The opposition parties in Zimbabwe have appealed to the UN Security Council for help. It calls amidst calls by Zimbabwe human rights groups that in rural areas violence is being used on behlaf of Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party in an attempt to rig the re-run of the Presidential election.
The UN's Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe fears Zimbabwe is in the midst of its worst humanitarian crisis since independence. Where violence and food are being used as political weapons.
Tendai Biti, Secretary General of the main opposition (or should that be Government by now) Movement for Democratic Change, is hoping that as a result the UN will send an envoy to Zimbabwe as soon as possible. This beggars the question why haven't the UN done something like that before now.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Relight My Fire
Well having taken a look over a quiet Grangemouth on Sunday from the Bathgate Hills it appears that the day after the dispute ended may have been productive. The company that owns the plant had planned to close the final pension scheme to new employees and phase in a contribution scheme instead.
The talks that were called off well before the eleventh hour last week had a good resumption when they resumed on Tuesday after the 48 hour strike which not only shut down the Grangemouth petrochemical plant but also shut down the Forties pipeline as a consequence. Both Ineos and the union Unite have said they had reached a proposal which they will consider over the next couple of days.
It has been good to see Unite reduce the level of spite in their statement's about Ineos which may well have paved way for this negotiation to get to where it has. However, over the weekend local MP Michael Connarty sadly proved to be anything but a calming influence when he accused Ineos of "telling lies" and "macho management".
The talks that were called off well before the eleventh hour last week had a good resumption when they resumed on Tuesday after the 48 hour strike which not only shut down the Grangemouth petrochemical plant but also shut down the Forties pipeline as a consequence. Both Ineos and the union Unite have said they had reached a proposal which they will consider over the next couple of days.
It has been good to see Unite reduce the level of spite in their statement's about Ineos which may well have paved way for this negotiation to get to where it has. However, over the weekend local MP Michael Connarty sadly proved to be anything but a calming influence when he accused Ineos of "telling lies" and "macho management".
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Yesterday while out campaigning in the North East that Tim'rous Beastie of a Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said sorry for the botched changes he made in his last budget. With the removal of the 10p tax rate to make room for his cheer raising lowering of the 22p rate to 20p (a long held Tory goal), affecting so many lower paid workers earning less than £18k.
Why was it hard for him to say, because the went on to repeat the manta which makes many people squirm every time they hear it:
For that many who are better off Gordon yet again forgot to mention everyone earning more than £18k leaving many on lower salaries who do not qualify for the benefits and tax credits he waves and dangles before them worse off. People who aren't looking to spend across the whole basket of goods that make up the Retail Price Index. People who's real inflation is well above the magic government top level 3%. When you consider that filing up a petrol tank in currently rising by £1 a week you can see the sort of problems people are facing when that pound or more is being taken from their wage packets through extra income tax every week.
Of course yesterday was also the day that the Conservative amendment to re-establish the 10p rate in January 2009 failed at Westminster but Frank Field, ably back I know from communication with him by my own MP Michael Connarty, has promised to keep up the fight to have every losing out compensated and backdated to 1 April.
Why was it hard for him to say, because the went on to repeat the manta which makes many people squirm every time they hear it:
"But I do stress, as a result of the Budget, far more people are better off, people who are on low incomes are better off, people who are in poverty as families or as pensioners, many have been taken out of tax altogether."
For that many who are better off Gordon yet again forgot to mention everyone earning more than £18k leaving many on lower salaries who do not qualify for the benefits and tax credits he waves and dangles before them worse off. People who aren't looking to spend across the whole basket of goods that make up the Retail Price Index. People who's real inflation is well above the magic government top level 3%. When you consider that filing up a petrol tank in currently rising by £1 a week you can see the sort of problems people are facing when that pound or more is being taken from their wage packets through extra income tax every week.
Of course yesterday was also the day that the Conservative amendment to re-establish the 10p rate in January 2009 failed at Westminster but Frank Field, ably back I know from communication with him by my own MP Michael Connarty, has promised to keep up the fight to have every losing out compensated and backdated to 1 April.
Friday, 25 April 2008
Nepotism Chart
Here's the one political bar chart nobody wanted to be top of, or even close to being in a two horse race. It shows a breakdown of the percentages of MPs by each party that employ a member of their family on their parliamentary staff.
So how do the 106 on the list shape up. Now the list is open and transparent it makes for interesting reading. Despite being the largest party as the graph shows Labour (54) are less nepotistic than the Conservatives (39) as the percentage breakdown shows. Of the Lib Dems only 8 of the 63 employ a family member.
Disclaimer: I have to admit that the SNP and DUP figures look skewed as their 2 MPs for both party are compared between 6 and 9 respectively.
Stadia Tour 9: New Douglas Park
Well with the football season reaching an end (for Livingston fans at least) with only one game remaining of our season this Saturday, I thought I'd better break off from serious posting to get down to completing my tour around this season's Irn Bru Scottish First Division stadia and what better climax for that tour than the home of newly promoted champions Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park. Livingston came a calling on 23rd February, sadly as with the season before for one of the trips here I was again back home in Northern Ireland, so this is the only away ground I failed to see at least twice this seaason.
Location
Hamilton is just off the M74 at junction 5 and New Douglas Park is situated near the town centre close to numerous retails outlets, and close to the railway station. One of the retail outlets is actually built on the site of Douglas Park the former home of the team that was formed in 1874 by former pupils of Hamilton Academy.
The Ground
Last week saw the last game on the Field Turf artifical surface at NDP, as this is going to be replaced by grass for their elevation to the SPL during the close season. There were two elevated stands the Main Stand is to the West and with the other stand behind the northern goal. To the east is the new temporary construction, variously called by fans a gazebo, bus shelter during its construction. This construction brought the seated capacity of NDP up to the magic of figure of 6,000 easing their progression into top flight football once more.
There are a series of steps up to the two existing stands but clampons are not necessarily required to reach your seat. The result is that every fan has an elevated view over the playing area. The new stand will not have the same views however, being more or less at pitch level at the front. Behind the southern goal there are always a few fans either stood in the Homebase car park or on the mound below this leaning against the wall of their foundations.
The Atmosphere
Even dispite being league leaders Hamilton's support has not increased considerably. In recent past financial difficulties had seen them plummet as low as Division 3. However, there is a very vocal group of younger fans who sit close to the away fans who are positioned in the North stand behind the goal. Every time I have been to NDP there has been a lot of banter going back and forth between us and this group. I hope they remain there for the SPL season/s ahead and do their best to banter with the bigger teams support.
The Programme
Academia may sould like a weighty tome but the Accies programme at £1.50 is the cheapest in the league and sadly you get what you pat for. Of the 28 pages 13 contain adverts. It is mostly black and white throughout. This season at least our team details had been proof read for the second game, last season we were reading about new signings from the last weeks or month who had been with up for half a season.
Pie and Bovril
As commented above your walk down the steps once more at the front of the stand to get to the servaries.
Cost
Admission £15
Programme £1.50
Mince Pie and Bovril £TBC
Total £TBC
League Table of Cost
Morton £17.90
Stirling £18.10
Queen of the South £18.60
Partick Thistle £19.90
Clyde £20.60
Dunfermline £21.50
Dundee £21.60
St. Johnstone £21.90
Match Report
Hamilton went through the whole season only conceding 3 goals at home in the league. Fortunately for us Livi fans we were the only set our fans to see our team score on each occasion we played the Accies this season home and away.
However, unlike the previous two games against Hamilton this year our team did not really get into it until it was too late. The first goal originated from a sloppy pass at the half way line and before we knew it we were one down within 10 minutes of the start.
The second, early in the second half, was comedic if not so heartbreaking a cross in from the left was initially saved by keeper Colin Stewart, only to richochet of the incoming left back Craig James back off the keeper's legs and into the net. Stewart was awarded with an own goal for his efforts. A third from McLaughlin put the game more or less beyond hope as would be case later when they returned to Almondvale. Only once Robert Snodgrass got one back in the 79th minute did the Livingston team look like acheiving anything in front of goal but it was too little too late by that stage.
Final Score Partick Thistle 3 Livingston 1 (Hamilton: Stevenson 7, Stewart (o.g.) 49, McLaughlin 64; Livingston: Snodgrass 70)
As a result Hamailton remained top and Livingston remained 7th, their eventual league positions as it turned out.
Well that's the tour ended for this season, next year look out for the only certainty so far Victoria Park, Dingwall home of Ross County and whatever falls out of the Gretna situation. But I'll do one final Stadium report shortly for this season on Almondvale home to the team I support Livingston.
Previous Stadia Dens Park, East End Park, Cappielow, Broadwood, McDiarmid Park, Palmerstone, Forthbank, Firhill
Location
Hamilton is just off the M74 at junction 5 and New Douglas Park is situated near the town centre close to numerous retails outlets, and close to the railway station. One of the retail outlets is actually built on the site of Douglas Park the former home of the team that was formed in 1874 by former pupils of Hamilton Academy.
The Ground
Last week saw the last game on the Field Turf artifical surface at NDP, as this is going to be replaced by grass for their elevation to the SPL during the close season. There were two elevated stands the Main Stand is to the West and with the other stand behind the northern goal. To the east is the new temporary construction, variously called by fans a gazebo, bus shelter during its construction. This construction brought the seated capacity of NDP up to the magic of figure of 6,000 easing their progression into top flight football once more.
There are a series of steps up to the two existing stands but clampons are not necessarily required to reach your seat. The result is that every fan has an elevated view over the playing area. The new stand will not have the same views however, being more or less at pitch level at the front. Behind the southern goal there are always a few fans either stood in the Homebase car park or on the mound below this leaning against the wall of their foundations.
The Atmosphere
Even dispite being league leaders Hamilton's support has not increased considerably. In recent past financial difficulties had seen them plummet as low as Division 3. However, there is a very vocal group of younger fans who sit close to the away fans who are positioned in the North stand behind the goal. Every time I have been to NDP there has been a lot of banter going back and forth between us and this group. I hope they remain there for the SPL season/s ahead and do their best to banter with the bigger teams support.
The Programme
Academia may sould like a weighty tome but the Accies programme at £1.50 is the cheapest in the league and sadly you get what you pat for. Of the 28 pages 13 contain adverts. It is mostly black and white throughout. This season at least our team details had been proof read for the second game, last season we were reading about new signings from the last weeks or month who had been with up for half a season.
Pie and Bovril
As commented above your walk down the steps once more at the front of the stand to get to the servaries.
Cost
Admission £15
Programme £1.50
Mince Pie and Bovril £TBC
Total £TBC
League Table of Cost
Morton £17.90
Stirling £18.10
Queen of the South £18.60
Partick Thistle £19.90
Clyde £20.60
Dunfermline £21.50
Dundee £21.60
St. Johnstone £21.90
Match Report
Hamilton went through the whole season only conceding 3 goals at home in the league. Fortunately for us Livi fans we were the only set our fans to see our team score on each occasion we played the Accies this season home and away.
However, unlike the previous two games against Hamilton this year our team did not really get into it until it was too late. The first goal originated from a sloppy pass at the half way line and before we knew it we were one down within 10 minutes of the start.
The second, early in the second half, was comedic if not so heartbreaking a cross in from the left was initially saved by keeper Colin Stewart, only to richochet of the incoming left back Craig James back off the keeper's legs and into the net. Stewart was awarded with an own goal for his efforts. A third from McLaughlin put the game more or less beyond hope as would be case later when they returned to Almondvale. Only once Robert Snodgrass got one back in the 79th minute did the Livingston team look like acheiving anything in front of goal but it was too little too late by that stage.
Final Score Partick Thistle 3 Livingston 1 (Hamilton: Stevenson 7, Stewart (o.g.) 49, McLaughlin 64; Livingston: Snodgrass 70)
As a result Hamailton remained top and Livingston remained 7th, their eventual league positions as it turned out.
Well that's the tour ended for this season, next year look out for the only certainty so far Victoria Park, Dingwall home of Ross County and whatever falls out of the Gretna situation. But I'll do one final Stadium report shortly for this season on Almondvale home to the team I support Livingston.
Previous Stadia Dens Park, East End Park, Cappielow, Broadwood, McDiarmid Park, Palmerstone, Forthbank, Firhill
Constance Tries to Calm Storm
The letters page of the West Lothian Courier in recent has been red hot with insults and retorts over just where blame should be shunted regarding St. John's hospital. Some of the worse had come from Labour councillors and Labour MSP Mary Mulligan. Mary had been a junior Health Minister up at Holyrood at the time that acute emergency services were downgraded at St John's. She subsequently resigned her post to help fight for the hospital.
No at the time there were a series of public meetings. I attended one at Bathgate which occurred shortly after Mary's resignation as did Fiona Hyslop. At the end of that meeting all three parties agreed that the case for St. Johns was beyond politics and there was a verbal agreement to work together on this for the sake of the community in West Lothian.
However, in the lead up to last May's election it was Labour who broke ranks first and started to use the hospital provision as their charion of 'virtue'. The mudslinging in the press has made for poor and sad reading as the public figures seem constantly to seek to want to lay blame rather than propose solutions. Step forward Livingston's SNP MSP Angela Constance in this week's paper. She may have 8 years less experience as an MSP than Mary Mulligan but she showed true character in not getting involved in the custard pie fight, merely castigating those responsible for the damage they were inflicting on the whole stop the downgrade movement across the county. She went on to say the process is long and tough, something we all knew from day one but which Labour want to ignore, and outlined what movement had started.
So now that I've praised the SNP MSP from one half of West Lothian and the Labour MP from the other half all in the same week I think I'll need to lie down, if I'm not put down first that is.
No at the time there were a series of public meetings. I attended one at Bathgate which occurred shortly after Mary's resignation as did Fiona Hyslop. At the end of that meeting all three parties agreed that the case for St. Johns was beyond politics and there was a verbal agreement to work together on this for the sake of the community in West Lothian.
However, in the lead up to last May's election it was Labour who broke ranks first and started to use the hospital provision as their charion of 'virtue'. The mudslinging in the press has made for poor and sad reading as the public figures seem constantly to seek to want to lay blame rather than propose solutions. Step forward Livingston's SNP MSP Angela Constance in this week's paper. She may have 8 years less experience as an MSP than Mary Mulligan but she showed true character in not getting involved in the custard pie fight, merely castigating those responsible for the damage they were inflicting on the whole stop the downgrade movement across the county. She went on to say the process is long and tough, something we all knew from day one but which Labour want to ignore, and outlined what movement had started.
So now that I've praised the SNP MSP from one half of West Lothian and the Labour MP from the other half all in the same week I think I'll need to lie down, if I'm not put down first that is.
First Minister's Answers
Last night I promised another blogger a considered response on Nicol Stephen's performance at Stephen's performance in First Minister's Questions yesterday.
So I watched the full replay on BBC Parliament last night to see what all the brouhaha was about.
Before Nicol even got to ask his question is most be noted that like a true economist Alex Salmond laid out a few assumptions.
I have to mention these quotes from the First Minister's response to Annabel Goldie as background to what was to follow.
Nicol rose for his first question and asked about profiteering and rationing on petrol station forecourts. Raising the issue of capping these prices.
To give him his dues Alex did in his first response calmly say that "Everyone in this chamber would attack and deprecate profiteering." and stated that the remit for capping was in the remit of the Secretary of State on the Energy Act (1976).
The Herald this morning ostrich-like attacked these claims of profiteering by casting aspirations on if they are true. Don't know about any one else but I have seen petrol prices rise by 3p at the pumps where I most regularly buy petrol since Monday in two jumps 2p during the day on Monday and a further penny yesterday. While this increase is only to 106.9p unleaded there are rural areas of Scotland where that is far higher, having a higher starting base generally to start.
Now if as Alex Salmond says there is adequate supply of fuel, easy economic supply and demand theory would dictate that these prices in Edinburgh wouldn't need to raise. Of course the second assumption that the public would behave sensibly would affect the demand curve sadly forcing prices up.
It is the second question that I guess has got other bloggers so up in arms. Nicol asked had the First Minister pressed up the case for capping these prices. The wording was actually careful following the first answer. It didn't say have you done anything to cap the prices but had he pressed it home to the SoS.
The problem arises in how Alex Salmond starts almost every answer, that is with a gibe and put down. He started by saying the Nicol Stephen clearly hadn't listened to the previous answer, as pointed out I think IMHO the wording indicated that he had, had Mr Salmond listened to the question fully or was he too busy working out and going over his weekly insult for the Lib Dem leader. No wonder the cameras at that point panned to a shocked look on Nicol's face.
So Malc I'll agree it wasn't the greatest performance by Nicol, but sadly while we have a First Minster who chucks out gibes and cheap put downs at every single serious questioning of his administration or himself instead of giving answers to the tough questions it will look like that.
So I watched the full replay on BBC Parliament last night to see what all the brouhaha was about.
Before Nicol even got to ask his question is most be noted that like a true economist Alex Salmond laid out a few assumptions.
"Assuming consumer behaviour is responsible, then there should be limited difficulties, both in terms of inconvenience and disruption."
"we need everyone, and the public's co-operation, to behave sensibly and responsibly, to cut out non-essential trips, to use public transport"
I have to mention these quotes from the First Minister's response to Annabel Goldie as background to what was to follow.
Nicol rose for his first question and asked about profiteering and rationing on petrol station forecourts. Raising the issue of capping these prices.
To give him his dues Alex did in his first response calmly say that "Everyone in this chamber would attack and deprecate profiteering." and stated that the remit for capping was in the remit of the Secretary of State on the Energy Act (1976).
The Herald this morning ostrich-like attacked these claims of profiteering by casting aspirations on if they are true. Don't know about any one else but I have seen petrol prices rise by 3p at the pumps where I most regularly buy petrol since Monday in two jumps 2p during the day on Monday and a further penny yesterday. While this increase is only to 106.9p unleaded there are rural areas of Scotland where that is far higher, having a higher starting base generally to start.
Now if as Alex Salmond says there is adequate supply of fuel, easy economic supply and demand theory would dictate that these prices in Edinburgh wouldn't need to raise. Of course the second assumption that the public would behave sensibly would affect the demand curve sadly forcing prices up.
It is the second question that I guess has got other bloggers so up in arms. Nicol asked had the First Minister pressed up the case for capping these prices. The wording was actually careful following the first answer. It didn't say have you done anything to cap the prices but had he pressed it home to the SoS.
The problem arises in how Alex Salmond starts almost every answer, that is with a gibe and put down. He started by saying the Nicol Stephen clearly hadn't listened to the previous answer, as pointed out I think IMHO the wording indicated that he had, had Mr Salmond listened to the question fully or was he too busy working out and going over his weekly insult for the Lib Dem leader. No wonder the cameras at that point panned to a shocked look on Nicol's face.
So Malc I'll agree it wasn't the greatest performance by Nicol, but sadly while we have a First Minster who chucks out gibes and cheap put downs at every single serious questioning of his administration or himself instead of giving answers to the tough questions it will look like that.
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