Nice autumn evening......

Vince Cable speaking his mind in Liverpool

Vince Cable has certainly been making people sit up and listen in Liverpool this week, articulating very clearly what many people think but cannot always find the words to say.

Is'nt it strange how a certain type of business person likes to use strong & emotive language themselves, but dont like it when others do it?

Well done to Vince cable for speaking his mind. He was'nt just playing to the gallery at a Lib Dem conference, he was clearing speaking to the wider country.

Liberal Democrats punch above our weight - Vince Cable
"We have punched above our weight in government because we have a democratic party which has clear principles and policies" said Vince Cable in his keynote conference speech today.

"In a few short months we have showed how we can advance our party’s policies and principles while serving the wider national interest. But we need to sell this message. The Tories will not do that for us. We have to do it ourselves. That means focus leaflets and doorsteps. That means you. We need you. All of you." Vince also attacked Labour's record on the economy, saying: "We know that if elected Labour planned to raise VAT. They attack this government’s cuts but say not a peep about the £23bn of fiscal tightening Alistair Darling had already introduced. They planned to chop my department’s budget by 20 to 25%, but now they oppose every cut, ranting with synthetic rage, and refuse, point blank, to set out their alternatives. They demand a plan B but don’t have a plan A. The only tough choice they will face is which Miliband."

Nick Clegg's speech today in Liverpool

Deputy Prime Minister and UK Liberal Democrats party leader Nick Clegg MP has today set out the following as his vision and focus for Britain in 2010 in his speech to delegates at the Party Federal Conference in Liverpool.

"Imagine you're asking a friend or neighbour to vote Liberal Democrat in the 2015 General Election.
Imagine how it will feel to say that in Government, the Liberal Democrats scrapped ID cards. To say we cut crime while stopping Labour's mass incarceration of children. That finally we have a fair tax system where the rich pay their share - and the lowest earners pay no income tax at all. You'll say we brought troops home from Afghanistan after they'd finished the difficult job we sent them to do.
You’ll be able to tell people they have a new right to sack MPs who do wrong, and that the party funding scandals of the past are history. And if we campaign hard enough in the referendum on Fairer Votes you'll be able to say the clapped out First Past the Post system is gone for good.
That is the goal, the prize, that I have set out in my speech to our Party Conference today.
In 2015 Britain will be a different country. For five years you and I will give it a different kind of government and a new politics. Five years of transforming the state and reversing generations of centralisation.
Five years of delivering fairer taxes, a fair start for every child, a rebalanced green economy, a cleaner politics - as we promised to do in our Liberal Democrat election manifesto.
The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives are and always will be separate parties, with distinct histories and different futures. But for this Parliament we work together to fix the problems we face and put the country on a better path.
This is the right Government for right now.
Our first job is a difficult one - balancing the budget.
Let me be clear with you about this - we are not dismantling the state. Even when all the cuts have happened, the Government will still be spending the same proportion of national income as it did in 2006. We will not repeat the mistakes of previous recessions.
But to delay solving the deficit would mean the Government would soon be paying £70 billion a year on interest payments alone. We cannot ask our children to pay our credit card bills.
We have to do it so that Britain in 2015 can be a different country.
Strong, fair, free. A country we can be proud to hand on to our children.
Thank you for all your support and all your hard work. Together we will change Britain for good."

Jo Swinson on Electoral reform

As you know , Nick Clegg is leading the fight in Parliament to secure the United Kingdom its first ever referendum on electoral reform.

Fighting for fairer votes will be one of the top priorities for the Liberal Democrats this coming year – it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to overhaul our failed electoral system.

That's why we're devoting the first evening of our Party Conference in Liverpool to a Rally for Fairer Votes, in association with the Electoral Reform Society.
We'll be putting the case for Fairer Votes for Britain – with a bit of fun, glitz and glamour along the way!

If you 're at Conference, come along to ACC Auditorium at 6.30pm on Saturday. A Conference photo-pass will be required for entry.

If you can’t join us in Liverpool there will be highlights posted to www.libdems.org.uk/fairervotes over the next few days.

You can also now download campaign materials and find out more about the Fairer Votes Referendum. Just visit www.libdems.org.uk/fairervotes.

Half the story.........

I switched on the TV to see Reporting Scotland this evening to catch the very end of a report by Glen Campbell who was standing in front of the crowds at Belahouston park in Glasgow, where the Pope was holding his open-air mass. Glen was relating how some-one had asked Conservative Leader Annabel Goldie if she was wearing tartan knickers.

I could'nt belive my ears. For a moment I thought it must have been the Pope who said it, and we were all set for a national furore, the like of which we had never heard before.

The story was over before I knew who said it. A quick Google ascertained it was'nt the Pope who had asked Annabel Goldie if she was wearing tartan knickers....it was just Prince Philip!!

Funny how some people can get away with things where others could'nt eh?

Surely the highlight of Annabel Goldie's career to date. Bet First Minister's questions next week should be good.

Well done Annabel for being a good sport.

Liberal Democrats running scotland, not the SNP

There was an interesting bit in the papers yesterday about how David Cameron had not spoken to Scottish Conservatives leader Annabel Goldie since the election. Apparently, this is because he has officially ceded responsibility for Scotland to us, the Lib Dems.

So there you are, next time the SNP are getting a bit too carried away with their own importance, we can remind them who really runs the country.

Beautiful autumn evening looking across Kinross

Harvest is well under way now.

Closer........

Nick Clegg in Afghanistan & Pakistan

Earlier this week this week I went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future.
It was my second visit to our armed forces in Afghanistan, where I saw again the bravery and professionalism of our troops. Whilst the situation in the country is still difficult, I believe that we are beginning to turn the corner. As the Prime Minister has made clear, British combat troops will leave Afghanistan by 2015 and it is important that by then we have a full political settlement to take the country forward.
Yesterday I was in Pakistan where I saw the almost unimaginable impact of the terrible floods. It is almost impossible to appreciate their scale — the affected area is approximately the same size as the UK.
I was deeply moved as I witnessed the flooding from the air. It is sadly clear that it will take years for life in Pakistan to come back to normal. I met with President Zardari and aid agency workers to discuss aid being delivered to Pakistan and what role Britain and the international community can play.
I’m proud that the British people and government have together contributed over £100m to assist the aid efforts. If you would like to donate to the DEC appeal for Pakistan, as I know many people will have done already, you can do so here: www.dec.org.uk

Morning Sunrise in Strathbraan

And again........

Regional Party Hustings for Holyrood 2011

Mid Scotland & Fife had an excellent hustings last night in the Loch Leven Community Campus in Kinross. Ably chaired by Regional Party Convenor Willie Wilson, Depute Provost of PKC, each of the candidates had 5 minutes to present why they wanted to be No1 on the regional list, followed by quick-fire questions from the audience, who responded excellently to the challenge, with each candidate getting through 10-12 questions each across a broad range of policy areas.

The candidates are out and about canvassing for support at the moment. Ballot papers go out at the start of September, and must be returned by noon on 17th September.

Our candidates for the Regional List are:

Russell Auld, Peter Barrett, Tim Brett, Callum Leslie, Jane Ann Liston, John Mainland, Willie Rennie, James Taylor and Jim Tolson.

Good luck to you all.

New Council housing within local council area

Local Liberal Democrats have played a key role in delivering new council housing within the PKC area, with 81 new houses costing £10 million announced in the Press & Journal today.

Peter Barrett, Convenor of the Housing and Health committee at PKC explains:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1884364

Perthshire South and Kinross Constituency Hustings

We had a very entertaining hustings for the Holyrood constituency of Perthshire South & Kinross-shire last night, attended by a good crowd from the two local parties within the constiuency.

The three candidates all gave a good account of themselves. Ballot papers are going out today, and candidates can canvass among the local membership between now and Friday 3rd September at 5pm, with the count that weekend.

Good luck to Russell Auld, Peter Barrett and Willie Robertson.

We will post any photos that appear from within the hall in due course.

St Mathews Church

Tay Street evening skyline

Message from the Deputy PM

David Cameron is away on holiday, and a Lib Dem is in charge of the country!!

Nick Clegg, below, takes the opportunity of outlining progress to date:


"Today, the coalition Government is 100 days old.
I want to take this moment to say thank you once again for all your support, all your hard work, all your generosity. Thank you for everything you did to help us win over a million more votes for the Liberal Democrats in the General Election. Thank you for getting Liberal Democrat ministers into government for the first time in generations.
Today I made a speech about how the Coalition government is building a fairer society in Britain. You can read it here.
Both David Cameron and I have always made it clear that we are governing Britain for the long term, not for tomorrow's headlines.
One of our main long-term goals is to increase social mobility. A fair society is one where everyone has the chance to do well, regardless of their beginnings. A society where no-one is held back by the circumstances of their birth. Where what counts isn't what school you went to, the job your parents did or the colour of your skin, but your ability and ambition.
When the history books are written, I want them to say that this government paid down the budget deficit and laid down the foundations of economic prosperity for years to come. I also want them to say that children born in 2015 are less constrained by the circumstances of their birth than any previous generation.
There is a huge amount of work to be done. Labour spent huge amounts of money pushing low-income households just above the poverty line - but with no impact on the chances of the next generation.
The two most important areas which I outlined in my speech today and will guide the Government's social mobility strategy are:
* Tax reform. We will reform the tax system so it encourages social mobility, rather than social segregation. We took a first step towards that at the Budget by raising the income tax threshold, taking 880,000 people out of tax altogether. Reforming income tax is explicitly aimed at those who are in paid work - the surest route out of poverty. Making income tax fairer will not only be a measure to boost fairness today, but is also an investment in fairness tomorrow.

* Education. We are introducing a Pupil Premium to make sure investment is channelled to the children and schools who need it most. The level of the Pupil Premium will be announced in October. Schools will be able to spend the money as they see fit - so long as its purpose it to help pupils overcome the accidents of birth.

I will also be chairing a new ministerial group on Social Mobility, including Conservatives like Iain Duncan Smith and David Willetts as well as Liberal Democrats like Sarah Teather and Lynne Featherstone. Alan Milburn, who is widely respected across the political spectrum for his tireless work on social mobility, will act as an independent reviewer of the Government's success in delivering social mobility."

Looking out across Highland Perthshire

Room for efficiency savings in Scottish dentistry??

There is an interesting piece in the P & J today detailing how ScotGov are paying Scottish dentists for people who are actually dead, or have moved abroad, or to another practice and hence are being counted twice or in some cases three times.

The scale of the problem is staggering, involving almost 150,000 cases and costing upwards of £6 million annually.

ScotGov pays dentists 96 pence for every NHS adult on their books, and over £14 for every teenager. However, there are no systems in place for recording when some-one has moved, or has indeed died, and the dentists get paid regardless. The information has only recently came to light, ScotGov being oblivious to the problem.

Our public services are vitally important to us all, and require to be protected in the forthcoming era of public sector spending cuts, but many people do wonder how the Scottish budget can have doubled under devolution and we have had somewhat less than a doubling of the service provided as a result on that. This little episode seems to confirm a least one leak in the bucket, and doubtless there will be many others as well.

It is well known that our teeth are the first part of us to start to rot when we are alive, but the last part to go when we are dead. It appears as if Scottish dentists are taking advantage of this. Indeed, taking advantage of us.

This is nothing less than a scandal, the story will doubtless run now, and who knows where it will go.? It will be a scandal if it were not pursued.

It would appear that in terms of our Scottish "government" at least, that us Scots are not so canny with public money after all.

David Cameron and George Osbourne will no doubt be feeling vindicated, having suddenly been given ammunation like this to fire back at us.

George Lyon doing his bit in Brussels

Liberal Democrat MEP George Lyon has really hit the ground running in his new role since being elected to the European parliament in 2009. His regular Press Releases have been down-to-earth and to the point, he has completely eclipsed other Scottish MEPs such as Conservative Struan Stevenson and Nationalist Alyn Smith in representing the Scottish rural community, and he is driving proposals for transforming the CAP post 2013, arguing for a retention of the current budget and giving farming equal priority to rural development and the environment. His latest policy paper received almost unamimous support. In Westminster, our coalition partners have Caroline Spelman and ex-farmer Jim paice in key roles, and they are much more sympathetic and knowledgeable about rural issues than the Labour party were. Acheiving a good outcome for our local communities requires good representation at European, Westminster and Holyrood levels......if we can acheive some changes at Holyrood in 2011 then we should have a good overall team.

Well done George!!!

Here is the text of George Lyon's most recent Press release, being typcally direct in dealing with priority issues and sweeping away problems created by the previous admnistration at Westminster:

"George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has written to Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, calling on the Coalition Government to dump the previous Labour Government’s plans which would have destroyed much of UK agriculture, had it been implemented.
Labour’s “Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy”, published in 2005, called for the abolition of direct farm support under Pillar 1 and the slashing of import tariffs. Instead Labour’s ‘vision’ focused its measures on environmental and rural development, at the expense of agriculture.
Two independent reports were carried out for DEFRA, analysing the impact of such proposals. The reports clarify the extent of such damaging plans. The FAPRI report predicted nearly a third of beef and sheep numbers in Scotland would be lost and returns declining by 20%. The second report by Dutch researchers painted an even bleaker picture with 75% of UK livestock farms and nearly 60% of all UK farming businesses being unable to make a living if these plans went ahead.
Commenting, Mr Lyon said:
“I’m calling on the UK coalition Government to dump Labour’s ‘vision’ for the CAP. If Labour’s proposals had ever been implemented, farm businesses across the UK would have faced a very bleak future with many forced to quit.
The impact on Scotland would be even more pronounced as livestock farming accounts for a greater share of our agricultural output.
It is time for a new beginning and a fresh start in this new coalition Government’s approach to farming and there is a desperate need to go back to the drawing board and draw up new plans for a sustainable future for UK and Scottish farming.”

Alex in Wonderland again

Another good piece in Scotland on Sunday today. Instead of concentrating on the findings of the Beveridge Report (aka the Internal Budget Review IBR) and looking for ways of managing the budget for 2011, our First Minister continues to stick his head in the sand, trying to dream up ways of generating income for the nation without having to make an difficult choices that might harm his chances of re-election next year...not that this was ever goingto happen anyway. People in Scotland will be canny enough not to give him more than one chance in office, and he has'nt done much with the chance that he has been given up to now, with the clock now ticking down.

His latest wheeze is that we must keep Scottish Water in public hands at all costs, to leave open the option of us selling water to drier regions in future. With the logistics of moving water around the world, this policy essentially means us selling water to the English in years that they have exhausted their supplies. You can see at once why such a policy would be attractive to the lunatic fringe in the SNP...........it just feels right to them somehow.

Whatever way you cut this, it essentially means one thing.......we would need to increase our water storage capacity on a massive scale, to have surplus product available for such times that others (the English) are in need of water to buy from us. In doing this, we would have to massively disrupt Scottish eco-systems, drain rivers and make sure that us Scottish peasants were not somehow using water to benefit ourselves. SEPA would have to be given draconian powers, Big Brother would have to be everywhere. In the past, water shortages have been circumvented by limiting supply, and in Britain, we have a long history of making do with a bit less if we have to. Mother nature then invariably makes up the shortfall at a later date, and we get back to normal again. OK, there may be times in the future when more extreme water shortages are foisted upon us, more than 1976 or 1995 or whatever, and we have to plan for that.

We will still need extra storage, and this could only come from additional large-scale resevoirs, on a similiar scale to some of the large hydro-electric dams. Such new resevoirs could be used to give us extra renewable energy at the same time, of course...a win-win situation. But Alex's idea is not yet that well developed. All Scotland's recent hydro developments have involved small scale run-of river schemes with no capacity for storage. Policy would need to change, developing a small number of big schemes instead of a large number of small ones. The investment required is also likely to be in the £ billions.....not impossible, but not on the cards at the moment by any means.

Would the English buy water from us, and how often would they require it, given that they have never required it in the past? Not if they could possibly avoid it, would be the likely answer. I also seem to remember Wales and the Lake district being closer to their centres of population than Scotland is, and they are much more likely to look there first.

No, Wee Eck is coming up with these ideas because he is under pressure, trying to ignore the obvious. Pressure does things to people, it makes them act irrationally, and in his party he has people who hang on his every word and believe every word he says. Selling water to the English when they are dying of thirst may feel right to the SNP policy boffins, but dont expect this idea to be taking off any time soon with the wider electorate.

Holyrood Hustings in Perth 19th August.

South Perthshire and Kinross are holding a hustings for their constituency candidate for the Holyrood elections in May 2011 in St Mathews Church in Perth on 19th August. They have three very good candidates in Russell Auld, Peter Barrett and Willie Robertson. Manifestos from the candidates will go out directly after the hustings, and candidates will then have three weeks to canvass for local member votes before the ballot in early September.

Good luck to all.

Tough times ahead.........

The Independant Budget Review was published this week, setting out potential areas of savings that could be made by ScotGov in 2010-11 and beyond. They include pay freezes, privatizing Scottish Water, dropping free care for the elderly, reforming funding for higher education and all sorts of other nasties. This is going to be a big challenge to all politicians in Scotland, across the political divide. As the Cabinet Secretary for Almost Everything, John Swinney (above) will however have to declare his hand first, and is under huge pressure to do so at the moment to allow others to plan ahead. He is trying to put off declaring his views for as long as possible, hoping that something will happen that will allow him to avoid being branded as the evil axe-man. The SNP were hoping to be saltering in to this autumn with an Independance election taking place in November. Not much talk of that now.

The above photo is taken from Scotland on Sunday today.........a touch of humour being used to illustrate a very serious matter that will effect all of us over the next few years.

Very few people would begrudge John Swinney his job at present.....all politicians will have to be up to the mark very shortly. Expect more colourful journalism like this.

Five Days in May

There will be an interesting programme on this evening at 9pm on BBC1 looking at the behind-the-scenes discussions that led up to the formation of the coalition government.

The little snippets on the news this morning show a very human side to David Cameron, with him expressing his doubts about whether he would become PM or not.

There was quite a funny line when Gordon Brown resigned without warning and David Cameron said to his wife samantha "We might be going to see the Queen, get your frock on...!!"

I suspect there will be a few interesting Lib Dem stories to come out as well. Looking forward to it......

Strawberry Tea at Corsiehill

Perth & North Perthshire Liberal Democrats had a very successful Strawberry Tea today at the home of PKC Councillor Peter Barrett and his wife Liz. As in previous years, Peter & Liz laid on the weather as well, we had a really good turn-out of people from right across the Mid Scotland & Fife region, and it was the perfect opportunity for people to find out what old friends have been up to.

Well done to all who contributed to a great occasion.

We had to queue to get in...!!

Having a chat

Enjoying the sun

In the shade.......

Willie Wilson doing the rounds for the raffle

A raffle at a Lib Dems gathering.....surely not!!

Jane Kerr draws a ticket......

Double act

Willie Wilson and Peter Barrett

Taking in the raffle......

James Taylor and Jim Tolson MSP

Happy......

Well done to Peter Barrett and Liz and everyone who made this occasion a big success.

Farewell to Keith & Mary Pitkin

Liberal Democrats in Perth today had a farewell get together for Keith & Mary Pitkin, who are going back home to settle in Watford. Keith and Mary have lived in and around Perth for 12 years, and Keith in particular has been a real dynamo in delivering literature for the local party and helping orchestrate election campaigns. His dedication, energy and organization have just been truly amazing, and he will be badly missed by all of us, for his skills and his companionship. All of us in Perth wish the very best to Keith and Mary, who is taking up a new job, and to their newly arrived grandson William whom they will now be a lot closer to along with their wider family circle.

Zoom out.........

Perth today

Strawberry Tea at Corsiehill

Preparations are well under way for the Summer Garden Party at Liz & Peter Barrett’s house in Perth on Sunday afternoon, 2.00 to 4.30pm, to catch up with friends and colleagues from all across the Mid Scotland and Fife region. After a welcome glass of fizz and bowl of Perthshire strawberries, Liz will serve her fabulous afternoon tea with homemade scones and pancakes, jams, and meringues with more strawberries and whipped cream – a wonderful afternoon for only £10. Please phone 01738 571527 if you haven’t yet reserved a ticket.

Up above the Tay

In Craigvinean Forest today......

The A9 Corridor

This is a great viewpoint from Craigvinean Forest, looking up the A9 corridor. Great view, but a bit murky today.

Newton Craig.......

This viewpoint is accessible for everyone. There was an article on Landward a few months ago about Wheel chair Ramblers, and they were up here. Well worth the visit if you are passing. Bit cloudy today though, hence not great pics.

Looking down on the A9

People going about their business..........

Oh, there's a train as well.......

Freight train......

Should we be upgrading the railway line to Inverness and not the road?

Increasing numbers of Lib Dems in Scotland.......

Party membership in Scotland has increased by approx 10% since the election, suggesting that people are more happy than not with the current set-up. If the papers try to suggest anything else, we can truthfully say "Not so..!"

Well done to all for the progress we have made during 2010 to date.

What is AV?

The Alternative Vote (AV) is very much like First-Past-the-Post (FPTP). Like FPTP, it is used to elect representatives for single-member constituencies, except that rather than simply marking one solitary 'X' on the ballot paper, the voter has the chance to rank the candidates on offer.
The voter thus puts a '1' by their first-preference candidate, and can continue, if they wish, to put a '2' by their second-preference, and so on, until they don't care anymore or they run out of names. In some AV elections, such as most Australian elections, electors are required to rank all candidates.
If a candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes (more people put them as number one than all the rest combined), then they are elected.
If no candidate gains a majority on first preferences, then the second-preference votes of the candidate who finished last on the first count are redistributed. This process is repeated until someone gets over 50 per cent.

Real-world application of AV
Australian House of Representatives.
Australian Legislative Assemblies ("lower houses") of all states and territories (bar Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, which both use STV).
Australian Legislative Council in Tasmania.
Irish Presidential election.
By-elections to the Dáil (the lower house of the Irish Parliament).
By-elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Papua New Guinea National Parliament (1964-1975 and from 2007).
Fijian House of Representatives.
Numerous American Mayoral and district elections, as well as Student Union elections.

Arguments used in support of AV
All MPs would have the support of a majority of their constituents.
It retains the same constituencies, meaning no need to redraw boundaries, and no overt erosion of the constituency-MP link.
It more accurately reflects public opinion of extremist parties, who are unlikely to gain many second-preference votes.
Coalition governments are no more likely to arise under AV than under First-Past-the-Post.
It eliminates the need for tactical voting. Electors can vote for their first-choice candidate without fear of wasting their vote.
A change to AV could be a step towards the adoption of STV.
It encourages candidates to chase second- and third-preferences, which lessens the need for negative campaigning (one don't want to slag off a candidate whose second preferences one wants) and rewards broad-church policies.

Countdown to the vote on AV.......

This from Nick Clegg today:

"Today I announced that, for the first time, the British people will have a choice about the system they use to elect their MPs.
On May 5th 2011, there will be a referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote.
The First Past The Post system hands power to the lucky few who live in marginal constituencies and sucks it away from the vast majority of us who do not. So over the next ten months the Liberal Democrats will be fighting hard, with others, for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum. I want to sweep away the current system and replace it with the Alternative Vote.
We need you to be part of this campaign. It will not be easy. There will be many MPs who want to keep the status quo because it protects them from the need to win majority support.
But with your help we can do it. We need you to inspire, enthuse and persuade your friends, family and neighbours to come out on May 5 and cast their ballot for fairer votes."

The confirmation that the ballot will be held on 5th May will of course create the mother of all stushies shortly in Scotland. But, of course, there are other ways of looking at this. Is it instructive for the Scottish electorate to hear UK electoral reform debated during a Holyrood campaign? Yes, of course it will be, because Holyrood does not exist in a bubble, it is but one of our layers of governance, from local authorities through to European representation, these layers all interact with one another, and it is important to take in this bigger picture when voting in any oe of these elections. Also, the Holyrood elections will increase the overall turnout for the AV vote, giving Scotland a disproportionately higher say in the final outcome, whatever that might be. One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of politics being talked between now and 5th may next year, with the Liberal Democrats right in the heart of it.

More from Nick Clegg........

We've already scrapped ID cards. Now I'd like to ask you - which other laws do you want to scrap?
Your Freedom
The Liberal Democrats have always stood up for civil liberties, scrapping unnecessary laws and reducing the burden of regulation on businesses and charities.
In our manifesto, we proposed a Freedom Bill to roll back Labour's attacks on British civil liberties. In government, we are doing just that.
Yesterday I launched Your Freedom, a national dialogue on how to create a more open, inclusive society. Anyone can make suggestions about which laws we need to scrap and where we can cut red tape. You can also rate and comment on other people's suggestions. The best ideas will be put into practice – because this is a listening government.
This is the open government we have long campaigned for. So tell us about every time you've felt snooped on by the state, or had to fill in the same form three times. Help us put Liberal Democrat values into practice in Government.
I know people are talking about this up and down the country – so please do have your say and pass this message on to anyone who has ideas for Your Freedom.

Far end of the constituency.......

Loch Tay itself is in Tayside, Killin (pictured above) is in Stirling........

Lib Dems have the right arguments for Constitutional reform in Scotland

There is an interesting piece in Scotland on Sunday today regarding the virtual impossibility of Alex Salmond now being able to hold a Independance Referendum (surely not!), leaving Calman, or the Lib Dems' preference for Calman Plus as the only show in town on the constitutional front.

Since the General Election, there has been a lot of ineffectual talk about how the Lib Dems being in coalition government in Westminster is going to result in them being squeezed in the Holyrood elections in 2011.People can sometimes get squeezed if they are in the very heart of things, or they can fight their corner there and start to influence things to their advantage. The Lib Dems being at the very heart of national politics will not go unnoticed by the Scottish electorate. Appropriate constitutional change is important for many people here, not just as an end in itself, but closely interconnected with our economic prospects. The Scottish Liberal Democrats have all the right arguments on this at present and are in the right place to influence proceedings, not just to our advanage, but to the advantage of Scotland as a whole.

Far from being fearful going in to 2011, we are looking forward to an exciting challenge. The numbers of people putting themselves forward as potential candidates for election is testamony to that.

The Press are finally waking up to what we might have to offer on Scottish constitutional reform, and even Alex Salmond has now smelt the coffee as well. He may well be wanting to cosy up to us in the months ahead. Whether we want anything to do with him of course is another matter entirely.

Nick Clegg on the budget.........

"Yesterday I wrote to you about why we have to take difficult decisions to tackle the deficit and lay the foundations of a fairer society. These are not decisions that any government wants to take but we have no choice except to clear up the financial mess that Labour left us. Today’s Budget takes these difficult decisions in an honest and fair way and with the clear stamp of Liberal Democrat values running through it.
In the past, efforts to tackle a big deficit have always hit the poorest the most. The coalition has ensured that – for the first time – this will not happen. The richest will pay the most, while pensioners and children will be protected.
Look through the Budget and you will see key policies we campaigned for being put into effect.
The £1,000 increase in the Income Tax allowance will mean that 880,000 low paid workers will be freed from Income Tax altogether. This is the first step towards delivering our manifesto commitment to ensure no-one pays tax on the first £10,000 they earn.
The Budget puts in place our promise of a new tax on banks, ensuring that they help to pay to clear up the mess left by the financial crisis.
Top earners will pay a full 10% more in Capital Gains Tax than under Labour, with no loopholes or tapers or get-out clauses. That change helps ensure those with the broadest shoulders take the greatest strain.
We will guarantee that pensioners get a fair deal, putting into effect the Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment for a “triple lock”, so state pensions rise every year in line with earnings, inflation, or by 2.5%, whichever is the highest. Never again will pensioners be allowed to fall behind.
The Coalition Government will not let regions, towns or cities that depend heavily on the public sector be forgotten. That’s why this Budget establishes a regional growth fund to ensure those parts of the country get meaningful support to help create jobs and opportunities for all.
Tackling Child Poverty remains at the heart of the government’s approach. So while we have decided to cut child tax credits for those who can most afford it, we have increased tax credits for the poorest families and put up to £ 2 billion into child tax credits to help ensure children of all backgrounds get a fair start in life.
These measures will ensure that the burden of deficit reduction is shared fairly across society.
This Government is being honest with people about the road ahead. Together, we can make it through these difficult times and restore health to our economy and to the public finances. These difficult choices are the foundation stones for the fairer Britain we will build over the next five years."

No doubt there will be plenty of discussion and analysis in the days ahead.......

A big day for the coalition

After all the talking, the emergency budget will be announced today, setting the tone for the rest of this Parliament. It is a big day for the coalition government. Hopefully the Lib Dems will have been able to influence the overall package enough so what we get will make strategic sense going forwards.

We all know that the deficit has to be addressed, but never before has the phrase "the devil is in the detail" been so relevant. If we get this right however, we will set things up for the next five years.

Tune in this afternoon.......

The Tay and Aberfeldy

Looking across to Griffin Forest

Sunshine in Perthshire........

Looks like a glorious week coming up in Perthshire.........

Manifesto Roadshow in Kinross today

Scottish Liberal Democrats held a Manifesto Roadshow in Kinross today, consulting local members to help put together a manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections in 2011. There will be a series of events held around the country over the next few weeks, and ideas coming forwards will help develop the pre-election manifesto that will be taken to the autumn conference.

In both 2003 and 2007, a significant proportion of the final manifesto was developed at these meetings by local party members putting forwards their ideas.

Today we discussed the four main themes that were central to the UK General Election campaign, and how they would be applicable in Scotland.......education, the green economy, a fairer and more effective political system and taxation and spending.

Education and the economy dominated the discussion.

Anyone who missed the event can e-mail ideas they might have to policy@scotlibdems.org.uk

Clouds over Aberfeldy

Beautiful day today.......

Scotland- Forever at the cutting edge of scientific progress

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, Irish scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the Irish, in the weeks that followed, an English archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story published in the Morning Herald read:"English archaeologists, finding traces of 130-year-old copper wire,have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-techcommunications network 30 years earlier than the Irish".

One week later, the Dundee Courier reported the following:"After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Auchtermuchty, Fife, Jimmy McSporran, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely f**k all. Jimmy has therefore concluded that 130 years ago, unlike their backward English neighbours, that Scotland had already gone wireless."

Boom, boom......!!

Oot on the river.......

We had a great day out today on the Tay, taking a boat from Newburgh in Fife up to above Friarton bridge in Perth and back. It was organized by North East Fife Liberal Democrats. There was a full boat load of people, the trip took about 3 hours and the weather was just perfect. The trip was a one -off, arranged especially. A number of people from Newburgh came along as well, some of whom had worked on the salmon nets on the Tay in the past, and knew the river really well. You see all sorts of things from the water that you would not otherwise be aware off.

Well done to Janie Kerr and all from North east Fife Lib Dems for a really enjoyable day out. No doubt the exercise will be repeated. All sorts of things are possible when you know man with a boat!!

Our boat for the day.......

........The Maid of the Tay

Name on the side.......

Boarding the ship........

The boat rose up about 8 feet on the incoming tide to allow us to step on.

And again........

Lunch ( & drinks) are served......

A full boat load......

VIDEO- Off she goes.......

This video makes the boat sound a lot noisier than what it was, although it was just getting speed up at this point. Jane Kerr entertains.............

....this was the boat just leaving Newburgh.

VIDEO- Lib Dems boat raffle

No matter where you go, you just cant avoid the obligatory Lib Dem raffle.......!!

River wildlife.......

There were lots of birds out on the river today, mostly swans and mallard ducks, including several broods of young ducks.

Bridge over the river Tay.......

We went up above Friarton Bridge, almost right up in to the harbour in Perth, before heding back to Newburgh again.

SNP Logo confusion......

There have been some snippets in the papers today about the SNP supposedly wanting to change their logo to the Scots Pine.

Whether true or a malicious rumour, this all seems a bit odd and confused for a number of reasons.

Firstly, if you are going to re-vamp your image, surely the golden rule is not to let your new image leak out in advance of a proper launch. Suggestion of poor management/ control there for starters..........a sure sign of a party losing its touch. (It has been doing this for some time as we all know anyway)

Secondly, it really does smack of desperation for the party supposedly in "government" to be changing its logo ten months before the Scottish Elections. Is Wee Eck feeling a bit anxious I wonder, seeing his big plans and political machinations all slipping away maybe....?

Thirdly, the SNP logo is not, and never has been, the Saltire. The SNP logo is their X-vote mark on a yellow background, which is surely the height of simplicity, easily recognized and easily replicated. Even children can recignize it and know what it means. Are the SNP now so utterly unsure about their own identity, or maybe even ashamed for their record of non- acheivement, that they want to pretend to be somebody else?

Finally, the Scots Pine is a Highland tree, found in only part of Scotland as a native species. For a party that does so badly in the central belt and Borders, this could be a very bad idea indeed, suggesting that they represent only part of the total country. It is also very much in decline in some areas, again, not a good subliminal message to be sending out.

The final irony is that tree planting levels in Scotland under the SNP have been the lowest ever for the past two years, highlighting yet another area of failure that they might be better not highlighting.

Change your logo to revive your fortunes? No. Change your leader, accept a period in opposition, and dump your arrogance and parochialism and you might then revive your fortunes, after first accepting your inevitable fate in 2011.

And leave our wonderful Scots Pine alone..........

Cooncillors told to get blogging!!

Scotland's 1,222 councillors have recently been given instructions to make full use of blogging and other such media to communicate what they are doing more effectively to a wider audience. Advice is to make blogs informative but entertaining, not to go off on a rant and always to be aware of legal sanctions.

If anyone wants tuition on using this blog, be they cooncillors or local party members more generally, please get on touch with me directly or indirectly through the info@perthlibdems.org.uk e-mail address and I can get you started.

20-30 minutes is all that is required to get you blogging independantly. Blogs are a great way of letting people know what you are doing, for letting others see what photos you have and what you have been writing, for putting up videos and for putting up links to all sorts of interesting things that might be going on. Blogs that are constantly updated will also keep the Google visibility of the local party website high, making it easier for people to find us.

The main danger is in becoming addicted..........