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Electric Scotland News
The Scottish Weekend celebrates its 33rd birthday on September 7, 8 and 9.
Also in 2018, the land commandery of Alden Biesen will turn into a European focal point. Pipe bands, dancers, folk musicians, exhibitors and visitors from all over Europe will descend on Rijkhoven - Bilzen. We are honoured to welcome the band of the Scots Guards at Alden Biesen this year. A band founded by King Charles I, that supported the troops at Ypres and at the Somme during WWI.
They will be our guests of honour at the 33rd Scottish Weekend.
The Scottish Weekend traditionally guarantees folk performances on Friday & Saturday night. Even during the day, you will be able to enjoy more intimate sets at different locations.
Of course we will present the open Belgian Pipe Band - and Highland Dancing Championships on Saturday. There will be all kinds of activities for young and old.
On Sunday, tough men and women will combat each other for the highest title in the Highland Games while holding the barrels, farmer’s walk, weight for height, tug-of-war and putting the stone for teams and individuals.
Our Chieftain this year, is the Dutch governor Theo Bovens, who will ensure all competitions run smoothly, and our many volunteers will do the same for the entire weekend.
Folk music enthusiasts will receive a special treat with the performances in the Concert tent, the Dance tent and the castle’s Riding school.
New this year: MEET & GREET concerts, nice and intimate, super cosy!
We can already reveal that we will be welcoming Calum Stewart Trio (sco-bret), Laura-Beth Salter&Jenn Butterworth (sco), Ho-Ro (sco), Old Salt (b-usa-swe-bret), Elephant Sessions(sco), Ross Aislie & Jarlath Henderson (sco), Ryan Young (sco) and Firkin (hun) to Alden Biesen this year.
During the Scottish Weekend, you can enjoy 15 different live concerts.
Visitors can already buy their tickets now, at www.schotsweekend.be to enjoy major discounts.
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The Clan MacIntyre book is now available after some 30 years of work
I have had a chance to scan this book a few days before publication and am very impressed with the research that has obviously been done by Martin who has taken up the work started by his father many years ago.
This is actually a book for anyone interested in the history of Scotland and also Scottish Clans. It starts by covering the history of Scotland and then goes on to trace the history of the clan.
There are many interactions between the MacIntyre clan and others such as MacNeil, MacDougall, MacDonald, Campbell, Stewarts of Appin, Menzies, MacGregors, etc.
What is impressive is the number of MacIntyre's mentioned in the book and from all over the world. The author also traces how the Diaspora spread across the world into America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Arica, Chile, Spain, Portugal, etc.
You can also follow the oral traditions of the clan and discussions on which are more likely to be correct.
MacIntyres lived in all of the glens around Loch Etive: Glen Liever, Glenkinglass, and Glen Etive, across from Glen Noe in Benderloch and northwest to Appin. They were in Glen Strae, Rannoch Moor, Glenorchy, Glenawe, Glen Nant, Glen Lonan and south to Craignish. They were also in the villages of Brouch (later called Brochroy and then Taynuilt), Dalmally/Dysart and Cladich.
Many MacIntyres served with distinction in the military of the British Empire in India, Afghanistan, Crimea, China, Sudan, South Africa, and America. Despite the relatively small numbers with the name MacIntyre, three received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery of the British Empire.
You of course get an excellent account of the clan and in the book you'll read...
John MacIntyre renewed the lease in 1826 for an unknown duration. Apparently, he could live off the land despite the high rent – an indication that Glen Noe wasn’t a losing proposition. It refutes the view found in the tartan books and elsewhere that the MacIntyres of Glenoe left for America because they couldn’t pay the high rent. We can say with certainty that James (V) was the last MacIntyre chief to live at Glen Noe or, for that matter, reside in Scotland.
The first MacIntyres to arrive in the Americas were prisoners of war rather than colonists or soldiers. The earliest records were Micum, Philip, and Robert McIntire, who were among the 150 Scottish prisoners off-loaded in the spring of 1651 from the ship named Unity at Charlestown, Massachusetts. The ship may have previously unloaded human cargo in the Caribbean and Virginia. These McIntires had fought against Cromwell at Dunbar in the fight to have Charles II retained as King of Scotland. After surrendering, their punishment was to be sold for 20-30 pounds on the dock at Boston for seven years of servitude as virtual slaves. The justification for the seven years was to repay the cost of being transported from England to Boston and the cost of food and lodgings. These three men are the progenitors of the largest group of MacIntyres in America.
There is also a fascinating account of how the Clan was formerly recognised by the Lord Lyon and here the clan's moto, Per Ardua (through difficulties), is the most appropriate way to describe this long search for material on which to base the claim.
So it was that in 1991, at age 94 and only one month before departing this world, L.D. MacIntyre finally achieved the three goals he set out to accomplish 60 years before – locating the MacIntyre chief, completing a clan history and achieving recognition of the chief in Scotland.
The chapters in Part II describe Clan MacIntyre heraldry and genealogy. Special attention is given to the clan emblems and the chiefly House of Glenoe. Included is the House of Camus-na-h-Erie, the sole recognized cadet and the well-documented, but unrecognized, Houses of Letterbaine, Stranmore and Etive.
The history of the Letterbaine Macintyres, the oldest branch of Glenoe to appear in the written record, was put together by Alistair K. Macintyre of Australia to augment Martin L. MacIntyre´s otherwise comprehensive clan saga, though with its emphasis on Glenoe.
MACINTYRES have distinguished themselves in many cultural spheres. Poets (bards), storytellers, historians (seanachies) and pipers were members of honored Gaelic professions who passed on a clan’s history and culture. Chapter IX covers the arts, artists, authors, invention, exploration and organizations; Chapter X is stories; Chapter XI is poems; and Chapter XII is music.
Throughout this publication there are many images, some in full colour, showing tartans, maps and old documents which help to illustrate this most interesting history including a picture of the first world gathering of Clan MacIntyre which was held 16-20 July 2008. On the last day of the gathering, 300 MacIntyres assembled at Glen Noe to commemorate their ties to the past and hopes for the future by placing stones on the cairn and the founders of the Clan MacIntyre Trust signed their incorporation documents, witnessed by Ian MacIntyre, 17th of Camus-na-h-Erie.
The second world gathering will be held in Glen Noe, Scotland, 17-22 July 2018.
Should you wish to purchase a copy of this book in hardback or in e-book format just email martin.macintyre@juno.com for details. The hardback will sell for $50.00 and the e-book $10.00 but I understand you can get the hardback for $40.00 if you are among the first to place an order. You can also snail mail on order to Martin MacIntyre, 41 Temescal Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
I thoroughly recommend this book even if I also get a mention in it! <grin>
Alastair McIntyre FSA Scot
In the beginning it will only be sold as a hardcover $50.00 plus tax and shipping or as an e-book for approx. $10. From now until the end of the Gathering on Sunday, July 22nd, it will be sold for $40 plus tax and shipping. It's 295 pages.
I video of the Clan MacIntyre can be viewed at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...acIntyre-Video
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Here is the video introduction to this newsletter...
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.
BAE wins multi-billion pound Australian warship contract
British defence giant BAE Systems has won a multi-billion pound contract from the Australian government to build nine new warships, marking a significant victory for British military exports.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44649959
Scotland's role in pioneering treatments and innovations
Scotland began changing the face of global medicine long before the National Health Service was founded. General anaesthetic, penicillin, the hypodermic syringe and the saline drip were just a few of our breakthroughs.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44630165
Charting a route to Scotland’s past through one man’s journey
The characters and way of life which so defined a disappearing generation of Scots islanders and coastal communities is indelibly forged in its story
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/charti...rney-1-4760986
Next Tory Leader. Javid tops the poll for the first time.
So why this breakthrough now? Your explanation is likely to be no less good than ours, or better. Our best guess falls into two parts.
Read more at:
https://www.conservativehome.com/the...irst-time.html
Governor General’s Canada Day Message
You must have noticed that the eyes of the world are currently focused on ‘The Beautiful Game. And in 8 years’ time, it will be Canada’s turn to co-host the World Cup and be the centre of attention.
Read more at:
http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=17128&lan=eng
Dig in Old Town could see Edinburgh’s history being rewritten
A painstaking excavation is under way at the Cowgate’s India Buildings in the heart of the Old Town, the site of the forthcoming Virgin Hotel.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/future-scot...tten-1-4762115
Scotland breaks temperature record
Scotland has recorded its hottest ever temperature, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44683637
Busting the Remain-inspired myths about trade on WTO terms
The EU is also a member of the WTO, as are most countries in the world, meaning that it is bound by the WTO’s rules. Several of these render the infamous lorry-queue scenario highly implausible.
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/busting-re...ade-wto-terms/
Australian optimism points the way to a global Brexit future
It is a great shame that most politicians with any clout in this country have their programming set so rigidly to damage control that it falls to past leaders of other nations to make the optimistic case for Brexit.
Read more at:
http://www.cityam.com/288576/austral...-brexit-future
Staggering rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland
The National Records of Scotland (NRS) reported there were 934 drug-related deaths registered in 2017, the highest figure since records began in 1996.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/stagge...land-1-4763067
Latest Glasgow Harbour development to transform Clydeside
An ambitious residential and commercial development that will transform a long neglected gap site in Glasgow has taken a step forward.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/business/co...side-1-4763298
Trump will tell NATO nations U.S. cannot be the world's piggy bank
What the president is going to do is go into these meetings with the mindset to protect the American people, stand with our partners and allies
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-us...-idUKKBN1JT2XH
Less than a third of students in Scotland plan to stay in the country
The figure of 32 per cent compares to 69 per cent of London students who said they want to remain in the UK capital after graduation
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/educat...ntry-1-4763713
Gove’s plan to take back control of fishing
DEFRA Secretary Michael Gove has released the Government’s White Paper on fishing, heralding it as a chance to take back control of our waters and rebuild coastal communities after the disastrous EU Common Fisheries Policy.
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/goves-plan...ntrol-fishing/
Medieval games board found in search for Pictish monastery
Archaeologist Ali Cameron said the board found near Old Deer was a very rare find with it used to play the Norse strategy game of Hnefatafl.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/m...tery-1-4764734
Donald Trump's visit puts Britain's Brexit dependence on show
When Donald Trump visits Britain next week, Prime Minister Theresa May will have to face a harsh reality: Brexit makes Britain more dependent than ever on an alliance with the most unpredictable U.S. president in living memory
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-us...-idUKKBN1JV0RD
Scottish position on EU relationship
Contribution to Brexit White Paper
Read more at:
https://beta.gov.scot/news/scottish-...-relationship/
On Friday, let’s hope the Brexiteers save Theresa May from herself
If May convinces her Cabinet to accept the Olly Robbins proposals, it is likely to spell doom for her party
Read more at:
https://capx.co/on-friday-lets-hope-...-from-herself/
Electric Canadian
Order of Canada Appointments
Governor General Announces 105 New Appointments to the Order of Canada
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, today announced 105 new appointments to the Order of Canada. The new member list includes 3 Companions (C.C.), 20 Officers (O.C.) and 82 Members (C.M.). Recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.
You can read about them at: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=17122&lan=eng
The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West
Report to the Freedmen's Inquiry Commission by S. G. Howe (1864) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...romslavery.pdf
Engineering Journal
I discovered a lot of volumes of these transaction which are very detailed and note that they are very popular downloads so assume civil engineers are enjoying the details given in these transactions.
I've added the 1945 volume and will add others each week. You can view these at
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rial/index.htm
Some of the topics discussed include Americans Honour Canadian Engineers, Anti-Malaria Drainage in Trinidad, Atomic Bomb and Canada's Contribution to It, Atomic Power, Canada's Pulp and Paper Industry, Canadian Engineers' Contribution to Victory, Diamond Drills and Well Drills on the Raft Lake Canals, Diesel-Electrics in Industry and Transportation, Engineer and the Community, Farm Electrification, Industrial News, Lighthouses and Depth Charges, Metallurgy and Machine Design, National Housing Administration, Obituaries, Oil, Outline of the Preliminary Steps in Community Planning, Pollution Hazards in a Water Supply System, Radar as an Aid to Air Navigation, Rural Electrification, Soil Mechanics, Steep Rock Iron Mines, Water-Wheel Generators, What is an Engineer?, etc.
Canada and its Provinces
A History of the Canadian People and their Institutions by one hundred Associates. General Editors: Adam Shorty and Arthur G. Doughty. Edinburgh Edition (1914) in 23 volumes. I will be adding a volume each week until completed.
Added volume 5 to this collection - United Canada 1840-1867
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...aprovinces.htm
Mining Journal
The Official Organ of the Gold Miners Association of Nova Scotia and the Representative Exponent of the Canadian Mining & Mechanical Industry.
Found several copies of this publication and you can read the volume for 1892 which starts with an article on The Coal Industry of Nova Scotia in 1891.at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...nes/mining.htm
The Marquis of Dufferin and Ava
By Sir Alfred Lyall, P.C. in two volumes (pdf) (1905). Was for two terms Governor General of Canada. However he also played an important role all over the world in Europe, Russia and China. I added this publication to our Makers of Canada page as the third book under the 24th entry in our Makers of Canada page at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/makers/index.htm
Conrad Black
U.S. Criminal-Justice System Is Out of Control, and Media Are Distracted
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/...ts-discussion/
Thirty years of climate hysterics being proven wrong over and over again
http://www.conradmblack.com/1407/thi...s-being-proven
Electric Scotland
Commonwealth of Australia
Historical Records of Australia published in 1914 in 19 volumes. Intending to put up 1 volume a week until complete.
Added Volume 15 - June, 1829—December, 1830
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...mmonwealth.htm
The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society
Added Session 1911 - 1912
Some articles include...
Some Notes on Estate Management in the Eighteenth Century
The Blacklock Manuscripts at Annan
The Carlyle Farm and Dwelling-place at Birrens
The Development of Modern Fish Culture
Notes on the Parish of Kirkgunzeon
Scotch Forestry—The Romance and Business Side of it
The Early Coinage of Scotland, with Special Reference to a Small Group of the Early Coins of Alexander III.
I found the first article on Estate Management of great interest showing how the tenants were encouraged to build better homes and also the encouragement of local industry.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...sactions24.pdf
The Philosophical Works of David Hume
In 4 volumes. I did an update of his page to include this set of books by him and also to add his 6 volume history of England. Added links to these towards the foot of his page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ume_david1.htm
Adam Smith
Noticed a new book about him and so copied a review of it to the foot of his page. Article entitled - The genius of Adam Smith, who knew there could be no such thing as value-free economics.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...smith_adam.htm
Clan Buchanan International
Got in their July 2018 newsletter which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...anan/index.htm
Lucknow & Oude in the Mutiny
A Narrative and a Study by Lieut-General McLeod Innes, R.E, V.C. New and Revised Edition (1896) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...The-Mutiny.pdf
Middle East
Am embarking on trying to find Scottish connections in the Middle East and to that end am publishing a few histories of the various countries in the Middle East. Have up some histories of Iraq, Assyria, Palestine and Syria so far with more to come.
I could do with some help here and so if you know of any Scots who did anything significant in the Middle East please email me with any information you have as it would be much appreciated.
You can see this section at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/middleeast.htm
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Seemed to get out of sync as I'd missed a couple of issues but having contacted Beth I'm now up to date again. We have the 2 sections up for July 2018 at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm and the first section of the June issue can be got in the archives section at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/archives/index.htm
Forty-one Years in India
From Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief by Field-Marshall Lord Roberts of Kandahar, V.C.. K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I.. G.C.I.E. (1898)
As he says in part of his Preface...
I would never have ventured to intrude upon the public with my personal reminiscences had I not been urged to do so by friends who, being interested themselves in what I was able to tell them of India as my father knew it, and as I found it and left it, persuaded me that my experiences of the many and various aspects under which I have known the wonderful land of my adoption and its interesting peoples would be useful to my countrymen. It was thought that I might thus contribute towards a more intimate knowledge of the glorious heritage our forefathers have bequeathed to us, than the greater number of them possess and towards helping them to understand the characteristics and requirements of the numerous and widely different races by whom India is inhabited.
It is difficult for people who know nothing of Natives to understand and appreciate the value they set on cherished customs, peculiar idiosyncrasies, and fixed prejudices, all of which must be carefully studied by those who are placed in the position of their Rulers, if the suzerain Power is to keep their respect and gain their gratitude and affection.
The Natives of India are particularly observant of character, and intelligent in gauging the capabilities of those who govern them; and it is because the English Government is trusted that a mere handful of Englishmen are able to direct the administration of a country with nearly three hundred millions of inhabitants, differing in race, religion, and manners of life. Throughout all the changes which India has undergone, political and social, during the present century, this feeling has been maintained, and it will last so long as the services are filled by honourable men who sympathize with the Natives, respect their prejudices, and do not interfere unnecessarily with their habits and customs.
My father and I spent between us nearly ninety years in India. The most wonderful of the many changes that took place during that time may be said to date from the Mutiny. I have endeavoured in the following pages to explain the causes which, I believe, brought about that terrible event—an event which for a while produced a much-to-be-regretted feeling of racial antagonism. Happily, this feeling did not last long; even when things looked blackest for us, it was softened by acts of kindness shown to Europeans in distress, and by the knowledge that, but for the assistance afforded by the Natives themselves, the restoration of order, and the suppression of a fierce military insurrection, would have been a far more arduous task. Delhi could not have been taken without Sikhs and Gurkhas; Lucknow could not have been defended without the Hindustani soldiers who so nobly responded to Sir Henry Lawrence’s call; and nothing that Sir John Lawrence might have done could have prevented our losing, for a time, the whole of the country north of Calcutta, had not the men of the Punjab and the Derajat remained true to our cause.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...a/fortyone.htm
Memoir of the Life of Lawrence Oliphant
And of Alice Oliphant, His Wife by Margaret Oliphant author of Life of Edward Irving and Life of Principal Tulloch (new edition) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...oliphant_l.pdf
The Story
Theresa May can’t deliver Brexit, but a new leader can
An article from CapX by Ken Worthy who is a former management consultant who has worked in the private sector and across various government departments.
A strange and self-destructive consensus seems to have developed among many Tory MPs. Theresa May must go, because she is useless at fighting elections, but not until after Brexit. Let her complete the task of making a total and utter mess of Brexit, the most important national opportunity for decades. Then replace her and start preparing to answer to the electorate for her failure.
The logic is, I admit, a little hard to follow. A rabbit facing headlights must feel much the same.
This is a critical time for the success or failure of Brexit. Critical decisions are coming soon: whether to stay in the single market and customs union, both of which were rejected over a year ago; whether to give away our best negotiating card, the exit fee, in exchange for nothing more than a vague promise of a future trade deal; and whether we can persuade the EU to give us the vassal state transition May herself asked for.
On current form, these decisions will be made by the EU and forced upon us. The pattern is for them to lay down the law; for us to protest and put forward proposals, rejected as “unsatisfactory” and for us to “revise” them until they are what the EU originally demanded. Not a single concession has been made by the EU at any stage.
The Chequers conclave and the resulting white paper will consider only how much to surrender and how soon – for example, whether free movement should be in the white paper or kept back as a last minute bargaining chip. The reality is that as things stand we are headed for Brexit in name only.
But we can still make a success of Brexit. There are deals to be done. We can offer a Canada-style deal for goods and a separate agreement for the City, with the exit fee conditional on both. If they refuse, we revert to WTO rules. And if they want to erect a hard border, it’s their conscious choice to do so.
But we can’t do any of this with Theresa May in charge. She can’t change and the fact is that a robust approach needs a robust leader.
She has let the EU control the negotiations from the start. They halt talks every time they decide our progress is not satisfactory. They are effectively marking our homework rather than negotiating. Every time she responds by backing down and reworking her proposals.
Her “generous offers” meet no generosity of spirit from their side. They remain arrogant, contemptuous and unyielding. She remains silent or talks in platitudes, lacking the conviction to make her case strongly and bring either her party or the country with her. Brexiteers are leaderless and voiceless because she won’t let ministers take a firm position. We are negotiating with ourselves towards a position of subservience, subject to current and future EU rules but with no say on anything.
Why must Ireland be decided first, in defiance of all logic? Because the EU says so. They refuse to consider our workable “max fac” customs option because this would remove their leverage to tie the whole of the UK into the single market and customs union with no end date. Why would the EU ever agree that another customs approach would work while we are still obeying their rules and paying their bills?
Ironically, the EU itself may be our best hope of avoiding utter capitulation. Their arrogance may lead them to refuse the piecemeal concessions we keep making, and insist on total British surrender – single market, customs union, free movement, European Court of Justice, the lot. With Britain so obviously divided and the Prime Minister clearly determined on a deal at any price, why not go for broke? If they do, there is just a chance that Tory Brexiteers won’t stand for it. They are dispirited and confused, but perhaps not broken.
We need to change the game. In our current situation, only a walk-out could do it – rejecting all their guidelines and extreme demands, and leaving some of our own on the table. For the moment, we still have our trump card: the exit fee. They need it far more than we do. It’s not a huge sum in the overall context, but it would let them postpone a bitter internal battle over who will make up for the lost British contribution to the EU budget – who will pay more or receive less. With the EU, to postpone a crisis is to achieve success.
Indeed, the EU will only take us seriously if we very publicly and urgently prioritise preparations for a no-deal scenario. Funding must be released and systems tested, trialled and implemented. This should not be an insurmountable task, given the sort of technology and procedures we need are already in common use across the world.
But the Prime Minister has, much like her predecessor, left preparations dangerously late. A lot of work will be needed after March 2019, during the so-called transition period. However, we have a much better option than May’s “vassal state” proposal, which the EU may graciously permit, subject to a few more tough conditions.
WTO rules specifically provide for a transition period while free trade agreements are being negotiated. Negotiating parties can agree to zero tariffs and free access to services, on an interim basis. This would put the UK and the EU on an equal footing, both respecting WTO rules rather than EU rules, and the WTO, rather than the ECJ, ruling on any disputes.
It would be a bit of a culture shock for the EU, but if we firmly reject the vassal state option, their businesses and voters wouldn’t stand for a Götterdämmerung approach, particularly with Donald Trump threatening so many of their industries. Someone has to fold, and a free trade deal would be the lesser of two evils for them.
None of this is going to happen under Theresa May. She is not, by temperament, capable of such a robust change of direction. She is cautious, timid, uncommunicative and completely incapable of providing the leadership needed to rally and direct the country at such a critical moment. Worse, her instinct is to stick as closely as she can to the Olly Robbins’ proposals and the comforting shelter of the EU.
Tory Brexiteers have tamely accepted surrender after surrender, and allowed our no-deal preparations to be starved of funds. Only by them challenging her leadership can we avoid both subservience to the EU and, worse for them personally, losing the next election. Tory membership votes would elect a Brexiteer to replace her, and how could any of them do a worse job than Theresa May? The headlights are approaching, it’s time to change direction before it’s too late.
Note: Even the US Ambassador tells us that we need to toughen up as America wants to do a great free trade deal with us and they won't be able to if we stick with the single market and under ECJ legislation. Mind that it is very likely that President Trump will impose damaging tariffs on the EU and if we're still in we'll be hit as well whereas if we're out we won't be affected!!!
And that's it for this week and hope you have a great weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
The Scottish Weekend celebrates its 33rd birthday on September 7, 8 and 9.
Also in 2018, the land commandery of Alden Biesen will turn into a European focal point. Pipe bands, dancers, folk musicians, exhibitors and visitors from all over Europe will descend on Rijkhoven - Bilzen. We are honoured to welcome the band of the Scots Guards at Alden Biesen this year. A band founded by King Charles I, that supported the troops at Ypres and at the Somme during WWI.
They will be our guests of honour at the 33rd Scottish Weekend.
The Scottish Weekend traditionally guarantees folk performances on Friday & Saturday night. Even during the day, you will be able to enjoy more intimate sets at different locations.
Of course we will present the open Belgian Pipe Band - and Highland Dancing Championships on Saturday. There will be all kinds of activities for young and old.
On Sunday, tough men and women will combat each other for the highest title in the Highland Games while holding the barrels, farmer’s walk, weight for height, tug-of-war and putting the stone for teams and individuals.
Our Chieftain this year, is the Dutch governor Theo Bovens, who will ensure all competitions run smoothly, and our many volunteers will do the same for the entire weekend.
Folk music enthusiasts will receive a special treat with the performances in the Concert tent, the Dance tent and the castle’s Riding school.
New this year: MEET & GREET concerts, nice and intimate, super cosy!
We can already reveal that we will be welcoming Calum Stewart Trio (sco-bret), Laura-Beth Salter&Jenn Butterworth (sco), Ho-Ro (sco), Old Salt (b-usa-swe-bret), Elephant Sessions(sco), Ross Aislie & Jarlath Henderson (sco), Ryan Young (sco) and Firkin (hun) to Alden Biesen this year.
During the Scottish Weekend, you can enjoy 15 different live concerts.
Visitors can already buy their tickets now, at www.schotsweekend.be to enjoy major discounts.
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The Clan MacIntyre book is now available after some 30 years of work
I have had a chance to scan this book a few days before publication and am very impressed with the research that has obviously been done by Martin who has taken up the work started by his father many years ago.
This is actually a book for anyone interested in the history of Scotland and also Scottish Clans. It starts by covering the history of Scotland and then goes on to trace the history of the clan.
There are many interactions between the MacIntyre clan and others such as MacNeil, MacDougall, MacDonald, Campbell, Stewarts of Appin, Menzies, MacGregors, etc.
What is impressive is the number of MacIntyre's mentioned in the book and from all over the world. The author also traces how the Diaspora spread across the world into America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Arica, Chile, Spain, Portugal, etc.
You can also follow the oral traditions of the clan and discussions on which are more likely to be correct.
MacIntyres lived in all of the glens around Loch Etive: Glen Liever, Glenkinglass, and Glen Etive, across from Glen Noe in Benderloch and northwest to Appin. They were in Glen Strae, Rannoch Moor, Glenorchy, Glenawe, Glen Nant, Glen Lonan and south to Craignish. They were also in the villages of Brouch (later called Brochroy and then Taynuilt), Dalmally/Dysart and Cladich.
Many MacIntyres served with distinction in the military of the British Empire in India, Afghanistan, Crimea, China, Sudan, South Africa, and America. Despite the relatively small numbers with the name MacIntyre, three received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery of the British Empire.
You of course get an excellent account of the clan and in the book you'll read...
John MacIntyre renewed the lease in 1826 for an unknown duration. Apparently, he could live off the land despite the high rent – an indication that Glen Noe wasn’t a losing proposition. It refutes the view found in the tartan books and elsewhere that the MacIntyres of Glenoe left for America because they couldn’t pay the high rent. We can say with certainty that James (V) was the last MacIntyre chief to live at Glen Noe or, for that matter, reside in Scotland.
The first MacIntyres to arrive in the Americas were prisoners of war rather than colonists or soldiers. The earliest records were Micum, Philip, and Robert McIntire, who were among the 150 Scottish prisoners off-loaded in the spring of 1651 from the ship named Unity at Charlestown, Massachusetts. The ship may have previously unloaded human cargo in the Caribbean and Virginia. These McIntires had fought against Cromwell at Dunbar in the fight to have Charles II retained as King of Scotland. After surrendering, their punishment was to be sold for 20-30 pounds on the dock at Boston for seven years of servitude as virtual slaves. The justification for the seven years was to repay the cost of being transported from England to Boston and the cost of food and lodgings. These three men are the progenitors of the largest group of MacIntyres in America.
There is also a fascinating account of how the Clan was formerly recognised by the Lord Lyon and here the clan's moto, Per Ardua (through difficulties), is the most appropriate way to describe this long search for material on which to base the claim.
So it was that in 1991, at age 94 and only one month before departing this world, L.D. MacIntyre finally achieved the three goals he set out to accomplish 60 years before – locating the MacIntyre chief, completing a clan history and achieving recognition of the chief in Scotland.
The chapters in Part II describe Clan MacIntyre heraldry and genealogy. Special attention is given to the clan emblems and the chiefly House of Glenoe. Included is the House of Camus-na-h-Erie, the sole recognized cadet and the well-documented, but unrecognized, Houses of Letterbaine, Stranmore and Etive.
The history of the Letterbaine Macintyres, the oldest branch of Glenoe to appear in the written record, was put together by Alistair K. Macintyre of Australia to augment Martin L. MacIntyre´s otherwise comprehensive clan saga, though with its emphasis on Glenoe.
MACINTYRES have distinguished themselves in many cultural spheres. Poets (bards), storytellers, historians (seanachies) and pipers were members of honored Gaelic professions who passed on a clan’s history and culture. Chapter IX covers the arts, artists, authors, invention, exploration and organizations; Chapter X is stories; Chapter XI is poems; and Chapter XII is music.
Throughout this publication there are many images, some in full colour, showing tartans, maps and old documents which help to illustrate this most interesting history including a picture of the first world gathering of Clan MacIntyre which was held 16-20 July 2008. On the last day of the gathering, 300 MacIntyres assembled at Glen Noe to commemorate their ties to the past and hopes for the future by placing stones on the cairn and the founders of the Clan MacIntyre Trust signed their incorporation documents, witnessed by Ian MacIntyre, 17th of Camus-na-h-Erie.
The second world gathering will be held in Glen Noe, Scotland, 17-22 July 2018.
Should you wish to purchase a copy of this book in hardback or in e-book format just email martin.macintyre@juno.com for details. The hardback will sell for $50.00 and the e-book $10.00 but I understand you can get the hardback for $40.00 if you are among the first to place an order. You can also snail mail on order to Martin MacIntyre, 41 Temescal Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
I thoroughly recommend this book even if I also get a mention in it! <grin>
Alastair McIntyre FSA Scot
In the beginning it will only be sold as a hardcover $50.00 plus tax and shipping or as an e-book for approx. $10. From now until the end of the Gathering on Sunday, July 22nd, it will be sold for $40 plus tax and shipping. It's 295 pages.
I video of the Clan MacIntyre can be viewed at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...acIntyre-Video
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Here is the video introduction to this newsletter...
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.
BAE wins multi-billion pound Australian warship contract
British defence giant BAE Systems has won a multi-billion pound contract from the Australian government to build nine new warships, marking a significant victory for British military exports.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44649959
Scotland's role in pioneering treatments and innovations
Scotland began changing the face of global medicine long before the National Health Service was founded. General anaesthetic, penicillin, the hypodermic syringe and the saline drip were just a few of our breakthroughs.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44630165
Charting a route to Scotland’s past through one man’s journey
The characters and way of life which so defined a disappearing generation of Scots islanders and coastal communities is indelibly forged in its story
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/charti...rney-1-4760986
Next Tory Leader. Javid tops the poll for the first time.
So why this breakthrough now? Your explanation is likely to be no less good than ours, or better. Our best guess falls into two parts.
Read more at:
https://www.conservativehome.com/the...irst-time.html
Governor General’s Canada Day Message
You must have noticed that the eyes of the world are currently focused on ‘The Beautiful Game. And in 8 years’ time, it will be Canada’s turn to co-host the World Cup and be the centre of attention.
Read more at:
http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=17128&lan=eng
Dig in Old Town could see Edinburgh’s history being rewritten
A painstaking excavation is under way at the Cowgate’s India Buildings in the heart of the Old Town, the site of the forthcoming Virgin Hotel.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/future-scot...tten-1-4762115
Scotland breaks temperature record
Scotland has recorded its hottest ever temperature, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44683637
Busting the Remain-inspired myths about trade on WTO terms
The EU is also a member of the WTO, as are most countries in the world, meaning that it is bound by the WTO’s rules. Several of these render the infamous lorry-queue scenario highly implausible.
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/busting-re...ade-wto-terms/
Australian optimism points the way to a global Brexit future
It is a great shame that most politicians with any clout in this country have their programming set so rigidly to damage control that it falls to past leaders of other nations to make the optimistic case for Brexit.
Read more at:
http://www.cityam.com/288576/austral...-brexit-future
Staggering rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland
The National Records of Scotland (NRS) reported there were 934 drug-related deaths registered in 2017, the highest figure since records began in 1996.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/stagge...land-1-4763067
Latest Glasgow Harbour development to transform Clydeside
An ambitious residential and commercial development that will transform a long neglected gap site in Glasgow has taken a step forward.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/business/co...side-1-4763298
Trump will tell NATO nations U.S. cannot be the world's piggy bank
What the president is going to do is go into these meetings with the mindset to protect the American people, stand with our partners and allies
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-us...-idUKKBN1JT2XH
Less than a third of students in Scotland plan to stay in the country
The figure of 32 per cent compares to 69 per cent of London students who said they want to remain in the UK capital after graduation
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/educat...ntry-1-4763713
Gove’s plan to take back control of fishing
DEFRA Secretary Michael Gove has released the Government’s White Paper on fishing, heralding it as a chance to take back control of our waters and rebuild coastal communities after the disastrous EU Common Fisheries Policy.
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/goves-plan...ntrol-fishing/
Medieval games board found in search for Pictish monastery
Archaeologist Ali Cameron said the board found near Old Deer was a very rare find with it used to play the Norse strategy game of Hnefatafl.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/m...tery-1-4764734
Donald Trump's visit puts Britain's Brexit dependence on show
When Donald Trump visits Britain next week, Prime Minister Theresa May will have to face a harsh reality: Brexit makes Britain more dependent than ever on an alliance with the most unpredictable U.S. president in living memory
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-us...-idUKKBN1JV0RD
Scottish position on EU relationship
Contribution to Brexit White Paper
Read more at:
https://beta.gov.scot/news/scottish-...-relationship/
On Friday, let’s hope the Brexiteers save Theresa May from herself
If May convinces her Cabinet to accept the Olly Robbins proposals, it is likely to spell doom for her party
Read more at:
https://capx.co/on-friday-lets-hope-...-from-herself/
Electric Canadian
Order of Canada Appointments
Governor General Announces 105 New Appointments to the Order of Canada
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, today announced 105 new appointments to the Order of Canada. The new member list includes 3 Companions (C.C.), 20 Officers (O.C.) and 82 Members (C.M.). Recipients will be invited to accept their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.
You can read about them at: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=17122&lan=eng
The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West
Report to the Freedmen's Inquiry Commission by S. G. Howe (1864) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...romslavery.pdf
Engineering Journal
I discovered a lot of volumes of these transaction which are very detailed and note that they are very popular downloads so assume civil engineers are enjoying the details given in these transactions.
I've added the 1945 volume and will add others each week. You can view these at
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rial/index.htm
Some of the topics discussed include Americans Honour Canadian Engineers, Anti-Malaria Drainage in Trinidad, Atomic Bomb and Canada's Contribution to It, Atomic Power, Canada's Pulp and Paper Industry, Canadian Engineers' Contribution to Victory, Diamond Drills and Well Drills on the Raft Lake Canals, Diesel-Electrics in Industry and Transportation, Engineer and the Community, Farm Electrification, Industrial News, Lighthouses and Depth Charges, Metallurgy and Machine Design, National Housing Administration, Obituaries, Oil, Outline of the Preliminary Steps in Community Planning, Pollution Hazards in a Water Supply System, Radar as an Aid to Air Navigation, Rural Electrification, Soil Mechanics, Steep Rock Iron Mines, Water-Wheel Generators, What is an Engineer?, etc.
Canada and its Provinces
A History of the Canadian People and their Institutions by one hundred Associates. General Editors: Adam Shorty and Arthur G. Doughty. Edinburgh Edition (1914) in 23 volumes. I will be adding a volume each week until completed.
Added volume 5 to this collection - United Canada 1840-1867
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...aprovinces.htm
Mining Journal
The Official Organ of the Gold Miners Association of Nova Scotia and the Representative Exponent of the Canadian Mining & Mechanical Industry.
Found several copies of this publication and you can read the volume for 1892 which starts with an article on The Coal Industry of Nova Scotia in 1891.at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...nes/mining.htm
The Marquis of Dufferin and Ava
By Sir Alfred Lyall, P.C. in two volumes (pdf) (1905). Was for two terms Governor General of Canada. However he also played an important role all over the world in Europe, Russia and China. I added this publication to our Makers of Canada page as the third book under the 24th entry in our Makers of Canada page at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/makers/index.htm
Conrad Black
U.S. Criminal-Justice System Is Out of Control, and Media Are Distracted
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/...ts-discussion/
Thirty years of climate hysterics being proven wrong over and over again
http://www.conradmblack.com/1407/thi...s-being-proven
Electric Scotland
Commonwealth of Australia
Historical Records of Australia published in 1914 in 19 volumes. Intending to put up 1 volume a week until complete.
Added Volume 15 - June, 1829—December, 1830
You can get to this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...mmonwealth.htm
The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society
Added Session 1911 - 1912
Some articles include...
Some Notes on Estate Management in the Eighteenth Century
The Blacklock Manuscripts at Annan
The Carlyle Farm and Dwelling-place at Birrens
The Development of Modern Fish Culture
Notes on the Parish of Kirkgunzeon
Scotch Forestry—The Romance and Business Side of it
The Early Coinage of Scotland, with Special Reference to a Small Group of the Early Coins of Alexander III.
I found the first article on Estate Management of great interest showing how the tenants were encouraged to build better homes and also the encouragement of local industry.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...sactions24.pdf
The Philosophical Works of David Hume
In 4 volumes. I did an update of his page to include this set of books by him and also to add his 6 volume history of England. Added links to these towards the foot of his page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ume_david1.htm
Adam Smith
Noticed a new book about him and so copied a review of it to the foot of his page. Article entitled - The genius of Adam Smith, who knew there could be no such thing as value-free economics.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...smith_adam.htm
Clan Buchanan International
Got in their July 2018 newsletter which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...anan/index.htm
Lucknow & Oude in the Mutiny
A Narrative and a Study by Lieut-General McLeod Innes, R.E, V.C. New and Revised Edition (1896) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...The-Mutiny.pdf
Middle East
Am embarking on trying to find Scottish connections in the Middle East and to that end am publishing a few histories of the various countries in the Middle East. Have up some histories of Iraq, Assyria, Palestine and Syria so far with more to come.
I could do with some help here and so if you know of any Scots who did anything significant in the Middle East please email me with any information you have as it would be much appreciated.
You can see this section at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/middleeast.htm
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Seemed to get out of sync as I'd missed a couple of issues but having contacted Beth I'm now up to date again. We have the 2 sections up for July 2018 at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm and the first section of the June issue can be got in the archives section at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/archives/index.htm
Forty-one Years in India
From Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief by Field-Marshall Lord Roberts of Kandahar, V.C.. K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I.. G.C.I.E. (1898)
As he says in part of his Preface...
I would never have ventured to intrude upon the public with my personal reminiscences had I not been urged to do so by friends who, being interested themselves in what I was able to tell them of India as my father knew it, and as I found it and left it, persuaded me that my experiences of the many and various aspects under which I have known the wonderful land of my adoption and its interesting peoples would be useful to my countrymen. It was thought that I might thus contribute towards a more intimate knowledge of the glorious heritage our forefathers have bequeathed to us, than the greater number of them possess and towards helping them to understand the characteristics and requirements of the numerous and widely different races by whom India is inhabited.
It is difficult for people who know nothing of Natives to understand and appreciate the value they set on cherished customs, peculiar idiosyncrasies, and fixed prejudices, all of which must be carefully studied by those who are placed in the position of their Rulers, if the suzerain Power is to keep their respect and gain their gratitude and affection.
The Natives of India are particularly observant of character, and intelligent in gauging the capabilities of those who govern them; and it is because the English Government is trusted that a mere handful of Englishmen are able to direct the administration of a country with nearly three hundred millions of inhabitants, differing in race, religion, and manners of life. Throughout all the changes which India has undergone, political and social, during the present century, this feeling has been maintained, and it will last so long as the services are filled by honourable men who sympathize with the Natives, respect their prejudices, and do not interfere unnecessarily with their habits and customs.
My father and I spent between us nearly ninety years in India. The most wonderful of the many changes that took place during that time may be said to date from the Mutiny. I have endeavoured in the following pages to explain the causes which, I believe, brought about that terrible event—an event which for a while produced a much-to-be-regretted feeling of racial antagonism. Happily, this feeling did not last long; even when things looked blackest for us, it was softened by acts of kindness shown to Europeans in distress, and by the knowledge that, but for the assistance afforded by the Natives themselves, the restoration of order, and the suppression of a fierce military insurrection, would have been a far more arduous task. Delhi could not have been taken without Sikhs and Gurkhas; Lucknow could not have been defended without the Hindustani soldiers who so nobly responded to Sir Henry Lawrence’s call; and nothing that Sir John Lawrence might have done could have prevented our losing, for a time, the whole of the country north of Calcutta, had not the men of the Punjab and the Derajat remained true to our cause.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...a/fortyone.htm
Memoir of the Life of Lawrence Oliphant
And of Alice Oliphant, His Wife by Margaret Oliphant author of Life of Edward Irving and Life of Principal Tulloch (new edition) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...oliphant_l.pdf
The Story
Theresa May can’t deliver Brexit, but a new leader can
An article from CapX by Ken Worthy who is a former management consultant who has worked in the private sector and across various government departments.
A strange and self-destructive consensus seems to have developed among many Tory MPs. Theresa May must go, because she is useless at fighting elections, but not until after Brexit. Let her complete the task of making a total and utter mess of Brexit, the most important national opportunity for decades. Then replace her and start preparing to answer to the electorate for her failure.
The logic is, I admit, a little hard to follow. A rabbit facing headlights must feel much the same.
This is a critical time for the success or failure of Brexit. Critical decisions are coming soon: whether to stay in the single market and customs union, both of which were rejected over a year ago; whether to give away our best negotiating card, the exit fee, in exchange for nothing more than a vague promise of a future trade deal; and whether we can persuade the EU to give us the vassal state transition May herself asked for.
On current form, these decisions will be made by the EU and forced upon us. The pattern is for them to lay down the law; for us to protest and put forward proposals, rejected as “unsatisfactory” and for us to “revise” them until they are what the EU originally demanded. Not a single concession has been made by the EU at any stage.
The Chequers conclave and the resulting white paper will consider only how much to surrender and how soon – for example, whether free movement should be in the white paper or kept back as a last minute bargaining chip. The reality is that as things stand we are headed for Brexit in name only.
But we can still make a success of Brexit. There are deals to be done. We can offer a Canada-style deal for goods and a separate agreement for the City, with the exit fee conditional on both. If they refuse, we revert to WTO rules. And if they want to erect a hard border, it’s their conscious choice to do so.
But we can’t do any of this with Theresa May in charge. She can’t change and the fact is that a robust approach needs a robust leader.
She has let the EU control the negotiations from the start. They halt talks every time they decide our progress is not satisfactory. They are effectively marking our homework rather than negotiating. Every time she responds by backing down and reworking her proposals.
Her “generous offers” meet no generosity of spirit from their side. They remain arrogant, contemptuous and unyielding. She remains silent or talks in platitudes, lacking the conviction to make her case strongly and bring either her party or the country with her. Brexiteers are leaderless and voiceless because she won’t let ministers take a firm position. We are negotiating with ourselves towards a position of subservience, subject to current and future EU rules but with no say on anything.
Why must Ireland be decided first, in defiance of all logic? Because the EU says so. They refuse to consider our workable “max fac” customs option because this would remove their leverage to tie the whole of the UK into the single market and customs union with no end date. Why would the EU ever agree that another customs approach would work while we are still obeying their rules and paying their bills?
Ironically, the EU itself may be our best hope of avoiding utter capitulation. Their arrogance may lead them to refuse the piecemeal concessions we keep making, and insist on total British surrender – single market, customs union, free movement, European Court of Justice, the lot. With Britain so obviously divided and the Prime Minister clearly determined on a deal at any price, why not go for broke? If they do, there is just a chance that Tory Brexiteers won’t stand for it. They are dispirited and confused, but perhaps not broken.
We need to change the game. In our current situation, only a walk-out could do it – rejecting all their guidelines and extreme demands, and leaving some of our own on the table. For the moment, we still have our trump card: the exit fee. They need it far more than we do. It’s not a huge sum in the overall context, but it would let them postpone a bitter internal battle over who will make up for the lost British contribution to the EU budget – who will pay more or receive less. With the EU, to postpone a crisis is to achieve success.
Indeed, the EU will only take us seriously if we very publicly and urgently prioritise preparations for a no-deal scenario. Funding must be released and systems tested, trialled and implemented. This should not be an insurmountable task, given the sort of technology and procedures we need are already in common use across the world.
But the Prime Minister has, much like her predecessor, left preparations dangerously late. A lot of work will be needed after March 2019, during the so-called transition period. However, we have a much better option than May’s “vassal state” proposal, which the EU may graciously permit, subject to a few more tough conditions.
WTO rules specifically provide for a transition period while free trade agreements are being negotiated. Negotiating parties can agree to zero tariffs and free access to services, on an interim basis. This would put the UK and the EU on an equal footing, both respecting WTO rules rather than EU rules, and the WTO, rather than the ECJ, ruling on any disputes.
It would be a bit of a culture shock for the EU, but if we firmly reject the vassal state option, their businesses and voters wouldn’t stand for a Götterdämmerung approach, particularly with Donald Trump threatening so many of their industries. Someone has to fold, and a free trade deal would be the lesser of two evils for them.
None of this is going to happen under Theresa May. She is not, by temperament, capable of such a robust change of direction. She is cautious, timid, uncommunicative and completely incapable of providing the leadership needed to rally and direct the country at such a critical moment. Worse, her instinct is to stick as closely as she can to the Olly Robbins’ proposals and the comforting shelter of the EU.
Tory Brexiteers have tamely accepted surrender after surrender, and allowed our no-deal preparations to be starved of funds. Only by them challenging her leadership can we avoid both subservience to the EU and, worse for them personally, losing the next election. Tory membership votes would elect a Brexiteer to replace her, and how could any of them do a worse job than Theresa May? The headlights are approaching, it’s time to change direction before it’s too late.
Note: Even the US Ambassador tells us that we need to toughen up as America wants to do a great free trade deal with us and they won't be able to if we stick with the single market and under ECJ legislation. Mind that it is very likely that President Trump will impose damaging tariffs on the EU and if we're still in we'll be hit as well whereas if we're out we won't be affected!!!
And that's it for this week and hope you have a great weekend.
Alastair