Politics on both side of the Atlantic seems to be in turmoil, with Donald Trump’s administration taking some very bad hits and Tony Blair seeking to derail Brexit.
A week is a long time in politics and I’m sure Donald Trump could have done without last week’s unfortunate revelations.
The resignation of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, over undisclosed conversations with Russia and the implications of Moscow’s involvement in the residential election were major blows.
Even the president’s first choice of replacement, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned him down flat – and who could blame him in the circumstances.
The White House has gone through a tumultuous time and the first 100 days have just begun.
I hope Donald Trump’s new director of communications, Mike Dubke, persuades him to stop talking about the press and its “false news”; I’m sure the American people are fed up of it – I know we are.
On this side of the Atlantic former Prime Minister Tony Blair is still banging on about another Brexit vote. It makes me wonder if he and Nicola Sturgeon are related or were perhaps separated at birth.
As a democrat surely he is supposed to accept the referendum vote. I’m sure if the result had been the other way round he’d have been happy to.
It’s sad to see politicians who are opposed to Brexit trying to undermine the decision and, even worse, when they’re having discussions with the Eurocrats in Brussels about how to pull the plug.
As the Brexit discussions, hard, soft or medium, continue to fill newspapers, our negotiators should remember to get the best possible deal for the UK as a whole – which of course still includes Scotland – and must not be bullied into giving in at the first hurdle.
Business rates hike will see firms go to the wall
I knew the business rate increases would cause a huge outrage and now Aberdeen’s leading five-star hotel owner is joining the battle to put pressure on the Scottish Government.
Stewart Spence owner of the Marcliffe, says he’ll pay the previous business rates, but not the new much larger figure.
I totally agree with his and the rest of our business community’s argument.
The government needs to rethink its decision or more of our local businesses will go to the wall.
They’ve suffered enough already with the downturn in oil.
Keeping pressure up to stop awful puppy farms
Over-breeding and the associated appalling treatment of dogs has finally got a puppy farmer into trouble.
The culprit was jailed for six months for causing unnecessary suffering to 30 dogs.
My own wee dog Bella was a result of over-breeding, she had untreated cataracts and was blind at only six months.
There’s nothing we can now do for Bella except support her. But we can still target these unscrupulous individuals.
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