Years of financial doping appear to have finally caught up with Hearts. Here's tonight's Edinburgh Evening News front page:
30 April 2013
Scots Lib Dems lose plot on child car smoking ban
When a party loses two thirds of its Parliamentarians, more than half of its councillors and is struggling for a platform on the big issues of the day, one might think its spokespeople would use the limited opportunities that present themselves to promote some distinctive and well thought out proposals that might help reestablish the party.
Not so the Scottish Lib Dems who clearly think the 5% of liberal Scots who stuck by it in the last two years should be driven from the fold with an announcement by Health Spokesperson and nanny in chief, Jim Muir, to promote legislation to prosecute car drivers for smoking if they have children as passengers.
On first glance it may seem an attractive extension of tough anti-smoking laws to further dissuade the recalcitrant monority of smokers to give up and to protect children from second hand smoke. Until you think about it that is.
There are a number of fundamental problems with this bizarre idea - notwithstanding its fundamental illiberalism and unacceptable increase in state intrusion into the private realm. Firstly it is basically unenforcable - as anyone who has observed drivers chatting or texting on their mobile phones with impunity can testify.
Secondly - even if it was enforceable (and it will be interesting to hear the police's view of the proposal) - it is aimed at the wrong target. It isn't in cars that children of smokers are mainly exposed to second hand smoke - it is in their homes. Car ownership in Scotland (like the rest of the UK) is very much more prevalent among higher earning households - the very groups where smoking rates are at their lowest.
According to Health Scotland (2007) "In Scotland car ownership is highly related to social class and income. For example, 37% of households with an annual net income of under £10,000 own a
car, compared with 98% of those with an annual net household income of over £40,000; 40% of
households in the most deprived 20% of areas had access to a car compared with 86% in the least
deprived 20% of areas."
Conversely, Public Health Information for Scotland (2008) report, "There is a strong gradient in smoking prevalence across deprivation deciles. In 2005/06, nearly 45% of Scottish adults smoked in the most deprived tenth of data-zones (as measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006) compared with just 13% of adults living in the least deprived tenth.
It is clear this proposal is a solution looking for a problem. And sadly for the Scots Lib Dems wasting time and effort on useless political gimmicks like this isn't a sensible way to get back in the political game.
Not so the Scottish Lib Dems who clearly think the 5% of liberal Scots who stuck by it in the last two years should be driven from the fold with an announcement by Health Spokesperson and nanny in chief, Jim Muir, to promote legislation to prosecute car drivers for smoking if they have children as passengers.
On first glance it may seem an attractive extension of tough anti-smoking laws to further dissuade the recalcitrant monority of smokers to give up and to protect children from second hand smoke. Until you think about it that is.
There are a number of fundamental problems with this bizarre idea - notwithstanding its fundamental illiberalism and unacceptable increase in state intrusion into the private realm. Firstly it is basically unenforcable - as anyone who has observed drivers chatting or texting on their mobile phones with impunity can testify.
Secondly - even if it was enforceable (and it will be interesting to hear the police's view of the proposal) - it is aimed at the wrong target. It isn't in cars that children of smokers are mainly exposed to second hand smoke - it is in their homes. Car ownership in Scotland (like the rest of the UK) is very much more prevalent among higher earning households - the very groups where smoking rates are at their lowest.
According to Health Scotland (2007) "In Scotland car ownership is highly related to social class and income. For example, 37% of households with an annual net income of under £10,000 own a
car, compared with 98% of those with an annual net household income of over £40,000; 40% of
households in the most deprived 20% of areas had access to a car compared with 86% in the least
deprived 20% of areas."
Conversely, Public Health Information for Scotland (2008) report, "There is a strong gradient in smoking prevalence across deprivation deciles. In 2005/06, nearly 45% of Scottish adults smoked in the most deprived tenth of data-zones (as measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006) compared with just 13% of adults living in the least deprived tenth.
It is clear this proposal is a solution looking for a problem. And sadly for the Scots Lib Dems wasting time and effort on useless political gimmicks like this isn't a sensible way to get back in the political game.
26 April 2013
Friday favourite 105
Fife's finest, KT Tunstall, on her first UK TV appearance - on Jools Holland - blowing away the rest of the show with Black Horse and the Cherry Tree:
It was 111 years ago today...
...that Hibs last won the Scottish Cup. On April 26th 1902 they beat Celtic 1-0 with the goal scored by McGeechan. Bizarrely the Scottish football authorities in an early example of bias toward the old firm insisted the game shoud be played at Celtic Park.
Next month Hibs play Celtic in their tenth attempt since then to win the trophy again. The Edinburgh Reporter has more information about their last successful attempt.
Next month Hibs play Celtic in their tenth attempt since then to win the trophy again. The Edinburgh Reporter has more information about their last successful attempt.
25 April 2013
Farage claims UKIP standing in more seats than Lib Dems
So he says in tonight's London Evening Standard.
Interestingly his article opens with a distinctly liberal appeal:
"The great cliché — that all politics is local — will be played out next Thursday when all the shire counties of England, Anglesey and a tranche of urban boroughs go to the polls...The only way to get the entrenched political class to listen to the legitimate concerns of a disenfranchised electorate is to do the one thing career politicians cannot deal with: take away their votes, their jobs and their expenses."
Interestingly his article opens with a distinctly liberal appeal:
"The great cliché — that all politics is local — will be played out next Thursday when all the shire counties of England, Anglesey and a tranche of urban boroughs go to the polls...The only way to get the entrenched political class to listen to the legitimate concerns of a disenfranchised electorate is to do the one thing career politicians cannot deal with: take away their votes, their jobs and their expenses."
22 April 2013
Are Scottish Tories falling further behind in panda stakes?
News that Edinburgh Zoo has artificially inseminated panda Tian Tian with the aim of producing some offspring at the end of the summer, means a rewrite for the Scottish Tories/panda joke. No more will we be able to say there are twice as many pandas in Scotland as Tory MPs...
19 April 2013
Work starts on Waverley route reopening
Yesterday, south east of Edinburgh, workers started construction on the reopening of the Waverley rail line - or Borders Rail as it is now called.
The closure of the Waverley route mainline was probably the biggest mistake of the Beeching years - cutting off the Scottish borders from the rail network causing long term damage to its industry and agriculture sectors and even making a radical of its then MP - David Steel - who spent a night in the nick for his involvement in the protests against closure.
But this is a victory for a long term campaign by Borders (and Midlothian) residents - who will hopefully now see the whole line reinstated all the way to Carlisle. Anyway here's some footage of the northern part of the route which shows quite how well preseved most of the route is.
The closure of the Waverley route mainline was probably the biggest mistake of the Beeching years - cutting off the Scottish borders from the rail network causing long term damage to its industry and agriculture sectors and even making a radical of its then MP - David Steel - who spent a night in the nick for his involvement in the protests against closure.
But this is a victory for a long term campaign by Borders (and Midlothian) residents - who will hopefully now see the whole line reinstated all the way to Carlisle. Anyway here's some footage of the northern part of the route which shows quite how well preseved most of the route is.
Friday favourite 104
Oldham's Inspiral Carpets with 'This is how it feels' from the dying days of the Thatcher government.
18 April 2013
Gryff Rees Jones - why comedians shouldn't appear on Question Time
Jones began his first answer by saying I agree with everything that the panel has said and disagree with everything too.
Unsurprisingly his answer then went downhill from there.
QT should stick to having a panel of politicians (surely a fundamental requirement of a political question and answer show?) and if it can't manage that it really shouldn't bother at all.
It's typical of the BBC's mindset that it thinks mixing light entertainment with heavyweight political debate adds a new and vibrant dimension - when in reality all it does is distract from both and cheapens the debate on what are matters deserving of grown up discussion.
Unsurprisingly his answer then went downhill from there.
QT should stick to having a panel of politicians (surely a fundamental requirement of a political question and answer show?) and if it can't manage that it really shouldn't bother at all.
It's typical of the BBC's mindset that it thinks mixing light entertainment with heavyweight political debate adds a new and vibrant dimension - when in reality all it does is distract from both and cheapens the debate on what are matters deserving of grown up discussion.
17 April 2013
Lib Dem defamation u-turn farce
Yesterday Lib Dem MPs were going to support Conservative amendments to the Defamation Bill designed to protect large corporation's ability to threaten individuals with punative libel damages. A party spokesman gave the Independent a bizarre quote, “Unfortunately we are in a Coalition and this was one of those areas
where we could not get our Conservative colleagues to agree with us.”
Today Lib Dem Voice reports that Julian Huppert has pursuaded Conservative Ministers to put back in the bill the clauses that Lib Dem MPs voted to take out 24 hours earlier,
If this was an isolated incident of elbowarseitis then it probably wouldn't matter. But it's not. It follows in footsteps of Lib Dem MPs backing for secret courts in the teeth of opposition from the party (and manifesto commitments) and the internet snooping farce - which is soon to make an unwelcome return.
It is clear there are a cadre of advisers at the top of the party with a tin-ear for the key tenets of party beliefs and who take whatever nonsense the civil service tells them as gospel. And they are allowed to get away with it by MPs who are enjoying the trappings of power too much and have suspended both their critical faculties and belief in the political nous of the party.
There were always going to be difficult decisions as a result of entering coalition with the Tories - but Clegg's strategy always was to use the experience of government as a platform to win new support - 'Clegg Lib Dems'. So far all that has happened is that a large chunk of the party has been so disillusioned by MPs support for illiberal measures it has drifted off, preceded by many 2010 Lib Dem voters and much of the party's councillor base. And so far there is precious little evidence of them being replaced by these 'Clegg Lib Dems'.
Without significant change in attitudes (and almost certainly personnel) at the top of the party - there will be precious few left to fight the election in 2015. Further seat losses in the county elections (and particularly slipping behind UKIP in the popular vote) will take the party one stage closer to the point where it ceases to be able to function as any sort of election fighting force. The question is will what's left of the party allow that to continue?
Today Lib Dem Voice reports that Julian Huppert has pursuaded Conservative Ministers to put back in the bill the clauses that Lib Dem MPs voted to take out 24 hours earlier,
If this was an isolated incident of elbowarseitis then it probably wouldn't matter. But it's not. It follows in footsteps of Lib Dem MPs backing for secret courts in the teeth of opposition from the party (and manifesto commitments) and the internet snooping farce - which is soon to make an unwelcome return.
It is clear there are a cadre of advisers at the top of the party with a tin-ear for the key tenets of party beliefs and who take whatever nonsense the civil service tells them as gospel. And they are allowed to get away with it by MPs who are enjoying the trappings of power too much and have suspended both their critical faculties and belief in the political nous of the party.
There were always going to be difficult decisions as a result of entering coalition with the Tories - but Clegg's strategy always was to use the experience of government as a platform to win new support - 'Clegg Lib Dems'. So far all that has happened is that a large chunk of the party has been so disillusioned by MPs support for illiberal measures it has drifted off, preceded by many 2010 Lib Dem voters and much of the party's councillor base. And so far there is precious little evidence of them being replaced by these 'Clegg Lib Dems'.
Without significant change in attitudes (and almost certainly personnel) at the top of the party - there will be precious few left to fight the election in 2015. Further seat losses in the county elections (and particularly slipping behind UKIP in the popular vote) will take the party one stage closer to the point where it ceases to be able to function as any sort of election fighting force. The question is will what's left of the party allow that to continue?
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