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Better Nation

Worst Motions of the Week – John Lamont and James Dornan

Sep 2

Posted by Jeff in Holyrood | 16 Comments

Our two crowned headsThe risk with starting a regular Worst Motion of the Week series is that the howlers may soon start to dry up and you end up shining a light on parliamentary business that really isn’t so bad.

Well, that moment may come in the future but it won’t be today, as we have two beauties (and by beauties I do mean uglies) to regretfully parade:

The first is from the Conservatives’ John Lamont, a seasoned MSP who really should know better by now:

Motion S4M-00670 – John Lamont ( Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire ) ( Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party ) : Sprouston Sweet Pea Centenary

That the Parliament joins local residents in celebrating the Sprouston Sweet Pea Centenary, which celebrates the success of local Minister, the Rev Denholm Fraser who, along with his wife, won first and third prizes in the Daily Mail Sweet Pea competition at Crystal Palace in London in 1911; notes that the Rev Fraser won the considerable prize of £1,000, beating off competition from 38,000 entries; recognises the work of the local community to organise a series of events in the village to mark the occasion, and congratulates the winners of this year’s competition.

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, David Torrance, Margaret Mitchell, Richard Lyle, Claudia Beamish, Jamie McGrigor, Liz Smith, Nanette Milne

Don’t be fooled by the cross party support for the above. Commemorating a century-old gardening competition focussing on an obscure plant is highly dubious behaviour. I’m sure Rev Fraser’s sweet peas were beautiful and I hope that the local community has an absolute barnstormer of a celebration but, to use accountancy-speak, this issue is, or at least should be, immaterial for the Scottish Parliament. Trifling in fact.

Our second shameful motion from the past week comes from the SNP’s James Dornan:

Motion S4M-00749 – James Dornan ( Glasgow Cathcart ) ( Scottish National Party ) : Labour Hypocrisy over Lightburn Hospital

That the Parliament regrets the apparent hypocrisy of Labour politicians in calling for the proposed closure of Lightburn Hospital to be halted; notes that, on 25 November 2010, Labour members of Glasgow City Council voted to support the closure of hospital, and considers that calls to save it have nothing to do with the welfare of patients but instead concern the career prospects of Glasgow Labour councillors who, it considers, face defeat at the 2012 elections.

Supported by: Christina McKelvie, Rob Gibson, Bill Walker, David Torrance, Roderick Campbell, Adam Ingram, Gil Paterson, Kenneth Gibson, Mike MacKenzie, Stuart McMillan, Bob Doris, Humza Yousaf

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blaaah.

Witness the backbench partisan support. Witness the typos no doubt due to the faux finger fury when this was typed up. Witness the empty point scoring and unconstructive nature of the post. Witness the sole objective of lobbing one over to the other side. Witness the slow strangulation of a flailing democracy that is deadening behind once sparkling eyes and which could have been so, so beautiful.

Ok, that last one was a bit much, but these motions are stinkers. Let’s just hope that the standard is improved when Parliament is back in business next week.

Happy Birthday Better Nation!

Sep 1

Posted by admin in Housekeeping | 10 Comments

Yup – you’ve guessed it.  Oor wee blog has turned one.  And in the absence of any parliamentary news (this recess is a looooooooooong one) we figured we’d give our own wee birthday message.  Of sorts.  So, here’s what’s happened on Better Nation thus far – 374 posts in 365 days – and some thoughts on what is to come in our second year.

Jeff says:

A lot can happen in a year, just ask Iain Gray. When we started this Better Nation blog, the SNP were 10 points behind in the polls and Scotland was preparing itself for Labour to slide its feet back under the Governmental desks that they had relinquished only four years ago. The Lib Dems, riding as high as 12% this time last year, were expected to join them.

We’ll never know if Scotland would have improved as a nation under such red/orange leadership. Arguably, there would have been more time for devolved policy with the unanswered questions on independence pushed to one side but, equally, the SNP has the ‘team, record and vision’ to take giant strides over the years to come and a cracking, if challenging, manifesto to implement.

There is lots to be done. Our education system is wobbling, our health and diet remains utterly lamentable and our environmental aspirations continue to be so extraordinary as to be world leading but, on the flip side, the economy is remaining relatively strong with exports and tourism proving robust, if not booming. Edinburgh’s cultural scene (unlike its tram network) remains the envy of most cities across the globe and Glasgow is, hopefully cockily, looking forward to being the focus of the Commonwealth in 2014.

Where do blogs fit into all of this? Filling in the cracks left open between politicians and the mainstream media? Sounds about right but with that media’s attention span shrinking as quickly as it loses readers and with a majority Government that the opposition will struggle to hold to account, blogs have a potentially starring role open to them if they are willing to put the time and effort in.

Will Better Nation fill that void? We’ll certainly try and hopefully the year ahead will see more guest posts from MSPs, more guest posts from an ever wider array of Scots and even more robust discussion in the comments section which we’ll redouble efforts to facilitate.

We might even have a secret weapon up our collective sleeves for the looming council elections but the dream scenario involves a lot of work. Either way, I’m very much enjoying what Better Nation is growing into so thanks to my fellow editors, thanks to all the commenters and thanks to the silent readers. We know you’re there, we can sense you. Do feel free to join the debate.

The Burd adds:

A tumultuous year to birth a blog.  The Tories rolled their sleeves up and set to work, Ed Miliband spent his first few months as Labour leader pondering, the SNP looked like they were down and out but surprised us all – including themselves – by breaking the electoral bank in May.

So what lies ahead?  Well, certainly nothing like the excitement as politics gets back to the everyday stuff here in Scotland.  Bills, strategies, budgets, inquiries.  The odd event to spice things up at Holyrood no doubt.  I think my predictions for 2011 were so wide of the mark, I hesitate to bring my bad luck to Better Nation.  But the first MSP to resign?  An SNP one.  This year?  I think so.

And then of course, there’s the real world, where cuts will bite hard on the heels of job losses, pay cuts (can’t keep freezing, it ain’t working) and price rises.  Will we see strikes in the next year?  Definitely.  Riots in Scotland?  Probably not, but there will be direct action and protests.

Finally what of the council elections?  I think anti-establishment independents, hitting back at the antics of party reps over the trams, might do well in Edinburgh, if they can find enough sensible candidates to stand.  Otherwise, Lib Dems will become a rump in previously held strongholds, the Tories will do surprisingly well, Labour will lose control in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, and Scotland will resemble a rainbow nation, with all manner of weird and wonderful coalitions and minority led administrations in place.

And if I could blow out BN’s birthday candle and make a wish for the coming year, what would it be?  For more women to blog on weighty matters of state.  Here and elsewhere.

Malc mentions:

A year is, as Jeff & Kate have mentioned, a long time.  And a lot of work, if we’re honest.  I mean, we do this for fun, and (most of the time) we enjoy it, but honestly – it is a lot of work.  From the pre-election region-watch series (which was an abysmal attempt at predicting the results!) through the election liveblog itself (and the endless job that was putting together the results in our Holyrood 2011 pages – a job which we still intend to add to, help graciously received) we’ve had plenty of work to do.

We’ve also had some terrific guests – friends, friends of friends, representatives at different levels, candidates, other bloggers – provide articles for the site, two of whom we managed to convince to join our editorial team.  We said at the outset that our combined efforts would make Better Nation better than the sum of its parts – and I hope that we have achieved that.

I’ve got my favourite debates – the constitutional stuff is always entertaining – and I hope you’ve all enjoyed them as well.  So I guess here’s to another year, another 300+ posts, endless debates and banter with people we’ve never met in person.

James says:

For my tuppenny worth, in addition to the lovely and generous guests, who have given both of their time and their ideas, I’d like to thank you, the readers and the commenters. We’ve had a staggering 10,290 comments (as of last night), which a quick bit of calculator action tells me is more than 28 contributions in an average day. In fact, that’s most of the content here, and it’s certainly a tonne of largely constructive and intelligent debate.

So thanks for stopping by and reading this (like the ads on the bus that say “your ad here”, that’s a very targetted message), and doubly so for any contributions you’ve made. If you ever think “why is no-one making this particular progressive argument on Better Nation”, do drop us a line and suggest a piece for us. We’ll tend to say yes, especially to new and interesting material. Who knows, one day we might rope you into a regular slot too.

Aidan <verb>:

I’m definitely riding on the coattails of the others round here, so I’ll keep it short. Like James, I enjoy this place because of (largely) reasonable and considered argument to be found here. It’s not quite Usenet back in the day but it’s close. Next year should be an interesting one for Scottish politics, with the SNP no longer having the dastardly unionist conspiracy to blame for not getting legislation through and the council elections and I look forward to analysing it here with all y’all.

Sláinte!

Eurozone Crisis: Is faster decision-making needed?

Sep 1

Posted by Guest Blog in Economy, Europe | 14 Comments

Following her colleague David Martin’s post on a similar subject a couple of months ago, Catherine Stihler MEP takes a fresh look at the Eurozone crisis and wonders if there’s a little of an Aesop’s Fable in the story…

The crisis in the eurozone reminds me of the story of the hare and the tortoise. The European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Oli Rehn, spoke about the millisecond decision making of financial markets compared to the months of lengthy negotiating which takes place between those involved in the euro-crisis decision making. Democracy works differently from the financial markets. The speedy hare of the financial markets is pitted against the democratic tortoise of European institutions.

The 21st July meeting of eurozone national governments which was heralded as setting in place a new Marshall Plan for Greece was quickly followed not by implementation of the decisions made, but by another crisis in the eurozone this time with Spain and Italy taking centre stage. If it had not been for the quick intervention of the European Central Bank (ECB) this turbulence would have resulted in a hurricane across not just the eurozone but the whole of the European Union and world. Although the August fall in financial markets was tough with the credit downgrade of the USA, how worse would it have been if there had been a sovereign default? Lehman brothers was bad, a country going under would be much worse.

Currently national governments are attempting to implement the decisions made in July concerning the funding of the European Financial Stability Framework and their commitments to funding the sovereign bailouts. Yet the solidarity that is required across the eurozone and European Union as a whole is weak if non existant. Finland, seen as a democratic beacon, a progressive small country home of Nokia and the Moomins, is becoming deeply eurosceptic with their equivalent of UKIP doing well in their recent elections. This prevailing undercurrent has led to Finland seeking it’s own assurances with Greece bilaterally asking for direct Greek collateral in exchange for Finnish taxpayers money. What this amounts to is around 40% of Finland’s share of the loan, around half a billion euros. This would be invested in low risk state bonds. Now Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia are asking for similar assurances from Greece. How could an agreement in the eurozone from the 21st July now be unpicked by Finland? Does this not contradict the principle of equal treatment of all euro countries? Is Finland just exercising its democratic right as a nation or is this populist nationalist agenda neglecting the greater good of the whole of Europe not just the eurozone?

The German Parliament will have a vote on the bailout on the 7th September and Angela Merkel’s coalition looks divided on the subject. In Germany the ruling of their constitutional court on the legalities of the bailout could place a spanner in the works. The bilateral meetings between France and Germany does nothing to promote eurozone solidarity. It is no wonder within this eurozone culture of bilateralism, that European leadership is being questioned. Who is caring for the European good? United we stand, divided we fall.

One aspect of this has been the plethora of individuals who hold responsibility for European economic policy. Is it the Commission, the Council, just those in the eurozone, individual nation states or the broader European Union? Decisions made in the eurozone impact directly on those who are not members of the eurozone. How do Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland see their place in these discussions? As the Polish Finance Minister described, a collapse of the eurozone would be catastrophic for those non- members and we should not kid ourselves that this would be otherwise. One idea which is being touted is that just as we have a High Representative for Foreign Affairs who overseas the European coordination across institutions, so too there should be an Economic High Representative who can transcend nationalists agendas and act on behalf of the European good. One person with one policy area results in less confusion and clearer decision making providing the leadership which is so lacking.

The crisis in the eurozone is real and dangerous to all, members and non- members alike. Without stability, the growth we need across the European Union to create jobs and support our public services, will be jeopardised. The need to consider the long term,to be democratically accountable but also honest about the future is essential. Already growth forecasts are being downgraded across the Western world and this combined with austerity measures cutting public spending has the potential to ruin the economic recovery which is already fragile. The tortoise of European democratic decision making has to succeed to solve the euro-zone crisis. The race is on and currently the winner is uncertain.

You can also follow Catherine Stihler MEP on Twitter @C_Stihler_MEP.

Never brought to mind

Aug 31

Posted by Guest Blog in Health, Holyrood | 11 Comments

A guest from Kirsty Connell, former Labour candidate and Vice Chair of the STUC’s Young Workers’ Committee. Thanks Kirsty!

Calton Hill campaign picBigotry, booze, a better wage. The SNP’s priorities as they return to Holyrood after recess are clear. Tackling sectarianism, introducing minimum pricing for alcohol and bringing in a Scottish Living Wage across the public sector.

Noble causes. But behind each of the social ills these three priorities attempt to remedy, a wider malaise lingers. The same sickness that infiltrated the riots earlier this month, the same that has and will continue to haunt Scotland.

Poverty. Discrimination. Violence. Poor health. All can be entwined, with one leading to the other. Equally they can be separate, afflicting an individual with one but not another. Each however has a common factor, snarling alongside each evil: the black dog of poor mental health.

The link between joblessness and poor mental health is both obvious and stark, especially among young people. According to The Future You, an online mentoring service, one in four young unemployed Scots has considered suicide. Although Scottish unemployment fell between 7.7% in early 2011, the rate of youth unemployment is stuck at 20%. In fellow devolved nation Wales, the Prince’s Trust found 48% of unemployed respondents to the 2011 Macquarie Youth Index claimed their lack of work led to panic attacks, self harm and self loathing.

It’s not just a problem for devolved nations, nor does it just affect those out of work. According World Health Organisation data published recently in Lancet, mental health disorders make up almost half of the diseases affecting the world’s adolescents and young adults.

It might not just be Scotland’s problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s a crisis the Scottish Government can ignore out of supposed powerlessness.

The push for improvements in young people’s mental health is still from outwith government. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy continues to call for a trained counsellor in every school. Family Nurse Partnerships and the early detection of cancer are welcome and necessary health policies, announced by the SNP during the election campaign. But no party in Scotland has a national strategy to implement the 2005 report The Mental Health of Children and Young People, which called for provision of confidential and accessible counselling for all young Scots by 2015.

Drinking because there’s nothing else to do. Invoking seventeenth century Irish politics as invective because sights are so narrowed. Struggling to even access a wage.

If Salmond and the SNP truly want to transform Scotland’s wellbeing, beyond mere physical health to a truly fit society, more thinking with – and for – the head is required.

Festival of Politics panel: review

Aug 31

Posted by Malc in Democracy, Europe, Media | Comments off

FOP logo

Can you review an event if you are part of the panel itself?  Not sure that you can, or even if it is wise, but I guess I’m going to do it anyway.

Anyway, the European Parliament Information Office in Edinburgh co-organised an event at the Festival of Politics on Thursday (25th) entitled “Reporting Europe in the Age of New Media”.  I was invited onto the panel as co-editor of Better Nation, and sat alongside Iain Macwhirter, one of Scotland’s pre-eminent journalists, David Eyre, a news producer for BBC Alba and Udo Seiwert-Fauti, a German who works in media in the European Parliament and has keen links with Scotland, with the event chaired by Labour MEP Catherine Stihler.

I guess the idea was to talk about how reporting of what the European Parliament does has changed since the advent of 24-hour news coverage, the decline in traditional media outlets and the rise of blogging/ tweeting.  I kind of focused on the opportunities new media has presented for representatives at the European level in terms of providing a direct link to constituents, to allow easier engagement on issues and to actually get the message from Strasbourg and Brussels back to their homes – something which has been distinctly lacking in coverage from the mainstream media.  But there are also issues with the instant nature of new media – the occasional tendency to “write now and think later” which, for some representatives makes new media more trouble than it is worth.

The question and answer session which followed focused on how to use Twitter – and in particular, how to filter out the “lowest common denominator” stuff while still letting new media give you the quality that you might look for in a broadsheet; how “new media” might allow citizen “journalists” (like bloggers) to go deeper into an issue, but to provide breadth of readership, it still requires “old media” to do so; how new media might be used to engage the younger generation in politics; how Europe can feel a bit closer in reporting online; and various other topics.

Anyway, I can’t speak for the audience, but I enjoyed the session (evidence in the picture below!) and I hope it was a worthwhile session for them to attend.  Also, thanks to James Temple-Smithson of the European Parliament’s Office in Edinburgh for the invitation to participate.  If you are really interested, there should be a recording of the event available at some point soon.

PS – This is a double whammy of unusual-ness:  A “review post” that was written by Malc.  Don’t worry – normal service (a guest post) will be resumed later today!