scotland

The Scottish Independence Podcast 139 – Billy Kay

dfVeu1g_.jpegDid you know that it isn’t only Scotland that has “the cringe”? They have it in other places too, it just goes by a different name.

For the 139th (sort of) episode of the Scottish Independence Podcast I spoke with Billy Kay, and the above is only one of the subjects we talked about.

Billy has for years been writing, broadcasting and producing material on Scottish Culture and Scots language, for the BBC and internationally, and is often to be seen giving talks around the country. He also currently has a show you can listen to on the iplayer… Scotland’s Black History.

I asked him to come on because he is one of the best qualified people to talk about the importance of building confidence in Scottish culture, and how that plays into the campaign for Scottish Indepence.

At the end of the episode there is also a little Robert-the-Brucie bonus, which regards this.

Hope you enjoy.

You can download here if you click THIS LINK .

You can listen online via the spreaker webpage, or you can subscribe with itunes. We can also be found on youtube and on facebook.

Perspective – Taster Show

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while but here is the taster show of the new series Perspective. These are made by one of the most talented people in the Indy movement, Phantom Power. He is also on twitter here and facebook here.

Amongst others, this taster show features the community fightback to save the Govanhill Baths with Katie Gallogly-Swan, it has Billy Kay and his thoughts on the importance of the Scots language  there is also Shaun Milne on filmmaker Alan Clark, the remarkable History Twins and the equally remarkable Preston Reed.

The Likely News – One – 5th May 2017

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5th May 2017 –

Glasgow City Chambers and the surrounding area has been cordoned off for reasons of public safety.

The drama began early this morning. After emerging victorious in the Council elections and winning control of Glasgow City Council, new SNP councillors entered the City Chambers and began to look at files previously unavailable to them relating to decisions and deals made by the city council over the last 60 years.

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After the container which held the files was opened, a loud bang was heard, followed by otherwordly screams. Jim Murphy, 50, unemployed, was in George Square at the time and described the scene.

It was as if all the demons of hell* had been let loose and all the terrors of the past had come out to get us.

People fled the scene as cars swerved and there were collisions in the confusion.

As yet there is no footage from inside the City Chambers as the police are denying access, however, local artist Clip Part has provided a pair of sketches based on eyewitness accounts..

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David Torrance was available for comment.

*(Hell does not actually exist)

The Hounds Unleashed

Faced with the complexities of it all, and so many possible ways that it could play itself out, it is easy to forget one or two of the potential outcomes of the Brexit situation.

One of them hit me tonight.

Before we get to the big one though, here are some of the policies a group within the conservative party pushed for in 2013…

  • Control of Offshore Wind Turbines – Bill to restrict the height, number, location and subsidies of wind turbines situated offshore within 20 miles of the coast.
  • Legislation to abolish the Department of Energy and Climate Change
  • Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) – Bill to make provision to restrict the entitlement of non-UK Citizens from the European Union and the European Economic Area to taxpayer-funded benefits.
  • Privatise the BBC
  • Withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights
  • Wind Farm Subsidies (Abolition) – Bill to make provision for the cessation of subsidies for the development of wind farms.
  • Leave the EU

These suggestions were made by a group of 40 Tory MPs in 2013, and they had 40 of them in total. The pretendy-left magazine The New Statesman, described it as “beyond satire”, however,  I think you’ll have noticed that a number of them have already come to pass and plenty more are on the way.

camus-capital-punishmentSo they are having some success it would seem,  and if you read them all, you’ll see that there are more than those I listed above that are already here or on the way.

The one I am saving for last however, is one that, now that they are going to get their wish that the UK leaves the EU, will not have anything to block it.

10) Capital Punishment – Bill to allow for capital punishment for certain offences.

UKOK? Really?

Who’s On First (Minister)?

There seems to be a weird tendency at the moment to portay Ruth Davidson as if she actually were the First Minister.

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In case you missed that story, that was the leader of the 2nd largest party, which does not form part of a pro-independence majority in the parliament,”ORDERING” the First Minister, who leads a pro-independence majority, to forget about something that the parties most people voted for support.

It doesn’t stop with the Daily Express though. Other outlets seem to go with the same tone, that being that Davidson is somehow capable of ordering anyone to be doing anything.

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FireShot Screen Capture #329 - 'Ruth Davidson since_2016-09-13 until_2016-09-15 - Twitter Search' - twitter_com_search_q=Ruth%20Davidson%20since%3A2016-09-13%20until%3A2016-09-15&src=typd.pngTherefore, I think it is important in the interests of clarity to lay out some of the rules…

    1. Ruth Davidson is currently not in a position where she is able to order the First Minister around.
    2. Her policy pronouncements do not need to be followed by anyone.
    3. The recommendations of any “teams”or “expert groups” that she puts together do not need to be followed.

The electorate said no to Davidson’s party at the last (and well, every) Scottish Parliament election. However, they will get another chance the next time around, that is called democracy.

In fact, that is very much like the referendum question. Scotland said no to independence in 2014, but things have changed, and we will get another chance.

angrytomkinsSo Adam Tomkins perhaps should realise that the electorate said No to having Ruth Davidson make any decisions or give any orders to anyone. But just like the Independence referendum, things will change for better or worse in the next few years and the Tories will get another chance.

Adam Tomkins was, of course, speaking (freely) in his capacity as an elected (not directly) member of the second largest party of the non-governing group in a democratically elected parliament in which no one party has an overall majority.

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