Welcome to your Full Scottish, live from our Cowcaddens studio in Glasgow.
Full Scottish programme starts at 12:00 on Sunday 11th November 2018
Later this week, the Scottish Rural Parliament takes place in Stranraer and on the Full Scottish this week, Corri Wilson is joined by Emma Cooper, the Chief Executive of Scottish Rural Action and Daye Tucker, farmer and Rural Leader.
100 years ago today, on the Eleventh hour on the Eleventh Day of November 1918, the guns fell silent along the Western Front and the First World war; the war to end all wars came to an end. Britain went to war “that small nations might be free” and yet, just 21 years later, the World was at war again as the evil ideology of fascism oppressed its citizens, invaded and overran neighbouring countries and committed Genocide against Jews and other minorities. Out of the evil, death and destruction which gripped the world between 1939 and 1945, grew the European Economic Community or the EU as it is now known, and for the first time there was a common force for peace and a more prosperous future in Europe. While far from perfect, the EU has united European nations in a way that could only be dreamt of before 1945 and yet, here we stand in 2018 with the UK on the brink of leaving the EU, with no agreement or plan as to how this “Brexit” might be achieved and no understanding of its impact on the future for the UK except that it will lead to an economic disaster under a soft Brexit, to a total economic catastrophe if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Can Brexit be stopped? Will our political leaders have the courage to withdraw Article 50 and draw back from the precipice or will be all be dragged over a cliff edge because it was the will of the people.
What will be the impact of Brexit on Scotland and the Scottish economy and especially on rural communities which have benefited so much from EU support? And what about the Fishing industry which was so vociferous in support of Brexit? Well, it looks like they will be sold out by the UK Government again as Theresa May tries to cobble together a plan that will be acceptable to the tories, Parliament and the EU. While some of the larger fishing interests in the North East of Scotland might think they would benefit from being out of the EU, most of the smaller inshore vessels fishing for prawns, crabs and lobsters will suffer badly with the loss of access EU markets as will the important fish farming and processing sectors in Scotland.
Agriculture is also in a state of deep uncertainty between Brexit and a UK Government Agriculture bill which seems to be missing any detail on agriculture and food security. Rural communities in Scotland are feeling vulnerable, already remote and last to feel the benefit of technological change and connectivity. Our rural communities are too important to be turned into holiday homes and resorts for the rich and powerful. What will be the impact on a small community like Maidens in South Ayrshire if Donald Trump’s Turnberry Hotel gets approval to build 87 new houses?
Which brings us to the President of the United States. Following the mid-term elections in which the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, in one of his most surreal press conferences to date, the President insisted that this had been a successful campaign by him for the Republicans and then in his wildest show of disrespect for the press yet, verbally attacked Jim Acosta from CNN.
To cap it all, as World leaders gathered in France yesterday to commemorate the fallen of World War One, Donald Trump could not organise himself to travel 100 kilometres to attend the ceremony because it was raining and apparently his helicopter doesn’t like the rain.
One last hopeful thought is the impact the record number of women who were elected this time. Perhaps even in American politics the message is #Timesup.
Emma Cooper
Emma Cooper has been with Scottish Rural Action since it formed in early 2015 and this is the third Rural Parliament she has organised for SRA. Emma is the SRA representative on the National Transport Strategy Partnership Group. Prior to SRA, Emma managed a community-owned forest on Bute, where she still lives, and before that managed outdoor pursuit and youth work charities. Emma enjoys baking, outdoor pursuits and gardening outside of work and is a director of Rothesay Pavilion. Emma has a BSc in Applied Psychology and a Master in Public Administration and is a member of ACOSVO.
Daye Tucker
After a career in teaching, living the dream to become a farmer began in 2000. Daye Tucker farms sheep on 400 acres in the Endrick Valley in West Stirlingshire. Like so many new entrants to farming, she farmed without subsidy until 2016 operating on an un level financial playing field.
In 2006 she became a Scottish Enterprise Rural Leader and began to contribute to rural cohesion by joining & sharing links With Rural Stakeholder & Community Groups. Her proudest achievement is her involvement with the creation of the Rural Skills & Agricultural Modern Apprenticeships Schemes.
As Convenor of Killearn Community Futures Company she encouraged the growth & support of many grass roots projects the largest of which was the renovation & expansion of Killearn Village Hall.
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