Cringe, Alba Cringe


This is the time of the year that the asylums let the inmates out for the silly season on summer furlough and supply them with the wherewithal to write to the Berwickshire:

SIR,- I watched a few minutes of the Andy Murray tennis match at Wimbledon recently and saw one spectator waving the Saltire rather sheepishly. She gave the impression of being an intruder!
If there is a strange Wimbledon rule prohibiting the Scottish flag from being displayed, then may I suggest that supporters conceal the flag under their shirts and blouses; the authorities cannot frisk everybody!
It is frustrating and that is putting it mildly, to think that the people of Scotland and SNP have allowed the English - British - to politically hijack Mr Murray for their own political ends.
Even the score board shows an Union flag! Yes a Union flag and the words GBR, yes GBR.
Why is that you have not ensured that he represents Scotland and proudly displays the Scottish flag on the scoreboard with a clear reference to Scotland?
What he is doing, whether he realises it or not is showing his support for Unionism and therefore contempt for Scottish independence and by association, the SNP.
By allowing this to happen you have allowed the British establishment to dictate the agenda.
Please be good enough to arrange change via Scottish media and etc for next year and ensure that the rest of Britain and the world sees the Saltire flag being waved enthusiastically, being worn on T-shirts, on hats; on everything and consequently illustrate that you and the Scottish people are earnest about independence.


I wonder why this expat Scot a burden on the long suffering Dorset Tax payers, only watched a few minutes of the Murray match? Was the wretched Scotsman losing at the time? Pity he did not see the glorious British player triumph so convincingly in the quarter finals.

Labels: Andy Murray, Scottish cringe, SNP

  ¶ 9:52 AM (2) comments

 



COWED?

Lots of ex townees of my acquaintance, now moved to rural parts, still retain some of their urban fears about the wide open spaces and the denizens therein. I am most reluctant to enter a field in which there is a Bull however docile it appears to the casual bystander. After all 'Beware of the Bull' is put up for some good reason, presumably. And I have to confess I am not altogether comfortable when in too close vicinity to horses and cows. And especially cows with young. (Only a few days ago a woman was trampled to death by cows in Yorkshire as you can read here)

Hence my nervousness when some of the family taking a break from eating their way through the Wife's Big Birthday found ourselves in very close vicinity to a a bovine family group on the top of Duns Law. We had no dog with us, unlike the victim of the
Yorkshire fatality but the cows seemed over interested in the visiting bi-pods; its one thing having a small bird eying you up from a nearby branch but quite another having a large hunk of underdone beef breathing down your neck at very close quarters. Ar any moment a calf could have broken out of the ranks and we might well all have been squished by the pursuing stampede of anxious and single minded mothers.

On a whim (Diplomats are trained to deal with the unexpected with the unusual, or vice versa)I addressed the herd on behalf of the Scottish Nationalist Party as a contribution towards political awareness as a Westminster election looms. Large brown eyes glazed over and the rally dispersed as the audience went off in search of less intellectually demanding entertainment. I suspect any how that that they were Liberals at heart or it may have been that my simple message, albeit an ancient Merseian proverb, had struck home:

The Grass is Always Greener on the other side of Duns Law


(NO Townee of Transmere: the Black Cow is a Bull-not on Duns Law but in the Lammermuirs)

Labels: Cows, Rural denizens, SNP, trampled under foot

  ¶ 8:33 AM (0) comments

 
OIL at a SNiP ?

Alex Orr a SNP activist (see No 10 here) and I think no relation to our indefatigable Mrs O writes to the Berwickshire as follows:

SIR, - I was bemused to note that Norway has just announced that it is going to dip into its $332 billion sovereign wealth fund (£222bn) to finance a new fiscal spending package.
The oil-rich Norwegians will use the fund, the world’s second largest after Abu Dhabi, to offset a rapid slowdown in economic growth next year. And it aims to use these funds to stimulate target sectors expected to experience the sharpest slowdown, such as the construction sector, and invest in public buildings, schools and infrastructure. Oslo is in fact heralded as one of the best places in the world to spend its way out of the downturn, using its vast oil wealth.
Meanwhile in the UK, which has been running a structural budget deficit for years, the UK Government announced last week that is going to borrow £10,000 for every man, woman and child in the UK. There is something indeed more than a little ironic that at a time when record Scottish oil revenues are flowing to the London Exchequer - £55 billion over the coming six years compared to £41 billion during the previous six – Scotland is bailing out the rest of the UK and being saddled with levels of debts that will cripple this and future generations.
Jim Murphy’s infamous ‘Arc of Insolvency’ remark has badly backfired, and while oil-rich Norway can tap into this wealth, oil-rich Scotland is not only bailing out the rest of the UK, but facing a £1 billion upfront budget cut courtesy of the UK Government.
ALEX ORR,


Sadly one slight flaw in his argument. Its not Scottish Oil but British Oil. Kingdom of Norway United Kingdom of GB and NI as it says on the tin, if not on the barrel. AS in British Army, not Scottish Army. And likely to remain so whilst a majority of the citizens of Scotland retain some common sense.

But says Mr O, don't be obtuse. I am talking about what should be: a fabulously wealthy independent Scotland keeping its huge oil revenues for itself. Those in the SNP who think like Mr O must have been positively salivating with excitement (and resentment) when last July oil was at $146 a barrel. But look now it is $34 on a good day. And if Mr Salmond's team of in house economists are dreaming of an Independent Alba financed by oil-fluctuating in price and starting to run out at an alarming speed the perhaps the drawing board beckons. Why not let things as they are; you really are in a win win situation. If the nice Mr Brown wins the election you will still have a Glaswegian at the helm-if it is the brash Tory leader who polls the votes...

Isn't Cameron a good Scottish name? A white Scot perhaps.

But a Scot.

(The image is murky-like the future of North Sea Oil?)

And oh yes, A Happy and as prosperous-as-can-be-reasonably-expected- New Year to all bloggees. And if you don't quite last the course I hope the proverb from the Ould Sod resonates with you :

May You be in Heaven before the Divil knows you're dead

Labels: Scottish Oil, SNP

  ¶ 3:39 PM (0) comments

  Getting an Orr in

I am sure we all wish Janie Orr the best of luck in her chosen career as a politician-here I am heavily dependent on a Berwickshire News article which you can share here She says that she is following in her mother's footsteps and whilst reiterating our best wishes we sincerely hope she has more success than her indefatigable mater who must be one of the most unsuccessful politicians in the Borders. Yet to win anything in any election at any level and I doubt her chances of doing any better as the SNP candidate for Westminster -presumably standing when Mr Brown throws in the towel.

Janie is quoted as saying "I got interested in politics through my mum" Well she certainly started with the basics when her mum was out canvassing: the Orr children handed out the bumph while the candidate sat in her car. Or so my Paxton friends tell me. She certainly never made it to the top of Kirk Lane in Hutton but I did get her handouts-child delivered. Perhaps Mrs O felt that the locals knew her well so why bother to put in a personal appearance and press the flesh. Here she was right enough: she failed to get in against much less familiar opponents.

Well here is the junior Orr in a parliament already. A first for the family. A youth assembly is better than none. The article fails to mention her party label. ff she is not joining the SNP, well done Janie.

You deserve to go far.

Labels: Borders Politics, Mrs O, SNP

  ¶ 7:58 PM (11) comments

 


Middle England 1 Scotland 0 (No show) aet.

The blog has been in deepest Derbyshire/Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire-middle England par excellence. Our hosts had an internet connection but it was having a week end off so no post.

One characteristic of ME is the total unawareness of any where else-no other place this side of Timbuktu(West)seems so far from Scotland despite Alba being a couple of hours up the M1.At a birthday party attended by mid Englanders of all ages I vainly raised the question of Scottish independence when conversation flagged. It continued to flag. Scotland, Independence and anything north of Newcastle seemed not to spark the slightest interest; Leicestershire's prospects in the County Championship (Poor) Yes; Leicester having the highest proportion of Immigrants in England (50%+) Yes; Crime in Nottingham not counting RH and HMM (high) Yes; But Scotland? ' You actually live there? Answer not expected and countered with a moan about house prices in Derby (falling)'Alex Salmond Who he? Or is it a fish?'
And under pressure-'if the b****y Scotch want flipping independence..good luck to the
b******s make no difference to us. Init? ' Might get rid of Gordon bleeding Brown -back to Glasgow or whichever hole he crawled out from'

Note to Mr Salmond. Don't worry about Kettering, Northampton, Norwich, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and all those Little Chefs on the A1(M) East, West. wherever. You're kicking at


an open door.


So it was a bit of a relief to cross the border south of Jedburgh on the A68 to be greeted by a notice in all official languages of the EU warning the unwary motorist that driving was on the left-

what a shock, one supposes, for that intrepid continental driver who has been on the wrong side of the road all the way from Dover

And he may well have sympathised with the second image-thankyou flickr (go to http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=welcome%20to%20scotland&w=all and scroll down a bit)

Labels: Alex Salmond, Independent Scotland, Middle England, SNP

  ¶ 3:28 PM (0) comments

 
How to Kick an own goal

Apparently Wendy Alexander, the accident prone leaderene of Used Labour in Scotland is going to support the idea of a referendum on independence. If this takes place in or around 2010 with a newly elected honking group of Old Etonians in charge south of the Border this might well drive most of Scotland into the hands of the SNP. Especially as that time Labour up here is likely to be as popular as Labour down there. Has Wendy A thought this one through?

Saltires over Hutton? Could happen.

Need to get a pole first.

And this will have to compete with the proposed Christmas lights for funding

Labels: Independent Scotland, SNP

  ¶ 9:32 AM (1) comments

  Putting an Orr in?

This letter in today's electronic Berwickshire indicates a bit of disarray in the nationalist ranks?

SIR, - I read in last week’s issue with some degree of surprise that Aileen Orr is being quoted in your newspaper as Westminster Candidate and she is quoted as speaking for the Borders regarding independence.
While I am delighted that the Petition on Independence is getting some column inches in your first class newspaper I am disappointed that Ms Orr is once again being presented by the Tweeddale Press as some kind of local candidate for the SNP in Berwickshire.
This is extremely misleading for the electorate and quite insulting to our own Westminster candidate, Paul Wheelhouse who has been working across the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency since he was appointed last October.
Ms Orr may well farm with her husband at Hutton but that does not give her the right to comment on matters relating to this constituency without that comment coming through myself or our candidate.
She is a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for an area which stretches from Clydesdale on the west coast down to Dumfriesshire and the Solway coast then up to West Peeblesshire. That, I am sure you will agree, is a bit further west than even the Berwickshire News can claim as its circulation area.
All press releases regarding the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirkshire Constituency are issued from either myself for Paul Wheelhouse and I would ask that you respect that position check with one of us before publishing items purporting to represent the SNP in this area.
KENNETH GUNN,
Chairman, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency SNP Association.

Might it not have been simpler to ask Mrs O to button it locally rather than air party disagreements in the medja? And how is it Mrs O's fault if the local press has misunderstood her position?

Whilst wishing the Hutton Farmer all the best in the Westminster hustings may Huttonian respectfully suggest that door to door canvassing is not best done by sitting in car and sending the younger members of the family to stuff the letter boxes and knock the knockers. It did not work around here and I doubt if it will have a warmer response a 'bit further west'

Verb Sap as they used to say in Pompeii

Labels: General Election, Mrs O, SNP

  ¶ 12:32 PM (2) comments

 
BERWICK NEVER LEFT SCOTLAND REVELATION SHOCK

It is certainly the silly season when the whole Bizarre business of returning Berwick to Scotland dominates the pages of our local organ-The Berwickshire on three successive Thursdays and when the latest utterances of one of Berwickshire's less celebrated mavericks (Huttonian does not subscribe to the epithet Loonie, however much deserved it can be at times) are moved from the letters page to the front page. To save you having to fritter away sixty pence here is Janice Gillie's article in full.


Self-appointed Regent says matter is clear

The status of Berwick was mentioned in the declaration of Duns in 1992"

THE Kingdom of Scotland already includes Berwick-upon-Tweed within its boundaries according to self appointed Regent of the kingdom, Michael Andrew Ritchie of Greenlaw.
As the debate continues about whether Berwick would be better off in England or Scotland, and whether people in Berwick would like to be part of Scotland, Mr Ritchie believes the matter is already clear.
At the time of the Treaty of Edinburgh/Northampton in 1329 Berwick belonged to Scotland, and that treaty, signed by Robert the Bruce and Edward III, declared: "The Kingdom of Scotland shall remain for ever separate in all respects from the Kingdom of England, in its entirety, free and in peace, without any kind of subjection, servitude, claim of demand, with its rightful boundaries as they were held and preserved in the time of Alexander of good memory, King of Scotland, last deceased, to the magnificent prince, the Lord Robert, by God's grace illustrious King of Scots, our ally and very dear friend, and to his heirs and successors."
And this is enough evidence for Mr Ritchie to conclude that the current interest in Berwick's position on the border, drawing attention to the benefits of being part of Scotland not England, is perhaps misplaced as the town is already in Scotland.
"The status of Berwick-upon-Tweed was mentioned in the Declaration of Duns in 1992, which affirmed that the Kingdom of Scotland is still legally and constitutionally independent,"explained Mr Ritchie.
"And this of Berwick as well as that of the Kingdom of Scotland has ever since been again and again brought out by myself as Regent and Acting Chancellor (ie Chief Minister) in material sent by me on behalf of the Kingdom's Parliament (reactivated in 2000)."
In his 1997 Declaration of Duns Mr Ritchie asserted that the Kingdom of Scotland still exists, both legally and constitutionally, under Scots law and therefore was legally and constitutionally reactivated by himself in 1997 and in 1999 he invited both noble and commoner members to represent the Sovereign People to the first sitting of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland for almost 400 years.
It is Mr Ritchie's contention that both the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England in 1603 and the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707 are illegal and unconstitutional under both Scots and English law.
"The so-called Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh is, of course, but an illegal and unconstitutional construct," said Mr Ritchie, who reactivated the Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland in the same year that the new Scottish Parliament began.
Mr Ritchie's latest constitutional move on behalf of Scotland was to reactivate the High Council of the Kingdom of Scotland, on April 25, 2006 and this body according to Mr Ritchie "will soon start meeting also."

A bloggee (see comments on previous post) has suggested that Huttonian attaches himself as English Ambassador in residence to the court of HRH The Regent with observer status at the High Council. Sadly the Court has moved from Duns, the parvenu capital of Berwickshire to the 'ancient' one in Greenlaw. I don't really want a third residence in Berwickshire.

Two items of sad news for the Regent: his subjects in Berwickshire voted three to one to keep Berwick in England as rightly' being English' and the good Berwikers themselves having voted overwhelmingly in agreeing that they would be better off in Scotand-when asked a slightly different question as to whether Berwick should be part of Scotland 77% said no.

Now what does Mr Salmond make of that.

Note to Editor: Real News please that is the

'Declaration of Hutton' (2008)

(The image is apparently titled The Naked Royalist'. Is wearing the Regents
New Clothes?)

Labels: Berwick upon Tweed, Declaration of Duns, Royal Scotland, SNP

  ¶ 11:08 AM (2) comments

  Dr Johnston is supposed to have claimed that a Scotsman's favourite sight was the road to England-given how many sons of Alba had found fame and fortune 'south of the Border down Wimbledon way'. Here is lush opulent Northumbria photographed from lush opulent Paxton House. To make a quick getaway to a life of liberty and the pursuit of happiness would mean getting a bit damp as the border runs down the middle of the Tweed at this point. A small price to pay, perhaps, for escaping the heavy flabby hand of a Salmond or a Sturgeon (no fishing puns intended

Labels: Freedom, SNP, Tweed

  ¶ 9:52 AM (0) comments

 
Bye Bye Berwick?

Today's Independent has a double spread feature on Berwick upon Tweed picking up the poll on whether the town should transfer its allegiance from England to Scotland : THE ENGLISH TOWN THAT WANT TO BE SCOTTISH is the headline on Page 16.

Nothing much new except I did not know that a severed arm of William Wallace (not Mel Gibson) was once displayed here after his terminal hanging drawing and quartering as recently as 1305. It has since been removed on Public Health grounds.
It also again nails the myth that Berwick is still at war with Russia following the end of the Crimean war But I had not heard before that so prevalent was that belief that a formal (albeit Tongue in Cheek) treaty 1966 of peace was signed by the mayor of Berwick with a Soviet official in 1966. 'Now the Russian People can sleep peacefully in their beds' said the mayor thereafter.

Apparently the SNP (a bit of nationalist mischief says the Indy) bid to take Berwick back into Berwickshire has the support of the leader of the Scottish Borders Council. Think of all that extra council tax and think also of the agony of Duns if it is dumped as the county capital in favour of Ber Wick. Bad news for Dingers if good for Berwikers.

Of course its all a bit of harmless posturing and hardly does much for the SNP's pretensions to be the natural government of Scotland. Perhaps it should put its own house in order before trying to grab bits of others.

Edward 1 burnt down Berwick for daring to contemplate an alliance with France This latest bit of union bashing might lead to a similar over reaction from our friends in the South. And bits of Mr Salmond might end up on display-in Scotsgate, appropriately enough.

Or more likely the English highheidyins would not give the proverbial.

Labels: Berwick upon Tweed, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, SNP

  ¶ 1:42 PM (1) comments

  SNP TARGET BERWICK HORROR


The Scottish Nationalist Party has fixed its sights on the English border town of Berwick upon Tweed as its next battleground with England.

Christine Grahame, MSP for southern Scotland, has "invited" the people of Berwick to "come back into the fold" and swap their allegiance from England to Scotland.

Historically, the town has been a battleground between England and Scotland for centuries.

It has changed hands between the two nations no less than 13 times and was last won by the English in 1482.

But in a poll, organised by local newspaper the Berwick Advertiser, 77% of all those who voted said they would like to be governed by Scotland once more.

Keith Hamblin, deputy editor, said: "I was surprised by the result. I am a Berwick man born and bred and I regard myself very much as English.

"I think, though, that people feel the quality of life is better in Scotland since devolution.

"Also, we are losing our borough council next year. It's being replaced by a new unitary authority, so all our administration wil be run 60 miles away further south.

"So people feel they're going to be left out even further on the frozen north."

The town already has Scottish loyalties when it comes to football.

Its team, Berwick Rangers FC, has played in the Scottish league for years.

Ms Grahame hopes the rest of the town will also become fans of the idea of being Scottish.

Sky reports the latest bit of silliness by the SNP who are climbing on to a band wagon originally provided by a TV programme on whether Berwickers would prefer to have Scottish social services rather than English ones. Would you like free tertiary education? Yes please. Free services for the Elderly. Yes please. Would you like to pay higher taxes in an independant Scotland to underwrite what the UK government is now subsidising.

Next question.

Labels: Berwick, SNP

  ¶ 4:28 PM (0) comments

  Scotland the new Slovenia?

A Mr Alex Orr writes from Embra to the Berwickshire, bemoaning the fact that Scotland can only look on from the sidelines as Slovenia, the first of the new member states to hold the Presidency of the EU, having signed up 'only three years ago', sets and influences the agenda, including climate change, energy policy, ratification of the EU treaty, standardisation of urinals, and the other great issues of the day. If only Scotland were independent what mighty things she could do across the water is the sub text.For the moment she has to be content with running the UK via our Scottish PM. I think an independent Scotland might find itself fairly disappointed by what a minnow can achieve in the six months it has the titular 'power' in the Union-as compared with the actual influence that Scots already have at Westminister. Every day and it sometimes seems, for ever.

I wonder if this Mr Orr is any relation to our local Orrs-seemingly coming from the same SNP stable. It is thus intriguing to see another letter from a Paul Whitehouse who describes himself as the SNP prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. Hoy! Hold on a minute. What has happened to the indefatigable Mrs Orr. She has valiantly contested all kinds of elections in the Borders for the SNP. Surely she should be given a chance for a crack at a seat in Westminster once Mr Brown has enough bottle to actually hold a general election. If not I hope she will be suitably rewarded for her services to the party when the saltire of an Independent Scotland is eventually raised over the Castle.

Ambassador to Slovenia.

Perhaps

Labels: EU, Scottish politics, Slovenia, SNP

  ¶ 9:35 AM (8) comments

 
Bordering on the ridiculous


With apparently 40% of Scots favouring independence in a poll in December it is refreshing to revisit Eric Robson's interesting account of a walk along the Border as recorded in The Border Line-published in 2006. After a rather downbeat description of the delights of Coldstream, that wild frontier outpost-he quotes from an article by Matthew Engel, a Grudien reporter, about the apparent lack of nationalism on either side of the Border;

" The sparsely populated communities of north Northumberland don't feel intensely English as they know London thinks Damn All about them. Some people even support Scotland at sport which would be unthinkable in reverse. The nearby Scottish towns are largely sufficient unto themselves. They have to be as the road links are wretched and the railways non-existent. The inhabitants are as suspicious of Glasgow and Edinburgh as they are of London.....If Glaswegians are 90- minute Nats, caring for Scotland only when the football is on, Borderers appear to be 80- minute Nats-the duration of a rugby match'

Mr Robson is very anti the idea of independence for Scotland-sensible bloke-so he may not be an impartial observer and I much enjoyed his description of Norham Bridge, across the Tweed, likely to be known after independence as:

Checkpoint Jimmy


I must take slight issue with Mr Engel. Roads are far from wretched in most cases and free of traffic. Perhaps see 5 or 6 cars between Hutton and Kelso on an average day. (Fishwick is of course an exception-traffic jams galore) Railhead at Berwick is quite enough for my needs thankyou and we can do without the Waverley Line. As for 50/40 minute nationalists. Try Melrose where a game of Rugby VIIs lasts about ten minutes. Thats quite enough nationalism for grown ups.

The image is of Coldstream Bridge. An alternative border crossing to Checkpoint Jimmy. It brings you to Scotland's First Border Toon-or away from it as the fancy takes you.

A protege of Robert (Rabbi) Burns (later disowned) wrote about it:

Hail fair structure of the Bridging Race:
Safely across Tweed's Bonnie Banks
To Engerland, Fair Albion's Face
Away from Hame: To God give Thanks

Labels: Rabbi Burns, Scottish politics, SNP, The Border

  ¶ 12:41 PM (0) comments

 
Hutton Expects

But probably not very much. It is hardly true to say that tout Hutton is agog with anticipation of a Croatia victory at Wembley tonight. But the general feeling is (which Huttonian shares) that Poor Old Scotland go out having played so well and England could go through having played so badly. There is no justice in this United Kingdom-vote SNP etc etc. Not that anyone in Hutton apart from Mrs O is likely to vote for the Nats.

The Croatian manager is highly critical of the Wembley pitch. Never been the same since they played American Footie on it a few weeks back.

It is probably too late to switch the match to Farmer H's field in front of the Kirk. Its a bit damp but not churned up and any cows could be put into the West Stand for the duration. I am sure the answer is a polite no but

it remains on the table.

(The image is of wrong kind of football on ground)

Labels: Euro 08, Hutton, SNP

  ¶ 11:01 AM (6) comments

  LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN ACTION (Or should that be inaction?/)

The Berwickshire letter columns continue to reflect a Borders Council Spat with the SNP moaning about their lack of influence within the recently elected council. And the Lib Dems flexing their muscles having failed to make much headway against the SNP elsewhere in Scotland

SIR, - As a committed Liberal Democrat I am a firm believer in politics within local government to ensure clear policy direction and cohesive decision making, however, there have always been some no-go areas for party politics; namely local festivals, decisions on planning applications and community councils.
Therefore I find it most unfortunate that Councillor Bill Herd has, in his first month as the new council group leader of the SNP, singled out these matters for petty posturing. In doing so he has managed to be economical with the truth in a manner which does not bode well for encouraging confidence in elected representatives at any level.
The discussion regarding representation at the building and development control committee centred around the fact that there are now only 11 wards in SBC and each ward is represented by at least one local member on the committee, something which was not the case previously when there were 34 wards.
Planning is a quasi-judicial role for councillors who can only take into account written representations and assess those against current planning policies.
Councillors on the committee have to take account of all views but ultimately also have to make a decision. It is open to all elected members to seek a place on the committee; Councillor Herd did not put his name forward for nomination.
With regard to the letter which was sent to community councils asking what arrangements for SBC councillors’ attendance at their meetings would suit them best – that is appropriate consultation following the recent change to multi-member wards.
The reasoning behind this, which was discussed at the Tweeddale Area Committee in May, was to ensure clear lines of communication and prevent duplication.
The unanimous decision to consult community councils and to ascertain their views on this matter was taken by the committee, which includes Councillor Herd as party to that decision. So perhaps rather than waiting for matters to “come to his attention” he should pay a bit more attention in the meetings he attends, and if he feels it is inappropriate to consult with community councils on a matter which affects them perhaps then he should say so at the time.
Personally I believe that community councils are the front line of local democracy and their views should be sought as part of the democratic decision making process.
And before making a big noise about SNP councillors attending every community council meeting, Councillor Herd would do well to remember that community councils are constitutionally non-party political.
Finally, if Councillor Herd’s initial efforts are indicative of the level of debate from the opposition at the council then I think he has ably demonstrated why it would serve no purpose to return to a committee system.
CATRIONA BHATIA,

Community Councils forefront of local democracy? We wish. The local community council, in my experience over the last seven years, whenever it has attempted to put a community view to the next tier of local government ot to the highheidyins in NStB ,has almost invariably been ignored or overruled-and almost exclusively on planning matters where developers or land owners versus local democracy-no contest. From Kanes Close via the Orchard, with a sideways glance at Edington Mill and the last two out of town skirmishes with Farmers C and N the democrats have emerged bloody and bowed. Only over the Laird's plans to double Paxton has a potential developer been frustrated and that by a widespread popular resistance going much further than the community council, albeit orchestrated by it.

I am sure we await the latest consultation with our Community Council with (a) bated breath and (b) eager anticipation. So far the communication seems snared in the postal strike. Or something.

And if and when we respond with our considered views from the forefront of the local democratic process, will be listened to? Councillors Herd and Bhatia, over to you.

Over and out?

Or just

Roger?*

(* Bad if appropriate pun on active participle, awaited)

Labels: Scottish politics, SNP, Spleen venting

  ¶ 8:17 AM (2) comments

  The SNP who did miserably in these parts of the Borders are now having a bit of a post election moan. Their cri de coeur is in this weeks Berwickshire To wit:


- I am very disappointed that the motion proposed by Councillor Donald Moffat and which represents the SNP’s manifesto commitment to end the current cabinet structure within Scottish Borders Council has not been reported to date in the press.
This was a substantive motion which I believe would have delivered a more democratic style of government to the people of the Borders and would have encouraged a wider debating forum across the political spectrum.
No-one would have been left out and all members of the electorate would be represented in the council chamber.
There is a growing feeling amongst opposition groups that we are being marginalised at all levels in Scottish Borders Council.
The latest utterances from Councillors Houston and Bhatia at the recent planning meeting that ward councillors who are not members of the committee should not be allowed to speak on matters in their area flies in the face of democracy and those two councillors should be thoroughly ashamed of even thinking about such a tactic.
How they dare to call themselves Democrats beggars belief . . . could it be that we are entering a “dog eat dog” era of local politics?
The latest piece of nonsense that has come to my attention is that a letter has been sent to community councils asking them who they want to be their councillor representative.
Let me make my position and that of the SNP in the Borders quite clear - we will be attending all our community councils within our wards wherever possible or practicable.
COUNCILLOR BILL HERD,
Leader SNP Group,
Scottish Borders Council.

Translation: we did badly in the elections, hardly anyone voted for us but we would still like to share power. Tough. The problem you lot have is called democracy.

As for a dog eat dog era in local politics-now there is a novel concept for you.

Note an ominous threat about community councils. Thank goodness we have no SNP councillor in our ward -East Berwickshire-SNP candidate came way bottom of the poll. However if it was the question of a swap between Tory Conundrum and a SNP councillor from else where-and that was the only offer on the table, then I am sure our CC would consider it:

Very carefully.

As Hoots Mc Tavish of That Ilk used to say when out of his cups:

Better the devil you don't know than the one you do'

Labels: Borders, Community Councils, Local Elections, SNP

  ¶ 9:41 AM (0) comments

  RAGES RAGES ON

The letter columns of the Berwickshire continue to simmer over the vexed question of the reopening of Reston Station. Below is the latest volley:

Sanderson Jr, (June 7 and May 24) in his attack on RAGES, displays breathtaking arrogance, for he lacks both knowledge of the Reston project or, it seems, empathy with the people of east Berwickshire.
The reintroduction of local services for a population of 20,000 in Berwickshire is vital to allow access to services, further and higher education and employment opportunities and, let us not forget, family and friends, on an equitable basis to our counterparts across Scotland. Tourism should also be a winner.
I have not seen the STAG appraisal commissioned by the council, but census data reveals east Berwickshire ward has a similar average distance to place of work or study (23 miles) as North Berwick Coastal ward and Dunbar and East Linton.
We also have a similar number of people in employment or studying (all circa 5,000). However, while North Berwick (7.4%) and Dunbar/East Linton (5.7%) have good utilisation rates for trains as the main means of travel, in east Berwickshire it is just 2.1%, with just 99 using trains daily, as of 2001.
Matching the North Berwick figure would raise us to circa 350 or matching Dunbar would mean 275 passengers per day. A lot has changed since then and with new housing I think these figures could be surpassed.
Given the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (£600 million and rising), and the £500 million tram project that effectively only replaces one of the best bus routes in the city, will the people of Edinburgh fund these new services themselves?
If not, why then should taxpayers in our community help fund Edinburgh's grandiose projects, while denying us a basic service on a line that already traverses our beautiful landscape without a single station?
Undoing the damage done here by Beeching would cost less than 0.5% of the capital cost of Edinburgh's status projects and help relieve congestion.
SNP canvass returns from east Berwickshire (population 10,300) were enlightening. We gathered hard data from the Eyemouth area (population 3,000), that indicates that 16% of voters responding stated that they would be regular users of a new service, and 56% stated they would be occasional users. In addition, almost 16% supported the project even if they would not use it themselves. In fact, of those responding, only 12% did not support the Reston proposals.
We in the Berwickshire SNP back the aims of RAGES and will gather further data from voters in the area to build a robust evidence for our use in lobbying our colleagues in the Scottish Government.
PAUL WHEELHOUSE

I humbly wonder what would actually happen if Reston station were to reopen? Would all 20,000 Berwickshirers rush to catch the 8.05 from Reston-all of 5 minutes by train (and 15 minutes by road) from Berwick-thus making that village-twinned with Mecca (where, remember, you can't get a ham sandwich-Reston I mean, not sure about Mecca)the hub of Eastern Berwickshire? I suspect that they would continue to do what they have done since Dr Beeching wielded his big axe in the 1950s.And go to Berwick.From Hutton I can get to Berwick quicker than to Reston and this would apply to many other settlements in Berwickshire.

But here is the nub.

The trouble for Berwickshire SNP is that Berwick upon Tweed is in England.

They want a station in Scotland. And being Berwickshire SNP. In Berwickshire. No matter if it makes bad sense and is a gross waste of taxpayers money.

But it could be visionary forward thinking. Come THE DAY that Bravehearts get their independent republic Reston International Station will come into its own: Passport and Immigration control going north and exit stamps going south. Now, a conundrum. Which platform will be more crowded? The Up

or Down?

Labels: Independent Scotland, RAGES, SNP

  ¶ 9:01 AM (2) comments