Opinion: The future state of the Union

I consider myself, before political bias, a social libertarian.

Whatever the political allegiance of the candidates, my vote usually ends up going to whoever offers me the closest thing to freedom, allowing me to live my life in the way I choose and unshackled by the chains and straight jackets of unnecessary law and legislature.

I think there is a general trend towards social libertarianism in British, and particularly Scottish, political thinking. I reckon we were all pretty appalled by Republican candidate Rick Santorum’s policies to govern people’s love lives. It is important in elections, and particularly in the very important one we’ll have in 2014, to think of all the possible implications your vote holds; and so I feel it is important to point out some things that seem to have slipped by the main Independence discourse.

The biggest elephant in the Independence room is the state of the New Britain sans Scotland. The most immediately worrying is the political state of Westminster once the 53 Scottish seats are removed. It has been a matter of great amusement that there are now more pandas in Scotland than Tory MPs, (although now a bit well-worn! Ed.) but if the Union were to separate, the loss to Labour of their 41 MPs and the loss to the Liberal Democrats of their 11, as well as the subtraction of the 53 Scottish seats from the total, would mean that the 306 Tory seats were enough for a majority. Generally speaking, and barring a 1997-esque landslide, newly independent Scotland would potentially find herself with a permanently Conservative southern neighbour.

The possible implications for the rest of the Union are also interesting, as a successful independent Scotland could seal the deal for Welsh independence. It surprises me that I haven’t read much about this in the Independence coverage, especially as a part of the Labour ‘No’ campaign. An independent Scotland would be a death sentence for Labour in Westminster.

The other matter which has received press coverage, and rightly so, is the state of British nuclear-equipped submarines stationed on the Clyde. The SNP has not made their position clear but probably will do so in the full agenda which is promised. At present the Trident nuclear missile system represents Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent in its entirety. A Scotsman article highlights the options.

As it stands, nowhere else in the UK is capable of berthing the submarines. An independent Scotland determined to banish the British military, would essentially eliminate the UK nuclear ability. The SNP is also still to announce their position on British nuclear submarines at Faslane, but if they insist on removal then my vote goes to full independence regardless of any other policy. Along with many others, I was sickened by the huge expenditure and the very real world-ending capability of renewal of the Trident system, and any policy that promotes slowing, stopping or reversal of nuclear arms creation gets my wholehearted support. The nuclear sword of Damocles which swings overhead needs to be removed permanently, and if the SNP choose this option they will have a unprecedented chance to disarm a nuclear nation. Just as an independent Scotland could increase support for an independent Wales, so could a disarmed Britain bring other nations round to the same sane realisation.

As a born-and-bred Scot, it has been hard not to get caught up in the romanticism of the Independence debate and focus on facts and possibilities, and I’m still undecided myself as to how my vote will swing. If my ballot could help the world towards nuclear disarmament, the 2014 vote can’t come quickly enough. It is in my view important to consider all of the implications of such a momentous decision and consider fates other than our own.

As it stands, an independent Scotland would change the UK political landscape, and if they really care about doing the right thing, could remove Britain as a nuclear power. Keep an eye on all the facts, as I am going to, and we can all make an informed decision come referendum day.

William Wallace letter to be exhibited at Holyrood

A 700-year-old letter believed to have been in the possession of William Wallace, will go on display alongside the famous Lübeck letter in Scotland this August. This unique exhibition at the Scottish Parliament has been developed in partnership with the National Records of Scotland.

Announcing the free exhibition, which will run from Friday 10 to Friday 31 August 2012 in Holyrood’s Main Hall, Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick MSP said:

“At the Scottish Parliament, we pride ourselves on hosting exciting and innovative exhibitions. This unique exhibition promises to shine a light on Scotland’s past. As part of our annual Festival of Politics, the showing in Scotland of these valuable artefacts, alongside a related programme of lectures and debates, will give our visitors a wonderful opportunity to experience Scottish history at Holyrood.”

The letter’s return to Scotland was announced today by the Scottish Government’s Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop MSP, at the National Records of Scotland.

Ms Hyslop said:

“I am delighted to welcome the Wallace letter back to Scotland. It is one of the few surviving artefacts with a direct link to William Wallace and a fascinating fragment of our nation’s history. To have it here in Scotland, where it can be viewed by the Scottish public, is very significant indeed.

“This summer, the Wallace letter and the Lübeck letter will be displayed side by side in a once in a lifetime opportunity to view together the only two surviving documents directly connected to William Wallace. I am very much looking forward to the Scottish Parliament hosting this exhibition during the Year of Creative Scotland 2012.”

Both letters are fragile and can only go on display under controlled lighting for a very limited period every few years. The Wallace letter has been held in England since it was discovered in the Tower of London in the 1830s. It is now on long-term loan to the National Records of Scotland after an agreement was reached with The National Archives in Kew. The Lübeck letter is being loaned by the archives of the City of Lübeck, with the agreement of the Mayor and Council. It was last shown in Scotland in 2005, during the ‘For Freedom Alone’ exhibition at the Scottish Parliament.

Information Commissioner asks for more transparency in final report

The outgoing Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, has laid a Special Report before the Scottish Parliament entitled Informing the Future -The State of Freedom of Information in Scotland.  He addressed the Justice Committee on the measures which he believes should be taken to safeguard and strengthen rights to information in Scotland.  This is the first time that a departing Parliamentary officeholder has formally made a submission to Parliament reflecting on their full term in office.  In his final report, the Commissioner recommends that:

• additional bodies, such as local authority trusts, should be designated under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act
• charges which deter requests for information should not be introduced
• the Commissioner should be empowered to take evidence, under oath if necessary
• timescales to bring prosecutions for the offence of destroying information after a request for it has been made should be extended.

The Commissioner concludes that, overall, the state of freedom of information in Scotland is still strong.  Public awareness of FOI rights is at an all time high and public authorities are generally complying with their obligations.  However he warns that appeals against authorities are rising sharply, with appeals for 2011/12 projected to be 25% up on 2010/11.  Increasingly, the Commissioner’s decisions are finding that authorities have failed to deal with requests correctly.

The Commissioner also made a final call for action to Ministers to use their powers to designate arm’s length organisations, such as local authority trusts and private contractors, which now increasingly provide public services and facilities such as education, health, sports and leisure.

Mr Dunion said: ”It is testimony to the effect of FOI that information on important matters such as public sector contracts, hospital acquired infections and school closures has not only been disclosed but proactively published.  This success may be undermined if the right to information is lost when service delivery changes.  It is nearly ten years since Parliament was told that powers to designate additional bodies such as local authority trusts and private contractors would be used.  Disappointingly, successive administrations have failed to make good on this despite opinion polls showing that the public is strongly in favour of such action.” 

The Commissioner rejected suggestions that FOI is a burden and pointed out that Scotland is in danger of falling behind other countries, including the rest of the UK, and said:

“The view that FOI is an intolerable regulatory burden on authorities turns the clock back 20 years and is not supported by evidence.  Alternative measures such as codes of practice and voluntary charters have been shown not to work effectively – often because there is no capacity for a Commissioner to enforce compliance and hear appeals.  Designation is not just about extending the reach of FOISA, but safeguarding vital rights to information.”

The UK Government has already made its first designation order and is consulting with nearly 400 other bodies.  The Commissioner’s report recommends that Ministers should proceed with designation of those bodies already consulted in Scotland and a rolling review of designation be instituted to ensure rights to information keep pace with changes in the delivery of public services.

The Special Report sets out a number of other recommendations to clarify and strengthen FOISA, only one of which is being addressed by the Freedom of Information (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill which was announced by Ministers on 16 December 2011.

“I believe my Special Report is particularly timely given the current consultation by the Scottish Government on a Freedom of Information (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill, and as an early contribution to the Government’s intended consultation on a Transparency Agenda for Scotland in 2012.”

Scotland has potential to be world leader in renewables

Scotland could earn £2 billion a year exporting electricity and become a world leader in new-energy technology, a leading think tank forecasts today.

But the country will realise its full potential only if energy policy is fully devolved from Westminster to Holyrood.

With its natural resources, academic research talent and the energy companies already based here, Scotland has the potential to become a world-leader in new energy generation technologies, Reform Scotland says.

This would be a realistic possibility if the Scottish Government’s ambition of reaching 100 per cent renewable target by 2020 is met, Reform Scotland says in a report Powering Scotland published today.

Reform Scotland also proposes that all of Scotland’s nuclear power stations be phased out at the end of their natural lives because, unlike other forms of energy production, Scotland does not have a competitive advantage in nuclear energy.

Energy powers should be formally devolved to Holyrood so that the Scottish Government can formulate a policy that meets the country’s needs, the think tank proposes in a 15,000-word research paper produced by economist and Reform Scotland Trustee Graeme Blackett, Chairman Ben Thomson and Director Geoff Mawdsley.

While Westminster has theoretical responsibility for energy policy, the Scottish Government has an effective veto through planning powers which created something of an impasse.

Mr Blackett said:- ‘We would support the aim of a substantial increase in energy exports with a target of around half of electricity generated in Scotland being exported because, even using conservative assumptions on prices, this would increase Scottish exports by £2 billion per annum, equivalent to around 17% of manufacturing exports to the rest of the UK.

‘Given that some of the current fossil fuel and nuclear capacity will still be available in 2020, this is feasible if the 100% renewables target set by the Scottish Government is met.’

With the right policies and drive, Scotland could become the biggest exporter of low carbon electricity in Europe, the report authors believe. For that to be realised, a significant majority of the electricity generated in Scotland, – between 50% and 75% – would have to be met from low carbon sources by 2030 so that enough electricity is generated from renewable sources to exceed Scottish demand.

Mr Blackett explained: ‘We support the policy of the SNP Scottish Government and the previous Labour and Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive, which has been to promote renewable energy development. This policy has been successful and it is now the time to go further.

‘The Scottish Government was right to encourage the further acceleration of renewable energy generation by increasing the 2020 renewables target to 100% of Scottish electricity demand. A large proportion of that target can be achieved by wind power – on-shore over the next few years and increasing off-shore as 2020 approaches. The Scottish Government should set longer-term targets to encourage investment and to signal that the country is an attractive location for the development and deployment of new and emerging technologies.

‘Following the devolution of energy policy to the Scottish Government, we would support a policy environment that encourages innovative, ‘low carbon’ sources of energy to accommodate new and emerging technologies that can make a significant economic development and environmental impact, including carbon capture and storage.’

This would include:-

• Increased support for research and development
• A strategy for skills provision from universities and colleges

• A framework for renewable development eg. port, testing and manufacturing facilities

• Accelerated planning arrangements for renewable projects

• Investment in domestic grid to facilitate an increase in new electricity generating capacity, distributed across Scotland

• Support for a wider European grid to facilitate a competitive Europe-wide market in electricity supply

• Access to grid at prices that do not discourage investment

Mr Blackett added:-‘We do not think that Scotland’s existing nuclear power stations should be replaced and we believe that the sites should be used to develop new energy technologies.’

He said that the disadvantages of nuclear electricity generation included cost risks – associated with the risks of capital cost over-run and uncertainty on the long-term costs connected to treating and storing waste – and the limited potential for the nuclear sector to contribute to economic development in Scotland, compared to other generation sources.

The report concludes: ‘Energy policy is crucial to Scotland’s economic future. The energy sector has the potential to make a major contribution to the development of the Scottish economy.

‘As a result of Scotland’s natural energy resources, the strengths of the university research base, the energy companies based in Scotland and a favourable policy environment, Scotland could become a world-leader in new energy generation technologies.

‘Scotland could become a case study in sustainable development and export the technology and know-how around the world. Scotland needs an energy policy that recognises this opportunity and removes the barriers to realising it.’

New Youth Employment Minister welcomed

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central, Marco Biagi, has welcomed the news that Scotland will have a dedicated Youth Employment Minister and invest an extra £30million in young people.

The funding will help Scotland’s youth back into training, work or education to secure a strong workforce of the future.

Details of the Ministerial post and allocation of the £30m will be outlined before Parliament breaks for recess.

Biagi said: -”This is a fantastic announcement from the First Minister that will help get our 16-19 year olds back into work, education or training.

“While Scotland’s youth employment rate is higher than the rest of the UK, more needs to be done.

“This money will really help young Scots – especially during this tough economic time.

“Appointing a dedicated Youth Employment Minister shows how committed the SNP is to equipping all our young people the skills they need for life – and getting them into employment.

“The Minister’s priority will be to promote skills and work for 16 to 24-year-olds and to ensure not a single school leaver becomes just an unemployment statistic. The SNP is securing a stronger workforce for the future.”

 

Following the announcement, Robin Parker, President of NUS Scotland, said:

“With youth unemployment at alarming levels in Scotland, £30m of new funding and a Minister to specifically tackle the problem is great news. Lots of young people across Scotland, whether school leavers, or college or university graduates, are very worried about their futures and we look forward to working with the new Minister to make sure education, training, and employment opportunities are available to them.

 

“This new money would be very effective if channelled through colleges in Scotland. We have been campaigning hard for the Scottish Government to provide the money colleges need to protect student support, places, quality and local access to campuses. I hope that a significant part of this new money can go towards helping to achieve that.

 

“We look forward to seeing further detail on this fund and on the new Minister’s role. In the meantime we will continue the Our Future, Our Fight (1) campaign to ensure that student support, places, quality, and local access at colleges are protected.”

University of Edinburgh Amnesty group urge support for Holyrood consultation

The University of Edinburgh’s Amnesty International Society is among many groups working in support of the Scottish Government’s Same Sex Marriage Consultation.

Yesterday dressed in wedding clothes, the group collected consultation forms both on Princes Street and outside The Scottish Parliament.

At present only Civil Partnerships are available to homosexual couples so for 14 weeks, which began on 2 September, The Scottish Government has asked for public input on this matter.

The consultation investigates three issues:- same sex marriage, religious ceremonies for civil partnerships and whether it is ethical to force religious groups to participate.

The Scottish Social Attitudes survey formed the basis for the consultation. In 2010 the survey found a 60% approval rate and 19% disapproval rate for same sex marriage.

If the consultation finds similar results, the Government may draft legislation  Any legislation might be presented to the Scottish Parliament in 2013.

With the consultation deadline approaching, the issue has been subject to much debate, so yesterday, the Amnesty International Group took part in action to attract attention for the movement. They also collected completed consultation documentation which will be used by the Government to gain public support for the movement.

Commenting on the current situation, Amnesty Chair, Laura Shepherd said:- “No-one should be denied their human rights based on their sexuality.”

She elaborated on the wide reaching effects of the ban:-“The current system also denies the rights of transgender people, many of whom are currently forced to divorce in order to receive gender recognition.”

“Scotland has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the international trend towards protecting the rights of same sex couples.”

The Amnesty Group met and participated in a photo shoot with Edinburgh Central SNP MSP Marco Biagi.

Biagi has long supported the legalisation of same sex marriage and the increase of gay representation in Parliament, and said:- “Discrimination on sexual grounds should be a thing of the past.”

He went on to comment that among the groups showing support are several religious organisations, who are “calling for the right” to endorse civil partnerships and carry out marriages.

Among these groups are the Unitarians, Liberal Jews, Quakers, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Pagan Federation, representatives from each of which took part in a conference on marriage equality in September.

The conference’s panel remarked on the “intolerable intrusion” of the current ban on religious freedom.

However, Biagi also stressed the importance of “sufficiently motivated” individuals in the consultation; it is their responses that will make a decisive difference.

Supporters should contact The Scottish Government; this issue has now moved beyond the influence of MSPs.

While Biagi is hopeful, he is aware that it will be a long process and will need further support and work.

Anyone wishing to be part of the consultation should complete a form by the 9th of December.

They are available from the Potterrow EUSA office and online

Holyrood to consider Statutory Repairs

Stop the Chop Petition handed in to Holyrood today

 

As we advised you yesterday, Edinburgh campaigner, Ani Rinchen Khandro, went to Holyrood this afternoon and handed in the petition bearing over 1,000 names which aims to save the trees at Canonmills Bridge.

Local MSPs Malcolm Chisholm and Marco Biagi were on hand to receive the document from her and to assure her that they would try to help the cause of Stop the Chop.

The campaign is endeavouring to save the trees on the north bank of the Water of Leith and you can read more about it here.

 

Here is the text of the letter accompanying the petition:-

 

We, the undersigned, object to the removal of the willow trees on the north bank of the Water of Leith at Canonmills Bridge as part of the Flood Prevention Works.

These trees are of significant value and critical importance to the townscape, streetscape and landscape of this Conservation Area on the edge of a World Heritage Site.

The statutory process regarding this work began with confirmation that these trees would be protected (The Water of Leith Public Enquiry Final Report – 2004), but then shifted to their removal without explicit public notification or consultation (2008 Planning Application – Application No: 08/04025/FUL).

Equally, the extent of work proposed by the Main Contractor – Lagan – appears to contravene the Planning Consent granted, for which a formal objection has been lodged with Edinburgh Council Building Standards.

Furthermore we request a Public Consultation on this matter with a view to finding a solution that will protect both property and trees at this landmark site. 

Edinburgh is home to two world renowned institutions in the field of Landscape Planning and Environmental Conservation, namely: The Edinburgh School of Art & Landscape Architecture and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Senior staff from both of these have signed this petition and expressed their willingness to assist the Council in the consultation process.

Our aim is to modify the current scheme and implement a plan that will protect property from flooding whilst retaining the riverbank trees that are of invaluable benefit to the health and wellbeing of the people of Edinburgh and a source of joy to both residents and visitors from around the world.

Thank you for receiving this petition. We trust you will read the comments of the signatories herein and contact us regarding the above mentioned points.

 

 

The Reporter was there to capture the handover.

Stop the Chop to present petition to Holyrood

A petition with over 1,000 signatures urging the council to stop felling trees next to Canonmills Bridge will be presented to The Scottish Government tomorrow afternoon.

It was a pure stroke of karma that the trees on the west side of the Canonmills Bridge are still standing, according to Ani Rinchen Khandro, the official spokesperson behind the campaign, Stop The Chop.

Ani explained that she was attaching a notice about the petition to the bridge only last Saturday when she met a city architect who offered his professional help to the campaign. He then established that there was sufficient doubt over the status of the trees to mean that the council instructed their contractors not to proceed on Monday.

A blow by blow account of Monday’s developments is reported on The Broughton Spurtle website, where they also reproduce in full the letter written by the protesters to council Chief Executive, Sue Bruce.

The council had planned to remove the trees on the west side of the bridge in the same way as others on the east side have already been taken away. This is part of the Flood Prevention works which the council is carrying out all the way along the Water of Leith.

 

This is what the Stop the Chop petition says:-

“Healthy, mature trees are being hacked down along Edinburgh’s Water of Leith in a heavy handed and fundamentally flawed plan to prevent flooding. Much of our precious urban landscape has already been decimated. But by acting together we can stop the magnificent trees at Canonmills Bridge from going under the chop.

These beautiful willow and birch trees take up a large volume of water through their roots, which also stabilise the riverbank. They are essential in protecting homes from flooding, noise and pollution. Chopping them down would make flooding more likely, not less.

Edinburgh City Council must be encouraged to work with nature, not against it. By implementing a more environmentally sensitive plan we can save this iconic landmark for the benefit of people and wildlife.”

Local Councillor Roy McIvor said:-”I am pleased that there is a halt on this – I asked the Department to look into the matter – whilst documentation is being checked. I would have concerns that any hold up could result in flooding and huge cost to the taxpayer at a time of financial restraint. There has been a very substantial consultation and presentations over quite a period of time. I would also point out that more trees are to be planted than removed.”

Another Inverleith Ward Councillor, Tim McKay, commented:-

“The flood prevention work has been in planning for years and it is important to any residents who might be affected by flooding.

I feel however it is inevitable that the trees will be taken down. There are only 9 on the northern bank. Thankfully two of them are quite small. There is one sycamore and several willows.

Also there is to be nothing removed on the Brandon Terrace side at all and as part of the work schedule there is to be replanting on a two for one basis.

I am pleased also that the contractor will do their best to save the large willow at the start of the path.

There is no official tree preservation order at Canonmills Bridge. I would also highlight that our tree officer has visited the site this week and he has confirmed that the contractor’s plan’s are in line with the agreed tree management plan.”

We interviewed Ani today on Canonmills Bridge to find out what the protesters’ are really trying to do:-

 

 

This graphic on the council website shows what they believe will be the possible flood zone if water levels on the city centre were increased to such an extent that the banks are breached.

Phase1 – V8 – Flattened 1 A

The Scottish Government has issued guidelines on what needs to be done in areas subject to flood risk on its website, and the council has a statutory obligation to carry out such works in terms of The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 .

Greener Leith has also written about the matter here where Juliet Wilson gives a very detailed account of what happened at the public meeting last week in Stockbridge Library.

Landlords get cash to go green

Three Scottish social landlords, including one in Edinburgh, have been awarded a share of a bumper fund to install more efficient heating systems for their tenants.

Castle Rock Edinvar in Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership and Hebridean Housing Partnership were all named winners in the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme.

They were among 24 successful applicants from 125 bids throughout Britain.

The entries were judged by a panel of experts including representatives from The Scottish Government, the Energy Saving Trust and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Alex Neil, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, said:

“As fuel bills continue to rise, anything which will help people heat their homes through the winter is to be welcomed.

“It would appear from the high number of entries to this contest that social landlords are taking a very serious interest in new heating technologies which can help reduce bills and benefit the environment.

“With the recent harsh winters that we have experienced, especially here in Scotland, it has never been more important to ensure that people do not have to give up heating for eating.”

Castle Rock Edinvar will use their £127,960 grant to install biomass heating in eight properties in Edinburgh.

Hebridean Housing Partnership will receive £175,000 to provide air source heating pumps for 29 properties.

Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership are also receiving £175,000 for a range of greener heating installations.

The fund is part of the Energy Savings Trust’s Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme allowing householders to apply for support for a range of green heating technologies.

For further information contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012.

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