The recent decision by Jimmy Reid to join the Scottish National Party is a very welcome one;   Jimmy has been coming to SNP Conferences for some time now, and in fact I spent a wee while in conversation with him at the last Annual Conference.  Our conversation took place at about 1 am on the Saturday morning, and was about religion!  It was an amicable conversation, too.

                   Jimmy has also been attending the Oliver Brown Award lunch for some years, with his great friend, John MacFarlane, himself a friend of the late Oliver Brown, and Jimmy was awarded the Oliver Brown Award at the lunch last year.  It is a  bit of a feather in the cap of the Scots Independent that Jimmy identifies with the older version of the SNP  - which includes Winnie Ewing, rather than its more modern image.    

                  It is also significant that one of the greatest Scottish socialist icons of the last 50 years joined the Scottish National Party, and not the Scottish Socialist Party;  teeth will be grinding there, I think. 

              I have been back to Ochil and South Perthshire twice since the last Flag, and on Wednesday last week I was canvassing in the morning and delivering letters in the afternoon, and never gave a thought to the sun;  I know it is not advisable to canvass with an umbrella, but I haven't done it wearing a bunnet - yet - perhaps the day has come.   So far the election experience has been quite positive,  some people raising Iraq, and I would say we seem to be getting a good response.  One slightly sour note on Saturday in Alloa High Street; our loudspeaker car went past, playing a Sir Sean Connery message, and a self-confessed Labour woman said to me:  "I don't approve of you using Sean Connery;  he doesn't even live in this country."  "Neither does Tony Blair" I replied;  no answer to that.

              In many ways it is easy to canvass for Annabelle Ewing;  she was the third most active Scottish MP in the last Parliament, so she has a good track record as a worker both for Scotland and for her constituency.  By contrast, the outgoing Labour MP, Martin O'Neill was in the bottom 10, who were all Labour MPs.   He has retired, and his place is taken by his constituency agent - no fresh blood there.   There are 8 candidates in total, including one from a party called Free Scotland, who purport to be nationalists;  if they genuinely want Independence, I cannot understand why they are contesting against the SNP.

              Anyway I am enjoying my trips to Ochil, as I now know a few activists there; it is very much a winnable seat and is the nearest one to home.

             Alex has been on virtually every political TV programme, plus the radio ones, and he is coming over very well indeed;  I am surprised at the amount of coverage that he is getting, and part of that must be because the Unionist parties cannot say a lot about Scotland, whereas Alex is talking about Scotland all the time.   So far I have seen him on the Scottish 500, Meet the Leaders, Newsnight with Gordon Brewer, interviewed by Bernard Ponsonby, interviewed by Michael Crow, and last night, five minutes with Jeremy Paxman.  In my opinion, he has not lost an argument yet, and he has not lost his cool, either;  we are setting the agenda, and we are getting the coverage. 

             One of the favourite lines of all the interviewers is that Alex can never be Prime Minister;  Alex tells them all, gently, as in speaking to someone who is a wee bit slow on the uptake, that he has no ambition to be Prime Minister of Britain, but wants to be Prime Minister of Scotland,. and what is wrong with that?  He has managed to wrong foot all of them, which may explain why Jeremy Paxman only allowed five minutes;  he was slightly nonplussed when Alex said he did not want to a member of the Scottish Raj, and that he thought England would be quite capable of governing herself, without any help from the Scots.  Nice to see the patroniser patronised.

              When you think about the Scottish Raj, perhaps the English have a point;  Tony Blair purports to be a Scot, but hides it well.  Gordon Brown, the Chancellor is a Scottish MP sitting for a Scottish seat, John Reid is a Scottish MP sitting for a Scottish seat, but is the English Health Secretary, whose writ does not run in Scotland, Alastair Darling is a Scottish MP sitting for a Scottish seat, and is English Transport Secretary. whose writ does not run in Scotland, Robin Cook was the Foreign Secretary, until his misdemeanours put paid to that, Lord Irvine was the Lord Chancellor, a post now filled by Lord Falconer, both Scots........   When you compare England's 500 plus Members of Parliament, why is it that the most powerful positions are held by Scots - with only 72 Members, going down to 59, to choose from?   Perhaps the reason for saying that Scotland could not govern herself is because the Scots are too busy governing the English.

DEATH OF GWYNFOR EVANS

 Winnie Ewing, who served with Gwynfor Evans in the House of Commons, said:

 'I was so saddened to hear the news of Gwynfor's passing.  He was my dearest friend in the House of Commons when we were two lone Nationalist voices there.  We were united culturally, and in every way, fighting for our respective nations.

 'We often spoke in one another's countries and we really felt we were the sole representatives for our two sister nations, each campaigning for their freedom.'

 Alex Salmond added:

 'Gwynfor was an inspirational figure in the Welsh National movement. He brought the issue to the forefront of politics and paved the way for events in Scotland as well as Wales.

 'He was a father figure for Wales and a great friend for Scotland.'

SCOTTISH STANDARD

          John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, was in Edinburgh last week, "helping out" Alastair Darling, erstwhile English Transport Secretary;  he told bystanders "You have a Liberal Democrat council here" - going on to castigate the Liberal record in local government.

            Obviously he was aware of the shambles in Edinburgh, which has been controlled by Labour for at least the last 20 years.
                         

       The wealthy constituency of Richmond is currently held by the Liberals; when a Tory leaf-letter arrived at one house the occupant fell into conversation.  The leaf-letter was an economic immigrant, one of many, working for a company which delivered leaflets for the Liberals and the Tories;  they were all paid less than the minimum wage.

      How colonial - vilify them and exploit them.

          Sidelight on the current disagreement between China and Japan, emanating from the conduct of the Japanese forces during the Second World War and their refusal to acknowledge the atrocities, which has resulted in the Japanese embassy being assailed, while the Chinese police looked on, and diplomatic protests.

            In England (yes, England - not Britain) Japanese companies are efficiently producing motor cars by the thousand every year;  by some shrewd moves, China will take over Rover, and will produce thousands of motor cars every year - in England?

           Again this week we have a great number of press releases, and can only use a fraction of them;  in general we try to use only Westminster candidates, but some vital issues have been raised by MSPs, and require an airing, displaying the duplicity of Labour and the Liberals.  We do not specifically highlight the duplicity of the Tories, as that is taken as read.

Sunday 24 April 2005

 SNP spokesperson on International Development and candidate in Moray Mr Angus Robertson said:    "People donated millions of pounds of their hard earned cash in response to  the Tsunami disaster. That reaction was overwhelming and demonstrated that people truly care about global poverty.

"The Government's response on the other hand highlighted some of the underlying issues that still need to be tackled in its attitude to aid giving. Not only was the Government slow to react but they were caught out charging the aid budget for services that most of us would have expected would have been given for free. 

"The Ministry of Defence charged the aid budget £2.5 million for the relief effort. That showed just how far we have to go to change attitudes at the very highest levels of Government.

 "Today is a fantastic opportunity to focus on global poverty. It is a political problem and one that should be at the very top of the political agenda."

Saturday 23 April 2005

The Leader of the Scottish National Party, Mr Alex Salmond, and Holyrood Leader Nicola Sturgeon today campaigned on health and improving health services in Scotland.  The SNP criticised Labour and the Liberals failure to tackle the crisis facing the NHS in Scotland and set out policies for getting the health service back on track including training more doctors, making health boards more accountable and tackling hospital acquired infections.

 Alex Salmond said:

"It is time to get Scotland's health services back on track. Labour's record on health is dire. Since 1999 NHS waiting times in Scotland have rocketed to record levels and fewer patients are being treated than when Labour took office. It is no wonder that Labour is using English statistics to try and hide their failure in Scotland. Even the Prime Minister doesn't think Labour is doing a good job on health in Scotland.

"As a priority we want Scots treated faster with local services protected. Our plans include fast treatment and diagnostic centres to tackle the waiting times crisis.

"The SNP recognises the importance of local decision making and are committed to fully accountable health boards. We will make health boards more accountable and ensure that half of all members are directly elected by the public.

"We will put an end to excessive centralisation of key services such as Accident and Emergency and maternity and keep services local. This is a big issue for rural areas where a local health service is particularly important and we will support rural general hospitals.

"Labour must stop trying to hide their failures and come clean about the state of the NHS. People in Scotland deserve a decent health service. The SNP has a positive vision for a better future for the NHS. We will make Scotland's health matter and votes for the SNP will send a message that we are sick of and will not tolerate their failures any more."

Friday 23 April 2005

The Scottish National Party candidate for Angus and SNP spokesman on Energy at Westminster, Mr Mike Weir, has reacted with anger to Margaret Beckett's remarks that Labour is considering more nuclear power stations. 

The SNP has campaigned against the building of new nuclear power stations and the dumping of nuclear waste in Scotland. According to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), 470,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste need to be dumped in the United Kingdom. The UK government has also agreed to bury waste from other countries such as Japan, Germany and Italy as a money making exercise.

 Mike Weir said:  "Scotland will pay dear for Labour's nuclear madness. They are obsessed with creating a nuclear future for Scotland looking to spend billions on new nuclear power stations that we don't need as well as spending billions on nuclear weapons on the Clyde.

 "There is no need for more nuclear power. Scotland has the potential to be the renewable energy powerhouse of Europe with exceptional off shore energy potential. The SNP has campaigned against the Government's attempts to penalise generators in Scotland and sneaking in a nuclear future by the back door. 

"More power stations will mean more nuclear waste. The vast majority of sites that have been identified as storage sites for dangerous waste are in Scotland. Nuclear waste dumps are a hazard to communities across Scotland and bring no benefits. We will be stepping up our campaign against Labour's
nuclear folly. 

"Votes for the SNP will give Scotland a strong voice at Westminster to ensure that Scotland doesn't become Labour's nuclear dumping ground."

 Pensioners are set to win with the SNP. Under SNP plans single pensioners will be up to £121.11 a month better off than they are under Labour and couples £159.47 a month better off. Along with the savings that pensioners will make under the SNP's Local Income Tax which will mean less or no local tax for pensioners, single pensioners will be up to £174.25 better off every
month and couples £241.92 better off a month.

SNP Leader Alex Salmond said: "When the SNP wins Scotland wins. Under the SNP's plans for a Citizen's Pension and Local Income Tax pensioners will be the real winners in Scotland. Our plans will leave single pensioners up to £2,000 better off every year and couples up to £3,000 better off.

 "Under Labour and the Tories, pensioners have lost out significantly. The Conservatives cost our pensioners thousands when they cut the link with earnings. They have fared little better under Labour who failed to restore the link and introduced the disastrous system of means testing for a decent
pension. 

"The SNP will abolish Labour's unjust and costly system of means testing that denies one quarter of pensioners the money they are due and leaves one pensioner in five living in poverty.

 "The SNP will be a strong voice for Scotland at Westminster. We will be putting a Citizen's Pension at the top of the political agenda. When the SNP wins London listens and we will be campaigning to win for pensioners." 

SNP Work and Pensions spokesman and candidate in Angus, Mike Weir said:

 "The Tories were first to remove the link with earnings and Labour has failed to restore it. As a result Scottish pensioners have lost thousands of pounds. The SNP will right this wrong and restore the earnings link. 
 

Thursday 21st April 2005  

SNP Shadow Education and Lifelong Learning Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP has today (Thursday) accused the Lib Dems of 'breathtaking duplicity' and hiding the true extent of student poverty and graduate debt in Scotland while imposing top-up fees.

Commenting, Fiona Hyslop said:  "The Lib Dems are all over the place on higher education.  Charles Kennedy is claiming that they will scrap tuition fees one day after Jim Wallace imposed top-up fees in Scotland. 

"Not only is it a Lib Dem minister imposing top-up fees in Scotland, the arrangements he's putting in place will be worse than Labour's change in England.  While Labour moves tuition fees from pay now to pay later, the Lib Dems' Scottish top-up fee will have to be paid in advance.

 "As a result of Lib Dem policies, Scottish universities will be suffering and Scottish students will be suffering. Just as the Graduate Endowment tuition fee is adding to the already debilitating debt our graduates carry, the top-up fees will restrict student choices and could lead to a drop in registrations.

 "While Charles Kennedy is promising to bring back student grants in England, Jim Wallace has refused to do so in spite of being the Minister responsible for Further and Higher Education since 2003. In addition while Charles Kennedy is complaining about the levels of student poverty and graduate debt in England, Jim Wallace is refusing to publish the Scottish survey into the levels of student poverty and graduate debt in Scotland.

 "The Lib Dems are behaving with breathtaking duplicity. Charles Kennedy is promising to end tuition fees and reintroduce grants in England – benefits that won't be available to students in Scotland because of the actions of his own party."

Thursday 21st April 

* In Scotland First Time Buyers are not paying anything like £250,000. The average price paid by a first time buyer in Scotland is £82,654 according to the Bank of Scotland First Time Buyers Review 2005 published in January 2005 compared to £99,683 in Wales, £131,024 in the UK as a whole and even £220,093 in Greater London.

 * What Scotland needs is targeted help for first time buyers such as the SNP's First Time Buyers Grant of £2,000 which will help with costs and expenses when buying a first home.

Commenting Pete Wishart said:

"The SNP's proposal to offer a £2000 grant to first time buyers would do more to help young Scots. The average house price in Scotland is £118,123 but the typical first time buyer pays even less. So a young family buying their first house, even at the average price, would gain £800 more under SNP proposals. In somewhere like Dundee it would be £1100 more or Paisley £1000 more.

 "We all know house prices are higher in England - over £100,000 higher on average in the south east - and so once again we have a policy from the Tories designed for English conditions. It is a policy that will benefit an average family in England more.

 Wednesday 21st April 2005

The Leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, has condemned the Prime Minister following his confirmation that a Labour government would replace the Trident nuclear system with a new generation nuclear weapon.

 The confirmation came in reply to a question from Jeremy Paxman on the Newsnight election special interview this evening (Wednesday 20th April). Commenting Mr Salmond said:

"Tony Blair has confirmed that a Labour government would replace Trident and land a new generation nuclear weapon on the Clyde. This decision proves Tony Blair is out of touch with public opinion in Scotland. Only last week a poll in Scotland showed 78% of Scots opposed to a new nuclear
weapon. 

"The final decision on 'son of Trident' is due in the next parliament and for the first time since 1983, candidates elected in May will have a clear choice to make. Do they, like Tony Blair, want billions more wasted on Britain's weapons of mass destruction or do they favour a real peace
dividend? 

"The future of Trident will be one of the most important decisions we make in this election and Tony Blair has now put it front and centre in this campaign. This is a decision that will impact on the people of Glasgow and the west of Scotland for a generation.

 "Labour want to proceed with this nuclear madness. Only the SNP stand for a nuclear free Scotland and only a vote for the SNP is a vote to stop son of Trident.

 "This election can be about creating a better and safer future for Scotland. A good first step will be saying no to 'son of Trident'. This is a key challenge to Labour candidates in this campaign - do they back Scotland or their discredited PM?"

 NOTE - the SNP press office can provide a copy of Tony Blair's 1983 election address, which states his then opposition to spending £10 billion on Trident.

 A recent poll by System Three in Scotland asked: In the next parliament, the government is due to make a decision on the purchase of a new generation nuclear missile system to replace Trident, at a cost of around £20 billion. Would you support or oppose the government buying a new nuclear missile system to replace Trident? 

The results were:

Sample of 922, fieldwork 31st March to 7th April 2005

Monday 25th April 2005

SNP Shadow Health spokeswoman Shona Robison MSP today (Monday) tabled Parliamentary questions regarding the Scottish Executive's failure to replace equipment at Scotland's busiest cancer treatment centre.

Despite calls by the hospital's doctors, the Western Infirmary's Beatson Oncology Centre's CT scanner has not been up-graded, potentially putting Scottish patients at risk.

Shona Robison MSP said: "This issue raises a serious question mark over the Executive's claims to prioritise Scotland's big killer diseases.

"Questions have to be asked of the Executive on why Scotland's busiest cancer treatment centre is reliant on out-dated machinery when plans to replace it have been ongoing for some time.  Scottish patients deserve the best possible treatment, not second rate equipment. 

"That's why I have today tabled a number of Parliamentary Questions in the Scottish Parliament so that we can see the full facts of the matter laid out in public.  Ministers must be held to account for this inaction. 

"The West of Scotland has some of the highest cancer rates in Scotland, yet seems to have the poorest equipment. This is an unacceptable situation and one that needs to be resolved urgently if cancer patients in the West of Scotland are to receive the vital treatment they deserve.

"With waiting times and waiting lists already up under this Executive, this is yet another Labour/Liberal health service failure."

Monday 25 April 2005

The Save the Scottish Regiments campaign is backing SNP candidates the length and breadth of Scotland including Annabelle Ewing in Ochil and South Perthshire, Mike Weir in Angus, Pete Wishart in Perth and North Perthshire and Stewart Hosie in Dundee East.

The SNP has also challenged the Conservatives record on the regiments. The SNP have said that the Tories can't save anything given their record on scrapping regiments. It was a Conservative government that scrapped Gordon Highlanders and Queen's own Highlanders in 1994. Tory Defence spokesman Nicholas Soames also refused to back the regiments saying that the Tories would not reverse Labour's regiments cuts. 

SNP candidate for Perth and North Perthshire Pete Wishart said:

"The campaign to save the Black Watch and Scotland's other historic regiments goes on. People are angry over their betrayal of our regiments and they will pay for it where it hurts. At the ballot box.

"The anti-Scottish Tories can't be trusted to save anything given that they scrapped regiments back in the 1990s. It was they who scrapped the Gordon Highlanders and Queen's own Highlanders when they were in government in 1994.

"The Tory Defence Spokesman also refused to back the Scottish regiments when challenged. He said that they would not reverse the Labour cuts. And when the decision to scrap the regiments was made the sole Scottish Tory couldn't be bothered to turn up. They have failed our regiments in the past and quite simply cannot be trusted. 

"Scotland gets fewer service men and women than our population share and what we pay for in the defence budget. At present we pay for Britain's defence but lose out on 10,000 jobs effectively taking £300 million out of Scotland's economy. We also pay our share of defence procurement, but miss out on a third of spending, at a cost of over £400 million. 

The SNP will save Scotland's six historic infantry regiments. We cannot afford to lose them. A strong SNP voice at Scotland will be a strong voice for Scotland and save our regiments."

SNP candidate in Ochil and South Perthshire Annabelle Ewing said: 

"Scottish infantry soldiers are the best in the world. Their professionalism and expertise is renowned across the globe. At a time of increased global insecurity and military overstretch we need their skills and expertise like never before.

"Our troops have served with distinction the world over, and in Iraq they have conducted themselves with honour in an extremely difficult situation. As this Labour government sent our troops into harm's way in Iraq, it was preparing to stab them in the back at home.

"The links between the regiments and the communities they serve is a strong one. People rightly feel angry over the disgraceful way in which our regiments have been treated. The SNP will make Scotland matter at this General Election. In 1999 strong SNP support saved the Govan shipyard from closure. Votes for the SNP are the only way to make London listen and save the regiments."

Jeff Duncan of the Save the Scottish Regiments campaign said:

"SNP MPs have provided the regiments with a strong voice at Westminster. They have stood up to Labour and their betrayal of our troops. We will be campaigning hard to return people like Mike Weir in Angus, Pete Wishart in Perth and North Perthshire and Annabelle Ewing in Ochil and South Perthshire so that the regiments still have that voice at Westminster.

"People are hurt and angry about the disgraceful way in which our troops have been treated. The Save the Regiments campaign, want to hit Labour where it hurts - at the ballot box."