SOME CHANGES

       This week I have added a Gaelic column to the Flag; this has been requested from time to time, but circumstances have now made it achievable.  The circumstance is that I am now the editor of the Scots Independent newspaper as well, and the Gaelic correspondent of the paper is quite happy for her contribution to appear in the Flag; it is also a further emphasis that the Scots Independent and the Flag in the Wind are virtually synonymous.

DYNAMIC LAUNCH

         I had read all the papers about the Independence Convention, but swithered as to whether or not to go to the launch; as far as I could gather it was an  attempt to spread the gospel of independence, worthy , but vague.   However, I went, and was quite astonished at the turnout and reception.

             The hall at Dynamic Earth was packed, and comment was made that the venue was apposite for what we were about.   I saw quite a few members of the SNP, but there were also a lot of unfamiliar faces; I listened with close attention to all the speakers, and found little to disagree with in any presentation.  Alex Salmond was the first speaker, and his drive was “to create a new culture of independence, a spirit of freedom in Scotland”; Alex is an accomplished orator, and he was compelling and convincing.  He said “I want to reassert Scotland’s claim of right- to acknowledge and assert the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs.” The second speaker was Professor Mike Dawson, but I was unable to hear his contribution, a combination of the microphone, and the fact that my hearing aid had packed in!  Next was Robin Harper of the Greens, a bit wishy washy, looking to a better society in general, more on the “motherhood and apple pie” theme, and light on the Scottish aspect.

             Then up to the podium stepped Joyce Falconer, a young lady who I had never heard of.  Her voice was extraordinary, deep, almost masculine, but that was the only masculine thing about her; she spoke in the Scottish dialect, not Scots, but as spoken in Scotland today.  Her poetry was electrifying, and had the audience spellbound, and in tears; she concluded by singing a part of “A Man’s a Man for a’ That”, accompanying herself on the accordion.  Remarkable, and inspiring.

            She was a hard act to follow, and Colin Fox, leader of the SSP, drew the short straw, and he concentrated on the need to increase the powers of the Scottish Parliament as the route to go down.  Last to the podium was Elaine C Smith, who was informing and vastly entertaining, emphasising her view that culture would be the driving force; she was spot on with her comment that local dialects were much admired, and natural, with TV programmes such as Coronation Street and East Enders, but to be deplored when used in River City.  We need to get rid of our inferiority complex, which is fostered by the London focus in the media.

          I listened, but did not take notes, as I thought that I would pick up the main points from the press reports next day; foolish me!  The Herald devoted a couple of hundred words on Page 10, culled from press handouts, obviously no reporter there, and the Scotsman website had something tucked away, but I would have had to register to get it, something I am not inclined to do. 

         In discussion with friends afterwards, it was felt that there was evidence of a wider constituency than the political parties, but how to harness that?    The show, for that was what it was, needed to be played to the public.  As far as I am aware, it was not televised live, although there were people with TV cameras all round, so perhaps something will come out.   Basically, it was the fundamental SNP message, “Put Scotland First”, and only Unionists would reject that attitude.

       I am glad I went.

ST ANDREW OF SCOTLAND

 Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.

 We know relatively little about St. Andrew himself. He was  a fisherman in Galilee , along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Andrew was the first apostle of Jesus.

St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a diagonal cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

 St Andrew was buried in Constantinople, and legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an Irish assistant of St. Columba) called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St. Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew's tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the known world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.

St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of St. Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.

Tradition has it that the flag, oldest in Europe and the Commonwealth, originated in a battle at Athelstaneford, East Lothian in 832 AD; an army of Picts and Scots, led by King Angus, was surrounded by a larger army of Saxons, led by Athelstan.  Angus led prayers for their deliverance, and a cloud formation of a white saltire (the diagonal cross on which St Andrew was crucified) appeared against a blue sky. The king vowed that if, with the saint’s help, he gained victory, then Andrew would be the patron saint of Scotland.  The Scots won, and the Saltire became the National Flag of Scotland.

       
ST ANDREW’S DAY MESSAGE

         This week includes St Andrew’s Day, 30th November, and Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond MP has issued this message:           

"St Andrew's Day is the day to celebrate Scotland. We are a nation rich in people and resources; a country of talent and innovation. We have more than our share of world beaters.

"We are creative and hard-working with a sense of fairness and community that has served us well throughout our history. We have succeeded by aiming high.

"It is now almost seven years since the creation of the Scottish Parliament. I remember well the high hopes and real excitement across Scotland. People put their faith in devolution.

"But high hopes have been dashed, faith replaced by frustration. Expectations have been dulled by an Executive without leadership, and a parliament without power.

"We've seen enough to know that Scotland deserves better.

"In every current debate we find two competing visions of Scotland.

"As part of Britain, Scots face retirement at 67 - despite our life-expectancy being 3 years lower than south of the border. As a free Scotland we will be able to halt this great pensions robbery.

"As part of Britain, we face the prospect of nuclear power and nuclear dumping, as a free Scotland we can have world beating clean carbon power stations for coal and gas and be the renewables power house of Europe.  

"As part of Britain Scottish troops will stay mired in a conflict in Iraq.  A free Scotland will bring our soldiers home.

"The constitutional debate is stirring and the ground is moving from under the feet of Unionism.

"There is a growing consensus that we need more powers for our parliament, and the high ground in the coming debate is Independence."

 
POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR

       We are delighted that at the Herald/Diageo ceremony, the award for Politician of the Year 2005 went to George Reid PC, MSP for Ochil, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament; this is the second time that George has won this award.

           According to the judges, he was given the award for his drive and imagination in being an unofficial ambassador for an institution and building that is now an intrinsic part of our national life.  In his acceptance speech, he thanked the parliament staff and the MSPs, stating “I can assure you that they are decent hardworking men and women who put public service first in their lives.”  Perhaps a little bit of poetic licence, or diplomacy there, but that is what we would expect from the Presiding Officer.

           George was elected as the Scottish National Party MSP for Ochil, but as a mark of his impartiality, resigned from the SNP;  however, the praise heaped on him also reflects on the Party, and should give rise to the thought “If the SNP and Scotland can produce such talented and principled individuals, what heights could we not reach with an SNP government?”

RAISING THE STANDARD

                It was entirely appropriate that in the week that contains St Andrew’s Day, Alex Salmond MP, leader of the Scottish National Party, should launch a document precisely defining what Independence means, and the constitutional steps to attain it.  This was in preparation for the meeting of the Independence Convention at Dynamic Earth on St Andrew’s Day.

               This is a brief summary of what the paper says:
 

                                                             
There shall be an independent Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Parliament:  An independent Parliament will have sovereignty over the full range of matters that affect Scotland. Current reservations in the Scotland Act will be removed and the parliament will have the power to legislate in all areas, reserved and devolved, subject only to agreed international obligations. There will be a Scottish Government headed by a Prime Minister, which will operate in the same way as other international Governments and which will be held to account by the Scottish Parliament.

 Scotland in the World:   The legislation setting up an independent Scottish Parliament will specify that powers currently reserved to the UK Parliament will become the sole responsibility of the Scottish parliament.  The House of Commons and House of  Lords will no longer be able to legislate in relation to Scotland. Relations with the EU will become the responsibility of the Scottish Government, which will seek agreement with the European Union on representation within the Parliament, Council and Commission. Scotland will have the right to remain a member of the European Union with all rights and responsibilities that entails and will seek membership of the United Nations and other international bodies.

The new constitutional arrangements: The Act of Union 1707 will be repealed and the Scotland Act 1998 amended so that Scotland becomes a fully sovereign nation state, independent of England. The Queen will continue to be Head of State of Scotland for as long as the Scottish people wish it.  Scotland will no longer be represented at Westminster and the post of Secretary of State for Scotland will cease to exist.  The House of Lords will cease to be a court of appeal for Scottish cases.

Financial arrangements:  Scotland will be responsible for levying and collecting all its own taxes; with the Scottish government managing expenditure, revenue, investment and borrowing in accordance with Scottish needs and priorities subject to the approval of the Scottish parliament.

Electoral and parliamentary arrangements:  The first independent Scottish parliament will be elected on the same basis as the devolved Scottish parliament. The parliament will be responsible for its own electoral arrangements subject to any limits set out in Scotland's constitution. Eligibility to vote will be based on residency.  The Scottish Parliament will have a 4-year fixed term. The Prime Minister will be appointed and Ministers approved by Parliament.

Next steps:   An SNP government will ask the people of Scotland to vote in a referendum on the proposals set out in a White Paper. These will be based on the proposals outlined in this  consultation.
Following a positive referendum result the Scottish Executive will begin negotiations with the government of the UK on the details of the Independence settlement. The Scottish Parliament will issue a Declaration of Scottish Sovereignty and inform the United Nations and European Union of the decision of the Scottish
people. Legislation will be enacted in the Scottish Parliament and at Westminster to put into effect the transfer of sovereignty to the Scottish Parliament. Elections to the independent Scottish Parliament will be held and a new Scottish government established.

The full text of the document can be read at  http://www.snp.org/raisingthestandard

PROFESSOR CHRIS HARVIE

Leading Scottish academic Professor Chris Harvie has announced that he will put his name forward for SNP candidate selection for the 2007 election.

Professor Harvie has been a distinguished academic commentator not only on Scottish politics, history and society over the past three decades but also on those of the UK and Europe. Commenting on his decision Dr Harvie said:

"I decided to act after meeting a growing number of people who realise that the malfunctioning of Holyrood is due more to the decay of Labour than to any Scots incapacity for self-government.

"Major problems and opportunities confront Scotland. Coupled with independence we can tackle these by using Scottish intellect and experience, but also drawing from other traditions, chiefly in Europe, and co-operating with them.

"I've also noticed a real shift of loyalty from Labour and the Tories, among the likes of teachers and academics, planners and small business people. We have the resources, but we must change in order to make use of them.

"Scotland needs a strategy for a socially equitable re-industrialisation, and this can only come through the powers of an independent country; not a client region of Whitehall and Brussels. I hope I can play a part in this by aiming to stand for Holyrood."

Biography of Professor Christopher Harvie

A leading and high profile academic Professor Christopher Harvie was a founder of distance learning in the Open University, and has been Professor of British Studies in the English dept. of Tübingen University, Germany, since 1980. As a regional specialist he is joint director of the University's International Economics Course. Tübingen Economics is regarded by DER SPIEGEL as the best in Germany.

Dr Harvie has lectured throughout Europe and North America. He has also been Visiting Fellow or guest professor at Merton and Nuffield Colleges, Oxford, Edinburgh and Lampeter. Since the mid-1990s he has been Honorary Professor of Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Honorary Professor of History at Strathclyde.

Dr Harvie's twelve books include SCOTLAND AND NATIONALISM, first published in 1977 and now in its fourth edition (2004) and the Penguin FOOL'S GOLD: THE STORY OF NORTH SEA OIL (1995). 

His latest book, NORTH BRITAIN WEST BRITAIN, on politics, culture and technology on the Atlantic Coast, 1860-1930  will soon come out from Oxford University Press. This period of  industrial success will be compared with contemporary industrial and social problems in a further project BROON'S BRITAIN - a critique of Gordon Brown's mishandling of the economy.

Professor Harvie was a member of the Labour party in Scotland from 1962 to 1988. In 1989 he joined the Scottish National Party.

CHANGE BUT NO CHANGE

     Sewel motions, so called after Lord Sewel, who put them into the Scotland Act, have been used frequently since the Scottish Parliament was set up.  The wording says “Westminster would not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters in Scotland without the consent of the Scottish Parliament”.

    When the proposal was made by Lord Sewel, he expected that it would be used relatively sparingly, and was astonished at the flagrant misuse of the method; so far in the Scottish Parliament 66 Sewel motions have been passed – eleven a year.  And while some of them have been reasonable, and passed by the Parliament as a body, very many others have been passed by the Labour/Liberal coalition, the majority of the votes in the Parliament.   It seems that the Executive like it as a way of avoiding awkward debates, and also to avoid Edinburgh Labour clashing with London Labour; one wonders how this method would fare with Parliaments of a different party?

       Anyway, the Exective has decided that they have to do something to address the embarrassment of the word “ Sewel”;  after long and detailed discussion, the term to be used in future is “legislative consent memorandum”. 

FOOT IN THE MOUTH NOTES

        An anonymous reader has sent in a cutting from Ottakar’s Christmas Books 2005; one of the blurbs is for a book by A.A.Gill, “The Angry Island – in Search of the Essence of England”, and goes on to state “The book Gill was born to write. An insightful, brave and witty look at an island nation seething in quiet fury.”

       Spot on; the nations sharing this island with England are not very chuffed either. 

     And when it come to islanders seething with quiet fury, we have received a copy of an invoice sent to one of our subscribers; it is addressed to “Lochmaddy, Isle of North Uist, United Kingdom”.

       As the invoice was sent out by Visit Scotland, Edinburgh, I think we can guess what is wrong with the marketing of Scottish tourism.

     Some years back, Conrad Black renounced his Canadian citizenship so that he could become a member of the House of Lords, which he duly did as Lord Black of Crossharbour, despite the protests of the Canadian Prime Minister at the time.

     He now wishes to become a Canadian citizen again, not because of any patriotic fervour, but because he is facing fraud charges involving some $50 million in an American court; not only are Canadian courts more lenient, but extradition is harder from Canada than from Britain.   How nice to see a noble Lord opting to be an ignoble one, even it is only for ignoble motives.

         A wee stramash has broken out between a Holyrood minister (the political kind) and a Westminster Labour whip; the latter has accused the former of campaigning to save a post office, for the “despicable purpose of vote catching.”

      I don’t really know the origin of the term: “it would make a cat laugh”, but it is appropriate.

       The Labour MSP for Glasgow Govan has been told that he may not be re-selected if he does not show enough commitment to the Scottish Parliament; Mr Jackson combines a very lucrative career as a criminal defence QC with occasional appearances at the Parliament.

       One might imagine he could be accused of using politics for the “despicable purpose of picking up dosh.”