The Countdown Has Started

With less than 100 days to go until the election, one of the big questions that needs answered is – Will the election take place at all? With EU rulings stating that criminals must get a vote and with no mechanisms in place to make this happen, is the election in jeopardy?

If the election does go ahead, then what is the most likely outcome going to be? Will we have another Lib-Lab coalition? Another 4 years of dreary government taking its orders from Westminster. Or will we have something new and exciting, such as an SNP led administration. Would they really impose a £1,000,000 tariff on every nuclear warhead transported to Scotland?

Perhaps we should ask the EU what they think of the implications of such a tariff. But then again, in a leaked report meant for Jack McConnell, Scotland is being routinely ignored, forgotten and dismissed by Whitehall officials.

Oooohhh, I feel a constitutional row brewing! Oh, I forgot! It has already erupted with the news after Ruth Kelly, the Communities and Local Government Minister at Westminster is trying to force Scotland to abandon its law of allowing gay couples to adopt children.

Money just can’t buy a good constitutional argument. Something else money can’t buy is a nomination for a peerage to the House of Lords. This was no doubt what Mr McConnell was telling the police when he got questioned about his nomination recently.

There is only one nomination Scotland will be focussing on in the next 100 days or so though and that is the First Minister. With the Lib Dems stating that they will not go into coalition with the SNP, it seems that the SNP quest has suffered a blow. But will the electorate really stomach another Lib/Lab coalition? Who is going to win the race Alex or Jack?

Discuss this and much more at Our Scotland, we look forward to seeing you.

A Long Time In Politics

Harold Wilson once said a week was a long time in politics and at Our Scotland it is unbelievable the amount of topics that have been debated within the last week.

For a start, the last week has seen the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union and this has thrown up some actions and posts which some people find quite controversial.

The anniversary has ensured that the independence argument has continued to be at the forefront of any debate leading up to the election in May. Even Tom Devine perhaps our most well known historian has got in on the act. Is he edging towards independence?

Probably the most unlikely person you would find supporting Scottish independence would be Margaret Thatcher. Hanging onto her coat-tails would be David Cameron, yet the current leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party has perhaps offered an olive branch to the Scottish electorate. Is this the most unexpected U-turn since the "Iron Lady’s" demise or is it just blatant electioneering?

One person that looks like he needs to do no electioneering is Alex McLeish. Is he a stick on for the Scotland job? Has he got the right qualities to take Scotland to Euro 2008 ahead of the two World Cup finalists?

Talking of World Cup Finalists, the many times finalists Argentina beat the one time finalists England back in 1986 in the quarter finals. Who could forget it? Maradona scoring that brilliant goal, then five minutes later he scored again skipping past five England defenders and rounding Shilton in the process. However the legality of the first goal has been yet again called into question this week.

Finally, it is the goal of one of our board members to move to Scotland. Help her decide which Highland location is the best to live in.

There are little more than three months to go until the elections. The excitement is building. The outcome of the election is truly on a knife edge. Who’ll form the next government? Will it be a coalition or minority government? There will be so many points of view debated over the next three months, make sure you have your say at Our Scotland.

Our Scotland 2007

2007 is potentially going to be a very important year in Scottish Politics.

In the year of the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union, Scotland has the opportunity to vote for a party, which on getting into government, is committed to holding a referendum on independence.

At Our Scotland, Scottish Independence is a frequently debated subject and with the countdown to the elections in May, the debate is certain to get more intense. Is independence the best thing for Scotland? Will a referendum be legitimate? Will the English vote for independence first? Just one of the many threads on this issue is this one.

Read our featured blog section where macnumpty amongst others provides excellent analysis on the most recent Scottish political stories.

Also up for discussion are other aspects of Scottish news and Scottish life. For example, should the Stone of Destiny be returned to Scone Palace. Which bar is the best one in Glasgow?

And just as Scotland have become a force to be reckoned with on the football field again, the manager goes and jumps ship. Who is going to be the next manager?

But it is not just about serious debate. Our General Banter section is for anything you feel like talking about. From hangover cures to Limericks, it is all discussed.

So why not visit us to see what we are like and contribute to the debate. Everybody is welcome. Stay tuned for periodic updates on what is happening at Our Scotland.

All the Best.