Perth & Kinross Yes Hub

'Whisper it, you are allowed to – trust me, you can talk about it without fear. You should shout it from the rooftops: “Independence – it's about identity, it's about values, and it's about culture".'
@believeinscotland.bsky.social
www.believeinscotlan...

75% of Finland is a forest owned by huge cooperatives & that's key to equality. Last century Finnish pulp powered the European newspaper industry & all benefited - not one laird. It's one story we hope to tell in a new film this September. Crowdfunder live now www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/finland---...

There were a couple of very good talks about basic income at the recent @indyforumscot.bsky.social event. One by Craig Dalzell @thecommongreen.scot and one by Annie Miller champion of Basic Income @basicincomeaction.bsky.social They’ll be out soon on @scottishindypod.bsky.social

Scottish child poverty can only be eliminated with independence The Guardian newspaper has reported that Labour’s “flagship child poverty policy” has been delayed until at least the autumn, pushing tens of thousands more children into poverty …

'The appalling rates of child poverty in Scotland, as in the UK as a whole, are the result of political choices, They are choices Scotland’s people did not make and are not inevitable. An independent Scotland will be free to make different choices.'
@weegingerdug.bsky.social
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Michael Gove leaving a 2024 General Election rally

'We’d be mad to fall for Michael Gove’s gobbledygook on indyref route.'
@richardwalker5.bsky.social, via The National
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The astonishing year-round value for money of Scotland’s island ferry travel constantly being hidden from us By stewartb The ticket price differences are crazy. The single adult passenger fare for the 2 hour 45 minute journey from Penzance Harbour, Cornwall to St Mary’s Harbour, Isles of Scilly by the fer…

'One has to wonder how many of those exposed to constant negativity from BBC Scotland and others in the media about Calmac – and also politicians opposed to the Scottish Government – have any notion of the scale of the price differentials?'
@talking-upscotland.bsky.social
talkingupscotlandtwo...

A woman lying on a couch listening to the radio

'STV's new radio station could be the jolt Scottish music culture needs.'
Pat Kane, via the National
archive.is/hz97i

Scotland’s fishing industry has been undermined by the UK government - again.

Like the Tories, Labour didn’t even consult the Scottish Government and treated our fishing communities as expendable.

Only independence would give us the seat at the EU table to defend Scotland’s interests.

Salutation Hotel, Perth

You're invited to Independence Forum's Summer Convention on Scotland's Future on Saturday 14 June in Perth.
We'll discuss what it is to be a Scot (born here or not), land reform, energy, direct democracy, poverty and the Wellbeing Economy.
Free tickets here:
independenceforum.sc...

The Viceroy puts lipstick on a pig But it's still a pig

'The value of the trade deals concluded since Brexit pale compared to what the UK has lost in trade, business investment and freedom of movement by foolishly leaving its largest and nearest market of 450 million consumers - the EU.'
Leah Gunn Barrett, via 'Dear Scotland'
dearscotland.substac...

Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer at the Scottish Labour conference, waving to and basking in the appreciation of whoever the hell could still be bothered to turn up.

How far down the far-right drain will Anas Sarwar follow his UK boss, asks @weegingerdug?
We think you're going to need a pretty long probe...
via The National
archive.is/X3U9n

Flyer contents: Summer Convention on Scotland’s Future Saturday 14 June 2025 Moncrieffe Suite, Salutation Hotel, 30-34 South Street, Perth PH2 8PH ATTENDANCE FREE – BOOKING ESSENTIAL Including: ‘What Does It Mean to be a Scot Today?’ with Stuart McHardy and Roger Emmerson Updates on Scotland’s Future: Energy, Land and Democracy Poverty & The Wellbeing Economy with Craig Dalzell (Common Weal), Eva Comrie (Lawyer & Activist), William Thomson (Scotonomics), Annie Miller (Basic Income Network Scotland) ‘What Does a Wealthy Country Look Like In the 21st Century?’ Panel Discussion and Q + A with Audience Widening the Horizon – Looking Towards the Autumn Convention More information and link to booking form at https://independenceforum.scot/national-convention/

A flyer for the latest Independence Forum Convention on Scotland's Future, which will be at one of my local stamping grounds, the Salutation Hotel, Perth, on Saturday 14 June.
Their Spring Convention in Edinburgh was pretty good, and this looks like another cracker.
Book now! (QR code in image)

BBC Wales and Scotland today – two very different worlds to wake to Professor John Robertson OBA From the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast today, two very different editorial judgements of what folk need to know as they rise to face the new day. …

'From the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast, two very different editorial judgements of what folk need to know as they rise to face the new day.'
You'll not be surprised at the results of the @talking-upscotland.bsky.social comparison...
talkingupscotlandtwo...

Keir Starmer behind a 'Securing Britain's Future' lectern, announcing another dumb-nuts policy that wil actually destory it.

'Politically, Great Britain is already a long, long way from the open, inclusive, outward-looking vision that we were all invited to “lead, not leave” more than a decade ago.'
Seamus Logan, via The National.
archive.is/T1CS6

Banner image for The Lesley Riddoch Podcast with Pat Joyce - politics from a Scottish perspective. Cartoon images of Lesley and Pat and, below the strapline, silhouette images of Scottish and Westminster landmarks.

'A Bag of Spanners' - new podcast from Lesley Riddoch and Pat Joyce.
An island of strangers. Is this the nail in Labour's coffin?
When will any Scottish MP bar Brian Leishman push back?
Will Indy be page 1 line 1 of the SNP's Holyrood manifesto? If not, why not?
And more...
www.lesleyriddoch.co...

TNT Show. Ep201. With Jason Baird & Lynn Hastie on IndyApp #GetCounted. #GetCounted is a grassroots campaign for people to register their support for Scottish independence and get connected with other supporters whenever they are ready via the IndyApp. Jason Baird from the IndyApp and Lynn Hastie f TNT Show. Ep201. With Jason Baird & Lynn Hastie on IndyApp #GetCounted.

Latest Independence Live TNT Show, with host John Drummond speaking to Lynn Hastie and Jason Baird of IFS member organisation National Yes Registry about its #GetCounted campaign.
www.youtube.com/watc...

The Salutation Hotel, Perth.

Places are now available at the IFS Summer Convention on Scotland's Future on Saturday 14 June from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Salutation Hotel, Perth. It's free to attend, but booking is essential.
Read the draft programme for the day and find the booking form here:
independenceforum.sc...

Broken Britain, Scotland’s Opportunity British politics is being remade before our eyes, the consequence of decades of failure, grotesque social inequality and the collapse of living standards. These are the conditions in which the poli…

'A hard-right English nationalist government would be on a collision course with Scotland, and a Stephen Flynn-led SNP clashing with a Farage PM would be an entirely different dynamic than a Swinney-Starmer one.'
Mike Small, via @bellacaledonia.bsky.social
bellacaledonia.org.u...

Anas Sarwar, June 2024: "We need migration around the health and social care system, of course we do."

Another U-turn coming your way in 3...2...1...

TWICE as many wait over 8 hours in NHS Wales A&E departments but Holyrood Mag finds a way to hide that fact and others favourable to NHS Scotland as well as to fake their figures stewartb An article about NHS Scotland in Holyrood Magazine today has a very odd statistic. Am I missing something? See: Holyrood Magazine (February10, , 2025) Bed Bound: The chronic problem o…

As the Daily Record lets Anas Sarwar campaign with lies about NHS Scotland, the facts 2: talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/02/10/t...

How polls turn a lead for Yes into a lead for No You may have seen that a poll on support for Scottish independence was published this week. The headline figures on the poll, carried out by Survation, put No ahead on 44%, with Yes on 43% and unde…

'If an opinion poll weights by the outcome of the 2014 referendum, then you can be certain that it is under-reporting the Yes figures and they are most likely to be higher. It will also be overstating the No figures, which in reality will be lower.'
@weegingerdug.bsky.social
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Question: 'Under Westmister, it's a half-baked trade deal - whisky and salmon excluded and Trump calling the shots. With independence, Scotland could sort out its trade properly by restoring its links with the EU. Do you agree?' Results: a cluster of votes for Yes, a single ball for No.

Not scientific, but a fairly conclusive vote in our mini-poll on today's Perth High Street stall.

Survation repeat their regular sample ‘adjustment’ to pluck another No vote to influence rather than inform Professor John Robertson OBA In the midst of clear dissatisfaction with the UK Labour Government’s new austerity policies, collapsing support for Labour and Cons, the pollster Survation manag…

'In the midst of clear dissatisfaction with UK Government austerity policies, and collapsing support for Labour and Cons, Survation manages still to pluck a predicted majority for No in an independence referendum.
How do they do it?'
@talking-upscotland.bsky.social explains.
talkingupscotlandtwo...

The EU headquarters in Brussels

'The EU is not a rescue project. But it can be part of a wider context in which that work becomes more possible.
There’s scope for real co-operation, even within current limits – but it needs political will and a clearer sense of purpose.'
Assa Samake-Roman via The National
archive.is/EQRKX

Remaining in some corner of a foreign field that is ‘forever Scotland’, our army war dead, a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK ”Too many never returned. They remain in some corner of a foreign field that is forever England”- Prince William, today. By Professor John Robertson In May 2020, after reading new resea…

On VE Day, once more, Scotland's 63% higher WW2 army war death rate than the rest of the UK, confirmed by research, but never Mentioned:
talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/06/05/r...

'There's a hideous prospect of a Westminster with a large contingent of anti EU Little England fundamentalists driving the bus.
Independence for Scotland may once have seemed the risky choice. Now staying in the UK seems the most unsafe.'
@believeinscotland.bsky.social
www.believeinscotlan...

The unlamented death of the Tories, and their replacement with something worse Just over one hundred years ago, the two major political parties in the UK were the Tories and the Liberals. Then the Labour party rose on the left – Labour really was a left wing party back …

'The choice facing Scotland has never been starker. It’s independence in Europe or the far right corrupt authoritarian of Farage, forced to bend a knee to the whims of the man baby emperor in the White House.'
@weegingerdug.bsky.social
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A Highland loch with mountains in the background

'At heart, land reform is about empowering our communities.'
Ariane Burgess, via The National
archive.is/eFx58

Scotland in the EU: good for Scotland, good for Europe Hear supportive voices from Brussels for Independent Scotland’s EU future & find out why Scotland's EU membership is good for both sides.

On Friday 9 May, Europe Day, Yes For EU is organising an event showing how an Independent Scotland would be welcome back into the EU family of nations.
Free tickets are available on Eventbrite for the live event at Augustine United Church in Edinburgh, or for live-streaming.
www.eventbrite.co.uk...

Starmer’s failure is Scotland’s opportunity What exactly is the point of Starmer’s supposedly Labour government? Just a few days after we learned that Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves are considering tax cuts for billionaire te…

'I’ve never witnessed a new government, moreover one elected with a landslide Commons majority, become so unpopular so quickly. It’s as if Starmer set out deliberately to alienate everyone who voted Labour in July in the hope of getting change from the Tories.'
Wee Ginger Dug
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