Monthly Archives: February 2013

theSPACE: to Infinity & Beyond

As an elected representative of the community dealing with the inevitable large bureaucracy of large organisations like councils, the Serenity Prayer is a good thing to keep by you for those times you get baffled by procedural requirements and want … Continue reading

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Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Wrang Yin

Most media are carrying fulsome obituaries of the former Scottish Secretary of State for Scotland Bruce Millan, who has just died at a ripe age of 85. Tribute to him was paid by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, who said: “Bruce was … Continue reading

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Sometimes You Just Need Balls

I’m sure that it has never bothered Ed that the two of us disagree on so much. I didn’t like the cut of his jib when he was in the Westminster shadow of Irn Broon. That dislike went steeply downhill … Continue reading

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That’s More Like It

I was struck by a post elsewhere this week. Though I disagreed with its conclusions, I was impressed a young and principled unionist could make their case without implying that everyone in Scotland would go bald and slobber uncontrollably post-independence. In … Continue reading

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Fit Like, Eh?

Just back from a couple of days in various parts of Aberdeenshire and am happy to report that, not only is the Doric alive and well but that the area is surviving as robustly as you would expect. It’s not … Continue reading

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Not Just the People Must Be Free

Both Anas Sarwar and Johann Lamont stepped off into this week with major speeches about what Scotland can afford. So far, so practical—and so new; it’s not often you catch Scottish Labour arguing for something more subtle than simply throwing … Continue reading

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A Right Wunch of Bankers

After enduring relative poverty of a teenager, funding any outlay from paper routes and summer jobs and the absolute poverty of being a student, some forty years ago I finally had a salary fit to open a current account with … Continue reading

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False Economy

This week, East Lothian Council passed a three-year budget that the Labour-led but Tory-chaired Administration said would “take the county out of fiscal chaos and on a journey towards a more stable financial future” as the new Leader Cllr. Willie … Continue reading

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The Cost of Being British

There are many stalwarts among the people working towards Scotland’s rightful future as a proper country. But, until this week, I never included The Economist among them. Don’t get me wrong—right-wing rag for blinkered fat cats though it is often … Continue reading

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Don’t Knock It

After a lively Twitter debate with an old buddy that stemmed from Scottish Government proposals that will effectively raise stamp duties by making them more proportionate to house prices, we got on to a discussion about which parts of Scotland … Continue reading

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