Ex-GAA and rugby star puts governments to shame over Gaza - we all need to follow his example
As I sit here in the sunshine writing this column, I do so from a place of safety and security, while journalists in Gaza are being deliberately targeted by a regime so cruel that even their most loyal allies are struggling to defend them.
Last week I attended a talk by Dr David Hickey. Those of you of a certain vintage may remember him for his exploits on the Gaelic pitch or, if that isn't your thing, as an accomplished rugby player.
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The National
9 hours ago
- The National
Fresh investment in Gaelic will propel Scottish pupils to success
I consider it an honour to champion the Gaelic language, and I've been thankful that recent years have seen significant progress on Gaelic language and culture policy. Among these is the Scottish Languages Bill, which is progressing through parliament and, if passed by MSPs, will ensure there is a more robust legal framework for Gaelic's promotion, particularly in education and public life. Adding to this is the overall trend of recent years in public finance, which reflects continued investment in the language and its culture. We've seen sustained funding increases that recognise Gaelic language as a valuable asset that strengthens our national identity. READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Increased UK defence spending only makes war more likely But to me, the most encouraging sign of Gaelic's growing cultural success is our booming Gaelic schools. Being a recipient myself of Gaelic medium education (GME), I have first-hand experience of its value and effectiveness, having first learned the language while studying in GME in the Highlands. Learning through Gaelic undoubtedly instilled in me a deep appreciation for Scotland's rich culture, and the importance of preserving it for future generations. It was a joy to further strengthen Gaelic medium education this week with an announcement of funding for a new Gaelic primary school. Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School) will become Glasgow's fourth Gaelic language primary school, following a £2 million investment from the Scottish Government. The school will have space for 416 pupils and will meet growing demand for Gaelic primary education in the city. Census figures published last year show a 45% increase in the number of people with some Gaelic skills in Glasgow compared to 2011. This school will build on the encouraging surge we have seen in the number of Gaelic speakers and learners in Glasgow and support the language's growth into the future. This exciting growth appears to be representative of the nationwide picture, with demand for places in Gaelic schools frequently outpacing supply – a problem we're delighted to have, as it demonstrates the genuine enthusiasm families have for bilingual education. Data from the Scottish Government tells us that in 2009, there were 2206 pupils in GME, compared with 5417 for the year 2022-2023. This represents an increase of 145%! The national picture for GME uptake is one of steady and encouraging growth. Perhaps this should be unsurprising, given the numerous and well-studied benefits of bilingualism in children. Evidence shows that bilingual children can demonstrate improved problem-solving, better attention and enhanced memory. There are also huge personal and confidence benefits that come from the knowledge and respect gained for Gaelic culture. There is a beautiful richness to be discovered in Gaelic songs, stories, traditions and history. It's not uncommon to hear concerns that Gaelic medium children will somehow be left behind compared to the majority who learn in English medium settings. But here, yet again, the evidence shows these fears to be unfounded. Children who go through Gaelic medium education match or exceed the levels of attainment of their monolingual contemporaries in English medium education. Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money, providing better grade averages across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than average. There are a multitude of reasons to embrace Gaelic medium education, and the evidence highlights that GME comes with a wealth of additional benefits for individuals and communities around the country. The announcement of funding for Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn in Glasgow came alongside a host of other projects set to benefit from the Gaelic Capital Fund, with initiatives around the country gaining an additional £5.7m this year. Schools in locations such as Skye, Paisley, East Kilbride, Cumbernauld and Forfar will, among other things, receive new learning equipment, Gaelic signage and much sought-after upgrades to facilities. There's never been a better time to believe in Gaelic medium education. As a representative of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, a constituency where 12% of the population has skills in Gaelic, I've never been prouder of the SNP majority government that is investing in Gaelic language and culture. It's my sincere hope that generations to come will look back with thankfulness on these definitive years for the Gaelic language, seeing them as a turning point. I'm convinced that for this to be the case, bolstering support for GME will play a crucial role. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if we don't recognise and protect our national languages, nobody else will!
The National
20 hours ago
- The National
As a Western Isles councillor, I've seen the value of unity
Labour's narrow victory – 8559 votes to our 7957, with Reform UK's 7088 nipping at our heels – shows what happens when the independence movement is divided. As a councillor for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, I see daily the struggles of our communities, from the cost of living crisis to the strain on our NHS and the erosion of our island economies. These are not just local woes; they are the direct result of a Union that fails us and worsens our challenges. I call on all pro-independence forces – SNP, Alba, Liberation Scotland, Salvo and every Yes activist across our land – to unite urgently. We must make the 2026 Holyrood election a clear mandate for independence, a moment to seize the powers we need to build a fairer, stronger Scotland. READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Increased UK defence spending only makes war more likely From the Western Isles to the central belt, Scots are crying out for change. Westminster's grip denies us the ability to protect our public services, revive our communities or harness our vast resources – our renewables, our fisheries, our land – for the benefit of all. Independence is not just a dream; it's the practical solution to these crises. A sovereign Scotland could invest in our ferries, bolster our schools and ensure no-one in our islands or beyond is left behind by poverty or neglect. But we cannot achieve this if we stand apart. Unity is our greatest asset. Our history, rooted in a shared commitment to community and collective effort, teaches us that when Scots come together, we can reshape our future. In the Western Isles, we know the power of working as one – whether it's saving our crofts or fighting for our Gaelic culture. The 2014 Yes campaign showed what's possible when we unite for a common cause, inspiring a million voices to demand self-determination. Yet, the Hamilton result proves that division hands victory to those who thrive on our disunity – Westminster's establishment and the divisive rhetoric of parties like Reform UK. If we let our votes splinter in 2026, we risk losing our chance to break free. I urge all pro-independence groups to come together now, in a spirit of shared purpose. Let's convene a summit, a Constitutional Convention like the one the SNP called for in 2023, to forge a united strategy for 2026. Together, we can rally the 44% who still back independence and win over those who've lost faith – voters who turned to Labour or stayed home, frustrated by politics as usual. We must show them that independence means real change: a Scotland where our wealth serves every community, where our resources lift up the many, not the few, and where our decisions are made here, not in London. Picture a united campaign in 2026, where every pro-independence vote counts toward a majority that Westminster cannot dismiss. A Holyrood election won decisively by our movement could force a referendum or empower us to begin negotiations for independence. This is not about one party; it's about a nation standing together, as we have before, to demand a future where fairness and opportunity define us. The Union is failing us. It starves our services, ignores our voices, and deepens inequality. But together, we can change that. Our shared resolve, born of a history that values community and equity, can make 2026 the year we take back control. Let's unite, plan and fight for a Scotland that answers to its people. Cllr Gordon Murray Comhairle nan Eilean Siar LIKE most readers of this newspaper, I was very surprised to learn of Labour's win in Hamilton. Their UK-wide polling and comments from John Swinney had led me to expect them contesting second place with Reform. It's a crumb of comfort that Reform 'only' came third. The disconnect between the SNP and independence supporters has been exposed even more starkly which their leaders will only ignore at their peril. Numbers can be boring but also intuitive so please bear with me. The following facts have not been highlighted. The turnout for the election was only 44.2% so the actual percentages of the electorate votes cast which the first three parties received were: Labour (31.6%) 13.9%, SNP (29.4%) 13.0%, Reform (26.1%) 11.6%. When polling indicates roughly half of our population supporting independence (currently slightly more), the fact that only 13% of the Hamilton electorate bothered to go and vote for the principal party of independence, the SNP, is hugely significant. Our independence movement is in crisis without an obvious party for us to rally behind to take us forward. Alba's point about the Greens standing and thus robbing the SNP of victory assumes that those who voted Green would have actively voted SNP instead. This is quite some assumption given that only 13% actively voted SNP. For me, though, the major point is the unsatisfactory and again discredited first-past-the-post electoral system which elects the biggest minority with total power. Who can justify a party 'winning' a seat with only 13.9% support from the electorate? It is little wonder people are becoming disillusioned with our electoral system. Reform would have 'won' with only 2.3% more people voting for them! Who said that for evil to prevail all that was required was for good people to do nothing? Let's find a fairer system while we still can. Campbell Anderson Edinburgh AFTER defeat by Labour in Hamilton, as an SNP member I'm asking, will the leadership of the SNP now realise that Scottish independence will only be achieved by a united movement of all groups and begin to join with the other like-minded to put our differences behind us and work together? Other independence movements have had factions, but they resolved to put aside their differences, achieve independence and then resolve them. This is the ONLY way, as divided movements don't win at anything. Let's get together and form a pro-independence alliance. Graham Smith Arbroath Perhaps John Swinney will wake up now. The over 50% of folk who didn't vote in Hamilton are probably languishing in child poverty. Why aren't they voting for independence? Why aren't they voting for the only truly socialist party in Scotland? Perhaps they would prefer the collapse of democracy and a dictatorship. Perhaps they would like The National to be banned. Compulsory voting as practised in Australia might be the answer. Tony Kime Kelso KEIR Starmer's latest rhetoric about putting the UK on a 'war footing' and boosting the economy through fast-tracked weapons and submarine programmes is alarming. While families across the UK are struggling with the cost of living, underfunded public services and chronic housing insecurity, the political priority appears to be a renewed arms race. Are Trump's fingerprints all over this latest development? This is not about genuine defence or security – it is political theatre. With around 17 ageing submarines already languishing in storage at Rosyth and Devonport, awaiting decommissioning at great cost to the taxpayer, the suggestion of accelerating new production looks less like strategic planning and more like an attempt to curry favour with the defence lobby and right-wing voters ahead of a future election. What's more, this posturing comes at a time when the UK has conspicuously failed to speak or act forcefully against the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. If our government can mobilise billions for submarines, why can it not marshal the same urgency and resourcefulness to uphold international law and human rights? There is no 'money tree' for nurses, teachers or social care – but apparently, there is one for military expansion. We are told this is about 'economic growth', yet militarised growth rarely benefits ordinary people. It creates profit for arms manufacturers, not food for children. The public should not be asked to accept an ever more militarised national agenda, especially when it comes at the expense of both domestic welfare and our moral standing on the world stage. The UK must not drift, without scrutiny, toward a war economy while turning its back on justice abroad and fairness at home. It causes the utmost despair to be shackled to this distant Parliament which does not have the best interests of the Scottish People in mind. Starmer may not play the Churchill card to boost his tanking premiership. Peter Macari Aberdeen
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Update on new Gaelic primary school to open in Glasgow
Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School) is being developed in the East End with funding from a £2.4 million Scottish Government investment to support Gaelic schools and culture across Scotland. The school is being established in a refurbished and extended former St James' Primary School, with £2 million of the funding dedicated to the project. Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, said: "This school will build on the encouraging surge we have seen in the number of Gaelic speakers and learners in Glasgow and support the language's growth into the future. "Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money by providing better grade averages across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than average." The new school will be Glasgow's fourth Gaelic primary and will accommodate up to 416 pupils. Glasgow City Council has contributed £17.6 million to the project, with a total budget of £23.8 million. Alison Richardson, headteacher of Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn, said: "With Gaelic medium education continuing to flourish in Glasgow, our pupils and parents are excited and proud to be moving Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn into its very own repurposed school located in the East End. "We look forward to supporting Gaelic's growth in the Calton area, where many spoke it in the past, and for the school to become a real focal point and asset to the local community." The funding package will also support Gaelic classroom expansion at West Primary School in Paisley, the growth of two Gaelic cultural centres in the Highlands, and events delivered by An Comunn Gàidhealach, which will host this year's Royal National Mòd in Lochaber. Glasgow had 740 primary pupils in Gaelic medium education in 2023.
