Scottish Parliament vote for second independence referendum

The Scottish Parliament have voted to ask the British government for permission to hold another independence referendum.

Despite the previous referendum being sold as a "once in a generation opportunity," the SNP and Greens have carried the vote by 69 votes to 59 to try and have another go.

Theresa Maybe has been a bit less equivocal over Scottish independence than she has been on the subject of UK independence. She has told wee Jimmy that now is not the time for another independence referendum and they should wait until after Brexit has happened before thinking about another referendum.

There is only one way to settle the subject of Scotland's place in the British union and that is a new union of sovereign nations built on equality not privilege, and consent not compulsion.

Lidl announces 360 new jobs as part of multi-million pound investment in Scotland

German supermarket chain, Lidl, is creating 360 new jobs in North Lanarkshire with the opening of a new Scottish regional distribution centre.

The discount retailer is moving its Scottish headquarters from Livingston in West Lothian along with 400 existing jobs to the Eurocentral industrial estate in Holytown.

This follows Lidl's announcement in December of a £1.5bn investment in a new headquarters in Kingston, a new distribution centre in Southmpton and 250 new stores in London.

Scottish Labour councillor charged with child abuse porn charges

A Labour councillor in Scotland has been charged with possession of child abuse images.

Cllr Sean Morton was bailed on Christmas Eve after appearing in private at Elgin Sheriff Court. He didn't enter a plea on the charges of taking, making, being in possession of, showing and distributing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child and possession of obscene material. But he did jet off to Portugal for a holiday.

There is no mention of the story on the BBC News website - not even in the politics or Scotland sections. In fact, the last time the BBC mentioned Cllr Morton was 4 days before his court appearance where they reported his comments about a piece of art he considered to be "cultural vomit".

Morton flew out to New Hampshire last year with Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale MSP, to campaign for Hilary Clinton in the US presidential elections.

SNP Transport Minister caught driving without insurance

The Scottish Transport Minister has been caught driving without insurance.

SNP MP Humza Yousaf was stopped by police for a routine check whilst driving a friend's car when it was discovered that he was not insured to drive any car other than his own.

Yousaf claims that after splitting up from his wife he forgot to transfer her insurance policy into his name so that he was the main driver and thus able to drive any other vehicle. He says he will accept any punishment from the courts for the offence which is very magnanimous of him as the courts will no doubt take a dim view of the Transport Minister committing a serious motoring offence.

Screw FIFA, our footballers should wear the poppy on November 11th whatever the consequences

FIFA has refused to allow English and Scottish football players wear poppy armbands at their world cup qualifier on 11th November.

The disgraced football world governing body claims that the poppy is banned under rules forbidding political, religious and commercial messages on shirts.

The poppy is not a political, religious or commercial message, it's a symbol of remembrance of the millions who died fighting for our freedom. The FAs of all the home nations should wear a poppy armband and screw the consequences, even if it means boycotting the tournament.

Scottish government forced to cut £392m from public spending plans under EU rules

The Scottish government has been forced to cut £392m from public spending plans after the Office for National Statistics ruled that the level of government control over a major PFI project meant that keeping it off the books breached EU rules.

The move follows last year's ONS ruling that the Scottish government's £1.45bn Aberdeen bypass wasn't really a private finance project under EU law because of the level of control the Scottish government retained over it. They have been forced to put that spending on the books and have preemptively moved two new hospitals and new headquarters for the Scottish blood transfusion service onto the books for this year leaving a £392m black hole in the Scottish government's finances.

Despite campaigning against PFI in Scotland, the SNP has extended the PFI scheme there. They've called it NPD instead of PFI but it's the same thing. To balance the books the Scottish government are having to postpone uncommitted grants and use contingency money to cover spending.

The Scottish government have also been warned that planned legislation to allow them to hide PFI liabilities for its social housing programme will likely fall foul of the same EU rules.

Scottish Labour councillor suspended for homophobia

A Labour councillor in Scotland has been suspended after allegedly referring to the chair of a local LGBT* group as a deviant.

Dumfries & Galloway Labour councillor, Tom McAughtrie, has been placed under administrative suspension by the Scottish Labour Party after he allegedly posted the comment on social media.

Scottish government runs £15bn budget deficit paid for by English taxpayers

Scotland's budget deficit has jumped to £15bn after North Sea oil revenues dropped 97%.

The SNP's economic plans all rest on Scotland investing tax revenues from North Sea oil but whilst just a couple of years ago the Scottish government could expect to lay claim to as much as £10bn in revenues, it fell to just £60m last year thanks to a crash in oil prices and a slow down in production.

Luckily for Nicola Sturgeon she doesn't have to worry about inconvenient things like budget deficits because Scotland's heavily inflated share of public spending isn't linked to the amount of tax they raise. Scotland is guaranteed a subsidy every year under the Barnett Formula which is currently a 16% premium on the UK average. This is a little misleading though because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all receive more money than they pay in to the Treasury which bumps up the average. The Scottish subsidy is a 19% premium on average spending in England and a whopping 28% premium on public spending in the east of England euroregion which is the poorest funded part of the UK.

EU orders Scottish beef rebranded as "from Europe"

The EU has forced the Scottish beef industry to relabel their products as "from Europe" in exchange for an advertising grant.

Quality Meat Scotland secured an £861k grant from the EU to promote Scottish beef but it came with strings attached. Scottish beef now has to have the slogan "Enjoy! It's from Europe" printed on it.

Rather than protest the hijacking of Scottish beef by the EU and the dilution of a valuable Scottish brand as you might expect a government to do, the Scottish government has instead given the directive its backing and is calling on other food producers to brand their products as European instead of Scottish.

Nicole Sturgeon says leaving the EU will trigger a second independence referendum

Nicola Sturgeon has said that voting to leave the EU would be one of the triggers for a second independence referendum.

The SNP leader and Scottish First Minister said that Scotland would be better off as an "independent" member of the EU and that "it is better for us in all circumstances to stay in".

It costs £55m to be a member of the EU and £30m a day to keep Scotland in the UK. If Nicola Sturgeon is hoping to influence the vote in England with the threat of another Scottish independence referendum she's going to be disappointed!

Highland Lib Dem councillor forced to resign for sharing anti-Muslim propaganda

A Lib Dem councillor in Skye who shared anti-Muslim pictures from Britain First on Facebook has been forced to resign as Chair of the Highland Council's Community Safety, Public Engagement & Equalities Committee and from his party.

Cllr Drew Millar says that he doesn't think the pictures were from Britain First and that he was treated unfairly by the panel investigating him. He believes that the status he shared describing Nick Clegg as a cretin is more likely to have got him into trouble. His support for Scottish independence probably didn't help his case either.

Scottish Labour leader resigns calling party "dinosaurs"

The leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Johann Lamont, has resigned from the post describing both the British Labour Party and the SNP as "dinosaurs".

I firmly believe that Scotland's place is in the UK and I do not believe in powers for power's sake.

For example, I think power should be devolved from Holyrood to communities. But colleagues need to realise that the focus of Scottish politics is now Holyrood, not Westminster.

There is a danger of Scottish politics being between two sets of dinosaurs … the Nationalists who can’t accept they were rejected by the people, and some colleagues at Westminster who think nothing has changed.

Scottish Labour MP campaigned with Scottish National Front leader

Pictures of Scottish Labour MP, Dame Anne Begg, campaigning against Scottish independence with the leader of the Scottish National Front have been released.

Dave McDonald was parading a National Front banner around Aberdeen earlier in the day urging people to vote no to independence because it would mean more mosques, more temples and more immigration. He then met up with Dame Anne Begg where the two were pictured laughing and joking with each other and McDonald posed for the cameras with Labour Party material.

McDonald is well known in Aberdeen political circles after standing for the National Front in the Aberdeen Donside by-election. Hope not Hate haven't denounced Dame Begg for her association with the National Front yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

SNP councillor who lives in Austria missed 40 out of 47 meetings last year

An SNP councillor in Gordon Brown's constituency of Kirkcaldy has admitted to living in Austria and only visiting Scotland once every 5 weeks.

Cllr Arthur Morrison lives and works in Austria and travels to Fife once every 5 weeks when he attends a council meeting if one is being held. Last year he attended just 7 of 47 council meetings but nothing can be done to replace him with someone who actually lives in the country because he meets the legal criteria of properly qualifying to stand at the time of the election and attending at least one meeting every 6 months.

Cllr Morrison is paid £16,234 in allowances and sits on five committees. He admits that the SNP have some concerns about his lack of attendance but says Labour's criticism of him is "hysterical".

Russian warship comes within 30 miles of Scotland

A Russian warship has come within 30 miles of the Scottish coast, stopping just outside British territorial waters just before Christmas prompting the Royal Navy to send the only available warship left on a 24 hour journey from Portsmouth to intercept it.

Picture: Miliblog

There has been much speculation on what Russia's motives might be but it's almost certainly an escalation of the EU's attempts to extend its borders east into Russia's sphere of influence with the attempts to switch Ukraine's allegiance from Russia to the EU. The EU sees Ukraine as the jewel in the crown of the former Soviet states in eastern Europe and with most of the Russian gas imported into Europe via Ukraine, it is of great strategic importance. Expansion into eastern Europe and Ukraine's vast wealth of natural resources is so important to the EU's empire builders that they're prepared to start a Second Cold War over it.

The Ukrainian president says that Ukraine's interests lie with Russia but its government wants to get its hands on EU money (or more accurately, our money). There have been continuous protests in Kiev organised by the europhile lobby and supported by the EU to try and overthrow the president and start on the disastrous path to EU membership.

The fact that there was only one operational warship available for the whole UK is a bit concerning but of course we can rely on the French loaning us that aircraft carrier if the Russians invade ...

Portsmouth shipyard closure may well prove to be the fatal blow for the union

Yesterday's political motivated closure of HM shipyard at Portsmouth was a desperate attempt by the British government to scupper pro-independence sentiment in Scotland but may well prove to be the fatal blow for the union.

The comments from the sacked workers, from the local MP and from the local council have all been pretty consistent: this is English jobs for Scottish people. The British government has sacrificed Portsmouth to protect jobs in Scotland because closing the  Clyde shipyards in Glasgow would hand Alex Salmond a big propaganda coup in the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum.

The Scottish independence people don't have a problem with the union per se, they have a problem with England. Most of them would stay in the UK if England was no longer part of it and it's because of this that the English will forever be the British sacrificial lamb. The price of Scottish unionism is denigration and discrimination against the English and it's a price the British are happy to pay.

UKIP's had a record Scottish by-election result in Aberdeen Donside in June - Otto Inglis came fifth with 4.83% of the vote, losing his deposit. The party put a lot of money into the campaign and the membership in Scotland worked like troopers but we will never see a breakthrough in Scotland because UKIP doesn't represent the views of the majority in Scotland who are left wing, pro-independence europhiles. It doesn't matter that declaring independence from the UK and then joining the EU is like a woman leaving one abusive partner to move in with another, that's what they want and that's what wins votes.

UKIP has nothing to gain from Scotland and everything to lose by not standing up strongly enough for the interests of the English people who do share UKIP's vision of the future - the UK (or rather, England and whoever tags along) out of the EU and back in control of our own destiny. The party needs to be campaigning strongly for a radically reformed British union that provides enough benefit to each member state of the UK or for Scotland to declare independence and leave England, Wales and Northern Ireland to get on with things. There will be no justice or fairness for the English whilst the union remains in its current form.

The only viable long term future for the British union is to reorganise it as a confederation with all four member states becoming sovereign nations and joining a British union by consent rather than compulsion. There's a great definition on the CIA factbook of a confederation:

Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government.

In effect, the member states of the confederation are independent, sovereign nations voluntarily pooling sovereignty on limited matters whilst retaining the right to act in their own interests in all matters. It turns devolution and federation on its head - instead of the central (ie. federal of quasi-federal in the case of the UK) government having sovereignty and the right to legislate on all matters, the member states of the union have this status and the central government is limited in its powers. It's not dissimilar to how the EU, UN, NATO and other intergovernmental organisations are constituted. I wrote the case for a British confederation back in 2011 and it's still absolutely valid today - more so after what happened in Portsmouth yesterday.

The alternative is that the UK breaks up and as more discrimination is meted out at the English it is increasingly likely that it is the English who will bring down the union, not the Scots. Opinion polls already show that more people in England want Scotland to declare independence than people in Scotland do and the last major survey into devolution and independence in the UK showed that as many people in England want English independence as people in Scotland want Scottish independence. This is a direct result of the discriminatory policy of allowing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to run their own domestic affairs whilst refusing to allow England the same right and the British government's willingness to discriminate against England to benefit the Scots (and to a lesser extent the Welsh and Northern Irish).

UKIP's equivocation on reform of the British union is costing the party votes. The last policy agreed by the NEC - still to be made public a year after being agreed - would have the unintended consequence of resulting in a confederation of the type described above to provide democratically accountable government. This is a good thing but the policy is gathering dust on the "to be announced" shelf which means it will probably be revised yet again - another policy agreed in principal that never sees the light of day.

As a party we support an English Parliament - the only serious party to do so - and Nigel Farage publicly confirms UKIP's commitment to equality for England on a regular basis but there's no meat on the bone. We need a full, coherent policy on how we're going to reform the British union put into the public domain and a commitment for a high level campaign to accompany it.

The union in its current form seriously disadvantages England and any mainstream party that promises comprehensive reform of the union so that everyone benefits and not just the relative few will undoubtedly be rewarded at the ballot box.

Scottish racists tell Farage to leave Scotland

Scottish racists were today responsible for barricading Nigel Farage in an Edinburgh pub.

The sweet irony is that the racists shouting "Leave Scotland, go back to England" and "You can stick your Union Jack up your arse" at him claim to be anti-racism protesters and being barricaded inside a pub and the centre of attention is a dream come true for Nigel Farage!

When conference delegates in Birmingham voted to send Farage to Scotland on a unionist "tour de force" I warned that it was Scotland's business and we'd be resented for interfering.  Let's see how the Scots react to today's events before anyone else's safety is put at risk spreading an unwelcome message to an intolerant audience.

Building tangible foundations for Young Independence

I joined Ukip deciphering that it’s more than just a political movement, it’s a social movement. The evidence is clear when you walk into a pub and notice the pub landlord has tossed a cascade of Ukip’s ‘Save the Pub’ beer mats around the pub; do you see the same for Labour, Tory – or Lib-Dem – supporters? No, now those activists only exist in a realm isolated from of the average man or woman, although they may pop by at election period. Ukip is different. And I believe this movement has to reach the youth if we really want to establish ourselves in the social fabric, and I think it is vitally important, as we've seen in currently in Young Independence, young supporters make their own interpretations of Ukip policy or values; enhancing the sense of the yellow, purple and striped tied Youth Kipper which I believe is a crucial beneficiary to the concept of the ‘broad church’ of Ukip, which is a good thing.

Many young people feel naturally attached to what the Party stands for, however I worry that they are rummaging for a local Ukip presence, and Young Independence (if they've ever heard of it), when frankly it should be vice versa. I want to build tangible foundations for YI branches to seep new members - and activists, and of course establish more branches, particularly in constituencies where we do possess YI members willing to do their bit for the party. I am a strong believer in YI branch chairmen getting down and dirty for youth support; where do the youth go in your areas; youth clubs; social events; sixth form, college and university debates etc? My personal interaction with these branches would be key, moreover establishing a network between branches is essential; learning from the tactics of one another is what we really need to get YI together – and to be helping one another in terms of campaigning, transport and events. A relationship should also be established with your local Ukip branch in boosting these factors. I shall email, use social networking or meet branch representatives at party events, so we can share information and ideas.

I am a strong believer in transparency; and I will update YI and the rest of Ukip, with what I do as Grassroots Officer in my blogs or emails, as well as taking into light your personal queries or interests. I will contact EVERYONE on the incoming database; no one will be left out.

                

I have begun drafting plans with former YI Interim Chairman Rob Comley, embracing social networking in the process, to gather a bunch of Ukip supporting sixth formers, college students and university students to discuss why they want to leave the European Union, and why they believe in Ukip – before a camera; fruitful content which can be widely distributed. These - and many more - approaches should be taken to reach the social media capacity of other political youth organisations, such as Young Labour and Conservative Future, which are blatantly losing the argument but currently only have meek opposition.

 We must look beyond university as the majority are elsewhere, and that role of 'beyond' should be naturally carried out by the Grassroots Officer. Ukip’s Libertarian image - with a spice of Lady Britannia's common sense - can’t be amplified by merely the Party Leadership, but youth themselves. Similarly, we need more YI members out on the doorstep rather than older activists who struggle to walk up myriads of stairs; I have witnessed this struggle firsthand leafleting around London. Young Independence needs to be a tangible fighting force, not bluntly just on the internet. That includes activists from all over Great Britain gathering for the greater good.

We must imprint ourselves in the social fabric; YI must defeat concrete jungles and tribal voting through youth networks, and therefore Ukip will surely have a beaming, long term future.

Votes much appreciated!

My manifesto - Alexander Balkan – Candidate for Grassroots Officer of Young Independence.

Proposer: Rob Comley. Seconder: Henry Reilly. Assentors: Jack Duffin, Kelly Gravett, Richard Harrington, Laura Howard, James Lynch, Gareth Shanks, Peter Thurston and Ben Walker.
 

Scotland's EU membership is assured under international law

The SNP has had a warning shot fired across the bows of the SS Independence by the EU, much to the delight of unionists.  But how worried should the pro-independence lot be?

The EU has said that an independent Scotland would have to negotiate EU membership if it splits from the UK.  The unionists have jumped on this are happily warning the Scots that not only will they lose the security of the British union if they vote for independence but they will lose the security of the European union as well.  Unfortunately for them it was't Scotland that was being referred to but Catalonia although the principal is much the same.

There are a couple of questions the British nationalists need to ask about this before they start pontificating at the SNP.  The most obvious one is what are the EU actually saying?  Emperor Barosso said that EU citizenship for Catalonian (and therefore Scottish) residents would have to be "negotiated within the international legal order".  The assumption being made about this statement is that Barosso is saying Scotland would have to negotiate its membership as if it was any other country wanting to join.

And what of this negotiating within the international legal order?  International law is quite clear on what happens when one state secedes from another.  The assumption is that all states will become successors where treaties are concerned with all the rights and obligations they entail.  Scotland will remain a party to any international treaties the UK is a party to now if it secedes from the UK under international law.

The idea of the EU turning down a membership application is laughable, especially when the application is from a socialist, europhile country with oil and fish.  The EU is likely to screw concessions out of Scotland in exchange for making the process smoother such as putting a time limit on the opt out from the €uro and Schengen and giving the EU control over Scottish oil and gas and Alex Salmond will give it all to them because he doesn't have a plan that doesn't involve EU membership.

UKIP Scotland Spring Gathering

UKIP Scotland holds its Spring Gathering tomorrow at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange.

The Spring Gathering is open to members of the public as well as UKIP members so if you're not a member but you're interested to hear what UKIP has to say, why not pop along for a listen?

UKIP Leader, Nigel Farage and Deputy Leader, Paul Nuttall, are both speaking at the Spring Gathering, as is Young Independence Chairman, Harry Aldridge.

A live feed of the Spring Gathering will be on the UKIP website.