Our new MPS first speech in westminster :

[rob murray]

A wee clip from our new MPS first speech in westminster :

"The clearances were perpetrated during the 18th and 19thcenturies when highlanders were forced from land they had held for generations.The clearances shifted land use from farming to sheep raising because sheep wereconsidered more valuable than people. In the process, a way of life wasexterminated to further the financial ambitions of aristocratic landowners. Theevictions that took place are remembered for their brutality and for theabruptness of the social change that they prompted. At the time this Parliamentcompounded the inequity by implementing legislation to prohibit the use of theGaelic language, the playing of bagpipes and even the wearing of tartan. Thecumulative effect devastated the cultural landscape of the counties that Irepresent and the resulting impact destroyed much of Scotland’s Gaelic culture".

Ok Paul...the act you refered to , the act of proscription was repealed in 1782...the Caithness clearances ( Reay ) mild clearances, at that, took place in the 1790's and the barbaric clearances of Sutherland / Wester Ross did not start until 1809, Caithness was never ever a gael county either..where have you been min....we never wanted gaelic road signs in Caithness !!!! ....If the guy is going to use history he should get his facts right min !!!!

If your interested in the full speech see


http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/snps-dr-paul-monaghan-speaks-on-chagossian-exile-in-parliament-3482

[cptdodger]

I am not by any means a political person, but is this Paul Monaghan not a member of the Scottish National Party, and MSP for this area? If so, what on earth is he doing going on about a group of Islands in the Indian Ocean? Do we not have enough problems here he should be concentrating on?

[sids]

I am not by any means a political person, but is this Paul Monaghan not a member of the Scottish National Party, and MSP for this area? If so, what on earth is he doing going on about a group of Islands in the Indian Ocean? Do we not have enough problems here he should be concentrating on?

He's a member of the Opposition in the parliament of the UK. It would be a bit of a disgrace, were he to be disinterested in World affairs.

[sids]

I don't see why Gaelic road signs can't be proscribed, along with tartan trews and chanter music.

[rob murray]

He's a member of the Opposition in the parliament of the UK. It would be a bit of a disgrace, were he to be disinterested in World affairs.

Yep...but he is historicaly inaccurate alleging that gaeldom was detroyed by english laws, this is a myth, are we to belive that the act was not resisted that the Gaels meekly rolled over and complied ???? P lenty of historicalevidence illustrates how the Gaels resisted the act, very actively. The period after culloden up to 1752 illustrates an active resistance movement against the oppressors. As a nationalist surely he should know his basic history. The gaeldom way of life incidentally was dying out before the clearances, and arguably the clan system was being discarded prior to and immediatly after culloden, the clearances affected only 1 part of his own consituency..Sutherland which were barbaric...but other areas suffered just as bad as well

[cptdodger]

He's a member of the Opposition in the parliament of the UK. It would be a bit of a disgrace, were he to be disinterested in World affairs.

And did all the people who voted for him and the SNP not expect them to improve things here? Was that part of their manifesto ?

[rob murray]

I don't see why Gaelic road signs can't be proscribed, along with tartan trews and chanter music.

Fine but plenty of Caithness people didnt want dual English / Gaelic road signs did they ??? Cos they see themselves as being of norse descent..ie not Gaels. Caithness was never a Gael county...ever

[rob murray]

What a man....he also refers to civil rights movement in the US and the Roosevelt new deal........"As a child I learned of the bravery of Rosa Parks and how she changed the world,( she didnt ! ) and as an adult I learned of the personal challenges met and overcome, and of the uncommon political imagination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. ( Look closer to home Paul....Labours Clem Atlee.....did more in 5 years than the SNP could do in 50 years : how about creating the welfare state / NHS ) In those individuals I found examples not only of bravery but of imagination; the imagination to perceive the benefit of change in a world that aspires to achieve, not receive.Many of those who supported me on 7 May did so in the belief that it is now time to achieve, and their uncommon political imagination sits around me today. Our aim is to achieve the right to build a fairer Scotland; we aim to establish a state of affairs where our old, our disadvantaged and our vulnerable are valued, and where our poor are protected not punished.I made the decision to stand for election to this Parliament knowing, as Mrs Parks did, that “I had the strength of my ancestors with me”

Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke and waffle !! And achieve what exactly Paul my boy.....this is nothing more than pro independance dribble.....dont expect this geezer to be active in working with businesses / promoting and selling Caithness / moving and shaking you know....bringing new industries / jobs to the area....voters...youve been sold a pup....this guy is a misty eyed sentamentalist...we needed a more switched on person with real vision and drive...go out and get em.....tackle post Dounreay Caithness and North Sutherland issues ( the new clearances )....now Scots wah hae.............absolute cringe worthy garbage

[Bystander1]

Now Rob Murray, Dr Mogadon has already increased employment in the North. Has he not taken his brother off the dole and given him a highly technical job involving Skype & internet things etc etc. At our expense of course. He did save a few groats on advertising the job of course, his own Facebook page was sufficient. None of these expensive ads in the press for our Doactor.

[rob murray]

Now Rob Murray, Dr Mogadon has already increased employment in the North. Has he not taken his brother off the dole and given him a highly technical job involving Skype & internet things etc etc. At our expense of course. He did save a few groats on advertising the job of course, his own Facebook page was sufficient. None of these expensive ads in the press for our Doactor.

lol lol lol : The good doctor is typical "new" SNP ie will always deal in marquee politics - looks great outside,but it's empty underneath. They take the view that most folk only look at the headlines, they don't read the actual story tabloid politics....ie Man eats house...........grab the headline and then dont read the actual story nor bother to check out the actual facts. Therefore stuff like the Clearances etc etc is fair gameto them, it's a signifier that SOMETHING IMPORTANT must be being discussed without going to the effort of actually pushing things forward... cos progress means the system works. What a bunch of con artists eh...at least the nasty party stand for something..know what... this Scots wah hae dribble, only true Scots are yes voters, only party that represents Scotland is the SNP...freedom......... is really getting on my wick.

[Shaggy]

oh dear.......you didn't vote for SNP but you continue to moan and whinge about them.....you didn't vote for independence yet you continue to utter the drivel that "would" have been and not content with what Scotland has to "put up with" you continuously belittle the Scottish govt and the SNP MP's. I take it there isn't anything you like about Caithness or Scotland for that matter?? If you don't like it, there's always the road south. Oh and don't forget to pack your PC and take a few "friends" with you too otherwise we'll miss the banter on e' org. Meanwhile, i have some paint to apply and watch drying.

[rob murray]

oh dear.......you didn't vote for SNP but you continue to moan and whinge about them.....you didn't vote for independence yet you continue to utter the drivel that "would" have been and not content with what Scotland has to "put up with" you continuously belittle the Scottish govt and the SNP MP's. I take it there isn't anything you like about Caithness or Scotland for that matter?? If you don't like it, there's always the road south. Oh and don't forget to pack your PC and take a few "friends" with you too otherwise we'll miss the banter on e' org. Meanwhile, i have some paint to apply and watch drying.

Yep of course Im wrong yor right

[cptdodger]

oh dear.......you didn't vote for SNP but you continue to moan and whinge about them.....you didn't vote for independence yet you continue to utter the drivel that "would" have been and not content with what Scotland has to "put up with" you continuously belittle the Scottish govt and the SNP MP's. I take it there isn't anything you like about Caithness or Scotland for that matter?? If you don't like it, there's always the road south. Oh and don't forget to pack your PC and take a few "friends" with you too otherwise we'll miss the banter on e' org. Meanwhile, i have some paint to apply and watch drying.

I did'nt vote for Independence, or the SNP either, how do you take from that, that I do'nt like Caithness or Scotland? I take it we still live in a democracy? If so why should I be forced out of my own country where I was born and have spent the majority of my life in, because I disagree with the SNP'S policies ?

[golach]

I did'nt vote for Independence, or the SNP either, how do you take from that, that I do'nt like Caithness or Scotland? I take it we still live in a democracy? If so why should I be forced out of my own country where I was born and have spent the majority of my life in, because I disagree with the SNP'S policies ?

Could not put it better or more clearly myself, when I see 100% of Scots voting for the Nats, ....then I may think I could be persuaded to change my mind, maybe even my address. But until that happens I will be a Kaitness born, ex pat anti Nat for as long as I can see.

[sids]

Fine but plenty of Caithness people didnt want dual English / Gaelic road signs did they ??? Cos they see themselves as being of norse descent..ie not Gaels. Caithness was never a Gael county...ever

Am I confusing people?

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/de...lish/proscribe

Forbid, especially by law:
strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces

[Shaggy]

Yep of course Im wrong yor right

I'm not right, nor are you wrong....No, actually... you are right for a change......but why bother......just nipping out to see if that paint has dried in the rain

[BetterTogether]

Has anyone bothered to tell Mr Monaghan that we are now in the 21st century and harping on about past injustices which are no longer relevant to the modern world does nothing to promote this area.
If the very best he can manage is to waffle on about incidents which happened centuries ago then maybe he hasn't sufficient grasp on what is relevant to today's modern society. Let's see some real action from him to deal with the problems facing Caithness and Sutherland now and in the future.
Wasting hard earned tax payers money on forcing Gaelic signs on everyone and insisting teachers have knowledge of Gaelic is not going to make the area prosperous and not going to substantially improve the welfare of the areas most deprived, the elderly or the unemployed.
What we need to hear from Mr Monaghan is how he intends to promote this area and work for everyone of his constituents to make the area a place which is better for all of us to live in.

As for employing his brother didn't we have that taken care of in the last expenses scandal with Mps not allowed to employ family members, I could be wrong on that but it's not really setting the right example.

Simple advice would be leave History to Historians.

[Rheghead]

Has anyone bothered to tell Mr Monaghan that we are now in the 21st century and harping on about past injustices which are no longer relevant to the modern world does nothing to promote this area.
If the very best he can manage is to waffle on about incidents which happened centuries ago then maybe he hasn't sufficient grasp on what is relevant to today's modern society. Let's see some real action from him to deal with the problems facing Caithness and Sutherland now and in the future.
Wasting hard earned tax payers money on forcing Gaelic signs on everyone and insisting teachers have knowledge of Gaelic is not going to make the area prosperous and not going to substantially improve the welfare of the areas most deprived, the elderly or the unemployed.
What we need to hear from Mr Monaghan is how he intends to promote this area and work for everyone of his constituents to make the area a place which is better for all of us to live in.

As for employing his brother didn't we have that taken care of in the last expenses scandal with Mps not allowed to employ family members, I could be wrong on that but it's not really setting the right example.

Simple advice would be leave History to Historians.

I believe the general consensus amongst historians is that Scotland is still living with the injustices of The Clearances. Any other opinion is simply out of touch.

[sids]

I believe the general consensus amongst historians is that Scotland is still living with the injustices of The Clearances. Any other opinion is simply out of touch.

Do you want to live on a 19th Century croft, up west?

If not, then the injustices of the clearances may not be all that relevant to you.

[golach]

I believe the general consensus amongst historians is that Scotland is still living with the injustices of The Clearances. Any other opinion is simply out of touch.

I was brought up in the highlands, but live in the Lowlands, the clearances had no affect on me, I live in today's world, not in history, just remind us where you were born Rheg?