Contradictory EU deal on Cyprus
As predictable, the ‘Troika’ of the EU, European Central Bank [ECB] and the International Monetary Fund [IMF] has done a deal to keep Cyprus in the eurozone.The deal makes a nonsense of the crisis the...
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Does the new ticketing arrangement for Gourock-Dunoon ferries make Argyll...
The Scottish Government has just issued the following press statement on a new ticketing agreement for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry services.The statementReproduced here verbatim:‘Gourock – Dunoon ferry...
View ArticleScottish Government stripped of mask of competence in report on impact of...
The ‘emerging’ findings of the consultants report on the ‘Impact of the Removal of Road Equivalent Tariff [RET] Fares from Commercial Vehicles on The Western Isles, Coll and Tiree’ have to be read.They...
View ArticleMull and Iona Community Trust latest Argyll employer to join Scotwest Credit...
Scotwest, the Credit Union for the west coast of Scotland, is open to anyone in Argyll and Bute to become a member, as few areas here have their own local Credit Union. Scotwest already has 900 members...
View Article‘If Swinney budget was a film, it would go straight to DVD’
The most memorable statement in the debating chamber at Holyrood this afternoon came from the Scottish Conservative’s Finance Spokesperson, Gavin Brown.Commenting on a two year budget put forward by...
View ArticleInvest in Mull: community share offer to raise £1m to generate 1100 MWh pa...
Green Energy Mull, a newly formed Community Benefit Society. went public yesterday, 8th November, on Garmony Hydro, an inspirational development scheme.Green Energy Mull is born of an initiative by...
View ArticleButeman leads charge to try to save Rothesay Sheriff Court
Craig Borland, editor of The Buteman, was on television duty yesterday making the case for the retention of the Sheriff Court at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.The Justice Department wants to close it –...
View ArticlePolitics and council budgets – the Walsh stratagem
Council Leader Dick Walsh has, on the back of a massive majority of 27-9, secured the necessary support for his wish to take two full years to develop his financial strategy.In the meantime, Argyll...
View ArticleAudit Scotland ‘Action Plan’ for Argyll and Bute Council a flawed document
[Updated below with list of actions proposed.] Below is the Action Plan for Audit Scotland, laid out to guide progress towards the light at Argyll and Bute Council.While some of what it says is...
View ArticleCarmichael correct to avoid auction trap in laying out advantages of the union
In laying out 20 of the ways, some duplicatory, where membership of the union of the United Kingdom is of obvious benefit to Scotland, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael made the right case and...
View ArticleVindication of SNP coalition budget in adoption by new administration
There is some comfort for the beleaguered SNP group of councillors, dispersed as they now are between all of the groups in the council chamber; and their former coalition partners.They may have lacked...
View ArticleSwinney rules out joining euro
While joining the eurozone in its current state would be an unwise action for Scotland, today, 16th February, is the first time that Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney has formally ruled out a...
View ArticleFred Hall now a free man
Yesterday, 14th March, Councillor Fred Hall completed outstanding work for his constituents, cleared his desk, returned his council kit, had his councillor’s official email account stopped – and walked...
View ArticleEducation Secretary wil accept a ‘No’ vote –‘for the time being’
The agreement on the Independence Referendum is that both the pro-independence and the pro-union sides will accept as final ‘the sovereign will of the Scottish people’ on the issue, as expressed...
View ArticleSalmond’s ‘sterlingisation’ Plan B1 would cause chaos as a transitional stop gap
It became clear yesterday that First Minister, Alex Salmond has Plan B1 ['sterlingisation' for the time being] as a stop gap on the way to Plan B2 – which he hasn’t thought up yet.This is additionally,...
View ArticleGreen Network Open Days: 19 Highlands and Islands properties open to public...
On 3rd and 4th October, Green Network Open Days will see 19 properties in the Highlands and Islands open to the public. Visitors will be able to see, first-hand, how installing renewables systems and...
View ArticleIndy, the banks and the Scottish economy
[Updated below 23.55 27th August] Without the Bank of England as lender of last resort, whatever the banks did in an independent Scotland – stay or go – would be bad news. That is the stark reality of...
View ArticleStandard Life now restructuring to move accounts out of Scotland
What is frightening is not scaremongering, particularly when it is actually happening.As well as pension and investment funds now being actively transferred out of Scotland in increasing financial...
View ArticleAsset management company advice to Scottish savers, investors and pension...
For Argyll contacted the Investment Desk at Hargreaves Lansdown at 14.20 today, 10th September, following a series of emails and phone calls from readers yesterday and today, asking what they should do...
View ArticleWhy might major businesses move out and what would it mean for Scotland?
[07.05 update below on RBS] Yesterday, 10th September, three major companies indicated that they would be likely to move their headquarters and, in some cases, elements of their business, south of the...
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