Page 39 - Michael Keating News Today

FOR the 21st century, it still needs to be proved that those UK prime ministers who are also English Tories can come to Scotland whenever they feel like it; walk along the streets and shopping precincts, shake hands with the locals, kiss babies and generally act as normal human beings, so far as this is possible for any politician. In Scotland, of course, all these are activities that cannot be brought here by English–Tories-cum-prime-ministers, or not at least without an escort of police...

The closer the UK is forced together, the more likely it will break Vital decisions about Wales and Scotland are unilaterally taken in Westminster, fueling the arguments for devolution By Martin Kettle / The Guardian It is often rightly claimed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is determined not to lead the UK out of the EU only to preside over Britain’s own breakup. Johnson is not as indifferent to the kingdom’s survival as some around him. The problem is that his chosen UK-surv...

Johnson has form here. Last November, he told Conservative MPs that devolution to Scotland had been Tony Blair’s “biggest mistake” and was a “disaster”. The Downing Street spin machine quickly denied that this was really the prime minister’s view. But the evidence suggests otherwise, and this latest charge from the Welsh first minister is not easily dismissed. Drakeford told the Welsh affairs select committee: “For the first time since devolution, we are dealing with a UK governme...

The closer Boris Johnson forces the union together, the more likely it will fall apart Martin Kettle © Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Tracey Paddison/REX/Shutterstock It is often rightly claimed that Boris Johnson is determined not to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union only to preside over the UK’s own breakup. Johnson is not as indifferent to the UK’s survival as some around him. The problem is that his chosen UK survival strategy is increasingly hav...

THE polls, they just keep on coming. There was another out yesterday and it was telling us a now familiar story: support for independence is strong…

Premium Content Subscriber only WITH an increase to 65 teams this season, Springfield United officials were asked how big do they want the club to get. Dedicated club president Scott Harding answered: "I said as big as we can. The club built on strong family foundations has grown from 28 teams and 350 players in 2016 to more than 60 sides and 800 players preparing for 2021 Football Brisbane competitions. That includes a Capital League 2 mens side, City League teams, three womens combination...

By Dahir A. Issa Opinion In 2016, when Puntland agreed to the electoral model after initially rejecting it on grounds that one person, one vote elections outlined at the end of the transition agreement had been jettisoned, Michael Keating, the former UN Representative in Somalia, urged political leaders to start preparations for one, person elections “now”. In 2017 the former Speaker of the Somali Parliament Mohamed Jawari held a meeting with a committee tasked with preparing Somalia for 20...

Last modified on Fri 29 Jan 2021 00.33 EST When the Scottish National party published its roadmap for a second independence referendum on Sunday, it confirmed what many anticipate will be a central plank of its manifesto for May’s Holyrood elections. If the party wins a majority, as polling indicates it will, and if Westminster ignores that electoral mandate and continues to refuse the necessary transfer of powers, Holyrood will legislate to hold a referendum regardless. There are three possi...

Forget now 1.1.1 $700,000 seems a lot considering that the air force already owns the helicopters, so thats just fuel, maintenance, and maybe staffing (but thatd be army pilots and police spotters? So already employed just reassigned). I do know from once living in rural parts near a usually tranquil growing area, those helicopters flying so low are really loud and annoying. Far worse than tourist flights which are at least on the way somewhere rather than circling for day...

Three years after helping to get rid of this upstart African democratic leader, the United States was instrumental in putting away Nelson Mandela for 28 years. The horror of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Chile, Grenada, Panama, Iraq (to name just a selection) were still to come…. 60 years on, Patrice Lumumba’s assassination stands as a gruesome reminder of post-colonial brutality by Peter Bolton Jan. 17, 2021 "Information Clearing House" – Exactly 60 years a...