Danica Thrall Returns Again

Health And Safety Gone Mad

Robert Baird was until recently the health and safety boss for a major hospital building project. He worked enforcing safety rules at the New South Glasgow Hospital site. But Mr Baird didn't have much concern for the safety of others when he was caught in Troon smuggling explosives and bomb making equipment to the UVF in 2002. He was then sentenced to eleven years in jail. Mr Baird was really unpopular with his fellow workers before his convictions for terrorism were known to them. He had a reputation for being a bit of a jobsworth. Always waving yellow cards at people.He has now been forced to resign after the Daily Mirror newspaper starting asking questions about him.

Simon And Nigel

Nigel Farage has accused SNP supporters of being fascist scum. Fascism is when Big Business gets into bed with Big Government. What evidence has Nigel got that this has happened in Scotland under the SNP. None what so ever. So Nigel is wrong on that one. Some of the biggest supporters of the UK leaving the EU work in the City of London. They don’t like regulation at all and that’s why they don’t like the EU. Another thing those in the City oppose is a cap on there bonus money. One serious media commentator Simon Jenkins recently argued that London should leave both the EU and the UK. As he believes London has more in common with New York than Paris. And London’s two major employers are finance and leisure. He also says and I quote: “Europe has not worked as a political construct. But nor has the United Kingdom. Most of Ireland has long gone. Scotland is girding its loins to go. Wales and Northern Ireland are special cases, but are winning progressively more autonomy. One day their representation at Westminster will be diminished.” I think what Simon is calling for should be discussed more. If London wants to leave the UK and EU it should be put to a referendum.

Little Englander Visits Scotland

Nigel Farage visited a Edinburgh public house yesterday and it wasn’t exactly a warm welcome he received. The UKIP leader so used to the London based media fawning all over him got the shock of his life. In fact he went down like a lead balloon. Protesters chanted “racist scum” and “homophobe” as well as “shove you’re Union Jack up you’re arse” at Nigel. In fact the police had to move into protect Nigel from the Scottish people. Nigel ended up being put in the back of a police van and driven away to safety. It seems that there are still some parts of the United Kingdom that the political message of the United Kingdom Independence Party is less than welcome. I mean the UKIP have managed to make the Tories look popular in Scotland. Which is no mean feat. Nigel would be better sticking to the English Shires were he is liked. I guess Mr Farage’s political honeymoon is over long may it continue.

Oh I Wish There Could Be Referendums Every Day

It seems the British Government has given up on trying to run the country. Instead all the important decisions are to be made by referendums. Scottish Independence well that poll takes place in September 2014. Next up is a referendum on should the United Kingdom leave the European Union. Mr Cameron seems to be keen on this idea. But Mr Clegg his partner in government does not. The Tory Tabloid press are pushing hard for a referendum and will I am sure be fair and balanced during any referendum campaign. Mr Cameron has not just a few back bench Tory MP’s to worry about over this at least two members of his cabinet say they would vote for the UK to withdraw from Europe in any future referendum. And then is a border poll on should Northern Ireland join the Republic Of Ireland as set out in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. This could be called at anytime by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. And once it is called a border poll will take place every seven years until we get the right result. Just like in all referendums governments will keep calling them until they get the result they want. I am pretty sure the Tory Party will insist on calling referendum after referendum till the Country is as demented as UKIP on the subject of Europe. But will Scotland get another chance to vote on Independence or is this a once in a lifetime deal?

A Independent Scotland Would Be Debt Free

One of the arguements made by Unionists is that a Independent Scotland would be landed with part of the UKs massive debt. But the people of Scotland can walk away from the United Kingdom debt free. According to a constitutional law expert. Oxford University educated Dr Matt Qvortrup says that a Independent Scotland would not have to pay a penny of the UKs 125 Billion pounds debt. He said: “If Alex Salmond doesn’t want to share the debt and is happy to reapply to Europe, the default position in international law is that Scotland would not have to pick up the debt. “That has to be known to the people before the vote next year so that David Cameron will know we are starting negotiations from the position that UK (remainder of UK) is the successor state. That has consequences. The one that pays the debt is the successor state. “If you want to be the EU successor state and be in the UN Security Council, you can. You take all the spoils — but you also take the baggage.” He added: “In Yugoslavia, Serbia Montenegro wanted to be the successor country but they were deemed not to be — which meant they were not landed with the debt. The position Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and Prime Minister David Cameron have is that as long as they are the successor state it’s all good. “But the understanding about them having to pay the debt could be a good argument for the Yes campaign. “All other things being equal, Scotland does not have to pay its share of the UK’s debt.” These findings are also backed up by Professor David Scheffer of the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.

Identity Crisis

According to the Queen’s University Belfast academic Dominic Bryan we are now flying more flags here than ever before. Union flags and Irish Tricolours seem to still be the old favourites depending on where you live. But Israeli flags are also popular as are Palestinian flags. The Basque flag is also sometimes seen flying from lamp posts here. Also flying high are flags belonging to illegal paramilitary groups like the UVF and UDA. But is there more to this than marking out tribal territory. Even at the height of the troubles in the Town I grew up in the Union flags only flew from people’s houses for a couple of weeks every July. The rest of the year the flags were packed away. Is the Union flag some sort of comfort blanket to people who are insecure in their identity?