The Flag in the Wind
A weekly online newspaper bringing you information on the political scene in Scotland: part of the monthly Scots Independent.

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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November 1926)
Compiled by Peter Wright
[Issue 53 - 9th June 2001]

THE BEST LAID SCHEMES

Our National Bard, Robert Burns, had the rights of it when he wrote ‘The best laid schemes o mice an men / Gang aft agley’.  I had intended to spend the Friday after polling day catching up with the SI mail etc, but instead I find myself drafted in to do this week’s Flag in the Wind up-date.  The regular compiler, my good friend Jim Lynch, is in hospital and unable, obviously, to give you his pithy comments on the Imperial Election.  I know that you will all join with me in wishing Jim a speedy return to full fighting fitness – the good news is that even with a bandaged eye he is tackling the SI crossword and chatting up the nurses!

Therefore instead of dealing with the SI mail, accounts, banking etc, it gives me much pleasure to welcome you to the first week, of the second year, of Flag in the Wind.  This also gives me the opportunity, on your behalf, to thank both Jim Lynch and Alistair McIntyre for their hard work over the past year.  Without their sterling effort The Flag would not be flying!

THAT WAS THE ELECTION, THAT WAS

The opinion polls predicted it, the media pundits prophesised it, the public apathetically accepted it, in the lowest General Election turn-out since 1918, Labour was duly returned with a large majority, only slightly down on 1997.  With the Conservatives virtually unelectable, the result in UK terms really comes as no surprise, but democracy stands in extreme danger.  The low poll is a major worry –politics is about people, and democracy is not served if people believe that their vote doesn’t matter.  The wresting of the right to vote was won over many years from a reluctant establishment and is too precious to go unused.  Spin and negative campaigning obviously played a large role in scunnering a large section of the electorate.  The other danger comes from the size of the Labour majority.  An arrogant Prime Minister will use that majority to steamroller and ignore Parliament.  Not only will there be no real opposition in the Imperial Parliament, although both the SNP and Plaid Cymru Groups will do their best to protect the interests of Scotland and Wales; there is no opposition within the ruling New Labour Government.  The New Labour MPs, apart from Tam Dalyell, will kow-tow to Tony Blair in everything.  Excesses by the Labour Government will go unchallenged.  During the first term of Blair rule, Contempt of Parliament was the order of the day.  With the new mandate that will only increase.  What price democracy now?  The iniquities of the first past the post method of election is plain to see – New Labour with only 42% of the vote gained 63% of the seats.  The views of a great swathe of voters counts for nought.  This goes a long way to explain why people do not vote!  At least in the Scottish Parliament with a form of proportional representation every vote counts and seats reflect the vote gained by the Parties.

THE STATE OF THE PARTIES IN SCOTLAND

	Party	Seats	Gain	Lost	Net		Votes	%	+/- 97	+/- 99
	Labour	56	0	0	0		1,017,220	43.9	-1.7	+5.1
	SNP	5	0	1	-1		464,314	20.1	-2.0	-8.6
	Lib Dem	10	0	0	0		378,863	16.4	+3.4	+2.2
	Conservative	1	1	0	+1		360,658	15.6	-1.9	0.0
	Other	0	0	0	0		93,471	4.0	+2.2	+1.3
				Turnout			2,314,526	58.1	-13.2	-0.1

Swing
Against 1997 General Election	0.1% from SNP to Labour
Lab-Con (against 1997)	0.1% from Conservative to Labour
Against 1999 devolution poll	6.8% from SNP to Labour

Full Scotland scoreboard

STILL STRONG SECOND PARTY OF SCOTTISH POLITICS

The worst is over!  The first Westminster General Election following the 1999 Scottish Parliament Election was always going to be difficult for the Scottish National Party – and so it proved.  With only Alex Salmond standing in the six seats won in 1997 and many other first time candidates, the Party knew in advance that, over and above the normal Westminster squeeze, a job had to be done to convince the electorate of the relevance of the SNP MPs in Westminster.  This has been achieved albeit with a slightly reduced vote.  In itself a considerable feat, for as BBC Political Editor Brian Taylor rightly said he felt that this was more like a mid-term plebiscite rather than a General Election.  In spite of this the SNP remained as runners up in the total vote to New Labour.

The first task for the SNP was obviously to hold the 1997 seats. This, apart from Galloway (missed by 74 votes), was achieved.  Annabelle Ewing, Angus Robertson, Alex Salmond, Michael Weir and Peter Wishart will prove to be a strong group of MPs at Westminster.  Alex Salmond stated the task ahead for the new SNP group – “Myself and my SNP colleagues will go to Westminster with the aim of being a bulwark to defend Scottish public services”. 

The second task was to raise the public profile of ten months long SNP Convener John Swinney ahead of the 2003 Scottish Parliament Election – this was achieved.

The third task was to lay the foundation for a successful campaign in the 2003 Election – this also was achieved.  Indeed the highlighting of the fiscal argument for increasing the financial powers of the Holyrood bound Parliament was a major achievement at the outset of the campaign.  The 2003 Scottish Parliament Election battle for Holyrood has been well and truly launched.  It is one that the SNP must quickly build on.  Scottish voters appear much more inclined to vote SNP in the Scottish Election and a current opinion poll shows the SNP to be level with New Labour in the race for Holyrood 2003.

Commenting on the General Election results today, Scottish National Party leader John Swinney MSP said:

“For the first time ever, the SNP have secured the second largest share of the vote in consecutive Westminster General Elections.  We are clearly established as the second party of Scottish politics, and the only party capable of mounting a challenge to New Labour.

“We are delighted to have won five seats, and returned excellent new parliamentarians who will be first class champions of the Scottish interest at Westminster.  Obviously, we are disappointed to lose out in Galloway by such a narrow margin, in what were exceptional circumstances.

“The results show that the battle for political leadership in Scotland is between the SNP and New Labour, and it’s a battle we intend to win at the next Scottish Parliament election.

“All indicators show that even as New Labour were heading for a UK landslide, it is neck-and-neck between the SNP and New Labour for a Scottish Parliament election.  In the Scotsman poll this week, which gave New Labour a 17-point lead for Westminster, the gap was narrowed to just one point between New Labour and the SNP for a Holyrood contest.  That means it is game on for 2003.”

DETAILS OF SEATS RETAINED BY SNP

Angus	Banff & Buchan	Moray	Perth	Tayside North
Michael Weir	Alex Salmond	Angus Robertson	Annabelle Ewing	Peter Wishart

 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT BY-ELECTIONS

Two Scottish Parliamentary by-elections were held on the same day as the Imperial General Election.  SNP candidate Stewart Stevenson successfully defended the Banff and Buchan seat vacated by the former SNP Leader Alex Salmond whilst the Labour Party successfully defended the Strathkelvin seat vacated by former New Labour Scottish Minister Sam Galbraith.  Full details will appear in next week’s Flag.

ANNUAL SI LUNCH

The annual SI Lunch on Saturday 16^th June in the Terraces Hotel, Stirling (12.30 for 1pm) provides a much needed chance for SNP activists to relax amongst friends, enjoy a splendid meal and speeches, after the rigours of the election campaign.  The highlight of the Lunch will be the presentation of the Oliver Brown Award to senior Scottish journalist and author Murray Ritchie.  Lunch tickets are £15 and you are advised to book your seat now by phoning Peter D Wright on 01592 712838 or by e-mail – peter@scotsindependent.org

SIR SEAN OPENS BYRE

Former milkman opens new byre quipped Sir Sean Connery when he opened the new Byre Theatre in St Andrews on Tuesday.  In the height of an election campaign, it is easy to overlook the cultural aspects of life!

Taking a break from campaigning for the SNP, Sir Sean delighted an invited audience to the third incarnation of the Byre Theatre originally founded by Alex B Paterson in 1933.  Sir Sean said of the £5.7 million building “The theatre is going to make the town that much more complete.”  Although Sir Sean will be golfing in St Andrews in August there seems little chance of him treading the boards of the new Byre.

THEY SAID IT FOR US

Elections are won chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody. [Franklin Adams]

I have fought nine General Elections and this has probably been the most boring General Election I have ever seen. [Sir David Steel]

I’d say they were too arrogant and too powerful and too self-obsessed to listen to the people they serve. [Earl Haig on Labour rule]

Seeing them in power is like seeing all your political beliefs evaporate before your eyes.  For all their talk, they seem to have achieved absolutely nothing. [Ali Smith, novelist]

The SNP stand for Scotland, and always will.  So do I. [Sir Sean Connery]

SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

See our Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs in our Features section

DATES IN HISTORY

SING A SANG AT LEAST
(compiled by Peter D Wright)

"That I for poor auld Scotland's sake
Some useful plan or book could make
Or sing a sang at least ........"

- Robert Burns

See the SING A SANG AT LEAST in our features section

A KIST O FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots Tung
By Peter D Wright
(Note: All words underlined in this section are RealAudio links)

No Kist O Ferlies this week due to the General Election.

See Scots Language in our Features Section
for other poems, stories, sayings and words in the Scots language

THE MONTHLY PRIZE CROSSWORD

Each month the Scots Independent Newspaper offers a prize crossword and we're now offering this online in the Flag in the Wind as well.   Should you complete the crossword by the deadline you can fax it over to the SI and the first correct one opened on the closing date will win a £10.00 book token.

SI Prize Crossword No. 18
[Click here to bring up the crossword]