Linlithgow Awarded Climate Challenge Funds

Linlithgow Climate Change have secured £93,845 in the third round of funding from the Climate Challenge Fund which was announced today. The group has issued the following statement.

Linlithgow Climate Challenge (LCC) have been granted £93,845 from the
Climate Challenge Fund to reduce the carbon footprint of Linlithgow through
co-ordination and administration of a suite of projects geared to engage the
community of Linlithgow. LCC aim to engage a diverse spectrum of
local community groups, individuals & businesses with several projects to
find the most suitable ecological engagement. Some may prefer simple advice on
energy saving through insulation, while others may require more support and
education to grow local food. Businesses may wish to adopt more sustainable
business practices and supply chains. Whatever the local needs, LLC will offer
assistance to guide our community towards effective solutions towards a carbon
footprint reduction for the town.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we will remain guided by
general community consensus and will position voluntary and funded resources to
support more complex projects such as renewables research, transport improvement
and waste/recycling initiatives. LCC have already worked successfully with the
Energy Saving Scotland advice centres on a number of projects and it is expected
that close partnerships with existing organisations will continue. An earlier
funded Survey is due for printing and distribution to over 5700 households in
January to canvas local public opinion on Climate Change and effective local
measures that could be developed.

Having been involved with the group at the early stages I'm delighted to see this funding come the way of this project. Many of those involved have great enthusiasm and a wide range of concerns, skills and attributes in move Linlithgow forward to a greener more sustainable future.

This will be a great asset to the community of Linlithgow and will be wisely earmarked to projects that will led on to more and greater greening of the historic town. I also hope that this example will lead to other towns in West Lothian rising the challenge of what they can do too.

Come In Number Six Your Time is Up

It was a sad day yesterday for diffferent sets of cult TV fans as both Partick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalban passed.

More than just a number McGoohan of course starred along with Portmeirion in The Prisoner as number six. As well as being a star of the cult show he was also the executive producer, plus directer and wrote a number of episodes. Before that he had stared in Secret Agent. He was also a close friend of Columbo star Peter Falk, appearing with Falk on the show and winning a couple of Emmy's in the process.

Montalban is always engrained in my mind as Khan from the second Star Trek Movie The Wrath of Khan of course having the title role in a Star Trek Movie gives as much protection as being a junior crewman in a red uniform. But Montablan filled the screen in his role as Kirk's nemisis. He was also the host Mr. Rourke on Fantasy Island in the 70s and 80s. The Mexican born star was one of the first from down Meixico way to make it big in Holywood. His son put it beaurufully when he said that his 88 year old father died of "complications related to old age."

The Lib Dems Aren't for Playing With Scotland's Future

I see that Jeff has taken time out from his extended break in the Far East and down under to ask ""what are the Lib Dems Playing at?". Well strangely I think exactly the same with regards to John Swinney.


In October 2007 the spending review issued plans for this budget period. This was long before most parties the SNP or Labour woke up to just what was going on in the world around them. It was indeed a long time before John Swinney or Alex Salmond told us that an "economic storm" had engulfed Scotland. The change is this budget over those spending plans is only 1%. That is the weakest, most miniscule reaction and attempt to boast their economy of ANY Western democracy to the current crisis. It is indeed the budget of do nothingness when everyone is crying out for action.

Jeff earlier today also passed comment on here that the Lib Dems should not vote against the budget stage 1, as they did, but sit down and get some of our 2007 manifesto pledges discussed. In case Jeff hasn't noticed while swanning around the Far East and Australia, on his banking bonuses I guess, people have moved on from the 2007 manifesto. They are concerned about the budget, that of their own pockets. People are now more likely to shop around for a bargain. Indeed you now see far more people scouring the reductions at supermarkets before they get marked down than a year ago when hey merely waited.

The Lib Dem proposals offer £330 pounds back into the pockets of the low and medium earners of Scotland. £330 pounds that in the words of one person I saw on TV last week would make the difference between having to decide whether to heat or to eat but allow the luxury, shame though it is to say that, to do both.

While his and his fellow Nats criticise the Lib Dems for not knowing fully where the savings can come from what is clear is that at least we are looking they clearly haven't had a major rethink. Oh and as for there needing to be more spending as well. That is because while giving money to the poorest will instil some economic stimulus it is also the time for Government to step up to the plate.

So what are the Lib Dems doing to answer the question? We're not looking for a quick fix we know that isn't possible. We're also not prepared to sit back and take a lily livered approach to Scotland Future as we trust that by doing next to nothing Scotland will end up going deeper and staying longer in this downturn. This is most definitely not a time for business as usual budgets which is what the SNP have offered up, in that actually both Labour and the Conservatives so somewhat agree even if they allowed the passage of stage one. Neither of those other parties support can be said to be in the back.

Vince Cable, who is widely regarded as one of the few who saw this coming, has back Nick Clegg's proposal for real and permanent tax cuts for the lower earners as part, not all, of the required stimulus at this time. While the Lib Dem position has been ignored at Westminster with their sizable Labour majority, We here in Scotland through Tavish Scott and Mike Rumbles who was sent to show intent have a Parliament that is meant to rely on consensus so we laid down a challenge to not be as timid as Gordon and Alistair the Scots running thing for the UK. However, Alex and John are actually proposing less than even the little that those other Scots are doing.

Exclusive: Lionel talks to Sooty

I is very excited this morning as Mister Stephen, following my interview with Mister Viking Leader last year, has landed me another all star interviewee.

So Mister Sooty. There has been a lot of coverage in the press recently about your relationship with the Prince of Wales, would you care to comment.

What was that I didn't quite hear?

Excuse me readers I have to lean in so he can whisper.

Oh. What do you mean you hardly know Mister Prince Charles?

Sorry folks I'm not sure if the mic is picking up Mister Sooty here. But he said that he has only ever met Mister HRH at Royal Variety Performances.

Mister Sooty it is understand that Mister Prince Charles and Mister Prince Williiam call you Sooty on account of, how can I put this delicately, well on account of colour. The colour of your ears to be specific. How do you feel about that?

Oh, everybody calls you that do they? Does that make it alright do you think? How do you think we should make racism or derogatory comments history?

Pass you your what? Ah this. And what was that?

Oh everybody. Mister Sooty has an answer but he needs your help. Apparently we all know the magic word.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Waving of magic wand.


Come on every one "Izzy Wizzy Let's Get Busy." Make the magic happen and show racism the red card.

Swinney Calling For Budget Unity on Difficult Voyage

John Swinney looks certain to clear the first hurdle in getting the SNP Government's budget past its first stage this week after Labour have said they will not vote against it, yet. He still faces and uphill task to secure the votes necessary to pass it later this month as all three of the other main parties have issues with the £33bn spending plans. Although he has already secured the two Green Party votes.



Labour have said that while they will not block it at this first step they "are looking for some big concessions on jobs and there will be some tough negotiations over the next fortnight."



Annabel Goldie and the Conservatives, whose support secured the budget last year, has said her party will not support it if plans to drop last year's concessions to fund extra police officers, a national drugs strategy, and business rate cuts for small firms are included. Or if their aren't proposals in the new budget to help hard-pressed families and businesses.



However, both the Tories and Labour are prepared to support, or at least not vote against it at this first vote tomorrow. The Lib Dems have already indicated that they will vote against it. Leader Tavish Scott saying "No other government, national or devolved, in western Europe has made such a meagre response to this economic storm" backing his call for a 2p cut in income tax.

Whilst calling for support Swinney has also said:

"We are prepared to listen to reasonable ideas and proposals from across
the parliament.

"In these difficult times, there is a responsibility on parliament, as
well as the government, to meet that challenge and not jeopardise the
accelerated investment and jobs by standing in the way of the budget."

So if as looks likely it passes this first vote and passed on to the scrutiny stage it looks as if there will terse and tense negotiations ahead.

Command and Control

So LabourList launched yesterday with Lord Mandelson declaring that in "new media command and control doesn't work" the article may well have been written by his second life avatar who appears along with the piece. However, I read in today's Times diary column that within hours of the launch yesterday there was a tightening of the comments moderation.

Well if you're going for a high profile media launch of a site supporting an unpopular government you are going to have to expect a few abusive comments at the off. It would have been better to launch with tighter moderation at the start and then loosen as the novelty of the first day at school wore off. Especially when your star piece on day one is all about how with Web 2.0 the narrative is somewhat lost through the old channels and control is harder to achieve even for the master of spin.

It brings me on to the issue of that MacNumpty, Jeff and Adopted Domain all broached in the last couple of days. Is there a need for some sort of bloggers association to protect ourselves. Can this rag tag crew of individuals ever truly be brought together under one umbrella. As pointed out my MacNumpty the Scottish Round Up shows that we can work together.



I'm always impressed at how the editors of any week will post stuff they do not necessarily agree with, unlike Mr Dale Tory Vers 1.0 who over the weekend on his Saturday and Sunday Daley Dozens failed to acknowledge even one piece that covered the pro-Gaza rally but happily covered the pro-Israel march on Sunday. Indeed he bemoaned falsely, until I pointed out to him, that there was any coverage at all. Whereas the Scottish Round Up gave coverage to the march in Edinburgh as well as the reluctance of others over the importance of such demonstration of cause.



But just because the Round Up works here north of the border through people across the political spectrum working together in respect does that that mean a Union, Guild or Federation of bloggers need to be established to protect ourselves? This may shock a few of you but I'm a staunch trade unionist, although my current place of work prohibits the formation of any (oh the joy! of being in an American owned business). But I don't think unionisation of the blogosphere is going to work. We're too diverse. Too individualistic. Besides if we were to set up a slosh fund, who would manage it and how would we control hop it was used? Say we had the Private Eye of blogging in our midst that was constantly running to the Court of Session with another libel action would that be fair on the average blogger who is wary of their sources before hitting the publish button?

I know that in the past I've had a couple of gems and sought to authenticate that story before publication. I've also been known to jump on the bandwagon of some story that hits the MSM and then turn out to be a misrepresentation. Sure there will be times when bloggers get it wrong, but if the litigious nature of the word becomes so much that we have to verify every story from three sources before hitting publish we may as well shut up shop now. Every political blogger longs to have that scoop. Many of the Scottish Blogosphere through the nature of their work, contacts or activist roles must have so much stuff they could publish but we don't. We're wise enough to know, by in large, what needs to be out there and what is wise to put out there.

Help the Steamie is Stymied

Just landed at the Scotsman's Steamie blog there appears to be an error. Not sure whether to call for a plumber, coder, or just dig up the back up file. The Scotsman do do daily backups I trust?

It may have something to do with the fact that Caron sent an email to Kenny Farquharson saying she was surprised at my ommission on the blogroll. Kenny replied that he would get the Techies unto it. Look like something Techie has gone wrong so I guess you can all blame me.