The Scots Independent Newspaper Online

Farewell, Douglas

Douglas Crawford, George Reid, Gordon Wilson, Douglas Henderson, Winifred Ewing, Donald Stewart, Margaret Bain, Hamish Watt, Ian MacCormick, Andrew Welsh and George Thomson, the eleven SNP MPs elected in 1974.

Douglas Crawford, George Reid, Gordon Wilson, Douglas Henderson, Winifred Ewing, Donald Stewart, Margaret Bain, Hamish Watt, Ian MacCormick, Andrew Welsh and George Thomson, the eleven SNP MPs elected in 1974.

Douglas Henderson, who died this week, was a pivotal figure in the turbulent events of 1974-79 when Scotland seemed poised – briefly – to regain her independence. As the business manager (or “whip”, as House of Commons usage would have it) of the 11-strong SNP Parliamentary Group Douglas had one of the most challenging jobs in UK politics and his managerial and negotiating skills won widespread admiration. Yet for all his talents he was unable to prevent the damaging splits between the SNP MPs in Westminster and the party back in Scotland which were to set the independence movement back by anything up to thirty years.

This is not the time or place to revisit the history of these years (although revisit it we eventually must, lest we be condemned to relive it) but we need to be clear that it was this part of his long involvement in nationalist politics that made Douglas such a key figure in modern Scottish politics.

It is of course true, as the numerous obituaries agree, that Douglas was an exceptionally able, brilliantly witty, passionate and indefatigable politician, an outstanding constituency MP and a talented orator. Yet none of these admirable traits make him unique: what was uniquely important was his role in SNP internal politics from 1974 to 1979.

On a personal note, I came to know Douglas socially only after he had ceased to be an MP and I had ceased to be a party apparatchik. To my surprise and delight I found him to be totally different from expectations formed in the frequently fraught atmosphere of 74-79. I knew, of course, of his sharp intelligence, incisive wit and brilliance as a raconteur but I was not expecting the warmth, courtesy, cosmopolitanism and depth of cultural insight. He and his delightful and stylish companion Betty were the best company imaginable.

Goodbye, Douglas. We shall miss you sorely. When shall we see your like again?

Labour’s Silent Majority

Look behind the headline figures in the latest poll on independence and a startling statistic emerges: the pro-independence majority comprises not only the vast majority of SNP supporters (naturally enough) but also almost half (46%) of those retaining loyalty to Labour. Gordon Brown may assert that he is as staunch a British Unionist as Margaret Thatcher but Labour’s Scottish voters are almost evenly split between unionists and nationalists. (In contrast, only 15% of Conservative voters support independence.)

Jack McConnell YouGov’s poll for Sunday Times (Scotland) also demonstrates that, contrary to official Labour policy, Labour voters are overwhelmingly in favour of increased powers for the Scottish Parliament. For Scotland as a whole supporters of greater power outnumber opponents by 3 to 1:

Among Labour supporters that rises to 4 to 1. Only 1 in 5 Labour voters accepts the party line that the current devolution settlement is the “settled will” of the Scottish people.

So essentially we have two Labour parties in Scotland. The official party leadership continues to show unquestioning loyalty to its masters in London while the grassroots are increasingly nationalist or quasi-nationalist.

The increasing divergence between the different parties is at the root of Labour’s electoral decline. If left unresolved it could result in a collapse as spectacular as that which has resulted in the once-dominant Conservative Party losing almost three-quarters of its Scottish support over the last half-century.

So what does any reasonably intelligent Scottish Labour politician do now? Does he wait until the rising pro-independence tide consigns him to the political wilderness? Or does he seek the safety of a political base in England, following the example of Conservative North Brits such as Malcolm Rifkind, Liam Fox and Michael Ancrum? Or does he do something much more daring, such as trying to connect with his voter base?

It takes some courage since any hint of independent thinking is greeted by furiously hostile briefing from Westminster and Whitehall, accompanied by vicious lampooning in The Scotsman and other unionist media.

Yet Jack persists in testing the water. Seeking to have a distinct policy on asylum seekers, on immigration and, most recently, on nuclear disarmament is part of the pattern. Endorsing St.Andrew’s Day as an official national holiday, declaring he feels Scots rather than British and admitting he sees no problem with independence as such (as opposed to the process of arriving there) indicate that either his heart is in the right place or that he is an shameless opportunist (or perhaps a bit of both).

So come on, Jack. Take the plunge. Declare for independence and go from zero to hero overnight. Not to mention saving the Labour party from extinction.

The Cameron factor.

The increasing irrelevance of the Scottish Tories means that we can appraise their English counterparts with a certain disinterested neutrality. And on this basis it must be admitted that the boy Cameron is doing not too badly, particularly by way of contrast to the Thatcherite clones who preceded him.

David Cameron On a range of issues, from environmental awareness and scepticism over nuclear power through to distancing himself from Bush’s neo-con adventurism, Cameron is hitting the right buttons with the English electorate. His theme of national well-being being at least as important as crude economic growth could well be the defining philosophy of the next decades (and something the SNP might consider copying). Granted that much of this is sophisticated PR spin it still seems fresh and refreshing compared to New Labour’s tired package of authoritarianism and sleaze.

One of the key challenges the SNP will face in the run-up to independence is finding ways to negotiate with the English. If England’s political leaders are regarded as primarily ideological opponents then the prospects for rational dialogue are much reduced. We have to distance ourselves from any emotional involvement in English politics, just as EU member states deal with each other on the basis of mutual respect rather than on the basis of differing political complexion.

Personally I would be much happier negotiating the transfer to independence with an urbane Old Etonian like David Cameron rather than with Scotch turncoats such as Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling.

Does anyone really need the Lib-Dems?

This week has seen one of the more bizarre phenomena of UK politics: the Annual Conference of the so-called Liberal Democrats. (I say “so-called” since their antipathy to an independence referendum shows they are neither liberal nor democrats.) When a party of political dilettantes and opportunists is so vulnerable to the question “What on earth are they for?” it is perhaps rather fool-hardy to have a conference which only serves to reinforce this perplexity.

Jack McConnell & Nicol Stephen - a marriage made in hell But in Scotland they do imagine they have found a role as a permanent and inescapable partner in all future governments. They reason that neither Labour nor the SNP can form an administration without them and that they can gain favours well beyond their actual electoral strength by playing the big boys off against each other.

Perhaps they should look more closely at the recent YouGov poll. OK, it is only a poll and there are still seven months to go before the actual election. Nevertheless the findings do indicate definite possibilities.

One of these is a majority or near-majority of pro-independence MSPs. As the SNP press release reproduced below indicates, a reworking of the party standings to take into account the much higher level of “certainty to vote” among SNP supporters puts the nationalists some four points ahead of Labour on the constituency vote and some six points ahead on the regional lists. This is in the “tipping point” zone where the electoral system starts to deliver major gains to the SNP.

Moreover the regional list vote for “Others” remains strong, cumulatively more numerous than either the Lib-Dems or Tories. While not all “Others” are pro-independence the vast majority are (Greens, Socialists, Independents) and they are also the ones most likely to get elected. Note that the combined SNP and Other votes on the regional list are, at 47.5%, agonisingly close to an outright majority. Even if an absolute majority escapes the Independistas the prospect for a minority SNP or SNP-Green government looks worth exploring.

One factor which would protect such a minority administration from the dangers of the UK parties ganging up on it is, paradoxically, the current behaviour of the Lib-Dems. Their arrogance, posturing and electoral dirty tricks have sickened their Labour coalition partners to the point that they would prefer almost any electoral outcome to a resumption of the current partnership. If Jack were only to find the courage of his voters’ convictions even a “grand coalition” with the SNP might be preferable to another session in purgatory with the Lib-Dems.

22 September 1814
The Wallace Statue was unveiled in the grounds of Bemersyde House, Dryburgh. In honour of Sir William Wallace, Guardian of Scotland, the statue was commissioned by David Stuart Erskine, 11^th Earl of Buchan, stands 31 feet in height with the actual figure being 21 ½ feet in height. It was sculpted from red sandstone by John Smith of Darnick.

22 September 2005
Former Labour MSP Mike Watson, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, was sentenced to 16-months imprisonment for wilful fire-raising at the Prestonfield House Hotel, Edinburgh, on 12 November 2004. He had earlier pled guilty to the charge and resigned as Glasgow Central member of the Scottish Parliament.

23 September 1746
The Presbytery of Brechin applied for protection from marauding Jacobites who were active in the Edzell area.

23 September 1994
Conditions in the Glenclova nursing home in Glasgow, where a 79-year-old women died, were described as a public scandal in a sheriff’s public inquiry judgement.

24 September 1332
Edward Balliol, son of King John Balliol, with English support, was crowned King of Scots at Scone, following his victory at Duppling Moor.

Ian Hudghton 24 September 2005
Ian Hudghton MEP was elected as President of the Scottish National Party at the SNP Annual National Conference held at Aviemore. He overwhelmingly defeated Douglas Henderson and William C Wolfe to succeed outgoing President Dr Winifred M Ewing.

27 September 1837
Glasgow’s first railway, from Townhead to Garnick, was opened to passenger traffic.

27 September 1952
The Queen Mother unveiled the Commando Monument at Spean Bridge. The monument, sculpted by Scott Sutherland, commemorated the commandos who fell in World War II.

See Dates in History in our Features Section

SCOTTISH QUOTATIONS

I like to have quotations ready for every occasions - they give one's ideas so pat and save one the trouble of finding expression adequate to one's feeling.

Robert Burns

We continue our new Feature in this section of the Flag - Scottish Quotations - statements in prose and verse which reflect all aspects of Scottish life and outlook from the 13^th century to the present day. New quotes added every week. The quotations are not restricted to native Scots but include observations from abroad which help us, in the words of our National Bard, Robert Burns, "To see oursels as others see us"

All our quotes this week concern Scotland’s diet in days past

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

The halesome Parritch, chief o’ SCOTIA’S food.

(The Cotter’s Saturday Night 1786)

John Home (1722-1808)

Firm and erect the Caledonian stood;
Old was his mutton, and his claret good.
‘Let him drink port!’ the Saxon statesman cried.
He drank the poison, and his spirit died.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

And, my lords and lieges, let us all to dinner, for the cockie-leekie is a-cooling!

(The Fortunes of Nigel 1822)

Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)

Breakfasted [at Cairndow, near Glen Kinglas], before our departure, and ate a herring fresh from the water, at our landlord’s earnest recommendation – much superior to the herrings we get in the north of England.

(Journal 30 August 1803)

See Scottish Quotations 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

The Lichtbob's Lassie
Traditional

A Hanoverian soldier

First fin I cam ‘tae the toon,
They ca’d me young an’ bonnie;
Noo they’ve chang’d my name,
Ca’d me the lichtbob’s honey.

First fin I cam’ tae the toon,
They ca’d me proud an’ saucy;
Noo they’ve changed my name,
Ca’d me the lichtbob’s lassie.

I’ll dye my petticoats red,
And face them wi’ the yellow:
I’ll tell the dyster lad
That the lichtbobs I’m tae follow.

Feather beds are saft,
Painted rooms are bonnie;
I will leave them a’,
An’ jog awa’ wi’ Johnnie.

Oh, my back’s been sair,
Shearin’ Craigie’s corn:
I winna see him the nicht,
But I’ll see him the morn.

Oh for Saterday nicht,
Syne I’ll see my dearie,
He’ll come whistlin’ in,
Fan I am tired an’ weary.

Footnote: An alternative version of last week’s song ‘The Leaboy’s Lassie’ but instead of the love interest being a herd boy, this time it is a soldier. At least that was the opinion of the late Dr Hamish Henderson who found references to lichtbobs as being soldiers, This would appear to be borne out by the colours the lassie intends to dye her petticoats. Hamish played a major role in the Scottish Folk Revival and it was always a pleasure, indeed an education, to meet him. He is sadly missed.

See the SING A SANG AT LEAST in our Features section

A BURNS COLLECTION

For your next Burns Supper
Compiled by Peter D Wright

It is never to early to plan ahead for your next, or indeed first, Burns Supper, and the intention of this new feature is to give you a ready accessible collection of the National Bard’s material for the 25^th of January each year. Over the next few months we will give you a variety of items by Robert Burns, which should prove useful to you.

Interest in the life and work of Robert Burns has never faltered and, indeed, as we now approach the 250^th anniversary of his birth in 2009, this should grow apace. He holds a special place in the hearts of his countrymen and his appeal spans the continents. A genius, he spoke for his people and captured their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, in poetry and song. The Flag collection will reflect this.

WEEK SIX

We continue the Burns Collection with his song of International Brotherhood – ‘A Man’s A Man’ – and a poem on a subject none of wish to suffer – ‘Address to the Toothache’. Toothache must have been far worse in the days of Robert Burns!

A MAN’S A MAN

Listen to this in Real Audio read by Jim Lynch

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, and a' that?
The coward-slave, we pass him by,
We daur be poor for a' that!
For a' that, and a' that,
Our toils obscure, and a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that!

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, and a' that;
Gie fools their silks and knaves their wine,
A Man's a Man for a' that.
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, and a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that!

Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, and a' that,
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
His ribband, star and a' that;
The man of independent mind
He looks and laughs at a' that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke and a' that;
But an honest man's abune his might
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, and a' that,
Their dignities, and a' that;
The pith o' sense and pride o' worth
Are higher rank than a' that!

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, and a' that.
For a' that, and a' that,
It's comin yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that!

ADDRESS TO THE TOOTHACHE

Click here to listen to this in Real Audio read by Marilyn P Wright
My curse upon your venom'd stang,
That shoots my tortur'd gums alang,
An' thro' my lug gies mony a twang,
Wi' gnawing vengeance,
Tearing my nerves wi' bitter pang,
Like racking engines!

When fevers burn, or argues freezes,
Rheumatics gnaw, or colics squeezes,
Our neibor's sympathy can ease us,
Wi' pitying moan;
But thee-thou hell o' a' diseases-
Aye mocks our groan.

Adown my beard the slavers trickle
I throw the wee stools o'er the mickle,
While round the fire the giglets keckle,
To see me loup,
While, raving mad, I wish a heckle
Were in their doup!

In a' the numerous human dools,
Ill hairsts, daft bargains, cutty stools,
Or worthy frien's rak'd i' the mools, -
Sad sight to see!
The tricks o' knaves, or fash o'fools,
Thou bear'st the gree!

Where'er that place be priests ca' hell,
Where a' the tones o' misery yell,
An' ranked plagues their numbers tell,
In dreadfu' raw,
Thou, Toothache, surely bear'st the bell,
Amang them a'!

O thou grim, mischief-making chiel,
That gars the notes o' discord squeel,
Till daft mankind aft dance a reel
In gore, a shoe-thick,
Gie a' the faes o' Scotland's weal
A townmond's toothache!

See the Burns Collection in our Features section

SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

An activity for which the Perthshire town of Crieff was famous, indeed almost infamous, in the 18^th century will be commemorated in the second week of October (Saturday 7 – Saturday 14 October 2006). Langsyne every October the Crieff Tryst (cattle sale) attracted drovesof cattle from all over the Highlands and Islands and buyers flocked from the Lowlands and England. The sight of thousands of cattle, in and around Crieff, must have been a tremendous one indeed. In 1722 some 30,000 head of cattle was sold at Crieff. The Tryst moved to Falkirk in the 1770s but not before Crieff had gained a reputation for unruly behaviour as hordes of Highland drovers celebrated their arrival and sales with a dram or three! Apparently the Crieff gallows were kept extremely busy.

No such extreme fate should befall those who attend the 5^th Crieff and Strathearn Drover’s Tryst even if you have a dram too much! But the emphasis, as in the drover’s day, is very much on walking( in their footsteps), with a variety of daily walks (easy, medium and hard) and other outdoor activities, Evening entertainment abounds with ceilidhs, a barn dance, quiz nights and a special performance by top Scottish folk duo Gaberlunzie among the attractions. Visit www.droverstryst.co.uk for full details including a walk around Bennybeg for young bairns, ‘Toddle Waddle’ is for under-5s and is in aid of the Meningitus Trust and will take place on Wednesday 11 October.

Saturday 14 October will see the week wrapped up with the second Saturday Crieff Day with the Crieff Market in James Square. Something for everyone - from pipe bands and fresh products & baking to arts & crafts, street entertainment and a bouncy castle and as they say much, much more.

With Scottish beef now available, world-wide, after a ten year ban, and this week’s topic looking back to the heyday of the drover’s tryst in Crieff, our recipe must be beef based. Patricia Wallace offered one of her favourites - Roast Beef - which should tempt all palates.

Roast Beef

Do buy, and cook, your joint on the bone if possible. The bone provides a good conductor of heat inside the joint, ensuring the cooking is even with less loss of juices.

Dust the fat-surface of the joint with a mixture of flour and dry mustard, and sprinkle with freshly-milled black pepper (but no salt, since this encourages the juices to escape). Add a knob of beef dripping to the tin, just to moisten the base, before placing the joint in it. Start by giving it 20 minutes at gas mark 9, 475°F (245°C), then lower the heat to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C), and cook for 15 minutes per pound (for rare), plus 15 extra minutes (for medium-rare), plus 30 minutes extra (for well-done), and baste the meat with the pan juices during the cooking.

Let the meat 'relax' for about 30 minutes before carving, pour any juices that come out of the meat back into the gravy.

See our Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs 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)

affrontit: ashamed

ben: inner part of house; in; inside; into; through; within

chantie: chamberpot

jouk: to duck; elude; side step; swerve

pairt: part; share

waur: defeat; worst; parry

Ye'r a sicht fir sair een: I am pleased to see you

The mitherless bairn gangs till his lane bed,

Nane covers his cauld back, or haps his bare head;

His wee hackit heelies are hard as the airn,

An' litheless the lair o' the mitherless!

frae "The Mitherless Bairn" - William Thom ( 1798-1848 )

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

At the Dentist

Tam went to his local dentist and asked how much it was for an extraction.

“£50 for an extraction” replied the dentist.

“Och, hae ye no got ocht cheaper?” asked Tam, getting slightly agitated.

“But that is the normal charge for an extraction” explained the dentist.

“Whit about ye dinna yaise onie anaesthetic?” queried Tam.

“Well it would be highly unusual, but I could do that for £40” said the dentist.

“Hmmm, whit gin ye yaised ane o yir dentist trainees and nae anaesthetic?” suggested tam.

“Well, it is possible, but as they are only training I could not guarantee their level of professionalism and it would be a lot more painful, but I suppose the price would come down to £30” pondered the dentist.

“Fegs, that’s still owre muckle bit hou gin ye made it a trainin session an hae yon student dae the extraction an hae ither students watchin and lairnin?” Tam suggested, hopefully.

“Well, all right” said the dentist. “It would be useful for the students and I would only charge you £5 in that case.”

“Braw!” exclaimed Tam. “That’s a deal. Can ye book the wife in fir neist Thursday?”

(with thanks to Gordon Menzies of Gaberlunzie)

Click here to listen to this joke

Read and listen to Jokes in our Scot Wit section

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.
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!
Scottish Quotations
A variety of quotations in prose and verse reflecting all aspects of Scottish life and outlook.
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.
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 27 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.

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The Working Life of Linda Fabiani MSP