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RIKKI FULTON

On Wednesday morning I heard with great sadness of the death of Rikki Fulton.  I first saw him in the Five past Eight shows in Glasgow round about 1960ish and was amazed at the versatility and captivated by the humour of the man.  Over the years he “did” a number of characters but Francie and Josie (with Jack Milroy - I never did manage to work out who was who) and the Reverend I.M.Jolly in particular have become part of our national culture and have brought laughter to generations of Scots, particularly through the Hogmanay shows.   Over the past two years Rikki Fulton struggled with Alzheimer’s Disease.  He leaves a legacy of good memories.

FOCUS ON WESTMINSTER

In media terms the hottest political stories this week seemed to happening in the UK Parliament.   The debate on top up fees for English Universities on Tuesday and the publication of the Hutton Report on Wednesday came so close together that commentators were able to speculate endlessly about who was likely to support the UK Government’s proposals for increased University funding and who was likely to vote against it.  The big question then was “If the Government lost the top up fees vote and the Hutton Report was critical of Mr Blair, would he be able to continue as Prime Minister with any credibility?”  The challenge for the Government was obviously to persuade enough MPs to support their proposals.  The odds seemed to be stacked against them and the speculation at the weekend was that they could not win.   But then the “fixers” went into action with Government whips and Ministers and even Tony Blair himself doing the rounds of MPs who had not declared their support, persuading the undecided, perhaps reminding some that they owed the Government favours, perhaps reminding the ambitious that it would be politic to vote for the proposals.   By the close of play on Monday Downing Street sources said it was too close to call – but then they would, wouldn’t they?   When it came to the vote the Government proposals carried the day with a vote of 316 for to 311 against.  The phrases “Tony Blair” and “skin of his teeth” come to mind

Although the top up fees under discussion will not affect Scottish Universities directly they will have an impact in terms of attracting staff and research projects away from Scotland and will undoubtedly create a funding shortfall down the line.   In the best interests of Scottish Higher Education the SNP believed the Government had to be defeated and all 5 of our MPs voted against the proposals.  Of the Scottish Labour MPs, 5 voted against the Government, 46 voted for and 3 abstained, as did the one Scottish Tory.  The 10 Scots Lib Dems voted against and so did George Galloway.   In summary – of the 71 Scottish MPs (we don’t count the Speaker) 46 voted with the Government, 21 voted against and 4 abstained.

Without question, the votes of Scottish Labour MPs have imposed unwanted top up fees for English Universities against the wishes of most English MPs.  This will be bad for Scotland further down the line but is it not a perfect illustration of the West Lothian question?

The day after the vote John Swinney MSP, SNP Leader and Shadow First Minister, warned that Scotland faces and ongoing constitutional crisis over the West Lothian question unless we move to Financial Independence.  Using the top up fees debate as an illustration he said,

“Financial Independence would, at a stroke, end the need for Scots MPs to ever vote on an issue like this again.  Four years after the advent of Devolution, it’s time to learn from the mistakes that were made in setting it up.  Devolution was always a job worth doing, but it is also a job only half done.  We need to look again at the constitutional settlement or else face destabilising chaos.  The status quo is not an option.”

THE HUTTON REPORT

The UK waited with bated breath for the publication of the report into the death of Dr David Kelly.  Lord Hutton apparently took great care that there would be no leakage before he himself presented the report.  Advance copies were issued on the Tuesday to only a very few people who he thought had a right to see it before the official publication time and they were sworn to secrecy. This group includes the Government.  The Tories and Lib Dems had to fight to get the right to see a copy early on Wednesday, some 6 hours before publication, so that they could form a view for the discussions later that afternoon.  The SNP/Plaid Cymru were not given that right despite being the major opposition parties in Scotland and Wales.  The security, however, was not foolproof and parts of the report were leaked to The Sun Newspaper allowing them to feature an exclusive piece on Wednesday suggesting, in simplistic terms, that the Government had been cleared and the BBC were in for a bit of a kicking.

You will probably have read, or heard, a good deal about it by now but to me the key issue was going to be how broadly Lord Hutton had interpreted his remit.  As it turned out he took his remit literally and concentrated the Inquiry into the personal tragedy of Dr Kelly’s death and the events leading up to it.  I am not entirely happy about the Hutton Report but I note from the newspapers on Thursday that others are also raising questions and I think there may still be some mileage in this affair.

For me the real issue that Hutton did not address is that the Prime Minister took the UK to war in Iraq on a false pretext, on the bogus claims about weapons of mass destruction.  The reliability of the intelligence claims of chemical and biological weapons that could be fired within 45 minutes did not fall within his remit.  

But the information is there, on the record.  For instance, on 17 September the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff said that claims that Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat was not supported by intelligence.  On 24 September the Prime Minister said that “the threat is serious and current”.   We need to know why the Prime Minister told that to the House of Commons and the country and put himself at the centre of false claims used to justify war in Iraq.  We need an Inquiry into the events leading up to the war in Iraq.

THE SNP PUBLISH THEIR NEW DRAFT PARTY CONSTITUTION

When I worked for the SNP I dealt with many situations where individuals and local organisations had different interpretations of what they could or could not do and occasionally there were disputes where I was asked to help resolve them.  When that happened I reached for the “Rule Book” – the Constitution and Rules of the Scottish National Party.  It is a document that has been on the go for about 40 years and every year at Annual Conference bits got added and bits got deleted. It is a document that has served us well but has really had its day and badly needs brought up to date.

In the aftermath of the 2003 Scottish Parliament Elections John Swinney, the Leader of the SNP, promised changes within the Party.  After the Conference of 2003, where he reinforced his leadership of the Party with a resounding victory over a challenger, the process of reform began with three months of consultation with party members the length and breadth of Scotland. 

On Friday 23 January Mr Swinney launched a new draft constitution.  At the moment it’s only a proposal because it has to go through the SNP’s internal democratic process. Local organisations can submit amendments to the draft and then the proposals will be discussed, and voted on, by members at a Spring Conference in Aberdeen in April.

Among the main proposals in the draft constitution are:

·        Changing the main goal of the SNP from self-government to full Independence thereby enshrining Independence into the Constitution for the first time.

·        Introducing “one member one vote” for some internal party elections – the selection of Parliamentary candidates, the Party Leader and the Depute Leader.

·        Slimming down the National Executive Committee from the current 32 members to a proposed 21 members.

·        Working towards gender balance in the process of selecting Parliamentary candidates

·        Creating a new post of Business Convener to chair the Party’s Executive Meetings and run its headquarters.

·        Introducing new procedures for challenges to an incumbent Leader or Depute Leader meaning that a challenger would need to have the support of 100 members across 20 Branches.  (Currently a challenge can be mounted with a nomination from a single Branch.)

Mr Swinney said,

 “My ambition is to give the Party a brand new constitution for the 21^st Century; to show the people of Scotland that we are determined to look outwards, not inwards and to put powers firmly in the hands of SNP members. 

This is a radical reform of the Party.  I am sure my proposals will spark robust debate and I look forward to that.  But, more importantly, they will put this Party on the sound footing it needs to deliver for the people of Scotland and that is a job we must now embrace”.

LONDON AND THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

My husband and I lived in London from 1963 until 1979.  Our children were born there, we made lots of friends and we lived and worked there happily for 16 years.  I tell you this to establish that I have no prejudice against Londoners.   However if the London bid succeeds, and if the cost exceeds the agreed funding, I am not happy about the prospect of my share of UK taxes being used to provide the extra funding.

Originally the UK Government agreed that London should bear the financial responsibility and that in the unlikely event of the Games needing more than £2.375 billion in funds, this extra burden should be shared by the Mayor of London, through Council Tax and additional lottery funding.  However when Pete Wishart, SNP MP for North Tayside, questioned Tessa Jowell, the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, she revealed that if the cost exceeds this amount, the extra funds will be met by the British taxpayer. 

Perhaps I am being unreasonable.  After all it might never happen.  The bid has first of all to be successful against other attractive options.  And then, if the London bid does win, perhaps they will keep within budget…………..?

POLICY POSTCARDS

We continue our publication of the SNP Policy Postcards; we will publish a new one every week, each one dealing with a different aspect of SNP policy. The full list can be seen on the SNP website under "Vision" and "Policy".

Scotland's Economic Position

Scotland has huge economic potential and all the attributes to make a real success but, as part of the centralised UK, our economic performance continually lags behind our potential.

To bridge the gap between our mediocre performance and our outstanding potential we need the same financial and economic independence as countries like Ireland, Austria and Sweden. Only when we have those powers, and focus them on enhancing Scotland's attributes - placing our economy at a competitive advantage with the rest of Europe - will we be able to release our full potential.

Scotland has the attributes for success: a recognisable brand and a reputation for integrity, a skilled and educated work-force, a great environment and natural resources and modern, competitive industries. However, until we get the powers to cut taxes on growth and job creation, placing our economy at a competitive advantage, we will see Scottish jobs, businesses and ideas migrate south and beyond.

Governments don't create wealth, but they can create conditions which can help or hinder job and wealth creation. The Labour establishment in Scotland makes a living out of being seen to treat the symptoms of Scotland's relative economic decline. We need the powers to earn our way to success, not palliatives to treat the problems of underperformance.

SYNOPSIS

CALL FOR MORE SCOTTISH BOOKS IN SCOTTISH LIBRARIES
Fri 23 Jan 04

 SNP Lothians MSP Mr Kenny MacAskill has today (Friday) produced a paper which shows that many Scottish public libraries were failing to stock sufficient Scottish books due to under-funding and the centralisation of library supply routes and has called for a national strategy to be put in place to fully address the issue.

 The paper reveals that only 2 percent of annual expenditure is spent on writing produced by Scottish Publishers and, on average, only 5 copies of each new Scottish book are bought in total by the entire 557 libraries across Scotland.

 Commenting, Mr MacAskill said:

 "Culture is the very soul of a Nation. Public libraries play an integral role in retaining and enhancing our cultural distinctiveness.

 "However, while Scottish literature is admired and respected across the globe, it is not widely available through our own public library service due to a long term lack of funding as well as the centralisation of library supply routes in English based companies."

"BLAIR LAST MAN ON PLANET WHO BELIEVES"
Sun 25 Jan 04

 Commenting on the interview with former Defence Minister Lewis Moonie MP on the Scottish Television 'Seven Days' programme today [Sunday] - in which he said that it is "increasingly looking likely" that the intelligence on the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was wrong - the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Mr Alex Salmond MP said:

 "Tony Blair's bogus case for the war in Iraq is crumbling all around him. David Kay, the former chief weapons inspector, says that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; US Secretary of State Colin Powell is expressing doubts; and Lewis Moonie - who was a Defence Minister at the time of the war - is accepting that the intelligence may well have been wrong.

 "And yet, flying in the face of reality, Tony Blair is still insisting this weekend that the intelligence was right. He must be the last person on the planet who thinks that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - and that they could be fired in 45 minutes. We clearly have a Prime Minister who has persuaded himself of his own fantasies.

 "Those whom the gods seeks to destroy they first render ridiculous. And Tony Blair's position on weapons of mass destruction is utterly ridiculous, and should destroy his premiership."

EWING QUESTIONS HOON OVER BLACK WATCH
Mon 26 Jan 04

Following last Thursday's story in the Scotsman newspaper regarding the commanding officer of the Black Watch, Lieutenant Colonel James Cowan, and Regimental Sergeant Major, Brian Cooper, revealing that Black Watch troops were sent into battle in Iraq with inadequate protective equipment against a chemical or biological attack, the Scottish National Party MP for Perth Ms Annabelle Ewing questioned Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on the matter at Defence Questions in the House of Commons today [Monday].

Mr Hoon chose to take from the newspaper article an impression that the troops were ready although they only had one set of protective equipment and that their commanding officer had said they were ready, so if they didn't have the right gear the clear implication was that it was the Black Watch's own fault.

Speaking after Defence Questions, Ms Ewing said:

"This was a totally unsatisfactory response from Geoff Hoon.

"He actually passed the buck for the lack of adequate protective equipment for Black Watch troops to the commanding officer who spoke out on behalf of the men and women under his command.

"That is unacceptable. The Ministry of Defence have a duty of care towards all those in their service, and if they fail in that duty then the buck stops with the Secretary of State."

HUDGHTON AND VOGTS TEAM UP FOR LANGUAGES EVENT
Mon 26 Jan 04

 SNP Member of the European Parliament Ian Hudghton had the privilege of playing in the same team last week as Scotland international football manager, Berti Vogts. The pair joined forces as keynote speakers at the Aberdeenshire Schools 'Languages Work' Seminar. The event, staged at Robert Gordon's University on Thursday 22 January, was designed to encourage young Scots to learn foreign languages.

Mr Hudghton commented:

"It really was an honour to be in the same team as Scotland's international football team boss. Like most Scots, I watch our home team play with the usual degree of pride and passion and I was just delighted when I heard who my fellow team member was to be for the day

"Berti kept us all entertained with stories of his early days in Scotland. Arriving with what he believed was a pretty good grasp of English, he soon realised he was going to have to get to grips with some pretty strange accents, colloquialisms and dialects. I can really sympathise with that. What both Berti and I learned was just how quickly the ear has to become attuned to all sorts of accents - and that not everyone talks slowly just for our benefit

"I commend Aberdeenshire for taking this initiative, building on past successful languages events. Given the right language skills, the opportunities open to Scotland's young people are immense. Berti Vogts is an excellent European role model and shows that language skills are not just good for working in an office somewhere in Europe."

NOTE: Secondary Schools taking part were Aboyne, Alford, Banchory, Banff, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Kemnay, Mackie, Mearns, Meldrum, Mintlaw, Peterhead, Portlethen, Turriff, & Westhill Academies, and The Gordon Schools.

IT'S NOT THE FIGURES THAT ARE WRONG; IT'S THE POLICY
Tue 27 Jan 04

 Peter Peacock was today (Tuesday) accused of trying to blame teachers for the record number of reported incidents of violence in schools.

 Speaking on the day new figures revealed an 800 percent increase since 1998 in reported incidents; Mr Peacock blamed the reporting methods used by schools for the increase in the statistics.

 Instead of announcing action to tackle the spiralling level of violence, the Minister has announced yet another review. Commenting, Shadow Minister for Education Ms Fiona Hyslop MSP highlighted the following:

Year                 Offences          Action

1998                     748             A review
2000                   1500             An action plan
2001                   3083             A discipline battle plan
2002                   4501             Another action plan
2003                   5412             A discipline task force
Current               6899              Peacock says the figures are wrong; no plan yet.

 "Well, I have to tell him, it's not the figures that are wrong it's the policy. Ask any teacher or any parent and they will tell you that violence in the classroom is on the rise.

 "If some areas don't fully report incidents, then all that tells us is that these figures may actually underestimate the extent of the problem. To blame the schools is the last resort of a Minister whose policy has patently failed.

WEST LOTHIAN LEFT IN THE DARK OVER PRIVATE PRISON PLAN
Wed 28 Jan 04

 Lothians MSP Fiona Hyslop will tomorrow (Thursday) use a members' debate on Public Consultation and Private Prisons to call on the Executive to tell the residents of West Lothian whether the new Addiewell prison is to be run privately.

Speaking as the consultation process on the proposed new prison continues, Ms Hyslop highlighted the poor record of Scotland's existing private prison and said local residents are being asked for their views without being given a full picture of the basis on which the new prison would operate. 

Commenting she said:

"There has been much concern about proposals to build an additional two prisons in Scotland and the lack of information as to which one or both of the two proposed prisons at Addiewell West Lothian and Low Moss will be operated as a private prison.

"Local people from West Calder and Addiewell have had to submit views on the prison application without knowing whether it will be a private prison or not. Local people have strong feelings about the location of Addiewell prison whether or not it is privately operated. For some people it is a key moral concern. For all it is a key operational concern.

"The only other private prison currently operating in Scotland HMP Kilmarnock is the prison with one of the worst violence records in Scotland, and the one of the highest incidence of fire-raising - all factors would draw on local resources. It also has a poor track record in offender rehabilitation.

"HMP Buckley Hall run by Group 4 has been taken back into the public sector on the grounds that the public sector was most cost effective and provided higher standards of safety and security. These are all operational factors which the public are concerned about.

"Private prisons bring a whole new meaning to 'proceeds of crime'. The people of West Lothian are in the position of acting as the conscience of the Scottish people on the subject of whether or not to object to the prison but are denied the vital knowledge about whether or not this will be a private prison. This is a denial of the basic democratic rights of the local community to know what is being planned for their communities on their behalf by the authorities."

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