Comment posted Kit, Caboodle, and a hard-fought match in Campbeltown by Ken MacColl.
What upsets iof is, of course, that the “Bute Councillor” is the SNP Provost of Argyll & Bute Council.
When representing the Council on official duties she will normally wear as did her predecessor , as a courtesy, and as explained by Bob Clark above , the local burgh Chain of Office; a pragmatic, economical and practical aknowledgement of past history.
We can safely be assured from past utterances that iof is a strong opponent of Scottish devolution and yet appears to advocate yet another tier of local government!
Ken MacColl also commented
- There is no problem.
As for superfluous layers of government may I suggest that we take the Westminster by-pass?
Recent comments by Ken MacColl
- The Stones, The Stars and Professor Thom
Genuinely sorry to miss this talk but Putechan Lodge is a long haul from Oban!
Professor Sandy Thom is the grandfather of my sister-in-law and was a genuine polymath-with wideranging interests and considerable expertise in engineering, mathematics, astronomy, sailing and almost any other field that attracted his interest.He was truly “a living example of the power of a flexible mind and a versatile disposition.”
During the war he worked on the aereodynamics of fighter aircraft.
Only after retiring from the Professorial Chair of Engineering Science at Oxford did he devote his undivided attention to one of his many other interests, the locatin and distribution of megalithic monuments across the west coast of Scotland and further afield.He worked closely with Marion Campbell in Mid Argyll. He is considered to be the father of archaeoastronomy.
If you are able, go to the talk and enjoy.
Then support the campaign to safeguard the Sighthill Stone Circle. - Disappointing stunting from Michael Russell
And, W.S., if you reveal your name, will we be entitled to make assumptions or presumptions about your ethnicity -as if it should matter? - Another question for Andrew Mitchell
Were it not for whistleblowers and serious investigative jounalists-for too few around at present-we would know far less about those entrusted with our government. - Campbell Cameron: Saying Yes
Pot, kettle , black….responding to Gus mackay is rarely a productive exercise but could I suggest that while the march was in support of Independence for Scotland, those who carried placards stating “YES” were in support of that cause.
My family had a long tradition of active support for the Labour party in Argyll and I recall how my father used to explain to me when I was a child the importance of countries like India and Ireland gaining control over their own destiny. Mind you he also spoke about the obscenity of nuclear weapons and the massive importance of the NHS and the principle that care should be free at the point of delivery.At that time the abolition of the House of Lords was a stated aim of the party.As a working class boy who got to university he would have been appalled at the notion of the Labour Party introducing student fees. I suspect that he would not have been singularly unimpressed with either Blair or Brown.
Devolution, even in times of financial stricture, has mostly worked well for Scotland and it has worked best in those areas where services, like Health and Education are in our Holyrood’s control and our own priorities are able to be addressed – contrast those with the chaos under Westminster control! The progression to independence is part of the process started in 1999 and perhaps the most significant factors of Saturday’s rally were the contributions from Dennis Canavan, Ruth Wishart and the growing Scottish Labour for Independence movement. - Campbell Cameron: Saying Yes
I am the bloke in the blue fleece and I am entitled to look older than Campbell Cameron for the simple reason that I am considerably older.Campbell is as hale and hearty as ever.
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Congratulations and Best Wishes to Alex McKinven and the exhibition .
How ridiculous to see a Bute Councillor wearing the Provost’s chain of the Royal Burgh of Campbeltown .
Surely it is time we saw devolution in local government , where CAMPBELTOWN people controlled affairs in the town ?
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I will pass on the political aspects of Islay for Ever’s comment, but comment myself on matters of fact.
Fifty years ago, Scottish local government looked very different to now. Alongside the Counties and Cities, there were many Burghs that had been independent since their foundation. In Argyll, this included places likes Campbeltown, Rothesay and Inveraray, each of which had its Provost and thus a chain of office.
The politics of a changing world determined that boundaries and responsibilities should be redrawn, first in 1972 and then again in 1996. Many of the new Councils re-established the idea of a Provost as civic head, but generally acquired a new chain of office for them to wear and consigned the old ones to bank vaults or museums.
Argyll & Bute, however, took a different approach. Overtly recognising the identity of the old Burghs, the old chains remain in active use with the Provost using whichever is appropriate to the area they are visiting. Thus, for an engagement at Campbeltown Museum it is the Campbeltown chain, whilst when she visits us at Auchindrain it will be the Inveraray chain she wears. And so on. This has always seemed to me to be singularly appropriate, and a very nice way of acknowledging historic local identities in the modern world.
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What upsets iof is, of course, that the “Bute Councillor” is the SNP Provost of Argyll & Bute Council.
When representing the Council on official duties she will normally wear as did her predecessor , as a courtesy, and as explained by Bob Clark above , the local burgh Chain of Office; a pragmatic, economical and practical aknowledgement of past history.
We can safely be assured from past utterances that iof is a strong opponent of Scottish devolution and yet appears to advocate yet another tier of local government!
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I’m not the least bit concerned with the Bute Councillor’s political colours ,but I do want to see powers devolved to Campbeltown and that will not result in “yet another tier of local government”.
The unnecessary tier of government I want rid of is the one which sits at Holyrood.
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Ife: maybe you’re too young to remember the previous ‘tier of government’ in Edinburgh – the Scottish Office, presided over by a jack-of-all-trades minister who – while always (I assume) a Scot – had too much of the aura of a colonial ruler.
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Congratulation to Alex and Robin for their efforts in pulling this exhibition together.
Congrats to the many others who have contributed.
Alex is a legend in Campbeltown Football history not withstanding the many other local organisations Alex is quietly involved with.
Alex,your picture tells a story of where your future community contribution may lie.
Hopefully a word or two with George will assist you along the way.
Look forward to seeing the exhibition towards the end of August……You are an honourable man.
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Providing Provost Isobel Strong is not claiming an extra Provost’s allowance for wearing the Campbeltown Burgh Provost’s chain then I see no problem.
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There is no problem.
As for superfluous layers of government may I suggest that we take the Westminster by-pass?
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Thanks to everyone who contributed artefacts and helped set up the exhibition, and to the staff of the Burnet Building who gave up their free time to make the display available to the general public on a couple of Saturday dates. The page is about football, and the important part it played in the lives of our townsfolk. There are many other avenues available for making political expression, a very important part of our democratic process, as you will appreciate, this was never intended to be one of them.
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