The new government in Scotland is faced with its first public, though doubtless not first unpublicised, problem with the Labour party Executive in Westminster not grasping what is no longer within its jurisdiction.
The Libyan convicted of involvement in the PanAm Lockerbie plane bomb has been the subject of discussion between the Westminster Prime Minister and the President of Libya. Unfortunately the Prime Minister at Westminster has no say in the fate of a prisoner held in Scotland, convicted in a Scottish court, of a crime committed in Scottish airspace.
Attempts by English Foreign Office civil servants to advise the Labour Westminster Prime Minister that this was a matter for Scottish Prime Minister Salmond were not accepted (or understood).
The Libyans have got it now though and, according to the Sunday Herald, are not best pleased. The Herald notes in a leader,
'...Alex Salmond is using the full authority of his position to challenge Westminster's ways of doing things - from leading talks with Europe on fishing to signing memoranda on prisoner transfer with Colonel Gaddafi. The SNP government will shortly publish its white paper and bill for a referendum on independence.'
The MP for the Scottish constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath and Leader-designate of the Labour party is looking ever weirder as candidate prime minister at Westminster.
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5 comments:
Another nail in the Union`s coffin HG .I have picked up a book for my holiday that I think you would enjoy . It is about the EU conspiracy to end national governement through the regionalisation. Haven1t started yet but it looked so HG-ish I wondrered if you had written it.
I see there is a Mr. HG...what a lucky lucky chap he is. I hope he appreciates you.
PS Sorry I can`t keep up all the time
I have edited many books, N but never written one; that's a different skill I do not have (HG lacks application).
Will you be going anywhere in central Italy? Lots of books here, not very well shelved yet due to impromptu reading instead of placing.
The Scottish Prime Minister is pressing on with the referendum on independence, the Herald reports; wise man. He's for defenestration at the earliest opportunity unless he gets some EU allies sharpish.
He's for defenestration at the earliest opportunity unless he gets some EU allies sharpish
Well the referendum was always the whole point but I understood that they would lose in Scotland any time soon , although they would win in England ( Ho ho ). Many SNP voters were protesting against Labour and did not necessarily want independence so I imagined there would be a period in which a succession of petty fights were picked. Abolishing tuition fees but only for Scottish domiciled Students is going to be one and what a nasty little prod in the ribs that is . This by the way is the only realistic way to galvanise anti EU opinion in this country and what I would do .
Why does no one use the phrase “Little Scotlander “ It seems apt enough to me .
I `m not entirely clear on the relevance of EU support and as usual I `m slightly at sea with where you are, are you now in central Italy then? You are so glamorous HG an international woman of intrigue and mystery. an intoxicating cocktail of dizzying enchantments
We are off to Cornwall actually at the end of the week.
Scotland has speeded up on dealing directly with the EU and not permitting the cosy 'we're all Labour' Westminster/Edinburgh axis that went on till the defeat. (I'm not very familiar with Scotland, only ever got as far as Carlisle), so as you say, there's a lot of ribjabbing going on. The Scottish press are opening a discussion on what Scots might want now.
Are you saying English domiciled students studying in Scottish universities will be charged fees?
Small children struggling with airports and ear ache in planes always seems like child abuse - Cornwall in comfort and globally warmed sounds like a proper holiday.
Tuition fees will be abolished but only for Scottish domiciled students at Scottish Universities.
D T Today ..it has been trailed for a while .
Cornwall ..yes can`t wait !!
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