1525 replies to this topic

[lau03143]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Helensburgh, Dumbarton area had the lowest 'yes' vote of anywhere in the referendum.

Anywhere with massive government spending would be more likely to vote "no" to independence. Their livelyhoods would be affected if there were large closures, especially at Faslane!

[Armchair Bob]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Helensburgh, Dumbarton area had the lowest 'yes' vote of anywhere in the referendum.

Possibly, thanks to the navy base. Maybe Orkney and Shetland will have a lower yes vote.

[Flure]

Would it help the Northern and Western Isles to feel closer to Edinburgh if there were a "Minister for the Isles"?

[calmac_man]

Would it help the Northern and Western Isles to feel closer to Edinburgh if there were a "Minister for the Isles"?

I don't like this Minister for this and that. Minister for horses, Minister for wind farms - those are serious suggestions I've heard. Once you start with one it's open season for every crank to moan about how they've not got one.

[Auld_Reekie]

Creating a minister position "reactively" is something that people with an interest in politics would suggest in order to "fix" a problem, while the man on the street just wants the existing departments to do there job better. Concentrate on core competencies and make sure there is a tangible difference in society, and the votes will come in, no matter where they are.

[Flure]

I don't like this Minister for this and that. Minister for horses, Minister for wind farms - those are serious suggestions I've heard. Once you start with one it's open season for every crank to moan about how they've not got one.

All well and good, but didn't answer my point.

[union john]

Well, here's my entry for 'most unfocused and fact-free post of the year'.

Would it help the Northern and Western Isles to feel closer to Edinburgh if there were a "Minister for the Isles"?

No, coz:

the man on the street just wants the existing departments to do there job better.

I would include the West Highlands in the area you're asking about, btw.

There's opportunities - and perhaps pitfalls - for the SNP in the H&I (I'd best leave out the northern isles actually as there's no especial link between them and us and I've no idea what's on their mind)

There was a thread - possibly started by FE? - about reconstructing Scotland and I was going to post "start by using conservationists as fuel"

Y'see, up here, whatever the facts, there's an impression that whatever kind of economic development might be proposed will be stopped by those feckin' druids at SNH, the National Trust and the RSPB.
There was a remark in the West Highland Free Press (you wouldn't like it, it's a Labour paper. Maybe your below-stairs staff at Bornesketaig Palace surreptitiously read it) recently saying maybe it's time the eco-pests realized that human beings are becoming an endangered species in the H&I.

For 'conservation' read 'clearance' (yeah, yeah, I know, that's cheap rhetoric, but it's fun )

It might make us feel closer to Edinburgh if the government listened less to greenies and recognized we've as much right as people in urban areas to turn 'our bit' into a concrete sh!thole. (which we wouldn't anyway. Well... just a wee bit here and there, for a wage 'n' that, y'know?)

Next... Crown Estate money.

Good luck to the Scottish Government in getting their hands on the loot, but I hope they remember devolution doesn't stop at Holyrood.
How much of a shore has Embra got anyway?

Lots of parts of Scotland have 'hunners' of coastline and I hope they get their due. It could be great for the Highlands and the Western Isles - particularly if we get to charge the tidal power generator companies.
I haven't really thought this out and haven't a clue how it'll work or how much money we're talking about. I guess I just like the idea of the long Highland coast being a profitable natural resource for the region in the way that the coal-fields are/were a natural resource in the central belt.
I daresay that with our large area and sparse population we're not exactly a finance minister's dream. It'd be nice to be better able to pay our way.

Still at the coast and it's next stop Loch Torridon.

In January, the Loch Torridon prawn fishery lost it's Marine Stewardship Council recognition (due to a reduction of stock I think).
So what? Well, it's a bit of a beamer as, apparently, as it's the only place in the world ever to do so.
But fear not, this is actually an opportunity.

Y'see, trawling was banned in the loch 10 years ago, and since then every creeler under the sun has gone there and it would seem they've also been using considerably more creels each than would be considered normal (no, I don't know how many that is either. 'Fact-free' you were promised, and I'm a man of my word )
The solution is for the Scottish Government (assuming it has the powers) to extend the no-trawl zone to cover more west coast sea-lochs.
The east coasters in particular won't like it, but they've always had too much influence (though that might be what 'phrofessor part' might call a west coast 'bandwagon fallacy')

Prices are higher for live prawns (I had to watch Ainsley before I ever heard them called langoustines) and I daresay no-trawl zones are better for clam divers as well.

Incidentally, a neighbour of mine was telling me we export live prawns to Canada. Never knew that. Mind you, I'm always the last to hear anything around here.

You'd have to ask someone from the Western Isles about the Mingulay Reefs conservation area and the Pairc community buy-out on Lewis to see if they think the SG could be more helpful.
I think I have some information kicking around in my giant 'I must read that later' pile but if I don't read it soon it'll be in the bin. (I'm a bit of a hoarder, it takes me ages to ditch all my interesting (to me) junk).

A couple of problems:

Dunno much about this, but apparently HIE is going to be done away with and SE will take over, and of course there's the single police force thing that Tavish Scott was on about.
Both create the impression that urban solutions are being imposed on an area with different needs. It might not make a jot of difference, I wouldn't know, but I thought it was relevant to your question.

There's probably more, but there's no rush.

Doubtless calmac_man (welcome back, btw) will eviscerate me with facts, but that's fair enough. If I'm going to bang on about this it is beholden upon me to find out a bitty more.

Edited by union john, 10 May 2011 - 06:36 PM.

[Flure]

Well, here's my entry for 'most unfocused and fact-free post of the year'.



No, coz:

OK, so you think not. That's fair enough.

I was just wondering if having a minister with particular responsibilities for the areas mentioned would focus the governments minds on those areas a bit and would give the people a conduit to the decision-makers better than they feel they have at the moment.

But, fair enough. If it's a shite idea it's a shite idea.

I was just asking.

[union john]

I wasn't criticizing.

Also,

I was just wondering if having a minister with particular responsibilities for the areas mentioned would focus the governments minds on those areas a bit and would give the people a conduit to the decision-makers better than they feel they have at the moment.

when you put it this way, it sounds like a good idea

It's my fault that I'd thought of a 'minister for' as a bit of a gimmick.

[Armchair Bob]

You know it's gimmick when it's a 'tzar'.

Some good points uj. I would like to see land reform and the highlands more lived in. I suppose a lot of people would like to live in the highlands if there were more jobs.

[calmac_man]

Doubtless calmac_man (welcome back, btw) will eviscerate me with facts, but that's fair enough. If I'm going to bang on about this it is beholden upon me to find out a bitty more.

Christ no, that's a really interesting post. I was kinda aware of the perception of conservation getting in the way of development, which is sometimes true and sometimes not, but everytihg is in the detail.

My understanding is that the Western Isles are broadly happen with the transport stuff, less so with conservation and development. The Northern Isles are very unhappy about the ferries, but get a good deal on agriculture. They also feel that they don't get the same treatment as the Western Isles becayse they're not marginal constituencies - I think there's a lot of truth in that. But they're also much beeter off than the Western Isles, and I take the complaints of Shetland with a large pinch of salt considering they're sitting on a reserve of hundreds of millions. For less than 30,000 people. Enjoy it, but don't complain about not getting more money from the rest of Scotland too.

There are loads of reforms I'd like on communities benefitting from the land and sea around them that aren't about land ownership, and the SNP have been a wee bit timid on this so far. James Hunter has been critical and says land reform has stalled - correct as far as I can see.

I was just wondering if having a minister with particular responsibilities for the areas mentioned would focus the governments minds on those areas a bit and would give the people a conduit to the decision-makers better than they feel they have at the moment.

From where I'm sitting, the islanders have very good access to officials and Ministers. I'd be surprised if that was their complaint. they might not like some of the policies, but I think they get more than a fair hearing. Officials and Ministers visit pretty regularly - in the past year I've been to Orkney, my boss to Shetland, his boss to Lewis, Harris and both Northern Isles groups, and loads of my colleagues have been all over too.