Douglas MacQueen's blog

Given the recent recognition of the Cornish nation the next step should be devolution for Cornwall. It appears the obvious next step, but it will of course only be achieved after a struggle. Remember that it took a long and prolonged fight for the creation of a Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. However, once won and taking Scotland’s case as an example, there is no going back.

Scotland’s Sunday Herald has announced its support for a Yes vote for independence in the forthcoming Scottish referendum. It is the first of Scotland’s newspaper’s to do so in an industry that has fallen increasingly under non-Scottish control. On the front page is the headline “Sunday Herald says Yes” with a design of a thistle and Scottish flags by artist Alasdair Gray. The paper’s editorial states: 

For some considerable time now there has been concerns raised about BBC Scotland’s lack of neutrality in regard to Scotland’s independence referendum campaign. Questions continue to be raised about the anti-independence stance that appears to underpin the public broadcaster’s coverage of the campaign. Given that the BBC is a publicly funded body that Scottish voters have to pay for in terms of a compulsory licence fee. It was hoped that news reporting leading up to the vote on Scottish independence would have been impartial.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has announced a new package of funding for Scottish Gaelic broadcasting. The additional £2.1 million pounds is being made available to MG Alba. MG Alba is the operating name for Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig (Gaelic Media Service) which funds Scottish Gaelic television and radio programmes in cooperation with other broadcasters. The announcement was made at the opening ceremony of MG Alba’s new headquarters in Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway) on Leòdhas (Lewis) in Scotland's Na h-Eileanan Siar (Outer Hebrides).

In a rousing speech to the Scottish National Party conference in Aberdeen, Alex Salmond Scotland’s First Minister tells Scots that "in an independent Scotland we will build a system that will be the envy of the world." With the opinion polls showing that Scotland’s voters our moving towards voting Yes to independence Alex Salmond said "make no mistake - momentum is with this campaign.  The people are coming towards us.”

After the recent expenses scandal in the UK government, the minister involved resigned. For those abroad and not aware of the issues involved, the expenses claimed by members of the United Kingdom parliament over recent years have been the focal point of public scrutiny and criminal prosecutions. Questions about the previous UK Culture Ministers expenses claims resulted in her stepping down from her position this week.

The Hebcelt Festival for 2014 continues to grow from strength to strength. Announcing an impressive and growing line-up of artists, this year’s festival promises to build on past successes. The festival takes place on 16-19 July in a number of venues in the town of Stornoway, Lewis, Outer Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: Steòrnabhagh, Leòdhas, Na h-Eileanan Siar).

United Kingdom opposition to a monetary union with an independent Scotland was  thrown into confusion today. In a withering attack on the United Kingdom’s Chancellor, George Osborne’s stance that he would block any such monetary union a report has described the English anti-Scottish independence MP Osborne of basing his assertions on  “a lurid collage of fact, conjecture and fantasy”. This report comes from Professor Leslie Young, of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing.

As reported in the Scotsman newspaper a poll has put the support for Scottish independence at its highest level for six months. The question was asked how they would vote if the referendum was held today: 39.3 percent said Yes and 47.6 percent No, 13.1 per cent of those asked were undecided.

Further to Transceltic’s article about the work being undertaken at Scotland’s Gaelic College Sabhal Mòr Ostaig www.transceltic.com/scottish/sabhal-mor-ostaig-scotlands-gaelic-college. Margaret Stewart, award winning Gaelic song specialist, folklorist and Gaelic singer, who was born on the Isle of Lewis, is teaching short courses in Highland History and Gaelic Song at the College during the summer months.