Stuart McHardy, author, professional storyteller and lecturer in Scottish history and folklore asks who are the cultural gatekeepers in modern day Scotland?
Read his guest blog here
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Stuart McHardy, author, professional storyteller and lecturer in Scottish history and folklore asks who are the cultural gatekeepers in modern day Scotland?
Read his guest blog here
An event for everyone
Tuesday 9th October, The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh. Doors open 19.00, show starts 20.00.
Starring Trevor Griffiths, Susan Morrison, Vladimir McTavish, and Raymond Mearns, with music from The Malkies
Click poster to enlarge
Book tickets a thestand.co.uk
An important video message from Tommy Sheppard, Chair of YouScotland
view here
Author and cultural activist Kevin Williamson argues the BBC's days in Scotland are numbered. Read and comment on his guest blog here
With Holyrood about to return from recess and the Executive's National Conversation just underway, the Sunday Herald has commissioned an opinion poll on attitides Independence. This was conducted by the reputable TNS/System 3 polling organisation and has used the precise wording of question contained in the Executive's White Paper.
For Independence negotiations 35%
Against 50%
Undecided 15%
So all to play for or a lost cause?
Interestingly, a detailed breakdown shows men are much more inclined to independence than women, as are younger people.
Polls alone through have never proven anything, but this one may indicate the scale of the challenge if the Executive is to move things forward in its chosen direction. Or the need for a Constitutional Convention to build concensus amongst those who favour change?
We also learn today that the Scottish Executive is soon to be rebranded "Scottish Government". "Here, here", we say - we will now know who we are conversing with!
The Scottish Executive today launched its much anticipated White Paper on independence, with Alex Salmond challenging opposition parties to come up with their alternatives. He called for a national conversation in which the full range of constitutional options are discussed, maintaining the SNP's approach - full independence secured via a referendum - remains the best way forward.
The White Paper is a lengthy document and can be downloaded here. Members of the public are invited to comment on it here via this dedicated website where more details of the overall initiative can be found.
This promises to be a long game and YouScotland encourages everyone to fully participate. We will read the document carefully and with interest.
Broadcast Yourself
The announcement of a Scottish Broadcasting Commission under the convenership of former BBC news and current affairs chief Blair Jenkins is to be welcomed. Whilst the commission will surely look closely at the strong case for devolving broadcasting powers to Holyrood and also the case for a "Scottish Six", it will we hope look beyond these issues and to the economic opportunities a revived Scottish broadcasting sector can offer the Scottish economy in general and at the potential of new web based mediums of delivery.
Broadcasting also has a central role in any nation's cultural strategy so the commission will have much to do. We wish it well and hope YouScotland supporters will participate in its deliberations.
Referendum White Paper
"A waste of civil service time and the public's money"? - Nichol Stephen MSP
First Minister Alex Salmond announced this week that a White Paper detailing his government's plans to hold a referendum on independence will be published within the next two weeks.
YouScotland welcomes this initiative, aimed as it is at giving Scots a direct say in their constitutional future.
Alex Salmond knows he has "some persuading to do" if the white paper is to gain the majority support needed to progress. But how can sufficient numbers within the unionist majority at Holyrood be persuaded?
Is there a role to be played in achieving progress in this area by the non-party Constitutional Commission, or for that matter YouScotland?
We are inviting YouScotland supporters and others to help answer all these questions in this newly opened forum, the outcome of which will shape YouScotland's activities when Holyrood returns from recess in early September.
Get posting and interacting please here.
Who would have thought it possible?
A friendly handshake between Prime Minister Gordon Brown and First Minister Alex Salmond.
After all the hype of last weekend's "opening ceremony", Holyrood is now in recess and won't meet again until early September. How bizzare, absurd, that our national legislature should go on holiday for all this time just when government is getting interesting - to say nothing of the need for some sort of collective response to Saturday's terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport.
YouScotland believes Scotland needs a full time parliament, one that takes no more than six weeks of recess each year rather than the current 16. Real life doesn't stop for the convenience of our parliamentarians.
