This is Northumberland Calling 27.04.24

The Some say Karma is a b**** but I hear she is a TERF edition

Hello American (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

To understand what is happening in Scotland, cast your mind back to about a year ago when Nicola Sturgeon’s successor was chosen, one Humza Yousaf. One of his challengers for the leadership, a Gender Critical MSP named Ash Regan was forced out over her refusal to support self-id (in short she behaved with integrity) and joined Alex Salmond’s Alba Party, becoming their only MSP. The SNP delighted in giving her a ‘cupboard under the stairs ‘ as an office and Yousaf said that she was no great loss. <cough> Things are different today because Ash Regan may hold the key to Yousaf’s survival.

Yesterday Yousaf unexpectedly (and not before time) ended the Bute House Agreement, the pact between the SNP and the Greens to govern Scotland until 2026 and make it the most socially liberal place on earth. Yousaf ended it for a variety of reasons including the science-denying Greens actively refusing to accept the Cass Report. He also decided the Net Zero targets demanded by the Greens were unworkable. The Greens were going to have a vote in May to see if they should withdraw and in the meantime, Ash Regan had tabled a vote of no confidence in the Green’s co-leader Patrick Harvie for his stance on undermining the Cass Report.  Apparently the Cass Report stiffened a number of the SNP’s back bone and they were going to agree with Regan and so Yousaf acted.

Yousaf stated that he decided to try and govern as a minority party. He does not want to go to the polls as the SNP are unpopular because of in part the socially liberal laws they forced through and the other scandals such as the ferries. Yousaf now faces a vote of No Confidence tabled by the Conservatives but now supported by the Seven Green MSP who are gunning for Yousaf because Yousaf has deprived them of their power. I should note that the Greens only held some of their seats (including Harvie’s) because of proportional representation.   Because the SNP missed an over all of majority by just one vote in 2021 and have only had one MSP defect, he will lose 63 -65 if all the opposition MSPs vote against him. If he can convince Ash Regan to support him, it will be 64-64 and the Principal will decide. In these situations, the convention is to go with the status quo if there is a tie. Regan has indicated that she is willing to talk about women’s issues. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/humza-yousaf-ends-snp-power-sharing-deal-with-greens-752756g33  or https://archive.ph/zlnCS

As JK Rowling tweeted:

https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1783542622457336295

Some say karma is a bitch but I hear she is a TERF.

The lesson is about what happens when the centre develops a backbone and stops pandering to the fringes.  It is something that Nicola Sturgeon. Leo Varadkar and now Humza Yousaf has found out. Yousaf may yet end up resigning and allowing the socially very conservative Katie Forbes to take over. Not quite what the Bute House Agreement envisioned back in 2021.

Considering that stories are coming out about Biden wanting to appease his far Left fringe which is showing racist tendencies (see this op ed by Gerald Baker https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/biden-cant-risk-alienating-the-racist-far-left-69tf220vr or https://archive.ph/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/biden-cant-risk-alienating-the-racist-far-left-69tf220vr ), perhaps he should consider that the bulk of voters are not at the fringes but solidly in the centre. Voters know the fringes exist, they trust the major political parties to be bulwarks against extremism, not actively facilitate it. When they go too extreme, the centre desert. And major political parties do need their centre voters or they collapse.

Britain is about to spend more on defence. The Conservatives have pledged  2.5% of the GDP. Labour (most likely to win the upcoming GE) have offered a far more nebulous figure. The main driver is Trump telling Europe to spend more or not count on America. Also the need to have a home-grown defence system industry has been laid bare with the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. Israel famously does have a home grown defence industry. Ukraine’s is far less robust. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/04/24/labour-failing-keep-britain-safe-refuses-defence-spend-rise/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/04/24/labour-failing-keep-britain-safe-refuses-defence-spend-rise/

In a surprise to very few, MI5 have warned about the problem with hostile states targeting universities, particularly where sensitive research is being conducted. A more robust vetting process is going to be enacted to combat the growing problem. One of the big elephants in the room is the British university system’s financial dependence on foreign students (particularly Chinese)  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/25/hostile-states-targeting-uk-universities-warns-mi5/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/25/hostile-states-targeting-uk-universities-warns-mi5/

Apparently, Ireland is suffering a huge increase in asylum seekers because the people in question fear the proposed Rwandan flights. 80% of recent asylum seekers travelled through the UK to get to Ireland. Immigration is already a huge headache for Ireland as they don’t have the infrastructure (see the Nov 2023 riots) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/25/asylum-seekers-deterred-by-rwanda-bill-entering-ireland/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/04/25/asylum-seekers-deterred-by-rwanda-bill-entering-ireland/

The new advances in being able to read the scrolls from the papyri of Herculeum has resulted in the rediscovery of where Plato was buried and slight alterations to his life. They are now calling the technique a ‘bionic eye’. They have also announced the 2024 prize of £100,000 to anyone who develops a quicker way of reading.  The goal ultimately is to be able to real all the scrolls.  https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/04/deciphered-herculaneum-papyrus-reveals-precise-burial-place-of-plato/

Is it Jam Wars or does the King have good business sense? Less than a week after Meghan Markle released her new ‘strawberry jam’, the Royal Collection has highlighted its strawberry jam. Personally I suspect the King having created the widely successful Duchy Originals is well aware of the popularity of jam or other condiments in the royal gift shops. A cream tea is most likely a best seller in their restaurant… I suspect he will be overhauling quite a lot as he certainly left the Duchy of Cornwall far more stable financially than when he inherited it.  The timing is just coincidence. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/25/jam-wars-buckingham-palace-promotes-preserve-meghan-rival/ or https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/25/jam-wars-buckingham-palace-promotes-preserve-meghan-rival/

Here I have been battling the Northumberland County Council over who owns the land where the tree which fell at the end of January came from. Their insurance company denied it was them but wouldn’t tell me who owned it. I contacted my local councillor to ask if he knew as I refused to believe that a single square inch of England isn’t owned by someone. . He came out last Sunday, took one look and said – yes, it is the County Council as it is a footpath and no one else would own that strip of land. He is now going to sort it with the person in charge of footpaths.  There are reasons why he has been a councillor for 37 years. So my fingers are firmly crossed that the rather large tree will finally get removed and the wall repaired.

After his walk

Paddy is doing well and enjoying his longer walks instead of playing in the garden because he has learned about jumping on the tree....

My writing of the latest Viking continues.

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