Tweet
For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Clan Sinclair of Canada
I just noticed that the link to this site didn't work and found the url had changed so have now updated that. While checking the site I noted they have a good article entitled "Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt" which tells the story of Prince Henry Sinclair and his visit to America 100 years before Columbus. You can read the article at: http://www.clansinclair.ca/articles/beyond.htm
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish.
Defence jobs in Scotland in decline
A new academic study shows the decline in employment by the Ministry of Defence, down by nearly a quarter in the past eight years.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...iness-37252256
Sturgeon launches new conversation
Nicola Sturgeon has launched a new conversation on independence as she urged Scotland to control its own destiny.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-37250448
Record year for Scotland's food and drink sector
Scotland's food and drink sector generated a record annual turnover of £14.4bn in 2014, new figures showed.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...iness-37266921
Spuds and drilling bits in oil's bargain basement
It's a brave commodities trader or government finance minister who bets the farm on the future direction of the price of Brent crude oil.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-37270922
Honeymoon set to end for SNP and angry voters
LOOKS like the SNP have peaked, so it better look out as punishment by the people will follow, writes Brian Monteith
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...ters-1-4220980
In putting the EU first, Sturgeon has chosen the wrong horse
The following thoughts formed the basis of my talk at the Festival of Politics, held at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 20th September.
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...nkscotland.org
UK to explore free trade deal with Australia
The UK is to begin preliminary talks with Australia about the outline of a future free trade deal between them.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37291832
Flawed IT farm payment system under fresh attack
The computer system charged with controlling the support payments for Scottish farmers received more criticism yesterday.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/business/com...tack-1-4224485
Electric Canadian
Studies of Plant Life in Canada
Wild Flowers, Flowering Shrubs, and Grasses by Mrs. C. P. Traill (1906) (pdf)
You can download this book at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...fplantlife.pdf
Canadian Templar Newsletter
Added the September 2016 edition at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/Reli...tteSep2016.pdf
I might add that I have been the editor for this newsletter since it's start and was to serve as the Editor for a three year term. I then completed an additional year and so this is the final issue as I've declined to continue for a fifth year. I have enjoyed the experience but it is a lot of work and as I'm now retired I want to take it a bit easier now.
Electric Scotland
John Younger
Shoe Maker Poet from the Scottish Borders and you can read his mini biography at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...unger_john.htm
Our Cabmen
A biography of George McRobert followed by a search and resulting article on our Cabmen.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...les/cabmen.htm
The Beachgrove Garden
Thought I'd profile this BBC program with some background information and a sample show. You can read this and watch the show at:http://www.electricscotland.com/gard...beachgrove.htm
Clan Lachlan Association of Canada
Got in a copy of their Fall 2016 newsletter which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...hlan/index.htm
Clan Lachlan videos
Added a couple of videos to our Clan Lachlan page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/webc.../maclach2.html
Empire Sandy
Got in a video of the Empire Sandy in Toronto Harbour which you can watch at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/ssf/..._sandy2007.htm
A Jacobite Stronghold of the Church
Being the Story of Old St. Paul's, Edinburgh: its Origin on the Disestablishment of Episcopacy in Scotland, 1689, through Jacobite years onward to the Oxford Movement; and its Relation to the Scottish Consecration in 1784 of the first Bishop of the American Church By Mary E. Ingram (1907)
You can read this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...bitechurch.pdf
Memorials of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd
Edited by his daighter Mrs Garden with Preface by Professor Veitch. Third Edition with Introduction by Sir George Douglas, Bart (1904)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...james_hogg.htm
Roosevelt’s 1892 Winchester Authentication
President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1892 Winchester Authentication: A Comparison Approach to the identification of Engraved Winchester & Firearm’s by the Ulrich Family of Engravers. Identifying Maker Mark Hidden Initials and symbolism by the Ulrich’s. By Gary C. Gianotti FSA Scot; Milford, CT. (pdf)
You can download this from http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ricanRelic.pdf
Two Centuries of Border Church Life
With Biographies of Leading Men and Sketches of the Social Condition of the People on the Eastern Border by James Tait in two volumes (1891)
You can read these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...churchlife.htm
John Turnbull Smith
Found this small biography of this accountant who did major work in education, Sunday Schools, Church of Scotland and as an author. Here is the biography from the Border Magazine which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...bull_smith.htm
William Gilchrist
A New Zealand Borderer whom you can read about at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...st_william.htm
Scottish American Worthy
By Richard Waugh
An interesting article at the time of the Sioux Massacre which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...can_worthy.htm
The Tinkler-Gypsies
By Andrew McCormick
I read about this book from reading an issue of the Border Magazine where it was offering a small biography of the author.
Added a link to this book at the foot of page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/gipsies/
The Border Magazine
Found copies of Volumes 1 and 2 which I've added to the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...r_magazine.htm
The Story
I just learnt this week about "Think Scotland", an online news source so I thought I'd tell you a bit about them and then follow that with a recent article they produced.
ThinkScotland was established as a virtual think tank in 2006 by the Scottish entrepreneur Robert Kilgour to encourage greater discussion in Scotland about economic, social and constitutional policies – from the perspective of mainly Scottish Conservative authors.
The site relaunched in July 2012 seeking a far broader constituency as an independent not-for-profit debating forum with a cross section of topical, political and cultural writing. It aims to provide a regular daily columnist six days of the week supplemented by guest contributors on issues dear to them.
Since that relaunch other generous benefactors, ranging from industrialists and inventors to community activists and individual donors, have come forward to give their financial support, large and small. They do not agree with everything that’s published but they recognise the need for a vital, dynamic debate in Scotland – as well as a channel for lighthearted and humorous asides that make ThinkScotland a rounded and broad home for writing.
Without the help of our supporters ThinkScotland would come to a sudden halt – if you want to join their ranks please donate using one of the buttons placed throughout the site. Every donation of whatever currency helps.
ThinkScotland’s editorial position has always been right of centre – with the aim of encouraging an open liberal society – but crucially without endorsing any one political party – or taking a corporate view. Comments are encouraged but moderated. Enjoy, be infuriated – but either way, respond.
And here is a recent article to read here...
Why the UK will prosper outside the European Union
THERE WILL be much scaremongering in the lead-up to the EU referendum but the most audacious is not the lie about three million jobs depending on EU membership, which has been repeatedly shown to be false – it is the nonsense that the UK is too wee and too poor to make its own way in the world.
The very fact that the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world and continues to grow when others such as France stagnate and Germany faces a demographic cliff should be enough for most rational thinkers to recognise they are being taken for mugs by advocates of this proposition. As is so often the case the reverse is true, the UK is doing well despite being a member of the EU, not because of it. Our bright future could become even brighter with more economic and cultural opportunities and greater influence – once we are outside the European Union. Here’s how.
By any measure of population against GDP per head there is no correlation between size and wealth, some small nations are wealthy, some large ones are poor and vice versa. Size does not matter, it is governance that matters, especially governance that cherishes and protects individual freedoms.
Nevertheless the UK has more than just economic muscle. English is now the lingua franca of the World; with 1.5-2bn English speakers it is the most widely understood language globally and the British Council expects a third of the world to be learning it by 2020. English language is the most widely distributed (four times as many countries as the next nearest, France), it is the most widely used legally, dominates more than half of all websites while 80% of scientific journals are indexed in English. All of these leads are widening and appear unassailable. Being the only truly international language gives the UK a huge strategic advantage that should not be easily dismissed.
In education, the UK has seven universities in the European top ten, with the Eurozone having only one, while the UK has three in the World top ten Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial – with no others from Europe. Globally the UK comes second in the league of top 100 universities, with 29 listed. Germany is well behind in third. This is another strategic advantage to be cherished.
In heritage and the arts the UK’s museums, galleries and libraries are amongst the finest in the world, we have one of the top four opera houses and leading orchestras and arts festivals such as Edinburgh and Glyndebourne. The UK’s music market is the fourth largest globally by retail value. Our artists’ market share has increased from 11.8 per cent to 13.7 per cent since 2010 and last year six of the World’s top ten selling albums were by British acts. For all our gripes the BBC has the strongest media brand name in the world and our highly competitive broadcasters and production companies have a range and quality of output that is well beyond their size and recognised regularly internationally.
With only one per cent of the world’s population the UK’s cultural output is a truly awesome performance.
In sport the UK is arguably the capital of the World. Having first codified association football, rugby union and league, cricket, golf, badminton and tennis, to name but a few, it now hosts or co-hosts many of the most significant individual sporting events, including horse racing, athletics and motor sports, as well as international tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup and the European Nations’ Football Championships. No other country combines such a comprehensive range of prestigious sporting occasions.
The UK is recognised as the most generous nation on earth for private charitable giving and founded NGOs such as OXFAM, WWF and Amnesty International as well as many charities from the RNLI and RSPCA to the Scouts and Guides. In foreign aid and humanitarian relief the UK is the second largest donor in the world and the largest in the EU – but we could do more by doing it better outside the EU. The 17 per cent of the UK’s EU membership that goes to EU aid programmes and the additional 4.5bn euros we give to the 11th European Development Fund cannot be directed or scrutinised by our government. Leaving the EU would allow us to use these funds to better effect and for our own priorities.
In foreign policy we have allowed ourselves to become dictated to and contradicted by the growing EU foreign policy goals. By choosing to be ourselves the UK will regain its seats on the World Trade Organisation and World Customs Organisation that are currently taken by the EU. We shall be able to represent our own interests rather than be part of a group where we often disagree with what is being advocated in our name. That can only mean we shall have more influence.
The UK will still be a full participating member of the G8, the G20, NATO, the UN Security Council, OECD and some 96 organisations in total. We shall speak up for our own national interests in trade, humanitarian relief, security and the like. No longer will we have to speak for the lowest common denominator of the EU’s 28 nations. That can only mean we have more influence.
China, India or other countries do not need the UK to be in the EU to gain access to its single market, nor do we need the single market to do deals with China or India. We and they only need to abide by the rules of the World Trade Organisation, as we already do, and we all shall prosper. It is the WTO that has brought down tariffs to an average of 1.04% but it is the EU that seeks to continually dump produce and export poverty through policies such as its sugar beet subsidies. After Brexit the UK could be a force for good in the world by rejecting subsidies, tariffs and price fixing that devastates the world’s poorest nations.
Believing we can reform the EU from within – when the EU is becoming more centralised in the interests of the Eurozone members, when the UK is often pinned down by majority voting but only has a 12 per cent voting share, when it continually loses judgements it challenges and when it has failed to stop any of the 72 laws coming from the Council of Ministers since 1996 – is the great self-delusion of the UK’s complacent political establishment.
Believing that the UK being a member of the EU gives us ‘heft’ is like believing that putting your underpants on outside your trousers makes you a superhero.
In reality the EU is a straightjacket, it subordinates our own interests to those of other countries by binding us up through regulations and costs that we would otherwise reject.
None of this is to say the UK is better than any other nation, it is simply to say that we excel at many things and of those listed above none would be put at risk by leaving the EU. The UK ranks as the world’s top ‘soft power’ and with many strategic advantages from our language, culture, sport, education, humanitarian support and world reach – not to say our free trade outlook and fifth largest world economy – we have nothing to fear from leaving the European Union but much to gain.
Indeed we can see that in many cases we excel despite the European Union, not because of it, and can conclude that our influence could only flourish if we were friends of it rather than being subsumed by it.
It is not small that is beautiful or big that is best – it is freedom that is the foundation of prosperity – both for individuals and for our country.
You might also like to read the recent article...
In putting the EU first, Sturgeon has chosen the wrong horse at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...nkscotland.org
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Clan Sinclair of Canada
I just noticed that the link to this site didn't work and found the url had changed so have now updated that. While checking the site I noted they have a good article entitled "Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt" which tells the story of Prince Henry Sinclair and his visit to America 100 years before Columbus. You can read the article at: http://www.clansinclair.ca/articles/beyond.htm
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish.
Defence jobs in Scotland in decline
A new academic study shows the decline in employment by the Ministry of Defence, down by nearly a quarter in the past eight years.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...iness-37252256
Sturgeon launches new conversation
Nicola Sturgeon has launched a new conversation on independence as she urged Scotland to control its own destiny.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-37250448
Record year for Scotland's food and drink sector
Scotland's food and drink sector generated a record annual turnover of £14.4bn in 2014, new figures showed.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...iness-37266921
Spuds and drilling bits in oil's bargain basement
It's a brave commodities trader or government finance minister who bets the farm on the future direction of the price of Brent crude oil.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-37270922
Honeymoon set to end for SNP and angry voters
LOOKS like the SNP have peaked, so it better look out as punishment by the people will follow, writes Brian Monteith
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...ters-1-4220980
In putting the EU first, Sturgeon has chosen the wrong horse
The following thoughts formed the basis of my talk at the Festival of Politics, held at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 20th September.
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...nkscotland.org
UK to explore free trade deal with Australia
The UK is to begin preliminary talks with Australia about the outline of a future free trade deal between them.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37291832
Flawed IT farm payment system under fresh attack
The computer system charged with controlling the support payments for Scottish farmers received more criticism yesterday.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/business/com...tack-1-4224485
Electric Canadian
Studies of Plant Life in Canada
Wild Flowers, Flowering Shrubs, and Grasses by Mrs. C. P. Traill (1906) (pdf)
You can download this book at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...fplantlife.pdf
Canadian Templar Newsletter
Added the September 2016 edition at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/Reli...tteSep2016.pdf
I might add that I have been the editor for this newsletter since it's start and was to serve as the Editor for a three year term. I then completed an additional year and so this is the final issue as I've declined to continue for a fifth year. I have enjoyed the experience but it is a lot of work and as I'm now retired I want to take it a bit easier now.
Electric Scotland
John Younger
Shoe Maker Poet from the Scottish Borders and you can read his mini biography at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...unger_john.htm
Our Cabmen
A biography of George McRobert followed by a search and resulting article on our Cabmen.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...les/cabmen.htm
The Beachgrove Garden
Thought I'd profile this BBC program with some background information and a sample show. You can read this and watch the show at:http://www.electricscotland.com/gard...beachgrove.htm
Clan Lachlan Association of Canada
Got in a copy of their Fall 2016 newsletter which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...hlan/index.htm
Clan Lachlan videos
Added a couple of videos to our Clan Lachlan page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/webc.../maclach2.html
Empire Sandy
Got in a video of the Empire Sandy in Toronto Harbour which you can watch at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/ssf/..._sandy2007.htm
A Jacobite Stronghold of the Church
Being the Story of Old St. Paul's, Edinburgh: its Origin on the Disestablishment of Episcopacy in Scotland, 1689, through Jacobite years onward to the Oxford Movement; and its Relation to the Scottish Consecration in 1784 of the first Bishop of the American Church By Mary E. Ingram (1907)
You can read this at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...bitechurch.pdf
Memorials of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd
Edited by his daighter Mrs Garden with Preface by Professor Veitch. Third Edition with Introduction by Sir George Douglas, Bart (1904)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...james_hogg.htm
Roosevelt’s 1892 Winchester Authentication
President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1892 Winchester Authentication: A Comparison Approach to the identification of Engraved Winchester & Firearm’s by the Ulrich Family of Engravers. Identifying Maker Mark Hidden Initials and symbolism by the Ulrich’s. By Gary C. Gianotti FSA Scot; Milford, CT. (pdf)
You can download this from http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ricanRelic.pdf
Two Centuries of Border Church Life
With Biographies of Leading Men and Sketches of the Social Condition of the People on the Eastern Border by James Tait in two volumes (1891)
You can read these at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...churchlife.htm
John Turnbull Smith
Found this small biography of this accountant who did major work in education, Sunday Schools, Church of Scotland and as an author. Here is the biography from the Border Magazine which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...bull_smith.htm
William Gilchrist
A New Zealand Borderer whom you can read about at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...st_william.htm
Scottish American Worthy
By Richard Waugh
An interesting article at the time of the Sioux Massacre which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...can_worthy.htm
The Tinkler-Gypsies
By Andrew McCormick
I read about this book from reading an issue of the Border Magazine where it was offering a small biography of the author.
Added a link to this book at the foot of page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/gipsies/
The Border Magazine
Found copies of Volumes 1 and 2 which I've added to the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...r_magazine.htm
The Story
I just learnt this week about "Think Scotland", an online news source so I thought I'd tell you a bit about them and then follow that with a recent article they produced.
ThinkScotland was established as a virtual think tank in 2006 by the Scottish entrepreneur Robert Kilgour to encourage greater discussion in Scotland about economic, social and constitutional policies – from the perspective of mainly Scottish Conservative authors.
The site relaunched in July 2012 seeking a far broader constituency as an independent not-for-profit debating forum with a cross section of topical, political and cultural writing. It aims to provide a regular daily columnist six days of the week supplemented by guest contributors on issues dear to them.
Since that relaunch other generous benefactors, ranging from industrialists and inventors to community activists and individual donors, have come forward to give their financial support, large and small. They do not agree with everything that’s published but they recognise the need for a vital, dynamic debate in Scotland – as well as a channel for lighthearted and humorous asides that make ThinkScotland a rounded and broad home for writing.
Without the help of our supporters ThinkScotland would come to a sudden halt – if you want to join their ranks please donate using one of the buttons placed throughout the site. Every donation of whatever currency helps.
ThinkScotland’s editorial position has always been right of centre – with the aim of encouraging an open liberal society – but crucially without endorsing any one political party – or taking a corporate view. Comments are encouraged but moderated. Enjoy, be infuriated – but either way, respond.
And here is a recent article to read here...
Why the UK will prosper outside the European Union
THERE WILL be much scaremongering in the lead-up to the EU referendum but the most audacious is not the lie about three million jobs depending on EU membership, which has been repeatedly shown to be false – it is the nonsense that the UK is too wee and too poor to make its own way in the world.
The very fact that the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world and continues to grow when others such as France stagnate and Germany faces a demographic cliff should be enough for most rational thinkers to recognise they are being taken for mugs by advocates of this proposition. As is so often the case the reverse is true, the UK is doing well despite being a member of the EU, not because of it. Our bright future could become even brighter with more economic and cultural opportunities and greater influence – once we are outside the European Union. Here’s how.
By any measure of population against GDP per head there is no correlation between size and wealth, some small nations are wealthy, some large ones are poor and vice versa. Size does not matter, it is governance that matters, especially governance that cherishes and protects individual freedoms.
Nevertheless the UK has more than just economic muscle. English is now the lingua franca of the World; with 1.5-2bn English speakers it is the most widely understood language globally and the British Council expects a third of the world to be learning it by 2020. English language is the most widely distributed (four times as many countries as the next nearest, France), it is the most widely used legally, dominates more than half of all websites while 80% of scientific journals are indexed in English. All of these leads are widening and appear unassailable. Being the only truly international language gives the UK a huge strategic advantage that should not be easily dismissed.
In education, the UK has seven universities in the European top ten, with the Eurozone having only one, while the UK has three in the World top ten Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial – with no others from Europe. Globally the UK comes second in the league of top 100 universities, with 29 listed. Germany is well behind in third. This is another strategic advantage to be cherished.
In heritage and the arts the UK’s museums, galleries and libraries are amongst the finest in the world, we have one of the top four opera houses and leading orchestras and arts festivals such as Edinburgh and Glyndebourne. The UK’s music market is the fourth largest globally by retail value. Our artists’ market share has increased from 11.8 per cent to 13.7 per cent since 2010 and last year six of the World’s top ten selling albums were by British acts. For all our gripes the BBC has the strongest media brand name in the world and our highly competitive broadcasters and production companies have a range and quality of output that is well beyond their size and recognised regularly internationally.
With only one per cent of the world’s population the UK’s cultural output is a truly awesome performance.
In sport the UK is arguably the capital of the World. Having first codified association football, rugby union and league, cricket, golf, badminton and tennis, to name but a few, it now hosts or co-hosts many of the most significant individual sporting events, including horse racing, athletics and motor sports, as well as international tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup and the European Nations’ Football Championships. No other country combines such a comprehensive range of prestigious sporting occasions.
The UK is recognised as the most generous nation on earth for private charitable giving and founded NGOs such as OXFAM, WWF and Amnesty International as well as many charities from the RNLI and RSPCA to the Scouts and Guides. In foreign aid and humanitarian relief the UK is the second largest donor in the world and the largest in the EU – but we could do more by doing it better outside the EU. The 17 per cent of the UK’s EU membership that goes to EU aid programmes and the additional 4.5bn euros we give to the 11th European Development Fund cannot be directed or scrutinised by our government. Leaving the EU would allow us to use these funds to better effect and for our own priorities.
In foreign policy we have allowed ourselves to become dictated to and contradicted by the growing EU foreign policy goals. By choosing to be ourselves the UK will regain its seats on the World Trade Organisation and World Customs Organisation that are currently taken by the EU. We shall be able to represent our own interests rather than be part of a group where we often disagree with what is being advocated in our name. That can only mean we shall have more influence.
The UK will still be a full participating member of the G8, the G20, NATO, the UN Security Council, OECD and some 96 organisations in total. We shall speak up for our own national interests in trade, humanitarian relief, security and the like. No longer will we have to speak for the lowest common denominator of the EU’s 28 nations. That can only mean we have more influence.
China, India or other countries do not need the UK to be in the EU to gain access to its single market, nor do we need the single market to do deals with China or India. We and they only need to abide by the rules of the World Trade Organisation, as we already do, and we all shall prosper. It is the WTO that has brought down tariffs to an average of 1.04% but it is the EU that seeks to continually dump produce and export poverty through policies such as its sugar beet subsidies. After Brexit the UK could be a force for good in the world by rejecting subsidies, tariffs and price fixing that devastates the world’s poorest nations.
Believing we can reform the EU from within – when the EU is becoming more centralised in the interests of the Eurozone members, when the UK is often pinned down by majority voting but only has a 12 per cent voting share, when it continually loses judgements it challenges and when it has failed to stop any of the 72 laws coming from the Council of Ministers since 1996 – is the great self-delusion of the UK’s complacent political establishment.
Believing that the UK being a member of the EU gives us ‘heft’ is like believing that putting your underpants on outside your trousers makes you a superhero.
In reality the EU is a straightjacket, it subordinates our own interests to those of other countries by binding us up through regulations and costs that we would otherwise reject.
None of this is to say the UK is better than any other nation, it is simply to say that we excel at many things and of those listed above none would be put at risk by leaving the EU. The UK ranks as the world’s top ‘soft power’ and with many strategic advantages from our language, culture, sport, education, humanitarian support and world reach – not to say our free trade outlook and fifth largest world economy – we have nothing to fear from leaving the European Union but much to gain.
Indeed we can see that in many cases we excel despite the European Union, not because of it, and can conclude that our influence could only flourish if we were friends of it rather than being subsumed by it.
It is not small that is beautiful or big that is best – it is freedom that is the foundation of prosperity – both for individuals and for our country.
You might also like to read the recent article...
In putting the EU first, Sturgeon has chosen the wrong horse at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...nkscotland.org
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair