Julia Pannell

                                                        Drought Warning             Scotland may be in line for more frequent water shortages in years to come.  Last year was the second driest summer for 160 years. … Read More »Week 19 May 7th – May 13th 2022

Healthcare Crisis?          A healthcare crisis is developing, according to Dr Graeme Eunson, a consultant pediatrician based at Borders General Hospital and the outgoing chairman of the BMA’s Scottish consultants’ committee.            He claims a two-tier system is emerging, with double the number of medical professionals retiring in 2021 compared to 2020.… Read More »Healthcare Crisis?

No to indyref 2 Scottish Labour peer George Foulkes is planning a bill which would allow a Treasury veto on any Holyrood plans to spend money on reserved areas like the constitution, hoping that this will force Scottish government civil servants to stop work on indyref2. This is certainly ironic.  In 1989, he was one… Read More »Week 18 April 30th – May 6th, 2022

 23/04/2022 – 29/04/2022 The Fringe Soaring accommodation costs are pricing entertainers out of participation, with some prices doubling since 2019. Anthony Alderson of the Pleasance Theatre Trust is calling on the council and landlords to cap prices. The Scottish government introduced the Scottish Private Residential Tenancy agreement in 2019 in a bid to help students,… Read More »Week 17 April 23rd – April 29th, 2022

16/04/2022 – 22/04/2022 Economic Summit SNP policy chief Toni Giugliano has announced the second Scotland After Independence seminar, this time on the Economy. The online 25th May conference is open only to SNP members, aiming to equip SNP activists to counter UK misinformation. The first seminar featured Scotland’s future in the EU.  A new prospectus on… Read More »Week 16 16th April – 22nd April 2022

Scotland’s Land, Energy, Independence and what we get from the Ferry contract (not a ferry): 09/04/2022 – 16/04/2022 IndyRef2 Despite the First Minister claiming it is ‘unsustainable’ for the UK to stand in the way of indyref2, a House of Commons briefing of 71 pages has outlined the grounds for a legal challenge if Boris… Read More »Week 15 9th April – 15th April 2022

A mixed few weeks for women’s rights: Victories The Equality and Human Rights Commission has ruled that toilets, changing rooms and so on can be single sex and exclude trans people. However, the following day, NHS diversity officers decided to band together to just ignore that advice. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, waded into the… Read More »You win some, you lose some

Week 14 : 2nd -8th April All Under One Banner (AUOB)          The latest rally for independence in Arbroath at the weekend saw SNP President Mike Russell challenged by AUOB Organiser Bob Fotheringham on how many more mandates the SNP needs to pursue independence.  Russell claimed he will spend every waking hour of his life… Read More »Week 14 : 2nd April – 8th April 2022

26/03/2022 – 01/04/2022 Incinerator plans binned Plans for a new waste incinerator in South Lanarkshire have been abandoned following an outcry from the local population and campaign group Dovesdale Action Group (DAG) working with MSPs Christina McKelvie and Mairi McAllan and local MP Angela Crawley.  Sir David Attenborough supported opposition to the plant.  The Scottish… Read More »Week 13 26th March – 1st April 2022

The Independence for Scotland Party held its Spring Conference last weekend in beautiful, sunny Dundee. Delegates met to consider a number of new resolutions, as well as Emergency Resolutions arising from the ongoing war in Ukraine.  Robin McAlpine of Common Weal and Dr Mark McNaughton of the Scottish Sovereignty Research Group presented their ideas on where… Read More »ISP Spring Conference 19th March 2022