Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, in a symbolic motion, voted overwhelmingly today to reject Britain’s march towards the EU exit, with the semi-autonomous government warning Scotland would not be “humiliated”.
The Scottish government said the vote – backed by nearly three quarters of Scottish lawmakers from across the political spectrum – is one of the most important in the parliament’s 18-year history.
Minister for Brexit Negotiations Mike Russell said his government will “never allow Scotland to be humiliated, and its democratic choice rejected. We will never, ever, turn our back on Europe and the world.”
He said there was still time for London to avert another independence bid by Scotland if it accepted a “compromise” – a differentiated solution that would keep Scotland in the European single market even as the rest of Britain leaves.
No legal power
British lawmakers are debating a bill that would empower Prime Minister Theresa May to begin the country’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU).
The Scottish Parliament voted by 90 votes to 34 that the draft legislation should not proceed as Edinburgh has received no commitment that it will be effectively consulted on the exit terms.
The vote has no legal force, however.
The only dissenters were the Scottish Conservatives, who are aligned with May’s Conservative government in London.
“This is the Scottish Parliament. The people that voted for us are Scottish voters, they expect us to stand up for Scotland,” Russell said.
Scotland was told it would be an “equal partner” in the British union if it rejected independence, which it did by 55% in a 2014 referendum.
Twenty months later Scotland voted to remain in the EU by 62%, but it was outvoted by England which has a vastly larger population.
Brexit succeeded overall with 52% of the vote.
British judges ruled in January that a convention designed to deter London from imposing laws on Scotland carried no legal weight, clearing the way for the UK government to trigger Brexit without consulting Edinburgh.
A majority of MPs yesterday rejected amendments to the Brexit bill which called for greater involvement of the devolved administrations.
Lawmakers voted against guaranteeing they be consulted before Prime Minister Theresa May signs any agreements with Brussels, or delaying starting exit proceedings until at least one month after the devolved administrations have agreed to a UK strategy.
The Scottish parliament vote sends a clear signal to London that the Brexit process is proceeding without their support, but the UK government has no compulsion to listen.
“We’re going to keep talking and make sure that we go on talking so the Article 50 letter can still be influenced by the reasonable demands of Scotland,” Russell said.
A British government spokesman said: “The UK government will continue our engagement with the Scottish government and with people and groups across Scotland as we prepare to leave the EU to secure the best deal for Scotland and the UK.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
They didn’t “make it their home”. They didn’t wake up one morning and think “Strewth lads, let move to Ireland!” They were moved there. Captured, transported and placed there. It’s akin to slavery. And not just them, their descendants too.
Shameful. Truly shameful.
I may have been drinking.
@Damocles: lolwut
@Damocles: Woah! Lig do scíth a chara. Tá siad sásta agus ina gcónaí i nádúr!
@Damocles: jesus lad have a water.
@Damocles: No you’re an idiot – who has to comment on everything. Every day…
@Paul Foot: I’ve barely touched this site in a couple of weeks and I’ve commented on maybe 3 stories today.
@TheJournalAsGaeilge: I’ll bung that through Google translate in the morning if I remember.
@TheJournalAsGaeilge: In English please – if you want most to undetstand you.
@Paul Foot: then I’ll block you and never have to suffer your moaning again. Goodbye.
@Damocles: Block me for the truth? Great – bye, clown.
@Damocles: don’t waste you time it’s just more shite talk but he gets a grant every time he spouts….,,
@TheJournalAsGaeilge: they are happy and that’s the main thing !
@TheJournalAsGaeilge: They are our friends & happy in their home or something like that, My irish is crap
@Paul Foot: I thought it was quite amusing. Lighthearted, funny, entertaining, sure we can’t be serious all the time now can we?
@Pat Lonergan: there’s a lot of shite talk here. I think people get involved too much when there’s a story to be told especially when animals are introduced here like who cares
@Damocles: you can’t spell spanner without spa.
@Pat Lonergan: it’s just 2 taps on the screen. Try it.
@Paul Foot: the truth according to Paul Foot …
@Damocles: A bit like Irish and British convicts in Australia so…
@Richard Wright: You get awfully upset when people speak As Gaeilge Richard. Show some composure chap, what would the Queen think if one of her subjects were acting in such an unmannerly fashion.
@Richard Wright: Can you provide some proof about that. Especially the part about the big breasts.
What’s that Skippy? The kids are trapped down the old mineshaft on Lambay….
There are concerns that a wigwam (the collective term) of wallabies could use a raft to reach the mainland and found a political party with a genuine spring in its step. Remember Dick Spring – well even springier than that. The authorities are keeping a close eye on developments.
Wasn’t aware that Lambay Island was owned by the Baring family of Barings Bank. I read recently that during the Irish famine that Trevelyan’s corn was purchased by the British government through Baring Brothers Bank and the cost of which was subsequently recouped from Irish taxpayers.
@Diaspora’d: link?
@Fank Pulman: goodness sake! Google “Irish famine Baring Brothers Bank”, lots of links, the first one is from Wikipedia. You also listen to Finn Dwyer’s great Irish History Podcast his series on the Irish Famine is exceptional and harrowing.
@Diaspora’d: Thank you – helpful.
@Diaspora’d: technically the article should say “the former…” as Barings rather famously disappeared in 1995 following the actions of “Rouge Trader” Nick Leeson. Barings therefore wasn’t around to cause any further damage to Irish taxpayers in 2007/8.
@Terry McClatchey: if he spent less time swapping lipstick it would have been grand
@Zx5vZulB: good spot Gar. You leave me red faced.
@Terry McClatchey: interesting how both the family of Barings and Nick Lesson both reside in Ireland.
This is dangerous. Has nobody seen Jurassic Park? Life will find a way.
God made mammals, not marsupials. I heard that they can open doors, spread gossip and they collude with squirrels. Not the nice squirrels. The other ones. You know what I’m implying. Securities fraud. We need to be smart.
@Mike Igoe: God made woman and they can open doors, spread gossip and collude with squirrels, why did nobody warn us about them?
We need to take back Lambay Island .Let’s get the boats out.
@Vincent Sharpe: we can’t even run our own island
Experimenting and meddling with nature led to the grey squirrel’s and mink killing off some of our native wildlife. Other exotic plant species such as Japanese Knotweed were introduced into Ireland by wealthy estate owners during earlier centuries are now considered invasive and are proving difficult to get rid of having spread in an uncontrolled fashion.
Cattle are wildlife? Did I miss something?
Baring. As in Baring’s Bank?
@Sheila Larkin: Barings Bank*…yes that’s what the article says.
Its a wonderful location for a walk https://vimeo.com/224459441
It’s a wonderful location for a walk https://vimeo.com/224459441
Have they got passports
Bankers island eh.
Why are they such a problem if they reached the mainland? Other than the fact they bread a lot? Genuine question.
They’ll take all our women and jobs
@Niall Farrell: they are considered no better than rats down under.
There has always been a food few living wild in the south of England. I had them around my house there but most people thought it was a myth until one went through the windscreen of a police car. There was an Australian guy down the road who apparently shot and ate one and made a hat from the fur. I had one who got caught in a wire fence and it brutally kicked the carp out of us three guys who tried to get it free. Nice critters though. I’ve always wondered how they would fare in Leitrim.
Only in ireland.
And Tasmania. Seems like a tail with a happy ending.
THE WOBBLIES ARE COMING
Wombling free?
Could be a comment about gentrification if you make some slight changes to the text: “How a colony of wannabies made an island of Dublin their home.”
I like how its called “Red Necked” Wallaby
Its just wrong, they’re basically another squirrel. Send them back to oz and see if we can send they’re crooked owners with them.
Worth noting that if they really get out of control numbers wise they’re very very tasty (I lived in Tasmania for several years) possible new industry here :)
Get worried when they start building rafts
Wonderful. A colony of wannabe wallabies inhabiting Lambay, perceived as slaves (“They didn’t wake up one morning and say ‘Lads, lets go to Ireland’”) and liable to escape from the island any day to form a new political party. Glorious prospect: we are blessed.
Squirrels have a habit of always chewing on trees. Constant chewing is not good for trees. Though big ones might be able to handle it but small ones will eventually die. Chewed barks and branches also aren’t very good to look at either. They are also responsible for complete destruction of plants. As the squirrels have a bit of constantly chewing and digging searching for food, they can rip the plant from roots. There goes your dream of seeing a plant grow in front of your eyes in your yard. We know how to get rid of squirrels in the trees!http://starpestcontrol.ca/pest_control_service/squirrel/
have your say