The clock is ticking on Theresa May’s countdown to Brexit and there are still a few unanswered questions.
Just little ones, mind, nothing to worry about. It’s only the small matter of the rights of EU citizens already living, working and paying taxes here.
Oh, and the whole thing about Scotland’s very reasonable request to find a way to stay in the single market with its free movement of people.
Mind you, those pesky SNP kids in power at Holyrood need to drop the flag-waving and tunnel vision on breaking away. Well, so Mrs May told the Scottish Tory conference with its Union Jack-clad delegates delighted at breaking away from Europe.
Let’s not dive into the whole indyref2 thing here – other than to point out Mrs May (sort of Maggie Thatcher light but without the warmth) is doing her level best to make it happen.
But away from that issue, can we talk about immigration, please. As in, Scotland needs it. Badly.
As in who do you think is keeping the NHS working right now, from surgeons to nurses to catering staff?
Who’s looking after your loved ones in their care home?
Who is bolstering our highly-skilled cutting-edge industries?
Who is the backbone of our tourism and leisure industry?
Who is bringing new strands of vibrancy and culture to our society, the way immigrants have over the centuries? (Go stream The Proclaimers song Scotland’s Story. Says it better than I ever could).
And who is going to do all of that when the hard-right cabal of Tories currently running Scotland (democratic deficit anyone?) slam the door firmly shut on Europe.
Immigration is vital to the future prosperity of Scotland. Don’t listen to the narrow-minded ignorance of those who talk about spongers coming here and taking our jobs and our houses.
The new Scots who arrive are doing so because they want a better life and they are willing to work hard, really hard, to do it. And that benefits us all.
Now we are staring at the stark prospect of that flow of new blood being stemmed even though we don’t want it to be. Well, the sensible ones among us. And we’re blessed with having more of them than the closed minded haters.
We’re days away from the Brexit trigger being pulled. For pity’s sake can we all speak up to dodge the bullet coming our way.
MSP’s strange way to show support for his own area
Thank goodness our oil and gas sector is doing so brilliantly well at the moment.
More support from the industry in the Westminster budget? No. It gets quite enough already. Besides no one in Aberdeen is asking for that because they’re too busy saying it’s the most fiscally attractive place in the world.
So, my thanks to Tory energy spokesman and West Aberdeenshire MSP Alexander Burnett for clearing that up.
And thanks, too, for putting me right on my misconception politicians speak up for the interests of the area which elected them.
Good luck to traders’ idea for new Artisan Quarter
Every city has a street at its heart that is, to put none too fine a point on it, scruffy and a tad leery.
Aberdeen’s is George Street, a thoroughfare that I had always thought of being as much unloved as it is unlovely.
How wrong was I? The newly-formed George Street Traders Association has a belter of an idea to make it the Granite City’s Artisan Quarter, replete with cool, specialist local shops and businesses.
And they might even be right with the idea of some funky feature lighting to make it extra special. Go for it and the best of luck. Goodness knows George Street needs some TLC.
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