TTIP might be a problem as that is pretty unpopular with the peasantry (although loved by the Commission) so may not happen but CETA is now awaiting ratification by the 27 state parliaments as the Walloons have given up their opposition to it.

However, US multinationals with Canadian subsidiaries will be able to access the EU as a result of CETA, apparently.

i assume that if we leave as expected CETA will not apply to the UK although I read somewhere that aspects of it may still be applicable to us - not sure why that is, however.

It seems that the UK could be tied in to some parts of the CETA agreement if it is ratified before we formally leave but it's worth mentioning that Cameron supported CETA although that's no surprise really.

Whether the concerns regarding health and other aspects are realised or not this deal gives yet more power to multinationals to potentially damage aspects of the lives of ordinary people and I hope very much if enough popular protest is coming throughout Europe it might still be killed off.

It is claimed by the Commission that many parts of CETA can be adopted without ratification anyway, even before parliaments have the chance to vote on it.

Some strong words from Mr Harvie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-37789175

While I'm not sure he is entirely right in what he says, on the surface it seems that SNP Green policy concerning Air Travel is a wee bit skewed from the direction they are taking on other Green issues.

Apart from "green" issues how does this stack up if Scotland leaves the UK?

Just as well Harvie did not see the Russian carrier steaming through the channel, 100 wind turbines savings wiped out in 30 minutes.

Mr Putin can rest easy

A conversation piece that seems to be more in people's minds lately is shown in this piece.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...tion-1-4272777

Are the SNP continuing to abandon politics in Scotland for the sole aim of furthering divide with the rest of the UK?

Reading some of the SNP rhetoric lately I thought, if you swapped the words Tories and UK with SNP and Scotland you could equally described be Brexit or Sexit. Why do they think that labelling Tory Brexit policies as brutal or damafpging for Scotland but fail to see that their own hard Sexit policies would be even more damaging.

Does the phrase standing up for Scotland actually mean that they are now doing He Haw in Scotland?

A 92 page programme was published last month..

It includes details of 15 bills for parliament to get its teeth into

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505210.pdf

Did you make up Sexit? It's really bad.


The SNP proposed currency union, open borders, free movement. The idea they were looking for a Hard deal is nonsense. The case was that people like yourself said that none of these things were likely to happen.

Your still thinking about the past.

Im saying if you just swapped the words that the SNP are using now to describe Brexit, they could be applied to Sexit.

BTW what's wrong with Sexit?

I'm of the opinion that the UK isn't looking for a hard deal either. Looks like a Customes Union will be in place, following the Nissan announcement.

Still, I'm sure the SNP will find a way to mean about this as not being good for Scotland.

Best they get on with it then, time, as they say, is ticking.

Mind you the austerity that would be independence would stop quite a lot of that from happening I imagine.

Because they aren't likely to happen,did you miss the entirety of the referendum debate?

Seen Ewan McGregor doing his whole I am Scottish again act on Andrew Marr and now would have voted for Scotland to leave the UK after Brexit.After it was not too long ago he forgot about being Scottish too be Mr London and then got too big headed and turns his back on the UK for Hollywood.And now things are not slightly going as well in America and his last latest films were not Box Office hits.

Words can describe that Traitor,Backstabber,Untrustworthy,Two Face,Turncoast,Snake in the grass.

So how long will it be too he give's up the Scottish act again and the British one.

But I won't Judge him only time will tell I give him a week.

That's very mean-spirited.

Are you a Brexit fan annoyed that someone famous has the temerity to have an opinion contrary to your own?

People's opinions change as the world changes around them. It's allowed.

Who has he betrayed?

Well just so long as you don't judge people!

Also, what has this intemperate rant got to do with the SNP?

So when someone believes that Scotland is better off in the UK, you are a traitor. When you get angry at the Brexiteers and that's why you want Scotland to leave, the you are Scottish?

His own words said that he'd have voted for independence "the following day", which implies that after he calmed down, he isn't so sure any more. If he's not sure, has he gone back to being a snake in the grass, or perhaps this is him showing his third-face?

Seriously, regardless of what you think of independence, you have to accept that there are those who think it's in the best interests of Scotland to stay, and others who think it's in the best interests of Scotland to leave. I'd argue that if you are making your decision based on anger, or what you consider to be patriotism (Scottish or British), then you aren't thinking about the best interests of the people. It's the people voting on anger, or shouting hatred about others, that are the problem here.

It's a bit like claiming that criticising Trump makes you anti-American. It's nonsense, although there are people who believe it.

Think you've got it slightly wrong. The turncoat bit is about him changing, however temporarily, from a No to a Yes. So the traitor bit, which is surely defamatory, is about him deciding to back independence rather than the union. Even if he's subsequently calmed down his going on record as saying the introduction of EVEL so soon after the result and subsequent events might have changed his minds could change that of other No voters and thus weaken the support for the union in a coming vote. Certainly a public figure questioning how much you can trust the No campaign isn't going to help them.

Thats supposes a few things.

1. There will be another Indyref soon.

2. We will automatically have a Yes/No campaign.

3. The above is even relevant going forward.

I like Ewan Mcgregor and even think he has some good things to say on many subjects but the influence of one man will not sway an economic decision for my Country.

As I said before, the SNP are kind of shooting themselves in the foot with this opposition of all things Brexit. Every argument they label against the UK leaving the EU can be used for Scotland leaving the UK but being economically worse.

If leaving the EU will cost Scotland these mythical 80.000 jobs, just how many would be lost leaving the UK 200,000?

Time to address Scotland I think rather than bang on about how bad Brexit will be every day.

Yeah that's just the Trident jobs.

I didn't know who Ewen Mcgregor was until I checked and it turns out he's an actor!

Why does the media think the opinion of an actor merits reporting I wonder? i realise these people have a huge ego that makes them feel they are important but it's a shame the media feels the need to pander to them.

None of the things you mention are actually relevant to the point I was making. That the person ranting about him being a traitor was a supporter of the union and thus his use of the word "turncoat" was based on EM's change of heart.

They have newspapers to fill and people will do the knee-jerk reaction at any political view given by someone famous because that's what they do (Adamsk). So the media see this reaction and that justifies publishing the interview or article. It's not the celebrity who is being pandered to. It's the audience reaction being exploited to create a story. Or in journalist speak -- it's in the public interests because it creates a response to an ongoing political situation.

All I've learned is that Adamsk is probably best put on ignore. EM can support indy, union, Brexit, EU or anything else as far as I'm concerned. That's his right to freedom of expression. And Adamsk can continue his hateful rants. I know which person I have more respect for.

Och, we hear just as worse from those ultra Nats on the various hate sites around. I tend to filter out those kinds of folk, not people I would care to associate with.

The point I was making was that there are more important things to consider in Scotland other than what a couple of celebrities, who don't live here, are saying.

I see the Greens will flex their influence over the Council Tax reforms that aren't really reforms.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politi...il_tax_plans/?

The point you were making was to ignore the discussion at hand. Same as the only verified acts of violence both during and after the 2014 campaign were instigated by those opposed to independence. Some by those who'd travelled from all over the UK to stick the boot in.