Cameron

Christine Lagarde: French model on the world stage

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009

France's economy minister believes her country's financial system helped it out of recession After more than a decade of lectures from Gordon Brown about the need to let markets rip, it is little wonder that the French are having the last laugh. As she relaxed in her room in the Dorchester in London ahead of Saturday's G20 meeting in Scotland, the French economy minister, Christine Lagarde, was quietly...

"then they should go and live there" reclaimed

Sea Songs (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009

"Then they should go and live there" is an infamous argument for good reason. I am not seeking to defend the way trade unionists abused their power in the 1970s and gave the Thatcherites all the excuse they needed (and I fear those in the Post Office are doing the exact same thing now) but the old rational-argument-destroyer "they should go and live in Russia" was as infuriating...

The wrong priority - still

The Grumpy Spindoctor (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009

Fantasy.. Tory leader David Cameron has said that the economy not Europe is his priority. The Grumpy SD wonders, if asked, could Scotland's First Minister say hand on heart that the economy, not independence is his priority? I very much doubt it. Ad if proof were needed that Scotland has a First Minister with the wrong priorities for Scotland then one need only look at today's Herald headline: 'Independent...

Playing catch up

Whitehall 1212 (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009

Task saturated is what the helicopter pilots call overload and that's how it felt at Westminster yesterday. There was the Kelly report on expenses, five dead in Helmand and Kim Howell breaking ranks calling for a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and David Cameron making a major policy announcement on Europe. In the middle of all that I had to go interview Culture Minister Ben Bradshaw about broadcasting...

YouGov subsample : Labour lead trimmed to just four points

SCOT goes POP! (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009

The detailed figures from the latest UK-wide YouGov poll have been available on the company's website for a while now, but for some reason I've only just been able to access them. The Scottish breakdown shows a relatively stable picture, but will nevertheless provide some encouragement for the SNP after the mild disappointment of the recent full-scale YouGov poll covering Holyrood voting intentions....

CAMERON AND GOLDIE MUST EXPLAIN POSITION ON MSPs STANDING FOR COMMONS – CARMICHAEL

Steve Beasant Liberal Democrat (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

“It used to be the view of David Cameron and Annabel Goldie that MSPs should not also be MPs. It is for them to explain if they have changed their minds,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Scotland Secretary, Alistair Carmichael. Commenting on recommendation 40 in the Kelly Report, which states that ‘the practice of permitting a [...]

• Cameron and Goldie must explain position on MSPs standing as MP’s - Les Bonner

Fireworks terror for Scotland’s animals

Dunedin Napier News (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

by Emma Cameron As the firework season gets underway and the showery weather continues across the country, the Scottish SPCA is urging worried pet owners to contact their local MSP and back the Society’s proposals for a change to the laws on the sale of fireworks and their unlicensed use in public. At present, fireworks can be [...]

The Sun is trying to become a political party, says Gordon Brown

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

Gordon Brown criticises Sun's 'terrible mistake' in backing Conservatives, but says he still respects Rupert Murdoch Gordon Brown has criticised the Sun newspaper, accusing it of trying to "become a political party" and saying it "made a terrible mistake" when it decided to back the Conservative party last month . In an interview with GQ magazine to be published later this week,...

England's Solution to the Lisbon Treaty

SUBROSA (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009

The Czech President signed the Lisbon Treaty this afternoon. Britain is now governed from Europe and our political representatives are now purely figureheads with the power of parish councillors. (Haven't I heard that said of the Scottish Parliament') EU Referendum has also recorded the event. Me? I'm so sad to see the consolidation of a European Superstate when so many generations have fought and...

Six Months Left

Keith Nevols (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009

It’s a strange feeling when a long standing government is in its last months and slowly drifts out of power. They can’t acknowledge that, of course, but we are now all thinking of the days when Gordon Brown has moved on and asking ourselves who will be the next Labour leader, and what will David Cameron be like as Prime Minister? There is, of course, none of that euphoria we saw in 1997....

2012: Will there even be a United Kingdom?

Watford Boy (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009

If the Tories win the General Election next year but Scotland stays SNP, there will surely be more support amongst the Scots to gain independence from a right-wing Cameron-led England. Might there be a Scottish Olympic team in London 2012?

Beefeaters face harassment inquiry

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009

Moira Cameron, tower's first female yeoman warder, subject of alleged bullying The Tower of London has suspended two beefeaters as part of an investigation into alleged harassment of its first female Yeoman Warder. A third is under investigation over charges of bullying Moira Cameron, 44, who two years ago became the first female beefeater in the tower's 1,000-year history. Tower authorities launched...

Birmingham 0-0 Man City

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009

Manchester City's season has turned into a grind. Four successive Premier League draws have applied the brakes to their early momentum and, in the process, provided a reminder of just how far Mark Hughes's side have to go before they can be considered title contenders. For the first time in nine matches, the visitors kept a clean sheet, although Birmingham City's failure to score owed nothing to the...

Going Back To My Roots!!!

What's happening May? (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

Just back from a couple of days in Scotland! What a wonderful place it is! Cameron and I had a great time with my mum and dad and it was super to spend some time on the beach (South Beach to be specific). We absorbed the never changing Ayrshire coastline and I swear it is the same as it was 50 years ago! I have the photos to prove it! I appreciate being static can have a detrimental effect on that...

Glasgow North East: multiple pile-up in No Mean City

Dave's Part (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

NOW that the Gorbals has been demolished, No Mean City clearly needs a successor, and Glasgow North East fits the bill just nicely. This place is poor; in your face, 40% below the poverty line, smack addicts congregating in the shopping centre, poor. Things have pretty much always been that way, of course. One hundred years ago, Springburn was the site of the largest workhouse in Scotland. A century...