Friday 27/11/
Edinburgh West SNP Adoption Dinner for Westminster Candidate Sheena Cleland will be held in St Kentigem’s Church Hall, 26-28 Parkgrove Avenue, Edinburgh. Chef Paul Rogerson will prepare a two course gourmet dinner including wine. Tickets £20 each from Sheena Cleland email: sheena.cleland@snp.org

Friday 27/11/
Edinburgh SNP Club is holding a St Andrew’s Whisky Tasting in the Edinburgh SNP Club, 16 North St Andrew Street at 7.30pm. Tickets £10 each.

Saturday 28/11/
Please help, if you can, Edinburgh East SNP and Westminster Candidate George Kerevan’s campaigning. Meet at Edinburgh South CA office 2 Montague Street at 10.00.

Monday 30/11/ (St Andrew’s Day)
SNP will launch its White Paper on Independence Referendum. This will be a comprehensive document and Party members can apply for a background paper on Monday morning  from www.snp.org /members/mysnp.

Wednesday 02/12/
Newington Branch SNP member as well as Edinburgh East CA Westminster Candidate and associate editor of  THE SCOTSMAN newspaper will give a talk entitled “What Does Scottish Independence Mean in The 21st Century”. The event will be held at 20.00 in the Argyle Bar, Argyle Place (near Sick Children’s Hospital, Edinburgh). The talk will be followed by a Q & A session.

Friday 04/12/
Starting at 7.00pm “Marchmont SNP Xmas Wine & Cheese” night will include a talk by Jim Sillars entitled “The Case for Independence”. There will be a Q & A session followed by cheese and wine at 9.00pm. Tickets £8 each from Jim Orr at email: james_orr1@yahoo.co.uk

Wednesday 09/12/
Merchiston – Morningside SNP Branch meeting and “Xmas Party” will be held at 7.30pm at Falcon House, 91 Morningside Road, EDINBURGH. After the meeting mince pies and mulled wine will be served courtesy of Edinburgh South Westminster candidate Sandy Howat. All Branch members welcome

EDINBURGH SOUTH SNP:
The next meeting of Edinburgh South SNP / Westminster Liaison Committee will be held on Tuesday 17 November at 19.30, in the Top Floor, St Columba’s Church Hall, 13 Upper Gray Street, Salisbury, EDINBURGH.

EDINBURGH CITY ASSOCIATION MEETING:
The next Edinburgh City Association Meeting will be held on Thursday 26 November at 19.00, in the SNP Club, North St Andrews Street, EDINBURGH.

ST ANDREWS NIGHT – EDINBURGH WEST- ADOPTION DINNER
The adoption dinner of Westminster candidate Ms Sheena Cleland, will take place on Friday 27 November at 19.00, in St Kentigem’s Church Hall, 26 – 28 Parkgrove Avenue. EDINBURGH. Tickets cost £20 for a 2 course gourmet dinner, including wine prepared by world champion chef Paul Rogerson. Tickets on sale from Sheena Cleland at sheena.cleland@snp.org

ST ANDREWS WHISKY TASTING:
Will be held on Friday 27 November in Edinburgh SNP Club, North St Andrew Street, EDINBURGH. (Tickets £10.00)

MARCHMONT SNP LECTURE WITH WINE & CHEESE :
“The Case for Independence” will be presented by former SNP MP Jim Sillars on Friday 4 December at 20.00, in the Argyle Bar Cellar, Argyle Place, Marchmont, EDINBURGH. Wine and cheese evening starts at 21.00. Tickets £8.00 from Jim Orr, tel 07988 567135 ….james_orr1@yahoo.co.uk

MERCHISTON – MORNINGSIDE SNP  XMAS BRANCH MEETING
The next branch meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 December at 19.30, in Falcon House, Morningside Road.
Mulled wine and Xmas pies after meeting…..ALL BRANCH  MEMBERS WELCOME.

The recent splurging of printers red ink and temporal reporting on the additional £25bn quantitative easing funding, by the UK government, produced the following eye catching statements from RBS, Lloyds and the SNP in Westminster.
□ RBS’s CE Hester warned “that the other disposals – insurance, investment banking and commodities trading, will reduce and not increase competition” since they would be acquired by rivals……..
□ Lloyds CE Daniels was reluctant to sign up to GAPS (government’s asset protection scheme) deciding instead to raise £13.5 billion of fresh equity and billions of pounds of new bonds remarked “Frankly, we could not care less about politics”…………
□ SNP Treasury Spokesman Stewart Hosie MP remarked on the Government’s Quantitative Leap -
“Without consulting parliament, the UK Government pressed ahead with this scheme – the cost of which is rapidly escalating without proven benefit”.
Well, there you have it three diverse but significant statements from three people in the middle of the current UK major banking shake-down…….Where we go from here is anyone’s guess!!! The strategy seems hasty and short term. Why is the UK government, RBS and Lloyds jumping so quickly to the EU’s pied piper competition commissioner Neelie Kroes. Are they afraid that the current situation may deteriorate instead of improving?
There is a tragic air to the rapid and forced demise of RBS. Once a global operator and one of the largest banks in the world, RBS will soon be forced to retreat back over the Border to, once again, be a mere provincial outfit. Questions are being asked and so they should, why is the RBS insurance business included in the shake-up or the Bank’s US subsidiary Citizens. The banking crisis was the result of uncontrolled and unsound investment banking practices and not insurance. Both Direct Line and Churchill are coming under heavy shelling, when after all they were innocent observers to the banking credit crisis.
The other day, RBS’s CE Stephen Hester suggested that the profitable insurance businesses could be floated. This could be an opportunity for Scotland’s crippled finance sector to secure a major part of RBS and create thousands of new jobs in a new business in Scotland …….

The past ten years of banking “boom and bust” should be a wakeup call to all of us. The 2008 banking tsunami has affected all of us in the United Kingdom. Many pensioners have seen their investment and savings incomes drop substantially. Our Labour panjandrums Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling’s constant referral to a “global banking crisis” is far from the truth. There is little evidence of a serious credit crisis in China, India, Middle East, Canada, Australia and Spain. If the EU’s commissioner Neelie Kroes is portrayed as a modern banking Joan of Arc, then Spain’s Santander with operations in Spain, the UK, Brazil, Mexico and the Far East is being portrayed as a global bank, that is achieving the sort of growth that Sir Fred Goodwin plotted for RBS. This Bank which was wounded by the takeover of Dutch rival ABN Amro made UK record losses of £24.1bn in 2008. RBS is expected to place around £280bn in bad loans into the APS, (Asset Protection Scheme), raising the government’s and taxpayers’ stake to 84%. The treasury is ready to pump a further £20bn into the bank in return for shares. Llyods is planning a £21bn fundraising rights issue to avoid the taxpayer’s insurance scheme for toxic debts
The EU’s insistence that the UK’s RBS and Lloyds Banking Groups must be broken up, as a result of receiving huge state aid. RBS, which is 70% owned by UK taxpayers, will sell off its insurance business as well as branches in England and Wales. Llyods, on the other hand will be told to offload 185 Lloyds TSB branches as well as Cheltenham & Gloucester mortgage business. Lloyds is currently 43.5% owned by the UK taxpayers.
The cold wind of change, is already blowing through the UK’s banks. The RBS’s decision to shed 3,700 banking jobs throughout the UK will result in hundreds of job losses throughout Scotland.
Coming on top of the UK Treasury’s decision to pump a further £25bn into RBS and £5bn into Lloyds on top of the £37bn last year to prevent the major banks collapsing. This injection of funding will directly influence the selling of Northern Rock and the break up of the RBS and Lloyds Groups.
Not everyone agrees with the EU commissioner’s hard line on the UK banks. RBS’s shares fell 10% yesterday and the bank’s CE Stephen Hester, although accepting the proposed EU cuts, is not wholly convinced that they will be positive for investors, taxpayers and the future of the Group.
The chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), Adair Turner has stated that separating retail and investment banking could increase risk. The new financial system could be even more unstable than the present one. The current financial and banking sectors produced, though risky trading activities, large profits for individual traders but huge costs for taxpayers….This must never be allowed to happen again.

St Andrews Day Draw:
Please return tickets with payment to Scott Moffat before Friday 20/11/2009
St Andrews Day Dinner:
Will be held on Friday 27 November, full details to follow
Edinburgh City Association:
The next meeting in the SNP Club on 12 November at 7.00pm
“The Case for Independence” by Jim Sillars:
Is planned for Friday 4 December at 7.30pm in Argyle Bar, Marchmont. This event will be followed by Marchmont SNP Wine & Cheese evening costing £8/person
National Council Forum:
Will be held on Saturday 5 December from 11.00 until 16.30 in the Dewars Centre, Perth. The deadline for Resolutions
is 09.00 on Friday 20 November or by email to ian.mccann@snp.org
Glasgow North East By-Election
The by-election will be held on Thursday 12 November. The campaign HQ is at 10 Angus Street, Springburn, Glasgow G21 1DN, tel: 07504 830227 or campaign organiser Ari Mack tel: 07504 830227. Please try and travel to Springburn to help David Kerr win this important by-election.
(Events posted on 02/11/09 by Branch Secretary Alex Orr)

Who is this wee big man? He calls himself Ben!!! He’s more a Nevis than a Corbett. He wears his old black Fedora, brim turned down and his long black rain coat is not far off the pavement. He’s certainly no Mel Gibson look alike but in a dark room could easily pass for Orsen Wells’ wee brother. Standing a little more than 5 foot something tall, you could easily pass him in the street or busy railway station but at any SNP Conference, he stands out as a true patriot and real activist. His infectious deep chortling laugh can be heard above the hub bub of any busy watering hole. Almost 80, he stands too far from his shaving mirror: His white stubble and apology for a moustache give him a Lord of The Rings character look.
I first met Ben, a few years ago, in a well known Rose street pub, off the Capital’s Princes Street. He has his own permanent stool at the corner of the round bar. Postcards sent to him, from all over the world, addressed simply to “Ben, End of Bar, Rose Street, EDINBURGH”, always reach him. That’s probably more than Mel Gibson can boast!!!
He is a retired Royal Bank of Scotland, tie wearer, a well travelled expert piper and he has the Gaelic. It’s this latter skill, which first attracted me to him. He changes from one language to the other naturally and makes chatting to him an exciting journey from the Lowlands to the Highlands and from the present back to the past.
“Ciamar a tha sibh”- how are you?
“Tha gu math, tapadh leibh” – I’m well, thank you,I reply
And then, I’m invited to share memories of his globe trotting over a couple of drams. Hawaii is a favourite of his but that’s a story for another day.
“Slainte mhòr agad” - Good health to you
I met Ben recently, at our SNP Annual Conference in the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. I bumped into him several times during the 4 days of intensive politicking and evening arm bending. As always it was the black hat, like a Robert Stevenson’s lighthouse and his jay like chortle, like a western island fog horn, that drew my attention to him.
“Ah, ‘ille bhig ruaidh” – you’ve come at last
“Glé mhath” – I reply
We always exchange brief greetings and news and then go our separate ways.
At the end of the Conference, I was booked on the Monday mid-day 13.45 train from Inverness to Edinburgh. When I walked into the station sheltered from a wet and windy Highland capital…..there he was!!! The black hat and black coat were complimented by a bulky black shoulder suit bag. I knew I was going to have an interesting and maybe even eventful journey home. As I approached Ben, I noticed he was swaying slightly. Funny, I thought, there’s no strong winds in here. When we greeted each other, he admitted that it had been “a fantastic conference”.
We boarded, what turned out to be a very busy train and enjoyed a superb journey home.
Thanks to First ScotRail and Tomak’s excellent trolley service, we toasted each other many times:
“Slainte glé mhath”………….

This was a superb Holyrood SNP mid-term conference. More than 750 delegates, visitors, observers, staffers were all enthuised by the range and content of the keynote addresses, resolutions, fringe events, exhibitions and stalls. Inverness the capital of the Scottish Highlands was a magnificent host location and for 4 October days unusually dry. The mild and sunny weather enhanced a river bank with a backdrop of rich autumn colours. An important message at conference was that the SNP  has shown in government that “it has what it takes” to help Scotland through the recession. In his keynote address Alex Salmond MSP remarked “that parties , who opose an independence referendum, could suffer at the ballot box”. He also emphasised that the Inverness conference was a launchpad for the SNP’s campaign in the Westminster Glasgow North East by-election and the UK general election, which would follow it. The First Minister is demanding that £350 million pounds of capital spending earmarked for Scotland be brought forward, more money for home insulation and £300 million extra funding for Scotland, as a consequence of Olympic Games spending in London as well as extra spending on prisons south of the border
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP gave a rousing close of conference address. Looking ahead to next year’s Westminster election, she was loudly applauded and cheered, when she quoted a former Labour leader saying “bring it on”. She emphasised that the SNP had abolished business rates for tens of thousands of small businesses, funded a freeze on council tax last year, this year and next year, abolished university tuition fees, support for affordable housing, building nearly 5,000 new houses last year – the highest number by any government in Scotland in 15 years. As always Nicola ends her conference address with a BANG, this year was no exeption but we were treated to a BIG BANG when she promised:
- Prescription charges reduced to £3 next year and abolished completely in April 2011
- A fair Scotland with opportunity for all
- A confident Scotland
- A Scotland free of nuclear weapons
- An independent Scotland
This almost brought the Eden Court Theatre roof down!!! The standing ovation, clapping and cheering ended what in Nicola’s own words: …”THIS HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC CONFERENCE”!!!

The SNP’s Edinburgh South result in the recent European Parliament Election was both surprising and encouraging: The votes cast were as follows: Labour 7703, SNP 6515. Lib Dems 5808 and Tory 4918.  Using the Westminster Constituency boundaries, the SNP were only 120 votes behind labour. Throughout the Capital more voters supported the SNP than any other party. The Lib Dems ended in 4th place. The current popularity of Alex Salmond and the SNP makes the fast approaching Westminster Election an exciting and combative campaign.
The Scottish broadsheets are already in full election mode. Westminster villagers predict that May 6 is the favoured date for the next general election. Others are warning that it may come sooner!!! In THE SCOTSMAN dated Saturday 3 October 2009, the paper’s political correspondent names the “Four Labour Seats a Risk”. One of these is Edinburgh South. The current MP Nigel Griffiths has a slim majority of only 405.  Surprisingly the paper predicts that this important Capital marginal seat will be won by the Lib Dems. There is no inference of a maybe win for the SNP!!! A
politically astute and active SNP candidate could easily upset this early prediction….and win the seat. This is a huge challenge for the SNP’s Edinburgh South Westminster candidate Sandy Howat.  A professional financial advisor, Sandy is dedicated to helping plan peoples futures and steer families, pensioners and the young through the current banking and financial crisis. Speaking at a local meeting Sandy stated ” community can only develop and meet our hopes if we work hard to develop the resources of our land and people in a sustainable partnership”…

There is no time to loose….let’s crack on with Sandy’s Adoption Meeting and campaign launch. To delay this further will give the Lib Dems an undeserved and perhaps unassailable advantage………

“The Scots Independent – August 2009″
Scottish Oil Fund –  by Finance Secretary John Swinney MSP
In this persuasive and well researched article, the finance secretary makes the reader sit up and pay attention by stating that:
“Norway’s oil fund is now £200 billion”…………now read on for more eye opening statistics!!!
□ £230 billion of tax revenue has come directly from Scottish waters during the past 30 years
□ 25 billion barrels of oil and gas in the North Sea still to be recovered and worth hundreds of billions of pounds
□ 37 billion barrels could be the ultimate figure
□ In 2008, the oil and gas industry supported around 195,000 jobs in Scotland
□ The Continental Shelf accounts for 120,000, export goods and services 45,000 and 30,000 in wider economy
□ HM Treasury estimates that North Sea revenues will generate around £45 billion during the next 6 years
□ This compares with £41 billion during past 6 years
□ HM Treasury estimated that in 2009 -10 the North Sea would generate around £6.9 billion in tax revenue
□ If oil price averaged $69 a barrel, tax revenue would generate £10.1 billion in 2009
□ Norways oil fund first net transfer was made in 1996 and is now around £214 billion
□ In 2009, the Norwegian Government used £2 billion from its oil fund to stimulate a fiscal package
□ The Alaska Permanent Fund, established in 1976, is now worth £19 billion
□ The Alberta oil fund was established in 1976 and is now valued at £8 billion

In this fascinating article Mr Swinney states that “I believe there are clear merits in establishing an oil fund to provide permanent wealth long after our oil and gas reserves are gone”…………………..Let’s do it sooner than later!!!!!

There has been so much hyperventilation, from home and abroad, about the early release of Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi, on compassionate grounds, by Scotland’s justice secretary Kenny MacAskill. The reason for this courageous decision, at 1pm on Thursday 20 August 2009, is reported in newsprint of every persuation.  This was without doubt the right decision, under circumstances, which are indisputable; “Megrahi travelled home to die”. I will ignore the rantings of super powers and Scotland’s opposition parties, they are so far off the mark to be of any relevance. Let’s instead consider Kenny MacAskill’s considered and compassionate address to the world media last Thursday:

THE SCOTTISH GOVERMENT  (THE SCOTSMAN Friday 21 August 2009)
An extract from MacAskill’s statement announcing the release

“Scotland will forever remember the crime that has been perpetrated against our people and those from many other lands. The pain and suffering will remain forever. Some hurt can never heal. Some scars can never fade.
However, Mr Al Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. It is one that no court, in any jurisdiction, in any land, could revoke or overrule. It is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die.
In Scotland, we are a people who pride ourselves in our humanity.
It is viewed as a defining characteristic of Scotland and the Scottish people………………………”

Part of Megrahi’s statement, issued after his release

“I am obviously very relieved to be leaving my prison cell at last and to be returning to Libya, my homeland.
To those victims’ relatives who can bear to hear me say this; they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the unimaginable loss that they have suffered.
To those who bear me ill will, I do not return that to you.
I cannot find words in my language or yours that give proper expression to the desolation I have felt.
This horrible ordeal is not ended by my return to Libya .
It may never end for me until I die. Perhaps the only liberation for me will be death.
And I say in the clearest possible terms, which I hope that every person in every land will hear; all of this I have had to endure for something that I did not do……………..”