Missing EU Already Rally and Vigil Jan. 31st

MISSING EU ALREADY

(We’ll be back)

RALLY AND CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

31st January 2019     5-7.30pm and 10-11pm

Outside Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh

Thousands will gather outside the Scottish Parliament on “Brexit Day”, January 31st

to protest against Scotland being dragged from the EU and to call for a second independence referendum so Scots have the chance to re-join the European Union as an independent state.

More than a dozen Edinburgh-based groups are urging Remain voters and Yes

supporting Scots to join them at the “Missing EU Already” rally outside Holyrood

from 5pm -7.30pm on Brexit Day 31st January. There will also be a candlelight vigil

outside Holyrood between 10-11.30pm

The rally will be entertained from 5pm by musicians. Speakers start from

5.30pm, compered by writer and journalist Lesley Riddoch. The line-up includes Joanna Cherry MP, Tommy Sheppard MP, Ellen Hofer, artist, activist and German/New Scot and more to be announced. Musicians include Andrew Gordon and the Bells. During the candlelight vigil there will be a light show to commemorate Scotland’s forced departure from the EU and an “Au Revoir” farewell march with an EU flag display, plus 20 stalls, a catering van and mobile toilets.

The event is being organised by the Edinburgh Yes Hub and is

supported by the Commonweal, English Scots 4 Yes, Pensioners 4 Yes,

Musselburgh, Inch, Gracemount, Craigmillar, Midlothian, Morningside and Marchmont Yes

Groups, Edinburgh Women for Independence and the Scottish Independence Foundation.

Joanna Cherry MP said;

“At the 2016 EU referendum and at every election thereafter the people of Scotland have voted to remain in the EU. On 31 January as the British Government drags us out of the EU against our will it’s important that we come together in Scotland’s capital city to show Europe & the world our desire to be an equal member of the EU family of nations.”

Tommy Shepherd MP said;

“On 31st January, the debate on Brexit ends – but the campaign to get the power to determine Scotland’s own future relationship with Europe begins in earnest.”

Journalist Lesley Riddoch said;

“A large turnout in Edinburgh will represent Scots and also

millions of Remain voters across the UK in a much-needed riposte to the tasteless

triumphalism likely to happen as Boris Johnson celebrates Brexit in London. The SNP won a clear mandate for a second independence referendum to let Remain-voting Scotland choose its own future. Scottish campaigners will not go away, until that mandate is fulfilled.”

Organiser Mike Blackshaw said;

“We decided to call this demonstration because Scots must show our resolute opposition to this theft of our European identity. Scotland benefits from EU membership and has a lot to give back.”

#KeepScotlandtheBrand campaign

Recently there has been renewed publicity for the “Keep Scotland the Brand” campaign, and a number of members of Pensioners for Independence have started to take part. Several of us have recently contacted some large retailers like Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and the Co-op to urge them to label Scottish produce more clearly as such, rather than as “British”. Most of the responses we have been receiving have been quite positive, and we look forward to seeing an improvement in the clear, accurate labelling of Scottish goods. We need to keep up the pressure on retailers, however. Many Scots like to buy Scottish goods whenever possible, and clear labelling makes this so much easier.

If you would like to support our involvement in the campaign, or would like more information, please contact us at info@pensionersforindependence.scot.

Photo credit: By Petar Milošević – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

Couldn’t make it up ?

Recently Jeremy Corbyn, on one of his occasional visits to “North Britain” – a.k.a. Scotland – is reported to have said that it would be difficult for Scotland to have its own distinctive legal system, separate from that in England.  Would someone please take him on one side and gently whisper in his ear that Scotland has had its own distinctive legal system for centuries.

We really WAS robbed – now it’s official !

Large quantities of North Sea oil are processed on the rigs and exported directly to other countries without coming ashore.  Prior to December 2016 oil that was shipped directly from the rigs was counted towards the Oil Companies’ Head Offices, rather than being counted as produced in Scotland.  Oil imported or exported into or out of the UK was normally associated with the region of the UK where it was produced, but oil exported directly from the rigs was associated with a business, not the country of origin. It was allocated to an “unknown region” and credited to the region where the business’s Head Office was registered (usually not Scotland).

The system has now been updated so that, since 2016, in UK records the value of oil extracted from Scottish waters has been credited to Scotland instead of to an “unknown region”.

This change has resulted in Scotland’s allocation for 2015 rising from £588 million to £6,825 million and the allocation to the “unknown region” falling from £8,826 million to £1,529 million.

(Information taken from a report on the Wings over Scotland website.)