CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
@chdot
That's largely the result of the march in Glasgow a year ago. Tens of thousands of people marching at short notice in a freezing downpour and Ms Sturgeon too busy putting the hoover round to attend. Did not go down well and led to a meeting of various minds and a determination to act.
Has Nicola Sturgeon been too cautious? The Bloc has no one else to vote for. The bloc is of course not the NMO nor the SNP. The SNP recruited some youth and indeed extended the vote to my 16 year olds and obviously everyone else’s 16 year olds.
So SNP overall majority no need for Greens. but what can they do with this? Food banks persist etc.
The youth vote is maybe crucial to tipping the majority in favour of Indy Ref 2?
As I alluded to earlier Ipsos Mori uK wide data shows the Youth less likely to vote.
but for the first time in my lie I may be unable to cast a constituency vote
I've not been in good conscience been able to vote for any of my constituents but always managed to vote green with my list vote, honestly I'm not convinced on that this year.
“Ms Sturgeon too busy putting the hoover round to attend“
I suspect that’s not literally true, but I don’t suppose she sue you (or CCE for conveying your words).
I could post what she was actually doing that day if you like?
“but what can they do with this?”
A perennial question.
Some (most?) of us would argue that SG is not making the best use of the resources it has - eg roadbuilding instead of ‘proper’ active travel provision.
Arguing that ‘things will be better’ after Indy is essentially an act of faith, currently appealing to about half the (over 16?) population in Scotland.
“Better” is a value judgement and too often is related to GDP - which is far from being a good/appropriate measure.
Better could relate to ‘being better off’ (for more/most people), a better off society due to more equality, better decision making due to not relying on Westminster/Brussels/large multinationals (etc),
Better could also be better use of resources - wind, water, land, people, etc, but it’s far from clear what difference more power residing in Holyrood would make. Not much clamour for serious land ownership reform.
“I could post what she was actually doing that day if you like?“
If it makes you happy.
I assume she didn’t go to this event because she saw it as the ‘go faster’ movement, which she is clearly uncomfortable about.
@chdot
Better could also be...
Getting the government we vote for?
The other crew have had their chance over and over again and have managed to bring the economy to its knees with EU contact shaking their heads ('worse than Russia' to export to was a Danish comment - lots of others)
Better is...
Building alliances with like minded people?
I'm afraid Gove, Ross, Jack and all the others are a negative energy drain. SG spends far too much time trying to mitigate stuff.
Sir Keir only sees Scotland as somewhere to visit a couple of days a year. Like BJ and many of the others. Of course now that everyone is 'trapped' on the island we maybe do have a purpose. Convoys of campervans will be heading this way soon...
“Better could also be...
Getting the government we vote for?”
Well yes, but unless it produces better results, that might not be noticeable better!
“SG spends far too much time trying to mitigating stuff.”
That’s true.
SG spends far too much time trying to mitigate stuff.
Classic example. The UK of GB&NI elects a government hell-bent on keeping foreigners out and the fishing industry takes a collateral bullet.
The government Scotland elects puts money into sticking plaster measures that don't actually mention the cause of the problem which is Brexit;
If the London government is heading in a diametrically opposed direction to our one then devolution is bound to become an intolerable and untenable waste of energy.
"Convoys of campervans will be heading this way soon..."
I am so not looking forward to that.
Scottish Labour as red, white and blue flag bangers is going to be quite the thing to watch. Or I suppose they might like to try the proud blue and white regionalists thing.
“Or I suppose they might like to try the proud blue and white regionalists thing.“
Not much chance of that, blue and white like red and white (with flags at least) is viewed as ‘nationalist’ (or even racist) - often by senior people in the Labour Party...
Clearly Union Jack Starmer is trying to appeal to ‘patriots’ who don’t want to vote Tory. That’s unlikely to play well in Scotland and probably not elsewhere either.
One problem is that in England there’s never been too much support for regionalism or devolution.
The metro mayors project is a small shift, but not a universal option.
If politicians really believe in the UK staying together, they should try harder thinking up plans that would make the idea more attractive for all those currently in it.
“Levelling up” the north (of England) isn’t really going well, but Labour isn’t doing well at getting seats back that went Blue.
Starmer can’t even visit Scotland until Covid is ‘over’ - unless the Leadership Election is “essential”(?)
Andy Wightman seems likely to stand in the Highland region so I may be back in the position of being unable to cast a vote.
The SNP and Scottish Greens seem to be determined to become religious organisations complete with divine doctrine, priests, martyrs, faithful devotees, heretics and apostates.
I can't vote for anyone who doesn't prioritise observable reality and the open discussion of any and all ideas. Will need to quiz local candidates and decide.
VoltAire argues we should practice tolerance with people whom we disagree with. Voltaire was very clever. I am just quoting Radio 4
Excellent point. Compassion has to be the envelope within which science and argument sit. I have been thinking about compassion a lot lately. I once considered knocking a teenage girl unconscious as an act of compassion (she was horribly injured and distraught) so it's a real doozie as a philosophical concept.
Of course the other Keir once had an interest in Home Rule -
“
He was clearly developing political ambitions and in 1888 put himself forward as a candidate at the by-election in Mid Lanark. When the Liberal Association failed to select him he stood as an independent labour candidate, on what could be seen as a radical, but still Liberal, programme: home rule, nationalisation of land, abolition of the House of Lords, direct local veto on public houses. He got a mere 667 votes. He was immediately accused of being in receipt of “Tory gold” to split the Liberal vote. It was an accusation which was to follow him throughout his life, and it was not without justification in these early days, with funding via H. H. Champion from the Tory Democrat, Maltman Barry. Immediately afterwards Hardie, with a group of disenchanted Liberal radicals, formed the Scottish Labour Party
“
“we should practice tolerance with people whom we disagree with“
But of course.
If only they’d do it first...
@iwrats, when I used to give my ethics seminar at Strathclyde Uni (I gave the poor schmos wine and of course discussed the big Lebowski, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism but at least it was an ethos, Nihilists, they believe in nothing). Your brand of utilitarianism whilst popular with me, received NIL points in the Gembo vote for your favourite ethics a thon.
A deeply moral film, Père Gembeau. Sadly, nobody will ever ask me to give an ethics seminar, unless of course as part of my preparations for release from a secure facility.
Yes, utilitarianism is attractive to me as it treats everyone equally and avoids the creation of in- and out-groups, saints and heretics.
@chdot - local government used to be far more powerful in England. Joseph Chamberlain made his name as a reforming mayor of Birmingham. Some kind of regional assembly might have worked then. I dunno how it would work though.
Has NS said anything about the threat against Cherry? Even if they were in different parties it would be appropriate to make some statement about how bad this is.
I've read that women are put off political careers because of the abuse they get - which may not be more than the men get, but in kind, as it is often threats of rape etc. Extra doses if you're an ethnic minority. I don't care for Diane Abbott but she gets so much rubbish chucked at her.
“because of the abuse they get - which may not be more than the men get“
I’m sure it (generally) will be.
“Extra doses if you're an ethnic minority.“
Without doubt.
“local government used to be far more powerful in England“
Here too, often one Party states.
Westminster (and sadly Holyrood too) have gradually increased (some) responsibilities and reduced cash.
Whether this was primarily to increase central control or ‘save’ money is never entirely clear.
Other countries have more powerful/autonomous council AND they have a range of ways of raising money including specific taxes/levies for specific projects - eg trams (voted for by residents).
Has NS said anything about the threat against Cherry?
Famously not. Ms Sturgeon's power within her party depends on a cohort of people who regard Ms Cherry as a heretic. The pope cannot comfort heretics.
@IWRATS, yeah that's me back to political homelessness also. Pity, but I'm sure Andy Wightman will make a good independent MSP wherever he stands.
The Petrie multiplier was invented to describe the phenomenon where female computer scientists experience exponentially more sexism than their male colleagues despite women and men being as sexist as each other. If the ratio is 1:r then women experience r^2 more sexist remarks from colleagues. I'm sure it's even worse in politics.
Interesting day today. The court of session will rule at noon on whether or not the Scottish parliament can legislate intra vires for a referendum on Scottish self-government.
The case was raised by a private individual and opposed first by the Scottish ministers and then by the Lord Advocate claiming to represent the Scottish parliament, despite several MSPs swearing affidavits that they wanted the judgement.
Whatever the outcome it will go to appeal and if that judgement is that the parliament has that power than the British will probably just change the law but it's going to force some people to show their hands either way.
Court has declined to answer the question asked of it as 'The action is for these reasons, hypothetical, academic, and premature, and the pursuer lacks standing to bring it.'
How dull.
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