The yes-no debate in Scotland is reaching a crescendo, the polls showing a close race, politicians of every colour clearing their diaries to head north. This seems likely to help the yes vote.  Most of the Westminster ‘big beasts’ are thoroughly disliked, even despised, by the Scots. Threats from big business are coming with increasing regularity, Alex Salmond sounding more like William Wallace as he raises the banner against intimidation.  Perhaps the clans will rally to The Saltire but they won’t need to march.  Salmond is sure of a win whichever way the vote goes.  Party leaders are already promising more powers to the devolved Scottish government in their efforts to influence the ‘no’ vote. Then we have the saviour of the world, Gordon Brown, coming up with his offering, but where does that leave the poor old English.  Significant differences already exist in the areas of social care for the elderly and university fees.  When shall we have some form of devolution for the English?  At present, Scottish MP’s can vote for legislation that only affects England, university fees a classic example.  So controversial legislation that doesn’t affect their constituents can be pushed through with no downside for them.  It must be time for a version of devolution for the English by restricting the measures Scottish MP’s are able to vote on.

    We’re almost beginning to feel sorry for François Hollande.  Former girlfriend, Valérie Trierweiler, has just published her memoir, Merci Pour Ce Moment, the first publishing run of 145,000 sold out in days.  Needless to say, François doesn’t come out of it too well.  A committed Socialist, to quote the man himself, is said by her “to despise the poor”.  At least in the UK, socialist politicians just avoid coming into contact with them!  Hollande’s popularity in France continues to go south and now his judgment has come into question.  Who in his right mind publicly dumps his high profile girlfriend and expects to walk away unmarked? “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” etc, etc. A lesser-known girlfriend might have cut up his suits, but Valérie had walked the corridors of power and knows how to shred his reputation! 

    The horrifying murders of hostages in Syria continue, with governments seemingly helpless to stop them.  Negotiation with fanatics is impossible and our main hope is that the key players in the murders will eventually face justice.  If they go to trial, hopefully it will be in Iraq, with an ending similar to that of Saddam Hussain.  In the meantime, we still await the Chilcot Report in the hope that it gives an insight into how we went to war in Iraq in the first instance.  We’re not holding our breath.  RIP Chilcot seems the most likely result.        

    We’d bet that Sean Wright would have disappeared from his job and the media by the time we got back from our holiday.  South Yorkshire’s police and crime panel passed a vote of no confidence in him while we were away, but still he hung on.  Maybe he didn’t know about the vote since he left before it was taken! As a regular visitor to auctions, I now feel qualified to put an estimate on being shameless.  £80/90,000 with no reserve sounds about right.  As I complete the blog I’ve just heard the announcement that he’s finally resigned.  Now the pressure can migrate to other guilty parties who have been protected from the media by his profile.  

    We learned a new word this week.  Anthrozoology studies the interaction between humans and animals.  We learned the word due to a report that suggests pet cats are becoming stressed due to modern life.  Dr John Bradshaw claims that cats may be terrified when living in close proximity to other cats.  One solution he proposes is keeping the cat indoors.  I applaud the suggestion and plan to share his advice with several neighbours.  It will have to be several neighbours since I can’t be sure which of their little darlings keeps crapping in my borders. 

    A new invention of note this week; a mesh pouch that sits in your tea cup and collects the pieces of biscuit that drop off while you are dunking.  Adrian thinks it’s great but we don’t think it will help him much.  We can generally tell what he had for lunch by glancing at the front of his shirt!