Rolled-up Trousers

What's Blair getting from Gaddafi?

The role of parliament has been revived by Alex Salmond's statement to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday regarding Tony Blair's apparent prisoner deal with Libya.

Downing Street has denied this has anything to do with the Lockerbie bomber. But it's difficult to believe that the vibrant democracy of Libya is concerned about the welfare of any of its other citizens in British jails. This is about Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi, and it's pretty clear that Blair has been attempting some sort of deal.

The only question that no one is asking is what Blair thinks he is getting from this. The Herald speculates today that it's about five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. I don't think so. There may be an appeal by Al-Megrahi soon. Both governments trying to avoid embarrassing details?

Billy Goats Gruff

There are major repairs taking place on the Forth Road bridge every weekend for the next few months. I found this out when I was crossing over the other day.

There was a 20 minute delay gong south on the A90, while northbound on the A8000 the delay was 90 minutes. This despite both directions being reduced to one lane. The reason for thew discrepancy? They were charging the toll coming from Edinburgh. They were actually making people sit 90 minutes for the pleasure of being charged.

There's a huge debate about whether toll should be scrapped entirely at the moment, but common sense should surely dictate that the toll should be waived while works take place.

How many Dunblanes has Tony Blair caused?

I can't understand what all the fuss has been about regarding Cardinal Keith O'Brien's comments on abortion the other day. We knew already that he opposed it, and he is totally within his rights to say that any Catholic legislators shouldn't seek communion for supporting it, as he is perfectly entitled to call on Catholics not to vote for said MPs.

Jeremy Purvis was one example of someone who overreacted to the situation by accusing the cardinal of "hectoring" and "bullying". O'Brien may well be wrong, it depends on your views on the situation, but just like any lobbyist, he can tell anyone he likes that they are not part of his club, and that people shouldn't vote for certain candidates. Most campaign organisations wouldn't do it like that, but they would be within their rights.

That isn't to say that people can't disagree with the church's position on this issue. It is also entirely possible that many may disagree with abortion but still find the cardinal's tactics distasteful. A couple of years ago there seemed to be a many MPs adopting the position that the number of weeks at which terminations could be carried out should be cut from 24 weeks. Even David Steele, who introduced the Abortion Act, believes this. Advances in medical science have shown just how developed the foetus is even at 12 weeks. It would make tactic sense to press home this point now rather than look for repeal of the Abortion Act.

Asian moves into Holyrood

Scotland's first ethnic minority MSP, Bashir Ahmad was sworn in yesterday. I have wondered about this though. With Linda Fabiani recently receiving an Italian knighthood, isn't she actually first? I don't know how these things are termed, but certainly Bashir Ahmad is the first non-white in the Parliament (though maybe Tommy Sheridan would lay claim to that), and first Asian - finally after eight years.

At the start of the second all-white Parliament in 2003, I remember politicians from all parties queuing up to promise they would fix this come 2007. Only the SNP have, and none of the others even came close. In my observation they did not even try.

They need to look hard at their processes and internal structures. The SNP did not achieve this by accident. The Scots Asians for Independence was set up around 10 years ago and gave a platform for Asians to get involved in the party, where it was otherwise difficult. The core ingredient though was Ahmad's own hard work, and senior party officials supported him wherever they could.

I have no doubt that all the parties would love to have Asians elevate within their ranks. Looking at them, they are screaming out for it. Those Asians that are involved, particularly within Labour, have illusions of grandeur and all too high opinion of their own abilities which are not shared by fellow party members. These emperors not only don't have any clothes on, they were naked to begin with.

Hateful election campaigns

A word or two also about the minority parties after the elections, though in the case of the BNP, clearly not the party of the minorities. Their performance deserves to be mocked after yet another election where they promised to make a breakthrough, but didn't come close. Proportional representation is meant to be their harbinger, but they polled a paltry 1%. Even in the council vote (also PR) they got not a single councillor across Scotland. Things are so bad for them here that they had to put English based candidates on their lists in order to qualify for an election broadcast. The irony of the BNP using flexible immigration rules to their benefit should not be lost.

The Christian parties also did not make any headway. The Christian Peoples Alliance made great play of their Muslim candidate in Glasgow. They decided not to draw attention to their hateful campaign against the proposed mosque in London's Newham area though.

More Unionist than the arch-Unionists

A few points and lessons come out of yesterday's historic events in Northern Ireland.

Firstly, and sadly, this shows that terrorism works. Now that the Troubles are over, Catholics are in a completely unimaginable position in sharing leadership compared to where they were before. Violence, despite the elevation of the peaceful figures who took the plaudits in the end, was pivotal in South Africa and India before for example. People like Mandela (who previously himself engaged in violence) and Gandhi would have been nothing if there was not the violence to compare the peaceful process with. This is not the lesson though. If anything has to be learned, is that we need to get rid of injustice before it gets to the level where violence begins.

Secondly, to achieve peace, you need to sit down with people who you don't agree with. Astonishingly, people are reporting that there is "chemistry" between Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. These men loathed each other, and "moderates" in the centre loathed both. But without them on board, there would be no peace.

Thirdly, peace can be achieved despite parties not agreeing on everything. Sinn Fein have not dropped their dream of a united Ireland. But peace there is, and all sides expect it to stay. Comparing this to the situation between Israel and Palestine, preconditions on longterm visions have to be dropped. The proposal of withdrawing to 1967 borders for a longstanding peace is a sensible one. If either side still hanker over one-state, then they should be allowed to do so as long as it is only done by the force of argument, and not trampling on the rights of others.

News of the World win it for the SNP?

In 2003, the SNP went down to 27 seats, with the analysis being that minority parties like the SSP and Greens benefited at their expense. Fast forward four years, the minority parties collapse, and the SNP emerge as the biggest party.

I managed to wangle my way into the count on Thursday night at the SECC. Labour's Govan activists were attributing Nicola Sturgeon's win to the fact the there was no SSP candidate there this time. To which I responded that their almost in-house rag the News of the World shouldn't have engineered the Tommy Sheridan split then!

There's a backs to the wall mentality in the SNP that is not misplaced. When you have the other major parties uniting in their dislike for you, backed up by the mainstream media, you deserve every happiness when you beat the system. Getting the Edinburgh-Glasgow train on Friday (an essential journey for all interested in politics) I was sitting near to the Scottish TV team who seemed a tad bitter about the result. Jack McConnell was simply "Jack" while Alex Salmond was referred to as "Salmond" (I wasn't eavesdropping, my friend was!). A small example, but it points to something regarding the media relationship with Labour.

I think the mood in the SNP could be summed up by employing the famous Norwegian commentary from 1981 when the country beat England at football. Except it would sound like this:

"Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Jack McConnell, Menzies Campbell, The Daily Record, The Scottish Sun, Sir Alex Ferguson, Tesco, we have beaten them all, we have beaten them all. Maggie Thatcher can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher [...] your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"

Counting and waiting

Very frustrating. At time of writing this morning we're still waiting for a good number of the election results to come through, and don't have a clear picture of which party is coming out largest.

One would have thought with the electronic counting this would be easier and faster. 100,000 ballot papers are said to have been spoiled yesterday, most likely because of the complexity of the system. I have to say that even I, with degree in politics, had to be reminded that the council vote needed a numerical response rather than an X. Three votes, three separate systems governing them. Someone somewhere needs a kicking, as there were plenty warnings about this.

PR government is infinitely better than FPTP, but even when votes are counted properly, it takes days or even weeks for the picture of government to emerge. As it looks just now, we're headed for Labour and the SNP each getting somewhere in the the 40s in terms of seats, with the Lib Dems and Tories in the teens. With 65 being the magic number for a majority, the Lib Dems may not be able to form a majority with either party. Would be fascinating to see how such a scenario plays out.

UPDATE: My good friend Alasdair Allan has won the Western Isles. The man is salt of the earth, and the people there are very lucky to have him. Also big shoutout to Jamie Hepburn and Aileen Campbell who are both new MSPs from their respective lists. Bob Doris, who used to be my school teacher (though he doesn't appreciate me broadcasting that!) got in on the Glasgow list, with of course, Scotland's first ever ethnic minority MSP Bashir Ahmad. Lastly for just now, congratulations to Hugh O'Donnell who I know well on the Central Scotland list.

Polling day

Speaking to friends south of Hadrian's Wall, one great feature of the Scottish elections is the choice available to the electorate, meaning that you don't need to hold a peg over your nose while casting your vote.

I'm one of Thatcher’s children (not literally - stop sniggering), and it was quite something when New Labour shot to power in 1997, giving my generation a government other than a Tory one for the first time in our lives. As a Scot, we’ve actually been in a one-party state for longer. Scottish Labour have exercised power not just in the post-devolution phase, but for decades have been the major political force nationally and in local authorities. And now for the first time in my lifetime, the polls appear to be showing that they will no longer be the largest party, and it is the SNP that will come up trumps.

What difference will this make politically? The major disappointment in 1997 was that Blair turned out to be little different in reality to the Tories that went before. The SNP have similarly gone through modernisation in recent years, albeit without loud Clause 4 moments. Economic policies have moved from raising taxes, to arguing that cutting them will stimulate the economy in a way that other nearby small countries have done to great success. We have to have a competitive edge vis-à-vis the south-east of England to be more successful.

Do newspapers lead or follow?

Yesterday's Sunday newspapers all led with the Scottish elections, and in particular the forecasts from pollsters on the size of the SNP lead and the extent of Labour's predicted meltdown.

The one front page that struck me most of all was that of the Sunday Express. They took a break from their usual Diana conspiratorialising and asylum seeker bashing to print a positively glowing picture of Alex Salmond alongside a headline of "IT'S TIME". It may as well have been an SNP leaflet.

What's that noise you ask? It's the sound of bandwagons being jumped.

More with Richard Thomson

Question Time

Last week's Question Time forum on the eve of the Scottish Elections is now on YouTube:

The event was organised by the iWitness newspaper and Office of Muslim Affairs, and raised some of the more moral questions facing the Scottish Parliament not normally raised in the mainstream media. Topics raised by the audience included: torture/bomb flights refuelling at Prestwick Airport; Islamophobia; dawn raids; Trident; Islamic schools; civil liberties and Iraq.

The panel were:
Alex Salmond (SNP)
Margaret Curran (Labour)
Robert Brown (Liberal Democrats)
Bill Aitken (Conservatives)
With lawyer Aamer Anwar in the chair

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Scottish footballers talk themselves out of business

Scottish football legends have come out today in favour of keeping the Union. I don't often speak against Super Ally, but there is an inconsistency here. It is at the very least odd for footballers who themselves have benefited from having a separate Scottish FA and leagues to be lecturing other people about having other walks of life fused together.

While some of the country's intelligentsia were coming out in favour of the Union, 100 businesses signed a statement in support of the SNP.

On a slightly separate note, I'm surprised at this latest development. I've often wondered why footballers do not use their clout more to campaign on issues of national and international importance. These guys have oodles of cash and media exposure. This intervention is quite unprecedented by an industry which by my reckoning is one of the most bloated and selfish around.

STUC grudgingly back Labour

This was buried in an article in the Herald today:

Meanwhile, Labour's campaign problems mounted as the general council of the Scottish Trades Union Congress had a majority of only one vote in favour of endorsing the party at the Holyrood election. At a private meeting, Unison, the party's biggest funder, voted against the proposal, arguing it would be better not to put it to the test of a conference debate tomorrow, at which several unions not affiliated to Labour will be able to air their grievances.

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP deputy leader, said: "It is a severe blow to Labour just 17 days out from the election. If Unison - Scotland's biggest union and Labour Party affiliate - abstains, and even the general council of the STUC can barely bring themselves to support Labour, then it illustrates the depth of the crisis they are facing across Scottish society."

I would imagine if this had happened in England then it would have caused major headlines. As well as Unison not backing Labour, the Fire Brigades Union has decided to back SNP candidates.

On the other end of the proletariat-bourgeoisie divide, the same Herald article quotes Jack McConnell hitting out at the high profile businessmen who have come out in support of the SNP and independence. Not quite backing up Tony Blair's claim that RBS wasn't a "real business" he did say that "hard-working businesses" weren't being reflected in the debate. That said, I did expect Labour to wheel out some prominent business names to give support during the campaign. As yet, we're still waiting.

Self-indulgence

Something of a breakthrough has happened, with Tony Blair labelling support for independence as being "self-indulgent". He was speaking about Sir George Mathewson's support for the SNP in the coming elections and his backing for Alex Salmond as the "outstanding" candidate for First Minister.

Sir George is regarded as the driving force behind the Royal Bank of Scotland's rise to being one of the biggest financial institutions in the world today. Bizarrely, Blair sought to deflect his position by saying that Sir George's view was not that of "real businesses". Not a good day for the speech writer.

But for me, the strangest part of the prime minister's response was to characterise it as being "self-indulgent". Unionist politicians have never seen any benefit to independence, but the prime minister's comments betray that there must be something to it now. Even if he was claiming selfishness of the part of Sir George, it would be safe to assume that others would also be similarly placed to benefit.

I suspect though that we are talking about self-indulgence in the broad sense. The kind of self-indulgence we're told that Scots would be engaging in if they kept all the oil wealth to themselves, as if it is normal for nations to go sharing their natural resources with others, much less have someone else "look after" it for them.

HMD censors events

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign have announced that the trustees of Holocaust Memorial Day have pulled off mention of their events from the HMD website.

The SPSC are showing the play Perdition this week in events they have organised to mark the occasion. The work highlights the role that Zionists in Hungary had in collaborating with the Nazis. HMD claims this is "anti-Semitic".

The SPSC had advocated that everyone should engage positively with HMD. Here's their announcement:

In conversation with Alex Salmond

A couple of months ago I bumped into Alex Salmond in Glasgow's George Square. He was recording some YouTube broadcasts, and was good enough to take the time out to recording something with me. You can view it here.

We talked about he state of community relations on the back of the Jack Straw niqab "debate".

For those outside of Scotland, Alex Salmond is the leader of the Scottish National Party, whom the polls show are on course for victory in next year's Scottish elections. If you're interested in moving to a country where the political leadership is as enlightened as this, please note that Scotland is welcoming of those wishing to bring their talent here.

Incidentally, Alex was nominated by the BBC Politics Show for their poll of political heroes - no mean achievement in a London based programme. You can vote among the final seven here.

Crossing makes them cross

The Scotsman led today with the issue of Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc blessing himself before the second half of yesterday's Old Firm match in front of the Rangers support.

I know somebody who was sitting on that stand who confirmed this was the case, and given the controversy earlier this year, eagle eyes also say that he did not do this in front of the Celtic support at the start of the match.

Let's assume for a second that Boruc is out to provoke the Rangers support. He wants to anger them, but what in his actual action is there to get offended about? What is there to get all hot and bothered about with a Catholic performing a very common ritual? Me feels it just confirms a stereotype - which other fans in the world would care if a player did this?

Baldy and Crazy

Imran Shahid, Zeeshan Shahid (Baldy and Crazy) and Faisal Mushtaq went down for a long time yesterday for the sadistic murder of Kriss Donald.

I've always had a sick feeling in my stomach and my heart when hearing the details of his tortuous death. Even sitting in TV studios before interviews yesterday, tears came to my eyes hearing the reporters on the VT again describing how Kriss, who'd already been stabbed 13 times, was writhing around on the grass trying to put out the fire all over his body that the gangsters had lit by dousing petrol all over him.

You have to salute his mother Angela for showing maximum dignity during this whole affair. Even in the aftermath of his death, when it would have been so easy for her to lash out, she told the BNP to get the hell out of Pollokshields when they came looking for revenge.

This was a racially aggravated crime, but this was no simple case of racial supremacists. They did pick Kriss out because he was white, in a grotesque form of collective punishment, but their reign of terror in Pollokshields had victims of all colours.

Helping Tayside Police

I spoke at a fantastic public meeting on civil liberties in Dundee on Monday. It was called in light of the recent activities of special branch in Dundee (see letter that was written to them detailing the concerns - Download SBCCU3.pdf).

Fellow panellists Aamer Anwar and Tommy Sheridan pulled out at the last moment. No matter, because they would have had a tough job being as good as their stand ins. Richard Haley from SACC was tub-thumping and witty, while in Esther Sassaman, Dundee have acquired a sassy fresh activist from the US. Shona Robison MSP also spoke and showed some much needed leadership on the issue, while Carlo Morelli from the University and Colleges Union spoke against the monitoring of "Asian looking" students.

The room was packed out, people standing at the back and sitting in the aisles. During the Q&A members of the public also narrated their own experiences of police intrusion. One of them wanted to know who the Courier staff reporter there was. He identified himself and stood up like he was going to take a bow, only for the questioner to berate him about another story the paper did. I felt sorry for him and Sumiya, who was chairing the event, intervened. Now I wish she had let him continue.

Because after the event, the Courier has tried to create division by claiming on their front page headline that I urged "non-cooperation" with the police. However, they pointedly failed to bring forward a single statement where I did any such thing (the next day they did eventually get around to including my opinions on cooperation with the police).

Confusion amongst Muslims abounded as a result, with some community leaders apparently coming out and condemning me (ignoring the Quranic commandment of verifying info). All the mosques in Dundee have now though signed a letter denouncing the Dundee Courier's journalism and backing the public meeting on Monday - Download Courierletterofcomplaint1.pdf

Tayside Police joined in to express their "disappointment" at my supposed comments. The smokescreen diverts us away from the main issue. The police know that I don't back non-cooperation - I had a meeting with them that very afternoon. We said relations have to be strengthened, particularly as no force in Scotland has as bad relations with their Muslim community as Tayside Police do with theirs. A number of proposals were made, and we said we'd review the situation in three months.

Rangers fan thrown out of Ibrox for waving Palestinian flag

Press release:

A Rangers fan was thrown out of yesterday’s UEFA Cup clash with Maccabi Haifa for waving a Palestinian flag.

22-year-old Kashif Khaliq, an Ibrox regular for 6 years, was escorted out by a police officer at half-time. His complaints that Israeli flags were also being waved fell on deaf ears.

Khaliq said: “I first brought the flag out after Rangers scored in the fifth minute. One of the fans nearby complained so I put it away in my pocket.

 “Thirty minutes into the match another supporter came from further up the stand and shouted “Why the f*** were you waving that flag, it’s against our beliefs.”

 “At half time I was taken out of the stands by a police officer who told me I had to leave because I had the flag. I protested that other fans were waving Israeli flags, but he said that they couldn’t do anything about it.

“I feel angry that I wasn’t even given the opportunity to stay in the ground with just the flag being confiscated. I was separated from my friends who were then left behind wondering what had happened to me.”

Glasgow protest against Maccabi Haifa

Around 100 folk turned up last night at literally a few hours notice to protest at Maccabi Haifa's Marriott Hotel base in Glasgow for their UEFA Cup game against Rangers.

Highlight of the evening must have been the chants of "You lost the war" to the tune of Auld Lang Syne.

It must have hit a nerve as some of the team tried to goad us standing behind police lines with their smug grins. WAGs came out to take pictures as souvenirs to show their friends.

I don't know if other cities do this when Israeli teams come to visit. Despite setting up state in the Arabian peninsula, Israel play football tournaments in Europe (not sure if they also take part in basketball and baseball in the US).

It has meant that Haifa, Tel Aviv and others are regularly in London and north-west England. I hope similar boycott protests take place there too. If not, let this be the example.

Sign this petition

Eden Springs is an Israeli company that pillages water from the Syrian Golan Heights.

For some reason, the Scottish Parliament buys water from this company.

Sign this petition if you think they should stop.

Prestwick an 'ask-no-questions' type of place

The disclosure is among fresh revelations about how the CIA flew terrorist suspects to locations where they were tortured, and Britain's knowledge of the practice known as "secret rendition". They are contained in Ghost Plane, by Stephen Grey, the journalist who first revealed details of secret CIA flights in the Guardian a year ago. More than 200 CIA flights have passed through Britain, records show.

He describes how one CIA pilot told him that Prestwick airport, near Glasgow, was a popular destination for refuelling stops and layovers. "It's an 'ask-no-questions' type of place and you don't need to give them any advance warning you're coming," the pilot said.

Cardinal lives in fear of attack from Muslims

Cardinal O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Catholics:

... the cardinal claims that, as the Pope apologised for the offence caused last month by his comments on the Islamic faith, so Muslims should now step up and say sorry....

"There have been no apologies for the shooting of the nun [in Somalia after the Pope made his remarks], let alone for 9/11 or the London bombings. I would like to see some reciprocal moves from the Islamic side. We shouldn't have to live in fear of attack from Muslims."

Source: Scotland on Sunday

Really twisted logic. The Pope had to apologise for his own personal comments. I’m not sure who would apologise for the bombers to the Cardinal. As if the Cardinal himself bears the responsibility for all those who enter his confessional.

The Pope though still hasn’t actually apologised for his belief in that speech that Islam is a religion that converts by force. I maintained then that the impact on local interfaith relations would depend on how the Catholic Church reacted locally. They had to repudiate that idea.

Muslims want to have good relations with Catholics. We have common causes and as minority communities, shared experiences. Many Catholics draw direct comparison between the prejudice Muslims face and the clampdown on civil liberties as being exactly what they want through not long ago. We’d hope then for the Cardinal’s solidarity particularly during difficult times such as we’ve seen in the last few weeks, rather than seeing him joining in with the attacks.

I've got a comment as one of the 100 Scottish "key opinion-formers" on the issue of independence in today's Scotsman.

GB football team for 2012

Controversy has been caused by the decision to press ahead with an all-British football team for the 2012 Olympics.

The Scottish and Welsh football associations have refused to cooperate with it, but the British Olympic Association are going to continue regardless.

My view - it doesn't matter because we'll be independent by then anyway.

Welcome to Herald readers

Joan McAlpine picks up on the issue of there not being enough Muslims in Scottish newsrooms. Whose fault is it?

So what of the Scottish media? I believe it will have learned from this sorry tale. It will be reminded of the need to "assume nothing" and ensure basic fact-checking, something that requires the manpower to canvass a wide variety of sources. The media must also improve and extend its links with the Muslim community at every level. This point is made by Osama Saeed, whose blog – www.osamasaeed.org – offers an interesting Islamic perspective on a range of current events.

Misbah speaks - and leaves the media with red faces

You heard it here first folks.

From the beginning, the friends and relatives of the people at the centre of this have been saying that there is more to this than was being reported.

Even looking at Louise’s own statement from Tuesday is was clear that this was not a case of kidnap as was being portrayed. The fact that Misbah’s own siblings were helping her and their father should have provoked some kind of thinking independent of lazy racism.

I was being told that the family’s side of the story could not be properly told due to media rules. At the same time, there seemed to be no compunction in circulating the cheap-shot accusation of a forced marriage just because the father was Pakistani. I hope the Daily Record particularly are feeling stupid - because they look stupid.

Still, despite Misbah’s insistence that her name is not Molly, and it certainly isn’t Campbell – Louise’s boyfriend’s name – the media are still insisting on not using her real name. It’s still only two syllables, it should not be this difficult.

Molly Campbell - kidnapped, abducted or something more complicated?

There is always more than one side to any story, and the case of the 12-year-old taken from the Western Isles is no different.

What has been put about by the media has been the mother's tale. I've now managed to piece together some more information from the father's side.

Friends close to the family are angry at the way this has been portrayed as a case of abduction or kidnap. Even Louise's own emotional statement today gave a sense of this not being the case:

"I would like to say to Molly that we miss her so much and we beg her to come home to us.

"She has to know she is not in any trouble and we are not angry, we just want her home."

She seems to be saying that the girl herself chose to go. Reports indicate that Molly met her father the day before she actually disappeared, but kept this secret from her mother.

More Muslims singled out by airport passengers

The Sunday Post has reported on two more incidents of passengers objecting to flying with Muslims on board. The incidents at Edinburgh Airport have been been commented on by a senior member of the airport ground staff:

“It’s a real concern. After the 7/7 attacks, in particular, passengers were noticeably more wary of Asians. But the situation became even more tense after the alleged terrorist bomb plot a fortnight ago.

“I’ve only witnessed two sets of passengers kick up a fuss about Muslims on their flight but I’m sure it’s happening regularly. It’s sad, but people are inclined to take the law into their own hands if they think their lives may be at risk.”

By the way, the 'Illsama' quoted in the article is me. It's amazing I still need to spell my name out!