Glenrothes by-election - Gordon Brown joins campaign.

Gordon Brown will be campaigning in Glenrothes again today in a flying three hour visit - that will be nice for them. According to a spokesman, Brown will tell factor workers that:

"Big, international companies are more likely to have their headquarters in Scotland because Scotland is part of the UK."

Is that why many UK based companies are leaving in their droves for places like Ireland? I think the truth of the matter is that if Scotland did get independence, then the first thing Alex Salmond would do is to lower his country's level of corporate tax to match that of other competitive nations.

Billy Connolly - Old woman on a bus - Hilarious.

Seeing as we've got a Scottish by-election going on this week, I thought I'd treat you to some classic Billy Connolly. The first time I saw this clip I could hardly breath for laughing. Enjoy:

Scotland - How to treat injured veterans - Free Buses.

Yet again the Scottish Government comes up with a policy which England should have taken the lead on:

From New.Scotsman.com:

Soldiers hurt in battle go free on buses

INJURED forces veterans are to be given free bus travel throughout Scotland, the Scottish Government announced today. The move comes as a proposed extension of the concessionary fares scheme for elderly and disabled people. Finance Secretary John Swinney published the terms for the review of the scheme, but said there would be no change to the eligibility criteria for those who currently benefit from the scheme. He said the review, set in train by the previous Scottish Executive, would assess how the scheme has been operating since its introduction in April 2006, and look at ways to improve the scheme.

Mr Swinney said: "The concessionary fares scheme has been a widespread success, bringing free travel to elderly and disabled people across Scotland."We now want to look at how the scheme can be improved even further. For example, I want to ensure that eligibility is extended so that injured veterans in Scotland are able to benefit from free bus travel."

I hope this policy is taken up by Westminster.

Andy Kerr - 1/4 favourite to replace Wendy Alexander.

From William Hill:

KERR FAVOURITE TO SUCCEED ALEXANDER

ANDY KERR is 1/4 favourite to succeed Wendy Alexander as leader of the Scottish Labour Party with William Hill, who also offer:
11/4 Margaret Curran
20 Iain Gray
20 Fiona Hyslop
20 Patricia Ferguson
20 Cathy Jamieson
25 Pauline McNeill
25 Rhona Branklin
33 Sarah Boyack

Let battle commence.

English votes on English matters - Unique Powers.

Why is the question of English votes on English matters so difficult to sort out? We've had Malcolm Rifkind's Grand Committee, which it is argued will only add another layer of government. Now after a lengthy process Ken Clarke comes up with another bloody stupid idea.

From the Telegraph: He (Ken Clarke) is said to have advised allowing all MPs to vote on English legislation at the initial second reading stage of parliamentary scrutiny. But only English MPs would get to vote during the detailed committee stage of the legislative process, where real changes can be effected. At the third and final reading, all MPs could once again vote, but a new parliamentary undertaking would prevent any party using Scottish votes to block amendments made by English MPs.

Why oh why can't we just stop Scottish MPs voting in England on any matter that would normally be devolved to Scotland? In other words - any subject that English MPs are not allowed to vote on in Scotland. Surely that would be a fair and straightforward solution to our political imbalance? In other words, instead of having "Devolved Powers", we could have "Unique Powers".

Is Scotland's Barnett going to be cut?

Nick Robinson is prophesying the end of the Barnett Formula. Nick believes that Labour Ministers are in flap over the formula because the are worried that George Osborne may propose scrapping it. And that will be a massive vote winner in England.

And George knows that the government are struggling over the formula's future:

"These leaked documents suggest that while Gordon Brown refuses to consider any changes to the Barnett formula, Jack Straw is arguing for change, leaving Alistair Darling, as usual, the weak man in the middle. "The Government's spending policy is being pulled apart by the warring members of the Cabinet."

The Barnett Formula gives a subsidy of £1500 to each Scottish citizen. That money comes from the English tax payer and unsurprisingly many (myself included) want to see this outdated formula scrapped. Taxes are high enough under this government without sending a load of what is collected to Scotland.

For my latest post, click HERE

Hospital Parking: Scotland takes another dig at Gordon Brown.

Do you think they are doing on purpose? It seems that every one of those annoyances we have to put up with in England is being dealt with in Scotland. This time it's Hospital parking fees. Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has announced that anyone visiting any hospital in will pay a maximum of £3 for the day. Is Alex Salmond doing it to wind up Gordon Brown? Is he intentionally making Gordon look bad? If he is, he's doing a good job of it. The list of wind-ups is growing longer: Tuition fees, Police pay, nurses pay, School meals, life saving drugs, toll roads and many many more.

I'm pro- English Parliament, but I don't hold what Alex Salmond is doing for his people against him, or Scotland. It's not Alex's fault that he is able to provide the Scottish with services we are denied in England.

That's down to Gordon Brown.

Update: It's funny, when I wrote this post this morning it was with this kind of response from Gordon Brown in mind: Click HERE

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European Commission want to cut British fishing - Again.

The European Commission are planning to cut fishing in the North Sea by 10%. The Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said: "Scotland is in the lead for conserving cod stocks. "That has been recognised to some degree with the first increase in cod quotas for 10 years. "That is a great breakthrough."

It is hoped that alternative conservation measures will be adopted instead of further cuts to time spent at sea. One suggestion is to close off areas to fishing which are known to be populated by juvenile fish.

It seems that fish stocks are recovering so the current level of fishing is adequate. Further restrictions will only damage an already struggling industry.

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England is still getting shafted over Scottish voting.

The following is taken from this Thursday's Hansard written answers:

Voting Rights

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Leader of the House what the Government's policy is on the right of right hon. and hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies to vote on matters relating to England where responsibility for such matters in Scotland has been devolved to the Scottish Executive.

Helen Goodman: The Prime Minister has previously set out the Government's policy to the House on the 3 July. This Government do not accept that there should be any discrimination in the rights of hon. Members to take part in the business before the House. ‘English votes for English laws’ would lead to the break up of the Union. This Government believes in the Union and will do nothing to harm it. Constitutional issues are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Justice Secretary.

Helen writes that there should not be any discrimination in the rights of hon. Members to take part in the business before the House. OK Helen, if that is the case, when are we going to start to allow English MPs to vote on Scottish matters?

The answer to this is simple: any matters that are devolved to Scotland, cannot be voted on in the House of Commons by Scottish MPs. How this will break up the so-called Union I've no idea.

Of course an English Parliament is the preferred option.

Wendy Alexander once again refuses to resign.

Talking to the media just before going into a meeting with Labour MSPs Wendy Alexander once again defied calls for her resignation. Wendy said: "I have never sought to mislead. I am not dishonest in any way and I have always believed that politicians should have the highest standards of integrity. "My campaign did not set out to intentionally mislead or brake the rules (LAW). Mistakes have been made. "It would be easy to quit, but also wrong. To give up this job in these circumstances would be also to give up my reputation for integrity and honesty and I am not prepared to do that."

I think that Wendy has given up her "reputation for integrity and honesty" by not resigning.

David Cairns - An Independent Scotland will not wither and die.

Later today Scotland office minister David Cairns will tell a Labour youth meeting in Glasgow that an Independent Scotland will not wither and die. Yeah right. This is just bare faced crowd pleasing. Why go on about an independent Scotland when Labour have absolutely no intention of splitting the union if they can help it.

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