400 year old rule blocks brexit vote

JIM SILLARS is the former deputy leader of the Scottish National Party Is the cause of independence damaged by what started out as the Salmond-Sturgeon clash? Has it now become the cause of grave concern that two of our most important institutions, our parliament and the Government drawn from it, and the Crown Office, now lie under a dark cloud of suspicion of political corruption? There can be no other answer but yes. The SNP became the chosen instrument by many to take Scotland to independence, and as such gathered membership and parliamentary strength in recent years. Fairly or not, the trust people put on the idea of independence is linked to their trust in the SNP. Where trust was heavily invested was in its commitment to the ethical standards essential for a democracy to survive: honesty by those who have the power to be dishonest, restraint in the use of power by those in a position to abuse it, adhering to the codes of justice by those with the power to ignore … [Read more...] about JIM SILLARS: I’ve been a lifelong SNP supporter… but the stench is such that I cannot hold my nose and vote for the party in May

Uncertainty around the future of the Northern Ireland protocol has seen the construction of purpose-built inspection facilities at ports halted. There will still be checks on agricultural and food products, but these will be carried out in existing buildings that have been repurposed for the post- Brexit task, the country's agriculture minister has said. Gordon Lyons of the DUP said that recruitment of inspection staff for the new port facilities at places like Belfast and Larne had been stopped, and charges levied on traders bringing goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland were also shelved. Mr Lyons said his decision was based on "practical difficulties" caused by the protocol, which came as part of the UK's trade deal with the EU. The agreement struck saw trade checks enacted on products travelling between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, however these regulatory and customs checks were moved to the Irish Sea to avoid a border on the island of … [Read more...] about Brexit: Northern Ireland halts construction of import inspection facilities

UK campsites with shared facilities have been left off the list when it comes to reopening, after the government announced some holidays can resume from April 12. However, this is only for self-catered accommodation , where there are no shared facilities - meaning campsites that have shower and toilet blocks are not included. Instead, they will reopen from May 17 , along with hotels, meaning many are missing out on the end of the Easter holidays. Martin Smith, founder of Campsites.co.uk , said they have seen a booking boom of 300 per cent following the announcement, but that they were being unfairly penalised due to the shared toilet and shower facilities. He warned: "Under the current roadmap, pubs and shops can open their toilet facilities for customers from April 12, but campsites must keep theirs closed until May 17. "This matters, because it stops thousands of campsites opening for the early Bank Holiday weekend, depriving independent sites the chance to claw … [Read more...] about UK campsites devastated as thousands to remain closed until May 17 due to shared toilet rules

HASBRO has rebranded their Mr Potato Head line to break away from "gender norms." Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender-neutral new name: Potato Head . The change will appear on boxes this year. Hasbro announced on Thursday that the "Mr Potato Head" brand would not just be called "Potato Head," which has been around for about 70 years, needed a modern makeover. The company tweeted : "Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! "While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD." Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and … [Read more...] about Mr Potato Head goes gender-neutral and loses his title in modern makeover after 70 years

A senior member of the German parliament, Georg Nüsslein, pledged Friday to fight allegations of taking bribes from a face mask producer . The lawmaker also temporarily stepped down from his position as deputy leader of the ruling conservative bloc in the Bundestag. Nüsslein's case 'quite appalling' Speaking to DW, Bundestag deputy Dirk Wiese said he was surprised and angered by the scandal. "The fact that something like this is possible is quite appalling," said Wiese, who is a member of the center-left Social Democrats. "And it is also infuriating, because in those cases, the reputation of politicians as a whole is stained," he said. "And that always angers me." Pushing for a registry of lobbyists Wiese also accused his conservative colleagues of "blocking" a proposed registry of lobbyists that would prevent such cases in the future. He described the latest allegations as a "warning shot." "We need to finally get this moving, get more transparency. And we need to … [Read more...] about COVID mask scandal: Pressure rises on German lawmaker