Populism wilting before reality

It is a difficult task to search for positives in 2020, but as this strange, deadly year winds down it can be said that it has exposed the utter incompetence of populist-style government in the face of a genuine emergency.

Without COVID-19, it is just possible we would be facing another four years of Donald Trump, whose bonfire of industrial and environmental regulation, coupled with an aggressively destructive foreign policy, resonated with his hard-core supporters and produced favourable economic figures — however short-lived and short-sighted they might have been.

The possibility of that nightmare scenario was demonstrated by a mostly forgotten comment by German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass on US election night when the President was claiming his false victory: “Germany cannot work with Trump if he is re-elected”.

It is quite possible that the Western alliance, already under severe strain from four years of White House antics, would have been fractured by a second Trump Administration, much to the delight of the dictators in Moscow and Beijing.

COVID-19 ended any prospect of that, exposing a populist President bankrupt of ideas and with no notion of what to do when the situation went pear-shaped around him.

His false slogans – “we have turned the corner”, “we are only getting high numbers of infections because we are so good at testing”, increasingly sounded hollow against the evidence of deaths in the tens and hundreds of thousands.

The election of Joe Biden is a clear indication that Americans want a President who separates facts from fantasy. There is no false cheer from the next inhabitant of the White House, rather a grim warning that “our darkest days are still ahead”.

That the population at large are willing to accept this suggests there is a feeling that after a taste of Trump’s populism, the old ways of governing might not be so bad after all.

While the US will get some respite, this is not the case in the United Kingdom where the populist Brexit Government, equally incompetent and dealing with the pandemic, has rushed blindly ahead with a program to sever its last ties to the European Union.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been ramping up the rhetoric as usual, calling the trade deal he has finally negotiated with the bloc his personal “Christmas present to the nation”.

In a triumphant Christmas Eve address, Johnson said the UK had taken back control of its laws and destiny.

“We have taken back control of every jot and tittle of our regulation in a way that is complete and unfettered,” he said.

Of course, as the details of the deal are examined, it will be found that there are some jots and not a few tittles that are not quite as the Prime Minister described.

Professor of EU Law at the University of Cambridge, Catherine Barnard noted the small matter of a swathe of machinery that the deal would introduce “all with the power to make legally-binding decisions”.

She said this included  the Partnership Council, a political body comprised of representatives of the European Commission and UK Government Ministers, that will consider “any issue relating to the implementation, application and interpretation” of the trade deal.

“It even holds the power, in certain circumstances, to amend the agreement itself and decisions are by mutual consent — including on jots and tittles,” Professor Barnard said.

So for the moment, while it is all festive cheer and the usual fatuous sound bites, reality awaits the celebrating Brexiteers.

It might take a little while, but eventually the UK public, like the Americans, will realise the emperor is somewhat short of clothing.

Public Service News from around the world

Trump’s PS purge looms

WASHINGTON (December 23): United States President, Donald Trump’s Executive Order allowing for the reclassification of many senior Public Service jobs has so far survived Congressional attempts to block it.

The new category of Schedule F makes it easier to hire and fire across a range of policy-making and supervisory positions by removing Public Service protections and union representation.

Already, the Office of Management and Budget has reclassified 88 per cent of its jobs under Schedule F, raising the spectre of a purge of the Public Service ranks in the waning days of the Trump Administration.

Chair of the Government Operations Sub-committee in the House of Representatives, and a leading critic of the move, Gerry Connolly said he would now work with the incoming Administration of Joe Biden to have the Executive Order overturned.

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US watchdog roles left unfilled

WASHINGTON (December 27): United States President, Donald Trump is apparently going to leave office having made no attempt to fill the yawning gaps in the country’s Public Service Inspectorate. 

President-elect, Joe Biden will inherit widespread vacancies in watchdog offices across the Government. At least a dozen of the 38 presidentially-appointed Inspectors General will not be in place at the end of the Trump Administration.

Incoming Chair of the Inspectors General Council, Allison Lerner said filling the jobs in Federal Agencies, ranging from the Departments of Defence and Health and Human Services to the CIA, will require “a heavy lift”.

The vacancies follow one of the most contentious periods for Inspectors General, several of whom were targeted for removal by Mr Trump.

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Money for PS pay running out

NAIROBI (December 22): Kenya’s Public Servants are facing a bleak New Year with the nation’s Treasury saying it is running out of money to pay them.

Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani said increased demands and lower collections by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) because of the COVID-19 pandemic could force the Government to postpone some payments.

Mr Yatani said it may also be necessary to freeze some essential Government services.

“As we do this, we are suspending or postponing some of the payments for salaries because the money is not there. Unfortunately we have no other words to say. It is just not there,” Mr Yatani told Parliament.

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Big jump in NZ wage bill

WELLINGTON (December 28): The New Zealand Public Service wage bill has increased by $NZ550 million ($A512 million), or 13 per cent in the past year.

A further 62 Public Service staff were paid salaries of more than $NZ200,000 ($A186,200) representing a five per cent increase.

Altogether, 1,247 staff now earn above that amount. However, the number of people earning $400,000 ($A372,400) a year almost halved — from 30 to 16.

Over the past decade the total cost of salaries in the public sector has gone up by 69 per cent, to $4.84 billion ($A4.5 billion). The average salary is now $84,500 ($A78,700), up four per cent on the year before.

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Irish teachers mark down pay deal

DUBLIN (December 19): Ireland’s main union representing teachers says it will oppose the new Public Service pay agreement.

In a statement, the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) said the limited measures contained in the proposed agreement “will not end the ongoing scandal of pay discrimination for second-level teachers employed on or after January 1, 2011”.

“The proposed new deal and will not address the two-tier pay issue at all for the other recruitment grades in which TUI represents members,” the statement said.

Under the new proposals, most Public Service personnel will receive a one per cent pay rise in October 2021 and another in October 2022.

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Extra chance for exam applicants

NEW DELHI (December 20): The Indian Government has told the country’s Supreme Court that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is giving “active consideration” to an extra chance for Public Service examination aspirants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court was hearing a petition from candidates whose examination preparations were disrupted by the pandemic and who would be ineligible next year because of the upper-age limit.

Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta said the UPSC was aware of the candidates’ plight and was preparing a proposal to give one more opportunity to the affected students. “We are not taking an adversarial stand,” he said.

The court posted the matter for a further hearing on January 11, 2021.

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NI public services complaints rise

BELFAST (December 26): Northern Ireland’s Public Services Ombudsman says complaints about public services increased by more than a third in 2019.

Margaret Kelly said concerns over record keeping at the Environment Agency regarding effluent treatment on a river were among those her office upheld.

“Our 50th year coincided with an unprecedented increase in demand for our services. We received 1,043 new complaints, a significant increase of 37 per cent from the previous year and an increase for the fourth consecutive year,” Ms Kelly said.

“To put this into a longer term context, in 2015-16 the former offices of the Northern Ireland Assembly Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Complaints jointly received 477 complaints.”

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Station converts to public service

LUXEMBOURG CITY (December 21):  Luxembourg’s Government Council has approved a Bill to establish Radio Station 100.7 as public service media.

The new law calls on the Station to design programing of “generalist information, culture, and entertainment”. It will remain an independent public institution with financial and administrative autonomy.

The current nine State representatives on the 100.7 management board will be reduced to three, bringing in six new independent members from civil society.

The draft Bill also calls for regular audience consultation through advisory meetings or other appropriate means. Advertising will remain forbidden, while patronage will continue under strict conditions.

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Union anger over court rejection

PRETORIA (December 24): South Africa’s National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers says it is dismayed by the decision of the Labour Appeal Court to dismiss its application to force the Government to implement the last leg of the Public Service wage agreement.

National Convenor, Sello Malema said the union was studying the judgement to see if there were other legal options.

“In the meantime, I call on Public Servants to prepare for a general strike next year,” Mr Malema said.

“Public Servants will not remain victims and continue to suffer the consequences of unethical and corrupt political elements in this country.”

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Call for women to join service

BERN (December 26):  Former head of the Swiss Army, Philippe Rebord has called for compulsory military or Public Service to be extended to women.

Currently, all able-bodied Swiss men aged 18 or over must serve in the military or spend time in the Public Service. Women can serve, but are not required to do so.

Mr Rebord said an extension of the system would boost the army. “Women have much to offer,” he said.

One woman who chose to serve in the military, Noémie Roten, said an extension of the system would allow every citizen to serve their nation in a way that fitted best with their talents and aspirations. Ms Roten currently works as a journalist.

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Biometrics exorcise ghost workers

HARARE (December 24): Zimbabwe’s Public Service Commission (PSC) says a World Bank-assisted biometric exercise had identified at least 10,000 ghost workers in the Public Service.

Head of Human Capital Development and Management at the PSC, Moses Mhike said the operation was continuing.

“We conducted a biometric exercise to get the data of all Civil Servants and compared it with that from the Registrar’s office. We realised that about 10 000 were not biometric compliant and traced them at each and every work station,” Mr Mhike said.

He said the exercise would soon switch to checks on Government pensions and transport allowances for Public Servants.

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Court told of ‘secret’ PS changes

PESHAWAR (December 25): The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has agreed to hear a petition from a senior Public Servant alleging the Federal Government is making “secret amendments” to the rules government the Public Service.

Counsel for the petitioner argued that the move represented “an assault on the scheme of administrative federalism laid down in the Constitution”.

“Neither the Federal Civil Servants Act of 1973, nor the Constitution, empowers the Federal Government to make any appointments to any provincial posts — they are an exclusively provincial matter,” the lawyer argued.

"However, this power is being exercised behind closed doors, to the detriment of a Provincial Civil Servant like the petitioner."

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Royal consent to PS overhaul

THIMPHU (December 22): The King of Bhutan has given his assent to a systemic overhaul of the country’s Public service.

Speaking during National Day celebrations, the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, said the COVID-19 pandemic had given new insights and taught many lessons and “Bhutanese must not forego such a valuable opportunity”.

“While the Civil Service is one of the most important institutions of the country, it has several problems. The present structure is not suited for future challenges and responsibilities,” the King said.

“The clear message to the Civil Servants is that they know when to reform their institutions to keep abreast with the changing times.”

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Extra holidays to boost tourism

LA PAZ (December 24): The Government of Bolivia is giving extra holidays to its 500,000 Public Servants in the hope they will use the time to boost the tourist industry.

Depending on the number of years of service, public employees currently receive between two and four weeks of annual leave, but that time will be boosted by between 20 and 30 per cent as long as the extra holidays are spent within the country.

In 2019, the country received 1.47 million foreign tourists that spent an average of $US936 ($A1,240) according to the National Statistics Institute.

However, Bolivia shut its borders in March as COVID-19 began to spread and that income shrank to zero, with 100,000 employees thrown out of work.

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PS pandemic fatalities remembered

MANILA (December 28): Chair of the Philippines Civil Service Commission (CSC), Alicia dela Rosa-Bala has paid tribute to frontline Public Service staff who have given their lives in the nation’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her end-of-year message Ms Rosa-Bala said it was heartbreaking to lose many Public Servant heroes “but please know that the CSC joins the bereaved families in honouring them”.

She also expressed gratitude to Government workers still striving to rise above the challenges brought by the pandemic.

“This has been a tough year for all of us, but your unwavering dedication to serve the Filipino people amid adversities has given us inspiration, hope, and faith in God and in humanity,” Ms Rosa-Bala said.

The full International PS News service will resume on January 19 

 

Public Service News from around the world

Workers face ‘pandemic of debt’

LONDON (December 15): A former Shadow United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer has warned of another pandemic — “a pandemic of debt” among the country’s Public Servants.

John McDonnell said that there was much anger in the public sector because the workers had kept the country running during the COVID-19 pandemic despite being subjected to pay cuts and freezes over the past 10 years.

 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have organised a petition calling for a fair pay rise for Government workers and signed by more than 100,000 people.

The petition notes that Public Service pay had fallen in value by up to 20 per cent in the past 10 years, causing increased hardship for workers in Government Departments, non-Departmental public bodies and facilities management staff on outsourced Government contracts.

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Court support for pay backflip

 PRETORIA (December  18): South African Public Service unions have lost their court bid to force the Government to pay salary increases which were initially promised and then withdrawn.

The unions had wanted the court to enforce a wage deal struck in 2018 that promised their members inflation-linked increases for three years in a row.

The Government honoured the deal for its first two years but did not pay the final year of increases, which were due in April. It said it could not afford it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Labour Appeal Court ruled it would be unlawful for trade unions to enforce the latest wage increases because it would contravene parts of the constitution and Public Service regulations.

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Ardern rejects climate criticism

WELLINGTON ( December 17): New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has rejected criticisms by climate activist, Greta Thunberg of the country’s plan to make its Public Service carbon neutral within five years.

Ms Thunberg derided the plan, saying: “The Government has just committed to reducing less than one per cent of the country’s emissions by 2025.”

However, Ms Ardern said if that was the sum ambition of any Government, it would be worthy of criticism.

“It is not our sum ambition, and it is not the totality of our plans on climate change.  I think that it’s actually for us just to get on with the business of fulfilling our obligations and expectations,” Ms Ardern said.

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Trump loyalists still burrowing

WASHINGTON (December 12):  The number of political appointees named by United States President, Donald Trump who are attempting to become Public Servants in Federal Agencies continues to grow, sources say.

The latest round of approved conversions includes a White House liaison officer at the Department of Homeland Security and appointees at the Departments of Interior, Justice, Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Trump appointees are using a long-time, controversial practice called ‘burrowing’ in which political appointees, who might be dismissed by an incoming President, transition to more secure Public Service positions.

The growing number of Trump appointees attempting to obtain career Government jobs is raising increasing concern among some Democratic Party leaders that they could undermine President-elect, Joe Biden’s Administration from within.

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Most PS staff get a pay rise

BELFAST (December 14): A report by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows that last year 99 per cent of Public Servants received an increase in pay.

Figures for wages for the year ending March 2020, show the average basic pay was  £27,020 ($A48,150), a 5.8 per cent increase on 2019, with the bottom 10 per cent receiving average basic pay of £22,779 ($A40,590) and £41,799 ($A74,488) for those in the top 10 per cent.

Some 38 per cent of industrial staff received a pay increase of between four and 5.9 per cent, with this rising to more than six per cent among Senior Civil Service staff.

However, NISRA noted that increases in pay could be due to normal progression up a pay scale ... “and changes to pay scales".

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China recruits Hong Kong PS

BEIJING (December 15): The Chinese city of Shenzhen is recruiting Public Servants from neighbouring Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.

In recent examinations, 446 people from the two Special Administrative Regions competed for five positions in the administration, finance, city planning, foreign personnel management, and medical supervision areas.

State media reported that the five positions were tailored for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the direction of cooperation between the three regions.

“One position in the subdistrict office of Fubao, Futian District, which is relatively near to Hong Kong, attracted 244 people and became a highly sought after position,” the report said.

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Broadcasting shake-up likely

LONDON (December 12): The United Kingdom’s television regulator says streaming services, such as Netflix and Now TV, could be encouraged to provide public service programing as they become dominant players in the digital era.

In a report on how public service broadcasting should adapt to the age of online viewing, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) said the existing system was “unlikely to survive” and that new platforms should be obliged to feature traditional broadcasters’ streaming services prominently.

It suggested the rules governing the public service remit for broadcasters, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), should be radically overhauled, potentially allowing them to fulfil their obligations online instead of through traditional channels.

If Ofcom’s suggestions are implemented, they would represent the most radical revision to the rules governing public broadcasting in the UK since streaming services began to challenge traditional outlets.

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High flyers’ wings clipped

DUBLIN (14 December): The Irish Government has offered Public Servants a one per cent pay increase or €500 ($A807), whichever is greater, beginning from next October.

A further one per cent rise or €500 would follow in October 2022 under the proposals, which were agreed between trade unions and Government representatives, subject to approval by members.

However, there is a sting in the tail for higher-earning personnel — those receiving more than €70,000 ($A113,000) – who were scheduled to have the final elements of austerity-era cuts restored over the next year or so.

The document suggests they may not receive the proposed across-the-board increases.

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PS head hedges over oath penalties

HONG KONG (December 15): The head of Hong Kong’s Public Service says Government workers who refuse to sign a pledge of allegiance to the city would not “automatically” be guilty of a crime.

However, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen stopped short of completely eliminating the prospect of employees facing prosecution over the oath, sparking demands from a Public Service union leader for more clarity.

Chief Executive of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, Leung Chau-ting said the Minister’s “ambiguous” comments would not ease concerns among employees.

Under a new policy, all 180,000 Public Servants will soon be required to sign a declaration pledging allegiance to the city and promising to uphold the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

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Fine for hiring too many women

PARIS (December 19): The municipality of Paris has received a €90,000 ($A145,300) fine for employing too many women in senior positions.

The fine was imposed by the Ministry of Public Service on the grounds that the Council had broken national rules on gender parity in its 2018 staffing.

However, Socialist Mayor, Anne Hidalgo was defiant. “I am happy to announce that we have been fined,” Ms Hidalgo said.

She said she had been faulted because 11 women and only five men were named to management positions in 2018, meaning that 69 per cent of the appointments went to women.

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Bullying alleged in Department

LONDON (December 13): The leader of the United Kingdom’s Public and Commercial Services union has raised “grave concerns” over bullying of Public Servants in the Cabinet Office — the Department that directly supports Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Mark Serwotka also said disabled staff had faced "direct and indirect discrimination", with some Public Servants having contemplated suicide as a direct result of their treatment.

In a letter to Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, Alex Chisholm, Mr Serwotka said staff were demanding meaningful action.

The union official said staff believed there was widespread and ingrained discrimination within the Cabinet Office with "too many senior managers either directly discriminating against colleagues or failing to tackle discrimination within their teams".

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Shift to digital accelerated

TOKYO (December 13): The Japanese Government is considering the establishment of a new category in its national Public Service examination that requires specialised knowledge in the digital sector.

The category would deal with subjects such as information processing technology, and was aimed at accelerating the digitisation of administrative procedures.

It comes after the Government announced it would set up a digital agency in September 2021.

The category will be part of the national examination in 2022 from which a few dozen recruits familiar with such matters as cybersecurity and building information systems would be selected.

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Cost of PS pensions soars

DUBLIN (December 18): An independent report presented to the Irish Government says the projected cost of all public sector pensions has surged from €114 billion ($A184 billion) three years ago to almost €150 billion ($A242 billion) now.

The figure covers the total cost of pensions accrued by about 320,000 Public Servants currently in employment and about 170,000 retired Public Servants who are in receipt of pensions.

The bill will be paid over several decades, but is also expected to rise during that time.

Workers in receipt of a full Public Service pension who have completed 40 years’ service are in most cases entitled to a pension of 50 per cent of final salary plus a tax-free lump sum on retirement of 150 per cent of final salary.

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Praise for pandemic workers

BINTULU (December 15): Public Servants in the Malaysian State of Sarawak have been commended for their excellent work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the end of a course for young Public Service leaders, Chair of the Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee, Jack Aman Luat said the service of Government workers had been outstanding despite the great risks brought about by the worst health crisis that had affected the world in many years.

“When carrying out our duties, we faced various obstacles and problems and without your support and cooperation we might not have been able to perform our duties accordingly,” Mr Jack said.

“With the best methods, the State Government together with the relevant Government Agencies, whether at the State or Federal level, managed to control the spread of the virus in the State.”

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Festive salary advance offered

COCKBURN TOWN (December 15): The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has offered its Public Servants an interest-free advance on their salaries to help them through the Christmas period.

While the offer had been a permanent feature at Christmas time for decades, it was discontinued in 2011 due to fiscal constraints, only to be reinstated last year 

Some 1,148 Public Servants benefited from the 2019 program and Deputy Governor, Anya Williams said she was pleased to be able to offer it again.  

“Civil Servants have worked tirelessly throughout the past few months during the pandemic to ensure that service continued to be delivered to persons across the Turks and Caicos Islands in a highly difficult environment,” Ms Williams said.  
  

The full International PS News service will resume on January 19 

Ireland an example of what Scotland could be

In a recent article in Foreign Policy Magazine, Amy MacKinnon and Colm Quinn lauded Ireland as a “country that punches well above its weight”.

As part of an investigation into United States President-elect Joe Biden’s Irish connections, the writers noted that the Emerald Isle had “a good claim to be the world’s most diplomatically powerful country” on a per capita basis.

“Ireland has an embassy in every European Union country…in June Ireland beat Canada to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council. In July, Ireland’s Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe, clinched the leadership of the Eurogroup, a club of Eurozone Ministers of Finance,” the journalists wrote.  

This, they said, was good going for a country of five million population.

Does that figure look familiar?  Well at the last census Scotland had a population of not quite 5.5 million.

Ireland’s example gives the lie to voices at Westminster who claim an independent Scotland would flounder and sink without big brother England to take care of it.

Of course Scotland charting its own course would not be a great power, but there is nothing to bar it from being an international voice of influence and a force for good.

Freed from the shackles of the disastrous Brexit experiment it would be free to create its own relationships, which could be its membership of the European Union (which the majority of Scots appear to want).

For the moment it appears the Nationalist cause north of the border is going to have to bide its time.  

The pro-Brexit Tories at Westminster have a healthy majority and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is refusing to give Scots a voice, clinging to the fiction that the matter was settled by the 2014 referendum which resulted in a majority in favour of continuing the union.

However Johnson, who loves to frame history in terms of what suits him, conveniently forgets that at the time the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, promised Scots their best hope of retaining EU membership was as a continuing member of the United Kingdom.

Cameron did not deliberately lie, and was probably as shocked as anyone with the 2016 Brexit referendum and its narrow result in favour of leaving.

The significant majority in Scotland (and in Northern Ireland) in favour of retaining EU membership was overwhelmed by the English majority. Scotland is being forced out of the EU against its will and deserves another vote on this significantly changed situation.

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon wants that vote to take place next year, and will use May’s General Election in Scotland as a mandate for that to take place.

Of course the final decision will come from London, but five months into Brexit Johnson may have enough to worry about than having to put up with simmering discontent north of the border.

It is just possible he might decide to remove that one thorn from his side, so he can better deal with all the others.

In which case, Scotland will have its best chance in centuries to take a place, with Ireland, among the small but influential voices in the family of nations.