An interesting Night in Scotland....

Well the counting is back under way since midday in the UK Elections that took place last night. Of course there is huge issues with the number of spoiled votes in the Scottish Elections.

The State of the Partiesat this time

Labour 32 Seats
Scottish National Party 30 Seats
Liberal Democrats 12 seats
Conservatives 7
Green 1

The SNP have had a huge up surge in results taken a number of new constituency seats, including Alaxander Salamond, the leader taking Gordon from the Liberal Democrats. The SNP are also doing very well on ths lists have been declared getting 14 out of the 21 seats declared. What will Gordon Brown do with the Nationalists in Scotland?

Morning Briefing, December 28th

Dia Duit!

Conas atá sibh? An nuacht ar an maidin seo! (Thats the end of the Gaeilge!)

Breakingnews.ie reports on the IDA and ESB warnings on power cuts. There is also a good post over on Irish Election on this

It also reports that the Vatican is against giving Saddam the death penalty

CNN reports on a 'significant' earthquake in Scotland!

CNN also is running a report on predictions for future Tsunami's in Asia

France 24 reports on the fighting in Somalia

Al-Jazeera has a report showing the difficulties faced by immigrants attempting to enter Spain

Thats it for now!

Slán!

The cause of it all

Recently, I've posted two articles relating to Scottish Independence well, the Scottish National Party are the cause behind all the talk.

What do they want?
* An independent Scottish Parliament
* A Confederal Europe
* A Non-Nuclear Defence Policy
* International policy that reflects the principles of the UN Charter and our obligations under international law

among others listed here

According to the SNP, their are many benefits to an Independent Scotland

With more powers for the Scottish Parliament, we can grow our economy, tackle social injustice and ensure a brighter future for all. It’s time for a parliament with real powers.

they continue with

The SNP campaigned for the Scottish Parliament because we believed it was a move in the right direction for our country. But devolution is not the same as Independence - and it is not nearly enough to make a real difference to Scotland.

They also say

Independence is not only normal; it is also desirable. Small independent nations like Norway, Ireland and Finland are much more successful than Scotland in terms of both economic prosperity and living standards. Independence gives those nations the powers to shape their country for the better. Scotland could have this too.

Scotland is a wealthy country. We have abundant natural resources like oil and renewable energy potential, an educated and skilled workforce and a globally recognised identity and reputation for quality and integrity.

The SNP claim that the Scottish economy will benefit hugely from Independence from the UK

Our economy is under performing under devolution, because the Scottish Parliament lacks the powers we need to escape Scotland’s cycle of low economic growth and population decline.

Independence will give the Scottish Parliament the powers to harness our economic potential and transform Scotland into a high growth economy and a prosperous society.

How are they going to achieve Scottish Independence?

Scotland will only gain Independence when the people of Scotland vote for it in a democratic referendum. An SNP led Executive in the Scottish Parliament will hold a referendum on Independence in its first term of office. If a majority of those who vote in the referendum vote for Independence, representatives of the Scottish Executive will then begin negotiations with Westminster to agree an Independence settlement. While negotiations are under way, a written constitution for an independent Scotland will be drafted, which will guarantee rights for Scotland’s citizens and set out how Scotland will be governed.

The SNP list the following as prime examples for Independence for Scotland:
* Norway
* Ireland
* Iceland
* New Zealand
* Australia
* Finland
* Estonia
* Montenegro

Due to historical links and similarties, I think alot of Irish people would support Scotlands bid for Independence. I certainly do

Another reason for Scottish Independance

International Herald Tribune Article on Scottish Language

Really interesting article

Currently spoken by fewer than 2 percent in Scotland, Gaelic is enjoying a revival here that has blossomed since the country held elections in 1999 to create a Scottish Parliament for the first time in almost 300 years.

Thats really interesting that its since they got their own parliament that the language is been revived so it must be the start of a Scottish Political and Social Identity

In research carried out by the agency and the BBC in 2003, 66 percent of 1,020 people questioned saw Gaelic as an important part of Scottish life that needs to be promoted. Although 87 percent were not Gaelic speakers, nearly 90 percent were in favor of children learning Gaelic in schools.

if thats not demand then what is???