You can always tell when someone is speaking from their heart and not just their head!

Conviction is born out of raw emotion, and belief in something, you can feel it. The words spoken are clear, and you feel certainty about them and the person who speaks them.

I have the greatest admiration for people who speak from the heart rather than from a script. Unfortunately, as age creeps in, notes and scripts are needed, but there’s still a difference… it’s the emotions!

Conviction is also shown through consistency. People with conviction can not be blown by the wind of the day.

Words can become our enemy when we say too many of them. There are an awful lot of people who like the sound of their own voice, and I suspect you know some of them. There is a new phrase for this, it’s called a ‘word salad’!! Give me a steak any day. Something I can chew on and dissect!

People hate long-winded speakers, they just switch off and walk away. I grew up in the era of long-winded preachers and boy did that turn me off!!

Why use 100 words to say something you can say in 20!

Political messages should be short and punchy, and, above all, they should come from the heart.

Political literacy isn’t just about how much we know, but also knowing how to share it with others. That is a gift!

Sometimes sound bites are better than an exposition!!

The case for Scottish Independence is well-versed, and the facts are well-known. What we need now is those punchy one-liners that will become fixtures in our heads. The ones that give rise to conviction and in turn, give rise to action.

Words without action mean nothing. Asking for another Sec 30 is neither a conviction nor an action, it is compliance!

Every time we ask, we acknowledge Westminsters governance over us.

Action is to join the Salvo/Liberation.scot train and say to Westminster, were done with you and we are going over your head!

All it takes is a couple of clicks on your device, and you will have accomplished more than you have in the past 5 years…that is real conviction!

Doing nothing, is never an option!

Friday was a strange day, one that started with shock and ended in horror.

We all had different feelings towards Ann Widdecombe; mine were mixed. I certainly did not agree with her politics of late but many of the things she has said over the years did resonate with me. She was a formidable woman, yet there was a gentle, fun-loving side to her as well. She also, always answered the question!!

They say she was ‘carved from another age’…well, I was also carved from that age, they were the days when there was a clear line between right and wrong. But Ann was in a league of her own, and well deserving of all the accolades now being heaped upon her.

Values, real values, do not change at a whim. They are not a fashion accessory but the rock we build on.

Her demise has shocked us all. For this 78yr old woman to be murdered in her own home has sent shock waves across the political divide, and remember she was not even a sitting MP. But the way it has been reported says a lot about the world we live in.

The words in the first sentence by the police were, ‘a white male’. They know the country is like a powder keg just now and given the victims name it was important not to light the taper! [ I believe this suspect has now been released.]….but they still say they are looking for ‘a white male’. It was also interesting that they ruled out a political motive…watch this space…that may change!

No doubt over the next few days, all will be revealed.

The evil that walks amongst us has no colour, neither does it have a matrix, but it does have a mind! It is said that evil is a choice and is fed only by the things we choose to ponder.

A person of Faith, like Ann Widdecombe would perhaps see it differently. Many can say that they have felt the presence of evil. I confess, I am one of those, and it is not something you forget!

The obvious question coming from this is, how do you defeat evil?

I suppose that depends on what your concept of evil is. Is it a spiritual concept or a social construct grown out of how we feed our minds?

Whichever one fits, one thing above all remains: evil is real, and it is incumbent on us all to look out for each other. We are indeed, ‘our brother’s keeper’… It’s called collective responsibility!

Something has changed drastically in Glasgow over the past 5 years, and not for the better.

Is it, that the people have changed or have the circumstances changed?

These photos cover two very different stories. In the first one we see residents stopping the removal, by the Home Office of law-abiding people. In the second we see the police removing alleged criminals for their own protection.

The question is, is the second photo, one of many, another case of SM exacerbating the situation, or do residents have a right to know who is living in their communities?

An ‘alleged’ offender, no matter who they are, does have rights, until a court takes those rights away from them. However, if those offenders have been charged with a crime, one supposes the police have evidence. Is it not reasonable then to keep them in custody, instead of moving them from one community to another? If not, do communities have the right to be ‘judge and jury’ when it comes to what they see as protecting their children?

It’s a delicate balance and if I may say so, one that the authorities are not getting right, but neither are some communities.

Fear can turn to anger very quickly. Anger can turn to rage in an instant, which cannot be talked down easily.

It has always been the policy in Housing Departments not to divulge where ex-criminals are housed. Still, we seem to have moved to a different situation, where, once again, the authorities seem at a loss to control.

Call it fear or racism, either way, we must find an answer before it really does blow up in our faces.

I must confess, I don’t have an answer to this one. On the one hand, I would like to say that better communication and openess might help, but on the other hand, the fear of many is too overwhelming. And in some cases openess might feed into that fear depending on one’s personal circumstances.

Some say, Diversity is no longer our strength, but our nemesis.

I still believe in Diversity but acknowledge the need for balance.

For every problem, there is a solution, and those in authority must find it, with fairness to all. One thing is for sure, they can’t keep passing the buck. This problem crosses more than one government department, so a multi-agency response is required.

Westminster politicians are hell bent on trying to close down social media, they think that by doing so, all their problems will disappear… they won’t!

It is not SM that divides most people; it is the perception of two-tier policies.

SM is only a conduit, one used by people to vent their feelings. And the government don’t like it when those feelings are aimed at them!

When people see unfair treatment of one group over another, they react. Unfortunately, that reaction, in the hands of a few, turns to violence, and we end up in this never-ending circle of blame.

My Q is, if Councils, can now use ex RAF and Army Barracks for housing, why can’t they do a mixture of tenures. To only house one group over another is segregation and discrimination, not integration!

Or is that too simple a remedy for all?

Surely it is time to go back to the drawing board and rethink a few policies, or at the very least be consistent in the delivery of the ones we have. Because it is those inconsistenies that are causing the problem!

Inconsistency erodes trust.

When politicians react in panic rather than respond to a situation, we get bad decisions.

Scotland has always been a welcoming country; it is not the people who are changing that perception, but rather the way officials deliver policies. An illustration may be how councils interpret ‘integration’ when housing new families wherever they may come from.

Integration is a two-way street, not a takeover, and requires us all to play our part. Humanity demands that of all of us.

We may be divided about what is shown on SM, but the real question is why people feel the need to post such controversial photos and videos in the first place.

Whatever the motive, they tell a story and banning them will not silence the story but might produce something worse. So I would ask our politicians to respond, not react.

Control is overkill and lays the foundation for future problems…big problems!

We need to bring trust back into politics, and the only way to do that is to re-create a level playing field and less prevarication.

And in Scotland if that means considering the smaller parties, then all to the good.

To many Scots, still think asking Westminster for a Sec 30 is the golden way forward; what they fail to understand is that by just asking, we are acknowledging and accepting power over us!

I agree with Peter Bell when he says the Yes movement will never unite in any meaningful way, why, because we all have our party red lines. The election in May proved that.

That leaves us with Salvo/ Liberation.scot, the only train that is moving, and it’s non-political, and it must remain so.

Politics won’t unite us, but, gathering around one cause can!

So let’s all climb aboard and make this happen.

Dump Devolution and go for gold. Gold for us is the Claim of Right, the one thing Westminster has been unable to remove from the statute books.

We must do this whilst we still have a Scotland to fight for.

With another story, true or otherwise, regarding missing money from the wider Yes movement, the smaller parties will once again bear the brunt of the fallout.

Why? Because with every scandal, more and more people are put off politics and the groups that support them.

So, how can they overcome this problem? Well the answer is simpler than you might think.

By constantly keeping your committees and members updated on ALL of the finances, big or small, problems won’t occur. And please don’t tell that is easier to do in the smaller parties! I have kept accounts all of my life and with today’s technology, it’s never been easier. However sending those accounts to the Electoral Commission is an entirely different matter😂😂 [ They have their own weird system]

These kinds of investigations don’t happen randomly, something or someone triggers them off.

It is incumbent on us all when seeing red flags to take a step back.

Money matters in politics, of course, it does, but transparency around it matters more. Big donors often come with a price tag!

It is better to have little in the bank that is legitimate than thousands that are dodgy, or even worse, missing!

The big parties that laughed at the finances of the smaller ones are not laughing now!

A clean bank balance shows integrity, something that is lacking in mainstream politics.

Every organisation that depends on the public for donations should consider these things.

It is WE, the people, who put people on pedestals and give politicians a sense of grandiosity.

Then when, through their arrogance they fail us, we knock them off again! Perhaps it would be more constructive if we didn’t put them up there in the first place!

Remember this…..

After that, she was untouchable, and she knew it.

The mark of a good politician, if there is any, is that they are well grounded, and it is our job to keep them there.

Everyone has an ego, but we don’t need to feed it!

This morning, a photo of Nicola popped up on my FB, it was anything but flattering and clearly showed her demise. I am not going to share it, simply because I wouldn’t do that to any woman.

However, her companion does raise a?

Part of the problem we have is the type of democracy we have, which is top-down. This gives too much power into the hands of one person.

Direct Democracy however, puts the power into the hands of the people. In May, we denied ourselves the opportunity to start the journey down this road, so it is now a game of patience….until the next time!

Time scales, though, can be very unpredictable when court cases are in the offering! But for those of us who believe in Direct Democracy that only adds to our arguement.

Much of what has happened over the past few years could not have happened if Direct Democracy had been in place.

So, when thinking about the kind of Scotland we want, remember it’s a blank canvas.

The choice: power down or power up!

Let’s stop building pedestals.

Do you, like me, get the feeling that the MSM are trying to sell Burnham as the Messiah?

Let’s get one thing straight: the only thing Andy Burnham thinks about most is himself, like every other politician in Westminster. He may tinker around the edges of some policies because he likes to be popular, but that is all he can or will do, due to fiscal restraints…unless, of course, he does a Liz Truss and sends everyone spinning.

He is a ‘Blairite’, and that spells disaster.

And just in case you hadn’t noticed, Charles, now celebrates Ramadan but not Easter, so the announcement at the weekend should not have come as a surprise. A monarch[ not ours!!] who breaks his own Coronation oath!

But, you know, the SNPs are no better when it comes to breaking promises. They knew before the election that they would dump the plans for Monkland Hospital. They say they will build a hospital, just not the one planned, the reason…cost! Are they not aware that costs go up the longer they delay? I fear this will not end well..for the taxpayers, who incidently are us!

We are living in strange times where those in power now forget who built this country. Pensioners were encouraged to save for their retirement, but now it seems all that advice was not for our benefit but to enable the government of the day to carry out another tax raid!

As I have said before, nothing happens by chance, it was all planned.

And until Scotland breaks free and chooses Direct Democracy, nothing will ever change.

We cannot choose to respond by not responding!

We must think outside the box because protests are becoming a nightmare, both in terms of fact, and because of the ‘hooligan’ element that joins in.

Our freedoms have been eroded; we can only protest if we support the government, but surely that’s not what ‘protest’ means?

To protest means to strongly disagree, and in Scotland we still have the right to do this…. supposedly! A recent court case would suggest otherwise, with Westminster deciding what we can and cannot protest!! Foreign policy dictates more than we realise.

The thing that concerns me most is that we have an FM who sits back and takes it all on the chin. He says he is a man of Faith; it would appear to me that he is, at times, at odds with his faith, whereas the Leader of that faith is not!!

Here is a bit of timely advice for us all…

https://www.yesunited.scot/p/discussion-paper-1-an-independent

A very interesting discussion paper is circulating on SM just now, which in many ways is good.

Because we do need to discuss a future Independent Scotland. And being a discussion it asks for opinions!… would I not😂

I am sure a counter-document will follow, which is also good because we need as many as possible to enter this conversation.

Like all documents of this ilk, there will be many opinions both for and against some topics.

Me, being me, couldn’t get past the first one… NATO!

The suggestion being that we should join as an independent country.

NATO over the past few years, has changed, rather than being a deterrent to conflict it has become a provocateur with eyes on regime change in North Africa and the Middle East. Iran is a prime example.

Do not for one minute think what is happening to Iran as the beginning. Iran is the endgame.

Do we really want to be part of that kind of culture?

…and we should not forget who holds the baton in this orchestra…Israel!

Israel’s endgame has nothing to do with ‘prophecy’ or God, but everything to do with world domination.

This document also appears to suggest we remain part of the British Commonwealth!

I thought the whole point of Independence was to break from the myth that Charles is King of Scotland?

So, another No from me!

As I said at the beginning, this paper is interesting and worthy of reading, because if nothing else it turns out thoughts to what kind of relationships we want with our neighbours and the world at large. We cannot become isolated, but neither can we be held by others. Getting the balance right will be important. One can compromise without loosing ones integrity.

Talking about the future also puts us in a positive frame of mind, which in itself must be good.

So let’s talk!

There is always the danger in any situation that we go from the frying pan into the fire. And there are many who think what is happening within the Labour Party party, is such a situation.

In the game of politics, you can go from being a faithful colleague to holding the knife in a matter of hours! Friends become enemies at the blink of an eye.

Who on earth would want to play that game?

So, he’s going!

They must be running out of lecterns!!!!

No doubt the badge is stuck on with Blu-Tac!!

I saw some guy on X trying to list everything Starmer got wrong…do we really need reminding?

I had hoped Burnham would not become a ‘specialist’!

…..especially if that speciality is Israel! However it looks like my hopes are already dashed.

…and NO, I am not anti-semetic!

But, we are not there yet, there may be other contenders, unless deals have already been made…which would not surprise me!

There is nothing upfront in politics these days; secrecy is the name of the game, along with brown envelopes.

I wonder if Reeves will survive, or God forbid, Lammy…did I say Lammy? I hear he is now entering the race…beam me up, Scotty!

On a personal note, all this does come with benefits…it keeps my grey matter ticking😂

Our politicians certainly keep us entertained, but not in a good way. We seem to spend most of our time second-guessing them because we don’t believe a word they say!

Surely we can do better than this in Scotland?

With Direct Democracy none of this would happen, we would be in control. No politicians with deep pockets!

Let’s find our way back onto the right path!

Nothing is free and everything comes at a price.

I am not talking here about small donations to small parties, but rather big bucks to individuals. The people willing to sell their souls for hard cash.

Their greed blinds them from the consequences as their puppet masters control the agenda. That agenda is presented as a worthy cause…but tell me, how can supporting the actions of the Israel government be seen as a worthy cause? We are way past the ‘self-defence’ argument.

In Scotland, are we seeing the same level of handouts regarding these AI centres? I find it odd that the FM is trying to distance himself from these planning issues.

I wonder what it feels like to be politically controlled by someone else. I suppose the nearest one comes to that is those who have been in an abusive marriage.

I don’t know about you but I am fed up of being controlled by Westminster as they rape our country of its assets. We are in an abusive relationship.

Our governing body is trying to convince us that they are keeping their word on Independence. This new plan of putting a Bill to devolve powers before Westminster Parliament, is doomed to fail and they know it. All it will do is just waste precious time…..time we haven’t got. They are using the wrong tools to get the right result.

The UN plan is on track, the train may be moving slowly, but it is moving!

Remember….