Home sweet home
Spent the morning at 大象传媒 Scotland鈥檚 latest Soundtown, Baldragon Academy in the great and noble city of Dundee.
Many, many congratulations to the young folk and their teachers who are making such a success of the endeavour 鈥 and plainly enjoying themselves thoroughly in the process.
It鈥檚 always a delight to return to Dundee, the finest place in the known universe. But I found Baldragon a particular source of memories. I dimly recall that, in its previous incarnation as Kirkton High School, I once played chess there with a visiting team from another Dundee school.
More to the point, a fair chunk of my family once lived in and around Baldragon: farm, that is, not academy. The associated village of Bridgefoot or 鈥淏riggie鈥, then distinctly rural, now seems to be effectively part of the city.
During today鈥檚 visit, I was interviewed for one of the programmes the students are putting together, with S2 youngsters in charge of vision and sound as well as the format and the interviews. Exceptionally well researched and executed.
I was also questioned in depth by the Higher Modern Studies Class.
Among the many, many things they wanted to know about were: the balance of powers between Parliament and Ministers at Holyrood; the scrutiny role of MSPs; likely clash points between Scotland and Westminster; the Barnett formula; public funding more generally; the West Lothian question; the prospects for independence; the influence of social conditions on health; free prescriptions, right or wrong.
For an hour, we batted these topics and others back and forward, with intelligent supplementary questions from the students to keep me on my toes.
No vitriol, no cynicism, no bias, no bogus accusations, no futile claim and counter-claim, no ludicrous rhetoric. Refreshing. Quite literally, refreshing.
The final question, by the way, was: 鈥淎s a fellow Arab, how much do you think United will win by in the CIS cup final next Saturday?鈥 As in elected politics, a margin of one is enough.
I'm 
Comments
As always Brian, a real pleasure to read.
I admit, even as an Edinburgher, Dundee has a certain quality about it. Much as Perth and Stirling do. Something about Dundee's skyline, with your Law and RRS Discovery and your bridges. Very pleasing indeed.
Re Barnett Formula
You nats should start singing from the same hymm sheet.
According to the SNP only 600 million is sent to Westminister after including 95% of oil and gas revenue, 0% of overseas missions, 6% of defence and 100% of whisky revenue.
It would help if you had read the document before making your banal statement - it mentions 拢600million SURPLUS - ie after all taxation in Scotland has paid for our share of all UK debts etc
you may be 'the answer' but I'm struggling to think of what the question would be!
Answer, Aye you are right, Scotland has a surplus of 610 million after we have paid our share of UK debt and the illegal war in Iraq and Afghanistan.Then we have to take into account the costs of all the UK overseas expenditure on embassies, tourism marketing blah blah blah.
Are you a couple of bob short in the heid?. In case you hadnt noticed laddie, the UK had over 500 billion debt, of which Scotland paid its share out of one years income. The UK could not afford to do the same because they have a financial debt of 500 billion after Scotland had paid its share. The UK runs a yearly deficit even with the oil. They are broke and have no chance of getting into surplus after 10 years of Blair as Prime Minister, and worse 10 years of Brown as Chancellor who it now appears drove this group of countries into their biggest deficit ever, since the debt they accrued from borrowings to fight the second world war. Also these figures do not include the recent upgrade of the figures, to include Alistair Darling/Gordon Brown fiasco over the Northern Rock disaster. Lets not forget that the 100 billion extra debt was from an English Company, so Scotland has no debt from their mismanagement.
Yes Answer Scotland SHOWS A SURPLUS. BUT ENGLAND INCLUDING LONDON ARE BROKE AND IF THEY WERE A LIMITED COMPANY THE DIRECTORS WOULD BE OBLIGED TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT THEY WERE INSOLVENT.
The People I really feel sorry for are the ordinary English Folk who have been betrayed by the lies that have come out of the Government Controlled Media like the 大象传媒. They poor buggers are skint and once more putting out the begging bowl, because Blair and Brown sold everything including the kitchen sink very cheaply, to their cronies in Washington.
"no cynicism, no bias, no bogus accusations, no futile claim and counter-claim, no ludicrous hetoric. Refreshing."
Agreed!
Now wouldn't also be refreshing if, when ever anybody tried it on, the 大象传媒 labelled it as such?
It is fantastic to read such a positive article about Dundee, and more so, it's young people.
Thanks
1 . ???
Dont know where you get your figure from. As A Unionist who is not scared or willing to be scaremongered, I believe (and quite rightly according to treasury figures) that scotland more than pays her way, out of the 13 UK regions scotlands is the 3rd highest GDP outwith London and southest regions(granted Londons is twice ours). However add the oil revenue (or 95%) to the scottish GDP and take it away from Londons GDP and scotland becomes 2nd highest earning region in the uk. GDP is calculated per person so every pound earned in london is worth 2 for scotland because we have half the population.
True we would not be world powers, but neither would England,
Secoundly, Yes scotland gets more funding per head than england however funding is spent regionally every region in britain gets different funding and there are regions in the UK that get more than Scotland and put less into the treasury, such as Northern Ireland and the region that gets most funding per head is London.
You dont really think domes eyes and new rail projects in the billions come from nowhere do you.
So stop with all this anti scots barnett crap it just fuels the fire of the nationalists. Scotland would do equally well as any other small nation, but I believe given greater devolution and powers to effect scotland economy we could do wonderful things within a UK framework.
"Dundee, the finest place in the known universe."
Erm - I think not.
Not sure wether Dundee is the best place on earth Brian but I am there for University and its great fun (I should really hate it being a St Johnstone supporter).
Re Comment number 1: Boring typical single/narrowminded avenue of only looking at things from a financial perspective - in the nicest way possible get a life!
P.S. I will be supporting united in the Final...
New revelations suggest that documents have been found that prove that the council tax relief of around 拢400 million is part of the Scottish block grant and therefore cannot be withheld by Westminster.
If correct it would scupper Labour's attempt to hamstring the new Scottish government's plans to introduce a new income based system for calculating council tax.
Brian
I agree 1 is enough but try and count the Arabs who'll be there that won't be reasonably satisfied with 10.
Yah-knighted!
@The Answer post #2
You obviously tkae a very different reading from that report than anyone else does.
"And, in 2005/2006, this long-term position was confirmed. Scottish taxes came to 拢50.52 billion
while spending was just 拢49.15 billion...
...Taking into account Scotland鈥檚 share of the UK鈥檚 deficit for that year, Scotland had a relative
surplus of 拢3.55 billion."
I presume you would argue we should be a unified european state as the UK deficit is over 35 billion and by labours reckoning that means it could never survive as an independant state.
Anyone who still belives Scotland would be worse off financially after devolution has clearly failed to take the time to look at the facts.
If we turn up on Saturday, we'll win by a barrow load. I think it might be a bit tighter on Sunday though!
While it is heartening to hear about all the good stuff going on in Dundee, whenever I hear that city's name is mentioned I can't help but be reminded of it's continuing shame i.e., that "Dundee has recorded the highest abortion rate for the fifth consecutive year." That is according to official Scottish Executive figures.
No ludicrous rhetoric. Tragic, quite literally, tragic.
Brian
Did you ever fish the Dighty at Bridgefoot? I had many a happy day there when I was wee, cycling out from Dundee. Occasionally managed to catch something too.
Great positive article about Dundee.
It is heartening to hear something nice about Dundee. I worked there for four years, and lived there for just over a year (in Trottick, right next to Kirkton), and it's got a lot going for it these days. 2 years of living in Hackney have certainly made me re-evaluate me previous opinions about Kirkton!
The Answer: you are quite deranged.
Queen of the South 2
Dundee United 0
Scottish Cup quarter final
I think that says it all.
Unfortunately not #17.
Dundee Utd fell at the hands of the mighty St Mirren in the previous round....unless, of course, the Arabs have set a new record of being knocked out of the same competition twice.......