Latest news with #DonaldDewar
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Nicola Sturgeon names MSP who bested Alex Salmond regularly
In her book, Frankly, she describes the early days of the Scottish Parliament and the hope and expectation later turning sour following a number of events. Recounting the opening day in 1999, she said:'Donald Dewar's speech that day was one for the ages. No account of that day would be complete without it being quoted at length. READ NEXT:Nicola Sturgeon: Mimicking males led to personality free zone READ NEXT:Nicola Sturgeon believes Royal Family are "polite and courteous" except one 'For a man not known for his soaring rhetoric, he had staked his claim as the author of one of the finest speeches in Scottish history.' Sturgeon recalled, Dewar, 'who had become a 'father of the nation' figure, died "tragically' in 2000. She said it 'shocked the body politic and the nation to the core.' Before his untimely death, she hinted that Scotland's first First Minister played a part in Alex Salmond deciding to quit as leader of the SNP and return to Westminster. In the early days of Holyrood, Sturgeon said the SNP leader Alex Salmond was 'not firing on all cylinders'. READ NEXT:Nicola Sturgeon reveals what she thinks of the nickname that 'stuck' READ NEXT:'Fenian B******': Nicola Sturgeon tells of sectarian abuse campaigning in Govan For a politician who she said thrived on the 'cut and thrust' of debate at Westminster, he was having difficulty adapting to the Scottish Parliament. She said: 'He was being regularly bested in debate by Donald Dewar, which rankled deeply with him. 'The cocksure confidence that was his trademark had gone and we all noticed.'
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Piping Live! reviews: Morvan Massif Trio
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Morvan Massif Trio, Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow ★★★★ Bann & Spirit of Ceòlas, National Piping Centre, Glasgow ★★★★ Midday sees the first band of the day – in this case the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums – troop from the National Piping Centre, down Sauchiehall Street and, in what has become a Piping Live! ritual, strike up under the disinterested gaze of Donald Dewar's statue at the top of Buchanan Street. The warm air seems to thicken with this fiery music. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brìghde Chaimbeul of Bann | Jelmer De Haas Piping Live! – the city's week-long countdown to this weekend's World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green – is centred on the National Piping Centre but occupies other venues and amid the Spanish baroque splendour of Kelvingrove Museum, a ritual of a different kind , the museum's famed lunchtime organ recital, gives way to the less familiar but thrilling sound of a central French musette shrilling out bourées and other dance tunes alongside accordion and guitar as the Morvan Massif Trio provide an afternoon recital. Composed of piper Gaël Rutkowski, accordionist Seb Lagrange and familiar Highland guitarist Ross Martin, the trio draws largely on traditional music of France's Morvan region. At Kelvingrove their sound competed with difficulty against the building's echoing background hubbub, but it was an engaging set nevertheless, dance music swirling from Rutkowski's musette, before he changed to Irish uilleann pipes for a waltz, deftly switching midway back to the French instrument. They finished with a Scots air followed by two lively compositions by Lagrange, and I could have listened to much more, ideally under more sympathetic acoustic conditions. Back at the National Piping Centre, Bann, a pan-Celtic showcase of women musicians was curated by Scottish smallpipes virtuoso Brighde Chaimbeul, joined by Irish uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy, Scots Gaelic singer Kirsty-Ann McInnes, Manx fiddler Isla Callister and harpist-pianist Ingrid Henderson, joined at times by another smallpipes player, April Sutherland. It was voice over drones, however, that opened proceedings with McInnes's magisterial lament, Cumha Mhic Shiridh, Irish and Scottish chanters keening between verses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A more up-tempo song, Ill a Bho Dhubh – 'The Boy of the Black Cow' – gave way to the stirring O'Neill's March on pipes and fiddle, while another highlight was the lament Pililiù, singer and pipes alike echoing the burbling call of the redshank, a bird associated with that liminal territory between life and death. The concert had opened with a similarly female line-up, Spirit of Ceòlas, celebrating the vital cultural contribution made by the organisation that started life as a summer school on South Uist. The line-up also included harpist Henderson and her sister Megan on fiddle and vocals, along with piper and flautist Sheena Peteranna and step-dancer Sandra Robertson. They snapped into top gear right away, smallpipes and fiddle spinning strathpeys over piano and Robertson rattling the boards in a step dance. As well as songs of considerable pedigree, including one by the renowned 18th-century bard Duncan Ban MacIntyre (still timely, about the importance of preserving tradition), their repertoire included recently composed and fresh-sounding tunes – reflecting strength of ongoing Gaelic culture, thanks to the likes of Ceòlas, The Piping Live! festival runs until 17 August, see
The Independent
06-08-2025
- The Independent
Pension for convicted police angers ministers
Update, August 6, 2025: Ian Gibson's conviction was quashed by the Appeal Court in Edinburgh in June 201. SCOTTISH POLICE representatives today defended the force's pensions scheme, but admitted it needed "better management" after revelations that an officer convicted of indecent assault had retired with a lucrative financial package. DC Ian Gibson, 33, of Tayside Police, secured a medical retirement pension worth an estimated pounds 7,000 a year and a lump sum despite being imprisoned for three months for assaulting a lone mother. Attempts to block the award by Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar and Tayside Police chief constable William Spence failed and the outcome left Scottish Office ministers furious over weaknesses in the rules governing police pensions, the Herald newspaper reported today. However, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) today said accusations that the system was open to frequent abuse were "completely unfounded", but accepted a tightening up of procedures was needed. "Any officer who retires from the police service on ill-health or injury grounds does so on the basis of medical criteria and nothing else," said Douglas Keil, general secretary of the SPF. "Retiring on ill health to avoid disciplinary proceedings has been described as commonplace, but nothing could be further from the truth." He said it was an insult to dedicated officers to suggest they were "working the system", but agreed too many officers were retiring on health grounds. "We are firmly of the belief this is caused by the strenuous and often dangerous nature of police work." The Gibson case helped persuade Home Secretary Jack Straw to order an urgent review of the UK-wide police pensions system. The Government is looking at ways to close loopholes through the Police Pensions Review consultation document.
Times
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Tom Clarke: Donald Dewar was a miserable sociopath and a bigot
One of Labour's longest-serving MPs has claimed that Donald Dewar was a'miserable sociopath' whose vindictive behaviour appeared to have been motivated by snobbery, jealousy and 'deep-rooted anti-Catholic bigotry'. Sir Tom Clarke, who served as a minister in the Blair government, claims his political career was derailed by an 'unfathomable hate campaign', aimed at thwarting his progress, which was orchestrated by the architect of Scottish devolution. The former MP for Coatbridge and Chryston, who holds both a knighthood and a papal knighthood, has used his forthcoming autobiography to make a series of scathing allegations against the country's inaugural first minister. Dewar, who died in office suddenly in 2000, is commemorated with a statue in the heart of Glasgow and was hailed posthumously — by allies and opponents alike — as the 'father of the nation'. Clarke has broken decades of silence to highlight in his memoir what he describes as his erstwhile Labour comrade's 'mendacious, petty and back-biting' nature. • Twenty years on from his death, where would Scotland be with Donald Dewar at the helm? He alleges that Dewar and his supporters attempted to destroy his career and reputation by circulating an official party press release which stated he had contradicted 'a virus', prompting speculation that he had developed Aids — then regarded as an incurable death sentence. 'I have since been told that the release had been signed-off at the 'highest level' within the Labour Party in Scotland,' he told The Sunday Times. 'It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that this, undoubtedly the nastiest piece in a very protracted campaign against me, was entirely the work of one Donald Dewar.' Clarke was actually suffering from ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, from which he quickly made a complete recovery. 'Donald Dewar's inexplicable loathing for me carried on right up to his death,' he alleged. 'May God rest his soul.' Clarke, who served as minister of state for film and tourism in the late 1990s, alleges that Dewar pursued a decades-long 'vendetta' against him, which intensified significantly after he replaced him as shadow secretary of state for Scotland. • We have failed to become Dewar's ideal of a 'successful Scotland' He claimed his rival used media contacts to ensure damaging and negative stories about his leadership dominated the news agenda. Clarke said their relationship had deteriorated significantly when John Smith, the then Labour leader, chose him to replace Dewar as the party's leader in Scotland in 1992. 'He told firmly that I should not expect anyone from his former team to work with me or assist in any way,' he said. Clarke speculated that the root of their rancorous relationship could stem from Dewar's past failure to be selected to represent his Coatbridge constituency. 'He was ever the man to bear a grudge,' he claimed. 'Perhaps with Donald I was the victim of the perfect storm of snobbery, elitism and irrational personal jealousy.' • John MacKay: Scotland is a different country to when I began presenting the news Other party colleagues and prominent figures have suggested a more malign explanation. 'I don't imagine I will ever know all the reasons for this inexplicable hostility,' he said. 'However reluctantly, I cannot ignore the number of times my religious beliefs were mentioned. 'My closest friend in the Commons, the Welsh Labour MP Gareth Wardell, highlighted Dewar's constant and insidious attempts to undermine me.' 'He ascribes Dewar's hate campaign to something much nastier which many others have commented on; his deep-rooted anti-Catholic bigotry.' There is no evidence to suggest Donald Dewar harboured sectarian views. Clarke, who lost the seat he represented for 33 years to the SNP in 2015, added: 'That was also the view of the late Cardinal Winning. Winning, the former Archbishop of Glasgow, accused Dewar, an atheist, of harbouring prejudice against Catholicism. 'Donald Dewar and all these [Labour] fellows were bigots,' he alleged, in comments which were made public after his death in 2001. This was categorically denied, at that time, by Lord Elder, Dewar's friend and former special adviser, who suggested that Winning's ire was fuelled by the first minister's steadfast support for gay rights. 'There were disagreements.' he said. 'That is hardly the same thing as being anti-Catholic. 'One of the people Donald had most time and most respect for was the Catholic priest in Anniesland [in his Glasgow constituency].' David Whitton, the former Labour MSP who served as Dewar's official spokesman and special advisor, was perplexed by Clarke's claims. 'I just don't recognise Tom's description of Donald Dewar at all,' he said. 'I find it pretty sad that he had decided to describe him in that way when he's in no position to defend himself or his record.' One senior Labour figure said: 'This kind of undignified score-settling and mud-slinging would be unseemly coming from a teenager, never mind an 84-year-old knight of the realm.' 'Given that Donald's team was filled with people from Catholic backgrounds he must have been a pretty ineffectual bigot.' 'In his heart of hearts, Tom must know that the only thing that held him back was his lack of ability and complete absence of charisma and likeability.' Clarke, now retired, acknowledged his claims would spark an angry backlash from those close to Dewar, but stood by his version of events. 'I have recorded what I think is the story of my life and it wouldn't make sense if I wasn't completely honest,' he said. 'If people come out worse then they would have wanted that's unfortunate, but I must tell it exactly as I recall it.' To Be Honest…The Story of My Life by Sir Tom Clarke will be published this week by Baxter Jardine, with all proceeds going to charity.
The National
24-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Rob Roy's missing blade feels like an apt metaphor for our situation
The hilt would be the Scottish Parliament, the missing blade the powers and resources needed to make the sword whole and let Rob get about his business. Since its inception in 1999 the Scottish Parliament has been a political trap, well designed by Donald Dewar, and built to ensure the rebellious Scots could go politically no further forward for the foreseeable future – let alone a generation or even a lifetime. READ MORE: Fergus Ewing's solo Holyrood bid 'unnecessary', John Swinney says From the massive cost overrun on the parliament building itself to today's similar cost overruns on the Port Glasgow ferries, the parliament has provided fuel for the Unionists to say 'we told you so'. It has provided gainful employment for more than 100 politicians and special advisors, many of whom seem to have become very settled into the parliament's day-to-day routine. In the 1990s the SNP debated, at length, what would be its attitude to the parliament. The majority thought that half a loaf was better than no loaf. The parliament has attract the blame for all that is wrong in Scotland, and will continue to do so, while receiving little credit for what works well. The SNP have spent the past 18 years managing devolution. READ MORE: Scotland 'should not be treated as afterthought' of HS2 project They have tried to make the best of a sometimes difficult political and financial situation but at times appear to have lost the drive to finish the job and press on to independence. According to the small army of accountants employed by the parliament, much bigger financial challenges lie ahead. The pocket money from Westminster will very soon not stretch to cover the demands of Scotland's ageing population and its more generous welfare policies. In response, the SNP are now looking to 'reform' public services to bridge the financial gap. If (and it's a big if) the SNP form the Scottish Government from May 2026 onwards, 'reform' could be a very painful process and will only serve to further distract the SNP from its allegedly core purpose – independence. Brian Lawson Paisley IN The National on Saturday Kate Forbes was yet again writing about Scotland's successful record in attracting foreign investment (FDI). (The numbers prove it – the world is ignoring those who talk Scotland down, Jun 21). She obviously sees this as a great success story for the SNP-led Scottish Government, and provides a narrative to contrast with the litany of their failures to deliver on a range of targets, including reductions in poverty, the educational attainment gap, drug deaths, homelessness, NHS waiting lists; it's a long list. To be fair, increasing FDI has a pragmatic element to it given the economic constraints that remaining in the Union creates. The Scottish Government has limited capacity to grow the economy by increasing public spending because it has to 'balance the books' – spending must be matched by taxation, meaning as much money is taken out of the economy as has been added. The only part of Scottish Government spending which adds to the economy is the funds allocated under the Barnett Formula, which is derived from UK Government public spending decisions. FDI brings additional capital into Scotland and helps generate more income tax revenue through the employment it creates. READ MORE: Ex-Unionist party leader backs Scottish independence referendum The problem, however, is that the profits don't stay here – 6% of Scotland's GDP leaves our shores, much of it headed for tax havens. Foreign investors can also withdraw, as exemplified by a foreign investor (Ineos) closing Grangemouth. Much of our essential industries such as food supply and energy are dominated by foreign companies. Our whisky and salmon export industries are also owned mostly by foreign investors. This is not a viable scenario for an independent Scottish economy but it is clear that Kate and her fellow ministers think that managing the economy after independence will be very much the same as now. The difference will be greater borrowing powers, which essentially means swapping the Barnett Formula for dependence on the bond markets. Is it any wonder, then, that Kate and her colleagues don't think the currency question is at all important? Perhaps, since they think running the post-independence economy will be similar to managing the current one under devolution, they consider themselves the ones best equipped to do that. Their refusal to join a convention along with other elements of the independence movement might reasonably be explained by a reluctance to engage with 'a bunch of amateurs'. It looks like the rest of the independence movement will need to develop a way forward without them, and there is no shortage of ideas, knowledge and talent in Scotland which can do this. Jim Osborne Glasgow
