Salmond - a modern Canute?

It's no surprise to Calton that the Home Secretary is powerless to prevent unrestricted immigration from Bulgaria and Romania come the end of next year. Freedom of movement is what the EU is all about - if you don't like it, the only option is to leave the EU. Now there's an idea! Not one that our First Minister is considering, admittedly, however an increase in Eastern European immigrants into Scotland nearly a year before the independence referendum may concentrate his mind a bit. It did not escape Calton's notice, on a recent visit up north, that the majority of people serving him in shops, cafes and petrol stations were Eastern Europeans. They were polite and helpful and they have a reputation for being hard-working, however, if their numbers were to increase dramatically it would almost certainly fuel tensions with locals in areas with high unemployment and a lack of affordable housing, ie most of Scotland. If Salmond sticks with his plan to stay in the EU he will be as powerless as Theresa May is to stop the inflow. So much for having control over our own economy. As well try and stop the tide coming in.

What do they take us for?

It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious - Alistair Darling makes a very pertinent point about monetary union eventually leading to political union and all the SNP can say in return is that "Dozens of countries have become independent from Westminster since 1945, and none have chosen to return to London rule." Yes, but how many of those countries retained Sterling? Not very many. Either the SNP are a bunch of thickos who can't understand basic economic principles or else they think that we are. The latter would tie in with their arrogant attitude when it comes to listening to the people of Scotland. It may well fall on deaf ears as far as the Scottish Government are concerned however Calton would like to say again that full independence can only be achieved with our own central bank and our own currency. To suggest anything else is nonsense.

It's all in the wording

While we are on the subject of rats and other rodents, Calton is pleased to see that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has a sense of humour, although Calton's favourite ginger rodent remains the much-missed Wee Red Squirrel. It is worth taking a look at his blog even now for the articles and the links under 'The truth will set us free'. Where Calton and his ginger friend diverge is on the wording of the referendum question, which Calton thinks is too biased towards the SNP. It will be interesting to see what the Electoral Commission make of it.

More than one way to skin a rat

Nadine Dorries is being a bit naive in expecting to sit around the campfire in the celebrity jungle discussing topics such as lowering the time limit for abortions. Frankly, Calton can't think of anything calculated to kill the conversation amongst contestants faster. On the other hand, the furore over her decision to take part in 'I'm a celebrity' and her reasons for entering have ensured that everyone reading about it online or in the newspapers is now aware that Dorries supports a 20 week time limit, which just goes to show that there is more than one way to skin a rat (or snake or crocodile).

What did we do???

If His Grace is correct in saying that we get the leaders we deserve, what on earth did Scotland do to merit 2002 days of Alex Salmond??? Calton's mind boggles. Not only that but the likelihood is that we are going to get at least another 730 days (until the Independence Referendum) before Eck bows out, and that's only if we believe his promise not to go "on and on". His loyal Deputy has congratulated him on his political longevity, presumably because she is young enough to still have a shot at the top when he finally shuffles off his first-ministerial coil, but if it was Calton, he'd be chewing nails and sharpening his claws in the background. Let us not forget what happened to Margaret Thatcher after she vowed to go on and on. There's something to be said for limiting a leader's time in office, as they do in the US.

Three answers

If Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon had any sense they would listen to today's warning from Jim Sillars and Gordon Wilson on Scotland's position in the EU. The suggestion that we have talks with other members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is eminently sensible. Why the SNP persist in thinking that membership of the EU is the only way forward is totally unfathomable to Calton. Can they not recognise a car crash when they see one? Are they too proud to listen to former grandees of their own party? Do they deserve our vote at the next election? (Answers: no, yes and no, in that order.)

Twenty questions

Calton is not a fan of the great Broon, however the former Prime Minister is quite right to call on the SNP to comment on "twenty unanswered questions" about independence and its effect on the Scottish nation. His reason for wanting to stay in the UK is obvious - he wants to avoid the "massive rupture" which leaving the union would undoubtedly cause and which the SNP are playing down for all they are worth. It would be helpful if the SNP would actually answer some of the questions posed by Brown instead of trotting out that old chestnut about not having the power over jobs, the economy and welfare. We'll be lucky if we have any jobs and economy to speak of in 2014 after two years of uncertainty.

A looming superstorm

Alex Salmond has referred himself to an independent assessor over allegations that he misled Holyrood over the EU legal advice affair. Calton would also like to see an independent investigation into whether or not Salmond can keep the promises he has made to "protect the important principles of freedom of speech, conscience and declaration of faith" if same-sex marriage legislation goes ahead. The Scottish Government has made a number of assertions over the last few months about protecting the rights and freedoms of those who oppose same-sex marriage but it now seems that they may not have the power to do so, given that it would require changes to UK equality legislation, UK employment legislation and UK charity legislation. It also seems that they may not have the will to do so, given that the only protection being considered by the Scottish Government applies to individual marriage celebrants who do not wish to conduct same-sex weddings. This leaves other individuals who do not agree with same-sex marriage, such as teachers, youth workers, foster carers, parents and bloggers like Calton, open to discrimination and possible legal action because of their views, contrary to the impression which the First Minister has given whenever the issue of same-sex marriage and its impact on freedom of speech and religion is raised. The fracas over EU legal advice has left Salmond blustering in the wind but that will be nothing compared with the superstorm which will erupt if it turns out that his promises to protect freedom of speech are only so much hot air.

Better never than late

It's good to see that Barclays and Coutts have decided to withdraw sponsorship from the Stonewall awards next year unless the 'Bigot' award is dropped however it beggars belief that they did not know what they were sponsoring this year given that Nationwide, one of last year's sponsors, withdrew after getting serious flak over their involvement. Their move today smacks of damage limitation in the face of a media storm. Stonewall do good work in preventing bullying of homosexuals, however, when they use the term 'bigot' to try and censure the speech of those who don't agree with them, they become the bully. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong target in Cardinal O'Brien. Nobody, Calton least of all, would have objected if they'd picked whoever said that gay people should be shot dead but the Cardinal's comments on gay marriage are not in the same category. His comments may be offensive to homosexuals but many people are deeply unhappy with the idea of marriage being redefined and feel that the Cardinal speaks for them. In labelling him a bigot, Stonewall also labels them bigots. Such name-calling only widens the gulf between the two sides of the debate and the fact that Ruth Davidson got booed for objecting to the 'Bigot' award at the Stonewall event reveals the petty nature of some of Stonewall's supporters. Stonewall would do well to dissociate itself from such people.

No Guarantees

It is becoming more and more obvious that we are going to go into the independence referendum without a clear idea of what Scotland's position will be in the EU if we vote yes. The UK Government won't ask the European Commission for its view before the referendum happens and the Scottish Government can't ask the EC before the referendum happens because Scotland is not a member state at the moment. So we are going to have to make the most important decision in the history of modern Scotland without all the relevant information available to us. Wonderful. What is clear is that the SNP cannot guarantee to deliver on their vision of an independent Scotland, in the EU, using Sterling even if they do get a yes vote because their vision depends on securing the agreement of both the EU and the remainder of the UK post-independence. What is Alex Salmond going to do if they don't agree? Nuke them? (Oops, sorry, Calton was forgetting that an independent Scotland would be a nuclear-free zone.)