Scottish Roundup

Well well well. Where to begin? There have been so many posts on one particular issue — many from the same few blogs — that I don’t quite know how to approach this without breaking the loose “maximum one post per blog per week” rule.

Suffice it to say that there was an abundance of top-notch Scottish blogging this week — and not just on that main issue. I’ve been tearing my hear out trying to put this roundup together. So I have upped the limit to two. (And it still wasn’t enough.)

Anyway, first things first. I think it is fair to say that Brown hasn’t been in such a mess since the filming of 2 Girls 1 Cup. But north of the border, bloggers have been more concerned about the leader of the Scottish branch of the Labour party and a donation from Paul Green.

For a primer on the issue, where better to go than Brian Taylor’s excellent blog?

Calum Cashley has been particularly strong on this issue. He outlines why Labour’s claims that this is all “muddle not fiddle” do not add up. He also reckons that Wendy Alexander is obliged to reveal all of her donors.

Guido Fawkes got a good scoop, with a personal letter that Wendy Alexander wrote to Paul Green. Oh dear.

Fitaloon has also been covering this issue in depth. He is calling it kebabgate (geddit?) and has been looking at the people getting skewered.

Bill Cameron brought his blog out of hiatus with a neat quote that sums up a lot of the feeling surrounding this: We’re Labour – the law is for others.

Gus had a couple of interesting comments:

Looks like the Herald broke it because the Scotsman changed its front page from earlier editions to run with it. Well done the Herald. It’s amazing what you find when you remove your head from up Labours arse isn’t it!

But perhaps more saliently (and this is a question being asked in several places):

…how did Bendy Wendy spend £17,000 on an election campaign in which she was unopposed? What the hell did she spend the money on?

In yet murkier waters, Adam Smith was a Socialist smells another rat.

Joe Gordon has an interesting conspiracy theory. Make of it what you will.

However, Alex Massie thinks that the scandal has been blown out of proportion, and not as serious as other Labour scandals from the past decade.

Meanwhile, Love and Garbage has a poll about all of this [party political content] in the official transcript of Gordon Brown’s press conference.

In slightly brighter news from Wendy Alexander’s perspective, David Farrer seems pleased to see her going down the fiscal autonomy route.

The apparent problems with the economy seems to have been forgotten about a bit. But Richard Leyton has been thinking about it, and wonders if the economic downturn is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I suppose ‘yes’ is the answer. It’s a bit like how it’s not actual inflation that matters, but expected future inflation.

Richard Thomson chose to focus on the political taunts that Gordon Brown has been at the receiving end of. He makes some interesting comparisons to similar instances of the past — and noted that it effectively finished them. I’m personally not sure if the ‘Mr. Bean’ thing will stick, but who’s to say?

It certainly feels like a turning point though. Shuggy now thinks he was definitely right about Gordon Brown.

As I write — later than I’d like to think about on a Saturday night — I have just read on the Scotland on Sunday‘s website that Paul Green was in line to receive an honour. I am sure that later today the blogs will be buzzing about it.

In the wake of all of Labour’s problems, ASwaS takes a look at the opinion polls, and assesses the prospect of Labour losing the next Westminster election in Scotland.

Reactionary Snob has also been looking at the polls… and at Brown’s brown breeks.

Tartan Hero has information on another poll that will be in today’s Scottish Sunday Express. Approval ratings for the Scottish Executive are at 54%, compared with 11% for the UK Government.

Another big story this week has been the unveiling of Scotland’s new slogan. Welcome to Scotland is perhaps not the most original choice, as Reactionary Snob points out. He calls it the Emperor’s New Slogan and is rather scathing about the accompanying images.

Colin Campbell wasn’t too impressed either. Meanwhile, Cassilis has the full lowdown on the different stages of design.

Osama Saeed, however, is impressed with the new campaign — and notes a contrast between two photographs.

This feels like ancient history now, but it’s still worth including. Will P wrote about Gavin Yates, Wendy Alexander’s new head of communications (he must be busy) who, in a previous incarnation, wrote some less-than-flattering things about Wendy Alexander and Scottish Labour. Indeed, his posts were even featured here from time to time.

Elsewhere, Clairwil has a troubling tale of someone who is suffering from depression because she thinks (but doesn’t know) that she has been raped and isn’t getting any proper help.

Yesterday was World AIDS Day. Posts come from akatsukira and Kezia Dugdale.

Osama Saeed has a very sensible post on the issue of naming a teddy bear after a prophet: If this is a crime, then there are a lot of Muslims guilty of it.

Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to turn down Donald Trump’s offer to build a golf course in the area has been described by Neil Craig as throwing away £1bn.

Meanwhile, Tartan Hero says the Lib-Lab pact continues. He points out some figures that show that the Lib Dems have voted with Labour 67% of the time since May.

Scottish Tory Boy agrees with him that it is unfair to talk about an SNP / Conservative alliance.

But the way for that situation has certainly been paved. The SNP appears to have buried the hatchet and has changed its constitution to allow coalition with the Conservatives. Will P says that time has healed the wounds inflicted by Thatcher.

Mr Eugenides notes that the country’s first publicly-funded Hindu school is in a spot of bother with the Hindu Council UK. It excludes many Hindus from attending.

Pat Kane writes in support of “shuttlefolk”, a group of people that Christopher Harvie has derided.

Councillor Andrew Burns continues in his admirable quest for electoral reform, looking at the Electoral Commission’s response to the Gould Report.

Shuggy despairs at The Scotsman‘s attempts to get people celebrating St. Andrew’s Day:

Personally, one of the things about Scotland that I used to think was worth celebrating is that we didn’t go in for the ghastly kitsch that is St Patrick’s Day.

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott writes about her journey with LGBTory.

Morrissey has got himself into trouble for comments he made about immigrants. Bookdrunk pointed out the irony of him making these comments having emigrated. Isn’t it always the way? If I got a pound every time someone told me they wanted to leave the country because of all those immigrants…

Flying Rodent was not too impressed with Morrissey’s comments either:

…whenever Morrissey comes back for a visit, all the locals spot him coming and urgently whisper Bollocks, it’s that pretentious twat out of The Smiths. Quick, pretend you’re from Warsaw, and maybe he’ll go away.

However, Clairwil defended him, complete with some brilliant anti-Labour bits.

Jeff popped in to American Express to exchange his Sterling for some dollars and was in for a shock. Scottish banknotes are worth less than Bank of England notes! (My suggestion: could it be something to do with the fact that Scottish banknotes aren’t legal tender, whereas Bank of England notes are at least legal tender south of the border?)

Richard Thomson met two different people, and got two different reactions about independence.

Cabalamat has been looking at Republicans in the USA. He has a rather radical suggestion for a way forward for America.

Gordon McLean has some interesting thoughts on solitude.

Angry Steve finds some ironic graffiti.

Mark McDonald reckons Alex McLeish is a fool for going to Birmingham City. Craig wonders what a contract is worth in sport these days.

Finally, a bit of a blog campaign. Mr Eugenides outlines why we can’t turn them away.

Sorry for the length of the roundup! It was a big week. Thanks as always for the nominations. If you have any nominations, please write either in the form on the right or by email to scottishroundup@gmail.com. Next week’s roundup will be written by Scottish Tory Boy. For his sake, I hope it’s a bit quieter…