Sour Alba

Stewart Kirkpatrick on journalism, Scotland, the net

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Labour wins Glenrothes by-election

November 7th, 2008 · No Comments

 

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="307" caption="Labour's Lindsay Roy"]Labours Lindsay Roy[/caption]

Labour’s Lindsay Roy has won the Glenrothers by-election, beating the SNP by more than 6,700. The Nats had been widely expected to win the seat despite the fact that it was once safe Labour territory and is next door to Gordon Brown’s constituency.

The result is important for two reasons:

  • It makes it more likely that Gordon Brown will lead Labour into the next UK General Election. While a challenge has been unlikely since the arrival of the credit crunch, a defeat in his kailyard would have weakened him within the party.
  • It makes an independent Scotland less likely - as the result marks a serious brake on the momentum of the Scottish National Party. 
While the above seems like good news for Labour and bad news for the Nats, it sets up some interesting questions for the next UK general election. The Tories’ David Cameron has until lately had the beating of Brown - though the credit crunch has shown up the PM’s strengths and the former Bullingdon Club man’s weaknesses.
If Cameron gets back on top and enters Downing Street - as seems likely from the polls - then it’s a totally different ball game. Scots do not have a fond memory of Conservative government and its return would provide a boost to the cause of independence that can only be guessed at.

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Tags: politics

ScotWeb2 unconference: the net, Scotland and the government

September 10th, 2008 · 2 Comments

web 2.0 tag cloud

At my agency w00tonomy, we’re very excited by the upcoming ScotWeb2 unconference on Hallowe’en at Edinburgh University for “those interested in learning about Web 2 from practitioners, government and business users”.

It is “an informal, bar camp style event allowing participants to listen, network and share experiences with those who have designed and are managing Web 2 services. Speakers and workshop leaders from Health, Business, Web design, Colleges and Universities, Social Enterprises, Social Media, Journalism, Government and Civic Society”.

The event is being organised by Alex Stobbart of the Scottish Government (née Executive). Alex is an evangelist for the opportunities offered by the web. He is a giant floating brain who has recruited a coven of like-minded individuals within the SG who meet at the dead of night in cowled hoods, exchanging arcane passwords and sharing forbidden knowledge about tagstweetsand user content…

Actually I made that bit up - I got carried away with the fact the event is on samhainn. But Alex is an evangelist and does lead a high-powered group of colleagues who are keen to embrace the openness that the new web offers. Having worked closely on Scottish Government projects, we at w00tonomy have met many civil servants who “get it” and cheer Alex’s efforts to mobilise them.  

However, ScotWeb2 is a separate project for Alex and BT are backing it. Tickets are available from Eventbrite

The speakers include Simon Dickson: an e-government consultant and “Whitehall’s first full-time website specialist back in 1995″; Iain Henderson from personal data protector MyDexRoss Ferguson from Dog Digital; and w00tonomy’s endlessly self-promoting Stewart Kirkpatrick, who will talk about how to optimise content to get messages across.

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Tags: media · politics

Scottish Labour: yet-to-be-elected leader must go

July 25th, 2008 · No Comments

The stunning events in Glasgow East show that Scottish Labour needs to hurry up and choose its new leader so the new incumbent can be hounded out in the wake of the party’s shaming defeat.

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Tags: Labour · Scotland · politics

Sour Alba podcast: Wendy Alexander, Nicol Stephen, donkey sex

July 4th, 2008 · 1 Comment

My second podcast. Longer than the first, now with added gratuitous and unsubstantiated claims of bestiality. Maybe.

 
icon for podpress  Sour Alba podcast 2: Scottish politics and donkey sex [5:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Tags: AV · Labour · politics

Nicol Stephen quits as Scottish Lib Dem leader

July 2nd, 2008 · 2 Comments

Another one bites the dust. Scottish Lib Dem leader, Nicol Stephen, has just quit. Says he wants “more time with my family”. Hmmmm, what does that really mean?

My money’s on Tavish Scott to succeed him.

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Tags: Scotland

First podcast by Scottish journalism blog

June 30th, 2008 · No Comments

I believe this is the first anyway… It’s about my experiences being embedded in the civil service for a while.

 
icon for podpress  Sour Alba podcast 1: Historic first and the civil service [2:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Tags: AV · newmedia