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Category Archives: Comment
Open Letter to John Cooper, MP for Dumfries and Galloway Constituency
The Reform Party which Nigel Farage leads, spell out a number of proposed constitutional changes … they say, there should be a referendum on constitutional reform. I doubt very much their enthusiasm for this will last beyond the point at which they win a majority of seats in the House of Commons. Nigel Farage is very happy to ally himself with Donald Trump, the most duplicitous individual ever to emerge in the politics of the modern era and thus his commitment to genuine democratic reform lacks credibility. Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Electoral Reform
Tagged "Labour Party", electoral reform, nigel-farage, Politics, PR, SNP
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Sunlit uplands revisited
On the edition of BBC Radio’s Any Questions broadcast immediately following the UK election on July 4th, I was shocked to hear Charlie Falconer – Lord Falconer, who I have always thought of as something of a wise owl – … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Electoral Reform, Podcasts etc.
Tagged democracy, elections, electoral reform, Fair elections, FPTP, Political accountability, Politics, PR, Ranked choice voting, uk-politics
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Change…real change
I got the result I wanted but I fear for the future of British politics if we do not change our electoral system which, on the basis of a low turnout – evidence of widespread disenchantment with politics – produced … Continue reading
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Beached
Kippford, south west Scotland, 8th April, 2024, 5 pm.
Outgrow the System
A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT TRANSITIONING TO A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC SYSTEM With thanks to Reel to Real Cinema, the Stove Network and the Climate Kitchen Dumfries for providing the opportunity to view and discuss this film. There is no argument with the … Continue reading
Shirin Neshat, This Cultural Life
John Wilson’s interviews for This Cultural Life on Radio 4 are always interesting, often with people I have never heard of. This one, for example, with Shirin Neshat, an Iranian artist. Commenting on the recent unrest in Iran arising from … Continue reading
Expansion Reduction
Originally posted on Bog Myrtle & Peat:
Upper Glenkens towards Carsphairn I’ve often felt uneasy about the expansion of forestry in Galloway. When I’ve written to explore that sense of unease, readers have agreed; the massive increase of commercial woodland…
Postcards from Afghanistan
“As the chaos unfolds in Afghanistan, Jack Blanchard speaks to three politicians who devoted many months of their lives to trying to secure and rebuild the war-torn nation…..” As in my previous post on the subject, the forty minute podcast … Continue reading
Posted in Comment
Tagged "Dan Jarvis", "Larisa Brown", "Rory Stewart", afghanistan, Blanchard, Tugendhat
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Carruchan 
Football – Man and Boy
Football — soccer that is — occupied a unique position in the culture of Newry and District for it was not an official game in any of the schools, whether Catholic, where Gaelic football and hurling were played, or state schools, such as Newry High School, where the official sports were rugby and hockey. I’d played both of these in my first year and opted for hockey, which I enjoyed; but my first love was “the beautiful game”. Continue reading →