Latest news with #anti-English
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
When the Scots were revolting: Do we need another Braveheart?
The latest in the Archive on 4 series, the programme dipped into the BBC's vintage recordings to follow the impact of the film on Scottish cinema, Scottish cultural and political life and, perhaps most importantly, on the tourist trade. Stirling is still seeing the benefits three decades later. Morrison went up the Wallace Monument at the Abbey Craig to discover that, yes, all the international visitors had indeed seen the movie. 'Who needs historical accuracy when you've got a gift shop?' she asked. The programme invariably touched on how the film was exploited by politicians at the time (notably by former SNP leader Alex Salmond, although the Tories also sought to tap into the film's popularity) and how it unleashed a wave of anti-English sentiment in cinemas. 'People were standing up and cheering English people getting killed,' historian Fiona Wallace pointed out to Morrison. Read more There's another question to be asked about Braveheart, perhaps. Is it any good? Not really. That's never stopped Scots embracing it though. You could say the same about Restless Natives, a sub-par Bill Forsyth simulacrum that's now been transformed into a musical, or The Wicker Man, a not-that-great horror movie that's been reclaimed as some kind of masterpiece (Morrison isn't a fan of the latter, we learn in passing). Maybe Scots in the past were just starved of films and TV about themselves that they'll embrace anything. The stereotypical Scotland on screen that existed prior to Braveheart, film lecturer Johnny Murray told Morrison, is a country that's an unspoiled wilderness, that's authentic, untameable and inhabited by noble savages. It's a recipe, he pointed out, that can either be served sweet - as in Whisky Galore! or Local Hero - or savoury, as in Braveheart. 'These are all very masculine, these stereotypes,' Morrison suggested. Indeed. At another point we are reminded that in Braveheart it takes 20 minutes before any of its female characters gets to say a line. Which suggests what? That we need less Mel Gibson, more Morven Callar maybe. Earlier in the day Radio Scotland's Sportsound had the excitement of a penalty shootout to bring us. When Aberdeen won it, a Sportsound reporter - I was in the car so I can't be sure, but I think it was Tyrone Smith - went pitchside to catch the jubilant victors. A couple of them, carried away in the moment swore, a little, prompting an apology from the presenter. Aberdeen players celebrate winning the penalty shoot-out during the Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park (Image: Andrew Milligan) You do wonder if interviewing players in a heightened state of emotion is a good idea if you are bothered by the odd swear word. Then again, was it the Scottish players who couldn't mind their language? Noble savages indeed. On Monday 5 Live had spent the day reporting from the joyous chaos of the Liverpool FC victory parade through the city. My sister lives in the city and had sent me photos of the players on the bus passing her home in the south of the city earlier in the day. At teatime 5 Live Drive presenter Chris Warburton was clearly enjoying the atmosphere in the city centre. And then everything changed when a car hit some of those in the parade. The sudden shift from joy to shock and horror could be heard in Warburton's voice. 'The mood since I last spoke to you has really changed now,' he said, trying to find the words when he still wasn't totally clear what had happened. Nicky Campbell spent his 5 Live phone-in show on Tuesday morning talking about the incident. The conversation was largely sensible. But now and then Campbell would read out comments from listeners speculating on the why. Campbell then added, 'We can't speculate on any motivation but I am just conveying to you what some people are saying. We don't yet know.' Hmm, why read them out then? Kenneth Cranham (Image: free) Listen Out For: The Essay: An Actor's Life, Radio 3, Monday to Friday, 9.45pm It's easy to forget that actor Kenneth Cranham - star of Shine on Harvey Moon and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and known for playing London gangsters on a regular basis - grew up in Dunfermline. In this series he talks to fellow actor Neil Dudgeon about working with Joe Orton and Harold Pinter
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Nigel Farage's previous visits to Scotland - arrests, protests and fleeing from Royal Mile pub
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will visit Scotland in June. Here, The Scotsman covers some of his notable past visits north of the Border. Sign up to our Politics newsletter 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... Nigel Farage is set to visit Scotland in the first week of June, as his party sets his sights on Holyrood. The Reform UK leader will come north of the Border just days before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, taking place on Thursday next week, which his party is increasingly confident about winning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, admits assault by throwing milkshake over Reform UK leader Nigel Farage outside a pub in Clacton-on-Sea during the general election campaign. | AFP via Getty Images It will be Mr Farage's first visit to Scotland since becoming an MP. However, he has visited several times before, with mixed results. Here's what happened on the past few occasions the former commodities trader came to Scotland. May 2013 Visiting as Ukip leader, Mr Farage's attempt to host a press conference in a bar on Edinburgh's Royal Mile descended into chaos when it was hijacked by demonstrators who accused the-then Ukip leader of being a 'racist', 'fascist' and 'homophobe'. Nigel Farage (centre) on the Royal Mile being escorted by police officers as he leaves the Canons' Gait pub in 2013, while Ukip leader. Protestors heckled him during his visit to Edinburgh. | PA Two attempts to leave the Canons' Gait pub by taxi were thwarted as the vehicles were surrounded by around 100 protesters, some carrying a giant 'Vote Yes for Scotland' banner. Others carried a placard proclaiming themselves to be the 'Campaign for Radical Independence'. Met with a barrage of abuse that included the refrain 'you're a racist, go home to England', Mr Farage twice had to emerge from a besieged taxi to confront the crowd because drivers could not get him away from the scene. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On the second occasion, he responded to questions about his reception in Scotland, saying it was: 'Clearly anti-British and anti-English. They hate the Union Jack [sic] … maybe that's what it is all about.' It was then that police decided to escort him back into the Canons' Gait where the doors were locked to keep protesters out, who continued to chant 'scum, scum, scum'. Speaking afterwards, Mr Farage described the protesters as "fascist scum". He said: 'If this is the face of Scottish nationalism, it's a pretty ugly picture. The anger, the hatred, the shouting, the snarling, the swearing was all linked in to a desire for the Union Jack to be burnt. "The fact that 50 yobbo fascist scum turn up and aren't prepared to listen to the debate, I absolutely refuse to believe is representative of Scottish public opinion.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Nigel Farage stands in front of a controversial campaign poster ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum (Picture: Daniel Leal) | AFP via Getty Images June 2013 Mr Farage had been due to have a large lunch and press conference at the Marriott hotel in Aberdeen, only to cancel the event. He claimed an Aberdeen anti-fascist group had threatened to demonstrate outside. The party claimed it was down to security concerns, despite Aberdeen's police headquarters being less than 50m away, and no sign of agitation. The hotel insisted it was not influenced by demonstrators, instead claiming the provisional booking could not be taken up because the hotel was too busy. Speaking at the time, Mr Farage said: "I was invited to have go and take tea [with Marie Bolton, the independent depute leader of Aberdeen city council]. We now know that invitation was withdrawn. "They told us that somebody very senior advised them not to continue, so we took that advice. I'm sorry that she was pressured or felt she was pressured into not allowing this meeting to go ahead." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, a Police Scotland spokesman said: "The police haven't had any part [in that decision] whatsoever." However, there was one confrontation and one arrest, when, after a debate in a pub with Mr Farage about Sharia law and the status of Norway in the EU, a man threw a drink on the back of a Ukip official. April 2023 Mr Farage hosted his live GB News show at an Aberdeen golf clubhouse. He took questions from the audience and spoke with guests, including fellow GB News presenter Neil Oliver.
Business Mayor
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Owners of second homes in Wales are having to sell up. That's no disaster: it's a godsend
Just over two years ago, Wales gave councils the powers to massively increase council tax on second homes. If you were to read recent headlines, you would think this was a disaster. 'Fury,' said the Express. A 'botched' policy that is 'in tatters' after '£30k off house prices' lamented the Telegraph. Indeed, these publications are correct: the changes have led to something of an exodus of some second-home owners. What the titles seem to have missed, however, was that this was the point. Due to the indisputable fact that our country is bloody fantastic, people love to visit and to buy second homes here. In some parts of Cymru, this has become a major problem. In the county of Gwynedd, the figures were astronomical. In 2021 of all the properties in Beddgelert, 23% were second homes. It was 25% in Aberdaron and up to 40% in Llanengan. This has several knock-on effects. House prices soar, so local young people can't get on the ladder where they grew up. Many of them are first-language Welsh speakers, which means the language is under threat in these rural areas that have safeguarded Cymraeg – the Welsh language – for centuries. Photograph: The Telegraph The high rates of second-home ownership also mean that, unless the weather is forecast to be good (which in Wales is about as often as an eclipse), these towns and villages are half empty. This causes pubs to close. There are fewer children, so schools close. It erodes the heart of our communities. To try to tackle this, the Welsh Labour government, alongside Plaid Cymru, introduced measures to curb second-home ownership. This included giving councils the ability to push council tax on second homes to 300% the usual rate. They also closed a loophole whereby second-home owners could register as a business in order to pay the much lower business rates. Gwynedd council used these powers to hike council tax to 150% in April 2023. By the end of 2024, house prices had fallen by 12.4% as second-home owners tried to sell up. In Pembrokeshire, house prices fell by 8.9% after the council increased the council tax to 200% on second homes (though this was reduced to 150% recently). As is so often the case in the age of the culture war, some elements of the media lost their minds. The Mail reported an 'anti-English attack', and the fall in house prices was widely reported as a negative. First things first: let's put aside this 'anti-English' rubbish. About two-thirds of those with holiday homes in Pembrokeshire live in Wales, predominantly South Wales. Being English isn't the issue here. Second, just the summer before, the very same Daily Mail was reporting how tourists were 'flocking in their droves to top locations in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park', so it can't be hitting tourism that hard. Finally, it is hard to see the house-price drop as anything other than a positive. So often it feels like policy changes do little to directly help ordinary people and often do active harm (disability benefit changes, for example). What we have here is the pushing-through of a controversial policy because it will directly help communities negatively affected by the decisions of those who have more money. Not that the policy is perfect. The closing of the business-rates loophole means that to register as a business, a property has to be let for 50% of the year (182 days). Therefore even if your property is let for every weekend and all of July and August, you won't qualify as a business. This has punished many perfectly legitimate businesses, and even Plaid Cymru has admitted it will need to lower that if it is in power after 2026. However, the impact of tourism isn't just on second homes. It also causes problems for communities in terms of traffic, infrastructure and parking. To try to mitigate this, the Welsh government is introducing a tourist tax. This visitor levy is similar to the one you pay when you go to places like Barcelona on holiday. Anyone who reads this column regularly knows that I am deeply disdainful of how Wales has been governed since devolution and feel the Welsh government has shown an almost crass lack of ambition for the country. But when it comes to the tourist tax, I think they've got it right. The new law allows councils to charge a fixed fee of £1.25 per person per night for Airbnbs, hotels and self-catered lets and 75p per night for campsites (pitches) and stays in hostels. Children are exempt from being charged the visitor levy, meaning that if two parents took their kids away for a week it would add £17.50 to their stay. This money is kept by local authorities and must be used to maintain and promote the Welsh language or the sustainable economic growth of tourism, or improve infrastructure, facilities and services used by visitors. Read More There's No Place Like A Fairly Taxed Home—Even If It's A Trailer Frankly, an extra £1.25 to stay a night in Wales is the bargain of the century. In the same way that when you visit a free museum you chuck them a few quid in thanks, this is an investment in the place you are visiting. It is thoughtful policymaking. The fee is refunded if you are a disabled person with a carer, a homeless person placed by the council or having to stay because of an emergency like a health issue or flooding. You also don't have to pay if you are there for more than 31 days (they don't want to punish hotel residents). I am not for a moment saying that tourism is not a vital industry for Cymru – it absolutely is. I am also not saying that it doesn't have its challenges, though data suggests that poor weather is easily our biggest one. If you've spent some of the recent warm weather and bank holidays in Wales, I salute your impeccable taste. If you didn't, you should know you are truly welcome. Please come to Wales. We are delighted to have you. But tip your host, and leave it how you found it.
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Nigel Farage to visit Scotland in first week of June ahead of crunch by-election
EXCLUSIVE: The Reform UK leader will come north of the border days before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Nigel Farage will visit Scotland in the first week of June, the Record can reveal. The Reform UK leader will come north of the border days before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Farage has not made a public appearance in Scotland since he addressed a rally at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange in 2019 ahead of the European elections. He famously had to hide in a Canongate pub in 2013 after being swarmed by protesters on a previous visit to Edinburgh. When asked if Farage would be visiting Scotland soon, a party sourcetold the Record: "He is. Before the by-election." When asked when this would be, the source said: " First week of June." The by-election takes place on Thursday, June 5. The snap poll was triggered by the death of the SNP's Christina McKelvie. The battle for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is widely believed to be a two-horse race between the SNP and Labour. But Labour insiders believe their chances of seizing the seat will be harmed by the rise of Reform - with some predicting the right-wingers could take 20 per cent of the vote. Farage famously had to be locked in a pub on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh by police for his own protection in 2013. His trip was hijacked by protestors who the then UKIP leader condemned as "anti-English". Reform are set to win a slew of MSPs at the Holyrood election next year - despite not even having a Scottish leader. Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said last year that Farage had not visited Scotland during the general election campaign because it was "dangerous". When asked by the Record if Farage was afraid to come to Scotland on a trip to Falkirk, Tice said: "He's on great form and he is incredibly busy. "But in all seriousness, the last time he did come to Scotland, it was dangerous, frankly. And that's a tragedy. "One of the things that Nigel has to think very carefully about was security and we've already seen some issues. "We've had one of our candidates assaulted and hospitalised. "So that's the reality. Unfortunately, for senior figures in the political climate, from a number of parties but particularly for Nigel, security and safety is a real issue."
Pembrokeshire Herald
04-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire defies Welsh tourism tax amid anti-English tensions
AS COUNCIL TAX premiums and tourist levies stir tensions, local businesses and residents weigh the cost of protecting Welsh identity against the economic lifeline of English tourism. In St Davids, the recent spring sunshine bathes flint cottages and surfing shops in golden light. But beneath the postcard-perfect surface, a quiet rebellion is taking shape. This year, Pembrokeshire County Council became the first local authority in Wales to push back against the Welsh Government's controversial tourist taxation strategy. After reducing the second home tax premium from 300 per cent to 150 per cent in October, the council announced in April that it will not implement the proposed visitor levy during its current term, which ends in 2027. The move has been praised by some as a lifeline for struggling businesses. Others fear it signals a retreat from urgently needed reforms to address the housing crisis and preserve Welsh-speaking communities. Christopher Taylor, 85, has run the St Davids Bookshop since 1974 and previously served as mayor of the city. He says the area has long relied on English second-home owners and tourists. 'Second homeowners who have been regular customers over decades are selling up,' he told The Telegraph. 'Tourists and second homeowners support jobs here, and we really can't risk seeming unwelcoming.' Chris Taylor, 85, seen here standing at the back on the right, runs a shop which is important for both tourists and locals alike (Image: YPD) St Davids, Britain's smallest city, is one of the jewels of Pembrokeshire's coastline and a magnet for both walkers and surfers. But signs of change are everywhere. Lockboxes for holiday lets now pepper the streets—dubbed 'tosau' or 'pimples' by some Welsh speakers. Grant Pratt, 38, who manages the surf shop Unsunghero, is frank in his assessment: 'It's small-minded,' he says of locals who complain about incomers. 'Incoming English families have reversed the fate of the struggling local primary school. Who wouldn't prefer to live somewhere bustling rather than full of moaning elderly Welsh folk?' Tourism remains central to the local economy. In 2023, it generated £604 million in Pembrokeshire and supported more than 9,200 full-time equivalent jobs. Yet the tone of some public discourse, particularly online, has left business owners wary of being associated with anti-English sentiment. One shopkeeper, who asked not to be named, said she feared a return to the 'dark days' of the 1980s, when arson attacks by the nationalist group Meibion Glyndŵr targeted English-owned holiday homes. Most of Twr y Felin's guest are tourists from England, the hotel said (Image: File) At the luxury art-themed hotel Twr y Felin, General Manager Emma Bowen said that 85 per cent of their clientele are English tourists aged between 50 and 70. Twr y Felin manager Emma Bowen: Wants how funds will be used to be clear While she supports the concept of a tourist tax, she insists it must be clear how the funds will be used. 'Good examples are Germany, France, and Switzerland, where tourist taxes subsidise attractions and public transport for tourists,' she said. In nearby Tenby, the impact of policy is also being felt. Lucas and Melanie Boissevain, who own the award-winning Penally Abbey Hotel, warn that mounting costs could become unsustainable. 'We've had Covid, unfair competition from unregulated Airbnbs, rising staffing, power and food bills – all with little government help,' said Lucas. 'Now come the levies that will add £6,500 a year to our operating costs.' According to Lucas, Wales has lost 50 per cent of its serviced accommodation providers over the past 15 years. 'This has been made up with a growth in Airbnb-style unserviced beds, but who wants to have a lockbox tourist economy, without breakfasts and the human touch?' Despite government aims to channel second home tax revenue into affordable housing, some critics argue that the funds haven't been used effectively. Without clear reinvestment and consultation, opposition to the levies may continue to grow. More broadly, the proposed tourism tax across Wales has drawn both fierce criticism and cautious support. Industry groups and operators argue that it risks deterring visitors, threatening jobs, and weakening local economies—especially in areas like Pembrokeshire that are heavily reliant on tourism. Some families may opt to holiday elsewhere, fearing added costs, while others may cut back on spending in local shops, cafes, and attractions. A Welsh Government consultation found that 74 per cent of people who were likely to holiday in Wales believed the tax could put them off visiting. Opposition politicians, particularly Conservatives, have branded the levy a 'toxic tourism tax' that could damage a fragile sector. But supporters—including figures in Plaid Cymru and Labour—say the proposed fee, at just £1.25 per adult per night, is modest and commonplace across Europe. They argue it would raise much-needed funds for local infrastructure, including toilets, car parks, and footpath maintenance, and help ease the pressures of overtourism. Following public feedback, the Welsh Government confirmed children will be exempt and has promised a full review of the tax's impact within four years. There will also be further consultation with businesses and communities. Across the UK, similar measures are being considered. From April 2024, three quarters of councils in England and Wales will introduce 100 per cent premiums on second homes, and some are extending these to Airbnb properties. Manchester introduced a tourist tax last year. Others, like Bournemouth, paused plans after backlash from the hospitality sector. Pembrokeshire's stance has made it a test case. With visitor numbers still recovering post-pandemic and an economy reliant on tourism, many locals are asking whether pushing away the English is a price they can afford to pay. As one visiting mother from Bath remarked while enjoying tea at Penally Abbey: 'It's lovely here, isn't it? Who really needs to get on a plane?' That sense of quiet appreciation may be Pembrokeshire's greatest asset. But it remains to be seen whether it can coexist with the cultural pressures that have driven the Welsh Government's policies—and the resistance now rising against them. This article was based on a national newspaper report in The Telegraph which can be read here.
