Hanging Time at the Westminster Gallows

Apart from the wag who said "If there's going to be a hung Parliament, who do we start with?", the prospect of a balanced Parliament (perhaps a better word than the hugely negative 'hung') raises many questions. Some say that the prospect would be a disaster for Britain; and that 'the markets won't like it'.

Frankly, I really don't care what the fat cats in the markets think of it, but I do care if people are falsely given the impression that this way lies disaster. Certainly not true for the minority government of Scotland, that has achieved so much by working toward consensus on an issue by issue basis. Certainly not true for many other countries where coalition is the norm. Why on earth could the 'mother of Parliaments' not operate when alliances need to be brokered and made?

But then we move on to the question of who, with whom? Here, we need, as an electorate, to take a reality check and appreciate that the constant bleatings of the media aimed at forcing one party or another to say who they would work with is complete and utter nonsense. No party could possibly be daft enough as to give away its negotiating position in advance of the final election result. And in any event, it is not until that final result that the influence any party may have can be seen.

But for Scotland, one thing is abundantly clear - as Alex Salmond says - quite simply, the more SNP MPs are elected, the more Scotland's position will be strengthened. It is an absolute fact of parliamentary mathematics that for each of the three main English parties, when it comes to working out who agrees to what deal in order to form a government, the minority of their seats are in Scotland. It will be anglo-centric policies that will be at the heart of negotiations - despite anything the Scottish Lib Dems may say. When push comes to shove, they will vote with their English colleagues, on issues negotiated for England. SNP members have no such divided loyalty. Their only potential allies their our friends in Plaid Cymru - together, they can be a powerful influence for both Scotland and Wales.

Never before has there been such an opportunity. Never before has the absolute relevance of electing SNP MP's to Westminster been so clear and present. It's a whole different question in the City of Salford, or the leafy suburbs of London. Let England get on and vote for the choices they have - and if that means the Lib Dems do well, then so be it. But in Scotland now, more than ever, Scottish votes must be votes for Scotland. This is no time to let this momentous opportunity slip through our fingers like so many grains of sand. Time to create a strong and influential group of National and local Champions. Time to grasp the chance.

A Safer World - but not in Scotland

Today, The United States of America and the Russian Union have agreed to a further 30% reduction in deployed nuclear warheads. The world is a wee bit safer for that - another step toward total removal of these weapons from the face of a planet with no need for them, and no wish for them.

But in Scotland, can we feel that wee bit safer? Our Westminster Government still cling on to their pathetic wish to keep their place at the UN Security Council by dint of keeping hold of, and upgrading Trident missiles and the archangels of underwater death, the submarines that carry them. The real cost of upgrading Trident is £100 billion - I'll say that again - one hundred thousand million pounds - and again - £100,000,000,000.

What, in these times of recession and hardship, against the background of massive national debt, could we do, if we didn't spend this money?

Both Labour and Conservatives would continue with the replacement programme. The Lib Dems as usual prevaricate and only say they won't replace trident 'on a like for like' basis. Perhaps this means they will replace it with something still nuclear, but cheaper?

So even against a background of the world's major powers reducing their nuclear arsenals, still the only option realistically available in Scotland to send the message to scrap the obscenity of the weapon of mass destruction that is Trident altogether is to send SNP MP's to Westminster.

Here in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, it's time to dump dithering Danny Alexander and elect a real National and Local Champion - John Finnie.

To Be A Nation Once Again

A short while ago, Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill announced that Abdul Baset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is to be released on compassionate grounds.

I felt immense pride, listening to the carefully constructed words of the announcement. Not just pride that Scotland, as a Nation, can uphold our long held principles of compassion and mercy, but also in the inspiring words in which he framed his announcement.

It was delivered on Scottish soil, and related to a crime committed over Scottish soil; Kenny MacAskill's announcement was placed firmly in a global context, yet emphasised the principles of Scottish Justice and of the Scottish people perfectly.

Today, no matter what the USA may say, or Westminster, or the baying pack of political opposition dogs here in Scotland, for me, Kenny MacAskill proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that whilst we may not yet be independent, we are a Nation once again.

Compassion

When it was reported a few days ago that Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi was likely to be released on compassionate grounds, I felt immense pride in our government that we could show the world that here in Scotland, we do things differently, and we can recognise that to leave a man dying of prostate cancer, who has always protested his innocence, to die far from home and family is pointless; has nothing whatever to do with justice; and would represent no more than a final, spiteful act of retribution. In my mind, along with that of Jim Swire, whose daughter was a victim of the Lockerbie abomination, al-Megrahi was always innocent; nothing more than a manipulated pawn in a political game in which the American machine found it convenient to ostracise Libya.

That the US had, just a few months earlier, shot down an Iranian airliner seemed to matter not one jot. And Americans today still believe what they are fed by their own machine.

The original speculation of release on compassionate grounds would have meant that al-Megrahi's appeal could continue, and the new evidence from foreign parts could be heard. There was more than a chance, therefore, that his pleas of innocence might finally be vindicated - even if the likelihood is that it may have come too late for the man himself.

And so, when the news came that he was abandoning his appeal, a couple of days after he was visited by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill, I felt cheated and let down. It's hard not to believe that somewhere along the line, the pressure not to have the potential embarrassment of the new evidence meant that somewhere, somebody had been 'got at' by the might of the machine.

It remains now to be seen whether al-Megrahi is finally released on compassionate grounds, or simply returned to Libya to serve out his last few days or weeks of sentence there, because he had dropped his appeal and, by doing so, become eligible for transfer. I still live in hope that, despite the venomous reaction of the United States of Indignant Retribution, we will choose to release him and show the world that the true face of compassion is alive and well, and living in Scotland.

The Ups and Downs of Scottish Tourism

On July 24th, VisitScotland finally owned up to what had been obvious to many - that numbers of visitors to Scotland last year were down by over one million - an eight percent drop. They announced that tourist spending fell by four percent, down £156 million, of which £113 million was attributed to business tourism, with business spending down by fourteen percent.

In truth, these figures, in time of recession, weren't all that bad - and came as no surprise to all those who have felt over the years that VisitScotland were past masters of the art of telling porkies ayway. A refreshing change to hear something believable.

Ah yes, but that was then - this is now - just a couple of weeks later.

Today VisitScotland reportedly made the announcement that a record £63.5 million was generated in Scotland through tourism last year. They said the drive to encourage people to visit during the quieter tourist months brought in £17 million more than the previous year ....

Confused? Yup, so am I. These figures seem to bear no relation to the reality on our streets last year, and don't seem to match up in any way to the earlier figures. Somewhere along the line, we're obviously comparing apples with pears - but the biggest question is are VisitScotland statistics rotten apples?