While the aspirations of the Labour Party’s proposed crackdown on fake news appear well motivated, the inevitable result of any enquiry and measures set in place to contain fake news raise questions over who will decide what is true and what is false? This is the same for the recent Cairncross Report under the Conservative government that has proposed an academy to promote news of ‘public interest’. Indeed, we must question, who will decide what that is?
Before we wrap this up, I must tell you a tale, which falls into the “You’ll never believe this” category. Cllr Jonathan McColl, Balloch’s answer to Kim Jung-ho, and Cllr Sally Page, the Tory millionairess, who represents the good people of Haldane, want to experiment with a new system to cut the grass in our parks, cemeteries and public spaces. They want to use ROBOTS! Can I suggest that if we bring in robots to cut the grass then we should get the councillors to run the council.
If it’s really true that the Navy gets the gravy and the Army gets the beans, then Faslane-based submariners get something far tastier than either – caramel wafers, tea cakes and delicious snowballs.
Sir Boyd Tunnock, the multi-millionaire boss of the biscuit makers is a big friend of the Royal Navy – and all the Armed Forces. Sir Boyd has had a great deal to celebrate recently, including a knighthood from the Queen and the Armed Forces Covenant, which he was presented with at HM Naval Base Clyde.
Songs on the new album will include love songs – Caolas Eadar Mi is Iain, Iain Ghlinn Cuaich, Craobh nan Ùbhal and Ho mo nighean donn nan Gobhar; a traditional version of the Eriskay Love Lilt known as Gràdh Geal mo Chridh; a lament – Bheir mo Shoraidh thar Ghunaidh; some mouth music and waulking songs (or work songs); and the Robert Burns’ songs, The Highland Widow’s Lament and The Bonnie Lass of Albany.
“It is neither acceptable nor business-savvy for agencies, organisations and businesses that operate in Scottish agriculture today to be effectively male only. If we can help them to be better and more equitable, we should do so. Those agencies, organisations and businesses also need to hear clearly that men-only boards and governance structures must be consigned to the past. Scottish agriculture simply cannot afford to leave women behind, but changing a centuries-old culture will involve significant work. Crucially, it will require that everyone who has a stake and an interest in the future of agriculture in Scotland work together.
Staff shortages have prevented an official watchdog from completing all “essential tasks” to ensure the safety of the UK nuclear weapons programme, according to a previously confidential Ministry of Defence (MoD) report. A short extract from a report by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) – kept secret by the MoD since 2017 – reveals that the nuclear programme was struggling with shortages of “suitably qualified and experienced personnel”. Four pages of the DNSR annual report for 2015-16 were released by the MoD in the run-up to a freedom of information tribunal in London on 2 December. The tribunal is considering an appeal against the MoD’s refusal to publish the whole report.
