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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 168 -
22nd August 2003]
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Compiled by Jim Lynch |
Lots of great information to
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Features Section:
Scots
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SHADOW BOXING
 The
"contest" for the SNP leadership is still going on; I use the inverted
commas, not in a derogatory fashion, but merely because the "challenger"
does not want or expect to win, which seems a bit strange. If the man
actually wanted to change SNP policy then he could have put a resolution to
Annual Conference, but obviously democracy is a hindrance to someone who is
out to make trouble.
John Swinney is now back
from his honeymoon, which would have been very much marred by the challenge,
and has said that he expected to win the contest by a two thirds majority;
this comment has been attacked by his critics, who say he would have to get
much more. If however, he had said he was going to win overwhelmingly, the
very same critics would attack him for complacency; they would also attack
him if he ignored the challenge altogether. What his enemies, and he has a
few, as every SNP leader has had, do not see, is that attacks on the SNP
leader are attacks on the SNP, and that now that John Swinney is the leader
of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament, attacks from his own Party are
great gifts to the other parties. They will probably be known as the
"Friends of Jack McConnell - and David McLetchie."
Other inanities annoy me; one
"activist" is criticising the Party’s method of choosing candidates for the
European Elections, as he claims that there is not enough time for regions
to consider the candidates. As it has been policy for at least 10 years for
the SNP to rank its European candidates at Annual Conference, as the most
democratic way of doing things, any change at this stage would negate that
process, and make the elections less democratic; the logic of this has
probably escaped the person complaining. I understand that the complainant
is running for National Office, and is just doing this to get his name in
the papers, so I will not name him! Another letter, in the Scotsman, from a
"private individual" saying that the SNP lacked vision might have had more
credibility if the writer had said he was the Parliamentary Assistant to
Margo MacDonald MSP, deselected by the SNP grassroots activists in the
Lothians.
I think that Murray Ritchie,
writing in the Herald this week, had a better way of putting it; he said
that it was not the principle of Independence that was bothering the SNP,
but how we actually get there. In my time I saw the Party go from 11
Westminster seats in 1974, with 30% of the popular vote, down to 2 seats in
1979; after that debacle, created by the Devolution Referendum, the SNP was
split by the emergence of the 79 Group, and the cause of Independence was
put back by a generation. And the root of the problem is yet again -
Devolution. It is nonsensical to claim that there are now more
"Independence" parties in the Scottish Parliament; other parties may have
independence somewhere in their policy portfolios, but it is not their
raison d’etre, as it is with the SNP, and the others would happily exist in
a devolved Scotland - not only that, they owe their existence to a devolved
Scotland.
I joined the SNP in 1966, and
as noted above, the best we ever did was 11 Westminster seats in 1974; as
the aim was and still is, 36 seats before we claim Independence, in 37 years
we have come nowhere near that. There is now another road, the Scottish
Parliament, but this has limited powers, and some voters will vote SNP at
the Scottish Elections, and Labour at the Westminster Elections, because
they still fear the English voting Tory, so a Referendum is not out of
place. The SNP aim of getting power at Holyrood, if the Parliament ever sits
there, and then exploiting that, is a credible way; we are not in the
business of making devolution work, but of showing that we can run things
better, and that the more power Scotland has, the better it will be. To read
the current critics one would think that the Scottish electorate is panting
for Independence, and that is not yet the case; if there is a new wave of
Nationalism on the horizon I cannot see it.
What has also harmed the SNP
is the general disillusion with politics that has manifested itself, and the
fault for that does not lie with the Opposition, but with the government,
and in Scotland , with the Scottish Executive. Oppositions do not dictate
the agenda. Virtually every issue that incenses the voters, and makes them
non-voters, can be laid at the door of the Labour Party, and their cronies,
the Liberals; it is our misfortune that we as a Party dedicated to Scotland
are seen as the authors of all the troubles that this corrupt and inept
administration have created and perpetuated. The slavish adherence to
English rule is the problem, not the solution.
SHADOW PARLIAMENT?
The
issue that is infuriating the electorate most of all is the Scottish
Parliament building, still not finished after the Parliament has completed
its first four years in office, and with the costs rising inexorably,
despite all efforts to the contrary.
The SNP of course is
getting some blame; after all, we wanted a Scottish Parliament, and look at
what’s happened! In this case the SNP is totally blameless; we consistently
voted against the location and the plan, but the Liberal lackeys followed
their Labour masters and agreed. That is democracy, majority rules, but when
principles are thrown out of the window? Before the Parliament was elected
the site was chosen, the design was chosen, the architect was chosen, the
contractor was chosen and the open-ended contract was signed; all this was
done by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Donald Dewar MP, with the full
authority and backing of the Westminster Cabinet chaired by Tony Blair.
After the Parliament was
convened there was an attempt to halt the building going ahead, but it
failed by 3 votes, as the craven Liberals fell into line. We are in this
mess because while there was a building already converted at great public
(our) expense, the Royal High School on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Labour
were terrified of using this "Nationalist shibboleth", as one Labour MP has
never admitted; now that the costs are soaring even further, the author of
that comment will never come clean, although there seems to be general
agreement that it was that arch-Unionist Brian Wilson. Lord Steel of Aikwood
denies that theory and now says that Donald Dewar had said at the time
"Don’t you think, David, that a new Scottish parliament after an absence of
300 years merits a new building and not just a jumble of old ones?"
Convenient memory after 5 years. Anyway, the building was planned on the ABC
basis; Anywhere But Calton, and it has been disowned ever since.
Once the building was
started, it was soon obvious that it was going to be totally inadequate, and
thus plans had to be drawn up to extend it; it would have been a nonsense to
build it and then have the MSPs in Holyrood and their Parliamentary Staff at
the other end of Edinburgh, and so Topsy just growed and growed. In the
midst of all the plans Al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Centre in New York,
and more security in the way of bombproofing was required, yet more expense.
We had denials from officialdom, but now the aforesaid Lord Steel of Aikwood
has confessed that he knew the costs were out of control when they reached
£195 million; he then approached the Bank of Scotland and asked them for a
mortgage! They turned him down; seeing the quoted £40 million going to £195
million, they might have had concerns for their public image.
One other item crossed my
line of sight this last week or so; Bovis Lend Lease, contractors to the
Scottish Parliament for the building, are also contractors for the
refurbishment of the Treasury building in London. This was estimated at £90
million, then £112 million, and the latest figure I picked up was £141
million; I am not sure if this was Phase I, or Phase II, but I’m sure that
whatever the figure, the people of London will feel they have got good
value, as we will be paying for that as well as for the Scottish Parliament.
No one in London will pay a penny for Holyrood.
However, there is going to be
an inquiry into what went wrong with the Scottish Parliament project, and
this will be conducted by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie; he has said that all
evidence will be open and above board. We hope he has better luck than Pete
Wishart, SNP MP for North Tayside; Pete asked a series of questions in the
House of Commons , four to the Prime Minister, three to the Chancellor of
the Exchequer and ten to the Secretary of State for Scotland. He got
non-answers to all questions.
SHADOW PEOPLE
I
liked the comment on the Hutton Inquiry from Nick Cohen in the Observer:
"The history of British public inquiries offers few grounds for optimism.
Their usual role is to provide the illusion of accountability while refusing
to lay a finger on the holders of power. America has independent
Congressional committees which can tackle the President. Italy and France
have investigating magistrates who have subpoena powers to bring criminal
charges against a Berlusconi or Chirac. British has good chaps with nice
manners and life peerages."
It might just be that
this latest inquiry will do something different; news organisations are
covering every day of the hearings, and the transcript of each day is
available on the web. Documents which would never ever see the light of day
are being shown on a big screen in the courtroom, and copies of emails are
being flashed all over the globe. People from MI6, who do not go out in
daylight are appearing, blinking in the light, and being questioned, as to
who what where why and when, something never done before. It has to be said
that the government and the BBC are both very uncomfortable with the
process, but at the end of the day we will not really get at the truth, as
the chief witness was Dr David Kelly, and the only reason that there is an
inquiry is because he committed suicide.
No one has yet resigned from
either the government or the BBC or the security services, but it looks as
if the man to go will be Geoff Hoon, the Minister for Defence; he is being
stitched up to get Tony Blair off the hook. It is all about the
interpretation of the intelligence information and its presentation to
Parliament and the public, and we are seeing deft evasions by the master of
spin, Alastair Campbell. He flatly denied any tampering with the wording of
the dossier, although subsequent evidence indicated that he was being
economical with the truth; if he can’t spin it his way, nobody can.
What is particularly poignant
is that this whole issue would have blown over in a relatively short time;
the death of one individual changed that and it would spell the end for New
Labour, if there was an Opposition worthy of the name.
FOOT IN THE MOUTH
NOTES
Balfour
Beatty has announced a 6% rise in profits; their rail engineering division,
roughly 25% of the business, held operating profit at £16 million.
During the recent
heatwave, trains were forced to cut speed, as the cheap steel used for rails
buckled in the heat.
Interesting to see
that for the fourth time running New Labour were late in filing their list
of political donation; one which raised eyebrows was from the lobbying firm
Luther Pendragon, who have been given a few juicy contracts by New Labour.
One of their employees worked with Jack McConnell during the Scottish
Elections; the sum of £4167 was registered as a donation of staff time,
while the employee was on "sabbatical."
The Oxford dictionary
defines "sabbatical" as: "Period of freedom from lectures,&c, allowed
professor for purposes of travel, research, &c"; I was unaware that public
relations personnel fell into this category.
In
early July 2003, Mrs Helen Liddell, Labour MP for Airdrie & Shotts,
condemned as "baloney" a report in the Herald alleging she was going to quit
politics and become a European Commissioner.
Where has she gone?
Brian Wilson, Labour MP
for Cunninghame North, who "stood down" from the government in the
pre-summer reshuffle, has been appointed by Mr Blair as a special envoy on
the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Another Scottish
Westminster MP with nothing to do.
Two
warships, HMS Liverpool and HMS Marlborough, returned from the Gulf, where
they had been described as being "in the thick of the action"; in a
televised interview, one of the officers said that the crews had gone away
as boys and come back as men.
Perhaps I missed
something, but were any attacks actually mounted against British ships?
After the glasses on Donald
Dewar’s statue in Glasgow were welded on for the fifth time, the man
repairing it said "We have tried to make the thing vandal-proof, but that is
almost impossible unless you make it totally inaccessible by putting it much
higher up, or surrounding it with barbed wire."
There’s plenty barbed
wire at Dungavel Refugee Detention Centre.
BUSY PEOPLE
It’s holiday time for
politicians, so they slip out all the embarrassing announcements; however,
no holidays for the SNP.
SNP OUTRAGE AS LONDON CLOSES FISHING
GROUNDS
Tue 19 Aug 03
 100
SQ KM OFF LIMITS YET NOT A PENNY PAID IN COMPENSATION
Shadow Fisheries Minister Mr
Richard Lochhead MSP reacted with fury today (Tuesday) to the news that the
UK government has demanded that the European Commission close off 100 square
kilometres of sea to fishing.
The measures are to be
in place for an initial 6 months and will seal off the Darwin Mounds area,
180 Km off the North-West coast of Scotland.
In contrast to the
months Scots fishermen have had to wait for compensation, the UK
government's move has taken just days to be passed. Commenting Mr Lochhead
said:
"The SNP supports any
reasonable measures to protect the environment, though I am just staggered
at the priorities of this UK government, and how powerless the Scottish
Government has proven to be at every turn.
"The request to close
off a vast swathe of sea was made by the UK, and adopted immediately by the
European Commission, and we don't even know if the Scottish government was
even consulted.
"They can move fast
enough when they want to, and yet in contrast, not a penny of compensation
has been paid to Scots fishermen and businesses reeling from the effects of
the disastrous fishing deal signed up to by the UK government.
"We are not even told
if the Scottish Executive was even informed of the move- the Scottish
Executive should step in and demand these measures do not come into effect
until the Scots Parliament has been consulted and the Scots fishing industry
had a say.
"Scotland is missing
the boat in Europe because our own government is willing to be a junior
partner. It is just not good enough. The Scots fishing industry deserves
better and Scotland deserves better."
WEALTH GAP JUMPS BY
10 PERCENT UNDER EXEC
Tue 19 Aug 03
 SCOTS
NATIONAL WEALTH SLIPS FURTHER BEHIND LONDON
New figures published by the government's Office
of National Statistics today (Tuesday) shows the wealth gap between Scotland
and London to have grown larger under the Scottish Executive - just days
after it was revealed to have doubled in just a decade.
The latest statistics on
Scotland's National Wealth (or Gross Value Added) show the gap growing from
5,300 pounds in 1999 to 5,900 in 2001, a jump of 11 percent. In 1989 it
stood at just 2,500 pounds.
Commenting, Mr Jim Mather
MSP, Shadow Minister on Enterprise and the Economy said:
"The more data that comes to
light, the more dire the picture looks for the Scottish economy under
Labour's stewardship.
"Last week, we saw that the
growth gap between Scotland and London had more than doubled in the ten
years between 1989 and when the Scottish Executive took power. Now we see
that the gap has widened even further under their stewardship, standing at
almost £6000 for every person in Scotland.
"Westminster policies
designed to service the economies of London and the Southeast at the expense
of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions are certainly working.
The only regions that outperformed the UK average were London the Southeast
and the East - all other regions were below the average. Scotland is getting
the worst deal of all. In 2001, Scotland had the lowest growth rate of all
the UK countries and regions, a little over half that of London and the
Southeast.
"At what point are
politicians in Whitehall and St Andrews House going to acknowledge the
crisis they have created in the Scottish economy? Low growth has translated
to lower pay and our young people leaving Scotland to look for opportunities
elsewhere.
"The excuses and hand
wringing has to stop. The only way to turn things around in the Scottish
economy is to give power back to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish
people so that they can make the changes that will make Scotland competitive
again."
"The SNP alone has a positive
and credible vision of what Scotland can be. We reject the inert passivity
that characterises the current economic management of Scotland in
Westminster and Holyrood. And repeat our increasing urgent call for Scotland
to have the power to compete."
Editors Note:
Key statistics below:
* Scotland had lowest growth of all UK countries and regions in 2001
- 3.0 percent for Scotland compared with 5.4 percent in London, 5.1 percent
for southeast, 3.8 percent for Wales and 3.8 percent for Northern Ireland
(UK = 4.3 percent)
- Scotland as percentage of UK GDP fell to 8.1 percent (NB: Scotland has 8.6
percent of the population)
* Wealth gap grown to even bigger than shown by ONS statistics last week
- GDP per head in Scotland 94.4 percent of UK average in 2001 - it has
fallen every year since 1994, when Scotland was actually at 100.5 percent,
above the UK average
- The wealth gap between Scotland and London stood at £2500 in 1989 and as
we saw last week, had more than doubled to £5300 in 1999. Latest figures
today for 2001 show that the gap now stands at £5900
- Only England had relative growth in GDP per head against UK average in
period since 1999. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland experienced decline
over the two years of data released today (2000, 2001)
STURGEON WELCOME LICENSING LAW
REFORM
Tue 19 Aug 03
 EXEC
MUST MOVE QUICKLY TO IMPLEMENTATION
Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Shadow
Minister for Justice, today (Tuesday) welcomed publication of the
Nicholson report on licensing law and called on the Executive to move
quickly to implementation. Commenting she said:
"Today's report provides
the impetus for Parliament to radically overhaul Scotland's licensing laws
- and not before time. Existing law neither reflects contemporary
attitudes to alcohol, nor does it effectively discourage irresponsible and
criminal behaviour linked to alcohol misuse.
"Most people who drink or
serve alcohol do so responsibly. However, some do not and we must ensure
that outdated licensing laws do not contribute to the problem. The amount
of alcohol related crime in Scotland is unacceptable. Whether it is
domestic violence, traffic accidents and road deaths or violent assaults,
alcohol is too often found to be a factor in criminal behaviour.
"It is high time that
licensing law was brought into the 21st century to encourage mature and
responsible consumption of alcohol and to change attitudes across the
social spectrum as to what is acceptable in terms of drinking culture and
its outcomes.
"I would urge the Scottish
Executive to put legislative proposals on licensing law before parliament
for debate as quickly as is practical. We have waited long enough to
change Scotland for the better in this area and this is our opportunity to
do so."
EWING WRITES TO
HOME OFFICE OVER DUNGAVEL
Mon 18 Aug 03
 "COMPANY
SOURCE SAYS EDUCATION NOT PART OF CONTRACT"
Following weekend newspaper
reports that the private sector company, Premier Detention Services, which
runs the Dungavel detention centre for asylum seekers is not contracted by
the Home Office to provide education services for children, the Scottish
National Party's Westminster Home Affairs Spokesperson Ms Annabelle Ewing
MP today [Monday] wrote to the Home Secretary David Blunkett demanding
clarification. In her letter, Ms Ewing said:
"In the Sunday newspapers,
a 'company insider' from Premier Detention Services Ltd, which is
contracted by the Home Office to run the Dungavel detention centre for
asylum seekers, is quoted as saying:
'We are not contracted to
provide any education at all. The education that is provided is provided
at Premier's expense because we felt it was the right thing to do' (Sunday
Herald, 17 August).
"Her Majesty's Inspectorate
for Education has just published a damning report on the treatment of
children at Dungavel, finding that the personal, social and learning
experiences of children are damaged by being held there, and that the
facilities are only adequate for school-age children detained for no
longer than two weeks.
"Yet we know that 36
children have been imprisoned at Dungavel for more than six weeks, and the
Ay family children were kept there for over a year.
"It would be utterly
extraordinary if it transpired that the Home Office were deliberately
jailing children at Dungavel, but had not even properly contracted for
their educational needs to be met.
"I am calling on you as a
matter of urgency to publish full details of the education services - if
any - that Premier have been legally contracted by the Home Office to
provide at Dungavel.
"And in light of the HMI
report published last week, I would urge that you accede to the growing
demand in Scotland for no children ever to be imprisoned at Dungavel, but
rather for families seeking asylum to be housed within the community and
educated in mainstream schools.
"In that regard, in view of
the disgraceful failings of the Home Office, responsibility for Dungavel
should be transferred from the Westminster Government to the Scottish
Executive and Parliament."
SNP CALL FOR EXEC
TO LISTEN AS NURSES PAN JOINT WORKING
Fri 15 Aug 03
 RCN
WARN LYNCHPIN POLICY 'HEADING FOR THE ROCKS'
The Executive must listen and take heed of
warnings from the Royal College of Nursing that the lynchpin policy of
"Joint Working" between the NHS and Local Authorities is failing, Shadow
Health Minister Ms Shona Robison MSP said today (Friday).
Speaking after the RCN
published new research showing the crucial policy was in trouble, Ms
Robison said:
"A huge part of the
Executive's plans for the Health Service rely upon the success of joint
working with local authorities. For this lynchpin policy to be in trouble
spells disaster for their programme.
"This research has revealed
just the latest example of a pattern we have become used to under Labour.
A decent idea is shackled by volumes of red tape, staff are over pressed
and under resourced and morale is low as a result.
"This is just another facet
of Labour's obsession with pr. Once the initial publicity has passed, they
lose interest and the nuts and bolts issues are ignored. The result is
warnings of a recruitment and retention crisis.
"Minister had better pay
close heed to today's research. The danger is that they now make the other
great mistake Labour are so often guilty of - arrogance.
"Too often they react
defensively to any criticism. On this occasion, I hope they can be grown
up enough to listen and learn from the research the RCN has produced."
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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
As the 2003 Edinburgh splurge of culture and arts draws to a close the
GaelForce 2003 Festival commences and acts as a timely reminder that Arts
Festivals are now held all over Scotland. Changed days from 1947 when the
Edinburgh International Festival first took place. GaelForce 2003, held in
venues throughout Dumfries & Galloway, offers late Summer amd Autumn
visitors the chance to add an artistic element to their stay in a most
relaxing, but overlooked, part of Scotland - the south west. The large
community Arts and Entertainment Festival starts its sixth year today (22
August 2003) and continues to 1 November 2003. Entertainers and artisits
will mount 210 performances and exhibitions at locations throughout south
west Scotland.
The GaelForce 2003 brochure lists details of all peformances, exhibitions
and events throughout the Festival. Dances, exhibitions, festivals, film,
youth, literature, music and entertainment, theatre and drama are all
listed for easy reference. The attractive brochure, which includes a
poetry section, is available, free, by phoning 01387 262084, and at
tourist information centres and libraries throughout Dumfries & Galloway.
Visit
www.gaelforcefestival.co.uk to view all Festival activities and check
www.visit-dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk for accomodation.
GaelForce 2003 celebrates the artistic talents of the region and also
welcomes some of the biggest names in folk, arts and entertaiment as part
of the cultural life of Dumfries & Galloway, including international stars
such as Gordon Giltrap, Barbara Dickson and Julie Felix. Major events
incorporated into GaelForce 2003, includes September's Scottish Book Town
Festival at Wigtown, a Floodlit Tattoo in Kirkcudbright in late August,
and the season-long Seven Senses Project recognising 2003 as the European
Year of the Disabled Person. GaelForce 2003 is a veritable storm of Arts
and Entertainment with something for everyone - young and old.
The official opening is on Saturday 23 August at 11am in Langholm Parish
Church. Well-known radio broadcaster, walker, folksinger, and Oliver Brown
Award winner, Jimmie Macgregor will perform the opening ceremony. In the
afternoon Jimmie Macgregor will be the main speaker at the Second
MacDiarmid Literary Lunch in Langholm.
The splendidly named Dumfries & Galloway town of Ecclefechan, birthplace
of Thomas Carlyle, inspires the recipe for this week. Ecclefechan Butter
Tart makes a tasty start to enjoying GaelForce 2003.
Ecclefechan Butter Tart
Ingredients : 2 oz (50 g) melted butter; 3 oz (75 g) soft brown sugar; 1
egg; 1 desertspoon apple cider vinegar; 4 oz (125 g) mixed dried fruits; 1
oz (50 g) chopped walnuts
Prepare an 8 inch flan, lined with pastry
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C/ gas Mark 4
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the lined tin. Bake for 30
minutes and serve hot or cold with whipped cream.
See our
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs in our Features section
DATES IN
HISTORY
22 August 1245
Devorguilla, Countess of Galloway and mother of John Balliol, King of
Scots, founded Balliol College, Oxford, England.
23 August 1482
English army retook Berwick which had been in Scottish hands for 21
years.
24 August 1994
It was reported that the Libyan government was prepared too see two
men accused of the Lockerbie bombing stand trial with a Scottish judge
and jury as long as it was held in a country outwith Britain.
SIR WILLIAM WALLACE -
COMMEMORATION MEETINGS
This
Saturday (23 August 2003) the Society of William Wallace will hold
their annual march and speeches at Elderslie, in commemoration of
the 698th anniversary of the judicial murder in England of Sir
William Wallace. Those attending are requested to assemble in
Ludovic Square, Johnstone, at 2pm for the march off at 2.30pm to the
Wallace Monument, Elderslie. Ted Cowan, Professor of History Glasgow
University, will be the main speaker at the Monument which marks the
birthplace of the Scottish hero.
The next day (Sunday 24 August 2003) , Wallace 700 hold their annual
commemoration ceremony at the Wallace Statue, Schoolhill, Aberdeen
at 2.30pm. The Wallace Address will be given by leading Scottish
historian Dr Louise Yeoman. The Grampian Police Pipe Band will be in
attendance and a pageant presented by primary school pupils.
Aberdeen will also be the venue for the first event in the annual
North East Wallace Weekend - on Friday 29 August 2003, a
wreathlaying ceremony and speeches will take place at the Wallace
Statue at 7.30pm, followed by the Stonehaven Wallace day on Sunday
30 August at 2pm. There will be a march from the leisure centre in
Stonehaven to Dunnottar Castle for the speeches. Leading Scottish
folk duo Gaberlunzie will perform a Wallace Day Concert in the St
Leonard's Hotel, Stonehaven, in the evening (doors open 7.30pm).
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
As I came in by Fisherrow
Musselburgh was near me:
I threw off my mussle-pock
And courted wi' my dearie.
Chorus :
Up stairs, down stairs,
Timber stairs fears me,
I thought it lang to lie my lane,
When I'm sae near my dearie.
Oh had her apron bidden doun,
The kirk wad ne'er has kend it,
But since the word's gane thro' the toun,
My dear, I canna mend it.
But ye maun mount the cutty-stool
And I maun mount the pillar,
And that's the way that poor folks do,
Because they hae nae siller.
Footnote : A traditional song recalling the days when the Kirk had the
power to punish 'sinners' publically and heap public shame for those
guilty of 'sins of the flesh'.
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)
bluffart:
blast of wind; squall; a blow
hereawa:
hereabouts; hither
moch:
moth
ouk:
week
rammy:
disturbance; free-for-all; violent disturbance;
scuffle; uproar
stell:
still for distillation
The gude auld Kirk o' Scotland,
The wild winds round her blaw,
And when her foemen hear her sough,
They prophecy her fa' ;
But what although her fate has been
Amang the floods to sit -
The gude auld Kirk o' Scotland,
She's nae in ruins yet!
COMPLETE POEMS
Bull Sale
by J K Annand
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.
SOME OF OUR FEATURE
SECTIONS....
About Us
Our mission is to fight for an Independent Scotland and to promote its history,
heritage and culture. Learn all about us here.
Events
A running event guide to what's on in Scotland.
The Scots Language
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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