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: Preparing for the end of the world in 2012

So it looks like a referendum on independence is now most likely to happen in 2012 if at all, as predicted in The Scotsman on Saturday by a senior SNP source and Professor John Curtice.
After the Lib Dems decided not to support the referendum bill next year at their conference on Saturday, but have clearly left the option open for the future we can fairly predict it will be a negotiating tool after the 2011 election.
However, today's Yougov poll on Holyrood voting intentions suggesting Labour would be the biggest party with 45 seats compared to the SNP's 41 seats in a George W. Bush style victory where they win less votes, means that it is not totally certain the Lib Dems would jump into bed with the Nationalists.
But, assuming for a moment that they do and the price of a ministerial Mondeo for Tavish Scott is a referendum and this happens in 2012 then it seem that even a vote for independence may be a hollow victory.
The end of the world may be a reflection of how ardent unionists would feel about separation, but according to a cult using the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar - from the Mayan culture - the world will literally end anyway on 21 December 2012.
The popular myth has been taken up by New Age types around the world and is now the subject of a new movie - simply entitled 2012 - so Scotland may get its "freedom" in May of that year but only have seven months to enjoy it.
By a strange coincidence, Labour's Holyrood campaign in 2007 was largely based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (pictured above) visiting Scotland should the SNP win power. Looks like they just got their timing wrong.
The good thing is that at least we will be able to squeeze in the London Olympics before Messrs Death, Famine, War and Pestilence arrive.

David Maddox: The growing influence of George Lyon

In these days when black apparently is the new white and vice versa, little should surprise. After all this day that is now drawing to an end was the day that the Tories called for bankers to lose their bonuses and the once upon a time socialist Labour party defended the bonuses.

Then we were also asked to believe that the avid Celtic fan and Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy had had a word with the bank to keep his team's bitter rivals Rangers in business and players.

But it is the story of a Rangers fan that is even more interesting - former Liberal Democrat Scottish Minister George Lyon (pictured right).

When he was turfed out as an MSP in 2007 many (including some in his own party) hoped they were bidding a not so fond farewell to the controversial politician. However, in June this year he returned to frontline politics as his party's one and only Scottish MEP. Since then there have been growing signs of his influence within the party at a time when the Scottish leader Tavish Scott appears to be losing his grip slightly.

Even the unfortunate affair of Rangers was taken jokingly by some as a sign of Lyon's power. Mr Scott issued a press release earlier today demanding that Mr Murphy intervened. was this because the Rangers loving George Lyon asked him to it was queried in the corridors of Holyrood?

But joking apart, there is one serious issue with which the two men appear to be having a power struggle - an independence referendum. Mr Lyon made it clear ahead of the party's conference in Bournemouth that he thought there should be one, breaking the party line set by Mr Scott to oppose a plebiscite. odd considering that Mr Lyon clearly enjoys singing Rule Britannia. Since then there has been a groundswell of support among members, candidates and some of the grandees in favour of Mr Lyon's position, despite Mr Scott's protestations.

The two shall have their day at the behind closed doors Lib Dem special conference which will discuss the matter. The way things are going you would not bet against Mr Lyon coming out on top.

Eddie Barnes - Recession Over. Scottish Labour need new excuse.

So that's it then. The IMF has declared this morning that the world recession is now over and the global economy is expanding again. It has raised its growth forecast for the global economy back above the 3% mark next year, and the UK's growth rate to 0.9%.

In the context of Scottish politics, and the proposed independence referendum, this rather lands Labour in it. Observers will recall the Scottish party's latest position on whether or not to back a referendum has been to say that it would be wrong to do so in the middle of a recession, but that after that it might not be a bad idea. This formulation was conceived entirely as a way of dodging the SNP's point that opposition to a referendum was anti-democratic. OK democracy is important, Labour was saying, but overcoming the recession was more so.

But the recession now appears to be over. Or at least it will be by the time the SNP lay their referendum bill next year. Which means that Labour's line is fast becoming defunct.

Of course Labour could simply say that they won't back a referendum because they don't want to have one. But the confidence-sapped party appears to be terrified of being cast by the SNP as opposing the right of the people to have their say. But if the spectre of a recession can no longer raised as an excuse for not supporting a referenum, then what can? You can be sure that the SNP will be quick to ask the question.