Bye bye Merkozy

Alex Salmond must be breathing a huge sigh of relief that the fallout from the French and Greek election results has replaced his relationship with Murdoch as top news and fallout it is, as Merkel comes out all guns blazing over the suggestion by Hollande that the Merkozy austerity deal might be up for renegotiation. At least we are all spared the problem of trying to combine Merkel and Hollande into a single snappy name. Merkande sounds like something from Arabian Nights and Hollkel is too close to hell for comfort, although it might be the way the Eurozone is heading. The Greeks are revolting, France has said 'non' to cuts, the Dutch coalition recently collapsed over the issue before a deal could be agreed, Spain is in big trouble and Merkel is channeling Margaret Thatcher 'the lady's not for turning'. And our First Minister wants to join this lot? Nein danke!

Something fishy in the state of Europe

Calton has always thought that 'independence in Europe' is a contradiction in terms. Why cut loose from a democratically elected parliament in Westminster only to submit to an unelected bureaucracy in Brussels? Do we really want to become part of a Greater Germany, the creation of which is the only way forward if the Euro is to survive? David Cameron has very sensibly told Merkozy where to go, in order to protect the City of London. Would that someone would do the same to protect what's left of the Scottish fishing industry!