More serious concern on food safety
The UK Government has made a priority of what it calls ‘food security’. Superficially this is a reasonable concern. It is though, in its prioritising, strangely inconsistent as a sole matter for...
View ArticleNot a mention of Diageo in Sunday Herald focus on Scotch, vodka and growth
The Business section in today’s Sunday Herald has majored on the all but absolute lack of growth in production volumes in the Scotch whisky industry – a total of 2.6% in 30 years from 1978 to 2008.In...
View ArticleWhyte & Mackay apologises for misleading argument on minimum pricing
Scotch whisky firm, Whyte & Mackay has had to apologise for presenting a misleading case in its argument against the Scottish Government’s plan to introduce minimum pricing per unit of alcohol.The...
View ArticleScottish Government backs off moving public information notices to free...
The Scottish Government, under Cabinet Secretary John Swinney, has long identified for reform the practice of local authorities and the Government spending money on newspaper advertising of public...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Westminster: three snouts suspended from the trough
It was announced around 10.00pm this evening that Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon have been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.The three former Labour Government Cabinet...
View ArticleLate – and brave – amendment to make Creative Scotland lead arts body
Ted Brocklebank, Conservative Shadow Minister for Culture has had a late flash of inspiration and has put down an amendment to the legislation that would have seen Creative Scotland pass smoothly...
View ArticleDiageo ramps up spend on lobbying US government
abc news has an interesting story of the extent to which global drinks giant, Diageo, the single biggest owner of Scotch whisky production, has progressively increased its spend on lobbying the US...
View ArticleMather gunning for Westminster copying Scotland’s minimum pricing of alcohol...
Jim Mather, MSP for Argyll & Bute, has commented critically on the news that the minimum pricing of alcohol that was condemned as ‘impractical and unworkable’ by Tories, LibDems and Labour at...
View ArticleScottish Salmon Producers fight back
[Updated below with Salmon and Trout Association response) Following the press release issued this morning by the Salmon and Trout Association - FoI discosures lead Salmon and Trout Association to...
View ArticleCouncils ready to punt public money on a sure loser
Love them because they mean well but will them to wise up.Argyll and Bute and South Ayrshire Councils are lobbying the Transport Minister to support a substantial vehicle and passenger ferry route from...
View ArticleElderly Care at Home: how far have officers kept councillors in the loop?
[Updated below 15th February] With Argyll and Bute Council’s proposed budget coming up for debate and decision tomorrow, 14th February 2013, the issue of care for the elderly and care at home for the...
View ArticleNATIONHOOD: Talking about Politics
Of course when we opened the debate about Scotland in 2050 it was to side-step the ongoing bitter debate by the political parties and concentrate on the issues at hand.Now we come to look at the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Oil, the North Sea and Scottish independence: The industry today
This is the first of what will be a very quick succession of articles, in research for the past month, on the oil and gas industry, the situation in the North Sea and the relation of this overall...
View ArticleIs Councillor Walsh in breach of the Code of Conduct again?
A reader – ‘Gingsy’ – yesterday [14th November] posted a comment in the chain under an article published on 22nd November, Actual Reality Trust reports Councillor Walsh to Commissioner for Ethical...
View ArticlePeople power forces east coast salmon farmer back-down on seal cull
In the face of well organised and sustained public opposition, Usan Salmon Fisheries of Montrose has withdrawn its application for a licence to shoot seals to protect their salmon cages – rather than...
View Article
