Tag Archives: Scotland

Caron Lindsay

Clegg and Carmichael visit Glasgow helicopter crash site

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 3rd December 2013 - 2:12 pm

In the last hour, Nick Clegg has come to Glasgow to pay his respects at the Clutha pub site. Few people will forget the horror of Friday night’s events when a police helicopter crashed into the bar, killing nine people. He and Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael laid flowers there and read some of the other floral tributes that people have been leaving over the weekend.

I watched in shock and horror as the events unfolded on Twitter on Friday night. I was on my way home from a night out in Edinburgh, laughing and joking with friends just …

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Caron Lindsay

Willie Rennie’s St Andrew’s Day Message

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 30th November 2013 - 9:58 pm

Willie Rennie had this to say on the last St Andrew’s Day before the referendum.

2014 is shaping up to be a big year for Scotland. By St Andrew’s Day next year the referendum will be done and dusted and we have big events like the Commonwealth Games to look forward to.

The referendum has dominated the headlines over the last 12 months. But whether you support keeping Scotland in a strong United Kingdom or back independence there is more that binds Scots than divides us. I think sometimes we need to take a moment to recognise the many things

…

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Willie Rennie

Willie Rennie MSP writes…Equal marriage is an important step to a fairer society

By Willie Rennie | Fri 22nd November 2013 - 1:49 pm

Most people know that politicians can sometimes talk up goings on in Parliament in the hope of gaining a bit of newspaper coverage. Observers of Scottish politics will be familiar with claims that this or that debate marks a momentous change from what has gone before.

But this week at Holyrood we discussed legislation that can legitimately be described as historic. There is no need to exaggerate the impact it will have because it is plain to see that this Bill will change the lives of thousands of Scots around the country.an act that offers same-sex couples the same protections and …

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Caron Lindsay

Rennie: “You are a joyous, happy force for good” as Scottish equal marriage bill passes first stage

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 20th November 2013 - 8:19 pm

Willie at equal marriage rallyFive years ago, the embryonic Equal Marriage campaign could scarcely imagine that they would get to the point where the Holyrood Parliament would debate, and most likely pass with a stonking majority, a bill legalising its aim.

That they have captured Scotland’s imagination is down to its relentlessly positive, simple campaign, culminating with the It’s Time video. I defy anyone to get to the end of it without smiling.

Tom French, the spokesperson for the campaign, has had to endure some pretty unpleasant, inaccurate, disrespectful challenges during live debates on the media. He is one of my heroes of the year for dealing with such provocation in a very calm, unflappable manner.

Today, the Bill passed its first parliamentary hurdle. Before the debate, a rally took place outside Parliament. I went along with Andrew Brown who writes the widow’s world blog. The weather might have been freezing cold, but the atmosphere was the exact opposite. We sang (although probably best we didn’t attempt the re-written I am who I am on the back page of the song sheet), we chanted, we laughed, we cheered. Oh, and we listened to some politicians, too.

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Caron Lindsay

In which a Liberal Democrat Voice editor gets parodied

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 16th November 2013 - 2:52 pm

From Och aye the news:

carrion londonsay

 

Parody is supposed to make you wince and laugh at the same time. Sadly, this one fails to live up to that. It’s more congealed porridge than biting wit.

We’re asking for trouble, here, I know, but if you can do any better…

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Caron Lindsay

Carmichael: 3 questions the SNP must answer on currency, pensions and costs after independence

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 13th November 2013 - 3:35 pm

Carmichael Inverness speech

In the beautiful surroundings of Bishop’s House in Inverness, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael gave his first keynote speech. The whole thing is published below the cut, but here are the highlights:

  • The Highlands and Islands have never been better represented in Government – a boy from Colonsay and a boy from Orkney in the Cabinet.
  • How you vote in the referendum does not determine how Scottish you are – once you start mixing patriotism and politics, you quickly get into dangerous territory.
  • The UK’s greatest hits. He said it wasn’t a list of them, but it so was. And pretty compelling, too.
  • 3 questions for the SNP:
  • What’s your Plan B if we can’t have a currency union between Scotland and the rest of the UK?
  • How much more will pensions cost us if we leave the UK?
  • How much will independence cost?

I get the feeling these 3 are the start of many. Overall, it’s a strong speech delivered with humour, passion and sharpness. He’s put the Nationalists on notice that he’s going to be very specific with them. They won’t get away with squealing about who they want to debate, or how Scottish anyone is,

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Caron Lindsay

Carmichael: Don’t question my Scottishness because I say we’re stronger and safer as part of the UK

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 11th November 2013 - 1:11 pm

AlistairCarmichaelNew Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael makes his first keynote speech in the role in Inverness on Wednesday. This is a chance for Scotland to get to know him a little bit better. The Nationalists and the media have been doing all they can to portray him as some sort of political bruiser, something which is met with a mixture of bafflement and mirth within the Liberal Democrats. This, after all,  is the same Alistair Carmichael whose sharp wit has us all digging deep into our pockets at party fundraisers, whose geniality makes him one of the most popular figures in the party. Sure, he’s pithy, punchy and persuasive, but he’s also very funny and has his feet very firmly on the ground.

His speech is very personal, and comes just 6 days after Fife SNP Councillor David Alexander denounced him as a “supposed Scot”, for which, the Courier reports, he has refused to apologise and attacked the paper for bias:

However, Mr Alexander refused to withdraw his remarks, instead claiming there was a vendetta against him and branding The Courier — recently praised by SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond for its objectivity — biased.

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Caron Lindsay

Scottish Parliament to debate equal marriage within next few weeks

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 8th November 2013 - 2:55 pm

Caron It's TimeWhile Scotland was first to get moving on equal marriage, England beat us to passing legislation. I really enjoyed writing this post celebrating all the Liberal Democrats, from LGBT+ Liberal Democrats all the way to Nick Clegg and Lynne Featherstone, who had championed that particular cause.

Now the Scottish Bill is finally expected to have it’s first debate before the end of this month. Today, the Parliamentary Committee considering it published its report in favour of the Bill. I was quite amused to see that whoever posted the list of those who’d submitted written evidence doesn’t know the difference between a + and a & when referring to LGBT+ Lib Dems. As ever, they submitted a very thoughtful and helpful submission arguing strongly, among other things, for the removal of the spousal veto for transgender people.

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Caron Lindsay

SNP Councillor calls Alistair Carmichael a “supposed Scot” as furious debate over shipyards continues for too long

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th November 2013 - 6:47 pm

It’s been a fairly depressing couple of days for anyone watching the independence referendum campaign north of the border. Both sides would do well to remember that people are losing their jobs in Portsmouth, Glasgow and Rosyth after the BAE Systems announcement yesterday. It would have been appropriate, I think, for the main focus to have been on support for the people who were going to be out of work, but, no. Sadly and predictably, there’s been a big row about what would happen if Scotland votes for independence next year.

It stands to reason that if Scotland votes to stay …

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Hannah Bettsworth

Opinion: Liberal Youth Scotland campaigns against SNP cuts to student bursary cuts and college places

By Hannah Bettsworth | Wed 6th November 2013 - 9:50 am

Student finance. Mention those two words to most students and you’ll either get people moaning about the amount of forms they have to fill in, or excited about how rich they are at the beginning of the month.

However, at the end of the day, you have to pay it back. Unless you vote SNP. That was the message they gave graduates in 2007. Strangely enough, I still seem to have a student loan and quite a substantial amount of money to pay back. They knew they couldn’t afford it and scrapped the pledge in their first budget. It was a …

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Alistair Carmichael MP

Alistair Carmichael MP writes…how the Lib Dems in government worked together for Grangemouth

By Alistair Carmichael MP | Fri 25th October 2013 - 7:55 pm

Three weeks ago when I was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland many journalists and commentators (and even a few posters on Lib Dem Voice!) forecast a period of strife ahead as the “bruiser” from the Whips’ Office took over at Dover House.

I am not expecting anyone to say they were wrong but I hope that maybe some of them are feeling just a little sheepish this weekend.

The threat to the future of the petro-chemical plant at Grangemouth was one of the most serious to face Scotland for several years. It also produced a degree of political unity and …

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Caron Lindsay

Carmichael: SNP’s energy plans have more holes than a Swiss cheese

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 21st October 2013 - 2:00 pm

At the SNP’s conference in Perth, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a plan to cut Scottish consumers’ energy bills after independence by having the Government pay the levy that funds green investment. This will happen, alongside renationalising Scotland’s postal service if Scotland votes for independence next year.

The SNP have always been good at coming up with ways to spend our money. In fact, many of their manifestos have spent all the available money several times over.  In September, the Institute of Fiscal Studies reported that:

If an independent Scotland wanted to deliver the same cuts to public service

…

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Caron Lindsay

Sometimes it makes sense to take one of your best players off the field – but it hurts

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 7th October 2013 - 12:20 pm

michael-moore-mp-secretary-of-state-for-scotlandWhen I was about 10, I had a bit of an obsession with football. I quickly grew out of it, I hasten to add. I had my favourite players, most notably Sandy Jardine, Alan Rough and, above all, Kenny Dalglish. These three could do no wrong in my young opinion. Even then I knew playing for Partick Thistle was a good thing.

I used to get very irked whenever one of them was substituted, especially when they were playing well. I just couldn’t see why you would take off a proven performer …

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Caron Lindsay

Crockart and McInnes criticise Scottish Police station closure plan

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 2nd October 2013 - 4:48 pm

policeIn 2011, the SNP decided to merge Scotland’s 8 police forces into a single organisation. Truth be told, that’s not quite what they’d put in their manifesto, but with an overall majority they were in a position to do what they wanted.

Liberal Democrats were vociferous in warning about the dangers of how the merger would affect rural policing. We were told we were scare-mongering and it would all be fine.

Barely six months on from the merger, it’s been announced that 65 rural police stations might close or have their opening …

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Caron Lindsay

Ah, so Michael Moore was listening after all

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 18th September 2013 - 7:51 pm

I will write more on the detail of Michael Moore’s speech tomorrow, but I just wanted to share one passage exactly one year out from the independence referendum.

His speech was bold, gutsy and passionate. I really felt like he’d stepped up a gear in taking the fight to Alex Salmond and the nationalists.

As you read this, you might want to take a wild guess as to who the activist might be…

Back in the summer of 2011, just after the SNP won its outright majority at Holyrood, I brought a group of Scottish activists together.

I wanted to hear from them how

…

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Sir Robert Smith MP

Sir Robert Smith MP writes…Retailers must end excessive delivery charges

By Sir Robert Smith MP | Thu 12th September 2013 - 11:59 am

Earlier this week I launched my Fairer Delivery Charges campaign. The campaign calls on online retailers to end excessive delivery surcharges and to make surcharges more transparent on their websites.

People in the North East of Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands are fed up with the excessive surcharges that some online retailers charge.  The campaign is about making sure that consumers no longer have to pay these ridiculous surcharges.   Recent examples from constituents that have contacted me include someone who lives five miles outside of Aberdeen being charged £60 instead of £20 for delivery and someone else being told …

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The Voice

All in a night’s work: Nick Clegg faces down HS2 critics and embraces Home Rule

By The Voice | Thu 5th September 2013 - 8:05 pm

Nick Clegg is in Glasgow tonight, talking to CBI Scotland. Much of what he says is applicable across the whole UK, though. Here are some of the highlights:

The economy

At every step of the way, in the Coalition, we’re fighting hard to create jobs, boost growth and make a genuine difference to people’s lives across the UK.

That’s why we’ve committed to raise the personal allowance on income tax. So that basic rate tax payers will get to keep all of the first £10, 000 they earn. We’ve already taken over 2 million people out of paying income tax altogether. And by

…

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Caron Lindsay

Carmichael: Salmond remarks ludicrous and offensive

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 5th September 2013 - 12:08 pm

Carmichael looking mean croppedI said yesterday that I wanted a Liberal Democrat to come out and passionately call Alex Salmond out for suggesting that the case against independence was the case against Scotland. To recap, this is what he said in a Scotland Tonight interview on Tuesday:

..let’s see if we can get the pressure on to make sure we pull the Prime Minister into the ring and then let’s see if he can articulate a case against Scotland because I’ll certainly be articulating the case for Scotland.

And that Liberal Democrat calling …

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Caron Lindsay

No, Alex Salmond, the case against independence is not the case “against Scotland”

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 4th September 2013 - 9:08 am

By 10:30 pm last night, I thought the most shocking thing I was going to hear that evening was that the Blessed Mary Berry uses tinned, yes, that’s tinned,  peaches and pears in her trifle recipe.

Sadly this was not to be the case. Yesterday was Scotland’s the equivalent of the Queen’s Speech, when the Government unveils its legislative programme, except we get Alex Salmond instead of the Queen. To mark the occasion, he was interviewed for Scotland Tonight.

More of the interview than necessary was taken up with a discussion on which pro UK politician he would debate against in the …

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Caron Lindsay

Sir Malcolm Bruce MP to stand down in 2015

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 2nd September 2013 - 11:35 am

Malcolm announcement croppedSir Malcolm Bruce, speaking exclusively to the local newspaper in his Gordon constituency, has announced that he will be stepping down as MP for he seat he has represented for 30 years at the next General Election.

He told the Press and Journal:

I’d rather go when I’m fit, active, effective and, I hope, still enjoying it.

I think I’m going to feel quite liberated but I want people to know that I’m not retiring right now, I’m just announcing that I’m not going to stand at the next election. I’ll

…

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Caron Lindsay

There’s a convicted wife beater in my Parliament and he won’t resign…

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 1st September 2013 - 12:31 pm

It’s now 10 days since Bill Walker, MSP for Dunfermline, was convicted of 23 offences of violence against 3 wives and a stepdaughter over a 28 year period. So far, his only public comment has been to state to the Courier:

I never had any plans to vacate my seat and that’s it. I will just leave it at that.

That’s not good enough for many MSPs. Willie Rennie has put down a motion (like an Early Day Motion at Westminster) calling on him to resign. That has so far been signed by over 80 of his parliamentary colleagues. Willie has …

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Caron Lindsay

Willie Rennie: We need a new Claim of Right to deliver a powerful Scotland in the UK

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 31st August 2013 - 1:00 pm

Willie Rennie has consistently talked about the need to develop a blueprint for a new constitutional settlement for Scotland within the United Kingdom. The Scottish Liberal Democrats have their own proposals, enshrined in Federalism: the best future for Scotland. Since its publication, both Labour and the Conservatives, (yes, you read that right, the Conservatives) have announced that they will b developing their own plans.

In a speech in Glasgow today, Willie takes this a step further, saying that he wants to see definite action on this so that any changes can be voted on at the 2015 general election, …

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Caron Lindsay

URGENT! Just 2 hours to respond to Jim Hume MSP’s consultation on banning smoking in cars where children are present

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 30th August 2013 - 3:00 pm

When I originally flagged up that Jim Hume was intending to introduce a bill to the Scottish Parliament making it illegal to smoke in your car if you had children present, it’s fair to say that it inspired some heated discussion.

And then I’m sure we all forgot about it. I certainly did. Until I saw on Facebook a little while ago that today is the last day to respond to his consultation. By 5pm to be precise. After uttering a few sweary words, I thought I’d better remind you all before I filled it in for myself.

There are 11 …

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Caron Lindsay

Last chance to respond to Scottish Equal Marriage consultation

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 23rd August 2013 - 11:33 am

At almost the 11th hour, I have submitted my views to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities Committee which will be considering Scotland’s Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill.

The deadline is today, so you really need to get on with it. The “other side” will make sure that they get their point of view across so it’s really important that the Committee hears from those in support.

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Caron Lindsay

Bill Walker: the poster boy for a recall law

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 22nd August 2013 - 3:30 pm

The issue of recall raises its head today as Bill Walker, the MSP for Dunfermline, has been found guilty, as the BBC reports, of 23 charges of domestic abuse over a 28 year period.

The 71-year-old, from Alloa, had denied 23 charges of assault and one breach of the peace, but was found guilty of all charges at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Walker, who will be sentenced next month, has been urged to stand down as the independent MSP for Dunfermline.

He had been elected in 2011 as an SNP MSP, but was suspended by the party after the allegations emerged.

Walker was later

…

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Caron Lindsay

Rennie: “Everyone who believes in robust defence of our shores should think carefully before backing independence”

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 15th August 2013 - 1:02 pm

Today’s Guardian reports that if Scotland votes for independence, the new Scottish Government might have difficulty joining NATO:

It is understood that Nato officials said it might be possible to allow Scotland to start fast-track talks – but in a blow to Salmond’s anti-nuclear strategy, the Scottish delegation was also told that no new member would be allowed to join Nato if that state had unresolved military or territorial disputes with other countries.

Under article 10 of the Nato treaty, one assistant general secretary of Nato said at the meeting on 6 July, new applicants also have

…

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Caron Lindsay

Moore: Independence could alter every aspect of Scottish life

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 31st July 2013 - 11:17 am

If you listen to the Nationalist camp, you would think that independence is just a bit of tidying up round the edges. Scots can happily separate from the UK and we won’t really notice the difference. We’ll still have the Queen and we’ll still have the pound. Life will go on, pretty much as normal.

You have to ask, though, if it’s not going to make that much difference, why Scotland has to spend 3 years debating it. Nationalists may want to play down the consequences of next September’s vote but that position doesn’t make sense.

Michael Moore is giving a major …

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NewsHound

LibLink… Willie Rennie: Scots are great, independence will not help us to be greater.

By NewsHound | Fri 19th July 2013 - 10:25 am

Willie Rennie has been writing in the Times about the Scottish independence referendum. One of the charges that gets levelled at anyone opposed to independence is that we think that Scotland is too poor, too wee or too stupid to go it alone. Except nobody on the pro-union campaign actually thinks that. The SNP use it as something to bash the opposition with but it’s a straw man and a flimsy one at that.

I have never heard any spokesman for Better Together say “Scotland is too wee, too poor and too stupid” but I have heard people on the doorsteps

…

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Caron Lindsay

End of Term Report: Michael Moore

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 12th July 2013 - 8:55 am

michael-moore-mp-secretary-of-state-for-scotlandAs we near the end of the Parliamentary term and MPs get their buckets and spades together and head off for the sun (or, more likely, pack up their cars and head off on their constituency Summer tours), I thought it might be interesting to have a look back at some of the things key party figures have done this year. We’ll take a meander through the highlights and lowlights and make suggestions, not all of them entirely serious, for the year ahead.

First up is Secretary of State for Scotland Michael …

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Caron Lindsay

I’ve just been speaking to Alistair Darling…

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 11th July 2013 - 5:34 pm

Scotland’s Better Together campaign has for the first time allowed humble bloggers like me to talk to its Leader, former Chancellor Alistair Darling. He held a conference call with us to discuss his lecture at Glasgow University this morning in which he presented a case for staying in the union designed to appeal to both head and heart.

He told his audience of 300 that there were two sides to the pro-union argument. One was very factual, a hard headed calculation of the benefits of the economic union, the UK single market. The second was about he social and political union …

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