Articles categorised as Politics

Cross-Party Group on the Scots Language

Open to all (by prior contact with SLC). The next meeting of the CPG on Scots will take place on 2 December 2012 at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh at 17:30.

Activism & Politics links

Government and Parliament Documents and Web Pages: News release about the Scottish Government’s Scots language working group. Scottish Government's Audit of Scots Language...

Parliamentary Motions on Scots (Session 3)

You can find all Parliamentary motions and see which members have signed them in the daily Business Bulletin. S3M-8034 Rob Gibson: Scots Census Question, Aye Can—That the Parliament welcomes the...

Written Parliamentary Questions on Scots (Session 3)

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found here. S3W-40251 Bill Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive ...

Parliamentary Questions about the National Language Strategy (Session 3)

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found here. S3W-8784 Cathy Peattie: To ask the Scottish Executive...

Creative Scotland

The Scottish Parliament passed the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill on 25 March 2010, under which Creative Scotland was established in summer 2010. For parliamentary discussions of the bill...

Conversation Now Translated into Scots

The Scottish Government’s 'National Conversation' document, published in the autumn of 2007, has now been translated into the Scots language. Ministers Linda Fabiani and Maureen Watt are to be...

Oral Parliamentary Questions on Scots (Session 3)

10 March 2011 Rob Gibson(Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made to ensure that the Scots language is included in the Scottish Qualifications...

Parliamentary Motions and Questions from Sessions 1 and 2

Motions S2M-4940 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): Congratulations to Eejits That the Parliament congratulates Itchy Coo publications on the success of its book, Eejits, a best selling...

Israeli MPs to take Hebrew lessons

Members of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, have been told to improve their use of the Hebrew language. BBC Radio 4 has reported that MPs are speaking Hebrew badly and are using too many...

Parliamentary Debates and Discussions Concerning Scots (Session 3)

1 April 2009, Economy, Energy and Tourism Comittee Rob Gibson asks witnesses about a Homecoming Scotland blog post that described Scots as "slang". http://tinyurl.com/dbhclb 18 June, Meeting of...

Scots campaigners blast 'nonsense'

Scots language campaigners have criticised recent comments by the TaxPayers’ Alliance as “ignorant nonsense”. Rod Lovie, convener of Strathisla Scots Spickers, condemned recent attacks on...

Network for Multilingualism in Europe Established

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) has decided to set up a network to promote European multilingualism, with a particular focus on Europe’s regional and minority languages. Many...

Parliamentary Motions on the National Languages Strategy

S3M-1768.1 Hugh O’Donnell: International Education—As an amendment to motion (S3M-1768) in the name of Maureen Watt, insert at end "and calls for the Scottish Government to bring forward a...

Kay calls on SNP to support Scots culture

Scots broadcaster and writer, Billy Kay, has urged the Scottish government to find ways to support Scots culture. In a letter to Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, Kay, the author of Scots, the...

Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity launched in Brussels

On 11th June, the new Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD) was launched in Brussels. The NPLD has been established to work for the promotion and development of Europe’s less widely used...

MSP Asks About the Use of Scots Language in Scottish Schools

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has written to the education directors of all of Scotland’s cooncils to ask whether in-service days for teachers cover discrimination against...

Aboot the Ainu

Whit d'ye mak o this? - http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/03/asia/03ainu.php Thir's ae braw line, juist at the end, that gar me lauch out loud: "It's not healthy to keep blaming...

Allocate funding for Scots say academics

A group of academics have told the Scottish government that they need to do more to support the Scots language. In a letter to Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, members of the Forum for Research on...

Purves outlines the Way Forward for Scots

In the following article, veteran Scots campaigner, David Purves, outlines his views on the ways in which Scots could be encouarged and supported. The article first appeared in the Scots...

Homecoming Scotland Shames Scottish Arts Council, Says MSP

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, says that the Homecoming Scotland Events Guide shows that EventScotland and VisitScotland "value indigenous Scottish culture and language, but the...

European Charter

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a Council of Europe treaty. You can find out about it here and through the links below. Latest News The committee of experts third...

Euro Charter information added

Information on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the ways in which it effects Scots is now available in the politics and activism section of the site. Click here to read...

Lib Dem Leader Calls for More Funding for Scots

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MSP for Shetland Tavish Scott MSP has lodged a motion demanding the Government supports the Scots language. Shetland ForWirds raised concerns with Mr Scott...

Bill Wilson MSP Demands Support for Scots Language and Music

West of Scotland MSP Dr Bill Wilson has called for Scotland to follow Ireland in supporting indigenous culture. Dr Wilson is a longstanding critic of the Scottish Arts Council’s cuts in...

Places still available at Scots debate

Places are still available at a debate to be held this evening (23 September) at the National Library of Scotland. A panel including Professor John Corbett, poet Rab Wilson, and Scots and Gaelic...

Scots activists celebrate

Scots activists are celebrating after nearly one third of the Scottish parliament’s members signed a motion from Liberal Democrat leader, Tavish Scott, calling on the Scottish Arts Council to...

MSP Marks the Contribution of Scots to Europe's Culture

South of Scotland MSP Aileen Campbell has lodged a motion that describes Scots and Gaelic as “distinctive contributions to the cultural and linguistic life of Europe”. Her motion, lodged in...

NLS debate report

A debate about Scots held last month at the National Library of Scotland brought in an audience of over 100 people. Here David Purves gives his impression of the evening's events. At the moment...

Obama wins

Scots cultural activist, Billy Kay, has reminded us about the diverse nature of the culture of the US South. In this extract from his book, the Scottish World, Kay reproduces a poem that has...

SNP Conference Calls for "fair treatment" for Scots

On 16 October the SNP conference voted unanimously for a motion that calls on the Scottish Government to "guarantee fair treatment for Scotland’s unique cultural inheritance". The motion...

MSP Writes on Wedding Row

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has written to Linda Fabiani, the Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, asking her to inform all Scotland’s...

Mony a Midder's Son

Fair Isle singer Lise Sinclair recorded the song Mony a Midder’s son for Shetland composition Ivver Entrancin Wis. The song combines Arabic and Shetland flavours and was written as a response to...

Freedom Come All Ye

Freedom Come All Ye is Scotland’s international anthem. Listen to Irish traditional music legend Luke Kelly’s version of the song on youtube Read more about Luke Kelly on wikipedia

"Encourage children to speak Scots" says MSP

Rob Gibson MSP, convener of the Cross-Party Group on Scots, called on Scotland's schools to encourage children's use of Scots. Speaking in a debate on the United Nations Convention on the Rights...

Gaun Yersel, Scottish Government!

Scots is making inroads into the world of official strategies. Two Scottish Government documents published this autumn have Scots words or phrases in their titles. "These Are Our Bairns", the...

“Aw human sowels is born free and equal in dignity and richts.”

Amnesty International Scotland is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by presenting the First Minister, Alex Salmond, with a framed copy of a Scots...

"Scots Education is a Human Right"

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has lodged a motion stating that a recent pronouncement by the EU Parliament Civil Liberties Committee clearly implied that it was a human right...

Scots Human Rights in Audio Format - Listen Here

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International has presented First Minister, Alex Salmond, with a poster copy of the Scots translation. In...

"Give Scots and Gaelic equal status" says MSP

West of Scotland MSP Dr Bill Wilson has called on the Scottish Government to make representations to the United Kingdom Government to give speakers of Scots and Gaelic the same rights as it gives...

Scots Translation of UDHR Accepted by UN

The Scots translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has been accepted by the United Nations and will be added to its list of more than 300 languages in which the document is...

Scottish Government to hold conference on Scots

The Scottish Government is to hold a conference to discuss plans to support and encourage the Scots language. The conference will be held in Stirling on the 9th of February. At present there are...

MSP Spreads Scots from Aberdeen to Argentina!

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, shared his love of the Scots language with primary school pupils aboard The Reading Bus on Friday 16th January. Dr. Wilson read two Scots poems...

MSP "Incensed" by Scots Omission from Draft Census

Dr. Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has criticised the omission of the Scots language from the draft of the 2011 census questionnaire. In a letter to the Minister for...

BREAKING NEWS - Scots Audit Published

The long awaited Scots audit has been published today. The Audit can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/01/23133726/0 For the government's press statement visit...

Centre reacts to Scots Audit

The Scots Language Centre has given an enthusiastic welcome to the Scots audit report which was published on 27 January. Speaking yesterday, Michael Hance, the Director of the Centre said,...

New fundin, internet, Dictionars

Weil, first o aw, I maun say weil duin tae the fowk at the SLC an the Dictionars that haes at lang an last got the govrenment tae fund thaim direckly raither nor through the Airts Council. Gin ye...

Equal Opportunities Committee to Assess Audit

Tomorrow's meeting of the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee will assess the Scottish Government's audit of Scots language provision, which reported recently. Find out more...

Equal Opportunities Considers Audit

Last week, the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee considered the Scots Government's recent audit of Scots language provision. The committee agreed to refer the audit to the...

MSP asks for more resources for Scots education

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has encouraged the Scottish Government to ensure the adequate resourcing of Scots language education. In General Question Time on 5 March, Dr...

Scunnered...

Been a wee while syne I wis last able tae blog on here (hou maun Uni wark get i the wey o whit I'm wantin tae dae?), but a story I saw a week or sae back fair got me thrawn an I thocht I'd let ye...

Homecoming Blog Brands Scots as Slang

Highlands MSP Rob Gibson has forced a Homecoming Scotland blog to change references to Scots as “slang”. Mr Gibson, convener of the cross-parity group on Scots, took witnesses from VisitScotland...

Scottish Government Considering Research into Scots in Schools

Last Thursday, the Minister for Schools and Skills, Keith Brown MSP, revealed that the Government is thinking about comissioning research into Scots language provision in our schools. Responding...

Scottish Newspapers Becoming Less Scottish

A new and fascinating book by Dr Fiona Douglas suggests that home-grown Scottish newspapers have become much less Scottish since the advent of devolution while English-based papers are growing in...

Scots Conference report published

A report of the meeting held in February by the Scots government to consider the contents of the Scots Audit was published on Saturday. Full details of the report can be accessed on the...

Traditional Arts Working Group - Public Meetings

David Francis, the chair of the Traditional Arts Working Group, will be hosting a series of public meetings across Scotland to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to feed their views...

Euro experts to visit Scotland

The UK submitted its third periodical report on the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages on 26 May 2009. As was the case following the previous two reports, the...

MSP says European research suggests Scots-language ATMs and labels a good thing

An MSP’s campaign to promote the Scots language in the public domain has received a shot in the arm from Europe. Dr Bill Wilson, an SNP MSP for the West of Scotland who has long championed Scots,...

MSP says Scottish cringe could be overcome by improving Scots-language education

Dr Bill Wilson, an SNP MSP for the West of Scotland and a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on the Scots Language, has written to Michael Russell praising the Scottish...

Moray author launches census petition

A Moray author is campaigning for the Scots language to be given equal status with Gaelic by having it included in the 2011 national census, reports the Press and Journal. Marguerite...

News about minority languages now on Facebook

Eurolang, the news site about Europe’s lesser used languages, is now on facebook. Facebook members can become fans here  

Census 2011

Here you will find information and links about the inclusion of Scots in the questions for the 2011 census. Oral Questions Maureen Watt and Fiona Hyslop discussed the census in the answers to a...

Question in Scots Makes Parliament History

History was made in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 7 January when an SNP MSP became the first person to ask a parliamentary question and a follow-up question in Scots. Western Isles MSP...

Survey shows massive support for Scots

The results of a government funded survey show a huge level of support for the Scots language along with widespread usage. Launched at the 2010 Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow the survey...

Irish language activist explores hidden Ulster Scots culture

An unusual and controversial perspective on the Ulster Scots language and culture is explored in a one hour documentary film, directed by an Irish language activist. Deaglán Ó Mocháin’s film, The...

BBC discussion on Scots attitudes survey

The recent Scottish Government survey on attitudes to Scots is discussed on BBC Scotland.

Research on Public Attitudes to the Scots Language

The results of a government funded survey show a huge level of support for the Scots language along with widespread usage. Launched at the 2010 Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow the survey...

Scots language fowk pey tribute tae John Law

John Law, ane o the best kent Scots language steerers o raicent times, deed aa a sudden on Seturday. Cllr Law wis ane o the bodies that set up the Scots Language Resource Centre in 1993  - SLRC...

Literature Working Group

The Scottish Government's literature working group has published its policy proposals. The report contains recommendations concerning literature and publising in Scots. This page collects Scottish...

Cross-Party Group on the Scots Language

The Scottish Parliament cross-party group on the Scots language exist to promote the cause of Scots, inform members of the culture and heritage of the language and highlight the need for action to...

Census - nou the wark ralley stairts

Weil, first I’d lik tae say walcome tae Margaret Tong – I’m ralley luikin forrit tae readi mair o yer blogs, Margaret.   The muckle news for Scots raicently haes been the 2011 Census.  Efter a...

Ministerial Working Group makes progress

A ministerial working group on Scots has been meeting since last November. Its convenor, Derrick McClure, reports on the progress it has made so far. In February 2009, a one-day conference was...

Radical breakthrough in the Census

This article by leading Scots language expert, Derrick McClure, first appeared in the Leopard and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the editor. An important event this spring will be...

Chair and Members Sought for Ulster Scots Academy MAG

The Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is looking for people to fill the positions of Chair and Members to the Ulster Scots Academy — Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG). The...

Scottish Government Responds to Literature Working Group Report

On 4 February, the Scottish Government produced its official response to the literature working group’s report. Among many other points, the group recommended that the Government should encourage...

Government Responds to the Ministerial Working Group

On Friday last week, the Scottish Government published its response to the recommendations of the Ministerial Working Group on the Scots Language. The response comments about recommendations on...

Census site brings in thousands of visitors

Final figures for visits to www.ayecan.com the web site set up by the Scots Language Centre to help people answer the Scots language questions in last month’s census  have been revealed by SLC...

Manifesto Scots

With the Scottish elections due on 5 May, the various political parties have now published their manifestos. The Scots Language Centre has taken the opportunity to check through the manifestos for...

Session 4 Business

The Scottish Parliament is now in recess until September. Motions, questions and other Scots-related business will appear here throughout the session.

New MSPs Take the Oath in Scots

Several new SNP Members of the Scottish Parliament today took their oaths in Scots as well as English. All MSPs are obliged to swear in using English but may repeat the oath or affirmation in...

New Minister for Scots Announced

Alasdair Allan MSP is to be appointed the Minister for Scots.   The First Minister chose Dr Allan as Minister for Learning and Skills when he announced his ministerial team on Friday. Dr Allan...

The Guardian on the Return of Scots

As part of a series on what Scottish independence would mean, The Guardian carried an article about the return of the Scots language last Friday. The article mentions MSPs taking the oath in Scots...

No Ulster Scots Academy yet

Blogger, Scots Anorak, reports in the Blether Region, on evidence given to the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly on plans to set up an Ulster Scots Academy. The...

Written Questions on Scottish Culture

This page collects written questions on Scottish culture that are not directly related to Scots language but may have a bearing on it. S4W-09340 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what...

Introduction

In October 2009, the Scottish Government established a ministerial working group on the Scots language.The group was chaired by Derrick McClure. A full list of its membership can be viewed "A Language Strategy for Scots"

The following paper was given by Andy Eagle at a conference on 'Strategies for Minority Languages, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland' held at Queens University Belfast...

Motions on Scots

This page collects parliamentary motions that relate directly to the Scots language. S4M-01744 Aileen McLeod: Crossmichael Drama Club is Stagestruck—That the Parliament congratulates Crossmichael...

Oral Questions on Scottish Culture

his page gathers motions on Scottish culture that are not directly related to the Scots language but might have a bearing upon it. 28 June 2012 Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)...

Alasdair Allan's Presentation to the Cross-Party Group

At the cross-party group meeting on 13 December 2011, Dr Alastair Allan, the Minister for Learning and Skills, gave CPG members an update on progress on the Scottish Government's policy on Scots....

Oral Questions on Scots

This page collects parliamentary questions that relate directly to Scots. 28 June 2012 Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on...

Ulster Scots in the Northern Ireland Census

Although we'll have to wait a little longer for statistics from the 2011 Census on Scots in Scotland, there have already been relevant releases with regard to the language in Northern Ireland. As...