There now follows a party political broadcast for the Glasgow City Council Election 2012, gear up, lock and load!

Scottish colleges facing foreign students ban as UK Border Agency uses heavy handed tactics, its time to redefine its borders as they cross the line

Dear All

We all know or should know that the college sector is undervalued in higher education, always seen as the poor relation to universities.

Colleges are the work horses of getting Scottish youngsters to a better life, as well as youngsters, colleges are seen as a better entry level for people returning to education.

Bogus colleges in the UK are a problem, phoney institutions set up as a pipeline for people from ethnic backgrounds to circumvent the immigration system.

In a heavy handed approach genuine Scottish colleges are facing a ban on the recruitment of foreign students because of tough new immigration rules.

With funding being cut, this is a valuable revenue stream that has been damaged without due care and thought.

Six publicly funded colleges are seeking urgent talks with the Home Office after they were stripped of their highly trusted sponsor status following inquiries by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is a poor man’s Police Force used to track down illegal’s who have entered the UK or do not have permission to work here.

When the UKBA sent inspectors into institutions as part of a crackdown on colleges it takes with it the power to can suspend the licence of a college if it finds evidence it is not fulfilling its duties.

In other words if ‘students’ dupe the system the college gets it in the neck, effectively being punished for the failure of the UK Border Agency for letting them in, in the first place.

We will always get bogus students.

The move is damaging because it will impact on the raising of additional funding, from next month, with a highly trusted status, a college can recruit overseas students thus boosting its coffers and prestige.

Locally some colleges are at risk, Anniesland, Stow and Cardonald in Glasgow and Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, they fear the demotion will hit their international reputation.

The overseas market has for over a decade and longer figured in the thinking of higher education institutions of being the cash cow to prop them up.

In Scotland some 2500 students are currently enrolled, most of these people are here for an education, some will stay on such is the transient nature of the job market.

The reason for the recent demotions came after UKBA inspectors found attendance records were not being properly kept.

A sledgehammer was then used to crack a nut.

International students have to sign attendance sheets every time they go to classes, but some colleges had been relying on lecturers to keep registers.

Another problem that some colleges have is some overseas students had left before the end of their course which is a contravention of UKBA rules.

This results in an automatically downgrade which is unfair and bad practice by the UK Border Agency.

Scotland's Colleges, which represents college principals, said it was seeking urgent talks with the Home Office.

John Spencer, the organisation's convener, said:

"It is easy to understand why these rules exist, but it is nonetheless the case that they end up discriminating against colleges in Scotland. The loss of highly trusted status damages the reputation and prospects of the institution in attracting students to study with them. Furthermore, the changes being planned for April could see Scottish colleges unable to recruit internationally because they have fallen foul of the rules through circumstances beyond their control. These rules require urgent attention before that point to ensure international opportunities are not lost for the colleges and for the potential students wanting to come to Scotland."

He added:

"There are only six colleges in Scotland which have more than 100 international students enrolled, and many of the others have fewer than 50. In those circumstances, if a handful of students have to leave for entirely legitimate circumstances, the colleges can be penalised and stripped of their status."

Duncan McDougall, director of enterprise at Cardonald College, said:

"Our priority is our current international students who have been working hard to gain a qualification. We will seek to work with the UKBA to ensure disruption to the students' studies is minimised."

The Westminster Government's reforms of the immigration system were introduced to tackle abuse and the rise of so-called bogus colleges in the UK.

But let us be realistic, we all know what a genuine college is and places such as Anniesland, Stow and Cardonald in Glasgow fall into that bracket.

Robin Parker, president of NUS Scotland, said:

"We're concerned that such a cut might stretch the ability of colleges to deliver the frontline teaching quality and support services that students rely on to progress into employment or university."

This is a serious problem which requires a serious response, for too long the UK Border Agency has operated liked a mini fiefdom in law enforcement, it is time that they were brought to book.

The decisions they have made regarding genuine colleges should be removed from their remit.

The college sector will become more important for Scotland if independence is achieved because colleges offer better cash per student ratios.

Higher education is in need of major overhaul as it is too dysfunctional but that is another story.

The UK Border Agency is there to protect our borders but it needs to have its borders redefined.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Alex can’t get you working, unemployment in Scotland rising above UK level, ‘SNP 1,2,3’ election ad might be prediction of 3 losses on trot!

Dear All

In case it escaped your attention things are bad.

But the good news; is that there is no good news but as bad as things are they are going to get much worse.

Unemployment in Scotland has risen again.

The total number of jobless people now stands at a whopping 234,000.

As further austerity bites, budgets are cut and the public sector sheds jobs that number will continue to rise.

As unemployment rises so will crime as people try to survive, social tensions and discontent against the Government will rise as well.

We will see the return of protests to the streets of Scotland.

The unemployment rate for Scotland is higher than that for the UK as a whole.

Current figures have the rate at 8.7 per cent north of the border compared to 8.4 per cent.

So, what has gone badly wrong in Scotland?

The problem is in part how the SNP Government is managing Scotland, poor choices and lack of vision coupled with paralysis caused by the independence referendum have brought the reform agenda to a dead stop.

In a recent speech to party delegates in Glasgow, the SNP Deputy Leader Nicola Sturgeon stated that an independent Scotland would put an end to poverty and deprivation.

It is a vacuous claim, good for rabble rousing the troops but can it be done?

No!

And importantly, she didn't lay out a road map of how this would be achieved, she just made the claim.

If we buy into such a fantastic pledge as being possible, we are forced to ask why the SNP are delaying the independence referendum.

Why do the SNP believe that people should endure continual poverty and deprivation for years?

There are many reasons for the delay; all of them have nothing to with ending poverty and deprivation.

Firstly, Alex Salmond has no one to work for him, this is because the party is clique orientated, it is bad for the party and bad for Scotland.

Secondly, the SNP have set too many tasks that few among their ranks are capable or qualified to do.

Thirdly, and importantly, the real work of chapter and verse of how a new Scotland would like hasn’t been done.

Alex Salmond cannot tell you how a new Scotland would look beyond platitudes; this is a major mistake in SNP logic.

He can’t answer major policy questions because he doesn’t know, hasn't asked the questions and never entered into real discussions with the EU and UK Governments.

Years ago when the SNP first proposed the referendum they wanted to have it in the first term while minority government, they withdrew the bill.

At the time I opined that the SNP needed to complete two full terms of government before bring forward their referendum so that people could accurately judge whether there exists competence.

Alex Salmond has done well, but Alex Salmond has been buffered by the tail end of the financial bubble and by bringing forward capital.

Now, is the test, things are going to be bad, local government reform which should have been the agenda of the second term has been shelved to beyond the referendum at which point, he enters a Westminster contest.

In order to keep his dream alive he needs to win a landslide victory at the council elections, if that fails to be achieved in places such as Glasgow, it puts in doubt the indy win.

If he fails to win indy, he will crushed at the Westminster election of 2015.

This would be a continuation of a losing streak that started at the council elections. In a recent SNP Council election video, the presenter said SNP, one two three.

She may be talking inadvertently about possible future losses.

Glasgow, Indy and Westminster!

As unemployment rises, people become fearful for their welfare and that of their families, in such cases better the devil you know is the maxim.

If Alex Salmond wants an independence Scotland he better start listening to his members on a whole raft of issues.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Eric Joyce apologises to House of Commons over his drunken rampage in Stranger’s bar and quits the Labour Party, sad end to his political career

Dear All

Disgraced and suspended Labour MP Eric Joyce has tendered his resignation as a member of the Labour Party.

It is an end to his political career which seemed at one point would be high flying.

The fight in the Stranger’s bar in the House of Commons killed it.

You can’t help feeling sorry for his circumstances as he apologised to colleagues for a bar brawl in parliament.

Eric Joyce told the House of Commons he "had a number of personal issues to address".

He also stated that his behaviour on February 22 had "fallen egregiously below what is required" by an MP.

After Joyce was plead guilty, Tory MP Stuart Andrew read a brief statement the same day, his statement was very decent as he hoped to put the matter behind him and that Joyce would get help.

Flanked in the Commons by Dan Jarvis, another former Army major-turned-MP, Mr Joyce said:

"Members will be aware of events in the Strangers' Bar on February 22 during which the standard of my conduct fell egregiously below what is required by a member of this House, or indeed anyone, anywhere. I am grateful for this opportunity to apologise without reservation to the House."

He added:

"Clearly I have a number of personal issues to address, and you can be assured that this will take place. I would also like to inform the House that I have today tendered my resignation as a member of the Labour Party to the party leader."

Eric Joyce will continue to serve as MP for Flakirk until the next General election possible in 2015.

Going to Parliament is a wonderful opportunity because you can get to do so much good.

It is a pity that his own downfall should come at his own hands and according to evidence, his head!

Another tale of someone who had it all and lost it!

Let us hope that for the remainder of this Parliament he sets an example as a model MP.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Damning verdict on Scottish Justice as secret report states Megrahi was denied a fair trial, is Kenny MacAskill the man who cost Scotland indy?

Dear All

One the themes I blog is that Scotland is a corrupt country.

Now a secret report on the Lockerbie bombing has revealed just how deep the corruption is, you cannot get a fair trial in Scotland.

The Lockerbie case is a case that will not go away as it is central to a wider theme, should Scotland be an independent country.

At present the last hope of innocent people wrongly accused rests with the UK Supreme Court.

The Court based in London delivers flawless judgment.

In the Lockerbie case conducted by Scottish prosecutors key documents were not disclosed to the defence team.

The upshot of denying Al Megrahi a fair trial which could have cleared the Libyan convicted of the atrocity is the whole system is now damned and unfit for purpose.

Everyone knows what is wrong but there is no political will to fix the system as the Scottish National Party members in Government are busy convincing themselves they are the ‘new establishment’.

Not willing to take on vested interests, this flawed and warped thinking will cost them the independence referendum.

The full 821-page Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) dossier uncovers serious discrepancies in the Crown Office's actions.

In Scotland, we don’t have a Justice Minister because if we did, that person would be and should be a beacon of what our principles stand for.

When Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) took on the Megrahi case, the Scottish Government should have had the courage to launch an independent inquiry, not led by a friendly placeman but by someone of Lord Hope’s standing.

It failed to deliver it.

As SCCRC started its work, it quickly ran into problems, as the Crown was warned warning it would take legal action if the prosecution did not hand over important documents and speed up information sharing.

Isn’t the Crown Office interested in justice?

Apparently not because they have the Justice Minister in their corner but a better description would be in their pocket.

As SCCRC looked through the appeal it rejected many of the defence team's submissions but upheld six different grounds which could have constituted a miscarriage of justice.

You only need one for a miscarriage of justice.
As well as the above problems that SCCRC encountered, the Crown failed to disclose seven key items of evidence.

This evidence would have led to the Lockerbie case being referred back for a fresh appeal.

This raises serious questions why are any the people employed in the denial of justice allowed to be in post?

The SCCRC has made it abundantly clear that, had such information been shared with the defence, the result of the trial could have been different.

In my opinion, the case against Megrahi would have collapsed, but instead of focussing on justice, they were hell bent on conviction at any cost.

Robert Black, QC, one of the architects of the Camp Zeist trial, said:

"I don't think there could possibly have been a guilty verdict if the Crown had disclosed to the defence all the material they had in their possession and they were obliged to disclose, even as the law on disclosure stood in 2000/01.

"Why didn't the Crown disclose? Was it because they convinced themselves getting a guilty verdict was more important than obeying 'technical' rules – after all, this was a terrorism case?

"The law about disclosure was clarified after the Zeist trial. But even in 2000/01 the law as it stood would have required the Crown to disclose all the material they withheld. I am delighted The Herald is unveiling this information."

A Crown Office spokesman said last night:

"We note the Commission reported delays in obtaining materials from the Crown but also accepted that the Crown's responses to requests were often detailed and helpful in this uniquely large and complex case."

He added:

"Mr Megrahi was convicted unanimously by three senior judges following trial during which the evidence was rigorously tested and his conviction was upheld unanimously by five judges, in an appeal court presided over by the Lord Justice General."

No justice will mean No independence for Scotland.

Alex Salmond will not be able sell the idea when everyone patently knows that our justice system is so utterly corrupt that we need the UK Supreme Court.

It’s time to sack Kenny MacAskill for failing to deliver justice; he is a weight that cannot be carried anymore.

When are we going to get a Justice Minister in Scotland?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP MSP Nicola Sturgeon says UK reforms are threat to Scots NHS; it’s time that Scots hospitals were allowed to raise revenue doing private ops

Dear All

Last weekend saw the SNP host their Spring Conference in the City of Glasgow.

During a conference speech Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said to delegates that Scotland’s health budget could be hit by changes being proposed by the UK Government.

Health is a flagship SNP policy which is protected by the Scottish Government, but as Westminster pushes through its planned changes, there will be a knock on effect for Scotland.

The problem that those reforms bring are financial, as England moves more towards the private sector, this creates an in balance.

The Deputy First Minister admitted this is a "very real risk" to the Scottish NHS.

If hospitals in England decide to allow up to 49% of their beds and operating theatre time treating private patients, funding will be lower, that will affect Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon stated on the private sector that:

“we will never go down that road."

That was a mistake, good deals are where you find them, since there is a liquidity problem; it would be irresponsible to shutdown a possible revenue stream which could be used to fund Scotland’s NHS.

The NHS should be state controlled and always state controlled but it is time to move away from dogma.

She said:

"As hospitals in England get more of their money from private patients, I believe that we will see future UK Governments freeze or reduce public funding for the NHS. They will still claim that NHS funding is protected, but the reality will be that less of it will come from the public purse."

Ms Sturgeon added:

"Devolution allows us to protect the principles of our NHS. But if we want to make sure that Tory health policies can't damage our health service in any way, we need independence."

In a hard-hitting speech, Ms Sturgeon also attacked Westminster policies which she said would hit the vulnerable badly.

She also added:

"Only independence can stop Westminster governments squandering our energy wealth while our older folk struggle to pay their heating bills. Only independence can put a stop to heartless Tory welfare reforms that will punish the vulnerable and the disabled. And only independence will give us the tools we need to rid Scotland of the poverty and deprivation that still scars our nation and create the jobs and opportunities that will get people off benefits, not for Tory reasons, but for the right reasons."

Does Ms. Sturgeon actually believe everything can be solved by an independent Scotland?

She boldly states that if Scotland was independence we would be rid of poverty and deprivation.

Is there evidence to back up her claim?

No.

If we look at the world, we see that many independent countries even within the EU are experiencing real savage austerity cuts that fuels poverty and deprivation.

Can she name a country where no citizen lives in poverty and deprivation?

Hundreds of countries in the world, I am just looking for one from her.

Her speech is a speech to her own audience, everything will not be solved by independence but some things will improve.

Even within the positive message there has to be losers such as military shipbuilding which if the British Government doesn’t continue to build in Scotland will collapse, Britain doesn’t outsource warship building.

When Nicola Sturgeon attacked Westminster governments squandering our energy wealth while our older folk struggle to pay their heating bills, was she saying that a Scottish Government will pay the heating bills of the elderly?

Did she seriously commit to that?

No!

In law the most successful cases all have a common thread running through them, the truth the whole and nothing but the truth, until the SNP are prepared to put the pros and cons of independence, they are in danger of letting others pick apart their arguments and mock them.

And as Ms. Sturgeon knows, there is no news like bad news, which is why soap operas are so popular.

I never heard her speech in full, she might have thought she was talking to the masses but she was actually just talking to her own crowd.

I would like to see her try sell the end to poverty and deprivation line to people in Possil, Easterhouse, Pollok, Bridgeton, Drumchapel, Nitshill, Govan, Castlemilk and Calton.

The people there know what everyone else in the western world knows; no country independent or not has put an end to poverty and deprivation for its citizens.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Alex Salmond: Glasgow needs a political overhaul, so why is the SNP campaigning on dog shit and potholes, shit don’t sell Alex on doorsteps

Dear All

The SNP Conference is in the City of Glasgow over the weekend and today Alex Salmond gives a keynote speech.

He says that Glasgow is desperately in need a new political outlook and a change of administration.

With the city currently experiencing a phoney war in the long campaign, the real fight goes public once the council election starts.

Glasgow is a prime target for the SNP in May's local elections, if the SNP don’t win Glasgow by a landslide then the decision of the independence referendum moves to the unionists being on the front foot.

Glasgow isn’t just a council election; it is a key milestone in the attempt to win independence.

It is the hear of the Labour heartlands, last May at the Holyrood election, the Labour Party lost many MSPs in the city as the SNP took over their seats.

But this isn’t a Holyrood election; Alex Salmond for First Minister isn’t going to work as a strategy.

Salmond also said the party would be working "very hard" to wrest power from Labour but they face an uphill task.

The SNP Group in Glasgow is in exactly the same position as the Labour Party in Holyrood, they have done nothing of importance, however you could be forgiven for thinking they have since they wrote an article on the Glasgow SNP website of achievements.

Not their achievements but that of the SNP Government, but it didn’t stop them trying to claim credit for it.

Glasgow Southside MSP, Nicola Sturgeon claims voters are want change, everyone is seeking 'change' but what vision has Glasgow SNP laid out over the last term of this current council?

Nothing, it was a blank piece of paper.

Nicola Sturgeon said:

"I've lived in Glasgow for 20-plus years and I've never known the mood that there is in Glasgow just now, which is a mood of wanting change and disillusionment and disaffection with Labour. So I think we have a great chance and a great opportunity but we don't take anything for granted. We won the victories [of] last year because we worked really hard for every vote and that's what we will do again. At the end of the day, the result is down to the voters but we'll be working hard because I think the city does really need new leadership."

Her analysis is wrong, the reason for the SNP victory last May was that the Labour Party weren’t seen as a credible alternative for government, the SNP bar some mistakes had managed as a minority to steer a generally event free course.

That is why the SNP won.

There is an opportunity as she rightly says to win the city, but Herald Scotland says that although the Labour Party deserves to lose the city the SNP doesn’t deserve to win it.

Everything to play for, but an SNP victory at Glasgow City Chambers, this isn’t Holyrood. The SNP has produced a list of candidates most of whom I don’t know, never saw them before at any by-election campaigning.

And once this election is over, if they lose, they will disappear soon enough because that is their track record.

Type into Google their names and there is generally nothing, what do they stand for, what have they done, why didn’t they do by-elections?

Maybe if they had they would have had sufficient experience to know that elections aren’t won campaigning on potholes and dog shit.

They are about change, detail and vision.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University