Tag Archives: Scotland

Opinion: Nationalists want to monitor the BBC!

By Andrew Tibbs | Tue 21st May 2013 - 12:58 pm

A group of MSPs have declared that they’re going to start monitoring BBC Scotland because they don’t think they can deliver on their obligations! That should ring alarm bells!

The SNP controlled Scottish Parliament Education & Culture Committee has published a report, critical of cuts at BBC Scotland, with the implication that the Scottish arm of the Corporation would be unable to produce adequate coverage of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the independence referendum.

The Committee forgets that BBC Scotland is one part of …

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Posted in News | Also tagged bbc, broadcasting and Scottish independence referendum | 6 Comments

Opinion: Nick’s journey

By Nigel Lindsay | Wed 8th May 2013 - 1:29 pm

It’s natural for defeated political leaders to make up stories which absolve themselves from blame. After every by-election, those who have done less well offer unconvincing explanations. Nick Clegg is no exception, but his story last week that “the Liberal Democrats are on a journey from a party of protest to a party of government” is curious for two reasons. First, because no previous Liberal or Liberal Democrat leader has presented the party as one of protest and second because the party was very much a party of government before he became leader.

It is wrong and insulting to suggest that …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged liberal democrats achievements in government, Local government and Wales | 31 Comments

Aberdeenshire councillor Fergus Hood leaves SNP and joins Liberal Democrats

By NewsHound | Mon 6th May 2013 - 2:30 pm

The Liberal Democrat group on Aberdeenshire Council has been strengthened today as Cllr Fergus Hood, who represents the East Garioch ward, joined it from the SNP.

He is shown here being welcomed by his new colleagues ward colleague Cllr Nan Cullinane on the right and Group Leader Cllr Martin Kitts-Hayes (with the beard) and Chair of the Social Work and Housing Committee Cllr Karen Clark on the left.

Martin Kitts-Hayes said:

I am delighted to welcome Cllr Hood to the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Having worked closely with Fergus on the

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Posted in News | Also tagged aberdeenshire council, fergus hood, martin kitts-hayes, nan cullinane and willie rennie | 4 Comments

Beyond Royal Assent: implementing the Scotland Act

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 1st May 2013 - 3:30 pm

Last year, against the odds, Michael Moore successfully piloted the Scotland Act through Parliament. This gives the Scottish Government, from 2015, some pretty major new powers, including more accountability for setting its own revenue. They will also have borrowing powers. The powers include:

a Scottish rate of income tax
borrowing powers for Scottish ministers
the power to create new devolved taxes
enabling the replacement of UK Stamp Duty land tax and UK landfill tax with new Scottish equivalents

The Scotland Office recently published its first annual report detailing the progress in implementing these powers. It gives quite a good insight into the practical process …

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Posted in News | Also tagged Michael Moore and scotland act | 4 Comments

Banning smoking in cars when children are present: what do you think?

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 29th April 2013 - 11:25 am

North of the Border, the war on smoking continues. Today, larger shops are no longer allowed to display cigarettes. Now, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP and health spokesperson Jim Hume is introducing a Member’s Bill in the Scottish Parliament which will ban smoking in cars where children are present. His proposal will be put out to public consultation from 28th May. Talking about his plan over the weekend, he said:

The tobacco display ban is another welcome step in changing Scotland’s relationship with smoking which began with the ban in smoking in

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Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged health, jim hume and smoking | 28 Comments

Danny Alexander on Scotland Tonight: Currency union with post independent Scotland unlikely to work

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 24th April 2013 - 6:58 pm

Yesterday, the UK Government issued a 100 page report analysing an independent Scotland’s options for the currency it would use post independence. They also produced an infographic summarising its conclusions. Unsurprisingly, the report concludes that staying in the UK is the best option for Scotland. For the first time, there was a very clear warning that the Scottish Government’s preferred option of a currency union may not be achievable.

On the other hand, the Scottish Government produced its own report saying that a currency union could …

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Posted in News | Also tagged Danny Alexander, scotland tonight and Scottish independence referendum | 16 Comments

LibLink..Tavish Scott: Our difficult decisions easier than in US

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 18th April 2013 - 9:15 am

Tavish Scott, Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland, writes in today’s Scotsman contrasting the battle over gun control in the US to the consultation in Scotland over licensing of airguns.

Of the situation in the States in the wake of the awful Sandy Hook shootings last Christmas, Tavish writes:

But Obama senses a moment. The Connecticut shooting was so awful that pressure on Washington lawmakers is now intense. Last week, the president met Sandy Hook families who lost children and then flew them in Air Force 1 to Washington DC. These parents then met lawmakers on Capitol Hill. They asked for mandatory background

…

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Posted in News | Also tagged airgun consultation, gun control, scotsman, tavish scott and us | 6 Comments

LibLink: Michael Moore – Scotland is stronger within the United Kingdom

By The Voice | Wed 10th April 2013 - 4:31 pm

Michael Moore has been sharing his thoughts on the referendum on the US version of Huffington Post. He writes:

Scotland is facing an historic decision in 2014: whether to remain as part of the United Kingdom or to leave and go it alone. Scotland’s nationalist First Minister Alex Salmond is in America this week and will seek to persuade Americans that Scots want independence, that it is our destiny and that U.S. relations with Scotland will only improve should it happen. On all counts, I believe that this analysis is flawed.

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With

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged Michael Moore and scottish independence | 4 Comments

LibLink: David Steel…New type of Union needed

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 4th April 2013 - 2:36 pm

The Scotsman carries an extract from David Steel’s Presidential Address to the David Hume institute in which he talks about the need for constitutional reform of the whole UK to give real power to its constituent parts. I was particularly struck by this passage where he talks about distribution, not devolution, of power:

Many of my former constituents would quite comfortably consider themselves a Borderer first and then a Scotsman. And the same incidentally applies for Borderers born south of the Tweed in Northumberland in relation to Englishness. Politicians at their peril dictate identity and culture. People can quite comfortably consider

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged constitutional reform, david hume institute, david steel and scotsman | 12 Comments

LibLink…Christine Jardine: Referendum drowns out more pressing issues

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 28th March 2013 - 10:58 am

Former Downing Street insider Christine Jardine, now back in Scotland and selected as a Liberal Democrat Euro-candidate, highlights in the Scotsman how more urgent problems are being forgotten as Scotland gears up for the Independence Referendum.

While all the attention is on 18th September 2014, Christine reminds us that there is some serious stuff going on now:

Traditionally, conferences, like the SNP’s recent gathering in Inverness, are where policy announcements are made, government plans set out and ministers take the opportunity to highlight their successes in the full glare of the media spotlight. But not this time. This time I waited in

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged christine jardine, scotsman, Scottish independence referendum and snp | Leave a comment

Willie Rennie on Iraq and four tests for future military intervention

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 24th March 2013 - 3:50 pm

This week the Scottish Parliament debated the Iraq War, ten years on. This could have disintegrated into a “this is why we need independence” bunfight, but, actually, it ended up being one of those occasions when you could be proud of your Parliament for being thoughtful and mindful of the terrible human cost of this conflict.

Willie Rennie spoke for the Liberal Democrats in the debate and actually was applauded by the SNP benches who are, shall we say, not usually so friendly towards …

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Posted in News | Also tagged defence, iraq war, scottish parliament and willie rennie | 7 Comments

Salmond promises childcare revolution after turning down Rennie’s plans for nursery education

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 23rd March 2013 - 7:30 pm

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond gave his keynote speech to SNP Conference this afternoon. There were three things in it that struck me as a Liberal Democrat.

A numbers game

Apparently a “yes” vote for independence would be a vote for a “prosperous economy and a just society.” Does this remind you of any phrase being used rather a lot at the moment by any Liberal Democrat who can be persuaded to do so? I wonder how prosperous an economy built on wildly optimistic estimates of oil revenues would be to start with.

Many nationalists have been complaining about their fixed budget doesn’t …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged alex salmond, childcare, Scottish independence referendum and willie rennie | 5 Comments

Scotland’s Day of Destiny clashes with 2014 Federal Conference

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 21st March 2013 - 5:55 pm

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond announced today that the Independence Referendum would be held on 18th September 2014. Three and a half years of preparation and campaigning will come to an end and Scotland will decide whether its future lies within the UK or out of it. At the moment, the polls are looking pretty good for staying in the Union, but that is no cause for complacency. Every vote will have to be fought for across the whole country. It will be a very different sort of campaign.

You would think, wouldn’t you, that when you were deciding on …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged liberal democrat conference, Michael Moore and Scottish independence referendum | 22 Comments

My highlights of Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 20th March 2013 - 11:56 am

I’m a bit bleary eyed today. One conference is exhausting, two on successive weekends is positively foolhardy. Following that up with a trip to London for Federal Executive is craziness.

I spent the weekend in Dundee where Scottish Liberal Democrats held their main Conference. Over three days, there were no fewer than twelve policy debates, some of them incredibly powerful or controversial. Here are my highlights.

The Secret Courts debate

Yes, I’m biased as I proposed the motion rejecting the Government’s proposals, but the debate itself was very high quality. Liberal Youth co-chair Kavya Kaushik won the Russell Johnston award for the best …

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Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged mental health, Scottish liberal democrat conference, secret courts, tavish scott, vince cable, wilie rennie and willie rennie | 2 Comments

URGENT: Less than 6 hours to respond to Scottish Government’s Equal Marriage consultation

By Adrian Trett | Wed 20th March 2013 - 11:23 am

We need your help to deliver another Lib Dem win in the Scottish Parliament. We’re on a tight deadline – we need you to act before 5 pm today.

The Liberal Democrats were the first party to support gay rights in a General Election manifesto. For decades, we’ve always been there for equality. The Scottish Liberal Democrats led on equal marriage, before the Federal Party became the first major national party to support the policy.

The Scottish Government are consulting on the details of implementing equal marriage, for a Bill later this year. You can help ensure that the Bill is liberal, well thought out and promotes equality …

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Posted in News | Also tagged equal marriage and government consultations | 1 Comment

Scottish Conference overwhelmingly rejects secret courts

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 16th March 2013 - 11:48 am

Only two members of the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference voted against a motion opposing the introduction of secret courts. One of them was Jim Wallace, whose name is on the Government’s bill.

The leadership didn’t put up a fight, which in some ways is more frustrating. Why won”t they come forward and engage in the debate? It’s clear they have no intention in taking the slightest bit of notice of the vote, or the previous votes carried by enormous majorities at Federal Conference.

There was only one speech against and that was from someone who opposed secret courts in principle but …

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Posted in News | Also tagged Scottish liberal democrat conference and secret courts | 14 Comments

Opinion: Ban barbaric, unnecessary snaring

By Euan Davidson | Thu 14th March 2013 - 10:27 am

One of Liberal Youth Scotland’s campaigns this year has concentrated on encouraging the Scottish Liberal Democrats to adopt a policy to ban snaring. We believe that this practice is barbaric, cruel, indiscriminate and unnecessary.

On Saturday 16^th March, Scottish Liberal Democrat conference will debate an LYS motion calling for a ban on snaring. Scotland has led the way on this issue with the Scottish Government adopting new guidelines in 2008. However research undertaken by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has shown that 85% of the public are in favour of an outright ban.

One Aberdeenshire Vet …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged animal welfare, liberal youth scotland, Scottish liberal democrat conference and snaring | 7 Comments

Willie Rennie on Newsnight Scotland: You have to be cautious when you predict oil revenues

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 13th March 2013 - 11:57 am

There’s been a bit of a stooshie over future North Sea oil revenues in the last week or so. First, as the BBC tells us, a leaked draft of a Scottish Government report said that volatility in projecting revenues created uncertainty and could lead to spending cuts. Now, Alex Salmond tells us that it’ll all be fine and there’ll be a great big oil boom just as Scotland becomes independent. The SNP projections for the first year of independence are pretty much double what the OBR predicts.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie went on Newsnight Scotland on Monday night …

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Posted in News | Also tagged alex salmond, john swinney, north sea oil, oil revenues, Scottish independence referendum and willie rennie | 2 Comments

Opinion: Ideas are great, but don’t be trapped by ideology

By Graeme Littlejohn | Wed 13th March 2013 - 10:55 am

As though I have regressed to a version of myself more than two decades in the past, a question I often get asked these days is “why did you do it?”

People are interested to discover that despite having a well paid and relatively secure job with the Liberal Democrats in Scotland at a crucial time in our country’s history, and having just bought my first home, I decided to leave it all behind and move to Africa to work for Volunteer Uganda, a charity which strives to alleviate poverty through education.

As a mischievous child, impulsive, some would say reckless, …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged Scottish independence referendum, uganda and volunteer uganda | 18 Comments

Opinion: Worst past the post? Debating electoral reform for local government

By Nick Tyrone | Wed 6th March 2013 - 1:56 pm

Last year in May, Scottish voters were given the chance to vote using the Single Transferable Vote to select their local councillors for the second time since the introduction of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act of 2004. The Bill owes its life to the Liberal Democrats; it was a key demand for us entering into the Lib-Lab coalition government in Scotland. Almost ten years on from when the Bill became law, STV has done what it says on the tin. It has produced almost proportional results (exact proportionality is pretty much impossible under any system), it has almost doubled the …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged aldc, electoral reform, electoral reform society and liberal democrat conference fringe | 8 Comments

Scott ensures scolding for SNP Government

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 1st March 2013 - 5:52 pm

The BBC has the story of how the SNP Government received a ticking off from the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick yesterday. They’ve developed a bit of an unfortunate habit of leaking reports and the like to the press before sending them to Parliament, in the style of the excesses of the Labour Westminster government. This infuriated Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland, Tavish Scott, not known for his patience in dealing with the Government’s shortcomings at the best of times.

He raised a Point of Order in the Parliament yesterday, asking the Presiding Officer to intervene “in defence of …

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Posted in News | Also tagged scottish parliament, tavish scott and tricia marwick | Leave a comment

LibLink…Tavish Scott: Community councils empower the people

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 23rd February 2013 - 11:55 am

One of the big themes in Scottish politics in recent years has been the Labour and SNP impulse to centralise anything that stands still for long enough. The SNP Government, against all good advice and much opinion, recently merged Scotland’s 8 police forces into one.

In contrast, the Liberal Democrats under Willie Rennie’s leadership have been emphasising giving power to local communities. Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland writes in the Scotsman about how giving more power to community councils could help deliver the sorts of services communities need, including schools.He cites the example of a plan to close a secondary school …

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged community councils, Local government, rural communities, scotsman and tavish scott | 2 Comments

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore MP | Wed 6th February 2013 - 10:15 am

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition.

Green Deal

In my constituency I know that energy prices are a key concern for local people. It has been one of the UK Government’s top priorities to help tackle this issue by improving the energy efficiency of people’s homes, reducing the confusing number of tariffs available and making it easier for people to switch. The Green Deal, launched last week, will help with the first part by enabling people to insulate their homes or install …

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Posted in Op-eds, Parliament and Scotland | Also tagged green deal, Michael Moore, Scottish independence referendum, unemployment and Westminster Notes | Leave a comment

A sneak peek at a Scottish Conference agenda full of controversy…

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th January 2013 - 4:49 pm

The Agenda for this year’s Scottish Conference will be sent to members tomorrow but I’ve had a bit of a sneak peek. I’d better not give you the full list of timings and the like because Scottish Conference Convener Sheila Thomson would spank me if I did, but I can tell you that there is plenty of scope for controversy and debate.

There are more policy debates than for some considerable time – 9 in total with 6 coming from local parties or members. Scottish Conference will get the chance to have its say on the controversial secret courts legislation. Should …

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Posted in News | Also tagged conference and scottish liberal democrats | 3 Comments

Willie Rennie: No to independence doesn’t mean no to change

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th January 2013 - 8:55 am

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie sent an email to members yesterday outlining what he is trying to do as regards building a consensus around further powers for the Scottish Parliament in the event of no vote in next year’s independence referendum. If I had been him, given the proximity of Scottish Conference and how fabulously awesome it is going to be, with lots of controversy and debate, I would have put a link at the bottom enticing people to go and register.But seeing as he didn’t – you can find out all the information you need here.

Anyway, here is his email in full:

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Posted in News | Also tagged home rule, Scottish independence referendum, Scottish liberal democrat conference and willie rennie | 3 Comments

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore MP | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 8:48 am

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition.

State pension

In my column last week I touched upon the Government’s plans, announced by Lib Dem Pensions Minister Steve Webb, to introduce a single tier State Pension of £144 in 2017. The new pension will mean

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Posted in Op-eds, Parliament and Scotland | Also tagged Michael Moore, state pension and Westminster Notes | Leave a comment

Michael Moore MP: “We can’t have the Scottish Government fast forwarding through the difficult bits”

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 17th January 2013 - 2:55 pm

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore told an audience in Edinburgh today that the SNP must stop talking about the process, must stop trying to get the UK Government to negotiate the terms under which Scotland could separate from the UK and get on with setting out their case.

We cannot have the Scottish Government fast forwarding through all the difficult bits to their longed for ending where they clinch a referendum victory.

People want to know what independence would mean for them, their families, and their communities.

Planning the summits and designing the constitutional apparatus is like framing and

…

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Posted in News | Also tagged alex salmond, Michael Moore, Scottish independence referendum and snp | 2 Comments

Opinion: SNP’s ill thought out proposals discriminate against young people

By Hannah Bettsworth | Thu 10th January 2013 - 9:00 am

Mark McDonald, SNP MSP for North East Scotland, has recently proposed unjust new restrictions on young drivers. His proposals would mean that 17-25 year olds, regardless of driving experience, would be banned from driving between 11pm and 4am every day, as well as preventing them from carrying passengers in their vehicles.

This is based on a discriminatory assumption that young people are generally bad drivers. Even although there is a higher risk as

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged road safety and young people | 16 Comments

Willie Rennie MSP’s Christmas message: Strong liberal voices fight for young people, stand up to vested interests and work with others

By Willie Rennie | Mon 24th December 2012 - 5:43 pm

Over the last year journalists, opponents, perhaps even some supporters were writing us off. How could a group of five MSPs, cut by two thirds in the Scottish Parliamentary Elections, make any impact on the Scottish political scene? Although our opponents will always deride us in public, I know that in private they are fizzing that Liberal Democrats continue to punch above our weight.

Scotland is, by and large, a tolerant, liberal, understanding, compassionate country. Its …

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Posted in News | Also tagged christmas message and willie rennie | 2 Comments

Scottish Liberal Democrats mourn ex Council Leader John Morrison

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 23rd December 2012 - 5:30 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats were shocked to learn of the sudden death of former East Dunbartonshire Council Leader John Morrison at the age of just 50. The Sunday Herald reports that John was found unconscious as the result of an assault in a Glasgow Street early on Saturday morning and died later in hospital.

John was affectionately known as Hobbit throughout the Scottish party. He had acquired that nickname while at Glasgow University and bore it with his customary good humour. He’d been a leading …

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Posted in News | Also tagged Alistair Carmichael, Jo Swinson, john morrison and Local government | 1 Comment