Thatcher and devolution
April 28, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
I have a story in today’s Scotsman gleaned from an interesting release of Mrs Thatcher’s Scottish files from her papers as Leader of the Opposition from 1975-79. It concerns a proposal from the Tory peer John Boyd-Carpenter to extend the vote in the 1979 referendum on a Scottish Assembly to England and Wales.
Kidnapped! Sir Alec Douglas-Home
April 14, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
A fascinating story in today’s Telegraph regarding a foiled attempt by some Aberdeen University students to ‘kidnap’ Sir Alec Douglas-Home during a visit to Aberdeen in April 1964, just months before the general election of that year. Sir Alec, who was a former Scottish Office minister, was staying at Potterton, the home of Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir. Priscilla Tweedsmuir was then an under-secretary at the Scottish Office and was later Lord Home’s (as he again became) deputy at the Foreign Office from 1972-74.
Lord Barnett
April 14, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
There’s an interesting interview/profile of Lord Barnett in this week’s edition of Holyrood magazine, in which he repeats his call for his eponymous formula to be scrapped. Bruce Millan, Scottish Secretary when the ‘formula’ was calculated, always seems to get overlooked in accounts of how it was forged in 1978 (Lord Barnett switches between remembering it as being in 1977 or ’78), but he was at least as important as Barnett himself. The article also quotes the Barnett-scrapper Lord Forsyth.
Des Browne for the chop?
April 13, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
Some wishful thinking in today’s Mail on Sunday along the lines that Des Browne’s dual Cabinet role (as both Defence Secretary and Secretary of State for Scotland) will be separated and the Scotland Office responsibility transferred to a new Ministry of the Nations and Regions. This has been tipped so many times that I’ve lost count, and to me seems unlikely. Why would Gordon Brown give the impression that he’s caving in to demands from crusty old defence chiefs?
Dick Mabon dies
April 10, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
Some sad news just announced today that Dick Mabon (otherwise known as Dr Jesse Dickson Mabon) has died aged 82. Dick was a Scottish Office minister under Willie Ross in the late 1960s but later defected to the SDP. From 1955 until 1983 he was the Labour MP for Greenock, although he sat from 1981-83 as an SDP Member. My obituary appeared in today’s Herald, although there’s an error in the last line (my mistake, not the Herald‘s) – Jessica and Katie were Mabon’s grand-daughters, not his daughters.
There’s a wonderfully detailed obituary by Tam Dalyell in Monday’s Independent, and also one in the Telegraph. Tuesday’s Guardian has an amusing obit by Julia Langdon, while the Scotsman also has a slightly belated one.
Des Browne hits out
April 6, 2008 by David Torrance · Leave a Comment
Today’s Scotland on Sunday carries news of the Scottish Secretary’s ‘savage’ attack on First Minister Alex Salmond and the first year (almost) of a minority SNP Scottish Government.
In truth, Des Browne’s attack is typically unimaginative – and tactically counterproductive – Labour rhetoric when it comes to the SNP. I suspect the text could almost have been lifted from the papers of the late Willie Ross…
You can read Browne’s SoS article, ‘A year of governing dangerously’, by clicking here.