Taking Sides

The Lesley Riddoch Podcast

As promised last week we do tackle the Land Reform Bill but not before casting our gimlet gaze over other major issues.
Ally McCoist didn't turnup at the Rangers v Celtic match on Sunday so missed out on the opportunity to fall foul of the new Hate Crime Act. However 48000 other Rangers fans did, we revisit the Act in light of what did and didn't happen.
Unlike me Lesley didn't watch the match but appeared on Sky's Trevor Phillips On Sunday show. Having really done her homework on all matters Scottish Lesley was armed with facts and data none of which were needed as the focus was on Israel, Gaza and arms sales.
In the week when Conservative ex Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan speaking on LBC said the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) group had been "doing the bidding of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, bypassing all proper processes of government to exercise undue influence at the top of government", Guto Harri, Boris Johnson's No 10 Director of Communications, was also unequivocal in his condemnation of Israeli's actions in Gaza. Lesley compares this to the mealy mouthed statements from Labour's David Lammy, Pat McFadden and others.
Sarah-Jane Laing the chief executive of Scottish Land and Estates claimed that The Land Reform Bill was a full on attack on the property rights of land owners. The Scottish Government said it would "revolutionise land ownership in Scotland". Lesley it's fair to say has her doubts about both these statements.
Thanks to a listener we have further insight into how publicly owned Scottish Water actually is.
If you want to go see Lesley's Denmark film here's the link
https://lesleyriddoch.com/events
It's also now available online
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJnu6lAhvM

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