American Views on Scotland

Last week the great Jim Lynch took over what should have been my stint on the Flag as I was entertaining my American cousin Bob and his wife Barb who were over visiting Scotland from Florida.

So what did these two American supporters of the Republican Party think of Scotland?  They loved it.  They found the people friendly and the scenery great and they adored the tattoo.  No surprise there then.

They loved going back to the ancestral roots in Jedburgh and Kelso - both looking great.

They very much appreciated the lack of garish neon advertising and ubiquitous advertising hoardings.  They found that Scotland was a clean place - quite a surprise for someone like myself, Glasgow-born and living in Edinburgh, where weeds and wild thistles abound on our overgrown roundabouts and roadsides.

I must say too that while often our two major cities often let us down, our smaller towns can be terrific.  Recently I have visited Perth and Peebles, and their citizens can be proud of the floral displays and the general tidiness of their streets.

My cousin and I had one or two heated political discussions.  You can guess the direction they took when Barb thought she would pour oil on the troubled water of a discussion and said:  Anyway, we do like your Tony Blair!

I looked at the apoplectic face of my wife.  Time to turn in, I thought.

Those Canadians Again!

Another email from Canada.  Eighty-year-old Robert Ross, who has been away from Scotland for a long time, writes that the Flag for him brings a fresh air to an old Scot.

I have some idea of how he feels.  My aunt in Toronto left Glasgow as a war bride almost sixty years ago and still has amazingly strong feelings for Scotland.

It¹s good to know that we can still communicate and share our feelings as Scots, even over so many years and so many miles.

Let¹s Hear it for Independence!

One of the more disappointing aspects of the leadership contest so far has been the lack of discussion on the topic of independence.

Whether this is the fault of the media, or the candidates or the questioners I don¹t know.

There has been lots of stuff about where people are coming from politically, how they will lambast Jack McConnell and how they will put one over on the Labour Party.

Some people have even made promises that they cannot possibly keep without seriously damaging party democracy.

Too much personal criticism has been handed out - not an edifying sight.

And we have seen very little - in the press at least -  about how candidates will put over the arguments for independence, which are the best arguments, and how they will convey these to the annual 30,000 plus new young voters in Scotland.

I sometimes wonder how kids get to hear about independence at all!

I was prompted to these thoughts when I heard of Alex Neil¹s reasons for supporting Alex Salmond¹s candidature.  They were, first, that Alex is clearly left of centre, second, that he is the best placed candidate to unite the party and third, that he is best placed to maximise the SNP vote.

Fair enough, up to a point.  But I would have just liked to hear Alex Neil - a person I have a lot of time for - mentioning the I-word.

It is ironic, for one of Alex Salmond¹s great political gifts is his ability to persuade people of the case he is arguing - which should be the case for independence ninety per cent of the time.

An Interesting Letter on the Olympics

I don¹t normally quote verbatim any other writer in my editions of the Flag.  Today I am going to make an exception, for there was a very interesting letter in the Herald of Monday August 16 under the heading One of the oldest nations was not at Olympic parade.

It is an especially interesting letter given who the writer was (see below).

Here it is:

I have just finished watching the opening of the Olympic games in Athens.  What a spectacular show the Greeks put on.  It was quite remarkable for a small, rather poor nation.
   Two hundred and two nations were represented and each entered the arena following its leader proudly carrying the national flag.  Some of these nations were very big, some tiny; some were very old, others so new that I wasn¹t sure which part of the world they came from.  As I watched I was aware of strong emotions: anger, sadness and loneliness, like a child in an orphanage not knowing if anyone knew me or wanted me.
   Some competitors were dressed in national costume; all demonstrated their love of country.  Sadly, the Scottish Saltire was not seen and no-one wore a bit of tartan.  Scotland, one of the oldest nations in the world, was not in the parade.  I felt jealous, a sin I know, when I witnessed nations which are only a few years old proudly marching in the parade.  Poor Scotland just had to watch the others as they passed by.  It was enough to make one weep.
   I have come round to the idea of asking for a plebiscite, whether to become a nation again or remain as we are.  Meanwhile, I watch the SNP arguing about who should be its leader, as if that will make much difference.
   What would make a difference would be taking the bold step and really becoming a nation; the SNP would then see its hope fulfilled and rather like the salmon which, when they fulfil their purpose, just die.  The people would then have to decide what kind of government they want: labour, Liberal, Conservative, Socialist or Green.
   Then Scotland, with real powers, could move forward and become like other small nations, Ireland, Norway, even Greece, making its own decisions - aye, and its own mistakes; but it would be a real nation.  Watching the Olympics has brought me to realise how important nationhood really is.

Apart from the silly party-political stuff, this is a letter with sentiments that will resonate with many of our readers, .  It was written by Fred McDermid of Stonehouse in Lanarkshire, which is an interesting fact in itself.  For why, see below.

Freddy and the Liberal Dreamers

I knew Fred McDermid personally many years ago when we were both active in politics in the town of Lanark.  I, for the SNP, he for the Liberals.

Fred was so staunchly Liberal and unionist that he rose to become President of the Liberal Party in Scotland.  Maybe that is what is, in his letter, at the root of his daft wee swipe at the SNP.

Apart from that, it is a most interesting letter coming from such a source and reminds us all that deep down, often hidden, in many Scots is a real feeling for our nation.

How Devolution¹s Failures threaten the SNP

I have just received a copy of an article with the above title by the brilliant Jim and Margaret Cuthbert.

Next month I hope to have a good discussion about it and hope that as many people as possible will have had time to read it.

Letters to the Press - Again!

Last time round I was encouraging SNP supporters to get stuck in with letters to the press and especially, if they have the knack, to the tabloids.

Certainly, the leadership contest has given us more opportunities than for a long time.

But can anyone equal Andrew Kerr, who points out that not only does he write here, there and everywhere, but that just a few days ago he actually had two letters in the one day, side by side, in the Daily Record.

Some going - if only there were a hundred others like him.

Thoughts on a Canadian Visit

Last month I promised to tell you something of my feelings about Canada - or about those parts of it that we had time to visit.  I could write a book, but here they are in brief.

Toronto is one of the most vibrant, multi-cultural and exciting cities I know.  Full of interest, full of life, but without any of the arrogance of Londoners or New Yorkers who constantly tell you that their own city is the greatest city in the world.

Kingston was briefly the capital of Canada over a century and a half ago.  It is an almost unknown gem, full of Victorian architecture and close to the beautiful Thousand Islands area.

Ottawa has a wonderful site for its Parliament, high on a cliff overlooking the city and the river behind it.  Sad, by comparison, to see how Donald Dewar and his pals deliberately missed a similar, great opportunity for the new Scottish Parliament.

Incidentally, we were helped in the Ottawa information office by a delightful young lady - native French speaker, surname Drysdale!

Many of the other small towns we passed through were delightful, and beautiful kept.

But above all we liked the Canadians we met, who seemed relaxed, laid-back and enjoying life.

>From a political point of view, Canada is vital in the American continent and in the world.  As a relatively small nation with no delusions of grandeur, its very presence and educated scepticism are a constant reminder to US presidents that not everyone agrees with their own high conceit of themselves.

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".

Community Services

There are too many people in Scotland currently languishing in hospitals waiting to be discharged ­ because there is simply nowhere else for them to go. This is not only a disgrace for those waiting; it is also disastrous for the NHS and for the people who need those beds. The Scottish Executive is failing to address the problem of bed blocking, which is clearly getting worse.

An SNP Government wants to improve community care ­ allowing the discharge of waiting patients. Independence would allow us to harness the resources necessary to eradicate the problem of bed blocking.

*    1 in 10 NHS beds are occupied by people who have nowhere else to go once their treatment is complete.
*    It was SNP pressure that forced the Scottish Executive to press ahead with free personal care for the elderly.
*    The SNP would invest in community services, and free up NHS beds for patients who need them.

SYNOPSIS

Wednesday 11 August 2004

SNP CONDEMNS CALLS FOR HIGHER FUEL DUTY

CAR AN ESSENTIAL PART OF EVERY DAY LIFE IN RURAL AREAS

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has called for the government to raise fuel duty in order to curb emissions in its report 'Budget 2004 and Energy.

The Scottish National Party MP for Perth, Ms Annabelle Ewing, whose constituency covers large parts of rural Perthshire said:

There is no justification for yet more hikes in fuel duty. People who live in rural areas have no option but to use their cars as a part of day to day life. The car is an essential part of every day life in rural areas and is certainly not a luxury. By raising these prices again, the government will not stop anyone from using their cars but will instead penalise those who need their cars most.

The Leader of the Scottish National Party at Westminster Mr Alex Salmond MP added:

The car is an essential part of day to day life for many people. It would not make sense to penalise people for using their cars any further. The Energy Act that was passed recently, penalises renewable energy projects in Scotland

If the government is serious about meeting its commitments under Kyoto it should not be making it more difficult and expensive for companies to develop viable projects such as the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm project that will cost an extra £20 million a year to run under this legislation.

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SNP HELP FORM NEW ADMINISTRATION IN PERTH & KINROSS

Scottish National Party leader John Swinney MSP has welcomed the announcement that the SNP Group on Perth & Kinross Council are to go into administration with the Liberal Democrats and an Independent councillor.

Mr Swinney commented:

This move is good news for the people of Perth and Kinross.  The SNP has an excellent group of committed councillors in the area, and I am sure that they will play a key role in the administration.  The SNP has a reputation for delivering quality services in local government and I look forward to seeing that happen in Perth and Kinross.


Note:

1)    The SNP now forms part of the administration in four of Scotland's 32 Councils - Angus Council, Falkirk Council, Perth & kinross Council, and Dumfries & Galloway Council.

2) The political balance of Perth & Kinross is SNP 15, LibDem 9, Con 10, Lab 5, Ind 1.

3) The new partnership commands a 60% share of the popular vote at the last Council elections on 1 May 2003.

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Thursday 12 August 2004

HEALTH SERVICE NURSE VACANCIES HIT ALL TIME HIGH
CALL FOR RETHINK AS NURSE SHORTAGE GROWS

Nurse vacancies have hit an all time high, new figures from the NHS have
revealed, with the gap between the nurses the NHS employs and the number it needs rising by six percent.

Statistics released by the NHS Information and Statistics Division show an all time high 2090.0 vacancies within the NHS for nurses, up 6 percent on the 1,970 recorded for 2002 and a rise of 43 percent on 1999.  This compares with a rise over the last year of just 1.4 percent in the total number of nurses employed by the Health Service.

In contrast the figures also reveal a massive rise of 28 percent in admin and clerical staff since 1999

Commenting, Shadow Health Minister Ms Shona Robison MSP highlighted the failure of nurse numbers to keep up with demand and accused Health Minister Malcolm of getting his priorities wrong. She said:

Nurse numbers in the Health Service are rising and that is to be welcomed, but nurse vacancies have hit an all time high.

Far from narrowing the gap between the nurses we have and the nurses we need, that gap is actually growing year after year. In contrast, there has been an enormous rise in admin and clerical staff. Their numbers have jumped by more than a quarter since 1999.-

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Sunday 15 August 2004

HOLYROOD REPORT MUST NOT OVERSHADOW OPENING
MISTAKES OF PAST MUST NOT INFECT NEW BUILDING

Shadow Finance Minister Mr Fergus Ewing MSP has called for the Holyrood Report to be published well ahead of the official opening
of the new parliament.

Speaking after it was confirmed that the report is to be delayed, Mr Ewing said:

After all the delays in completing the building, the last thing we need is a delay in the report.

The opening of the new Parliament building is a chance for devolution to make a fresh start and for politics in Scotland to leave behind the disappointments of the last five years.

The whole point of the Inquiry was to learn lessons from the farce of the Holyrood Project and, crucially, draw a line under what has been a tremendously damaging episode. We cannot afford to allow the Holyrood debacle to dribble on and ruin the best chance Scotland has move on.

The report needs to be published in good time to allow full public debate without it overshadowing the opening. Lord Fraser and the Inquiry team need to now pull out all the stops and get their report finished.

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Monday 16 August 2004

SNP CALL FOR AUTONOMOUS BODY TO PRODUCE EXAM STATS
SPIN AND MISREPRESENTATION MUST END

The SNP has called for exam statistics to be produced by an autonomous body, independent of political interference, after it emerged that the Education Minister had twisted recent results to claim improvements where none existed.

Speaking after Peter Peacock was found to have misrepresented the figures, Shadow Deputy Education Minister Mr Brian Adam MSP said:

In almost every other public service key statistics are produced by autonomous bodies whose only interest is the robustness of the information they put in the public domain.

Peter Peacock has been caught deliberately misrepresenting the exam statistics for political purposes. Far from there being an improvement as he claimed, the only thing that has really happened is fewer pupils were put forward for the exam in the first place.

The SQA and the Minister should not be in charge of delivering the report card on the exam system. We need to see an end to political interference and spin and instead see an autonomous body charged with delivering the truth to the public.

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SCOTLAND'S MISSING OIL REVENUES

Scotland not receiving benefit of high oil prices

The Leader of the Scottish National Party at Westminster, Alex Salmond MP has called on the Government to give Scotland back our oil revenues after record prices provided an additional windfall for the Treasury.  

The call follows the setting of a new record price for Brent Crude of $44.11 in yesterday's markets. In the 2004 budget the Chancellor used an assumption of $27.40 a barrel in making his budget calculations. According to the House of Commons library at a price of only $40 a barrel the extra tax revenue would be £2 billion this year and £2.5 billion next year.

Mr Salmond said:

These high oil prices mean a windfall for the Treasury, but Scotland will see little of this additional money.  Rather than using the extra £5bn in revenues over the next two years on Scotland's priorities such as reducing pensioner poverty and investing in our nation's decrepit transport system, it is the Chancellor who is set to benefit.  

This is Scotland's money, and should be used to meet our priorities.  Scotland's creaking infrastructure is stifling much needed economic growth, but rather than using these additional funds from North Sea Oil to make a much needed difference, Scotland's taxes go straight to the Treasury.  

Only control over these revenues can ensure that Scotland reaps the full benefits of our abundant natural resources.  Even the Government's own figures show that there is about half as much oil left in the North Sea as has been extracted, so there are still clear benefits to be had.

The SNP's three point plan for the oil industry I set our earlier in the summer would not only secure jobs and protect consumers from rising petrol prices but would also allow us to invest in much needed infrastructure projects throughout the country.

Only the SNP has a plan to put Scotland's oil revenues back into Scotland's priorities.