Old Labour government planned to give Scotland more international powers

By Rory Reynolds

A LABOUR government planned to give Scots control over their foreign policy to appease “maverick” nationalists, according to newly declassified documents.

James Callaghan’s administration, which was voted out of government in 1979, feared that denying Scotland a role in European affairs would fan the flames of nationalism.

Scottish Office civil servants drew up a classified dossier named The Brussels Connection to outline the plan, which warned that denying Scotland a voice would “risk fuelling demands for full independence”.

The documents, released by the National Archives of Scotland after 30 years, refer to a future devolved Scottish government, and contrast with the current UK government, which reserves the power to negotiate with European states.

Gordon Brown urged to get ahead on climate change

By Cara Sulieman

A GORDON Brown lookalike dressed as a life-guard hit a beach in the PM’s own back yard today (thurs) to send an SOS on climate change.

The giant headed doppelganger urged the real prime minister to become a ‘lifesaver’ ahead of the forthcoming climate conference in Copenhagen.

With 100 days until the talks – which aim to create a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol – campaigners from Oxfam gathered in Gordon Brown’s constituency to raise awareness of the issues at stake.

Ditch the Viking and take to the skies to save lives, says ex-tank commander

By Michael MacLeod

A FORMER tank commander is calling on the MoD to scrap all road travel in Afghanistan by British troops saying they should travel only by air – even if it means commandeering civilian helicopters to make up a shortfall in military choppers.

Military expert Stuart Crawford, a retired lieutenant-colonel in the 4th Royal Tank Regiment who served in the 1991 Gulf war, spoke out after the deaths of two soldiers in vulnerable Viking vehicles.

Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe and Trooper Joshua Hammond were killed at the weekend when their Viking struck a Taliban roadside bomb, bringing the vehicle’s death toll to 20.

The Viking vehicles are due to be replaced next year by more than 100 larger and more heavily armoured tracked vehicles, known as Warthogs.