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….

Truth is becoming a rare commodity these days, and it’s the one thing this government seems to want to hide.

Our public servants, whether in Westminster or Holyrood, no longer work for us, with many in the cabinet in someone’s back pocket.

But here’s the thing about truth: it has a habit of re-surfacing at the most inconvenient times.

And the truth, thankfully for us is, they didn’t do the job thoroughly at the time, because if you want to attempt to hide the truth, you must first destroy it!

Now it will be used against them, and the world will see the lie. Former colonies are seeing that Scotland is no different from them, only the lie was bigger!!

Loyalty is another thing that can vanish like the mist, and today, Starmer is learning that lesson. The ‘stick with it, through thick and thin’ no longer exists; instead, it is ‘every man/woman for themselves’! Burnham needs to watch himself and not surround himself with what I call fence hoppers!!

A person’s history says a lot about them, and this expected new PM certainly has one. For a start, unlike Starmer, Burnham likes to be liked! So we might get a record number of U-turns, especially at this interesting juncture in British politics. Because it appears Westminster is starting to turn against the actions of Israel…..I said ‘appears’!!

What will all this mean for Scotland? Very little, I would imagine. For Swinney, it’s just a change of ownership!

This coming week is the week that the whole Murrel affair flares up again, so he might not have time to ‘consider’ the court ruling given against his government last week.

The one truth that is coming out regarding that is the cost to us, the taxpayers. A good use of the public purse…NOT!

On that subject, I see that when the FM or members of his Cabinet said there was no money left last year for some projects, that wasn’t quite the truth… surprise… surprise! Because there was an actual underspend last year of £358 million. A drop in the ocean, I know, but it could have been put to good use somewhere.

The lesson…dont believe everything politicians tell you!

The only way the people of Scotland are going to get a seat at the world table is through Direct Democracy!

Otherwise, we look on and get the crumbs. For many, that seems to be the easier way through life, yet it is they who complain the most.

Words without action mean nothing. It may surprise you to know that many of our mental health issues arise from inaction. Many feel helpless, not knowing what they can do so focus on what they think they can’t do and that frustration leads to problems such as depression etc.

We don’t need to sit at the top table to change things. There are many tables in many organisations where voices can be heard, and some are local. Also local papers are not so restrictive.

Nationally, things are getting more awkward, but remember, where’s there’s a will, there’s a way!

Also remember that Westminster, as always, shoots itself in the foot.

[ Don’t know who did this, but thank you!]

And a certain person is making sure these are used!😂

Individually, the size of the table matters not, just being there contributes, and that’s what matters. It could be a local organisation or a political party… everything is important.

You are important!

Today might…I say ‘might’ be the day politics starts to change in Westminster. Andy Burnham is right, Labour won’t get a second chance. But on the constitutional front, nothing will change, so our fight must continue.

Our individual response to local issues like AI centres is more important than ever because it looks like our FM is just going to lie down and roll over, as many pet poodles do!

Whoever thought the day would come when the SNP would so flagrantly help to destroy this beautiful country?

By refusing a moratorium on AI centres that is exactly what he is doing.

Now we know why the area covering Freeports was so big! It was the land they were after.

Your voice is more important than ever now!