Clann Alba Forums http://www.clannalba.com Sun, 06 May 2012 10:04:52 +0000 5 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1629-farming-subsidies/

Large amounts of the country’s 600,000 hectares of common livestock grazing could be removed from subsidy claims, resulting in hundreds of hill farmers and crofters seeing their single farm payment cut.

Under European Commission (EC) proposals on the definition of eligible grazing land, heather hills could be excluded if the plant covers more than 50 per cent of the area.

Article 4 of Europe’s redrawn rules suggest that “permanent pasture” should be classed as land which is used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage, but heather is non-herbaceous.



I've looked but I can't find this article on line. I would like to read the actual legislation for myself and quote directly from it.

Can anyone help? Thanks]]> Sun, 06 May 2012 10:04:52 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1629-farming-subsidies/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1628-uk-politics/
The UK parliament sits at Westminster in London, England. The UK comprises, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

Scotland has a devolved parliament with some powers held by that parliament (called devolved powers) and other powers held at Westminster and the UK Parliament (called reserved powers). Wales and Northern Ireland have Political Assemblies and have certain powers devolved and others held by the UK Parliament. England has no separate parliament.

There are representatives from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England that have seats in the UK Parliament. In-between general elections where we vote for people to represent us (Members of Parliament, known as MP's) a vote may take place due to the death or resignation of an MP. These votes are called by-elections.

The current government is a coalition government where two parties have got together to form a government, in this case the Conservative and Unionist Party and the Liberal Democrats. The next largest party in the parliament (known as the opposition) is the Labour Party. The current government are struggling at the moment trying to steer the UK out of the current economic slump and are struggling with many local issues as well so you would expect the opposition party to do well in by-elections but to do very well in areas that are predominantly working class and an area where they already hold that seat. In this case Bradford West in England.

The Labour party lost the last general election in the UK after being in power since 1997. They have a new leader called Ed Miliband and there are some who do not think that he is a suitable leader for the labour Party.

There is also a gentleman in UK politics called George Galloway. He is a Scotsman who was formally a member of the British Labour Party. In 2003 he opposed the Iraq War (as many in Scotland did) but as this went against his own parties policy and due to his outbursts was expelled from the party. George Galloway went on to set up his own party called "Respect". He had some success by being elected as the MP for Bethnal Green but then lost the seat. He tried to be elected in Glasgow but got very few votes and failed to get elected to the Scottish Parliament.

A by-election was held yesterday in Bradford West. This is a Labour Heartland where they hold the seat with a majority of somewhere around 5000 votes and given the problems the current coalition government are having it was fully expected by all that the Labour party would not only retain this parliamentary seat but may increase their majority of votes.

The vote was declared and George Galloway won. Not only did he win but he won by a majority in excess of 10,000 votes taking 56% of those votes. This is probably won of the biggest upsets in UK politics for many many years.

This is simply a disaster for the Labour Party and a real problem for the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. There are already some who have questioned his appointment as leader and this will only compound the doubts and with the Scottish local election less than 5 weeks away his days may be numbered.

What you have to remember is that the Labour Party are a unionist party, they believe that Scotland should remain within the union and although Johann Lamont is the leader of the Scottish Labour Party the Scottish Labour Party are financed by the British labour Party and when they have elections English MP's come north of the border to campaign so if the Labour Party lose councillors in this local election, as I think they will, it will have the effect of mounting pressure not just on Johann Lamont but will mount pressure on the leader of the British Labour party.

George Galloway is a left wing socialists politician who now has a seat in the UK parliament.

More later.

M...]]> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:45:44 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1628-uk-politics/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1626-local-council-elections-scotland-2012/
Every 4 years there are council elections in Scotland. A council are a group of elected individuals who "manage" the local area.

Scotland has 32 councils. Each council is split into wards and these wards are represented by Councillors. My local council is Perth and Kinross and I will use this council as an example.

Perth and Kinross is one of thirty two councils in Scotland. This council is split into 12 wards, each ward being represented by three or four councillors who are elected every four years by those within that ward and represent that ward at the council.

Currently there are 41 elected Councillors for Perth and Kinross. These Councillors either belong to political parties or stand as individuals with no party affiliation, referred to as Independents. The current elected councillors for Perth and Kinross are as follows.

SNP (Scottish National Party and currently the Scots Government) have 18 Councillors.
Scottish Liberal Democrats have 7 seats
Scottish Labour Party have 3 seats
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party have 11 seats

Independents have 2 seats

Although the Scottish National Party have the most seats, they do not have a majority as the number of Councillors from the other parties, including the Independents total 23 seats. This is known as a hung council or a council with no overall control. If this happens then it is possible that the party with the most seats (In this case the SNP) will look to others to make up a majority.

In Perth and Kinross the Scottish National Party have a coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. These two parties work together to ensure a majority and if we look at the seat allocation you will see that both parties together have 25 seats with the other parties together holding 16 seats. The other parties are in the minority.

On May the 3rd this year the people of Scotland will go to the polls to elect their councillors. These elections should be about local issues but national politics do have an influence and are a good indications as to how the political parties in Scotland are seen by the general public.

I will update this thread with information that is pertinent to these local council elections and will keep you updated during the council elections and subsequent result and the effect that the result will have on national politics in Scotland.

More later.

M...]]> Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:42:47 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1626-local-council-elections-scotland-2012/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1625-poor-laws/ Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:55:35 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1625-poor-laws/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1624-highland-clearances-today/

Sorry, I posted this article in Introductions also. Does anybody have any info on this case or anything like it. I cannot find the original source. Can anybody find me a link. Thanks]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:27:00 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1624-highland-clearances-today/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1623-highland-clearances-today/
Does anybody remember this. Does anybody know the outcome. I have tried to find the original source. For some reason the Scotsman's archive only goes up to 1950.

It's unbelievable that this is still going on.]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:22:34 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1623-highland-clearances-today/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1622-declaration-of-arbroath-independence-referendum/ It could therefore be argued I think, that any Scottish Official or Politician who agrees to give over the sovereignty of the people of Scotland to Westminster, is acting treasonably in the eyes of Scots law and the provisions of the Declaration of Arbroath.]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:34:06 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1622-declaration-of-arbroath-independence-referendum/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1621-highland-tourism/ Can anybody tell me approximately how how many people visit the highlands each year? Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:54:56 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1621-highland-tourism/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1620-after-the-clearances/ InApril 1854, the Lairds of Sutherland, Argyll, Seaforth and Gordon were asked to raise their men for battle.
Not only were the Highland regiments valuable as a fighting force, they were also cheaper to raise, because in the Lowlands none could be raised without money.
As it was, of thirty three battalions that were sent to the Crimea, only three were highland.
In Parliament, the question was asked, "Where are the Highlanders"
What had been forgotten was that where once there had been a race of warrior, now there was only sheep.
Calum Campbell MacPhail summed it up in his verse,

" When the strife begins
The poor man will be needed
The gentry will be calling for him
Over the face of the hills
Echo will answer
Do not be afraid in these days of stress
When you have an abundance of hornless sheep"]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:50 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1620-after-the-clearances/ http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1615-cameron-lays-down-the-law/ David Cameron is now telling Alec Salmond when and with what questions he might allow a referendum on independence. Anyone in favour of UDI.? Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:17:26 +0000 http://www.clannalba.com/topic/1615-cameron-lays-down-the-law/