Rab Bruce's Spider ( If at first you don't secede, try, try again )http://rbs.postach.io/feed.xml2024-02-29T13:12:06.993000ZWerkzeugI Protesthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/i-protest2024-02-29T13:12:06.993000Z2024-02-29T13:11:59ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has told people protesting over the genocide in Gaza that they have made their point and should stop protesting because of the cost in Police time to safeguard and monitor the marches. Yesterday, The Newsagents Podcast devoted some time to this topic, and had some interesting interviews with a former senior Police officer and a leading protest organiser. What struck me, though, was that none of the people involved, nor the Home Secretary, seemed to acknowledge that there is a simple way to end the protests. It is for the UK Government to acknowledge the genocide, to stop supplying arms to Israel and to vote for a cease fire in the UN Security Council. Until such time as that happens, protesters really have not made their point because, as so often, the UK Government simply isn’t listening to them whatever James Cleverly may say. For him to use the cost of policing the marches as a valid reason to stop protesting is a typical Tory diversion tactic.</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is not helping with his depictions of the protesters as violent extremists intent on harming MPs. Again, this is a tactic to turn the public against the protesters and to pave the way for yet more draconian anti-protest laws.</p><p> </p><p>The right to protest is a fundamental part of our democracy, and people will keep protesting for as long as the issue they are concerned about is not addressed. That is how protests work, and it is disingenuous of James Cleverly to ignore that basic fact.</p><p> </p><p>Another thought occurred to me while I was listening to the discussion. Much of the Tories’ clampdown on protest marches is based on the level of inconvenience they cause to the public. This can include things like disruption to traffic because of road closures and the noise made by the protesters. However, I recall a couple of events last year which included road closures and significant disruption but which nobody seemed to be too concerned about. The funeral of the late Queen and the coronation of the new King probably created more disruption than any protest march, yet I don’t think a single Tory MP complained about that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Sticking To Principleshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/sticking-to-principles2024-02-22T10:10:20.246000Z2024-02-22T10:10:15ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I am no expert on Westminster parliamentary procedures, but from what I can gather, Labour have used, or perhaps misused, those procedures in order to maintain their slavish adherence to the Bain Principle which was established many years ago and which, as outlined by former Labour MP Willie Bain, demands that Labour must never agree with the SNP on any policy. I did wonder how their recent conversion to calling for a cease fire in Gaza could be reconciled with the Bain Principle, but now we know.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, there is a lot more going on here, and the most important issue, that of the thousands of deaths in Gaza, has been rather overshadowed by the farce of Westminster procedural customs. Not that Israel and Hamas would have paid much attention to the UK Government, but a vote calling for a cease fire would at least have symbolically put the UK where it should be on the world stage, even if, under those same customs, the Tory Government is not obliged to pay any attention to the vote either.</p><p> </p><p>It also occurs to me that no political commentators flagged this potential issue prior to the debacle in the House of Commons. The texts of the SNP motion and the proposed amendments by Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories were all available, and all said more or less the same thing but with the emphasis on different aspects of the horror taking place in Gaza. As so often in politics, the arguments were over semantics rather than outcome.</p><p> </p><p>But if, as we now understand, the debate was set aside as an SNP opposition day, why did Labour bother drafting an amendment at all? As has been pointed out, they could easily have proposed their own motion on one of their days for doing so. Instead, they hijacked the SNP motion by allegedly coercing the speaker into breaching the parliamentary rules. Now, I have some sympathy with the Speaker because, on a matter like this, I would have thought that all parties should be able to propose motions for the debate, but it seems that Westminster’s arcane rules mean he should not have allowed this to happen. So we end up with the SNP motion being completely ignored, the SNP walking out, along with some Tories, and Labour congratulating themselves on having got their amendment through while still adhering to the Bain Principle. There are, however, some casualties, albeit not the same as the actual casualties suffering in Gaza. In Westminster, the Speaker’s position now looks almost untenable, while the SNP’s position there must now be in real doubt. Once again, they have experienced being completely dismissed by the Westminster establishment, and many people must now be asking what is the point of them staying there? In terms of advancing Scotland’s right to become a normal, self-governing country, they have achieved nothing in nine years. They may have had some minor successes in things like challenging the unlawful suspension of Parliament, but that was really a solo success by Joanna Cherry, and even then she needed support from other Parties, the House of Lords, and the Good Law Project. But any small successes they have had can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and this latest insult serves as a reminder of just how much contempt Labour has for Scotland. If anything good comes out of this farce, it might just be that more Scots will wake up to the futility of voting for Labour.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
What We've Wonhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/what-we-ve-won2024-02-19T09:33:48.629000Z2024-02-19T09:33:45ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Living in Scotland nearly a decade after the IndyRef is a bit like being a losing contestant on the old darts/quiz game show, Bullseye. Or perhaps it is like that but in reverse. Instead of being shown, "Here’s what you could have won!", we are instead very much seeing what we have won, and it isn’t a very inspiring list. Instead of being a normal, self-governing country, with all the benefits and problems that go with that status, we are instead left with a huge list of problems and very few discernible benefits as part of the dysfunctional UK. So, in the spirit of sharing my grim mood, here’s a list of just some of the things being shackled to the UK in a so-called voluntary union have left us with. I know some of them could have happened if we had been a normal country, but being stuck in the UK has made even those bad things a lot worse.</p><p> </p><p>Longer queues at borders as a result of Brexit;</p><p>Higher food prices;</p><p>Higher energy bills;</p><p>Lower exports;</p><p>Union flags emblazoned on Scottish food produce;</p><p>The proliferation and normalisation of food banks;</p><p>A Right Wing Government which is clamping down on our right to protest and which wants to remove our Human Rights;</p><p>The return of Victorian illnesses such as scabies, scurvy and rickets;</p><p>Falling life expectancy;</p><p>A rising pension age, with one of the worst pensions in the OECD;</p><p>Failing infrastructure due to lack of investment;</p><p>A Government which blames pretty much everything on immigrants and which is enacting horrific policies against refugees;</p><p>An economy in recession, with higher inflation than most OECD countries;</p><p>A Government riddled with corruption which sees Tory donors rewarded with peerages or enormous Government contracts;</p><p>Increasing levels of poverty, particularly among children;</p><p>One of the very worst rates of wealth inequality in the world;</p><p>And, to top it off, we have a media which is almost exclusively hostile to Scotland and which, in spite of all the things mentioned above, insists that we are better off as part of the UK. When you appreciate that bias, you’ll maybe start to see that the media is not serving your best interests.</p><p> </p><p>I came up with that list in just five minutes. No doubt I have missed some other issues. Feel free to join in the chat on social media.</p><p> </p></div>
The Way You Tell 'Emhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/the-way-you-tell-em2024-02-09T17:21:27.720000Z2024-02-09T17:21:22ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div>by Rab Bruce’s Spider<br clear="none"/> Mastodon: @<a shape="rect" href="mailto:RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot">RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</a><br clear="none"/>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider<br clear="none"/> I come from a generation which was raised to believe that, while you should not believe everything you read in a newspaper, you could trust the BBC because, unlike news agencies from other countries (which usually meant Russia), the BBC was fair, balanced, impartial and trustworthy. How that all changed as I grew older, and especially when I saw what they got up to during the IndyRef campaign in 2014. And even though they helped keep Scotland changed to their beloved Union, they are still at it, with constant denigration of anything positive about Scotland, especially if that thing was introduced by the Scottish Government or an SNP-led Council.<br clear="none"/> I will admit that I am probably too antagonistic towards the media in general and the BBC in particular, and I sometimes take umbrage over news reports which, when viewed with less passion, might appear reasonable Yet their bias is so ingrained, that my own response is to see that bias even in articles which may, on the face of it, be impartial and accurate. But then, as comedians used to say, it’s the way you tell ‘em.<br clear="none"/> This past week has been another classic for the UK media in Scotland. To begin with, Michael Matheson’s resignation gave them precisely what they wanted, and at one point the BBC had no fewer than three separate headlined articles about him, most of them raking over the same story. Now, I do believe Mr Matheson was foolish to claim for his extraordinarily high browsing charges against his expenses, and he should never have done that. Nor should he have taken so long to repay them himself. This whole matter could have been avoided if he had done the right thing and paid the whole lot himself at the outset. His silly mistake has provided the media with what they crave – a chance to portray the SNP as venal, with the criticism extending by insinuation to the wider Indy cause. Pro-Indy politicians really ought to know by now that they need to be squeaky clean at all times to prevent this sort of thing happening. And then there was the Scottish Tories and their ridiculous plan for saving the NHS in Scotland, a plan which was reported without criticism by the media even though it is obvious to anyone who has been paying even the slightest bit of attention that it is the Tories in Westminster who have deliberately engineered a crisis in the NHS. Despite this, the situation in Scotland is significantly better than it is in England’s NHS, although that’s not a very high bar, and it is no reason to become complacent. But the hypocrisy of Dross, the Scottish Tories’ part-time leader in between his main job as a football assistant referee, is breathtaking. The media, though, let him get away with it, and when SNP MP and former surgeon, Dr Philippa Whitford, issued a superb takedown of the nonsense contained in the plan, most of the media somehow failed to report it. Funny that. Perhaps the word, "balance" doesn’t mean what I thought it meant.<br clear="none"/> On other issues, I am perhaps being too picky, but the BBC has been quick to print reports which portray ULEZ in a poor light, despite evidence that reducing emissions is good for people’s health. But, much like the baby boxes, the fact that the idea was introduced by an SNP Council means it must be criticised.<br clear="none"/> Finally, there was a headline which caught my attention about the newly-introduced ban on pavement parking which is being enforced by Edinburgh Council. The article was, I suppose, accurate, but the fact that it claimed drivers had been hit by large fines gave me the impression that this was somehow a bad thing. It was only at the very end of the piece that the article mentioned that the ban had been introduced in order to improve safety for vulnerable pedestrians. I know that Edinburgh Council is not run by the SNP, but the powers to enforce the bans was introduced by the Scottish Government, so again it seems it is viewed within the BBC as inherently bad.<br clear="none"/> OK, maybe I’m being too critical, but the BBC’s constant denigration of Scotland really does get me down. I no longer watch any TV news programme, and even reading news websites is about all my blood pressure can stand. And even if I am being overly sensitive to perceived bias, I believe that the media will be our strongest opponent as we strive to become a normal, self-governing country.</div>
Spot The Differencehttps://rbs.postach.io/post/spot-the-difference-42024-02-02T10:55:58.992000Z2024-02-02T10:55:54ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Following Nicola Sturgeon’s appearance at the Covid Enquiry, many articles have been written about her responses to the questioning. Her supporters have applauded her, and her opponents have vilified her, all of which is much to be expected. It is, however, the reaction of the mainstream media which I wish to comment on. For what seems like weeks now, they have been banging on about deleted Whatsapp messages, implying that the Scottish Government must have something to hide. Douglas Ross, an SFA Assistant Referee and sometime politician, has been given plenty of media time to rail against this apparently near-criminal act of deleting messages. Very few in the media seem to have spent much time reporting that Scottish Government practice was to delete messages which were not linked to important decisions, and to only delete messages relevant to decision-making once they had been formally recorded. Compare and contrast with the treatment given to the responses of Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak who actually did use Whatsapp in the decision-making process and who came up with frankly unbelievable excuses for those messages vanishing. </p><p> </p><p>I should say that I am not at all in favour of any messages being deleted. By all means use Whatsapp as a convenient and quick way to communicate, especially during a time of social distancing, but those messages should never be deleted. Yet the media have hounded Scottish Government Ministers for openly admitting that messages were deleted in accordance with their (admittedly misguided) rules. Yet when Tories make brazen claims about how their messages mysteriously disappeared, it all seems like a huge joke.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, when you compare what the Governments might have been trying to conceal, it was not the Scottish Government who were setting up dodgy PPE procurement lanes to benefit their friends, nor was it the Scottish Government who ignored scientific advice with their Eat Out To Help Out scheme. What, precisely, do the media think the Scottish Government were trying to hide? I’ve yet to hear any journalist express any opinion on that. Their focus has been on potential secretive decisions, using deletion of messages to throw mud in the hope that some sticks. I do wish they would focus more on clearly bad decisions about moving elderly people out of hospitals into care homes. That was poorly handled at the time, although I think we ought to acknowledge the pressure on hospitals to find beds for the huge influx of people suffering from Covid. It was a No-win situation, but Even so, I’d like to think it could have been handled better because too many people died in extremely distressing circumstances. Still, Nicola Sturgeon deleted her Whatsapp messages, and that makes a better headline.</p><p> </p><p>The latest media furore surrounds claims that the Scottish Government were still thinking about independence for Scotland during the Covid crisis. This seems to be regarded as some sort of heinous act, while the fact that Michael Gove prepared a document stressing the importance of maintaining the Union has been remarked upon but is not seen as political. I’m struggling to spot the difference.</p><p> </p><p>To move away from the Covid Enquiry, Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour branch Office Manager, seems to have got away very lightly after doing a complete U-turn on his views of a cap on bankers’ bonuses. Having decried the Tory decision to scrap this cap, he now supports his London boss’s decision not to reintroduce such a cap. I can only imagine the media frenzy if a pro-Indy politician did the same thing.</p><p> </p><p>As ever, the main thing we have learned this week is that the UK media in Scotland is not our friend. Some of the things they do and say are ridiculous, but they do and say these things because they know that most people are too busy to pay close attention and will respond emotionally to powerful headlines. Despite this, polls are showing support for becoming a normal, self-governing country remaining strong. Let’s hope that, when the Covid Enquiry does eventually make its report, it highlights the differences in approach of the Scottish and UK Governments, and does so in such a way that leaves no doubt as to which handled a disastrous pandemic better.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Not for EUhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/not-for-eu2024-02-01T13:11:02.406000Z2024-02-01T13:10:55ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>So all meat and dairy products produced and sold within the UK will now bear a label saying "Not for EU". This is part of the latest post-Brexit deal which has been set up to appease the hardline DUP and persuade them to rejoin the Stormont power-sharing Government in Northern Ireland. At this stage, it is not clear whether other goods produced in the UK will need to bear a similar label, but that would seem to be the next logical conclusion given that the UK is determined to lower its standards on just about everything. This world-beating approach won’t be welcome in the EU, so expect to see more and more of these labels proliferate. I dare say they will be emblazoned with the Union Flag just to reinforce the point that those damned foreigners can’t use our stuff because we’re British. Rule Britannia and all that.</p><p> </p><p>But what are the majority of the non-Northern Irish population going to make of this? Considering how ill-informed the UK media keeps most people, how will they react when they see their supermarket food labelled this way? I doubt very much that the majority will simply nod and say, "That’s the appeasement price demanded by the DUP".</p><p> </p><p>Some will no doubt smile and convince themselves that their food is labelled that way to prove how world-beating the UK is, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the reaction of most folk will be to ask, "Why can’t it be sold in the EU? What is wrong with it?". Perhaps some of them might eventually start to realise just what they have lost thanks to Brexit.</p><p> </p><p>After a while, of course, everyone will get used to this, but one thing we can be sure of is that Scottish produce, famed the world over, will be subsumed into this new UK packaging, with all signs of Saltires vanishing. That process has been under way for some time, but just watch it accelerate. We are British, whether we like it or not, and even our food packaging will reinforce that message. The Union Flag will be everywhere, and there is not a thing we can do about it. Well, there is one thing, but we need some political leadership to get us there. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Perceptive Perceptionhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/perceptive-perception2024-01-30T09:38:11.679000Z2024-01-30T09:38:08ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>UK Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, was doing the media rounds recently, insisting that viewers perceive bias in the BBC. Naturally, she thinks that is anti-Tory bias, and it is no coincidence that she believes GB News to be fair and impartial. This is the same Lucy Frazer who, in her maiden House of Commons speech, earned laughter and applause by telling her fellow MPs that Oliver Cromwell found a solution to the West Lothian Question by enslaving Scots and sending them to the colonies. What a nice person she must be.</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, in her search for actual evidence of BBC bias, I would point out a few facts which may help her. </p><p> </p><p>To begin with, how many times has Nigel Farage been a guest on BBC Question Time? And how many pro-EU MEPs have ever been on that panel? It’s less than one.</p><p> </p><p>As viewers in Scotland know only too well, there are issues which go beyond perception. For example, it is a fact that BBC Scotland issues more corrections to news items than all the other BBC regional stations combined. It has also been shown that pro-Indy politicians on Good Morning Scotland are interrupted by the interviewer far more often than pro-Union politicians.</p><p> </p><p>There are plenty of other examples, but I think it is sufficient to say that, while perception is important, in Scotland we have actual evidence of bias. Unfortunately, I doubt that this will fit into Lucy Frazer’s skewed view of the media landscape.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Proud Scots Buthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/proud-scots-but2024-01-30T01:07:30.657000Z2024-01-23T18:21:36ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Later this week, all across the world, people will be dressing in kilts, drinking whisky and eating haggis to celebrate Burns Day. They will enjoy an evening of celebrating one of Scotland’s best known characters who was a major influence on Scottish Culture. The day after that, they will return to their normal lives, many of them resuming their positions within business or the media, and they will also resume their denigration of Scotland at every opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>I recently had the misfortune to spend some time with a Scottish Rugby fan who regaled me with tales of his trips to away matches in Ireland and Wales, expeditions which he thoroughly enjoyed. He assured me that he always wore a kilt to such events. As you may have guessed, the guy is an ardent Unionist who refuses to believe that Scotland could ever cope as a normal, self-governing country because we are too dependent on England’s largesse.</p><p> </p><p>I don’t know about anyone else, but I really don’t know how to deal with people like that. Argument and facts bounce off them because of their innate conviction that Scotland is, and always will be, too wee and too poor.</p><p> </p><p>I’ve never worn a kilt in my life, but I genuinely feel I am more of a Scot than any of the people who adopt Scottish identity only when it comes to special occasions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
More Equal Than Mosthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/more-equal-than-most2024-01-30T01:07:40.768000Z2024-01-16T09:44:14ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The news that the handful of the very wealthiest people on the planet have seen huge increases in their personal wealth while the vast majority of humans have become poorer should come as no surprise. Wealth inequality, particularly in places like the UK and USA has always existed, but free market economics has turned it into a much wider split than ever before. Of course, wealth inequality has always existed, and examples can be seen in many ancient civilisations such as Rome, but that is no comfort when you are one of the people who is becoming poorer.</p><p> </p><p>Corporate greed as well as personal hoarding of wealth is a major cause of this. Driven by financial markets to earn ever greater profits or incur the wrath of speculators and investors, businesses have adopted some very ruthless tactics, and much of the burden of providing increased profits has landed on the shoulders of ordinary employees. While company executives award themselves huge salaries and bonuses, most workers have found themselves left behind. So the rich get richer, and the poor become poorer.</p><p> </p><p>The sad thing is that this way of thinking and operating is so embedded in our society that it is difficult to see how we can escape it. It would be simple to pass a law stating that no company executive should earn more than, say, 20 or 30 times the salary of their lowest paid employee, but while this would force companies to increase wages, you can just imagine the howls of outrage from the financial markets as profits took a hit. The alternative would be for the highly paid executives to cut their pay packets, but the culture of greed is so embedded, that seems unlikely in the extreme.</p><p> </p><p>Nations can learn and adopt new habits and customs, especially if they are shown strong leadership and example, but with the UK verging on fascism, such leadership is non-existent. And anyone who does try to go against the orthodoxy that wealth is good is usually silenced by the media. When was the last time you heard Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT Union being interviewed? His calm, reasonable and well-argued points made such an impact on people that the media have clearly decided he should no longer be given a platform to spread his heretical view that workers deserve a decent living.</p><p> </p><p>I wish I had the answer to this, but the only solution I can come up with is the usual one of allowing Scotland to detach itself from the corrupt and venal UK. Whether our own wealthy elite would put up with a more socialist agenda would then be put to the test. I fear there would still be significant wealth inequality, but perhaps it would not be as egregious as the disgusting inequality gap we are currently experiencing. There is, of course, only one way to find out. One thing is for certain, things couldn’t be much worse than they are with us stuck as part of the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Something Is Rottenhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/something-is-rotten2024-01-30T01:07:45.408000Z2024-01-11T11:51:21ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Post Office Horizon scandal has taken far too long to become a hot political issue. In this regard, I think the comments by Stephen Flynn MP were spot on. The UK Government never does anything to rectify an injustice unless it has no choice. That usually means only when there is public outrage thanks to some media event highlighting the issue. It is sad that it took a TV dramatisation to make the UK Government pay attention, but perhaps some measure of justice will now be seen to take place. Personally, I’m not convinced the Tories will do very much. They will delay compensation payments, and will seek to find a suitable scapegoat. Don’t count on it being former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells. For many in the Tory Party, handing back her CBE will probably be considered a suitable punishment.</p><p> </p><p>There were, of course, plenty of other people involved in this shameful persecution and cover-up, and it is astonishing that so many auditors, IT specialists and managers could not accept that there was a problem with the Horizon software. This smacks either of widespread incompetence or equally widespread complicity in the cover-up. A great many heads should roll, especially those who must have knowingly lied to the Courts. If any such thing does happen, I fear it will take a very long time, but hopefully some of those responsible are feeling very uncomfortable now.</p><p> </p><p>One person who is very exposed is Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey. His lack of action during the time he was responsible for the Post Office was certainly disgraceful, but I expect the Tories to turn on him simply because he will be a convenient scapegoat. Whether any other politicians or Post Office executives will be similarly sought out is, I fear, unlikely.</p><p> </p><p>But this dreadful matter is not the only sign of everything that is wrong in the Corporate world in the UK. Company executives seem to think they can do as they like, taking all the rewards they can grab, while treating their employees abominably. The announcement by Brewdog that it would no longer pay new employees the real living wage was horrible enough, but now the media are reporting that the CEO enjoyed a luxury holiday in the Maldives shortly before Christmas. This is emblematic of the way bosses behave in the current UK, and there will be plenty of similar episodes for as long as the culture of corporate greed continues. I will admit that I know nothing about the finances of Brewdog, but I am fairly confident that, if they were seeking to reduce costs - a perfectly understandable and standard thing in business - I doubt very much that they looked at reducing the executive pay and bonus awards. Instead, like most businesses, they will have looked at employee pay as the main target of cuts.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is among the worst in the world for pay inequality, and this leads to the wealthy bosses becoming entirely detached from the problems their employees face. I do hope Brewdog will reconsider, because it really does not look good if you publicly announce that you don’t intend to pay your workers the very minimum they need to live on. But even if they do backtrack, other companies will soon come out with similar ideas. We need an entire culture change in the corporate world, but there is no way we will get it in the UK. If only there was a solution to that.</p></div>
Tax Attackshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/tax-attacks2024-01-30T01:12:50.603000Z2023-12-19T16:23:03ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p>Tax is an emotive topic. UK subjects have been conditioned to view taxation as a bad thing, and this message is repeated ad nauseam by UK politicians and media so often that few people even think twice about it. Oddly, many UK subjects are astonished at higher levels of living standards when they visit other European nations which have adopted a High Pay, High Tax economy. Because the UK has become a Low Pay, allegedly Low Tax economy, our public services, pensions and other benefits lag far behind the vast majority of our European neighbours.</p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Naturally, the UK Government uses taxation for political purposes, and it has been able to target the Scottish Government thanks to its clever ploy of allowing Scots power over Income Tax. This is the tax that most people are most aware of, so any change the Scottish Government makes leaves it open to attack.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">When Income Tax was first devolved, I recall writing that if the Scottish Government reduced tax rates, they would be accused of allowing Scots to pay less tax while still relying on English beneficence paid via the subsidy England allegedly pays to Scotland. This Subsidy Myth is, of course, nonsense, but facts rarely bother the Unionists when it comes to Scotland. And, of course, if the Scottish Government raises taxes, they will be accused of turning Scotland into the highest taxed part of the UK. Which is, to nobody’s real surprise, precisely what Rishi Sunak has done, ignoring the fact that recent media analysis after Jeremy Hunt’s latest Budget pointed out that the overall tax burden on UK subjects is higher than it has ever been. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But the Tories are crowing about low taxes for everyone except those poor rich people in Scotland who will be asked to pay a little more to help fund public services. And, sadly, many will fall for this spin, completely unaware that public services in England are far worse than they are in Scotland, and that taxpayers in England pay far more in Council Tax than most Scots, as well as paying for NHS prescriptions, university education, etc. There are a lot of ways governments raise money from taxes, yet Income Tax is the big focus because that’s the one the Tories have devolved to Scotland precisely because they can use it as a political weapon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">This whole thing is a farce, but many people will fall for the rhetoric. As for the wealthier people who are asked to pay a bit more, some will object because people who already have a lot often want more, but I’d like to think that the majority of Scots would not object to paying a little more if it meant maintaining public services. Then again, Project Fear terrified many Scots in the IndyRef campaign by announcing that Scots would be £10 a week worse off if we became a normal, self-governing country, so perhaps that same fear will inflict anyone affected by a small rise in the higher rate tax bands in Scotland. As an aside, though, it is worth noting that recent financial analysis suggested that everyone in the UK is £1,500 per year worse off after Brexit and the Tories’ shambolic disaster Budget under Liz Truss. That £10 per week looks like a real bargain now, but don’t expect anyone in the media to point that out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">As ever, we come back to the fundamental point that Scotland would be far better off as a normal, self-governing country. Then our Government would have control over all taxation, not just the high-profile Income Tax. If they used those powers wisely, Scotland might have a chance of eventually developing into a High Pay, High Tax society, with everyone benefitting from all that entails. It could take several decades, but a future in which everyone could enjoy a decent pension and good levels of social security is surely something worth aiming for.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%"> </span></p><p> </p></div>
Parental Controlhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/parental-control2023-12-13T10:29:21.490000Z2023-12-13T10:29:17ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Every parent knows that teenagers can be difficult to keep in line. You can try bribery or threats, but sometimes nothing seems to work.</p><p> </p><p>What has this got to do with politics? Readers, I present to you the UK Government which is treating Scotland as if our nation was just like an unruly teenager. The latest spat really does show just how pathetically inadequate the UK is, with a furore over whether Scotland’s First Minister is allowed to speak to other delegates at the Cop28 climate conference without a nanny to supervise him. They really do worry that other nations will realise that Scotland is more than a region of England. Their own insecurity makes this a fearful prospect for them, and they will resort to any petty reaction as they struggle to control Holyrood. </p><p> </p><p>We’ve had the bribes in the shape of so-called Levelling Up money which, to the surprise of nobody at all, seems to go mostly to Tory constituencies, and now we’ve had threats and accusations from Sir Dave Cameron and Minister of State for Keeping Scotland Under Control, Alister Jack.</p><p> </p><p>As usual with the Tories, they are getting all worked up about not very much at all as they strive to show the world how much in control they are. Instead, I suspect that this absurd episode has only served to show other international leaders just how much Scotland needs to break away from the dysfunctional UK. And I do hope that, without his UK minders being there to keep him right, Humza Yousaf drops more than a few hints about the UK’s infantile behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>Above all, I do hope that, like most teenagers, Scotland can escape the controlling shackles of Westminster and become a fully-fledged adult nation on the world stage.</p><p> </p></div>
Reality Checkhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/reality-check2023-12-07T10:16:55.035000Z2023-12-07T10:16:51ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>X / Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Reading the political news often makes me think that I live in a different reality to our politicians and journalists.</p><p> </p><p>To begin with, I will admit that it is quite funny seeing Anas Sarwar desperately attempt to disassociate himself from the pro-Tory remarks being made by Sir Keir Starmer. Mr Sarwar deserves some credit for this, but he seems to have forgotten the earlier pronouncement by Sir Keir that what he says, Anas Sarwar says. In other words, Anas Sarwar will soon be put back in his box He might try to salvage some political kudos by making statements which are at odds with official London Labour policy, but that won’t alter the reality that he will need to toe the line when push comes to shove..</p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal">I also had a wee chuckle when I read an article on City AM insisting that Brexit wasn’t as bad as Remainers had predicted. This is apparently because the UK’s GDP has held up quite well in comparison to other EU countries. Now, this may be correct, but the article signally failed to mention other things like the far worse inflation which probably makes the GDP significantly worse in real terms. It also ignored the collapsing social services, the spiralling cost of living - mostly fuelled by energy prices, soaring levels of poverty, and did not mention that many of the checks and tariffs required as a result of Brexit have not yet been implemented because of the damage they will do to the UK economy.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal">On top of that, the social aspect of the abolition of Freedom of Movement will really start to be noticed when UK subjects require visas to go on holiday. Our young people have been denied so many opportunities by Brexit, and just because the UK’s GDP has slightly increased cannot disguise the huge harm Brexit has done to our society.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal">If Scots want to escape this madness, there is a solution. All we need is the political leadership to help us realise the goal.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Levelling Downhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/levelling-down2023-12-01T17:10:28.347000Z2023-12-01T17:10:24ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I had the misfortune to hear a propaganda promotion on the radio the other day. An actor with a strong Scottish accent was gleefully telling us about the benefits of the UK Government’s Levelling UP agenda, mentioning how money was being pumped into Scotland. Naturally, the puff piece did not mention that the money is significantly less than we used to obtain from the EU, nor did it mention that the funds are going predominantly to Tory constituencies. But that’s how propaganda works, and with control of our media in the hands of the Union, I’m sure a great many of the uninformed and / or gullible will believe this nonsense.</p><p> </p><p>As for Levelling UP, it is another Tory trick to fool people into believing they care about anything except themselves and their wealthy donors. Home Secretary James Cleverly gave the game away when he showed his utter contempt for a northern constituency where the MP was asking why so many children in his area were in poverty. Mr Cleverly muttered that it was because the place was a sh*thole, thus summing up in one contemptuous expression precisely what the Tories actually think about the vast majority of the places and people they are supposed to be governing. Poverty arises from political choices, and it is clear that the Tories simply don’t care about poor people.</p><p> </p><p>Like so many things, Levelling Up will do very little to help Scotland, and it certainly won’t replace the money we have lost access to by being dragged out of the EU against our will.</p><p> </p><p>As ever, it is long past time that we left this toxic Union.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
The Poverty Traphttps://rbs.postach.io/post/the-poverty-trap2023-11-28T09:39:01.638000Z2023-11-28T09:38:58ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Tory Government Ministers really do talk a lot of nonsense. Of course, they know that they can get away with telling brazen lies because that principle was established by Boris Johnson a few years ago. But I do wonder whether some of them actually believe what they are saying. For example, in giving evidence to the Covid Enquiry, Kemi Badenoch asserted that the Tories do not have a cure for poverty, and that they would have used it if they could.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">I’m not sure whether she was being disingenuous, or whether she really is that ignorant, but this is patent nonsense because there is a very simple cure for poverty. It is to give people more money. But the UK has been transformed into a low wage economy, paying the worst state pensions in the OECD, and with a social security benefits system which is recognised by the UN as being dangerously inadequate.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">And a recent report has even suggested that the huge scale of wealth inequality in the UK costs the economy billions of pounds each year. From being one of the most equal societies in the 1970s, the UK is now one of the most unequal. It is not that there isn’t enough money, it is that far too much of that money is in the hands of a very few people.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">The Tories may bang on about the economy, and it is clear from the evidence given to the Covid Enquiry that many top Tories believe the economy is more important than people’s lives, but I doubt they will do anything to alter the inequality situation even if it would improve the economy. That’s because it would harm their own interests.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">And don’t count on Labour changing things. Even if they decide to abandon the Tory policies they are adopting with such readiness, they won’t have long enough to alter the situation very much. Such societal change takes decades, and we know from history that the English electorate will vote the Tories back into power before too long.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">It is way past time that Scotland escaped this madness.</span></p><p> </p></div>
Widening The Splithttps://rbs.postach.io/post/widening-the-split2023-11-25T08:54:58.683000Z2023-11-25T08:54:53ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I will admit I was very surprised to learn that Alex Salmond has decided to sue the Scottish Government. Since there is now a legal case under way, I’m not going to comment on that aspect, but I am wondering about his motivation.</p><p> </p><p>Clearly, an experienced politician like Alex Salmond is not going to begin any court action unless he feels he has a good chance of winning, but I do wonder why he has taken this action now. It certainly flies in the face of his appeals for all pro-Indy Parties to work together, but perhaps he has decided that, since all of his requests have been rebuffed, he has nothing to lose.</p><p> </p><p>I’d venture to say that the rest of us have a great deal to lose because this is only going to split the Yes movement even further. And if Alex Salmond plans to effectively bring down the Scottish Government with the aim of replacing the SNP with Alba as the primary Party of independence, then it is going to take a long time because the case won’t be heard for several months at least. By that time, we may already have been through the next UK General Election.</p><p> </p><p>Or perhaps Mr Salmond is playing a long game, having already decided that the SNP’s plan for turning Scotland into a normal, self-governing country is doomed to failure, and he is positioning his own Party to step into the breach that such failure will bring.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever his thinking, I’m afraid this isn’t doing the Yes movement a great deal of good at the moment. And if Alex Salmond really is trying to bring Alba to the fore by bashing the already struggling SNP, then he will have another fight on his hands. That’s because the UK media in Scotland may be happy to promote his action against the SNP, but the moment he begins to look as if he might have a chance of persuading the Scottish electorate to switch allegiance (which is a major task in its own right), the media will turn on him just as they have done before.</p><p> </p><p>As ever, all we can do is look on, scratching our heads and wondering where we go from here.</p><p> </p></div>
In The Deep Midwinterhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/in-the-deep-midwinter2023-11-21T09:48:31.351000Z2023-11-21T09:48:27ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I posted on social media about the comments made by Tory MP John Glen who is calling for some sort of means testing on Pensioner’s Winter Fuel payments. Mr Glen argues, with some justification, that some pensioners do not need this extra cash, and he would rather see it used to help alleviate child poverty.</p><p> </p><p>Now, at first glance, many people will agree with his sentiment. However, while I’ve not been able to check Mr Glen’s voting record on child poverty, I would respectfully point out that it is the Tories themselves who have massively increased poverty at all levels, but particularly among children. Perhaps he now feels they should do something about this, but I’d say it’s a bit late for that. In any event, the Chancellor knows full well that children don’t vote, so no Tory has much incentive to take money away from the people most likely to vote for them, then hand it to people who have no vote.</p><p> </p><p>As for using money paid to pensioners, even Mr Glen admits that it would be difficult to decide which pensioners should miss out by virtue of being well off. HMRC don’t carry records on household wealth, so deciding who should miss out could be problematic. Besides, as has been demonstrated by things like free NHS prescriptions in Scotland and the payments made to the self-employed during Covid, it is usually cheaper to provide a universal benefit than it is to introduce and maintain a system of means testing.</p><p> </p><p>And why can’t the Tories do both things? Why not alleviate poverty while also paying pensioners a bit extra to help with the enormous energy bills they face? We keep hearing that there is no money, but this mindset, largely driven by outdated views in the money markets, doesn’t seem to apply when the Bank of England needs to create billions of pounds in order to bail out banks. Modern Monetary Theory says that, if you have a magic money tree like, say, a central bank, then you can spend as much as you like. Taxation should then be used to rein in the inflationary pressures created by that extra cash. Taxing the wealthiest in society would certainly help that, but again, no Tory Chancellor is likely to do that. And let us not forget that the vast majority of people who receive either the Winter Fuel payment or who might benefit from additional funds to alleviate child poverty, are actually going to spend that money. They aren’t going to hoard it in offshore trust funds. So pumping extra money into the economy to help both pensioners and children will actually stimulate spending and help boost the economy.</p><p> </p><p>As for those wealthy pensioners who don’t need the money, they are under no obligation to do so. They can always donate it to their local food bank or to a children’s charity. But how many of them will actually do that? Not many, I’d guess.</p><p> </p></div>
A Long Time In Politicshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/a-long-time-in-politics2023-11-17T10:54:46.828000Z2023-11-17T10:54:43ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It has been an interesting week in the House of Commons, a place which masquerades as the home of democracy.</p><p> </p><p>First of all, we had the Supreme Court ruling that the Tory Government’s Rwanda scheme was illegal, immediately followed by the Tories insisting they would amend the law to make it legal. It will be interesting to see how they do that, considering that once UK law has been changed, international treaties and the ECHR need to be altered. Given that the ECHR is a fundamental part of the Good Friday Agreement, I wonder whether the Tories will be prepared to sacrifice peace in Northern Ireland for the sake of deporting a couple of hundred asylum seekers to Rwanda.</p><p> </p><p>Another alleged Tory achievement was to bring inflation down to less than half of what it was earlier. Rishi Sunak is claiming that he has achieved one of his five key pledges, apparently hoping that the majority of the UK population is so ill-informed or stupid that they don’t realise that he achieved this by doing nothing proactive, but simply waiting until the huge price rises in energy costs were dropped from the annual inflation calculation by virtue of taking place 13 months ago. Now we hear that energy prices are likely to increase significantly again in 2024. Will Rishi Sunak accept responsibility when inflation leaps up again? Somehow, I doubt it.</p><p> </p><p>But the big news of the week, unless you are part of the Scottish media which is obsessed with a bill run up on an iPad by a Scottish Government Minister, is that nearly 60 Labour MPs defied Sir Kid Starver and voted to call for a cease fire in Gaza.</p><p> </p><p>Now, it must be said that the vote really didn’t matter in the overall scheme of things because neither Hamas nor the Israeli Government was ever going to pay much attention to what was voted for in the House of Commons. It must also be acknowledged that Hamas, who have vowed to destroy Israel, are unlikely to observe a cease fire even if the whole of the world agrees that it is necessary. However, the vote was symbolically important in setting out the stance of the UK Parliament, and anyone who argues against stopping the slaughter of innocent civilians, including women and children, really needs to take a good look in the mirror. Whether those civilians are Palestinians or Israelis is beside the point. Anyone with a modicum of humanity must want the killing to stop.</p><p> </p><p>As is becoming normal these days, Sir Kid Starver decided to side with the Tories. Some of his MPs showed a bit of backbone and voted with their conscience, earning them the sack if they were on the front bench. It may have been a symbolic vote, but Starmer has symbolically demonstrated his lack of humanity. He may be trying to present himself as a statesman, but even he must have known that the result of the vote would make no difference to what is happening on the ground in Gaza, so why not vote to call for a cease fire? Instead, he’d rather align himself with the USA and the Tories. That, in my view, was reprehensible.</p><p> </p><p>Naturally, the media in Scotland was happy to headline the result as a defeat for the SNP, and it was interesting to note that even the Newsagents Podcast kept referring to the call for a cease fire to be the SNP amendment. That was technically correct, but the media do love to portray things as being SNP this or that, and to claim that the rebel Labour MPs were voting with the SNP as if that was a bad thing. It really shouldn’t have mattered which Party called for a vote supporting a cease fire, wanting to stop innocent people dying should surely be the most important issue. Sadly, as so often, the UK media managed to drag it down to a Party political level as they tried to portray the SNP’s call as somehow being less than humanitarian. And don’t get me started on Jackie Baillie’s claim that, by calling for a cease fire, the SNP were playing Punch & Judy politics. I’m not even sure what that means except that it shows Jackie Baillie is happy for people to die if it means she can score a cheap point against the SNP. Since when was wanting to prevent people dying a sign that you are playing at politics? Quite frankly, I found her comments extremely distasteful.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, I must mention MP Michael Shanks, recent victor in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election. He made a great play during his election campaign of being a new voice for Scotland, who would not kow-tow to Westminster Labour. Yet, at this first opportunity to demonstrate that his thinking is in line with the majority of Scots, he immediately followed the official Party line and refused to vote for a cease fire. I do hope the voters of Rutherglen & Hamilton West were paying attention to his decision. Labour’s Scottish Branch Office Manager, Anas Sarwar, was almost certainly paying attention. You’d think by now he would have realised that his views are unimportant to Westminster Labour, yet still he clings to the ridiculous claim that he runs an independent Party.</p><p> </p><p>So there we are. The Tories can get away with callously deciding to change the law as long as it allows them to persecute helpless refugees; Labour can refuse to do the right thing from a humanitarian perspective; but it’s the SNP who are bad for wanting to stop innocent people being massacred. The UK really is a weird place. It’s long past time that Scotland left this Ruritania and became a normal country.</p><p> </p></div>
Cursed by Interesting Timeshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/cursed-by-interesting-times2023-11-14T09:35:50.505000Z2023-11-14T09:35:47ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Rishi Sunak certainly caught everyone by surprise by bringing back David Cameron as Foreign Secretary. It changed all the headlines, partially obscuring the news that Suella Braverman had at last been sacked. Whether any of this will change Rishi Sunak’s standing is doubtful. Cameron is tainted by Brexit, Austerity and, in Scotland, by introducing EVEL the day after the IndyRef, thus shattering all the earlier promises. As for his ability to deal with foreign Governments, he didn’t do too well when he was PM, so it’s doubtful he’ll do anything more than spout platitudes for the TV cameras. At least he’ll do it in a smooth, smarmy way, with all the confidence of a fraudster, so he might give us plenty of quotes to save for posterity.</p><p> </p><p>And what of Suella Braverman’s replacement, James Cleverly? Well, he’s apparently a loyal Tory, always prepared to regurgitate the Party line on anything. Whether he’s competent enough to hold down such a senior role remains to be seen. If he is, he will prove to be the exception in this appallingly incompetent Government. One thing you can be sure of is that, even if he presents a less vicious and inhumane face to the public, he’ll carry on with the vicious and inhumane policies the Tories love so much. Still, he might settle things down a little after the havoc of Suella Braverman, just as Rishi Sunak has, on the face of things, settled matters down after the chaos of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Except, as we all know, the chaos, greed and incompetence continue, just with a better public image.</p><p> </p><p>As for Suella Braverman herself, no doubt she will soon stir things up as she attempts to put herself at the head of the fascist wing of the Tory Party. Of course, she’ll have some competition because Liz Truss won’t fade quietly into the background, and if Nigel Farage does decide to rejoin the Party, Suella Braverman’s chances of becoming leader will be severely diminished as the rabid Brexiteers line up behind Farage.</p><p> </p><p>It would be nice to think that this sort of in-fighting will spell the end of the Tory Party, but it’s been going on for a long time already in one shape or form, and they are still clinging desperately to power.</p><p> </p><p>There’s an old Chinese curse which says, "May you live in interesting times". At the moment, it feels like someone has cursed the entire UK with that fate. If only Scotland had a way to escape the madness.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Creeping Alonghttps://rbs.postach.io/post/creeping-along2023-11-12T00:05:24.505000Z2023-11-07T09:29:20ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In my last blog post, I pointed out that the UK Government is behaving just like a fascist Government. I suppose that now makes me an extremists. According to media reports, the UK Government now plans to introduce legislation to expand the definition of extremist so that anyone who criticises the UK or its institutions and values can be termed as an extremist.</p><p> </p><p>The conclusion we must draw from this is that anyone who supports Scottish or Welsh independence, or who would like to see a united Ireland, will be classified as an extremist. </p><p> </p><p>Many people on social media seem to be of the opinion that nothing will come of this because the Tories will be voted out of power at the next General Election, but I would not put it past them to push this through using their much-vaunted Henry VII powers via a Statutory Instrument. Failing that, they will rely on Keir Starmer’s Labour Party adopting this policy, just as he has adopted most other Tory policies. And if you think that is far-fetched, consider just how much of a British Nationalist Starmer is. He has declared this many times, and he loves to be seen surrounded by union flags. Why would he not want to reinforce the strength of the union by clamping down on any dissent? He’s already doing that within his own Party.</p><p> </p><p>If this sort of thing was happening elsewhere, we would see media stories about how other countries are controlled by authoritarian Governments, yet the UK’s march towards fascism goes mostly unremarked.</p><p> </p><p>I made a comment on Mastodon that I fear this proposed legislation is only one step away from declaring political Parties who seek the breakup of the UK as illegal organisations. Whether the UK Government would actually go that far is debatable, and many will be of the opinion that my fear is completely unfounded. I really hope it is, and it would certainly be a massive step for the UK Government to take. For one thing, it would completely demolish any claims that the UK is a democracy. That reassures me that such overt action is probably unlikely, but then I look at some of the things the UK Government has done over the past few years. Ten years ago, most people would have thought it unthinkable that any form of protest would render people liable to arrest, or that all legal routes to immigration would be closed down, or that food banks would become a normal part of society. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the UK is creeping towards fascism rather than marching towards it, and I don’t think we should rule anything out when it comes to Westminster exerting its authority, especially if Nigel Farage becomes leader of the Tory Party.</p><p> </p><p>Whether my fears are valid or not, this latest proposal shows that the lurch to the Right continues unabated. Humza Yousaf had better get his finger out with his plans to release us from the autocratic UK.</p><p> </p></div>
Speaking for the Peoplehttps://rbs.postach.io/post/speaking-for-the-people2023-11-06T10:33:47.908000Z2023-11-06T10:33:44ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Actor Steve Coogan recently upset many on the Right Wing by claiming that people who support the Royal family are flag-waving idiots. What he actually said on the Off Menu Podcast was:</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#333333;background:white">"Most people who are into [the royal family] are flag-waving people who, I think, are kind of idiots because they support a power structure that keeps a foot on the throat of working-class people."</span></p><p> </p><p>I think it is very fair to say that I agree with his comment, and I believe that this unthinking behaviour on the part of flag-waving monarchists is a testament to the power and influence of the UK media and the class structure which is still inherent in UK society and which manages to persuade people to support a system which is designed to keep the power structure in place.</p><p> </p><p><br clear="none"/>But the monarchy is not the topic I wish to talk about in this piece. That’s because some of the outraged responses from Tories were interesting in their own right. The main thrust of their complaints, once you set aside their defence of the Royal family, was to question Steve Coogan’s working class credentials, and to demand to know why he felt he could speak for the working class.</p><p> </p><p>That in itself is quite laughable coming from Tories. For one thing, nobody needs to be born into a working class family to be able to speak for the poorer people in society. Anyone with a modicum of compassion can do that.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, how often have you heard a Tory MP, Minister or Prime Minister tell an interviewer what it is that people want the Government to concentrate on? They are always at it; constantly telling us what our priorities are even though very few of them ever seem to have bothered to check with ordinary people. It never seems to strike them as unusual that what they claim the people want happens to tally precisely with the things they themselves have decided are their priorities.</p><p> </p><p>Politicians of all Parties are very fond of telling us what we think and want, yet it seems that Steve Coogan cannot even make a comment on behalf of working class people without being derided by those same politicians.</p><p> </p><p>As usual, those who benefit from the class structure are have been quick to jump on any criticism of that structure. It is yet another sign of how dysfunctional the UK is at its core.</p><p> </p><p>As further evidence for the bizarrely skewed thinking of those in power, we only need to look at Home Secretary Suella Braverman who has announced that she wants Councils to clamp down on homeless people who live in tents on the streets. She has no thought of actually doing anything to reduce homelessness, she just wants to further punish the poor souls who have nowhere else to go. And, to add insult to injury, she subsequently claimed that living in tents was a lifestyle choice. Quite frankly, I find that sort of mentality absolutely sickening. </p><p> </p><p>I feel so sorry for the people of England who, I’m afraid, have only themselves to blame for electing extremist politicians. George Orwell was right when he said that fascism would not come to Britain by marching down the High Street in jackboots. He saw clearly enough that the UK operates using a gradual approach to things, insinuating new ideas and ways of thinking so that nothing appears too extreme when taken in isolation. However, most of the pronouncements coming out of the UK Government are exactly what you would expect from a fascist Government, it’s just that most people don’t seem to have realised it yet.</p><p> </p><p>As ever, Scotland needs to escape this madness before it is too late.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Defectionshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/defections2023-10-30T11:07:42.280000Z2023-10-30T11:07:39ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The news that Ash Regan MSP has decided to leave the SNP and join Alba has once again brought to light the split in the Yes movement. SNP supporters are outraged, and many are calling for her to stand down so that a By-election can be held. Personally, I think that a By -election should always be held when any politician declares that they wish to leave the Party they were a member of. However, that never happens because the UK has this absurd idea that politicians are elected because of their individual merits. Scotland seems to have adopted this stance as well, although most members of the public vote for a Party because of its leader, and many have no idea who their own MP or MSP is. However, while I support the idea of always holding a By-election, it is not going to happen unless Parliamentary rules are re-written.</p><p> </p><p>Ash Regans’ defection comes on the heels of Dr Lisa Cameron moving to the Tories, and in some ways these two defections are similar. It seems fairly clear that Dr Cameron always held Tory views because a move to that Party is unthinkable unless you believe in their selfish, cruel policies.</p><p> </p><p>As for Ash Regan, she stood in the SNP leadership campaign on a platform of putting independence above all else. She was unsuccessful partly because she did not seem to possess the gravitas of the other contenders, and she was viewed by many as an outlier. However, in moving to Alba she has, I believe, followed her conscience. She is clearly of the opinion that the SNP are not doing nearly enough to move Scotland towards being a normal, self-governing country, and she has decided that, if she cannot change that from within, she might as well move to a Party whose avowed intention is to push for independence far more aggressively. Whether that will prove successful will only be known at the next Holyrood election. If the SNP continue to produce soundbites and slogans but very little real action, then perhaps voters will look for an alternative. Up until now, very few have put their faith in Alba, so Ash Regan’s move may well signal the end of her political career. Time will tell.</p><p> </p><p>As for the SNP, Humza Yousaf has had a lot of personal issues to contend with recently, but he continues to act with dignity. That is all well and good as far as it goes, but we need more than dignity if we are to progress the cause of independence. We really need to see a lot more fire and action rather than words. I do hope that will change very soon, but I’ve been let down before, and the signs are not good so far. For example, what has the much-vaunted Rebuttal Unit been doing since it was relaunched? I’ll admit that I am not on the social platform X very much these days, but I don’t recall seeing anything from them in the past couple of weeks. Is their relaunch going to be another damp squib? If so, that is simply not good enough.</p><p> </p><p>Returning to the defections, I’m not sure the two recent departures will make very much difference to the SNP. But now that Lisa Cameron and Ash Regan have set a precedent, the big question for me is whether any others will follow them? I cannot see many defecting to the Tories, but Alba might not remain on the fringes if a few more MSPs and / or MPs decide to switch allegiance. Whether that would signal a unification within the Yes movement is doubtful, but it might stir the SNP up a bit. As ever, we can only wait and see.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
The Nasty Partyhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/the-nasty-party2023-10-27T14:46:43.200000Z2023-10-27T14:46:39ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I’ve been accused of bashing Labour when they are, according to many, the only hope of getting rid of the Tories. I suppose that is an understandable view if you live in England, but Scots do have other choices, and I remain disappointed that any Yesser can contemplate voting for a British Nationalist Party whose leader is adopting as many Tory policies as he can, and who seems to be supporting war crimes.</p><p> </p><p>Having said that, I am not going to stop bashing the Tories, and they’ve given us quite a lot to bash them over the heads with recently.</p><p> </p><p>Let’s start with Education Minister Gillian Keegan who insists there is no cultural problem within the Tory Party after yet another Tory MP was arrested on suspicion of rape and possessing illegal drugs. Following on from the Peter Bone scandal, the Pincher scandal and another unnamed MP also being investigated for rape, one must commend Gillian Keegan for her blind loyalty to the Party. Not that she’s averse to creating problems of her own after her recent sweary complaints about not being congratulated for doing what she believes was a good job over the RAAC issue. And don’t forget the PPE corruption issues, nor the utter disgrace of Partygate, and the horror of the Care Home deaths during the Covid pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>To go off on a slight tangent, Rishi Sunak’s billionaire father-in-law, Narayana Murthy, has displayed some very Tory ideals by stating that young workers in India ought to be working 70 hours per week for the glory of their country. I do hope PM Sunak doesn’t adopt that as a new policy, but it’s the sort of thing we might expect now that it has been voiced.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the UK, even some Tory Councillors, MPs and lords have been begging the UK Government to allow disabled councillors to attend meetings via online platforms. Needless to say, the Government has refused, a bizarre decision which is in keeping with their attitude towards disabled people. What really strikes me about this is that some of the disabled Councillors were Tories. I can’t help thinking they are in the wrong Party. Surely they must have recognised just how badly the UK Government treats disabled people?</p><p> </p><p>And on the topic of work, the UK Government have also demanded that English Councils abandon all experiments in moving to a four day working week. Apparently, they believe that this change will not provide value for money. It’s not quite the same as Sunak’s father-in-law demanding a 70 hour working week, but the thinking is along the same lines.</p><p> </p><p>The thing is that every trial of a 4 day working week has shown increased productivity, better retention of staff, improvements in staff wellbeing, and a better working environment. It says quite a lot that the Tories are prepared to ignore the evidence, and to push back against such reform. Given the evidence that a 4 day week produces such results, I can only conclude that the real reason for refusal is that Tories are very firmly wedded to the idea of management control. They detest the idea of working from home because it means managers can’t keep a close eye on their staff. One could suggest that this is a very Victorian attitude, but I actually think it says more about the work ethic of Tories themselves. Remember that Boris Johnson revealed this when he said that working from home consisted mainly of visiting the fridge to get snacks. He clearly believed that his own lazy attitude to work was shared by everyone else, and it seems many Tory politicians share his view because that is the main reason I can think of which would make them object to people working from home. There is, of course, the side issue that they will believe people are getting money for nothing if their working hours are cut while their pay remains the same. Imagine MPs being upset at people receiving what is effectively a pay rise! </p><p> </p><p>The Tories really do seem to live in a different world to the rest of us, as evidenced by Environment Secretary Therese Coffey making the absurd claim that the devastating floods caused by Storm Babet were because the rain came from the wrong direction. I do hope she is cringing over that one, although I doubt it since most Tory Ministers seem prepared to spout any old nonsense with conviction. What I haven’t been able to find is any comment on what would have been different if the storm had come from the west. Given the scale of the deluge, I can’t see that it made any difference at all which direction it came from . The important thing is that flood defences proved useless, and that this sort of event is going to keep happening. Indeed, it is coming back, perhaps not quite so strongly but seriously enough, this weekend. And Italy is also suffering from severe floods, only a few months after their last inundations. Given the scientific evidence that these weather events are symptoms of climate change, you’d think any sensible Government would push ahead with environmental policies as quickly as possible, but this is the Tory Party we are talking about, so they are doing the precise opposite because that’s where the money is.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, it is not all doom and gloom. If you happen to be a ludicrously wealthy London banker, you’ll soon be even more ludicrously wealthy because the cap on bonuses has been lifted. It doesn’t take a seer like Nostradamus to predict that allowing bankers to take risks with other people’s money in order to make short term gains which earn them a bigger bonus is only going to end in another financial calamity.</p><p> </p><p>There are so many issues with the Tories, including their unequivocal support for Israel despite the evident war crimes, the running down of the NHS, and the constant anti-immigrant rhetoric that this article could go on for a very long time. However, I’ll leave it there for the moment. NO doubt I’ll be back with more before too long.</p><p> </p><p>What a mad place the UK is. If only there was some way Scotland could become a normal, self-governing country and escape the insanity.</p><p> </p></div>
Real Leadershiphttps://rbs.postach.io/post/real-leadership2023-10-19T10:19:45.026000Z2023-10-19T10:19:41ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>There are a few political commentators whose opinion I respect because of their past track record of being correct in their predictions, and who have derided the SNP’s latest plan for progressing Scotland towards becoming a normal, self-governing country. Given their expertise, it is difficult to argue against their opinions, and I will admit to having been very guilty of constantly hoping the SNP will come up with some clever plan, and being constantly disappointed.</p><p> </p><p>However, some time ago, I myself advocated using Westminster’s First Past The Post voting system against them on the basis that we should use the number of seats won as our benchmark. In light of that, it is hard for me to disagree with the SNP’s latest proposal for moving us forward. My concern though, is that the timing could have been a lot better. If we’d used that benchmark a few years ago, I’d like to think that we’d be in a very different place to where we are now. The obvious concern is that Labour might actually recover a lot of seats on the basis that some voters will decide that the SNP has no chance of gaining independence, so they might as well vote to get the Tories out. While I can understand that thinking, I do believe it is the wrong path to follow. Labour are as Unionist as the Tories, and unless sir Keir (Knight of the Realm) Starmer does another U-turn, we won’t be any closer to becoming a normal country with a Labour Government in charge, especially since Labour have more or less adopted every policy the Tories come up with.</p><p> </p><p>The other problem with voting Labour MPs into power is that the UK media will proclaim that independence is dead, and you can bet everything you own that the Scotland Office will be given even greater powers under a Labour Government. The Tories have laid the groundwork for undermining the Scottish Government, and I have no doubt that, egged on by the Unionist media, Labour will follow their lead on that, just as they are doing on so many other issues.</p><p> </p><p>So I retain some concerns over the SNP’s chances of success, but after hearing Tommy Shepherd MP on the excellent Lesley Riddoch Podcast, it seems that the SNP do have a plan for what to do if they win a majority of seats and are still denied. That is encouraging, but the biggest problem will be winning the required number of seats, especially since the media will be advocating loudly for a Labour Government.</p><p> </p><p>As for the plan itself, I was a little concerned that proposals to count votes for any pro-Indy Party have been knocked back, but if we are in a First Past The Post election, then votes for other Parties won’t count anyway. The cynical will undoubtedly say that this is merely another ploy by the SNP to retain seats at Westminster, but I honestly believe we need to give them the benefit of the doubt – again. A lot will depend, however, on what we see over the coming months in terms of leadership. On that point, the buck stops with Humza Yousaf, and I must say that, until now, I’ve been less than inspired by what I’ve heard from him. However, his speech to the SNP Conference was excellent, and I am hoping that we will genuinely see the beginnings of a strong campaign making the case for independence. We need a vision, not a whole load of detailed processes, and perhaps Humza Yousaf will actually follow through on those promises. Time will tell, and I will keep my fingers firmly crossed, not because I am necessarily a supporter of the SNP, nor because I think they have better domestic policies than other pro-Indy Parties, but because the reality is that they remain, at present, the best political vehicle for bringing about the change we so desperately need. If this promised campaign falls flat, though, I suspect I won’t be the only one looking for an alternative choice.</p><p> </p><p>As for Humza Yousaf’s speech, the media are concentrating on his promise of a Council Tax freeze. While that is important, it is noticeable that few outlets of the UK media in Scotland have bothered to mention the compassion and humanitarianism Humza Yousaf displayed, especially when talking about the crisis in Israel and Gaza. This is probably because his heartfelt words on this and on other social issues are in stark contrast to the cruel racism of the Tories, as well as to the awkward, insincere mumblings from Keir Starmer who seems to have offered support for war crimes as a reasonable response to terrorist attacks.</p><p> </p><p>What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis. Advocating for innocent civilians to be protected is not the same as supporting terrorism. Yes, Israel is in a very difficult position, and any person with an ounce of humanity will understand the horror and grief Israelis must be suffering after the Hamas’ atrocity. But committing atrocities of their own is not the way forward. So far, Humza Yousaf is the only leading UK politician to have the courage to say this, so he deserves immense credit for that. I sincerely hope that he continues to demonstrate the same leadership qualities when it comes to making the case for Scotland to become a normal, self-governing country. Above all, we need strong leadership now. </p><p> </p><p>This will be a real test for Humza Yousaf, and he cannot afford to delay, but let’s give him a chance to prove that he’s got what it takes. After all, if the SNP fail dramatically at the next General Election, he'll be out of a job, so it is in his interests to drive a strong campaign. After so many disappointments, I’m wary of being too optimistic, but we must all retain some hope and, quite frankly, the SNP remains the only game in town at the moment for those of us who want Scotland to become a normal country. </p><p> </p></div>
An Odd Defectionhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/an-odd-defection2023-10-13T10:57:31.760000Z2023-10-13T10:57:28ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I have absolute sympathy with anyone who suffers from being bullied. Workplace bullying simply should not happen, although it does with dreadful frequency. So I fully understand why Dr Lisa Cameron has decided to quit the SNP Westminster group if she has been bullied. It is always better to remove yourself from any toxic culture.</p><p> </p><p>What is most bizarre about her defection, though, is that she has switched to join the Tories. I’d have thought she has been at Westminster long enough to know that empathy and understanding of others is not exactly high on the list of Tory attributes. The move seems especially bizarre since she claims it will help her speak out for the disabled and vulnerable. Again, has she not noticed that the Tories make a particular point of picking on the disabled and vulnerable in society?</p><p> </p><p>She has claimed that she still supports Scottish independence, yet has moved to an Ultra Unionist Party because she thinks that the SNP need to focus more on helping people cope with immediate problems. This is a typical Tory line because they know most people want everyday issues attended to by their Government, but it misses the fundamental point that becoming a normal, self-governing country would put us in a much better position to be able to tackle those important issues like the cost of living.</p><p> </p><p>I am not here to defend the SNP. Indeed, I believe they have shown a distinct lack of leadership over the past few years, and there is little sign of that changing in the immediate future, but I do find Dr Cameron’s decision baffling to say the least. But perhaps her decision has something to do with the fact that her local Party were refusing to back her as their candidate in the next General Election. If that came on top of a sustained period of bullying, her decision may have been designed to cause the maximum damage to the SNP.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever her motivation, the UK media has adopted its usual stance, loudly proclaiming the end of the SNP and the cause of Scottish independence. In fact, the BBC managed to find a few voters who supported Dr Cameron’s decision, confirming that the SNP were indeed very bad. Oddly, this did not tally with the same research undertaken by The National which actually provided a more balanced and impartial view than the BBC. Quelle surprise! </p><p> </p><p>More worryingly, nobody in the media appears to be asking questions about the bullying. If there is a culture like that in the SNP Westminster group, it really must be stopped. The SNP leadership should step in without delay and get to the root of the problem. The fact that they seem content to do nothing does not reflect well on them. But, oddly, the media are not pursuing this as an attack line. It seems such an obvious target that I’d have thought they would have jumped on it with the aim of revealing who the bullies are. So far, though, we’ve heard nothing about that. I am probably being too cynical, but perhaps there is more to this story than we have been told so far.</p><p> </p></div>
Lessons To Be Learnedhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/lessons-to-be-learned2023-10-12T09:20:50.512000Z2023-10-12T09:20:45ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>This article is a couple of days late due to technical problems with the blog site which are hopefully now resolved.</p><p> </p><p>So Labour, as expected, won the Rutherglen & Hamilton West By-election. Also as expected, the UK media are crowing about the severe blow to the cause of Scottish independence, apparently unaware that there is a big difference between support for the SNP and support for independence. It is not at all unusual for a governing Party to lose a By-election, especially when that Party has displayed levels of incompetence and disarray in the way the SNP has done recently. I sincerely hope that this will be the kick up the backside that the Party needs in order to re-focus its priorities and to up their game on domestic policies. I suspect I am likely to be disappointed in that, but that won’t stop me hoping.</p><p> </p><p>As for the result itself, there are several things I take from it. First, as mentioned above, the SNP got a deserved kicking for messing things up. Yes, they’ve done a lot of good work, and things like our NHS, while far from perfect, still perform better than the Health Services in other UK countries, but that’s a pretty low bar anyway. Of course, if we were a normal country in full charge of our own economy, we would hope to do a lot better, but that is precisely why the SNP need to get their act together and really come up with some strong pushes towards independence. They could do a lot worse than read Robin McAlpine’s proposals for the way ahead.</p><p> </p><p>But there are other points to be gleaned from the By-election result. The most obvious is the low turnout which is, once again, traditional in By-elections. Voters, for whatever reason, seem reluctant to turn out for these elections. If only they would realise the glee they are causing for the UK media by not supporting a pro-Indy Party. But that is how By-elections have nearly always gone.</p><p> </p><p>The other point which has caused some merriment among Yessers is that the Tories lost their deposit. Funny as that is, I strongly suspect that a major factor in that is that Tory voters switched to Labour with the sole intention of kicking the SNP out. The Tory vote collapsed, but Labour’s went up considerably, so tactical voting, a ridiculous aspect of First Past The Post, probably played a big role, and that is a major danger for Yes Parties in future elections. Yessers may be split, but Unionists rarely are, and FPTP gives Unionist voters a huge advantage if they vote tactically. Pro-Indy Parties need to learn from that.</p><p> </p><p>Another issue was Voter ID. So far, reports are only anecdotal, but it seems that a not inconsiderable number of people were turned away because of lack of acceptable ID. This really should not have happened, and the SNP must take a portion of blame for not getting the message out. Generally speaking, people in lower income brackets are more likely to be Yessers, while also being less likely to have documents like passports or Driving Licences. The SNP really should have worked harder at telling people about the Tory disenfranchisement policy, and helped them to obtain suitable ID. It would not have made a difference to the overall result because Labour’s majority was considerable, but it is a lesson that needs to be learned for future elections which are run under UK laws.</p><p> </p><p>I must say that I am disappointed, although not surprised, by the result of this vote. My main hope now is that the SNP pay attention. They really need to display some very strong leadership, and get their message out far more clearly than they have done so far. It is vital that we become a normal country as soon as possible, and anyone who does not believe there is urgency about this should refer back to the recent Tory Party Conference where all sorts of fascist views were on display for the world to see. It will be little comfort if Labour win the next UK General election because they have promised to maintain Tory policies as far as possible. And even if they do several U-turns and actually try to help the majority of people rather than big business, history shows us that English voters will soon elect a Tory Government again. Scotland needs to become a normal country before that happens.</p><p> </p></div>
Stranger in a Strange Landhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/stranger-in-a-strange-land-22023-10-11T09:24:58.529000Z2023-10-05T08:11:01ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s been hard to know what to make of the Tory conference. These people seem convinced that their way of governing is the right way despite 13 years of evidence to the contrary. Rishi Sunak’s only chance is to paint himself as somehow different to all the many Prime Ministers who have preceded him since the Tories came to power, yet he is as culpable as any of them when it comes to telling blatant lies. His speech listing all the things that he wasn’t going to do anyway but which he claims he had cancelled was almost unbelievable, yet he was outdone by other speakers who made outrageous claims based on conspiracy theories or stoked culture wars and ramped up the hatred of foreigners and immigrants.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that Liz Truss can gain ecstatic applause or that Nigel Farage walked around with a huge entourage of admirers seems so far out of kilter with what most UK citizens (sorry, subjects) actually want. Or perhaps it is me who is wrong and what UK subjects want is to demonise foreigners, promote cars over public transport, continue to contribute to climate change and unhealthy air. That certainly seems to be what Tory voters want. And even if the Tories are trailing in the polls, it’s not as if Labour are any better since all they’ve done is U-turn on every promise and simply adopt whichever policy the Tories come up with.</p><p> </p><p>Watching all of this unfold, I couldn’t help but feel that it was like watching events in a foreign country. Sadly, it seems we are stuck being attached to that country for the foreseeable future. What a chance we missed in 2014.</p><p> </p></div>
Scots in Europehttps://rbs.postach.io/post/scots-in-europe2023-09-23T09:46:19.972000Z2023-09-23T09:46:15ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I’ve just returned from a short break in Germany where I visited the Munich Oktoberfest. Copious amounts of beer were drunk, and I ate far too much schnitzel, but thanks to my sighted friends, I survived the event. It was a magnificent party. </p><p> </p><p>What this trip also gave me were a few interesting insights. When we arrived in Munich, there was a queue for passport control. A man in the queue behind us was complaining that he did not see why he could not go through the EU channel since he still had a red EU passport. I refrained from making any comments, but it does show how little some people understand about the effects of Brexit.</p><p>When we handed over our passports, the German official knew we were Scottish because the plane had come in from Edinburgh. Also, I have covered my new UK passport with a Saltire cover just to be sure they know I’m not claiming to be part of Brexitania. The official chatted to us briefly in perfect English. He was no doubt doing his job by asking us why we had travelled to Munich but when we told him we would be visiting Oktoberfest, he laughingly asked us if we knew that they only sell beer by the litre. It was all very sociable, and we passed through without a hitch.</p><p> </p><p>I’ll skip ahead to our return journey where we had a very brief stopover in Brussels to transfer flights. Here, the passport control insisted that my Saltire cover be removed and there was no banter at all. On arrival back in Edinburgh, the welcome was more friendly, but again the Saltire cover had to be removed before they would examine the passport. I really don’t know why this is because the cover does not in any way conceal anything except the black outer cover, but perhaps I am missing something. It certainly didn’t bother the German passport check.</p><p> </p><p>However, the main thing I want to mention about this trip is just how much Scotland is loved in Europe. I made a point of wearing Saltire sunglasses instead of my usual Bluetooth audio sunglasses. The latter would have been useless anyway because the noise inside the beer tents is phenomenal. One of my companions also sported a Scotland hat, and these to items attracted a huge amount of attention. We were stopped or spoken to by people from Switzerland, New Zealand, Italy, USA, France and Germany, including some of the serving staff, all of whom told us how much they loved Scotland. It really was wonderful to hear such affection for our people and nation from citizens of normal countries.</p><p> </p><p>The other thing about Oktoberfest is that, despite the vast amount of beer being drunk, it really is a party. I’ve been to the Edinburgh version and it is not a patch on the real thing. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine an event on the Oktoberfest scale taking place in the UK without there being some serious crowd trouble. And yet we only witnessed one act of violence which took place outside the complex, when two guys got into an argument and began swapping punches. Other than that, the whole event, with tens of thousands of well-lubricated people from all over the world, was like a huge friendly gathering where everyone just wanted to have fun and meet new friends.</p><p> </p><p>That’s not to say the Germans don’t take security seriously, but their security staff maintain a low profile, only appearing when there is any trouble. And they do take a zero tolerance approach. One of our group was in a long queue for the toilets when a young Englishman jumped the queue, laughingly barging into one of the cubicles. Security must have spotted him because they were waiting as soon as he emerged. He was ejected from the tent for anti-social behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>All in all, Oktoberfest is a cultural experience unlike any other. I can’t wait to go back again, even if only to hear so many people who have a positive view of Scotland which is so at odds with the way our own media portrays our country.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Short Sightedhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/short-sighted2023-09-04T08:30:23.942000Z2023-09-04T08:30:15ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There can be no doubt that there is a split in the Yes movement. While I can understand why people may hold different views, I can only reiterate my disappointment that this is playing into the hands of the Unionists. The UK has always operated on a divide and conquer basis, and I fear it is proving successful for them.</p><p> </p><p>I must also express my severe disappointment that those who said that Nicola Sturgeon never had any clever plan for turning Scotland into a normal, self-governing country have been proved correct. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe them, because her actions, or lack of them, were fairly clear to see, but I retained the hope that the SNP might still prove to be the political vehicle which would gain us independence. Increasingly, this looks unlikely, although it must be said that no other political Party has yet shown itself capable of replacing the SNP in the eyes of the majority of voters who, let’s face it, do not keep fully up to date with the details of daily politics.</p><p> </p><p>However, some who claim to be Yes supporters do seem to be taking a very short-sighted view of things. A recent article on the Wings Over Scotland website went into great detail about Rev Campbell’s reasons for feeling abandoned by the SNP. While it was difficult to disagree with much of the detail in the piece, I was extremely disappointed in the response of some readers who claimed that if there was another IndyRef, they either wouldn’t vote or would actually vote No simply out of dislike of the SNP and the current crop of Scottish Government Ministers.</p><p> </p><p>Now, whether these accounts on social media are genuine or whether they were pro-Union accounts masquerading as Yessers, I cannot say. But the sentiment is typical of the short-sighted view that so many people take when it comes to voting. Whether in an election or a referendum, people really need to look at the bigger picture. Voting because of personal circumstances is understandable if selfish, but when it comes to a referendum on independence, what people really need to understand is that the whole point is to turn Scotland into a country where we can vote out unpopular politicians. Some may say that this is the reason the SNP is not moving us towards independence because it would spell the end of that Party’s core reason for existing. I’m not so sure about that, but it would certainly remove the constitutional question which overrides every election in Scotland. If we did somehow manage to become a normal country, then the SNP would need to justify itself to Scottish voters. Given that most of their opposing political Parties are merely branded versions of English Parties, whether the SNP would face much opposition is a moot point. But the overriding principle is that the main reason to become a normal country is so that you can choose your own Government and not be ruled from the country next door. If you make the wrong choice, then you vote them out at the next election. At the moment, the only election choices are essentially between the SNP and a Unionist Party. That is an awful situation which needs to change.</p><p> </p><p>So, however much you may disagree with the SNP, to say that you would either abstain or vote No in any future IndyRef is, quite frankly, a ludicrous position to adopt. If we get the chance, we must vote to become a normal country. Failure to do so would condemn future generations of Scots to even more exploitation by Westminster, and those future generations might never get another chance. And if you hate the SNP so much, then you can vote against them in an independent Scotland in the same way as every voter in a normal country can do. As I’ve said before, independence will be around a lot longer than any individual politician, and just because you dislike the current SNP politicians should not undermine the fundamental cause of independence which is greater than any Party.</p><p> </p></div>
How It Beginshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/how-it-begins2023-08-24T11:06:46.260000Z2023-08-24T11:06:42ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I will admit that I have not read a great deal about the trial of former Nurse Lucy Letby. That anyone could consider harming a child, let alone killing several, is so appalling that I could not bring myself to read any of the horrendous details. I can only imagine the heartache and grief experienced by those families whose lives she wrecked by ending the lives of so many newborn infants.</p><p> </p><p>But there is more controversy surrounding her because she did not attend her sentencing at Court, and the UK Government intends to change the law so that, in future, nobody can refuse to be present when being sentenced.</p><p> </p><p>While this feeling is understandable, I’m not sure that the reaction has been helpful. As was discussed in an episode of the excellent Newsagents podcast, it is not impossible that some accused could turn their appearance in the dock into a farce through their behaviour. And when someone has been sentenced to a life in prison, what further punishments could a judge hand down?</p><p> </p><p>As with so many things in life, this matter is more complex than it first appears, but what is worse is that some people do have suggestions for how to treat uncooperative prisoners. None other than TV "personality" Richard Madeley does have a suggestion for how to add further punishment to force people to attend their own sentencing. He is advocating the use of Tasers and truncheons to disable, bludgeon and perhaps seriously injure anyone who is uncooperative. That such medieval ideas can be promulgated to a wide audience is yet another symptom of the lurch to the Right in UK society. It may be idealistic to insist that even despicable murderers should be treated as human beings, and I do appreciate that there can be situations within some institutions where violence needs to be met with an appropriate measure of force, but if someone is simply refusing to cooperate, do they really deserve to be physically assaulted? We often hear complaints about Police brutality, and yet now we have influential people calling for violence as a first resort to punish people even when they are offering no violence themselves. I find that a very disturbing train of thinking, but it is sadly indicative of the suggestions and comments being made by some people about anyone else they consider undesirable. We’ve even had people calling in to radio stations to advocate using military forces to turn back refugee boats even if it means that it will result in deaths. This is sadly reminiscent of a scene in the early pages of George Orwell’s prescient novel, "1984" in which a cinema shows scenes of helicopter gunships massacring refugees in boats for the entertainment of the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>We often wonder how the Nazis came to power in Germany. It is through the normalisation of brutality that these things come about, and that begins with the normalisation of brutal words and thoughts. Richard MadeLey’s comments were perhaps intended to be provocative, but the very fact that he can feel empowered to suggest such things on television shows just how far towards depravity the UK is sinking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Extreme Nimbyismhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/extreme-nimbyism2023-07-21T13:40:43.223000Z2023-07-21T13:40:40ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>So the Tories managed to cling on to the Uxbridge constituency in the By-election, and most commentators seem to think it is because they turned it into a single issue campaign, with voters urged to show their displeasure at the proposed expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Since many Tories are motivated by self-interest rather than what is good for society, the tactic seems to have worked, but this really is an extreme example of Nimbyism. Reducing air pollution improves the environment and health, and it can reduce deaths. Yet, for some people it seems that being allowed to drive polluting cars is more important.</p><p> </p><p>This sort of thinking is not confined to the UK, and it is impossible to introduce any policy which will not find someone opposing it, but the benefits of cleaner air must surely be visible to everyone. Everyone with the exception of Tories in Uxbridge, that is.</p><p> </p><p>In a wider context, this result may be a harbinger of what to expect in the next UK General Election. Along with all the lies and obfuscation the Tories will employ, focusing on narrow self-interest may well attract voters. The only thing that might work against that idea is that the Tories have introduced so many harmful policies, and some voters may feel that a change is needed. Given that Sir Keir Starmer, aka Sir Kids Starver, offers a party which is so close to the Tories in its political ideology, even proclaiming that Greed is Good may not be enough to save the Tories from electoral disaster.</p><p> </p><p>From a Scottish perspective, there is probably not much we can take from this. Scotland is very different in outlook, and we can expect both Tories and Labour to bang on about SNP incompetence and alleged corruption, while also playing the Union card at every opportunity. But perhaps the SNP can take a leaf out of the Tory playbook and focus on a self-interest campaign. Quite simply, if you don’t want Tory policies inflicted on you by Westminster, vote for independence.</p><p> </p></div>
Scotland in the Mediahttps://rbs.postach.io/post/scotland-in-the-media2023-07-05T11:41:31.797000Z2023-07-05T11:41:28ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>The other week, I was discussing the shocking state of the mainstream media with an English relative of mine. We were both bemoaning the biases, and he has even come to agree that the BBC are not impartial as he had once believed. I managed to recommend some alternative news websites and podcasts, so hopefully he’ll be able to find views not available from the mainstream media.</p><p> </p><p>This did make me wonder about the general view that English people have about Scottish politics, and an article in today’s Guardian brought this home. The article featured research by a Think Tank called More IN Common UK, an organisation which, according to its website, was founded in the aftermath of the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP, with the intention of carrying out research in areas of the UK outside London and the South East of England to find out what people are thinking.</p><p> </p><p>What caught my eye was the headline, which read, "Get a ‘Grip and Listen’. Scottish voters share views as Yousaf reaches 100 days in office".</p><p> </p><p>On reading the article, it was clear that the research had produced a wide range of views from people who had all voted SNP in the past, and all of whom resided in the Westminster constituency of Lanark and Hamilton East, traditionally a Labour stronghold, which perhaps reveals the bias inherent in More In Common UK’s attitude. It was also revealing that the quote in the headline was not attributed to any individual although many comments were cited. These ranged from admiration of Anas Sarwar, through disappointment with Nicola Sturgeon, the usual stuff about there being more important things for politicians to deal with than a referendum, and the view that independence was the best way to resolve those problems. Views on Humza Yousaf were equally mixed.</p><p> </p><p>So, an English-based reader of the article might well have come away with the view that there was a fairly even split, although the unattributed headline quote suggests that Scottish voters are not impressed with our new First Minister.</p><p> </p><p>But what was most revealing was that there was no background on More In Common UK, nor was there any caution about using research which focused on a single constituency, yet is implied to be relevant to the whole of Scotland by the headline. Nor, I noted, was any information given about how many people were interviewed, nor any percentage record of whether they still intended to vote SNP at the next General Election. In essence, then, the article is pretty meaningless in its attempt to ascertain what the voting public is thinking. The quotes were so wide-ranging that you could pick and choose to find the opinion you want. And, as so often with Anglo-centric media, they chose a negative one for the headline, even though the article did not confirm that anyone had actually said it.</p><p> </p><p>Next time I’m chatting to my English relative, I think I’ll use this article as an example of how the media distorts views of Scotland. For myself, I’d have focused on the quote about the way to tackle our problems is to become independent. But then, I’m biased.</p><p> </p></div>
Progress to the Righthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/progress-to-the-right2023-07-04T09:00:38.563000Z2023-07-04T09:00:34ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p> </p><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I’m old enough to remember the days of Margaret Thatcher’s Government. I was a young lad in a decent job, and I do recall that the Tories were swept in on a wave of expectation after the many disasters of the 1970s. Three day working weeks, regular power cuts and endless strikes had left the UK in a sorry state, and because there was no media other than the newspapers, TV and radio, most people’s thoughts were shaped by what they were told to think, with any protest voices being labelled as part of the "Loony Left". I’m sure that sounds familiar to many readers because the media still plays those same cards when any threat to the established order presents itself.</p><p> </p><p>Looking back, I’m embarrassed to admit that I initially fell for some of the Tory slogans. Trickle Down economics sounded quite sensible to a teenage lad trying to work his way up the employment ladder. I know I was not alone in this, but I would add in my defence that I was far more interested in beer, sports and girls, with politics being a long way down my list of concerns.</p><p> </p><p>One other thing I do remember, though, is that, for all the many faults of Thatcher’s Government, most of the politicians seemed competent, and most displayed some gravitas even when they were spouting Tory rhetoric. Recently, I’ve begun to wonder whether that was my memory playing tricks, because we all know the damage the Tories did to so many aspects of our lives. Indeed, the legacy of those days is still with us in far too many ways.</p><p> </p><p>Recently, however, I was listening to The News Agents podcast. It’s very Anglo-centric, but since England controls Scotland on an ever-tightening leash, I find it can help to keep tabs on what is going on at Westminster without the BBC bias getting in the way. Last week, one of their features was an interview with Lord Deben, better known to my generation as John Selwyn Gumer, once a member of Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet. He has recently retired from his role on the Climate Change advisory Group, and it was a fascinating listen. Compared to today’s Tories, he sounded like a Leftie snowflake in his thinking. He was, though, articulate, sensible and made a number of very good points, most of which were critical of the current UK Government. I could not help thinking that Gummer, who was often viewed as a bit of a buffoon back in the 80s, would run rings around any member of the current UK Cabinet in a one on one debate.</p><p> </p><p>Now, he is a Lord, so he is fundamentally part of the problem in the undemocratic way the UK functions – or, as most of us have realised, does not function. Even so, it was a reminder to me of how far to the extreme right UK politics has shifted. When a man who was part of the Government which killed off Scotland’s heavy industry, which introduced the poll tax and began the privatisation move, and which encouraged the greedy, "Me first!" society, can sound reasonable and sensible, it shows how far towards fascism the UK has degenerated. And Margaret Thatcher still lies at the heart of this problem because she helped create the environment in which today’s authoritarians have been able to flourish. As a result, the UK is a broken state. Even Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is further to the right than Thatcher’s Government ever was, and that is quite an achievement. </p><p> </p><p>As ever, Scotland’s only hope is to become a normal, self-governing country. My hopes for this are actually encouraged because, thanks to greater political awareness and the advent of social media, today’s young people are far more aware of current affairs than my generation ever was.</p><p> </p></div>
What's The Plan?https://rbs.postach.io/post/what-s-the-plan2023-06-26T08:39:23.319000Z2023-06-26T08:39:20ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I’m glad I wasn’t the only person who was a bit confused by Humza Yousaf’s speech about the way forward for turning Scotland into a normal, self-governing country. Although there is some debate over his plan, it seems that the bar he is setting is quite low, simply requiring a majority of Westminster seats at the next UK General election. Now, I’ve been an advocate of this approach for a long time because it uses Westminster’s own archaic electoral system against the UK Parliament. However, I’m honestly not sure it will work now. I fear we have missed our chance for using this measure as evidence that the people of Scotland want to live in a normal country. It should have been done back in 2015, and I’m afraid that, with polls looking the way they are, the chances of winning a significant majority of seats are slim. That would give Westminster the ideal chance to portray any claims of wanting independence as ridiculous.</p><p> </p><p>The really big problem, though, arises whichever measure of electoral success is used. It is that, quite simply, Westminster will say "No" whether the Government is formed by corrupt Tories or promise-breaking Labour. And what does Humza Yousaf intend to do then? There doesn’t seem to be a plan for dealing with that inevitable situation.</p><p> </p><p>But what choice do Scots have? If we want to become a normal country, the SNP is still the only viable political party we can look to. That may change, of course, but I don’t think it will be happening any time soon.</p><p> </p><p>So I’m not overly impressed with this latest iteration of the SNP plan, although I must give credit to Humza Yousaf for raising the issue of independence so frequently. If nothing else, he is gradually bringing it back to the forefront of politics. In itself, this may seem no big deal, but it may be the first step in his strategy of building up support. I wish him luck in that, and I welcome his announcement that he’ll be at the pro-Indy rally in September. I also like the way he is politely correcting English interviewers and pointing out the democratic deficit we are faced with. On that front, he needs to keep going. Whether it will change minds, we can only wait and see, but at least he is actively raising the profile of the Yes cause.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, unless there is some seismic shift in Scottish politics, I don’t think we are very much closer to independence than we were in 2015. Let’s hope that changes soon, although it is difficult to see how that’s going to happen. I fear we need some more radical plans than the one Humza Yousaf has put forward.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Devo Minimumhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/devo-minimum2023-06-12T09:27:05.963000Z2023-06-12T09:27:02ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>It was nice to hear Humza Yousaf state his determination to see Scotland become a normal, self-governing country within the next five years. I really hope he is able to deliver because some of the recent pronouncements from other SNP politicians on the topic of independence have been worrying to say the least. It seemed to me that they were setting up a scenario where they’ll admit that independence is not an option, but that we might be able to obtain some sort of Devo max which, while not ideal, could be the best option available. Of course, they framed this carefully so as not to give the impression that they have given up on independence, but the fact that they are clearly considering Devo Max is very concerning, and I’d like Humza Yousaf to come out and dispel any such notions as soon as possible because Devo Max should never be an option in a future referendum.</p><p> </p><p>The reason for this should be plain enough. Devo Max has been promised before in the shape of Gordon Brown’s "Nearest thing to federalism" promise in 2014, and we all know how that worked out. Would any Westminster Government actually deliver Devo max? I very much doubt it. They’d say all the right things, then backtrack on promises as soon as they could. Nobody in Scotland should trust any Westminster Government to keep its promises.</p><p> </p><p>And even if, by some miracle, a Labour UK Government did deliver, we must not forget that power devolved is power retained. That has been said so often in recent years that everyone should be sick of hearing it by now, but that does not make it any less true. So, even assuming a Labour UK Government scrapped the Internal Markets Act and granted (because they would be in control, so they would need to graciously permit us to behave like an almost-normal country), then what do you think would happen as soon as the English electorate voted in yet another tory Government? Yes, they’d soon find ways to reclaim all those powers that their Labour predecessors had granted.</p><p> </p><p>But I doubt we’ll ever get that far. Sir Keir (Knight of the Realm) Starmer is an out and out Unionist. He loves standing in front of as many Butcher’s Aprons as he can, and his politics are so far to the right that only the neo-fascist Tories can outmatch him. Whatever he may say, and no matter how many times Gordon brown produces lengthy documents spelling out proposals for reform of the constitution, there is no way Starmer will contemplate allowing Scotland any more autonomy. He may promise much, but he’ll not keep his promises. Just look at all the things he said he’d do when he was running to be Labour leader. He’s dropped just about every pledge he made. Why would anyone think he’d behave differently towards Scotland?</p><p> </p><p>So, while I’ve supported the SNP for years in their quest for independence, I strongly disagree with any plans to consider Devo Max. They may claim that they need to deal with the realities of politics, but playing the UK political game by the UK’s rules has got us nowhere in the past eight and a bit years. That is not going to change whoever is in power at Westminster.</p><p> </p><p>I know many Yessers are becoming increasingly convinced that the SNP don’t actually want independence. I’m more of the view that they do want it, but they don’t want to face the hassle and risk of taking dramatic action in order to achieve the goal for which most of their supporters elected them. Because it would be risky, and they would face enormous backlash from the media and the hardened Unionists in Scotland. But the SNP’s support is largely due to a desire for our nation to become like every other normal, self-governing country, and if they don’t produce some clear plan soon, they will find that more and more of their support will drift away.</p><p> </p><p>We should know by now that Westminster always operates on a delaying basis. They pontificate and talk, and they make many promises, but they wear down their opponents by placing so many obstacles in their way that people get fed up. That is precisely what they have been doing to Scotland since 2014. This is why some in the SNP are now openly talking about Devo Max as possibly the best we can hope for. I’m sorry, but it’s not nearly good enough. What we need is strong leadership providing a clear plan for how to gain independence. Humza Yousaf has said the right things. Now he needs to turn words into action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Kicking The Can - Againhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/kicking-the-can-again2023-06-08T15:31:24.119000Z2023-06-08T15:31:21ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>So the SNP have decided not to decide anything for a few more months. It’s not an entirely unsurprising move since many in the Yes community are convinced that the SNP have no real intentions of ever attempting to make Scotland a normal, self-governing country. I’m not entirely convinced by those who argue that, but I must say that the SNP continually provide ammunition for those who believe they are far more interested in simply remaining in power in a devolved Government than in pursuing the purpose for which the Party was founded. After all, we’ve had nine years to figure out a strategy, and the options are fairly limited to say the least, especially when an emboldened Westminster knows it can get away with refusing a Section 30 Order indefinitely. Some other tactic is required, and the only real choice is which of the few available routes to pursue.</p><p> </p><p>It is reasonable to argue that, with no UK or Scottish elections likely to take place this year, there is no harm in delaying any decision, especially when the new First Minister is still finding his feet in the role. But, as with so many things, politics is almost as much about the optics as it is about actions, and the optics of this decision are not good. For one thing, it will reassure Westminster that the SNP are in a mess and don’t know what to do; for another, it will send a signal to the Scottish public that there is unlikely to be another IndyRef any time soon. Some will be pleased about that, but Yessers will be disappointed to say the least. I wonder how many disgruntled SNP supporters will decide to switch to Alba or ISP? Or will they stick with the SNP, giving them yet another chance to actually do something?</p><p> </p><p>To be honest, it is no wonder that the SNP leadership are reluctant to make that important decision because it carries a great deal of risk. I would argue, though, that remaining tied to Westminster carries even more risk. The UK Government is ramping up its process of undermining the Scottish Government at every opportunity, and the longer we delay, the more difficult it will be to break free of their neo-colonial grip.</p><p> </p><p>What really puzzles me about this decision is that part of the reasoning seems to be that the summer will be spent campaigning. Campaigning for what, precisely? With no stated goal in mind, the public will be entitled to ask what the SNP proposes doing to turn us into a normal country. If that decision hasn’t been made, then any campaign is going to be fairly pointless. </p><p> </p><p>On the other hand, Scots who are not obsessed with politics and are simply doing their best to cope with the stresses of daily life may go along with things for a while yet. But you can only kick the can down the road so many times before people start to ask why they should continue to back you. Actions speak louder than words, but if your principal course of action is to delay, prevaricate and procrastinate, then you are playing into your opponents’ hands. Sooner or later, Humza Yousaf is going to have to stand up and be counted. I sincerely hope it is sooner.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Self-Interesthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/self-interest2023-06-07T10:17:20.488000Z2023-06-07T10:17:16ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>Unsurprisingly, the House of Commons voted to suspend Margaret Ferrier MP for 30 days, thus almost certainly triggering a by-election in the constituency of Rutherglen & Hamilton West. I can’t say I have a great deal of sympathy for her, but it is interesting to note who voted in the decision. Barely a third of the total number of MPs took part, suggesting either that the majority didn’t care very much, or that they cared a great deal not to be seen to be passing judgement on such a highly charged case. And the reason it is highly charged has little to do with Margaret Ferrier’s blunder, and everything to do with the precedent this vote has created. It can be inferred from the fact that 40 Tory MPs voted against her suspension. This is because they know only too well that Boris Johnson broke lock down rules in an even more outrageous way than Margaret Ferrier did. These Tories actually seem to have developed a tiny bit of self-awareness, and realised that they could hardly vote against her when they fully intend to back Boris Johnson to the hilt despite his flagrant breaches of his own Covid rules.</p><p> </p><p>So self-interest was at play in that vote, although the outcome was inevitable despite Tory attempts to fudge things. And self-interest also seems to be at play in the furore over Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. We know that the Tory Government has completely switched its position on the inclusion of glass in any such scheme, but the reasons for that switch are only now becoming apparent. Of course, it may be complete coincidence that Tory politicians have received hospitality from drinks’ companies who oppose the inclusion of glass, or own very large shareholdings in companies who oppose the inclusion of glass, or that a lobby group representing companies who oppose the inclusion of glass has made a large donation to the Tory Party. But it is a hell of a coincidence. There may be perfectly valid reasons for excluding glass, especially when we already have a system of bottle banks, but I can’t help thinking that the Tory reasons are mostly inspired by self-interest. But then, that lies at the heart of Tory philosophy, and the only way Scotland can ever escape being controlled by people who hold that attitude is to become a normal, self-governing country.</p><p> </p></div>
Bottling Ithttps://rbs.postach.io/post/bottling-it2023-06-02T09:49:59.446000Z2023-06-02T09:49:56ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>It’s been yet another Brownhog Day, with Gordon Brown once again promising us something or other which he isn’t able to deliver. Not only is Labour not in power, but even if they do form the next UK Government, Sir Keir (Knight of the Realm) starmer has already said that reform of the House of Lords may not be the priority Gordon Brown thinks it should be. So it’s yet more nonsense from the Broon.</p><p> </p><p>One of the attendees at this talking shop was Mark Drapeford, First Minister of Wales. I like a lot of the things he has to say, and I can’t help feeling he is in the wrong Party. But as well as joining the Labour pontificators, he also backed Humza Yousaf in calling for Westminster to respect Devolution. Now, I know they need to say things like that, but they must know themselves that it is a total waste of breath. Westminster will never respect Devolution, and we are seeing that yet again in their ludicrous stance over Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. Westminster was apparently quite happy for Wales to design a scheme which included glass bottles, even signing a joint document to that effect. But, buoyed by their successful blocking of the Gender reform Bill, the Tories are really going on the offensive now, using their internal Markets Act as a sledgehammer to squash pretty much anything the Scottish Parliament tries to do. After insisting that glass should be included in the DRS, they have now decided that they can block Scotland’s new legislation by changing their minds and insisting that glass be excluded. This will not only create havoc with the scheme, costing many retailers a lot of money, it allows the Tories to chip away at Holyrood’s decision-making powers. They will not stop here, but will use the IMA to block as much Scottish legislation as they can. Those who were jubilant when the Gender Reform Bill was blocked really should have tempered their feelings because, whether you agreed with that Bill or not, blocking it was an act of deep significance. Having succeeded, the Tories are now emboldened.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, their hypocrisy over the inclusion of glass in the DRS, while evident for all to see, does not embarrass them in the slightest. Having demanded that Scotland’s plans be scrapped, they have now completely swivelled on their agreement with Wales, and are now telling Mark Drapeford that his plans will need to change. So far, he is digging his heels in, but it remains to be seen how far he will push things.</p><p> </p><p>There’s no way yet of telling what will happen here, but one possible outcome is that both Scotland and Wales will either scrap their plans entirely or will go ahead without the inclusion of glass. But whichever way they go, it will cause much confusion and financial cost. It will also allow the BBC to mock the Scottish Government. And, once all of that has been achieved, just watch what happens when Westminster devises its own DRS. I’m not a betting man, but I’m fairly confident that their scheme will include glass, because that will allow them to point the finger at both Wales and Scotland, telling them they are out of step and had better improve their own schemes.</p><p> </p><p>As ever, the only way to escape this madness is to become a normal, self-governing country. The same goes for Wales, and the sooner Humza Yousaf and Mark Drapeford get on with making this a reality, the better.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Boiling the Frog Since 2014https://rbs.postach.io/post/boiling-the-frog-since-20142023-05-28T10:15:53.298000Z2023-05-28T10:15:36ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Do you remember how, back in 2014, author J K Rowling, a Labour diehard supporter, assured Scots that, if we voted No in the IndyRef, we would be in a very strong position and could ask for virtually anything we wanted from the UK Government? How did that turn out, I wonder?</p><p> </p><p>Another author, Alan Bisset, made an impassioned speech around the same time, and he gave precisely the opposite view, insisting that Westminster would trample on Scotland, knowing that they could get away with pretty much anything because we had given away our sovereignty. And not just given a little bit away as happens to member countries of the EU, but we’d have given everything up.</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, the media at the time promoted J K Rowling’s views heavily, while Alan Bisset’s claims were barely covered. But that’s the UK media in Scotland for you. But, as we know only too well, Alan Bisset was correct.</p><p> </p><p>As usual, Westminster has adopted a gradualist approach, but it has reached the stage now where they feel no compunction about overriding legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament. Whether or not you agree with the gender Recognition Reform Bill or the Deposit Return Scheme, Westminster has decided to squash our new laws, using the flimsiest of excuses. Be in no doubt that they will continue to do this sort of thing on a regular basis, and no amount of complaining by the Scottish Government will make any difference. The Tories intend to reduce Holyrood to little more than a talking shop, and will use their Internal Markets Law to prevent us doing pretty much anything.</p><p> </p><p>And for anyone who thinks that a Labour victory at the next UK General Election will change things, then I’m afraid you are very mistaken. Labour now is to the right of what the Tories used to be, and they will revel in the chance to keep Scotland subservient to their own desires. That’s because every UK Government knows that England is reliant on Scotland’s resources. They will never agree to a situation where they might have to pay for things that they can exploit for free, so they’ll fight Scotland’s independence every step of the way.</p><p> </p><p>We need some radical ideas on how to escape the Union because Westminster will never grant another Section 30 Order no matter how many times we beg for one. They came too close to losing last time, and they will not take that risk again, especially since there is so much evidence that every promise they made has been broken.</p><p> </p><p>I appreciate that things have been bad for the SNP recently, but Humza Yousaf and his team really need to get the finger out before Westminster’s frog-boiling tactics leave us with no route to becoming a normal, self-governing country. We’ve had plenty of talking, but we need to see some action soon. And the SNP should not fear taking bold action, because the Yes movement is ready and willing. All we need is a clear route. Let’s get moving.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Forget GDPhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/forget-gdp2023-05-24T09:57:36.934000Z2023-05-24T09:35:13ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There’s a great article in The National today about GDP and how ineffective it is at providing any detail on the health and wellbeing of an economy. It reminded me that the UK boosted its own GDP recently by including an estimate of the amount of money spent on prostitution and illegal drugs. With this help, the UK maintained its position as one of the largest economies in the world.</p><p> </p><p>If you were in any doubt at all as to why GDP is such a poor measurement, take a look at the current UK. The levels of wealth inequality, poverty and destitution are at their worst for a century, yet the UK is still viewed as a major economy. Obsession with GDP places focus on the wrong things. If we want a healthy society, we need to use other principal measurements such as employment, wealth inequality, poverty levels, life expectancy and so on. Yes, these are measured, but they are not the principal focus of either the UK or the Scottish Governments. If we are to become a richer society in terms of mental wellbeing and happiness, that needs to change.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
All Quiet On The Indy Fronthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/all-quiet-on-the-indy-front2023-05-24T09:57:36.306000Z2023-05-22T16:06:35ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div>by Rab Bruce’s Spider<br clear="none"/> Mastodon: @<a shape="rect" href="mailto:RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot">RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</a><br clear="none"/>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider<br clear="none"/> I haven’t posted any comments for a while because there really hasn’t been a great deal to talk about. Yes, there has been a lot of talk, but we haven’t seen much action on any front. The media, of course, has continued to put the boot into the SNP at every opportunity, but that isn’t news; it’s par for the course.<br clear="none"/> I hope that we see some action soon. The SNP’s rearranged Convention really needs to come up with a positive plan. If it turns out to be yet another talking shop with lots of promises but no actual progress, then I fear that discontent within the Yes community will continue to grow. That is not good, and the constant bickering between supporters of the SNP and Alba is only doing the Unionists’ job for them. I know both sides feel justified in their views, but the fact that there are two sides simply plays into our opponents’ hands. There is nothing wrong with having different views, but the insults really need to stop.<br clear="none"/> Given all the bad publicity over the Police investigation, the SNP really need to step things up several gears in order to galvanise the movement. If they can come up with some definite proposals, and can turn the talk into action, then I’d like to think that a lot of the arguments will fall away as the Yes community swings into gear.<br clear="none"/> I’ll keep hoping, but I must admit it is hard when we’ve had years of promises and yet are not one step further on the road to becoming a normal, self-governing country. Let’s hope that changes soon.</div>
Coronation Spinhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/coronation-spin2023-05-07T08:40:33.914000Z2023-05-07T08:40:31ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I managed not to see a single moment of the coronation yesterday but, while social media was full of comments on how ridiculous the pageantry was, my newsfeeds were full of headlines proclaiming what a superb spectacle the event was, what a wonderful, benevolent, caring person Charles is, and how we are all celebrating with street parties and celebratory meals. All I can say is that this is very different to my experience of what is going on. </p><p> </p><p>With any luck, the thing most people will take away from the flummery is that peaceful protesters were arrested before they had even begun their protest. This was despite being given Police permission beforehand. But, of course, the UK Government rushed through legislation which essentially allows the Police to arrest people for Thought Crime. It seems George Orwell was right; he just got the year wrong.</p><p> </p></div>
Carry On Clowning; Sorry, Crowninghttps://rbs.postach.io/post/carry-on-clowning-sorry-crowning2023-05-04T10:24:12.622000Z2023-05-04T10:24:09ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A lot has been written and said about the farce of the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, so I thought I might as well get in on the act. </p><p> </p><p>One interesting poll suggested that a majority of Scots view the monarchy as very much an English institution, and the reaction to the event in Scotland certainly suggests that there is little interest in it. I dare say a lot of people will watch out of curiosity or simply because it is, allegedly, a historic occasion, but I’ll certainly find something else to do with my time.</p><p> </p><p>I’ve heard some claims that the cost of this day will now be in the region of £250 million, which is a disgrace when so many of the new King’s subjects are living in dire poverty. I’d have a lot more respect for him if he met the cost from his own immense wealth and even donated some of the cash he’ll never find enough things to spend his money on, to helping the poor. But he won’t. The monarchy is an institution at the very heart of UK society because it establishes the social class system. Adulation of the royal family is encouraged by the bulk of the media, and the King’s subjects are even taught to celebrate their inferiority by singing a national anthem which, unique in the world as far as I know, celebrates the personage of a single person whom we are supposed to treat with reverence. Perhaps North Korea has a similar national anthem, but I doubt many other countries celebrate their subservience the way UK subjects are taught to do.</p><p> </p><p>As for the ludicrous attempt to persuade people to speak an oath of allegiance while watching on TV, I really don’t know where to start with that. It is so medieval that it has been rightly mocked. Sadly, I know at least one person who will probably dutifully recite it while standing to attention in his living room. Such is the power of indoctrination, although I’m thankful that it doesn’t seem to have affected most of my friends and family, all of whom expressed disgust at the very idea of stating their allegiance to an English king.</p><p> </p><p>The other aspect which is gaining some publicity is the prospect of protests. Apparently, known members of republican organisations have been warned that they will be targeted by the Police. Now, I can understand that the authorities must be concerned about the prospect of some idiot with a home-made bomb making an attack, but peaceful protest used to be one of the British values we hear so much about. But even that is too much for the Tories who are almost on the verge of passing Thought Crime laws. If you even look as if you might be considering joining a protest, you could find yourself with a criminal record. Any resemblance to 1930s Germany seems to be quite deliberate. </p><p> </p><p>There is no way I am going to London to watch this ludicrous spectacle, but I do think that a way of protesting which would have an international impact would be for people to join the crowd of spectators lining the route, but to turn their backs as soon as the royal carriage puts in an appearance. There would be no need for banners, shouted slogans or anything else, just the sight of hundreds of people turning their backs. I doubt that will happen, but it’s nice to dream.</p><p> </p><p>The bizarre thing is that people living outwith the UK seem to have a far greater fascination with our royal family and this ridiculous pageant. Of course, they don’t need to live in a society which is directly impacted by having such a wealthy family lording it over them. Or maybe those citizens who are fortunate enough to live elsewhere and not be subjects are simply laughing at the pomposity of it all. For those of us living in the UK, the effect is quite different in that the existence and enormous wealth of the royal family is used as a media tool to maintain the vast social inequalities in our society. It is, quite frankly, disgraceful, and it is noticeable that, while other European countries have royalty, none of them pursue this constant adulation of monarchy the way the UK does. It’s as if they need to keep reminding us to know our place. Sadly, it works, although probably not on as many people as it used to. </p><p> </p><p>As far as I am concerned, there really is no defence for maintaining a monarchy. Some people claim that the royals do so much for us, but what, exactly, do they do? Very little that is of any use. And even that old claim that they bring tourists is nonsense. Tourists come to visit interesting historical sites, but the presence of actual royals has nothing to do with that, as the Tower Of London and the Palace of Versailles constantly prove. And, of course, Brexit is putting many tourists off visiting a place which is portrayed in the international media as cruel and unfriendly, a far more influential factor than the presence of a royal family.</p><p> </p><p>I only wish the Scottish Government would find some route to turning us into a normal, self-governing country sooner rather than later. Then we could take the sensible step of becoming a Republic.</p><p> </p></div>
Compare and Contrasthttps://rbs.postach.io/post/compare-and-contrast2023-04-17T09:47:11.030000Z2023-04-17T09:47:07ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>The UK media in Scotland are certainly ramping up the pressure on the SNP, with more and more revelations about murky goings on being reported every day. It will be interesting to see whether any of these propaganda outlets are prosecuted for contempt of Court, but I suspect they’ll get away with it because that’s how the UK operates.</p><p> </p><p>As for the stories themselves, some people will say, "We told you so", others will be dismayed, and some will insist that none of this will harm the underlying cause of independence. That may be true, although the SNP is, at the moment, the only viable political vehicle for us to become a normal country. The UK media is desperate to bring about its demise, which is why they are working so hard to stir things up.</p><p> </p><p>Now, I must say that if anyone within the SNP is found guilty of wrongdoing, then they deserve whatever punishment the Court decides. Actually, hang on a moment. The Court will probably impose a very tough sentence should anyone ever be convicted of wrongdoing because that is also how the UK operates.</p><p> </p><p>I do hope that the Yes cause will remain strong in the face of these attacks. We need a political Party, and the SNP is still best placed to be that Party. If it does fail, then we will need to look elsewhere. Some people have already done so. What I find most disappointing about that is the vitriol being exchanged between supporters of the SNP and Alba. There may well be valid reasons for disagreement, but arguing amongst ourselves is playing into Unionist hands. We all want Scotland to become a normal country, and that must be our priority aim. We can argue about policies afterwards. Please, let’s stop the in-fighting.</p><p> </p><p>With all that said, I do hope that everyone will be noticing the difference in media coverage regarding alleged misdemeanours within the SNP and the evident corruption within the Tory UK Government. If you ever had any doubts about whose side the media is on, those should have been dispelled by now.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Standing Uphttps://rbs.postach.io/post/standing-up2023-04-13T14:10:13.009000Z2023-04-13T14:10:09ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>To the surprise of nobody at all, Humza yousaf’s decision to challenge the use of a section 35 Order by the UK Government has stoked up all the debate about Trans rights once again. It is, unfortunately, the role of the UK media in Scotland to bash the SNP as often and as hard as possible, and by conflating concepts and ideas, they are using this as a very large stick.</p><p> </p><p>There are a couple of aspects to this. As regards trans rights, I don’t believe anyone has a genuine problem with trans people being afforded as much assistance as possible to lead their chosen lives. What most people who object to the legislation are concerned about is predatory males using the legislation for their own ends. Those are two very separate concepts, but the media has done a good job of stoking up argument and confrontation. This is made easy for them because there are genuine concerns on both sides. We have seen time and time again that predatory males will take any opportunity to gain access to vulnerable people. Whether it be in care homes, in youth sports teams or in religious organisations, stories of abuse have been all too common. Establishing protections while also improving the lot of trans people is a delicate balancing act and the whole thing needs rather more sensible debate than it is currently receiving.</p><p> </p><p>The main issue, though, does not rely on this particular piece of legislation. The issue is that Westminster has blocked Scottish democracy in an autocratic and high-handed manner, offering no real justification, and certainly not offering any tangible solutions. For this reason, I think the Scottish Government is right in its decision to challenge the use of Section 35. I am sure the Supreme Court will find against them, ruling in favour of Westminster as it usually does in such cases. In legal terms, the Scottish Government does not seem to have much in its favour in this situation, and many will argue that pursuing Court action is a waste of money.</p><p> </p><p>However, I think it is a necessary action because when the Supreme Court inevitably rules against the Scottish Parliament’s ability to pass laws, then the world will see once again that Scotland does not have the most powerful devolved Government in the world. We will see Westminster over-ruling our Parliament on a whim, using this legislation because it is high profile. But the blocking is purely political and we should be outraged no matter what the subject of the legislation is. Westminster is simply showing Scots that the UK is in charge. Let’s hope that the reaction of most in Scotland will be to appreciate just what that tells us about the current constitutional situation. The balance is heavily weighted against Scotland, and once a successful Section 35 enforcement has been made, you can be sure they will do it again and again. We are often told that we need to stand up to bullies, and I applaud Humza Yousaf for taking this stance. As I said, I don’t think he will succeed, but that is not the point. If Westminster can use this proposed legislation to make a political point, then the Scottish Government, on behalf of our Parliament which passed the legislation with the approval of MSPs from all Parties, can surely do the same.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Where Next?https://rbs.postach.io/post/where-next2023-04-04T10:10:00.771000Z2023-04-04T10:09:57ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p>I have not written anything much about the SNP leadership contest because I’m not a member of the Party, so had no input to the contest. I do feel that it was an unedifying spectacle seeing the contenders gift arguments to the unionists by slating each other rather than promoting themselves, and I must admit I was not overly enthralled by the prospect of any of them becoming First Minister. However, we now have Humza Yousaf, and I do hope he will do a lot more than create headlines by making meaningless statements or gestures about independence without actually doing anything to further the cause. For a start, I’d love to see him attend the All Under One Banner march on 6<sup>th</sup> May. Some might consider that a meaningless gesture, but the Yes movement is sorely in need of some positive action, and it would be a statement of intent.</p><p> </p><p>Quite how any FM can bring us closer to becoming a normal, self-governing country, I am not sure, but I think we should all give Humza Yousaf the benefit of the doubt for a little while yet.</p><p> </p><p>As for the wider Yes movement, it is disheartening to see supporters of both SNP and Alba slagging each other. I know there are some fundamental disagreements on policies, but if we all genuinely want Scotland to become a normal country, that must be the priority aim. Fighting amongst ourselves only helps the Unionists. As we know only too well, they have no qualms about joining together to maintain the Union, and the chances are that they will do so again. Already we hear stories of a proposed pact for the two main Unionist Parties to urge their voters to vote for the other Party solely in order to block the SNP at the next election. Since there is very little between the two Parties in terms of policies, I suspect this proposal may well turn into reality despite Labour’s Scottish branch office issuing denials. After all, they insisted they would not enter in to coalitions in local Councils, but have done so quite willingly in several areas. The Tory proposal to stand only one Unionist candidate in any area may seem far-fetched, but let’s not dismiss it out of hand.</p><p> </p><p>As for Yes, where do we go from here? A recent poll suggests that Alba might be on track to gain some Holyrood seats, but since the next Holyrood election is years away unless Humza Yousaf calls a snap election, I think we need to reserve judgement on that one. At the moment, I’m not sure what the impact would be if Alba did gain seats. I think the hostility between them and the SNP needs to settle down or we will see yet more unedifying squabbles which would only help the Unionists. On the other hand, some would argue that the SNP need another Party to prod them along because the Greens, while expressing support for independence, don’t seem to have it as a priority.</p><p> </p><p>As for all the polls which can suggest several things depending on how you read them, what strikes me is a point I have been trying to make for ages. Far too many Scots are falling for the Unionist trap of focusing too much either on individual politicians or on domestic policy issues. Yes, the energy bills crisis and cost of living, not to mention health and education, are important, but they will be important whether we are a self-governing country or remain under Westminster rule. Becoming a normal country will not solve those issues overnight, but it would give us a chance to address them as every other country does without having the Westminster Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, ready to cut our funding or strike down our laws on a whim. The cause of independence is fundamental, and nobody should be lulled into changing their minds on it because of any individual politician or domestic policy. The whole point would be to elect politicians who promise to enact policies we want, and to have the ability to remove them from office if they fail to deliver. At the moment, the SNP gather so many votes because they are the recognised Party of independence. This is not healthy for our democracy no matter how effective they might be in Government.</p><p> </p><p>We need change, and we need political leadership. At the moment, that means relying on Humza Yousaf to deliver on his promises. But whether you are a member of the SNP, or of Alba, or of some other or no Party at all, please let’s stop the in-fighting.</p><p> </p></div>
The Media Traphttps://rbs.postach.io/post/the-media-trap2023-03-15T10:26:49.412000Z2023-03-15T10:26:39ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As I am not a member of the SNP, I haven’t spent a great deal of time watching the leadership debates. From what I can gather, the Hustings have been well received, with sensible debate and answers to audience questions. It has, though, been a very different affair on the televised debates.</p><p> </p><p>I must say that I feel the SNP were in a no-win situation here. If they had stuck to their original decision of not allowing the media access to the debates, they would have been accused of trying to hide. But agreeing has left all three candidates open to the media hostility we all know exists. The TV format is designed to encourage argument and create an aggressive interaction, and I’m afraid the three candidates seem to have fallen into the trap of going along with this. The insults they have been throwing at each other have been a godsend to the Unionist Parties, which is precisely what the media wanted, and I am disappointed that the candidates did not agree beforehand to keep things civil while still promoting themselves as the best candidate. That sort of approach was perfectly possible, but it seems they have blown it.</p><p> </p><p>From all accounts, the BBC did their usual trick of packing the audience with Unionist supporters. Now, I do understand the argument that whoever wins is going to become First Minister, so it is right that non-SNP members should be able to see what they are going to get, but I don’t recall the same thing happening with the Tory leadership debates where the audience was, as I recall, full of Tory Party members. Whether it was right to confine the audience to Party members, or fill it with opponents is something that can be debated. What is not in doubt is that the BBC did their best to give the Tory candidates a much easier ride than the SNP. That’s BBC impartiality in action once again.</p><p> </p><p>As for who will become our next First Minister, I’m not enamoured of any of the candidates. All have points in their favour, but all have points against. Since my main concern is that Scotland should become a normal country, Ash Regan seemed positioned to be my preferred choice, but the truth is that she does not seem to have performed well when it comes to detail on her other policies. Both of the other candidates have said things which have slightly alarmed me, and I’m not convinced that either of them would be the leader we need if we are to gain independence. As always, I hope that I am wrong on that, but so far, I’ve not seen any signs of the sort of determination we need.</p><p> </p><p>The one good thing about this contest is that it will be over fairly soon.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Uni-Directional Impartialityhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/uni-directional-impartiality2023-03-09T16:45:31.829000Z2023-03-09T16:45:29ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Like most Yessers, I am fully aware of the BBC’s bias when it comes to reporting news and current affairs. The latest furore over a tweet sent out by Gary Lineker has, however, reinforced my views even further. In the aftermath, with huge amounts of BBC airtime being given over to this Tweet, the BBC are now doing their level best to promote the UK Government’s reaction to it. Apparently, Gary Lineker’s Tweet has diminished the horror of the Holocaust if we are to believe Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Naturally, the BBC are highlighting this, as well as having promised to have a strong word with Mr Lineker.</p><p> </p><p>But, of course, the Tory response is intended to misdirect attention. The Tweet in question did not mention the Holocaust; what he said was that the language being used around immigration was similar to that used in 1930s Germany. The point being that rhetoric aimed against minorities which encourages hatred and violence can be a precursor to much more horrible events further down the line. In this, Mr Lineker’s sentiments are matched by comments from some German commentators, and indeed echo the angry speech by a Holocaust survivor who challenged Suella Braverman only a few weeks ago, accusing her of precisely the same thing that Gary Lineker has done.</p><p> </p><p>As if this were not bad enough, readers should note that the BBC happily condones Right Wing extremist language, and actively promotes Right Wing views on the truly awful Question Time programme which is largely responsible for promoting Nigel Farage and UKIP. And when you have the new Deputy Chair of the Tory Party joining GB News and being happy to be photographed with members of Far Right organisations, then I think it is fairly obvious which way the Tories have been heading for some time now. Anything like the Holocaust is unthinkable, but we’ve already seen riots outside hotels housing immigrants, which is precisely the sort of thing hate speech encourages.</p><p> </p><p>There is very little chance that the Tories will change. They are too focussed on garnering votes from the most Right Wing elements of the electorate, but what is just as bad is that the BBC seems intent on silencing or at least distancing itself from any criticism of this hatred of foreigners. It seems that being impartial only works in one direction.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Leadership Choiceshttps://rbs.postach.io/post/leadership-choices2023-03-03T10:44:31.331000Z2023-03-03T10:44:28ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As I’m not a member of any political Party, the current SNP leadership contest interests me only in so far as I want to know that whoever gets the job will pursue the cause of independence as a priority. We all know that the Unionist Parties will bang on about the Scottish Government needing to get on with the day to day issues, but that is a deflection tactic. Yes, things like the economy, Health service, education and so on are important, but the fact is that the Scottish Government is always dealing with these things with one hand tied behind its back because Scotland is not a normal, self-governing country. That is not to say that all social issues will miraculously be resolved once we do become a normal country, but it would mean that the Scottish Government would at last have all the tools available to normal countries. Most importantly, it would mean we could vote them out if they don’t use those powers to benefit our people. At the moment, the SNP receive a lot of votes simply because they are seen by the electorate as the pro-Indy Party with the best credentials. That in itself is an unhealthy situation since it means many people will vote for them even if they disagree with their other policies. That is a situation which is likely to continue until the constitutional question is resolved.</p><p> </p><p>It's been no real surprise that Humza Yousaf is seen as the continuity candidate. Of the three, he is most likely to maintain the direction the SNP has taken under Nicola Sturgeon, and that, I think, is the problem as far as a great many Yessers are concerned. While there is no doubt that Nicola Sturgeon is a highly capable politician who has consistently shown her Unionist opponents to be second-rate, she really has not advanced the cause of independence very much at all. In fact, the encouraging recent polls have largely been due to the authoritarian attitude of the Westminster Government which has been behaving pretty much as most Yessers have predicted it could and would behave if given the chance.</p><p> </p><p>As for who I’d vote for, I honestly don’t know. All three candidates have strong points, and all three have weaknesses. All I would say is that the Yes movement needs some strong leadership in the coming months, and the new SNP leader will need to provide that in spades.</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, of course, the Unionist media will keep churning out articles about how bad everything is in Scotland, and will continue to dig dirt on all of the leadership hopefuls. I hope the SNP members remain mindful that the media is not our friend.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
The Games Beginhttps://rbs.postach.io/post/the-games-begin2023-02-22T11:21:15.017000Z2023-02-22T11:21:06ZThe RBS who actually cares about Scotland. If at first you don't secede, try, try again.<div><p>by Rab Bruce’s Spider</p><p> </p><p>Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot</p><p>Twitter: @RabBrucesSpider</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Not being a member of any political Party, my interest in the SNP leadership contest is based solely on whether the new leader will provide the leadership that the wider Yes movement needs. Which of them will actually deliver on turning Scotland into a normal, self-governing country? That’s my overriding concern.</p><p> </p><p>From what little I’ve gleaned in the past couple of days, I’d say that all three candidates have strengths, and all have weaknesses. It’s rather a pity they couldn’t act as joint leaders in a triumvirate, but that didn’t work out too well for Republican Rome, and I doubt it would work in the modern political environment, although the Scottish greens seem to be able to cope with joint leaders.</p><p> </p><p>My main concern is actually for the mental wellbeing of whoever does become the next SNP leader and First Minister. Both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon had the mental strength to withstand the hostility of the UK media in Scotland, and whoever takes over will need that same mental strength. The fact that the media are already making a huge issue out of Kate Forbes’ religious beliefs seems to have scuppered her chances, although it is noticeable that they never apply the same scrutiny to the religious beliefs of other political leaders in Scotland. Of course, the media will focus on anything at all which gives them a chance to bash the SNP, so I suppose this is only to be expected, especially as Kate Forbes has shown herself to be a talented Government Minister. But, rightly or wrongly, I suspect it is a step too far for a Party to elect a leader whose fundamental beliefs on social issues is so far out of alignment with the Scottish public.</p><p> </p><p>I’m sure we can expect media hatchet jobs on the other two candidates before long. NO doubt journalists are already digging deep into social media profiles and chasing anyone who might have some negative comments on any of the leadership hopefuls. It is, sadly, a sign of the times that the entire media has fallen to this tabloid level of journalism, but I suppose they need to do their masters’ bidding.</p><p> </p><p>As for the candidates, it’s still early days to make any assessment, but I must admit that I do like some of the comments on bringing the wider Yes movement together and working with other parties, but I fear the SNP’s Sturgeon loyalists won’t go for that at all. Some of them seem to detest Alba more than they hate the Tories. And before anyone gets upset at that remark, I know that the same holds true in the opposite direction. Still, it would be nice to see every Yes Party working towards the same goal and putting their differences aside until we achieve that goal. As ever, though, the media will be the greatest opponent in that as well. You can be sure they’ll focus on splits and division, both within Yes and within the SNP. Divide and conquer has always been the British way.</p><p> </p><p>Whoever does become SNP leader, I wish them well, and I sincerely hope they can take us beyond the current constitutional roadblock. Now, more than ever, we need strong leadership.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>