David Maddox: Information or state funded propaganda?

Labour have kicked up a fuss this morning about a video the Scottish Government have posted on Youtube tracking Scotland's constitutional history.

The video was the one played at the recent launch of the SNP's white paper on a referendum for independence. It starts with the first record of a Scottish Parliament in 1293 and moves through notable moments in history.

Not surprisingly it is packed with iconic moments for Nationalists - Bannockburn (1314), the Declaration of Arbroath (1320), the execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1587), Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Highland Clearances (1750).

But it also has the key moments for Unioinism - the Reformation (1560), the union of the Crowns (1603), and the Act of Union (1707).

But what seems to have raised Labour's ire is the point of the founding of the Labour Party (1900) "with Keir Hardie as first chairman, supporting home rule for Scotland" and the SNP's first by-election victory in Hamiton (1967).

There is also anger that the SNP's National Conversation - always described by Unionists as state funded party propaganda - features heavily.

"Surely a Government publication should not be promoting political parties in this way?" asks a Labour source. "This is an extraordinary use of public funds to provide such a skewed, a historical and vainglorious interpretation of Scotland's past and current SNP government plans."

Personally I rather like the video, there is a poster to go with it. Given that it was made for the White Paper and the conclusion of the National Conversation we perhaps should not be surprised about how it skews history, but history often seems to be there to be misinterpreted for different political slants. Both Unionists and Nationalists are as guilty as one another in this respect.

Anyway here is the video:

David Maddox: Just for laughs

There was much angst (mainly from Labour) about the First Minister Alex Salmond making a joke about the events of recent weeks surrounding the release of a convicted mass murderer and his hero's welcome in Tripoli.
His friendly poking of fun at Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill at Tuesday's government funded National Conversation event in Glasgow North-east (the by-election constituency), seemed to go down with (Nationalist) parts of the audience.
The question is whether he is better as a stand-up comedian than club singer? we all remember that Caledonia session with Sandi Thom.
The Steamie has been supplied with a clip of Mr Salmond's hilarity. Click on the link to share in the joke or, if you are so inclined, feel a flush of fury at his light hearted treatment of such a serious matter.
salmond%20%27joke%27.mp3

David Maddox: Sir Ken vs Wee Eck

After the distinctly unimpressed reception that Holyrood's press pack have given to Sir Kenneth Calman and his Commission's interim report on what should happen to devolution, Labour spindoctors have felt the need to ride to Sir Ken's defence.
They have put out a little comparison between the Calman Commission (CC) and the SNP government's rival National Conversation (NC) - known to critics as the chatroom for cybernats - just to show why Sir Ken and his friends are apparently doing a much better job.

Written consultation:
NC: 1 consultation paper
CC: 2 consultation exercises

Responses to written consultation:
NC: Short comments on the blog
CC:Yes: all submissions on website

Academic evidence:
NC: No
CC: Yes - UCL and IEG

Formal oral evidence:
NC: No
CC: Yes: 38 sessions in public, webcast for most, transcript on website

Informal oral evidence:
NC: Unknown
CC: Yes - agreed notes available online

Direct public engagement:
NC: 4 ticketed events: focus on speeches, mixed feedback, footage and summaries on website
CC: 7 open public events: focus on listening, excellent feedback, summaries to be added to website this week Event with school in Dundee

Website:
NC: Separate statistics for the national conversation pages not published
CC: 70,000 over 5 months

Questionnaire:
NC: No
CC: Yes - popular on website, completed at public engagement events, public have requested hard copy questionnaires in response to leaflets and returned completed forms

Other e-activity:
NC: Audio visual of launch
CC: Webcast of formal oral evidence sessions, Video message, Facebook

Non e-activity:
NC: None
CC: Leaflet distributed across Scotland: positive take-up of leaflet

Papers:
NC: No
CC: Minutes and relevant papers all on website