S.I. INTERNATIONAL - WELL, NEARLY

Scots Independent Executive Chairman, Peter D Wright, was interviewed by Manx Radio on his July Issue SI article on the Manx hero, William Christian - Illiam Dhone.

Comparing Illian Dhone to William Wallace, he urged listeners to cast aside any ambiguity on the question of Illian Dhone’s patriotism and to recognise him as a true Manx hero. Like Wallace he was prepared to give his all for his nation.

DICK McTAGGART

The proposal by the Scottish Ex-Boxers Association to nominate Dick McTaggart into the sport’s International Hall of Fame in Canatosta New York, has been widely welcomed.

Dick McTaggart, from Dundee, won the Olympic Gold Medal in the lightweight division at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne; he was also awarded the Val Barker Trophy as the outstanding stylist at these Games.

He defended his title in 1960 in Rome and won a Bronze, and also competed in Tokyo in 1964, becoming the first British boxer to compete in three Olympics. (Yes we do mean British!). He won three ABA titles as a lightweight (1956, 1958 & 1960) and two as a light heavyweight (1963 & 1965). In boxing circles at the time it was said that no one really knew how good McTaggart was, because however good his opponent was he always managed to be just that bit better.

He did not want to turn professional, and never did. If the nomination is successful, he will join two other Scots, Benny Lynch born in Glasgow, and Ken Buchanan born in Edinburgh.

EURO IS A FOUR LETTER WORD

We have had Euro 2000 - to which Scotland spurned an invitation in our usual kamikaze fashion, and thoughts are now turned to Euro 2008, still some way down the road, but the Euro exercising all the political parties is the currency.

New Labour is a party of indecision; here we go, here we go, or not, depending on which Government Minister is speaking or leaking. The Tories are campaigning to save the pound at the moment, conveniently forgetting that it was Ted Heath, the Tory Prime Minister who took Britain into Europe, and Margaret Thatcher who signed the Maastricht Treaty. As for the Liberal Democrats, we think they think they are in favour - of the Euro.

It would seem that Tony Blair is waiting until the Euro becomes popular before he approves entry, and then William Hague will also change his tune; if it goes the other way, so will they, and we look forward to hearing "We always said... " whatever way it goes.

The SNP is officially in favour of joining the Euro, that is the Party line. Recently Jim Fairlie and Dick Douglas, both ex party members , attacked this stance. (Jim Fairlie consistently opposed it when he was in the Party). Now Jim Sillars has teamed up with Sir Malcolm Rifkind of the Tories against the Euro.

Politics makes strange bedfellows, but we would not assume that these four would agree on anything else. It should make for an interesting or wearisome summer, depending on your point of view.

STORMY PETROL

Scotland has the highest petrol prices in the world, and the Chancellor is taxing it at 333% compared with 50% for luxury goods. This point was made by John Swinney, SNP Deputy Leader in the Scottish Grand Committee (more later) on Monday. New Labour claimed that the Chancellor had abolished the fuel escalator and that the SNP were totally wrong in saying he had not. The New Labour spokesman was Douglas Alexander (brother of the more famous Wendy) ; his argument was shot down in flames by the Treasury who said the SNP point was correct.

Like his sister on Section 28, he should have done his homework.

HOORAY HENRY

And moving swiftly on - Scottish Industry Minister Henry McLeish said that tourism was not damaged by high petrol prices; he was being interviewed on radio after the Scottish Tourist Board report showed that spending on tourism was down by £28 million between 1998 and 1999. Questions are being asked as to why the report was put in the post the day MSPs went on holiday - how convenient.

While spending by tourists overall was down by £28 million, spending by overseas tourists was down by £123 million. Mr McLeish said that people outside euroland were not interested in petrol prices. (He must be in wonderland!).

According to Mr McLeish, tourism in Scotland was a world class failure, and was massively underperforming ; he cited quality of skill, quality of hospitality, technology and marketing as all poor, and would have to improve substantially. In the same week, Mr McLeish had a go at Scotland’s economic development agencies. again on underperformance, not hitting targets, etc. He’s going to get tough with them, "I have made it clear that if people do not deliver I will take action. Does that mean that players can disappear from the field? Certainly it does".

So, fresh approaches, new deals, get the act together, sing from the same hymn sheet, or Henry will kick ass.

I wonder if it’s all real or is it jockeying for power? Wendy Alexander fell at Fence 28, Susan Deacon and Jack McConnell went into a £34 million ditch, and Henry canters on.

AND HOORAY HARRODS

One is terribly disappointed at the plight of our dear monarch, Elizabeth I (This is Scotland). Her husband, the noble Chookie Embra, has been banned from shopping in Harrods!! Not for shoplifting or anything so mundane, but because he has withdrawn his Royal Warrant from Harrods as he no longer shops there. The owner, Mohammed al Fayed, who has vainly tried to become a British citizen for years (There’s no accounting for taste) has taken the huff at the Duke. All the rest of the Royals are welcome, even although the only Royal Warrant there is for the Queen Mother, but not Philip. Once upon a time he would have signed a Royal Warrant and had Al Fayed carted off to the Tower.

Poor Old Philip, his wife, our Queen, has had her Royal pay frozen, and has to dip into her savings to pay her way (Gordon Brown has no mercy on pensioners) and she has fallen to be only the 19th richest woman in the world - down to her last £1.9 billion.

To cap it all, he’s got a 100 year old mother in law; it would make one weep, but keep a stiff upper lip.

SCOTTISH GRANDEUR COMMITTEE

The Scottish Grand Committee had its first meeting in Scotland since the Scottish Parliament was elected. At least I think it was the first meeting as so many Westminster MPs have vanished without trace over the last year. 32 of Labour’s MPs vanished without trace on Monday, because they did not turn up to the meeting, voting with their feet. The euphemism, or downright lie, was constituency business.

We know of one very New Labour MP who was there, Douglas Alexander, because he attended the SNP Media briefing; well he has nothing else to do and he likes to know what is going on. He was shooed away by Alex Salmond, and had to go to his own party, who don’t like him either.

The Committee met, argued, decided nothing, as they have never had the power to decide anything anyway, and went home. Westminster MPs felt they had done their bit to get some publicity. No member of the public turned up to see them.

HOLY DAYS

Just a thought; the Scottish Parliament went on holiday last Friday, coinciding with the school holidays. The British Parliament goes on holiday sometime in August to coincide with the English school holidays; not very clever as they classify it as a United Kingdom Parliament.

This has always happened but it comes more sharply into focus when you have your own Parliament.

YE SEE YON BIRTIE CA’D A LORD?

Just a few months ago the Director General of the BBC, John Birt, left the BBC, and Greg Dyke was appointed to take his place.

Mr Birt’s tenure at the BBC was eulogised, he was made a Lord, and he got a pay off amounting to £700,000. A few weeks back the BBC Governors slated the Corporation, accused it of dumbing down, poor programming, any crime, you name it.

Mr Dyke is now making managers redundant, 1000 of them to go at the last count, and is going to put more money into programming; we will make no judgement until we see what happens.

In his time Lord Birt was criticised for his bureaucratic management style, his Armani suits (Yes) and his tax avoidance scheme - all perfectly legal of course. (We don’t know where he got the suits).

Lord Birt has now been appointed a one day a week crime buster by Tony Blair; the job carries no salary, but no doubt there will be expenses. He can ask Lord Levy.

DATES IN HISTORY

17 July 1695
Establishment of the Bank of Scotland under an Act of the Scottish Parliament, The Three Estates.

18 July 1747
Birth of John Paul Jones, the son of a gardener at Arbigland near Kirkbean (Kirkcudbrightshire), the future 'Founder of the American Navy'. Admiral Jones died in Paris in 1792. There is a national monument to Jones in Washington DC and in Kirkbean Church there is a memorial font donated by the US Navy in 1945.

19 July 1333
Battle of Halidon Hill at Berwick where an English army under Edward III and Edward Balliol defeated the Scots forces led by Sir Archibald Douglas. English archers devastated the Scottish army and inflicted terrible losses, including six earls, seventy barons and over 500 knights.

THE REBELS CEILIDH SONG BOOK
MINGULAY BOAT SONG
From: Creag Uanach    Sung by Hugh MacDonald

Heil ya Ho boys,
Let her go boys,
Swing her head round and all together,
Heil ya Ho boys, Let her go boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.

What care we though white the Minch is,
What care we for wind or weather?
Heil ya Ho boys, and we'll anchor,
As the sun sets on Mingulay.

Heil ya Ho boys,
Let her go boys,
Swing her head round and all together,
Heil ya Ho boys, Let her go boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.

Wives are waiting by the quayside,
They've been waiting since break o' day boys,
They are waiting for their loved ones,
As the sun sets on Mingulay.

Heil ya Ho boys,
Let her go boys,
Swing her head round and all together,
Heil ya Ho boys, Let her go boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.

See the Songbook in our features section

AND AS WE CONTINUE.........

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THE FLAG IN THE WIND

The above was the title of a book written in the early Fifties by John MacDonald MacCormick, one of the founder members of the Scottish National Party in 1934. The sub-title was "The Story of the National Movement in Scotland". His comment in the book said "It is perhaps in the symbols which men use that their deepest sentiments are most readily expressed. Flags as well as straws show which way the wind is blowing". A fuller account appears under Features.

 

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