The truths they don't want you to read....
Congratulations to the people of South Uist, who have today acquired the land on which they were born and brought up.
But we should thank South Uist Estates who recognised the inevitability of the process and worked with the people in a constructive manner to deliver the land to them. Contrast that with the acrimonious state of affairs in Lewis and you can see just how badly parts of this island have been served by their owners.
Both parties appear to have a very good deal coming out of the process, and this can only be good for the future. As a regular visitor to Uist I look forward to seeing the changes over the coming years and decades.
The
Gazette report and reality differ somewhat.
The facts are easily discernible in the
Statutory Instrument and the
Guidance notes.
1. I qualify for a £10k payment
2. To qualify I have to put my name forward by 20 October, as I have done
3. I receive the payment 14 days after the date of the election (3rd May 2007), as per section 8
4. To qualify you must not stand as a candidate on 3 May
5. If you die before 3 May, your named beneficiary receives the payment
6. You can opt to stand in May 2007, but you lose your right to the payment
If I decided not to stand next year, then I can stand as a Councillor in a bye-election later that month; I could stand as an MSP, MP or as first President of the Peoples Republic of Scotland; or indeed, return to the Comhairle in ten or twenty years time.
However, anyone who hasn't signed up just for the free life insurance cover needs their heads examined.
When I decide what I am
really going to do, you'll hear it here first. ;-)
The big question is: What sort of Comhairle are we going to have if the most experienced 2/3's of the members leave??
After a wonderfully refreshing break sitting around a pool and doing nothing more energetic than reading, eating and drinking, I'm back. We watched Ireland demolish Australia in a "traditional" (sic) Irish Bar and yesterday we watched the Aussies wipe the floor with Scotland at Murrayfield.
The mail - both personal and business - was about two foot high, which is slightly less than usual for ten days, and has now all been opened and sorted - but not yet dealt with.
We're away for 10 days, and with no laptop (for once) there will be no postings till I return.
Hope you enjoy my time away, as much as I do :-)
Last night I did an interview for RTE, Dublin, about the Atlantic Osprey, which is carrying nuclear waste from Sellafield to France and Switzerland.
KIMO have long had very serious
concerns about the appropriateness of using a former ro-ro ferry to carry toxic waste.
The Comhairle had a presentation about this almost four years ago, and pledged to oppose any such shipments (as far as we could).
Now with the Irish Government putting pressure on the UK Government, we might manage to get some progress. However, at the Council of Ministers meeting I attended in Gothenburg the UK opposed any and every restriction on nuclear transportation, waste production, and waste management in favour of market forces.
KIMO have members in Ireland, the Isle of Man and Wales so we hope to have a combined campaign against these shipments.
Whilst understanding the misery this collapse has caused those directly concerned, instead of hand-wringing and saying "Something Must Be Done", politicians would be better advised to encourage the public to save through Credit Unions, rather than through commercial (non-banking) operations.
A much more radical viewpoint was stated in one of the newsletters I subscribe to: As the agents are self-employed, are we now to believe that the self-employed are entitled to protection and refunds if their customer goes under? How many sub-contractors have lost money when a main contractor has gone under, and how few of them have ever got a refund for their losses? So why should one group be treated differently?
I consider that the claims in Parliament that this is a "national emergency", and that MP's should make a contribution to the appeal fund, to be nothing more than a pathetic piece of symbolism which doesn't address the real issues. Such as, why do we spend so much money on conspicuous consumption to celebrate the pagan festival of mid-winter?
I find myself quoted in the
Chicago Tribune, again, as some kind of authority on Scottish politics. The author, Tom Hundley, has recently been in Lewis and I had the opportunity to meet him. He subsequently interviewed me for this article and I'm flattered with the political company I keep in his article.
However, my ambitions are that much lower and more local.
Strange. But then they thought our normality was odd to.
The remains were stored for a week due to the demand at the crematorium, and then the funeral director walked along the road ahead of the cortege for about 1/2 mile before we dove the nest couple of miles to the crematorium. Can you imagine Al Crae doing that (no discrespect Al, but...)
Afterwards, the wake was in his local, which being England was fully smoking, so everything needs to go to the dry cleaners next week. Roll on the smoking ban.
Thence back to Sy, and normality (sic)
My first flight ever into London City aoirport was very exciting.
I've avoided the airport for no good reason, but today I landed there for speed and efficiency reasons.
It's like landing on a pier, mainly due to the fact it is a pier! The landing is no worse than anywhere else, bit the maneuvering was nervey, due to the restricted space.
Only 22 minutes to Bank, another 15 minutes to Waterloo adn the world is you Oyster (card).
Heathrow on the way back was horrendous. we left at 8am for a noon flight, and it was just about enough time. Probably the worst airport in the world.
The past week has been difficult, so apologies for holding postings, until we were ready to let them go.
On Saturday we went out for our usual dinner and drinks and were approached by a gentleman |( an I use the expression very loosely) who seemed to have a problem with some confidential and personal information that his wife held.
Without giving anything away, he ended up trying to ask my wife out for a fight, and(allegedly) physically assaulting both of us.
We both deal with confidential information every day, and to have our private lives thrown back in our faces is very difficult to deal with.
He was duly thrown out of the pub, and five minutes late he was back in and served with a pint and a double. Hey ho. The Police were interested, and we have left them to it.
I find myself in total agreement with the Gazette editorial, that whilst reduced ferry fares from the islands will be gratefully accepted, the real solution is free travel.
Without that bold step, it is just going to make it cheaper to go to Inverness for shopping, whilst local shops and tourists are priced out of the market.
However, one senses that the coming election might result in bigger carrots being dangled the closer the election comes...
I've got a cyber-stalker, so I'm obviously moving up in the world.
The poor saddo read something on the blog recently, and within a few hours was desperately trying to find the full facts, to the extent of getting others to make rude calls to members of my family.
As their virtual fingerprints are all over the weblogs, I can see exactly what they are doing, whilst they remain oblivious to the trail they are leaving.
Remember what
Tony Parsons said?
We decided I should got to Barra to see some clients on Monday, so I set of down the road. It was not to be.
As I sat above Baile on Eriskay, trying to get the last mobile signal, I wondered why all the cars weer driving to the ferry and cruising back - just a "spin" I thought. Not. The ferry was cancelled, so it was a quick dash to the Pollachar for a bed for the night.
Last night we had a family bereavement, so it was a drive back up the road today to catch the afternoon ferry to Lewis and home to my family.
Sue and I went out on Saturday for a fabulous meal at Digby Chick's and thence for a drink (or two).
We walked into a certain pub in town to find it was very quiet, but standing at the bar was our friend, the one who came into the office to shout abuse at us both about windfarms. Well --- too good an opportunity to miss.
We doughnutted him - I stood on one side, and Sue on the other as we waited for bar service. He looked first one way, then the other, and moved rapidly to a table in the far corner.
We took our drinks, and guess where we chose to sit?!?
The panic in his eyes was really funny, and as we walked to his table, he jumped to the next table to talk to another customer.
When he went to the bar for a drink, I asked his drinking buddy who he was. As I know Carrots (for it was he) from 30 years past, we had a long and lively chat, which proved even more discomforting for our missing colleague as he wondered back from the bar. Carrots also insisted on bonding with Sue, which is euphemism for a kiss and attempted cuddle :-) He won't try that again without her permission.
On the way out, Carrots was vocal in wishing us the very best, and I laid my hand firmly on the shoulder of the Parkend ex-pat and said "See you again soon!" He just didn't know where to look or what to do.
If you dish it out, you have to be able to take it, and our friend can't ;-))
It's difficult to believe the series of events that have befallen this
wind turbine in it's short life. I had been looking forward to the Arnish moor windfarm being up and running as soon as possible, to allow everyone to see just how wind turbines will look against the moorland.
But, if it is not one thing it is another, and I am now looking forward to the slightly reduced development going ahead.
David
Miliband has apparently told the
House of Commons that nuclear waste is to be buried in geographically suitable areas, but only with the support of local communities.
Volunteers are being sought from potential beneficiaries of this
largesse.
Let me mull this one over before coming to a decision ......
It's here! It's installed, working and looking good.
I am appalled by the underlying racism surrounding the
decision to limit the number of unskilled workers to be allowed into the UK.
"Stop the Gypos!" is the message that John Reid is putting across, "They're all thieves".
But the *good* skilled workers such as Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants are allowed to come in without permits.
Pandering to racists and "little Englanders" is never going to result in a good policy, far less one that is workable. How long before we see those who look *foreign* being asked for work permits as they enter the UK?
What a waste of the limited resources that the Government has available, when they should be used to stop terrorism. After the success
(sic) of stopping illegal immigrants getting into the UK via the Channel Tunnel, you would think that the light would dawn.
However, operational issues have no doubt overtaken by political imperatives.
Having received a mailshot today, I've decided to write a guide for all those thinking about standing for the Comhairle in 2007.
First draft (scrapped) was horribly indiscreet.
The final version will just be indiscreet, and pull no punches.
When completed, I'll post it to my
web site and make an announcement.
I think it might get me into trouble :-)
The party went like a treat, with 10 happy, happy, noisy children running around the house.
We all ended up playing games such as musical statues, pass the parcel and a major treasure hunt throughout the house.
They all sat down and ate and ate and ate, with chicken nuggets, sausages, jelly, pizza and assorted juice to make the party go with a swing.
By the time they left, we were exhausted, but the kids had all totally enjoyed themselves, and not one was sick. Result!
Babysitter came, and we went out to recover. Thankfully the boys slept late today, which meant everyone was in a good mood for the whole day.
