Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts

Wednesday 31 January 2024

Positives for a Free Scotland II


Recently I’ve had a health issue, and had to have various procedures and scans to access the problem and now another wait. Then a pre-op. As I read of the consultants and junior doctors continued strikes in England over pay and conditions, and the NHS there being eroded and under-funded. I am very grateful to live in Scotland and that I don’t have to worry that consultants or doctors are on strike here. Its bad enough waiting a week for test results.  

I’m glad my three grown-up children don’t have huge levels of student debt to pay off. I’m glad that Scotland is at least trying to protect health care for all and the NHS. I’m glad that under Alex Salmond, Scotland developed it’s renewable potential. I’m also grateful that Sturgeon prioritised babies, nursery and childcare - with baby boxes and a child payment uplift, because she recognised that you can forget the next fifteen years at school if children get off to a bad start in life. 

 

I’m glad Scotland wants to protect food safety (but worry we won’t be “allowed” to).  Yes the Scottish government made errors over the ferry procurement – but at the same time the Queensferry crossing was a success story. I’m certainly grateful to live in a Scotland where most people prioritise a well being economy, where all children deserve fair opportunities; where people value equality and a greener Scotland. The trouble is Scotland doesn’t have the levers to achieve this or a modern democracy - all it can do under the devolved settlement is to tinker at the edges.

 

In a federal state the central government has clearly defined roles – federal roads, foreign police – and they don’t have to “allow’ the states to do anything! This confusing and unworkable devolved UK system is a mess and not used anywhere else. In a federal state the central government doesn’t “allow” the states broadcasting rights, immigration laws, or vat rates. Each state has its own laws for starters. I lived several years in Chicago and it surprised me greatly, that major decisions were made at the local level. (while things in the US are not perfect by any means). I also didn’t realise back then I should be a proud Scot. So many Scots are ignorant of our own heritage and history. 

 

The UK system is like a parent/ child – where Whitehall will only 'allow' the Scottish people certain rights, over our own lives if it so chooses. The British state since inception, has been fixated on centralized control, of supposed “stability” of the Crown in Parliament.

 

I’m proud Scotland has leading universities and innovative scientists, I’m proud Scotland has major international festivals and a successful creative community of artists and musicians. I’m proud Scotland has a wealth of resources – whisky, quality food, and the potential to be a world leader in renewables. 

 

Even while most Scots want better equality and democracy, we don’t have the devolved levers tover the economy o achieve this – and sadly Scotland is one of the most unequal and exploited nations in the developed world. Like many Scots I wasn’t taught to be a proud Scot at school - but to feel second rate to London and its history. Just as in Northern Ireland where children are taught about English rivers, but not about their own Irish rivers!

 

The union believes in a mono-global culture. In the 1800s European countries realised to harness their real potential they must have national renewal and national aspiration and the map of Europe changed from huge empires to the small nations of today. Scotland must join this Europe of sovereign, free nations. In order to shape and control our future destiny.

 

We can still share security and co-operate on defence with rUK, independence just means that Scots voices have a say and not just a tiny Tory elite.



Sunday 31 January 2021

Visas for Musicians after Brexit



This hard Brexit is proving a disaster for the Creative Industries.  A young band will require a cost of an extra £3,000 for visa expense and a major band about £10,000. Plus a pile of paperwork – Bank statements, proof of taxes, and more. Europe was the place for cultural exchange. These costs are impossible and will mean younger artists unable to tour in Europe. 

 But stopping freedom of movement is all the Brexiteers care about.  

After Brexit touring musicians require visas for everyone on their tour, hugely increasing costs with a £500 charge on each country. A petition is calling for visa free travel across the EU – a free cultural work permit for bands , musicians, artists, film makers and sports stars.

PETITION - https://petition.parliament.uk.Europe-wideVisa-freepermitTouringprofessionals Artists

“The DCMS has told musicians to deal with each country individual. I’m not getting clear answers.” musician The Anchoress. “Culture is absolute a class issue.” Look at where the arts council emergency finding went.”  There are however exceptions within the trade agreement – for miners, tour guides, spin doctors!

 

The UK music industry is worth £5.8 billions and one of our most popular international exports.  The creative industries as a whole is worth £111 billion. The EU rejected an agreement on temporary movement of business travellers.

 

Composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall, “There is clearly something not functioning in the current government DNA, that we have in this instance a successful and important industry for our country’s exports, which has been warning for five years now of the negative impacts of the withdrawal from freedom of movement. 

 

“It has been obvious to me from the start of the negotiations that because of the point blank rejection of freedom of movement, the creative industries were going to be at car-park basement level on the list of priorities. 

At a stroke the rights of pop singers, bands, orchestras, chamber groups, tour managers, stage managers and more to seamlessly travel within the 27 EU member states  come to an end. “


 The creative  industries are worth – theatre 112 Billion, (football 8 billion). After this hard Brexit so many hurdles for young actors, artist and musicians. 

 The Arts are fundamental to our well being.


Thursday 30 April 2020

Protect Our Press!



“Democracy dies in Darkness” – Washington Post

Does the press matter? – its essential for democracy to have a free press. (and I hate the way President Trump makes fun of and puts down journalists. Its a great way to deflect from his own failings and mistakes). 

The print press informs how our Broadcasters select their main news items. We need journalists who are independent, and able and willing to question the actions of those in power. We must also protect balance in the press, as they do in other countries. 

European commission president, Ursula von der Lagen, “Now it is more important that ever that journalists are able to do their job freely and precisely to ensure that our citizens have access to crucial information so as to counter misinformation.” 


Subscribe to the National Newspaper!
The only Scotland independence supporting newspaper. 

https://www.thenational.scot
With shops closing around the country due to the coronavirus, newspaper sales are suffering badly. Please support the importance of informed journalism. 
Thank you.
To the National
For bringing together some of our top writers – and bringing together those with hopes for a better Scotland. For carrying an excellent range of articles, that cover not only the Scotland’s political landscape – but music, history, art, heritage, Gaelic, film, international, social and music, more. For encouraging readers letter! 
Keep up the good work and know you are valued. Especially in these challenging and crisis times. (And we used to think Brexit was a disaster!) I hope this crisis brings people together and helps them to realise what is of true value in our lives.

Sunday 29 October 2017

The NATIONAL newspaper


The National was begun in October 2014, after the Scottish referendum vote. We do not have a free press here.
Most of the Scottish press has been and is foreign owned (except for the Sunday Post)
We have no laws to protect Scottish businesses.

The National offers an informed conversation across the broad platform of views and from opposite ends of the spectrum of political debates. As well as some of the best journalists writing in the business today - 
 Kevin McKenna (Herald), Pat Kane (musician and journalist), Lesley Riddoch (Scotsman), Gordon McIntrye Kemp (Business for Scotland), Literature Professor Alan Raich, Paul Kavanagh (Wee Ginger Dug), Cat Boyd, Caroline Leckie, and more.

The National also has memorable front covers.

Thanks National – I enjoy your well informed, sometimes radical, thoughtful, humorous, challenging, academic, honest articles – on the economy, arts, Scottish literature (Alan Riach), politics, humour and more! That are not full of gossip, innuendo, advertising as some other newspapers are. The press still matters because it informs Broadcasting.

Many excellent letters also - one recently suggesting Scotland and England needs a new "Treaty of Union" as the 300 year one is not fit for purpose. This was always a union of convenience and not love. Scotland has been offered and voted for its Home Rule many times. During the Great war 1914, Britain has become heavily centralised.  

Although lots of Scots support our self determination (around 45%) we only have one newspaper supporting independence.
97% of Scottish broadcasting and press is controlled by the British nationalist government. The figures are stark, of TV license money only 55% raise in Scotland is spent here – by contrast 75% and 80% are spent in Wales and Northern Ireland. Its a shocking state of affairs.

If Scotland had a media as diverse and representative as Catalonia, we’d already be independent.” Wee Ginger Dug
 All the other devolved nations have their own public broadcaster, the British state is expert at suppressing others they rule, they've had centuries of practice at it..... We have to choose now - the 'money-driven capitalist system of Westminster' OR the kind of Scotland, more compassionate and caring, we want to build from the local level upwards.



The animosity will be reduced once England understands Scotland’s resentment at the historic overlordship of its affairs by absentee landlords, American tycoons and paid servants of the Imperial war machine (…and oil money used for Trident and useless aircraft carriers)  

Excellent series this week on “THE GREAT OIL SWINDLE – by Alex Russell” in the National,

(Scottish Questions is dreadful – other MPs speak over it.  David Fluffy Mundell tells lies – one is over the tiny amount being given to Aberdeen – 2 million! )
When the truth is that Scotland’s Oil and Gas has been stolen and squandered by an incompetent Westminster.  In fact Scotland back in the 70s had as large an oil field as Norway – yet through extreme mismanagement only a half has been recovered compared to Norway.  The McCrone Report which stated Scotland would be one of the richest countries, was kept Top Secret for decades. It’s a shocking scandal.  Instead of the money going to Scotland it has gone to the multinational Oil Companies and into the UK government coffers for London infrastructure and for Trident.

“The total UK Government take from the North Sea Oil and Gas is of the order of 400 billion – but that figure is approximately a half of that obtained by Norway for similar production volumes. Logically, that might mean the take of oil companies has been disproportionately high due to Westminster mismanagement.
Now the UK government is asking tax payers to foot half of the bill to decommission the installations. They will be leaving rusting protruding legs with little red flags attached to alert fishing boats and nuclear submarines – to save these mega rich oil companies money. Never mind all this rubbish is far removed from London.