HOST CITY

A fantastic day for Glasgow and Scotland, as the Commonwealth Games Federation voted to give the Dear Green Place the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games (hopefully in an Independent Scotland and SNP Controlled Glasgow City Council but that's a debate for another time).

The atmosphere around the city was electric after the decision was announced, and it was particularly funny to see my own boss on television jumping up and down on National Television, who was there as part of the Bid team contingent.

We were supposed to all have access to our PC's at work, only for most of us this didn't happen, except for the very lucky modern apprentice who was quickly surrounded by the rest of us watching the announcement, Only for the BBC to completely muck this up - had a chuckle at a very smug looking John MacKay on Scotland Today tonight saying that STV were the only channel showing the event live. Anyways, once we heard the news....cue pandemonium across Glasgow....

Special praise for everyone involved, and i know many of my fellow Glasgow City employees who worked extremely hard to bring this about, and priase too for all the politicians who worked together.

Maybe this will stop Transport Scotland from ripping apart proposals to split the NADICS/CITRAC functions into 4 separate entities, given that Managers within this service helped put together the Traffic Management arrangements for the Sydney Olympics a few years ago, but common sense never really stops quango's from making idiotic decisions. More of this later.

A tremendous day, perhaps even a tremendous month.

We all now wait for next Saturday to see if another special occasion can give Scotland a victorious result.......

THINKING BIG

At long last my Conference blog due to being laid low with the post Conference heavy cold. Thinking Big was the key to the First Ministers address to the Conference, laying out quite clearly the difference between the SNP and our Unionist opponents.

The buoyant mood of the Conference was simply contagious, and it is clear that activists from all over the country wish to build on our success from the elections in May.

The conference started for me oddly enough with a telephone call at 7.45 am from the evening times regarding suspensions which had been handed out to some employees who work for Glasgow's Parking service, and i spent most of that day on the telephone to Trade Union Colleagues trying ascertain if the issue had been settled. If I could say more about this I would, however, someones actions that day, I will have to address elsewhere.

Saturday saw me preparing for a meeting with a Government Minister, and regrettably missed the fringe meeting with the NUJ.

I was pleased that the Party has decided too campaign on the issue of Post Office closures, A subject I have referred to in this blog in the past.

The SNP Government has made a very good start, restoring free education, the phased withdrawal of prescription charges, Bringing accountability back to Government by cutting the number of quango's, commitment to completing the M8 motorway are just a few of the things so far that will a huge difference to people's lives.

This in contrast to the BLP (Scotland Region) benches at Holyrood who's sole tactic at the moment is to confuse the voter over the SNP's commitments. A term lasts 4 years guys....

Thinking Big gets thins done, and reaps rewards. Here's hoping Glasgow's Commonwealth Games bid thinks big in Sri Lanka next week .......

AN INTERNATIONAL AGENDA

One of the key differences between the SNP and our Unionist opponents is International issues.

I was delighted today with the news that Alex Salmond has written to other countries who signed up to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, intimating the opposition of the Scottish Government to the replacement of Trident, and to seek observer status at future discussions.

This news comes on the eve of the Scottish Government summit on Trident.

Repeated polls in Scotland show a clear majority are opposed to Nuclear weapons, and this is backed up by votes in the Scottish Parliament, and the majority of Scottish MP's voted against the replacement of Trident in March.

The response from BLP Scotland Region today was lamentable. Firstly, we had Wendy Alexander who refused to answer repeated questions on her views on the issue, the predictable response from David Cairns, Minister of Scotland Office in a state, who argues that the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government should not discuss any issues that are reserved to Westminster. He also describes the clear majority who are opposed to the replacement of Trident as the "loony left", which will be news to my opponent for the Westminster election, one Ian Davidson. BLP Scotland Region leaders will never learn.

Astonishingly, we have the official response from a Scotland Office spokesperson who suggests that seeking an alliance with Iran and South Korea is unpardonable folly. Politicians in Seoul will no doubt be scratching their heads at what they have done to cause offence to the British Government. This faux pas, demonstrates the ignorance of Westminster when it comes to International issues.

The fib dems, who only months before the election argued that Trident was an issue that should be debated and discussed in the Scottish Parliament, show their usual double dealing by agreeing with wee Wendy and David Cairns.

International issues emphasise the core beliefs of the SNP as an outward looking, friendly nation, built on helping the international world with peacekeeping, overseas aid for those countries who need it to feed their children and remove the scourge of poverty, and a world based on justice and respectful of international law. One based on democracy not bullying. Indeed the SNP philosophy on International issues is a coherent part of the Independence message.

In stark contrast, New Labour continue with illegal wars, giving military aid to nations lie Colombia, the most dangerous place in the world to be a Trade Unionist, and wish to spend £25 billion of our money on weapons of mass destruction.

The SNP has a duty and responsibility to oppose nuclear weapons as the clear settled will of the Scottish people.

Civic nationalism and Internationalism go hand in hand, with Independence we can help make the world seem so much better.

THE DIFFERENCE 2 YEARS MAKES

Whilst the men in grey beards, cords and sandals were telling Ming Campbell his time was up, yours truly was celebrating his well attended adoption night in Glasgow South West, and thanks to those who made attended and put in their hard earned cash into the campaign coffers, listening to Nicola Sturgeon tells us quite rightly, how upbeat and positive the country is since the Scottish Elections in May.

For the last few days, I have been thinking about the dramatic reversal of fortunes of both the SNP and the Lib Dems. 2 years ago the Lib Dems were telling us that they were poised to become the second largest party in Scottish politics, and how they would take on the SNP. Having endured a very successful Westminster campaign, the media in Scotland were promoting this vision for all its worth. The press wrote off the SNP's chances for the 2007 election - fools!

So whats changed?

At that time, I and many others thought that the Lib Dems had over-achieved, and that their Westminster results were down to extended media coverage, mainly at our expense, and the Kennedy factor. Jim Wallace's decision to step down appeared to me to be a signal that things could not get better

Since then, the Lib Dems have made a series of catastrophic blunders. Firstly, the manner of the ousting of Charles Kennedy was disgraceful, and certainly viewed that way here in Scotland. This exposed how nasty and vile the Lib Dems can be. Another was Ming Campbell's suggestion to privatise some if not all of the Post Office, which lost a lot of support from Left minded voters who turned to the Lib Dems as a protest to the Iraq War.

Here in Scotland, the Lib Dems refusal to countenance any arrangement with the SNP before and after the Holyrood elections has relegated them to voice in the wilderness status in the Scottish Parliament. A fact underpinned in a recent YouGov survey of Lib Dem voters who see Alex Salmond as a stronger leader than Nicol Stephen.

The SNP meanwhile built on the 2005 elections, an election effectively fought in the targetting of seats which was successful deployed to maximum effect this year.

The value of being the lead partner in Government will ensure continued and increased support, as the you cannae win factor has disappeared forever, a fact our opponents cannot deny.

Like Scotland's football team 2 years ago, the SNP are going from strength to strength. Lib Dems meanwhile will take years to get out of their current plight, a fact emphasised in East Dunbartonshire, going from 1st to 4th.

For the next 2 years, one can only imagine what self inflicted damage the Lib Dems can do to themselves.

THE COMPREHENSIVE STINGY REVIEW!

And so they bite back again! Stingy was the first word that came into my mind once I saw the details of the Comprehensive Spending Review, as the New Labour Westminster Government decides to punish Scotland again for having the temerity to vote SNP.

You would think a Chancellor who represents an Edinburgh constituency would have more sensitivity, but no. An increase of 0.5% is deemed sufficient for Scotland's needs.

The arguments for Scotland to keep all the taxes it raises become stronger.

Interestingly, this is at the expense of spending commitments such as the London Olympics, which Scots are being asked to effectively subsidise.

Having just called off an election because of opinion poll ratings, it seems New Labour are convinced that the best way to govern is to impersonate an ostrich, burying its head in the sand in the face of an economic downturn, while trying to pretend it is not stealing Tory ideas.

The people of Scotland deserved to give their verdict next month. When they do it will be grim reading for New Labour. I am confident that Scotland's Government will continue to bring about a better society, despite the stinginess of those who hold power at Westminster.

AND THERE WAS I STANDING AT THE CHURCH!

Well I can now officially inform you all that I have been selected as a Westminster Candidate for Glasgow South West! An election we all thought was coming. Well its cancelled! and the comparisons between Brown and James Callaghan become more and more apt, for today is the day that New Labour lost the next Westminster election.

The reasons for this analysis are many. Firstly Brown now looks completely weak. Having allowed his trusted and most Senior advisers to talk up an election which even on Thursday looked like a racing certainty, only to cancel on the whim of a few opinion polls, will cause him long lasting damage.

Stupidly, Brown decided to make this announcement to one of his favoured journalists, and interestingly, the most withering criticism of Brown has come from employees of the Murdoch empire, namely Adam Boulton and Trevor Kavanagh. Has Brown lost potential millions from the Dirty Digger?

Ironically the gamble of calling an early election to kill off the Tories, has backfired spectacularly, and Cameron looks assured and surefooted, which even 4 days ago was a laughable concept.

With opinion polls showing a strong SNP vote, currently predicted to double from the results in 2005, things can only get better. With BLP Scotland Region doing a very impressive impersonation of the Tories after 1997, expect that support to grow stronger.

Never more has the choice in Scotland been more starker, a progressive political force demanding more powers for Scotland, or a weak, dithering, whinging opposition who look completely lost and crave for power, for powers sake.

Brown will not recover from today's extraordinary announcement.

I guess Ian Davidson will have to wait for his verdict too!

TIME TO BE DECISIVE GORDON!

A quality of leadership is to be decisive, a quality that Gordon Brown now needs to show this weekend.

The constant speculation on an impending Westminster Election continues to grow, and it does not seem to be downplayed by any Senior member of the Westminster Government.

The arguments for fixed term parliaments are obvious, and I believe have grown stronger due to this debacle.

However, my instinct says he now has no other option than to call the election. Not to call one, on the basis that the Tories are closing the gap in opinion polls, will make him look indecisive, a charge that will plague him for the rest of his term, and will keep him on the backfoot, which would have seemed ludicrous only a few weeks ago, but entirely of his own doing. I also believe making a statement crushing speculation is now too late.

Make up your mind Gordon! It's Time to call it!