‘ … we can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we can make this work.’ – Business Secretary Sajid Javid
The Westminster government is hoping speeches by Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor George Osborne will calm the international money markets as they open this morning. The pound has plunged since UK voted to leave the European Union, wiping £ trillions off the value of stocks and shares. Continue reading UK government moves to steady markets
As the implication of the EU referendum result sinks in and we try to work out what it means, children in Edinburgh showed us what it’s all about with a giant Hokey Cokey sung in one of the most popular languages of Europe! Continue reading In, Out; In, Out: even the kids are confused!
We’ve watched all the debates, read loads of leaflets and heard all the ‘facts’ – most of them contradictory. We’ve listened to the scores of ‘experts’, only to learn that no-one really knows for sure. But now, all the talking’s over – it’s time to make your decision: Remain or Leave.
The voting process itself is really quite straightforward (see the BBC graphic below). But WHAT to vote? Well … that’s up to you!
On Thursday 23 June polling stations across the UK will be open from 7am to 10pm.
EUPROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT: FRIDAY 13 MAY
North Edinburgh Arts 5 – 6.30pm
‘With the media spotlight shining so squarely on the politics of the EU referendum,’ says poet Colin Herd, ‘We think it’s important to also make space for a cultural expression of European experiences.’
Tonight, Edinburgh will welcome contemporary poets from across Europe for two events in celebration of European Literature Night.
Co-curated by Herd and Theodora Danek, in association with Edinburgh City of Literature and The Enemies Project, the poets represent some of the most exciting of cutting-edge contemporary European writing.
‘I think of Europe itself as a long never-ending poem, always emergent and always surprising, its meanings and its resonances never fixed,’ Herd says.
Following on from the success of European Literature Night 2015, this year’s celebration features 10 European and Scotland-based writers, including: Billy Ramsell, Christodoulos Makris, Nurduran Duman, Efe Duyan, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Alexander Filyuta, Alessandro Burbank, Heather O’Donnell, Graeme Smith and Dominic Hale.
There will be an introductory taster event at North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 5 – 6.30pm followed by an evening extravaganza at Summerhall’s Red Lecture Theatre from 8 to 10.30pm.
As will reflect the diverse languages of Europe, some poets will choose to read in their own language (with translations) while other poets will read in English. There will also be some poets working in new media, sound and video.
Newly developed for this year, the events will also see the launch of #EuroPoem, a collective international poetry initiative, which poets and poetry-fans from across Europe are encouraged to contribute to. #EuroPoem responds to a need to explore what Europe is, means, and can be ahead of the UK’s referendum on EU membership. European writers are invited to submit two lines of poetry to the collective poem; contributions are of equal value, with no one poet setting the agenda of the poem and it will be polyvocal and multilingual.
Following its launch in Edinburgh at Summerhall, the poem will continue to emerge and evolve online through the Twitter hashtag #EuroPoem. No two versions of the poem need be the same, as poets from across Europe continue to add to this collaborative work. To join in with this unique poetry event, tweet your two lines of poetry to @edincityoflit using the hashtag #EuroPoem as part of European Literature Festival on 13th May, or email Colin Herd on europoem2016@gmail.com.
For more information and to book free tickets, follow these links:
North Edinburgh Arts Event (5 – 6.30pm)
Summerhall Event (8 – 10.30pm)
Europe, future dream!
Europe, morning to come,
borders without watchdogs,
nations with his frank laughter
thrown wide open!
‘Europa’, Adolfo Casais Monteiro
REFERENDUM DATE set for 23 JUNE
Not quite a ‘peace in our time’ moment – but has the Prime Minister secured enough concessions to keep Britain in Europe?
The Prime Minister made a statement following the meeting of the European Council where he negotiated a deal to give the UK special status in the EU. Continue reading Europe Referendum date is 23 June
St George’s face thirty opponents in Euroquiz final
In which European city could you find the oldest amusement park in the world? Which European country has the ‘zloty’ as its currency? Do you know when the European Coal and Steel Community was founded?
These are examples of some of the tough questions that will face over 120 primary P6 from all over Scotland who will take over the Scottish Parliament’s Debating Chamber today (Monday 11 May).
Thirty schools have debated their way through a series of heats to represent their local authority areas in the Euroquiz final at Holyrood and the capital will be represented by Ravelston’s St. George’s School for Girls.
Deputy Presiding Officer and Euroquiz quizmaster Elaine Smith MSP said: “Euroquiz is a fun and engaging way for children to learn about Europe and Scotland’s place in the world. It’s wonderful that our children are growing up in Scotland so knowledgeable about our European neighbours and the level of awareness of the participants never fails to impress.
“I am delighted that the Scottish Parliament is once again hosting the final of Euroquiz and I look forward to welcoming the teams and their supporters to Holyrood.”
The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) has been running the quiz since 1993 and this is the eighth year the event has been held at the Scottish Parliament. The event is sponsored by the European Parliament and the Scottish Government.
Minister for Learning, Alasdair Allan MSP said: “It’s great to see so many children and young people from around Scotland participating in this year’s Euroquiz final and putting their knowledge to the test of all things European. I hope every team has enjoyed their experience this year.”
Each of the 30 Scottish schools taking part in the quiz have already won their local authority round and will be competing against the winners of all the other heats in the final. Bon chance, St George’s!
A live webcast of the event will be accessible via the Scottish Parliament’s website at – http://www.scottishparliament.tv/
Judges from across Europe took a closer look at Edinburgh’s parks, streets and gardens yesterday on a tour of the city. The panel assessed the capital for this year’s Entente Florale, Europe’s biggest environmental competition.
This is the first time the capital has represented the UK in the prestigious awards, following it’s success in Britain in Bloom earlier this year.
Each summer more than 22,000 cities, towns and villages enter the contest, which judges entries on horticultural achievement, community involvement and responsibility for the environment.
The jury spent a full day in the city centre, scoring Edinburgh on everything from the built environment in the High Street, community input in Dunbar’s Close Garden and the Cowgate Nursery’s outdoor learning strategy.
Lord Provost Donald Wilson will host the judges, who have travelled from as far afield as Austria and Croatia, during their stay. He said: “We are honoured to be representing the UK in the Entente Florale this year and are delighted to be able to showcase the hard work carried out by the Council, partners and local groups to the jury.
“It’s not hard to see why Edinburgh is such a popular place to live and visit, and this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the natural and built environment that makes the city what it is.”
Among the criteria to be assessed for the award are sustainability, landscape, green spaces and tourism and leisure.
As well as the management and design of the city’s parks and green spaces, judges focus on aspects like the city’s active travel strategy, its attitude to recycling, tourism and leisure and the work of bodies like Historic Scotland, Essential Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh and various community and Friends of Parks groups.
Among the initiatives visited by the judges was the Grassmarket Community Project, a charity which works with homeless and vulnerable people to develop skills in horticulture, cooking and woodwork.
Workshop manager Tommy Steel explained: “We involve participants to grow a herb garden in Greyfriar’s Kirk and we use the herbs in our training kitchen. By developing their skills in these areas they’re also developing self esteem and confidence.
“Being part of Entente Florale gives them a focus. Taking part in the judging day has given them a real sense of achievement, as they see the fruits of their labour.”
Find out more about Edinburgh’s involvement in the Entente Florale on the Council website, www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Bon chance, Edimbourg!
6 June 1944. As we remember the day that marked the beginning of the end of Nazi tyranny, both British and Scottish Governments commemorate D-Day:
Prime Minister David Cameron wrote the following article for French newspaper Ouest-France to mark the D-Day 70th Anniversary commemorations:
“As we gather on the beaches of Normandy to remember the extraordinary sacrifices made for peace, there has never been a more important time to underline our belief in collective defence.
Through the searing experiences of moments like D-Day, we learnt how much more we could achieve by working together as allies than by fighting alone. The NATO Alliance was born out of this commitment to increase our collective security and to ensure that the common cause we found through shared hardship would prevent conflict on this scale threatening our world again.
Just as British and French soldiers fought for victory against a common enemy on the beaches of Normandy, today France and the UK stand shoulder to shoulder against the threats of the modern world. We remain united against international terrorism and extremism – and in recent times our armed forces have served together in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and elsewhere around the world.
But it is not just our military ties that have deepened over these past 70 years. We have also worked together to ramp up diplomatic pressure in advancing our shared values, most recently in the push for humanitarian assistance in Syria and in our support for the Ukrainian government. Alongside NATO, the European Union has also helped us to develop a peaceful continent which is more connected than we could ever have imagined and which has opened up unprecedented opportunities for trade and growth.
So as we look forward to the future I believe we should take strength from the shared hardship of our experience during World War II. It has forged our unique relationship and created a shared determination to work together for a safer, more prosperous future for us all. That future is why so many of our service men gave their lives – and protecting the peace they fought for is the greatest way we can honour those who fell.”
First Minister Alex Salmond attended the D-Day memorial in Normandy and paid tribute to those who were part of the Allied invasion of Europe during a day of events to mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
The First Minister joined the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, world leaders and 400 veterans from the Commonwealth nations at a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral.
He then attended a Service of Remembrance at the British military cemetery in Bayeux, the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France, containing 4,144 Commonwealth graves.
Following the service led by the Queen, the First Minister met with Scots veterans who had played such an important part in this key turning point of the Second World War.
Mr Salmond said: “It is a tremendously moving experience to be here today standing alongside the bravest of men to whom we owe an incredible debt. It is important that we take time to recognise the sacrifices made here in Normandy 70 years ago by a generation who gave so much.
“It has been an honour to meet with some of the Scottish servicemen whose courage amid the most harrowing conditions imaginable remains an inspiration to this day. D-Day was a decisive moment in a war to maintain and preserve the democratic freedoms we are privileged to enjoy today, and the sacrifices paid by men from many nations made that possible.”
The First Minister later took part in the main international commemoration event on Sword Beach where 28,000 British soldiers landed on D-Day.
And as a local tribute to all those involved in the D-Day landings, Edinburgh Castle was lit up purple in the evening.
Scotland Office ministers have also been remembering those who paid the ultimate price at D-Day – as well as those who returned and those who are currently serving in the UK armed forces.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh and earlier in the week he met serving troops on training exercises at Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik.
Mr Carmichael said: “Today marks 70 years since the D-Day landings. In villages, towns, cities and communities across Scotland, memorials mark the soldiers who gave up their lives as part of the Allied invasion of occupied France.
“We will never forget the bravery, valour and sacrifice that hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women from Scotland, and right across the UK, made on the beaches of Normandy and over the course of the Second World War. Without them we would not live in the world we do now.”
Scottish veterans and their families were also the focus of a special reception in Edinburgh Castle’s Grand Hall this week ahead of the 70th anniversary.
The event was co-hosted by the Scotland Office and the General Officer Commanding Scotland Major General Nick Eeles. Among the guests were Scottish World War Two veterans and their families, the wider defence and veterans community and political representatives.
Scotland Office Minister David Mundell, who sits on the Armed Forces (Covenant) Cabinet Committee, said: “This anniversary is a very historic occasion for the whole of the UK and the event complemented the extensive ones taking place in Normandy. D-Day still captures the country’s imagination 70 years on and this was a valuable opportunity to show our gratitude to Scottish veterans and their families for their remarkable courage and sacrifice.”
Yesterday (Thursday 5 June), the Scottish Government announced that the sacrifice of Scottish soldiers on the Normandy beaches is to be remembered in previously unseen documents.
‘D-Day + 70’ reveals contemporary documents for the first time in order to tell the stories of some of the Scottish troops who fought and fell as part of the spearhead of the greatest amphibious assault ever mounted.
One of the first British soldiers to land on Sword beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, was Captain George McLennan, a young engineer officer from a Scottish military family, whose heroic conduct won him a posthumous Military Cross. Leading three specialist tanks of 77th Assault Squadron, which were designed to overcome the beach defences, he was killed while gallantly attacking German defenders who were pinning down British commandos.
The display highlights the important and dangerous task carried out by specialist soldiers fighting to gain a hold on French soil. Many of the 2,500 British and Canadian casualties on 6 June were sappers, commandos, tank crews, glider troops, paratroopers, signallers and gunners. The infantry also played a vital role, and were followed onto the beaches by drivers of support vehicles of all kinds.
Among the documents never shown before is the unpublished diary of Angus McMillan, who recorded his experiences of ‘devastation and hellish destruction’ as part of an artillery unit that landed after D-Day. The part played by many ordinary men are illustrated by the wills made by Captain McLennan and others, either at home in Scotland or in their English bases as they prepared to embark for France.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, said: “Telling some of the stories of the young soldiers who took part in the D-Day invasion is a very fitting reminder of the extraordinary events that took place 70 years ago, and the remarkable bravery shown by ordinary Scots who sacrificed their lives.”
Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said: “The National Records of Scotland are pleased to be able to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day by revealing documents that highlight the courageous contribution made by Scottish soldiers as part of the Allied invasion of occupied France.”
As we confidently predicted yesterday (!) (see ‘Fantastical’), John Swinney was quick to counter Danny Alexander’s pronouncements on how an independent Scotland’s economy would shape up. Sadly the Holyrood Finance Secretary’s response made no reference to the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest …
Finance Secretary John Swinney said any claims about Scotland’s finances from the UK Government must include details on Scotland’s share of UK assets worth nearly £1.3 trillion.
Mr Swinney said the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has recently admitted to the Scottish Parliament that Scotland will inherit a share of UK assets.
He said billions of pounds could be paid to an independent Scotland in cash as many of the assets paid for by Scottish tax-payers will be physically located in the rest of the UK.
Mr Swinney said: “Danny Alexander has said the UK Treasury is examining the finances of an independent Scotland.
“We already know Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the developed world and that over the past 5 years our public finances have been healthier than the UK’s to the tune of around £1,600 per person.
“To have a shred of credibility any Westminster analysis should also set out in detail the assets that will be due to Scotland in the event of a vote for independence in September.
“As part its campaign rhetoric we know the UK Government talks about Scotland’s share of the debt run up by successive Westminster Chancellors. It cannot be taken seriously if does not also talk about Scotland’s share of assets.”
“Scotland’s share of UK assets will be realised in a combination of ways – through physical assets, cash transfer and continued use of assets through shared service agreements.
“Assets located elsewhere in the UK will be included in negotiations, as Scotland has contributed to their value over a long period of time. For physical assets like these, the equitable outcome may be to provide Scotland with an appropriate cash share of their value.
“We note with interest preliminary analysis by academics suggesting that on defence alone Scotland may be entitled to draw upon a notional sum of nearly £5 billion for physical assets located elsewhere
“The apportionment of the UK national debt will be negotiated and agreed as part of the overall settlement on assets and liabilities.
“On any reasonable scenario, because national income per head is higher in Scotland than the UK, an independent Scotland will have a lower debt burden as a share of GDP than the UK.
“Both the Scottish and UK Governments have signed the Edinburgh Agreement which commits both governments to working together on matters of mutual interest, good communication and mutual respect.
“The two governments have also said they will work together constructively, whatever the result, so we can expect these matters to be worked out in that spirit of mutual respect and co-operation.”
It is time to debunk the calculations and claims that have been put forward by the Scottish government in this referendum, Chief Secretary Danny Alexander will say in a keynote speech to business leaders in Edinburgh today (30 April). And while Europe is a clearly a relevant referendum issue, the Eurovision Song Contest gets a mention for the first time!
Speaking on the day of publication by HMRC of new oil revenue data and ahead of publication of the Westminster government’s most comprehensive analysis of the fiscal consequences of separation yet, the Chief Secretary will challenge some of the ‘myths’ perpetuated by nationalists and call on the Scottish Government to be honest with people about the cost of independence.
He will also call on the Scottish government – and Finance Secretary John Swinney – to publish revised and realistic forecasts of oil and gas revenues.
Danny Alexander (pictured above) will say:
“The nationalists’ assertions on Scotland’s finances are at best ill-informed and at worst, deeply misleading to Scottish voters. The fact is that their £1.5 trillion figure for the value of oil left in the North Sea doesn’t include any costs for getting the oil out of the ground and into the petrol pump.
“Over the whole 5 year period of the Scottish government’s Oil and gas bulletin [2012 to 2017], their most cautious forecast for Scottish oil and gas revenues is £41 billion. Yet the independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that whole UK revenues will be just £25 billion over the same period. It doesn’t matter how deep you drill into the figures, they simply don’t add up. The indisputable point is that we are better off together.
“It is time for the Scottish government to confirm what we all know: that the White Paper was wrong, to correct the discredited Oil and gas bulletin and the errors at the heart of the White Paper. The Scottish government must confront the fact that it is promising tax revenues and public spending that it cannot deliver. It should revise its oil and gas forecasts or better yet, follow international best practice and follow an independent forecast like the OBR’s. It is the very least that the Scottish voters deserve.
On the ‘myths’ perpetuated about independence, Mr Alexander will say:
It’s perhaps true that the Referendum campaign here in Scotland hasn’t provided many laughs so far and given both the enormity – and the irreversibility – of the choice we face, that is perfectly understandable. But as the campaign continues, when it comes to some of the statements and assertions made by nationalists, you really do need a sense of humour.
On some of the basic financial assumptions made in the White paper, he will say that the nationalists ‘ignore the reality, that when the financial crisis hit, it was the government of the United Kingdom that stepped in to recapitalise RBS and HBOS and the taxpayers of the United Kingdom that extended £275 billion of total support to RBS alone’.
On currency, he will challenge the: “…continued, belligerent, assertion that Scotland could – and would – keep the pound. Alex Salmond has to face up to the fact that the rest of the UK does not have to – and would not want to – continue to share the credit card.”
And on UK institutions, he will say: “There is also the fantastical claim, made in the White Paper that an independent Scotland would share a third of the UK’s institutions and services despite the fact that this is completely unprecedented anywhere in the world. This is a claim we have to listen to whenever an institution crops up that the nationalists haven’t had time to think about.
“So it won’t surprise me if next Saturday night Alex Salmond declares that an independent Scotland will share the UK’s automatic place in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest!”
The Treasury’s forthcoming fiscal analysis will set out the benefits of the UK and the costs of independence. In the absence of any detailed costings from the Scottish government, Treasury economists have spent months analysing data and forecasts and consulting with independent bodies to calculate in detail the figures that illustrate the benefits of the UK and the cost of independence.
That analysis will be published in coming weeks – but John Swinney’s response to Danny Alexander’s assertions will come considerably quicker than that. Nil points is a fair guess!
