The Part time Defence Secretary....
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This is Stalinist propaganda - the truth plays no part in this. This government thinks it can say something and it is accepted as truth and, as with the attempt to gag coroners, they are trying to close down dissent. I bet if a petition was started calling for Browne's removal as Scottish Secretary, a mirror answer would be generated saying he spends 24/7 working on Scottish matters.
Ideally politics would be seperate from any campaign to better the lot of the Armed Forces. However, I am increasingly of the mind that nothing will change and that the best we can do is to wreck the Labour party for a generation or two in the same way that they have wrecked the Armed Forces. Kick them out in May's local elections, kick them out in a few years time in Westminster and the devolved administrations, consign their wretched party to oblivion and obscurity for the next 20 years, tear up the quangos, turf them out of Europe, pursue those suspected of wrongdoing and jail them, enjoy their decline into wretched obscurity and irrelevance, let them taste the bitterness of seeing something they cherish wrecked.
The job below apparently fits into tea breaks:
http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/dev...-of-state.html
Ideally politics would be seperate from any campaign to better the lot of the Armed Forces. However, I am increasingly of the mind that nothing will change and that the best we can do is to wreck the Labour party for a generation or two in the same way that they have wrecked the Armed Forces. Kick them out in May's local elections, kick them out in a few years time in Westminster and the devolved administrations, consign their wretched party to oblivion and obscurity for the next 20 years, tear up the quangos, turf them out of Europe, pursue those suspected of wrongdoing and jail them, enjoy their decline into wretched obscurity and irrelevance, let them taste the bitterness of seeing something they cherish wrecked.
The job below apparently fits into tea breaks:
http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/dev...-of-state.html
The primary role of the Secretary of State for Scotland is to promote the devolution settlement and to act as guardian of it. He promotes partnership between the Government and the Scottish Executive and between the two Parliaments. At the same time, the Secretary of State continues to represent Scottish interests in reserved matters within the UK Government, advising colleagues about any distinctive Scottish aspects that arise for reasons other than the impact on devolved matters and supporting them in presenting Government policies in Scotland.
Reserved matters include:
UK Single market
Energy regulation, UK and international transport
Immigration and nationality
Social security
Taxation and economic management
Foreign Affairs (including European Union negotiations)
Defence
National Security
The Constitution
The Secretary of State and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State between them are members of around 20 Cabinet Committees and Sub-Committees and are involved on an ad hoc basis as the need arises. The Secretary of State retains certain limited executive functions, notably in relation to the financial transactions between the Government and the Scottish Executive and in relation to parliamentary elections. Scotland Office Ministers also make orders (secondary legislation) under the Scotland Act. These orders are needed, occasionally to amend, and more frequently to implement, Scotland's devolution settlement.
The Secretary of State can also exercise functions under section 35 of the Scotland Act. Under section 35, the Secretary of State may make an Order prohibiting the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer from submitting a Bill for Royal Assent, which he has reasonable grounds to believe would be incompatible with:
any international obligations;
the interests of defence; or
the interests of national security.
The Secretary of State may also make an Order under section 35 if he reasonably believes that the Scottish Parliament Bill makes modifications to, and would have an adverse effect on, the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters. These powers have not yet been exercised, which means that no Orders have been made by the Secretary of State under section 35 of the Scotland Act. The Scotland Office, which supports the Secretary of State, was established on 1 July 1999, following devolution. The Scotland Office works in partnership with the Scottish Executive, but is entirely separate from it, remaining part of the UK Government. In June 2003 it became part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and in May 2007 became part of the Ministry of Justice.
Information on devolved matters (issues essentially of domestic concern to Scotland) can be obtained from www.scotland.gov.uk, the website of the Scottish Executive.
Reserved matters include:
UK Single market
Energy regulation, UK and international transport
Immigration and nationality
Social security
Taxation and economic management
Foreign Affairs (including European Union negotiations)
Defence
National Security
The Constitution
The Secretary of State and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State between them are members of around 20 Cabinet Committees and Sub-Committees and are involved on an ad hoc basis as the need arises. The Secretary of State retains certain limited executive functions, notably in relation to the financial transactions between the Government and the Scottish Executive and in relation to parliamentary elections. Scotland Office Ministers also make orders (secondary legislation) under the Scotland Act. These orders are needed, occasionally to amend, and more frequently to implement, Scotland's devolution settlement.
The Secretary of State can also exercise functions under section 35 of the Scotland Act. Under section 35, the Secretary of State may make an Order prohibiting the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer from submitting a Bill for Royal Assent, which he has reasonable grounds to believe would be incompatible with:
any international obligations;
the interests of defence; or
the interests of national security.
The Secretary of State may also make an Order under section 35 if he reasonably believes that the Scottish Parliament Bill makes modifications to, and would have an adverse effect on, the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters. These powers have not yet been exercised, which means that no Orders have been made by the Secretary of State under section 35 of the Scotland Act. The Scotland Office, which supports the Secretary of State, was established on 1 July 1999, following devolution. The Scotland Office works in partnership with the Scottish Executive, but is entirely separate from it, remaining part of the UK Government. In June 2003 it became part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and in May 2007 became part of the Ministry of Justice.
Information on devolved matters (issues essentially of domestic concern to Scotland) can be obtained from www.scotland.gov.uk, the website of the Scottish Executive.
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Despite what Broon says, it's my understanding that Swiss Des does only 2 days a week as SoS for Defence yet all his salary comes from the MoD budget.
My (Labour) MP didn't deny this when I asked him.
My (Labour) MP didn't deny this when I asked him.
God I'm so simple.......more money syphoned up North.....
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Gallant Members
I also asked my (Labour) MP how many of his party can be referred to in the House as the "Gallant Member for..." and he came up with Eric Joyce, MP for Falkirk West.
It seems he joined the Black Watch as a Private and after Sandhurst was commissioned into the AGC, so I asked if it was felt he might be considered as a possible MoD Minister or even SoS for Defence as he has two obvious advantages in that he might know something about his brief and that he's a Jock. No answer was forthcoming; why am I not surprised?
Please note the capitalisation of "Member", so no deliberate misunderstandings, please...
It seems he joined the Black Watch as a Private and after Sandhurst was commissioned into the AGC, so I asked if it was felt he might be considered as a possible MoD Minister or even SoS for Defence as he has two obvious advantages in that he might know something about his brief and that he's a Jock. No answer was forthcoming; why am I not surprised?
Please note the capitalisation of "Member", so no deliberate misunderstandings, please...
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exscribbler,
A disadvantage, surely! Crickey, imagine a Minister who actually knew something about their brief!
Sir Humph would choke on his brandy...
...possible MoD Minister or even SoS for Defence as he has two obvious advantages in that he might know something about his brief...
Sir Humph would choke on his brandy...
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Yeah, well, there seems to be a fair few Scots in the Cabinet of late... you got me there!!
Actually, two of the previous Defence Ministers of Scottish extraction, Lewis and Adam, were thoroughly good eggs in my opinion. I would've put Adam up for better things, but Prime Minsters change, I suppose.
Actually, two of the previous Defence Ministers of Scottish extraction, Lewis and Adam, were thoroughly good eggs in my opinion. I would've put Adam up for better things, but Prime Minsters change, I suppose.
