at random each time, and for 90% of them, the
"challenger" would not appear on the radar screen at all. However, any
prospective politician requires a degree of egotism.
In my opinion, the poll does
show a reaction to the events in Iraq, and the aftermath both here and in
that unhappy country; there was a great deal of opposition to the war, but
once the die was cast, the people subconsciously backed our troops, and by
inference, the Labour Party. Now that the official war is over, and no proof
of the reasons advanced for it has appeared, the people are realising that
their original misgivings were right; the mess that the coalition forces, or
to be more accurate, the US forces, have to handle, with no knowledge or
experience, only strengthens this view.
Scottish Parliament Voting
Intention
| |
LABOUR |
S N P |
LIB DEM |
TORY |
OTHER |
| |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
| Election |
35 |
29 |
24 |
20 |
15 |
14 |
17 |
16 |
9 |
23 |
| Last Year |
39 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
12 |
15 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
16 |
| Now |
31 |
26 |
31 |
27 |
15 |
16 |
13 |
9 |
9 |
22 |
What it does show is that the
public have a better perception of how things stand than do the media, and
while the result is academic at this stage, at least it gives some
indication as to how the SNP is being regarded at present. With all the fuss
being made by a minority it puts things into perspective.
The reason I show the
Analysis of Others separately is that putting all the voting percentages in
the one line would make the figures too small to fit comfortably, newspapers
can vary column width, but on the Web a page is a page is a page!
Analysis of Others
| |
SSP |
Green |
Others |
| |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
1st % |
2nd % |
| Election |
6 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
9 |
| Last Year |
6 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
| Now |
5 |
9 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
The SSP has gone
up a bit, although we seem to have seen more of Rosie Kane than Tommy
Sheridan, and the Greens also up a bit, although some seem to be unaware
that they do not contest constituency seats! The Others figure has also
dropped considerably, but it should be more volatile anyway.
As far as the SNP is
concerned this is a good poll, as we are shown in a good light, and, as Alex
Salmond pointed out, we are the leading party in Scotland, which is a bit
sad for our critics. The poll was conducted by System Three for the Herald,
as has been the case for years, and we all know there is no love lost
between the Herald and the Scotsman; on the day the poll was published the
Scotsman had a big screed on John Swinney, with a singularly unflattering
picture of him, but no comment on the poll. I found this puzzling, as I was
sure they had mentioned it somewhere, and the Swinney article was the
logical home; I eventually found a grudging paragraph squeezed in at the end
of an article on bureaucrats, with a picture of a Tory, Brian Monteith.
Well, they did acknowledge it!
TORY PARTY IN DENIAL
 There
was a very indignant letter in the Herald from the Chairman of the Scottish
Tories, resenting comments made about their performance, and pointing out
how they always did better than the System Three poll, and that thus the
poll was rubbish. The man went at great length about how maligned they were,
and the poll inaccuracies, but being a Tory, he omitted two points.
The first was that people do
not like to admit they are Tories, it is something done by consenting adults
in the privacy of the polling booth, but they are happy to lie to pollsters.
The second, and more fundamental point omitted, is that the percentage
depends on voter turnout; Tories are generally much more likely to vote, and
this in itself is a great benefit. One of the political axioms in every
election was that the standard equipment for a Tory knocker-up (a person who
goes around getting the voters out) was a spade, as they even went to the
graveyard! To put it very simply, if there are 200 people voting, and 10 of
them vote Tory, then the percentage is 5%; if only 100 actually turn out to
vote, and that includes the 10 Tories, the percentage is 10% - Wow!! -
Double!!
Naturally, when you take
these two factors into account, the Tories do not want to admit the first,
as that would be an admission that an awful lot of Tories are liars, but
then we are all human, but perhaps just lie about different things. As far
as the low turnout is concerned, if they admit that, then they also excuse
any percentage drop for other parties, and as they had a good belt at the
SNP whose actual vote was down on the poll just before the Scottish
Election, as it suffered from the low turnout. Having to admit that your
party does better when the vote is low does not play well!
Being of an enquiring
disposition, I looked at their total votes in 2003, compared with 1999, to
see if their vote had held up, which would have justified the Tory attitude;
the result is as follows
| |
1999 |
2003 |
Fall |
% |
| Constituency Vote |
364225 |
318180 |
46045 |
12.64 |
| List Vote |
359109 |
296929 |
62180 |
17.32 |
| Total |
723334 |
615109 |
108225 |
14.96 |
Yes, I know that the SNP
dropped also from one election to the other, but we are not greeting about
the fairness of an opinion poll; despite the consenting adults and the low
poll, the Tories dropped 15% from one Election to another. In the letter
rubbishing System Three, and taking up almost a full column, the writer
completely ignored the fact that 108225 faithful Tories did not turn out
second time around.
NEWS? WHAT NEWS?
 The
newspaper "Scotland on Sunday" made great play on the "fact" that the
Scottish National Party was £500,000 in debt. What I found news was that the
paper thought this was news! In my 37 years in the Party we have always been
short of cash, and as the political system has changed, the demands for
money have changed as well.
When I joined the SNP we
had General Elections and local elections and that was it. Now we have
General Elections, Scottish Parliament Elections, European Elections, and
local elections, even a Referendum; where once we relied on "body heat", we
are now into press and public relations, glossy broadcasts, and we have to
service our elected representatives, with offices, parliamentary assistants,
research assistants, and all the paraphernelia of the modern political
world. 30 years ago, we had Alba Pools, run by the late indomitable Angus
McGillveray, which financed the Party; now we have nothing like that, as it
belonged to a different age.
The Tory Party gets money
from big business, or used to, but they are £5.4 million in debt; Labour
gets money from big business, and also money taken by stealth from the
workers under union dues, and handed over to them, but still manage to be
£15 million in debt; for some reason the Liberals manage to be in the black.
However the press reporting is vague, to say the least, and confuses income
and expenditure with balance sheets, so it is not entirely clear what is
happening; to get a clear picture, I would need to get a set of each party’s
accounts, and life’s too short for that.
I have received the following email from Peter Murrell,
which I reproduce with his blessing:
The headlines on Sunday claimed
that the Party is now £500,000 in debt.
It was not the best of reports for us but I am emailing to reassure you that
things are not as bleak as the press likes to imagine. I am also emailing to
offer you a solution.
The press knows that every major political party has debts and yes, we are
less fortunate than most of the others because we only have each other to
raise money from - no trade unions, no big business.
There are no surprise debts - only controlled financial planning. Last year
we took a balanced approach to overdraft management and placed an equal
emphasis on building operational muscle for the elections whilst maintaining
tight financial control. The result is that our operational debt is £192,252
- the rest of the reported 'debt' is mainly interest free loans the Party
has received from our members and local organisations.
It is important that you know we are in control of the debt and have a
strong plan of recovery in place. We do, however, need to raise money for
the European elections as well as paying off our overdraft.
THE FACT IS IF EVERY PERSON RECEIVING THIS EMAIL SENT A £100 DONATION,
THE DEBT WOULD BE COMPLETELY WIPED OUT!
The press wants to demotivate us - let's take the opportunity to do the
opposite. Remember, WE ONLY HAVE EACH OTHER - no big business, no
trade unions - so please send whatever you can afford NOW!
And thank you - for everything you have done so far!
Here's how to donate...
Online with your credit or debit card by clicking
http://www.snp.org/index_hires.php?pageName=pyp/donate.php
Or send a donation to me, made payable to SNP, at: - "Thank you Scotland on
Sunday", SNP HQ, 107 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH2 4JH.
PETER MURRELL
Chief Executive
Being a kind and caring
person, I have forwarded the email to 10 people, who perhaps used to
consider me a friend!
WHOSE HOME OFFICE???
 The
Ay family, Turkish Kurds, have now been deported to Germany; this has been
done on the authority of the English Home Office, and this would seem to be
their prerogative. Refugees in England, they decide, and they don’t want
them, so off they go.
However, it is not as
simple and straightforward as that; the Ay family has spent the last year in
Scotland, in a detention centre which has been more like a concentration
camp. The father was deported to Turkey in March this year, and nothing has
been heard from him since; Kurds are very much an oppressed minority in
Turkey, and in the invasion of Iraq, the Americans had to go into the
Kurdish areas of Iraq to prevent the Turks from taking them over. It is
forbidden to teach the Kurdish language in schools, and there are a lot of
restrictions on Kurds
The case against the Ay
family is that they are serial absconders; they stayed in Germany, were
refused asylum there, and then they found their way to Britain. They stayed
in Gravesend in Kent for three years. What this means is that the father was
determined not to take his family back to Turkey, and has done his damnedest
to stay here. Britain has now deported the rest of the family to Germany,
and the Germans are shocked at the treatment the Ay family received in
Britain, or rather Scotland.
Dungavel Detention Centre is
in Scotland, and for over a year, the four children of the Ay family,
Beriwan 14, Newroz 3, Dilovan 12 and Medya 8, have been living behind barbed
wire in this, our country; they have committed no crime. An appeal was
launched by various religious leaders and others as follows:
"We wish to make an appeal
that this family should be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom. We have no
wish to enter into the legal arguments of the Ay family’s application for
asylum. Our concern is one of human rights and reparation for what we feel
has been a grave injustice committed against them, particularly the four
children."
The appeal was signed by Rev
John Cairns, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland, the Rt Rev Joseph Devine, Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell, Rt
Rev Idris Jones, Episcopal Bishop of Glasgow, Rt Rev John Mone, Roman
Catholic Bishop of Paisley and chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace
Commission, M Ashraf Anjun, president Islamic Centre, Glasgow, Dr Frank
Murphy, former psychological services manager, South Lanarkshire District
Council and Bill Speirs, general secretary STUC.
As I said, Dungavel is in
Scotland, and as far as is known, is staffed by officers from the Scottish
Prison Service; the prison system is devolved , but refugees are the
responsibility of the "Home Office". Notwithstanding this, when the Glasgow
Herald asked every member of the Scottish Executive "Should the Ay family
have been held in a detention centre for a year and was it right or wrong to
deport them?" they did not receive any individual answers.
The response from a spokesman
for the Scottish Executive was "The Scottish Executive has always made sure
that those families who have been granted asylum are made welcome in
Scotland.
"That is why we work closely
with local authorities and other organisations such as the Scottish Refugee
Council to make sure that these families have access to the support and
services which they need.
"Scottish ministers are clear
that responsibility for considering applications for asylum is not devolved
and lies with the Home Office. As such it would be inappropriate for the
Scottish Executive to comment."
We would like to think that a
real Scottish Government run by the SNP would have responded in a
humanitarian fashion and not in the supine, hand washing way the
Labour/Liberal coalition did.
FOOT IN THE MOUTH NOTES
 Despite
all the wars and peacekeeping duties it would seem that the Ministry of
Defence is determined to reduce the British Army even further. One of the
Scottish regiments destined for the axe is the Royal Scots; we would suggest
that the regiment be retained, and stationed at the Scottish Parliament as
the security service for the current craven Scottish Executive. (See
previous article.)
The Royal Scots are known
colloquially as Pontius Pilate’s Bodyguard.
In a letter to the Scotsman
last week, the Chairman of the English Liberal Party, writing from
Liverpool, was severely critical of the voting system used for the Scottish
and Welsh Parliaments.
Pity he didn’t check with
his Scottish colleagues; it was the Liberals in cahoots with Labour who came
up with the system.
 George
Galloway’s house in Portugal has been broken into, and his computer, desk
and chair stolen; according to Mr Galloway the only thing in the computer
was the first draft of his memoirs.
Must be tough being an
illiterate Portugese burglar.
The English Shadow Home
Secretary, Oliver Letwin, says that the answer to England’s overcrowded
jails is to create more open prisons, where inmates come and go to work and
the gates are often not locked.
We agree; many
prisoners, not guilty of the scale of the crimes of Jeffrey Archer, deserve
at the least the same standard he was given. Mr Letwin carefully avoided any
reference to the former Tory Party Chairman.
 Writing
in the Observer last week, on railway subsidies, Sir Christopher Foster said
"......perhaps, public money should be targeted only where it is essential -
on the commuter lines in London and the South-East for instance- and let the
market take care of the rest. But what ever happens, it is imperative that
we know all the facts about the subsidy soakaways that are our railways."
Sir Christopher Foster is
the former chairman of the RAC Foundation and was an advisor to the (Tory)
government, 1992-93 on rail privatisation.
The Scotsman newspaper, owned
by the Barclay brothers, reclusive tax exiles, and managed by arch Unionist
Andrew Neil, is virulently anti SNP, and anti the Scottish Parliament; since
last year its circulation has dropped from 75,899 to 69,841.
Sheer coincidence, of
course.
According to reports, Lady
Thatcher is living in increasing isolation, rarely visited by her political
friends; the report says "She has been abandoned and forgotten, with few
close friends to share her old age."
Now who was it who said
"There is no such thing as society"?
 Swiss
arms manufacturer Ruag refused to supply the British Ministry of Defence
with hand grenades for the invasion of Iraq; they have a contract to supply
the grenades, which are "State of the art, with high penetration and maximum
fragmentation guaranteed. Just the thing for clearing bunkers, trenches and
fortified houses." The reason the Swiss refused to supply is that they will
not condone their use as "offensive weapons."
We are at a loss as to
why the MoD entered in to such a contract, and why the manufacturer makes
them in the first place, as any weapon has to be offensive; it is like a
baker refusing to sell you pies because you would only eat them.
BEAVERING AWAY
As we keep saying, MPs and
MSPs still working away, during the long hot summer.
181,000 POUNDS BONUSES "A SLAP IN THE
FACE"
Wed 6 Aug 03
 "NO
EXCUSE FOR FAT CAT BEHAVIOUR" - CUNNINGHAM
Scottish Water bosses decision to award themselves bonuses totalling 181,000
pounds, despite laying off hundreds of staff and mismanaging the
cryptosporidium outbreak in Glasgow, was described as "a slap in the face"
today by Shadow Environment Minister Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP.
Speaking after figures in the
publicly owned company's annual accounts revealed that seven directors
received bonuses of up to 31,000 pounds, taking their salaries up to between
119,000 and 175,000 pounds, Ms Cunningham said:
"This is a slap in the face
for the people of Glasgow and the Scottish Water workers facing the dole.
"Directors are already
receiving well over 100,000 pounds a year. To get huge bonuses after their
farcical handling of the cryptosporidium outbreak is simply adding insult to
injury.
"This is a PR disaster for
Scottish Water. Bonuses should be paid to reward success. With hundreds
being laid off, and thousands of people's health put at risk by contaminated
water, there is no excuse for this fat cat behaviour from a publicly owned
company."
Editors Note:
The annual account can be accessed
www.scottishwater.co.uk/html/report_archive.html
They show that seven directors received bonuses. The table below details
their total pay in thousands ('000's)
| |
Salary |
Bonus |
Benefits |
Total |
| Jon Hargreaves |
150 |
21 |
4 |
175 |
| Geoff Aitkenhead |
110 |
31 |
4 |
145 |
| Christopher Banks |
105 |
29 |
5 |
139 |
| Cheryl Black |
105 |
29 |
5 |
139 |
| Douglas Millican |
110 |
31 |
5 |
146 |
| Mark Adderley |
95 |
19 |
5 |
119 |
| Paul Pagliari |
100 |
21 |
5 |
126 |
78 PERCENT OF CHILDMINDERS
HAVE NO QUALIFICATIONS
Tue 5 Aug 03
 CHILDCARE
MUST BE MOVED UP POLITICAL AGENDA SAYS HYSLOP
The Scottish Executive must increase their efforts to make sure that more of
Scotland's childminders have child care qualifications and take action to
attract more people into the job, SNP Shadow Children Minister Ms Fiona
Hyslop MSP said today . Figures released today show that:
* 78 percent of childminders
in Scotland have no qualifications that relate to childcare, a total of
4810.
* Since 1998 there has been a 22.5 percent drop in the number of
childminders, down to 6211.
Commenting, Ms Hyslop said:
"Not only has the number of
childminders in Scotland dropped by over 22 percent, but it is also very
worrying that almost 80 percent of these do not have relevant childcare
qualifications.
"Childcare plays a vital part
in allowing parents to go back to work, which will help to reduce the number
of children living in poverty, but we have to make sure that our children
are being cared for by properly qualified people.
"Other European countries,
such as Sweden manage childcare more successfully and the Executive should
take a leaf out of their book and improve facilities in Scotland to meet
demand from parents.
"We have to take childcare as
a serious issue. It is imperative for our children's development and the
economic future of our country that childcare is moved up the political
agenda."
NUMBER 10 DENIGRATE KELLY AS 'WALTER
MITTY'
Tue 5 Aug 03
 "BLAIR
WILL BE OUT BY CHRISTMAS AT THIS RATE"
Commenting on the row over Tony Blair's official spokesperson, Tom Kelly,
referring to the late Dr David Kelly as a 'Walter Mitty' character, the
Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Mr Alex Salmond MP said:
"We are now seeing behind the
shiny façade of New Labour to the ugly reality that lies beneath.
"There is revulsion and
disgust at this deliberate attempt to denigrate the late Dr David Kelly, and
try to deprive him of his reputation. It is even worse than the infamous Jo
Moore e-mail about 11 September being 'a good day to bury bad news' - which
ultimately resulted in her resignation, and the fall of a Cabinet Minister.
"There is a palpable collapse
in trust and authority at Number 10 that is every bit as serious as the
crisis that beset the Thatcher administration in 1990. The damage to the
reputation of this government is now so great that it will be impossible for
them to recover.
"If things go on as they are,
then Tom Kelly will be out of Number 10 by the end of the week, Alastair
Campbell will be out by the end of the summer - and Tony Blair will be gone
by Christmas.
"In Scotland, the SNP have
now overtaken New Labour in the polls - and there is serious slippage in
their support UK-wide.
"Having dragged an unwilling
country into war under false pretences, causing the deaths of thousands of
innocent civilians, it would at least be fitting for Tony Blair to be
brought down by the Iraq crisis, and the appalling spinning and fibbing of
New Labour that have accompanied it."
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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
Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, in August has traditionally become a
melting pot of classical musicians, stand-up comedians, street
entertainers, authors and executives from the world of film and
television. This year this rich and varied pot has an extra ingredient in
the form of the first ever Edinburgh International Games Festival (EIGF)
which will see computer and video games take their place alongside the
more traditional arts which have dominated the various Edinburgh Festivals
since 1947. Will this be the start of another traditional event during
Edinburgh's Festival season? Only time will tell.
The EIGF has been devised to increase the awareness and understanding of
interactive entertainment and to highlight the growing bond between video
games and other entertainment industries including music, literature,
television and film.
Running from 11 August to 18 August 2003, the EIGF will consist of two
separate, but related events: an eight-day public exhibition (taking place
at the Royal Museum of Scotland) and a one-day conference for members of
the industry and other interested parties (at Edinburgh's International
Conference Centre). The climax of the Festival will be the inaugural
presentation of an award for excellence and innovation at a ceremony on
the evening of 18 August. The recipient of this award will be chosen by a
worldwide panel of judges drawn from all areas of the interactive
entertainment industry. The event is being financially supported by
Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and by sponsorship from some of
the biggest names in interactive entertainment, including Sony, Microsoft,
Nintendo and NVIDIA.
One event which has already joined Edinburgh Festival tradition is Fringe
Sunday which takes place this Sunday (10 August). Free an unticketed you
can enjoy the best of the Fringe at Royal Bank Fringe Sunday from 11am on
The Meadows, Melville Drive. A unique open-air extravaganza for absolutely
everyone which showcases Fringe music, theatre, comedy and dance.
Hopefully the sun will shine on The Meadows and everyone can enjoy the
party atmosphere whilst this week's recipe allows you to enjoy your very
own Party Slice tray bake.
Party Slice
Ingredients : 2 oz (50 g) margarine; 1 cup chocolate bits; 1 cup chopped
mixed nuts; 1 cup biscuit crumbs; 1 cup coconut; 1 large tin condensed
milk
Put margarine in tin and place in oven to melt. Then sprinkle on top,
biscuits, chocolate bits, coconut, nuts and pour condensed milk over all.
Bake in moderate oven for 25 minutes
See our
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs in our Features section
DATES IN
HISTORY
9 August 1176
In the presence of William I, William the Lion, King of Scots, the
grassy slopes to the north of the Brothock Burn in Angus were solemnly
dedicated as the site of Arbroath Abbey.
11 August 1306
Battle of Dalry ( or Dalrigh ) where Robert I, The Bruce, was defeated
by Lord of Lorne near Perthshire-Argyll border.
14 August 1773
Dr Samuel Johnson arrived in Scotland to join James Boswell at the start
of their famous journey to the Western Isles.
4 August 1914
Britain declared war on Germany. The First World War resulted in
Scottish losses of 110,000 lives; equivalent to 10% of the Scottish
male population aged between sixteen and fifty years of age.
See Dates in History in our
Features Section
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
WILL YE GANG, LOVE?
Traditional
My love he stands in yon chaumer door,
Combing doon his yellow hair,
His curly locks I like to see,
I wonder if my love minds on me.
Chorus :
Will ye gang love, an' leave me noo?
Will ye gang love, an' leave me noo?
Will ye forsake your ain love true,
An' gang wi' a lass that ye never knew?
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I were a maid again.
But a maid again I'll never be
Till an apple grows on an orange tree.
I wish I wish my babe was born
I wish it sat on's daddy's knee,
An' I myself were deid an' gone
An' the wavin' grass all o'er me growin'.
As lang as my apron did bide doon
He followed me frae toon tae toon,
But noo it's up an' above ma knee
My love gaes by but he kens na me.
Mak' my grave baith lang and deep
Put a bunch of roses at my head and
feet,
And in the middle put a turtle dove,
Let the pople know I died of love.
Footnote : This is a bonnie version of a song
whose theme is basic to all folk-song. It is related in Scotland to such
songs as 'The Rashy Moor' and 'Waly Waly', and in America to 'The Wild
Goose Grasses' and 'Careless Love'.
See the
SING A SANG AT LEAST in our
features section
A KIST O
FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots
Tung
By Peter & Marilyn Wright
(Note: All words underlined in
this section are RealAudio links)
Gin scenic beauty had been a' I sook
I never need ha' left the
Muckle Toon.
I saw it there as weel as ony
man
(As I'll sune prove); and sin
syne I've gane roon'
Hauf o' the warld wi'
faculties undulled
And no' seen't
equalled.
COMPLETE POEMS
Mukkil Toun Thocht
by Peter D Wright
See Scots Language in
our Features Section
for other poems, stories, songs, sayings, jokes and words in the Scots language
SCOT WIT
Enjoy a Scottish Joke every week and
listen to it as well
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.
44 AUGUST 2003
[Click here to bring up the crosswords]
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.
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A great introduction to the Scots Language, produced by Peter and Marilyn Wright,
and added to each week both in text and RealAudio. Enjoy listening to words, poems and
stories told in a real Scots accent!
The Rebels Ceilidh Songbook
An excellent introduction to traditional songs from Scotland.
Sing A Sang At Least
Our collection of Scottish songs. A new song is added to the collection each week.
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs
Enjoy our collections of recipes and our comments on them.
The Prize
Crossword
Each month the newspaper edition produces the Prize Crossword and you can now try it for
yourself with this online edition. We carry previous copies here as well.
Notable
Dates in History
Each week we add three new notable dates in history building this into an historic
timeline for Scottish history.
Features
Lots more stories, recipes, historical articles and even whole books are added here on a
regular basis.
The Oliver Brown Award
An annual award given to an outstanding Scot(s) each year. Also included picture
galleries from the annual lunch.
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, 5 MPS and 2 MEPs, also
the Party Office Bearers, we have provided a link to the SNP Website.
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.
ADVERTISING IN THE
FLAG IN THE WIND
Advertising in The Flag in the Wind has some unique advantages. Not
only will you reach thousands of people every week but you'll note from the details below
that when you advertise with us you also get a FREE advert in the Scots Independent
Newspaper. Well you should know that the newspaper is considered to be an historical
resource so all issues are archived by Aberdeen University and Edinburgh University for
future generations to read and study. This means when you advertise with us you become
part of Scotland's history and heritage! Of course free issues of the newspaper are
sent to 400 Scottish secondary schools so that our youth can also learn from our excellent
range of topics on Scottish politics, heritage and history. This means that your advert,
while publicising your company, product, service, events, etc., is also helping to educate
our children and helping us to extend the reach of our newspaper to promote all that is
best in Scottish Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland. We have a powerful voice
not only in Scotland but all over the world wherever Scots and Scots descendants are
settled.
Button Advert
You can take out a 145 x 40 pixel Button Advert on this page for a full 12 months for
only £995.00 and at the same time get a FREE 2 column classified advert in
the Scots Independent Newspaper for the same 12 months, all for the same inclusive annual
price of £995.00.
Banner Advert
One Banner advert, 468 x 60 pixels, is available on this index page under the Issue Date
and before the first article. Cost is £695.00 per month and includes an optional FREE
2 column display advert in the Scots Independent Newspaper during the same month as you
have the banner on the site.
WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR
FEEDBACK
The Flag in the Wind would welcome your feedback on what you think of this
weekly service. Happy to receive any comments or suggestions. Simply email webmaster@scotsindependent.org.
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