Who benefits from move to 'De-Tox' Scots Tories?

The Conservatives. It doesn't help the SNP one iota but it does suggest that the SNP are daft enough to believe David Cameron's cynical rebranding exercise.

I hope the SNP activists prove to be wiser than SNP MSP's and vote to maintain the complete bar on working with the Conservatives. The ban shows the party's rightful disdain for the Conservatives who have a long history of being both anti-Scottish and of completely ignoring Scottish views.

The Tories are the party of Thatcher. Cameron's 'Mr nice' persona doesn't fit with the grassroots of his party. The SNP should do nothing to help the Tories get back involved in the Scottish mainstream, they are irrelevant to Scotland like ALL their fellow unionists.

The SNP is a democratic party so despite the fact that this is being raised there is no guarantee that it will be passed. I think the SNP activists will be likely to decide that continuing to keep the Tories at arms length is a good idea and will vote accordingly.

Des Browne - I give very little time to Scotland job

Des Browne the Defence Secretary has admitted that he hardly gives any time to his Scottish Secretary job and claims he spends most of his time on defence matters (he is joint Defence and Scottish Secretary).

Browne has admitted he carries out his duties as Secretary of State for Scotland in his spare time as he attempts to fight claims he is a "part-time" Defence Secretary. His dual mandate at the Ministry of Defence and the Scotland Office has sparked anger from former military chiefs and opposition MPs, who say he needs to devote his entire time to defence matters.

But Mr Browne yesterday insisted the armed forces should not feel insulted by his juggling act, as he spent the same amount of time on defence as he did before he was landed with the Scotland Office portfolio in June.

His admission came after the Tory leader, David Cameron, called on Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, to appoint a full-time defence secretary on the back of a row sparked by five former military chiefs. Although Mr Browne was in Glasgow yesterday attending a conference on regenerating the city, he made clear that defence took up most of his diary.

"I would put my record on commitment and delivery up against anyone's," he said. "The amount of time that [the job of Scottish Secretary] takes comes out of what was my private life, my family's life and my constituents' time."

Mr Browne added: "I devote as much time to being Secretary of State for Defence as I did in the time that I was not Secretary of State for Scotland. "I have been with more regularity into the operational theatres than any secretary of defence ever has been, and when I go out and talk to troops they don't raise these abstract issues about what other title you may have. They look to see what I do. And if you have some criticism about a part of the job I should have been doing and I'm not doing, I will answer it."

The Conservatives were quick to blame the dual mandate on the Prime Minister. Mr Browne was already Defence Secretary when the Prime Minister added the Scotland portfolio to his workload nearly six months ago.

In a letter to Mr Brown, Mr Cameron said: "At a time when our forces are engaged in two highly dangerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for the Defence Secretary to be able to concentrate full-time on his role is surely a matter of plain commonsense.

"People do not understand why you have chosen to combine the job of Defence Secretary with Scottish secretary at such a crucial time."

Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said Mr Browne was "having to spend time fighting the SNP and the Taleban", calling this "an insult to the men and women of our armed forces".

----

What utter contempt for Scotland. We don't need Des Browne, we don't need a Scottish Secretary or a Scottish Office, what we do need is independence, soon.

Determination's Coull is still desperately attacking IF

Had the misfortune to go on Our Scotland website and came across this thread:

http://ourscotland.myfreeforum.org/sutra51431.php#51431

...where my former colleague in Independence First (now part of 'Determination') Dave Coull is trying (and failing) to tarnish another IF member (Kevin Williamson)'s reputation.

Contrary to Mr Coull's interpretation of events, it was his own nit picking and dubious approach to debate which led to IF closing down our member's forum. If he wants to blame anyone for it he can blame me and not Kev who wasn't at the meeting who decided it (and indeed objected to the decision afterwards).

Members at the meeting which decided to close the forum felt it would be better (and politer) if any grievances were addressed at meetings face to face rather than through an online forum which tended lend itself to pedants who wouldn't let any point go and would waste everyone's time.

This has proven to be the case. Of course this was not the real reason Dave Coull and others left to form Determination, the real reason was that their pal Neal Caple was bumped as Convenor in a democratic vote and replaced with our current convener, Eric Canning.

They've bumped their gums about Canning's membership of the Communist Party of scotland (which supports independence) yet have overlooked Canning's massive experience as a former Vice Chair of the Scottish Constitutional Convention. Sadly they could not accept democracy when it didn't go their way and even had the cheek to mis-use our database to send out their propaganda.

Independence First has organised two rallies for an independence referendum, we have also organised an online petition for a referendum and have received answers from the British Government (unsatisfying answers but answers nonetheless).

The departure of Coull and his friends has left us with less activists, however at least we don't have to put up with the childish behaviour of Mr Coull and can ignore most of his outbursts.

Independence First is now working with the Independence Convention to create a new and stronger petition demanding an independence referendum. We believe that after 300 years the Scottish people need to have a direct say on the self determination of their country.

The fight goes on and anyone who wants to join Independence First should come to the Wash bar in Edinburgh tonight at 6.30pm.

3rd Time Unlucky for Alexander as she appoints spin doctor who admires SNP!

(from Sunday Herald)

SCOTTISH LABOUR'S new spin-doctor made a series of damning criticisms of his colleagues weeks before he accepted the job as the party's head of communications. Gavin Yates used his blog to describe Wendy Alexander as "abrasive", labelled shadow health minister Andy Kerr as "simply uninspiring", and blasted Jack McConnell for being a "lame duck leader" when in office.

He also said the fledgling SNP government had a "long and impressive" list of achievements, while describing first minister Alex Salmond as "a great example of a politician on top of his game".

The online blasts are the latest PR disaster for Alexander who, as Labour's newly appointed Holyrood leader, has watched two spin-doctors quit in as many months.

The first press aide, Brian Lironi, quit his post in September, days after she had been formally installed as leader.

Then her media chief, Matthew Marr, resigned in disgrace eight days ago after shouting the c-word at Salmond during an awards ceremony.

Alexander is set for further embarrassment after it emerged that Yates - the Labour group's new head of communications - attacked his future bosses weeks before accepting the new job.

His comments featured on his WordPress-hosted blog, GYmedia. A message on the blog page now states: "The authors have deleted this blog. The content is no longer available." But the Sunday Herald has uncovered a number of Yates's postings, many of which portray the Labour leadership in a negative light.

On Alexander's speech to the UK Labour conference in September, one of his internet postings states: "New Labour leader Wendy Alexander was rather less positive, using her conference speech to apologise' for losing the last election in Scotland. Rather odd: and certainly doesn't bode well for her renewal agenda.

"The news yesterday that her spinner-in-chief Lironi had resigned after a month, to be replaced by a man who ripped up his party card a few years ago, does not augur a speedy return to government either."

The same entry, which was made days after Alexander became leader, saw him aim a jibe in her direction: "As Gordon Brown considers taking the biggest political risk of his life, the Scottish government can go along unhindered by a competent opposition."

Brits 'R' now Bhoys as Reid becomes Celtic Chairman

Celtic Football Club have recently appointed John Reid MP as their club chairman. Reid is a London orientated British unionist who has shown a constant and visceral hatred of his own country's aspirations towards independence.

A former Communist, Reid embraced the New Labour project for the sake of his own career. He worked besides Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as they neutered Labour into a washed out shadow of the Conservative party and they all went along with the US in the ill thought out and ultimately illegal invasion of Iraq.

As Home Secretary he demanded that immigrants should speak English and used internment camps where asylum seeking families were kept in captivity by the British Government.

This is the man who every year got up and waffled a lot of hypocritical drivel about socialism at Labour's party conferences (while his colleagues tried to privatise the NHS and introduced student loans!). Reid has been praised for his political 'X-factor' but in fact he is a brazen demagogue who could and would say anything to retain political power. Whenever Tony Blair needed someone to defend the indefensible John Reid would be wheeled out on Newsnight. (One time the old hypocrite used the fact he was Scottish to whinge that Jeremy Paxman was being racist towards him. Paxman had called him Tony Blair's attack dog, which is exactly what he was, someone who could argue black was white with fake conviction on the orders of his boss.)

Reid has no interest in Scotland whatsoever and has consistently claimed that we are too wee, too daft and too poor to be independent. Who next? Could an Ulster Unionist be chairman of Celtic? An Orangeman? If not, why not? After all they pretty much share the same opinions as Doctor Reid about Scotland and Ireland when it comes to their rights to independence.

It is a sad fact that some people in Britain have a hatred for the Irish, a hatred which is promoted by the Orange Lodge and by other organisations like the Masons which are effectively anti-Catholic societies.

The continued prescence of the ubiquitous Irish joke, clearly designed to portray the Irish as thickos undeserving of independence (a bit like the tight Jocks) shows a society which has racist opinions at it's core.

The loud mouthed bigoted types who originally demonstrated against Irish immigration nowadays turn their hatred on Poles and other new migrants but it is all part of an imperialist mindset which talk of 'them' and 'us', us being assumed to be the Brits, the false imperial identity designed to justify an Empire which doesn't fit Scotland or Ireland well and never has.

The most obvious representatives of this imperialist misplaced hatred is the Orange Order, which is not only against Irish independence (and Catholic Schools and anything else to do with promoting Roman Catholism) it is also actively campaigning against Scottish independence. Last year the order had one of their biggest ever demonstrations in Scotland, specifically against Scottish independence. 10,000 Orangemen marched through Edinburgh to oppose our rights to rule ourselves!

For Celtic to appoint John Reid an arch enemy of both Scotland and Ireland as their club chairman beggers belief, the fans might as well burn all their Tricolours and join their old rivals Rangers in waving the Butcher's Apron because that is what this pompous jingoistic cretin has built his 'career' on waving.

Answer received from German Consulate re Potterings remarks

I put in a complaint to the German Consulate in Scotland about the comments of the EU President (and German Euro MP) Hans Pöttering who said he felt that Scotland should not consider independence and would be better of remaining in the UK, an extraordinary comment from a supposedly neutral official who is supposed to represent the whole EU. I was interested to find out exactly what the German Government thought of Mr Pottering's ill judged comments.

This was the consulate's reply:

Dear Mr Middleton,

Thank you for your e-mail of 18 November 2007 regarding a recent interview by the President of the European Parliament, Mr Hans Pöttering, MEP on regional policies in Europe. As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr Pöttering acted in his capacity as Member of the European Parliament, which is an independent institution of the European Union.

As a Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, I am not authorized to comment on any of Mr. Pöttering´s statements. All I could say on the matter is that – at the end of the day - it is up to the Scottish people to decide whether the actual devolution settlement should be altered or not.

May suggest, that you put further questions directly to the European Parliament, which might be done via the following link
https://www.secure.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/citizensMail/secured/cmRequest.do?cmLanguage=en

You may also write to the European Parliament Office in Scotland ( The Tun, 4 Jackson's Entry, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8PJ or email: ependiburgh@europarl.europa.eu ).

Yours sincerely,

Ingo Radcke

Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany 16 Eglinton Crescent Edinburgh EH12 5DG tel.: 0131-337 2323 fax: 0131-346 1578 www.edinburgh.diplo.de

Life without Scotland? Lies about Scotland more like.

Visitors to the Guardian website may be attracted by the link described as "Guardian writers examine what the UK would be like if scotland were to go it alone."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,,2211295,00.html

Sadly on arriving they will be subjected to a rather childish, pathetic piss take which examines no issues and instead simply waffles pure drivel. That the Guardian (usually a decent paper it has to be said) should run this contemptous garbage and pass it off as genuine analysis shows that Scotland is neither treated seriously or fairly by any of the English press.

Edinburgh Independence First Meeting - 26th November

Well our dreams of football glory may have been smashed but the fight for political independence goes on!

Independence First's next big event will be the National Petition for an Independence Referendum 'Let Scotland decide' which is being organised by the Scottish Independence Convention with the assistance of IndependenceFirst.

To this end we are organising a working conference to help make sure the petition is effective at grassroots level. All members of IndependenceFirst will receive notification by mail about this with more details shortly.

Our next local Edinburgh branch meeting is on:

Monday 26th November Starting at 6.30pm, Wash Bar, 11-13 North Bank St,Edinburgh, EH1 2LP.

** ALL WELCOME **

http://www.independence1st.org

ID Cards fight steps up a gear

The NO2ID campaign is calling in it's 11,360 £10 pledges to take the anti ID card campaign to the next level, a campaign of civil disobedience against this totally unnecessary measure.

If anyone out there would like to donate to the campaign the link is here:

http://www.no2id.net/pledge/

Scotland goes down - but the fight goes on!

We were robbed. A last minute goal from a free kick which should never have been given. Sometimes it seems to be almost inevitable, Scotland puts in a brave performance yet every time we eventually go down to a heartbreaking defeat.

Yet let's face it we did well to even get into this position. we played well and had Italy on the ropes for much of the game, We can therefore be proud of our performance and hope to do better in 2010 in South Africa.

Our strong run of results in the qualifying stages of the European championships SHOULD mean we get a better draw this time and hopefully we WILL qualify for the next world cup.

Our footballers did us proud.

Well done all.

Typical bias by the Britman against SNP over Police numbers

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1794842007

This headline would tend to suggest that the SNP are CUTTING spending on the police and removing police men from the beat. In actual fact the SNP are INCREASING spending and are planning to recruit 500 extra officers at a cost of £54M.

It is perhaps predictable that the press would try and stab the SNP in the back over this as polls show that 'Law 'N' Order' is one of the most emotive issues around. However the fact is the SNP are spending more than Labour on the police and if they can't yet deliver the 1,000 extra police they wanted to that is because Labour in London have cut back on the parliament's funds in real terms.

Colin McKerracher, Grampian Chief Constable and president of Acpos, has said the association welcomes the announcement of the 150 extra officers.