The first in a series of films with Lesley Riddoch exploring Scotland's inspiring northern European neighbours and what we can learn.
Despite being a remote cluster of islands with a population of just 50 thousand people (1% of Scotland's population) the Faroe Islands certainly don't think small.
The Faroes took on global giant Google to protect their language and identity and have also created the world's fastest mobile broadband (a reserved issue in Scotland). The key factor in these success stories has been the Faroes Parliament: without doubt, the world's most powerful devolved parliament.
This wee nation relies heavily on fish which represents around 95% of exports but life in the Faroes is changing. A new generation, enthused by a proximity to political power, are shaping these traditionally conservative islands into a progressive society that more and more Faroese want to live in. The Faroes is also finding itself at the centre of things as the Arctic presents new opportunities.
The Faroese community connects in all kinds of ways - through tunnels that join the separate islands, by air to the rest of the world with its own national airline and is reconnecting with nature to create world-class food. There's a lot to reflect upon about the future of the Faroes and Scotland but the ultimate connection is clear: with power comes the confidence to build a better nation.
Created by Lesley Riddoch and Phantom Power Films.
Scots Broadcaster and Social Historian, Billy Kay re-visits the 2014 referendum in an updated version of his radio documentary, The Cause.
The Cause was originaly 5 episodes in length and was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland. The updated production now features 6 episodes and was broadcast over a six week period starting in August 2015.
The updated program covers the period of the referendum and the profound changes that followed, interviewing many of the key players involved.
This includes the recollections of the now First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, - when she realised that Scottish nationalism was to experience an unprecedented “resurrection” (in Kay’s words) within hours of the September 2014 "No" vote. This began to show when her husband noticed that hundreds of people were joining the SNP in the immediate aftermath of the vote. This marked the start of the surge where SNP membership famously leapt from around 26,000 to more than 100,000 during the weeks that followed the referendum.
Kay is a declared supporter of independence, and a fair-minded one. He is infatuated with Scottish history, and the stories of Bannckburn, Waterloo and individuals like R.B.Cunningham Graham trip from his tongue as he discusses the nation’s history.
This article features all 6 episodes, recorded from BBC Radio Scotland broadcasts in 2015. Throughout the series, we hear how echoes from Scottish history resound down through the years and inform the rise of modern political nationalism.
Scotland In Europe was launched in October 2017 by Alyn Smith MEP (co-authored with Dr Adam Marks and in collaboration with others). It provides a superb reference for understanding the complexities of our exit from the EU. Alyn has 10 years experience in representing Scotland as a Member of the European Parliament.
The book begins by explaining the history and original objectives of the EU. It then moves on to the Brexit process and how this will impact Scotland and her economy.
The book is crammed with facts and figures, addressing all the key issues that will affect Scotland as the UK negotiates to leave the EU.
A website is available (scotlandineurope.eu) providing further in-depth analysis and will feature regular updates to the consequences of the negotiations when they are known.
This publication is a "must read" and presents fact, not spin or misinformation. The numerous issues are well presented in a clear and easy to understand style.
In this article, we have embedded the book as an interactive "flipbook" and a pdf version can also be downloaded.
Alex Salmond has forged an extremely successful career in the public eye. A life-long member of the SNP, Alex has been an activist, an MP (on numerous occasions), an MSP, First Minister of Scotland and he campaigned for a YES vote in the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.
Nothing in the political world stands still for long - and Alex is currently without a Westminster seat or a Holyrood seat. This has allowed him to pursue alternative activities to keep engaged with the electorate and the political scene. An extremely successful "chat show" format at the Edinburgh Festival in 2017 saw the potential for a TV program along similar lines - and consequently, The Alex Salmond Show was born.
The show was created by a brand new production company (Slainte Mhath - Gaelic for "cheers") set up by Alex and his producer Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh. They produced their first episode, circulated this around the masses of media outlets and eventually, RT (Russia Today) came up with the best offer. The first episode will air on Thursday, 16 November 2017 at 6.30pm and 11.30pm on RT.
You can watch the show on-line or view on the following channels - Freeview SD: 234, Freeview HD: 113, Sky SD: 518, Sky HD: 512.
Alex explains all in the following video.
When the Scotland Act was devised and subsequently approved, the nature of any devolved powers to Scotland was agreed.
Before devolution, Westminster had control of all powers. After devolution, Westminster cherry-picked the powers they maintained were necessary to provide a UK wide framework for implementation - these became known as "Reserved Powers".
Instead of making an exhaustive list of the powers that were left, they simply declared that if any powers were NOT on the list of reserved powers, they would be devolved to Scotland by default.
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, as it is currently drafted fails to reflect the principles of devolution concerning 111 recognised powers that are scheduled to be returned from Brussels.
This article lists all 111 powers in alphabetical order and highlights the concerns from Westminster and Holyrood over how these powers should be allocated.
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