Why bother?

Calton really doesn't know why the Scottish Government are bothering to have another consultation on same-sex marriage when they didn't listen to the last one. They clearly are not interested in what the ordinary man or woman on the street thinks. What is particularly worrying about all this is that we now have a ruling class of politicians who all agree, by and large, on what is 'right' and who think that they know better than the electorate who put them there. It's not just autumn here in Scotland - we are now in the iron grip of winter, both literally and figuratively, and all those who do not agree with same-sex marriage are going to be left to freeze out in the cold. Does Alex Salmond really expect us to believe that all the reassurances he is currently talking about will make it into the final bill, or remain part of the legislation over time, when we were assured not so long ago that Civil Partnerships would not lead to homosexual marriage? Calton, for one, is anything but reassured. How long before he is hounded for holding the traditional view of marriage, namely, one man and one woman for life, as His Grace has been?

Lords v Scoundrels 1-0

You've got to love the House of Lords. Faced with John Swinney's ridiculous assertions about Scotland's membership of the EU post-independence, Lord Lipsey says Swinney's position is "bizarre" and the Scottish Government is "retreating into implausible references ... the last refuge of a scoundrel". Wonderful. Why anyone would want to do away with the Upper Chamber when they come out with stuff like this is beyond Calton. They may give the impression of being half asleep but there are definitely no flies on them. Would that we had someone like Lord Lipsey in the Scottish Parliament when Nicola Sturgeon makes a statement to MSPs on Thursday afternoon about an independent Scotland's membership of the EU.

Barking at the EU

What part of "any new independent country would have to apply to join the EU" does Nicola Sturgeon not understand? Has she too been deluded into thinking that all she needs to do is keep re-iterating her false beliefs and they will happen? The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has made it quite clear that we would have to negotiate entry into the EU from outside if we became independent. The SNP make not like it and they may not agree with it but they are kidding themselves on if they think that they can go to the European Commission and say "you're wrong - we're right". Yes we've got (dwindling) oil reserves. Yes we've got (dwindling) fish stocks. But let's not fool ourselves that the EU will welcome us with open arms, and, if it does, do we really want to trade our oil and fish for membership of an undemocratic fiscal basket-case? Seriously? If Scotland is such a great export market for other EU countries we can surely negotiate good trading terms with those countries from a position outwith the EU, while protecting assets such as our fish. That would be the really sensible option. Unfortunately the Deputy First Minister seems to have completely taken leave of her senses. Absolutely barking.

Reaping the whirlwind

Calton finds it hard to have any sympathy for Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian. They sowed the wind and have reaped the whirlwind. The best counsel they could be given is to make a profound and unreserved apology for their prank and to go and find jobs out of the media where they will not be tempted to increase their personal profiles by humiliating hard-working hospital staff. If it didn't have so much potential to become a publicity stunt, Calton would suggest the pair become hospital cleaners. Underpaid, unappreciated and faceless, cleaners wage war against hospital acquired infections every day. A far more important job than radio DJ in Calton's book.

Think again

Calton extends his deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Jacintha Saldanha. He also sincerely hopes that, in future, when a radio DJ decides to pick up the phone and play a prank, they think again. It's not funny. As Chuka Umunna said on Any Questions? tonight, it was "stupid and foolish" and "extremely distasteful". It was also unkind, both to the hospital staff and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who found themselves this week in the unfortunate position of having to go public with details of her pregnancy much earlier than most people would have wished in similar circumstances. The pair responsible for the hoax call said they were "very sorry if we've caused any issues". That 'if' has become a definite. It would be good if the suspension of the two from their show becomes indefinite.

Thankyou Danny

Two days in a row! This has to be something of a record when it comes to politicians listening! No sooner had Calton asked if Danny Alexander was listening than the announcement came that the red-haired one is looking to see if the fuel discount currently being applied to the islands can be extended to some parts of the mainland, in particular, the North West Highlands. The only fly in the ointment is that implementation is still dependent on agreement by the European Commission. Which makes Calton wonder, once again, why the SNP are so keen for us to remain part of the EU if we vote for independence. They are making a lot of big assumptions, not least that, under the Edinburgh Agreement, the UK Government would support the process of re-negotiating an independent Scotland's position within the EU because it is in the best interests of the people of Scotland! This smacks all too much of Oprah Winfrey-style 'if you speak positively, it will happen' nonsense rather than dealing with the actual reality, namely, that we'll only get to stay in the EU club if the other members want us to. It's certainly not going to happen just because John Swinney says so.

Thankyou George

At last! A politician who listens! Calton is really pleased to hear that George has decided to give us a break by scrapping the planned 3p increase in fuel duty. For many small businesses diesel is the main cost and so keeping the price down is crucial if we want them to survive and grow. The high cost of fuel is also hitting rural areas very hard, indeed, some parts of Scotland are turning into a petrol desert with the closure of filling stations.  There has to be a better way of subsidising petrol and diesel prices in rural areas - are you listening Danny?

Plan B

There's nothing like having a Plan B just in case Plan A doesn't work and, for the Scottish Government, that is Hunterston B. "No more nuclear" (but we're happy to see the life of the existing ones extended just in case our ambitious renewables target isn't met and the lights start going out). Well at least they are being pragmatic, which is more than can be said for Partrick Harvie. Thank goodness he and his Greens are not in power because, if they were, none of us would have any power. They must be heating themselves by their own hot air because they don't seem to have noticed that the temperature outside has dropped and so has the wind, as it quite often does during frosty spells. It's at times like these that Calton is glad of his gas central heating (with a super-efficient condensing boiler), double glazing and a foot of loft insulation. Figures out today show that families are spending more per week than this time last year, partly due to rising fuel bills, and the fuel bills are rising to pay for the windmills we see standing motionless on cold, sunny days. Even the combined hot air from Holyrood and Westminster would not be enough to set the blades turning and keep our homes warm at the moment. What we need is coal!

Escape from Amazon

Allan Lyall, Vice President of European Operations, Amazon, has obviously been to the same school of question avoidance as Alex Salmond, judging by his performance on today's Business Scotland program. When asked about the recent criticism over Amazon's failure to pay corporation tax in the UK, Lyall sidestepped the issue, saying that he was "very, very busy" ensuring that customers got their parcels on time and was not the right person to ask about tax. (Amazon had £7bn sales in the UK between 2009 and 2011 but only paid £2.3m corporation tax.) Lyall also talked about locating their new 'fulfillment centre' in Dunfermline because of the people, rather than the £10m government grant they were given, however Calton has heard that Eastern European languages are as common as English on the warehouse floor over in Fife, making him wonder just how many locals have benefited from the behemoth on their doorstep. Mind you, if fellow blogger Middleschmiddle overheard right, they've maybe had a lucky escape.

The real threat to free speech

Calton finds it very hard to take David Cameron seriously when he talks about being "wary of legislation that has potential to infringe free speech and a free press" in the wake of the publication of the Leveson Report. The reason? Because, at the same time as the Prime Minister is refusing to legislate the press, he is going full steam ahead with legislation on same-sex marriage which will undoubtedly be a far bigger threat to free speech, if enacted, than anything recommended by Leveson. No wonder Conservatives are deserting to UKIP in their droves. Meanwhile, the party which most espouses same-sex marriage and EU membership was soundly thrashed in the recent by-elections and replaced by a party which supports keeping marriage heterosexual and leaving the EU. In other words, the politically-correct Libdems were cuffed by the straight-talking, gloriously politically-incorrect UKIP because, basically, the electorate do not like being told what to think. In that sense, Cameron has judged the public mood better than Clegg when it comes to responding to Leveson. We all deplore the excesses of the press but do we want it controlled by politicians? Calton thinks not.