derick

Rosyth.

Prompted by Hans Marter's article entitled "SNP housing cash “better than nothingâ€", - and in particular by the lazy spin that "the SNP cut the generous funding package brought in by the Labour/LibDem coalition." I refer you to Figure 3 in 'Evaluation of Housing Association Grant for Rent in Scotland, 1989-2002" which shows the number of new housing association houses for which funding was approved each year over the period. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/04/06142014/20206 Output from the housing association grant programme was steady at slightly over 5,000 houses per year during the Tory years from 1992/93 to 1995/96 and dropped sharply to around 3,600 to 3,800 units between 1996/97 and 1998/99, er - under the Lib/Lab coalition. 2 The promotion of housing associations by the Tories was in large part a fig leaf to cover the ending of council house building in the early 1980s (because of the "Right to buy" made it financially unviable for councils to build). See chart 4 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/20103537/4 The RTB was introduced in 1980 - and made it no longer worth councils building as they would have had to sell off new houses below the cost of construction due to the discount. The numbers of affordable houses was already falling throughout the 1970s though. Severely restricting, or ending the 'right to buy' policy is absolutely fundamental to increasing the amount of new affordable housing built. Re the aforementioned reduction of the 'generous funding package' - the reduction of housing association percentage grant levels has been a long term goal of the senior civil servants formerly at the Quango Communities Scotland, and now in the civil service. My view is that they have taken advantage of the change of government on Scotland to press this agenda. The rationale for reducing subsidy percentages to housing associations is clearly set out in chart 15, chapter 5 of Firm Foundations. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/10/30153156/11 The argument is that housing associations in England - where land and construction costs are higher - needs a substantially lower levels of subsidy than Scottish social housing. Building costs are higher, but the English associations build with less grant. My view is that this is an erroneous argument as the scale of operation of the English associations is very different from that in Scotland. I think ministers are not being well advised. 'Yes, Minister'. to a T. PS - the 'homeless' are not all scum. Most of them are divorced women with bairns, or single people that can't afford a mortgage.

Presumably du wid be excludin dysel fae sterilisation or bein compularily culled?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_sterilization "Compulsory sterilization programs are government policies which attempt to force people to undergo surgical sterilization. In the first half of the twentieth century, many such programs were instituted in countries around the world, usually as part of eugenics programs intended to prevent the reproduction and multiplication of members of the population considered to be carriers of defective genetic traits. Forced sterilization has been recognised as crime against humanity if the action is part of a widespread or systematic practice by the Rome Statute Explanatory Memorandum, which defines the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.[1][2]"

^^^

Nope. But we will need ta faster on wir feet as we wir in Glenrothes. SNP campaign focused on fuel bills, whin dey ir comin doon a peerie bit. Too slow. spent 4hrs on Thursday 6th ootside a schuil. Very cowld. Ony company wis a Tory activist - an unemployed estate agent fae Hertfordshire - you couldna mak dat up! Best quote oda night - dis wife comes up wi a peerie dug 'wid ye haud my dug son'. Fair enoch. Says scho 'I wisna going tae vote, but I saw Henry MacLeish in the High Street the day, and it put me right off'. an in scho geed ta mak her mark.

Unionist doomsayers is hardly been able ta hoid der glee - a perverse viewpoint I wid say, whin da best argument dey hae is dat da winderful Union is been dat good at we're hard up! Dat an a bit o cherrypickin some statistics aboot wir neebors, while ignorin idders. Care ta tell wis how much national debt Norway haes compared ta da Yookay? Biggin support fur self determination is a long term game, an ups an doons fae day ta day or munt ta munt is joost froth. It's da years an decades at coonts. Recall at da Tories hed an absolute majority o Scottish votes ida 1950s, an der decline wis slow, gradual and inexorable. Generational. In short, dey aa pegged oot wi owld age, an didna politically reproduce, fur a mercy. Labour still haes an big inherited vote - but dey hae nae members (except at BBC 'Scotland', an da Daily Retard, etc), nae activists. Da 'I vote labour becis my dad voted labour' type o person isna amenable tae ony sort o reasonable argument', but dey will fade awey joost laek da Tory Dinousaurs did. Patience. I happen ta tink at political pairties reflects society, reydir as shaping him. Soods horribly laek marxism but politics is largely driven bi demographics, economics an da environment. Still do - an until such time at Iceland petitions fur renewed union wi Denmark, an Norway fur renewed union wi Sweden, an Ireland fur renewed union wi UK, will continue ta do so. Ireland, Iceland, Norway, UK: Trade balance http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Trade-Balance&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph Balance of Payments http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Balance-of-Payments&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph GNP per capita http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Gross-National-Income-per-Capita&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph Primary energy supply per capita http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Total-Primary-Energy-Supply-per-Capita&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph infant mortality http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Infant-Mortality&Iceland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph Life expectancy http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Total-Life-expectancy-at-Birth&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph Prison population http://www.eyestat.com/multigraph.php?subject=Prison-Population-Rate&Iceland=on&Ireland=on&Norway=on&United+Kingdom=on&Submit=Generate+Graph Nope - dat argument is purely based on 'Identifiable' public expenditure, which is joost whit da London Government chooses ta identify - it's nowhaur near total public spending. If wir dat subsidised, whit wey ir dey so keen ta had on ta wis!!? eh?? Du can not be seriously sayin at da invasion o Iraq hed da slightest thing ta do wi 'helping oppressed people'. Dunna see wis invading Zimbabwe or DRC, or Palestine, or Diego Garcia. Is du forgotten 'weapons of mass distruction "His weapons of mass destruction programme is active, detailed and growing. The policy of containment is not working. The weapons of mass destruction programme is not shut down; it is up and running now. " Tony Bliar 24 Sept 2002 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020924/debtext/20924-01.htm

Correction - Trump employs 22,000, or at least did in 2006. So: sand dunes NIL; Trump 22,000. A clear winner

whereas I detest golf and in fact use it as a test of insanity: e.g. 'is activity 'A' madder than golf? if yes, it's too mad, if not it's acceptable. I mean, what's with the wierd shoes and mad breeks? A good walk spoiled indeed. For curiosity, what IS the reason for SSSI's? How many people do they employ? how many families do they support? And I don't mean Noddy Jobs in the 'green bureaucracy' And who elected the RSPB? Or SNH Trump, despite his wierd hair, employs ten thousand people.

Not a golf fan? is this forum not moderated?

Nope. No ony more as Goverment take-over o Scotland's coal mines, shipbuilding, and steel industry spelled end o Scotland. It wis da end o dat industries though - ah The Union Dividend!

Odd - I dunna seem ta mind you craimin whin Jim Wallace wis a MSP, and MP! Petty. "I'm standing for the Scottish Parliament, and, electorate willing, I hope to be there after May 4 when I shall devote myself to the Parliament at Holyrood, and stand down from Westminster at the next UK general election."" "I'm doing exactly what Donald Dewar and Jim Wallace did" Alex Salmond 6 April 2007 http://election.theherald.co.uk/homepage/electionfocus/display.var.1314656.0.0.php?act=complaint&cid=181519

And annidder. Last post on dis subject. Readers oda Sunday Herald will be seen dis article bi Paul Hutcheon: Lawyers paid PR firm to attack reforms which cut legal aid income http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2432209.0.0.php Backgrund: - cheenges tae sentencing policy introduced bi Lib/Lab Exectutive wi cross-party support via Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) Scotland Act 2007 means dat minor offences can be dealt wi via summary fines, this deprivin lawyers o means ta drag trivial cases oot fur munts an munts on legal aid at taxpeyers expense. Numerous stories is appeared ida mainstream press bi which I mean Reporting Scotland, STV, an numerous pippers via press association. Examples in section entitled: Concerns raised over enhanced fiscal powers of diversion following summary justice reforms at http://www.cjscotland.org.uk/index.php/cjscotland/dynamic_weblog/ Hutcheon's article exposes dat da Glasgow Bar Association is peyed a PR firm ta campaign 'behind the scenes' - hence blizzard o headlines. Step foarwerd McGarvie Morrison Media. Partners Lindsay McGarvie (former political editor Sunday Mail), John Morrison (former BBC Reporting Labour er I mean Scotland not Kirsty Warks holidays reporter) bridder o ex Labour ex-MSP Alasdair Morrison, an largely staffed bi various Labourpersons wi whom I winna bore you forder. Ageen - negative spin in BIG LETTERS in 'mainstream' media, vs wan article in a quality newspiper in diamond point type. PS Congratulations tae MMM fur winning got da contract fur da Civicus World Assembly in Glasgow, hosted bi Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisaions (Chief Executive - Lucy McTernan former Labour candidate Lothians list, 1999)

Anidder 'Reporting Scotland' (surely some joke) classic. £100,000,000 increase in affordable hooseen budget, plus removal o stupit bureaucratic rules at prevents hooseen associations fae buyin up unselt private hooses is indeed reported on BBC on website on page 93. And on 'Reporting Scotland' Which is whaur da majority gets der news. Not a peep - joost tosh aboot fitba. So it's reportit, but is such a wey as ta be nearly invisible tae da majority. Much detail at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1035/0064706.pdf less detail at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/08/19154002 Incidentally da Shetland Crimes is incorrect. The Homelessness (Scotland) Act 2003 whereby 'prority need test' will be abolished wis a Lib/Lab measure - introduced in Parliament bi Margaret Curran MSP

becis dey widna get re-elected. You hae ta geeng at da speed oda slowest (wi da Jurassic tendancy ida press hingin on your shins). Population. Food. Energy per capita. - aathing idder is fluff.

cut circles oota cling film, an use dem fur contact lenses. ok - da wis fae VIS 10 year ago. He's a fair cop.

a trifle harsh.

fur Loard's sake: wha cares aboot twartree owld pots?!

Da Taft camp cam tae a helleesh state ta end up wi - a proper eyesore. If I mind right da solution wis ta let fok come an tak it him ta bits as long as gey got da scran. Problem solved. Suggest sam fur Brae 'hotel'. hmmm. winder if der ony dacent fowre bi twos? big ferries nou you keen - plenty room fur da traffic.

Nautheen new dere. 'Agricultural contractors'; 'not for profit shops' etc ad nauseum - der all been flavour oda munt at wan time or idder, an aa med life difficult for fok at actually tried ta live on der owin merit an wark. Remind me: hou is da Westandwick Industrial Estate doin? An da Sellafirt een? Hah!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eJr7HG6Q6Q4&feature=user http://www.guynews.tv/2008/07/in-bunker-after-glasgow-east-result.html Diary: 24 July 2008 5.30pm step owre twa junkies ida high flats at Forge, dem bein engaged in sortin peerie blue peels on da flure (probable non-votters: ignore / run if necessary) 9.15pm bang heid on floral basket (yet ageen) in raather poohsh neeberhood in Easterhoose, stumble back - trip on shiny Beamer. Proceed tae SNP temp HQ, aet last sandweech, geeng hom. and so on and so forth.

Curioser and curioser!! Wardog on Herald forums is been diggin "A 29 Year old Secretary registers two private property companies at her dad's home before the April 2008 End of Tax Year." PROPRIETA LIMITED 32 ENTERKIN STREET GLASGOW G32 7BA Company No. SC339885 08/04/2008 DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY APPOINTED CHRISTINA MARSHALL 08/04/2008 DIRECTOR APPOINTED CRAIG THOMAS FITZPATRICK 27/03/2008 ALTERATION TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES 27/03/2008 SECRETARY RESIGNED BRIAN REID LTD. 27/03/2008 DIRECTOR RESIGNED STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD CRAIG HALL PROPERTIES (SCOTLAND) LIMITED 32 ENTERKIN STREET GLASGOW G32 7BA Company No. SC339883 02/04/2008 DIRECTOR APPOINTED CRAIG THOMAS FITZPATRICK 02/04/2008 DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY APPOINTED CHRISTINA MARSHALL 27/03/2008 ALTERATION TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES 27/03/2008 DIRECTOR RESIGNED STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. 27/03/2008 SECRETARY RESIGNED BRIAN REID "Her dad just happens to be an MP who has claimed over half a million pounds worth of expenses over the last 6 years," Marshall, Christina, of Lobbygate fame! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/487884.stm

Lok a possible angles on dis een. Wan difficulty wi a proportion o 'difficult' long term unemployed is at der, weill, pretty much unemployable. You need an employer as weill as an employee. I see nae raison fur my taxes peyin fok ta sit ida pub. OTOH hasslin fok at's genuinely seik is joost silly. Wisconson rationale dat you're better spendin da sam money supportin fok back inta wark, as sittin vegetatin, seems very sensible. I joost hae dis horrible feeling at da ToryLab Pairty is gearin up fur a serious recession, wi high unemployment, at dey canna do muckle aboot, except try ta look 'tough'. Cue Gordy in a helicopter wi his gun. lovely.

actually Lerwick is laekly owre weill fur da puir sowels at haes ta bide dere. Da graetest eyesore in Shetlan is da fok at's cruel ta idder fok. Plenty o dem. doesna sha on da ootside, but he's brawly black on da inside.

Lerweek: a faur awey plece of which we keen nautheen, an care less!

Lord Forvik is still goin ta need a hoose or indeed broch fur hissel an his Giant Rabbits.