Robert Brown

Published and promoted by Robert Brown, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Rutherglen South Ward (South Lanarkshire Council), 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5DR

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

I can’t help reflecting that Jonathan Reynolds looks astonishingly like King George V

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

For most of the 20th century it was the other way round - I don’t recall any complaints from the Conservatives then nor any moves to reform the voting system.

[Marwan🇲🇦🇬🇧 @MarwanData]

The Right (Conservative/Reform/RESTORE) is forecast to receive 49% of the vote, yet they are projected to receive 40% of the seats across GB.

The Left (Labour/LibDem/Green/Nationalist) is forecast to receive 49% of the vote. They are projected to receive 60% of the seats across GB.

The Right in Britiain has never been more divided.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@GerryHassan /Isn’t it time we had a grown up debate about how we could improve the workings of the UK, reduce the unhealthy concentration of power in London and make government generally perform better for our citizens. Neither UK nor Scottish Govts are exactly covering themselves in glory.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@GerryHassan Goodness I see your point but nothing is so infantilising as the narrative that all will be milk and honey in independence-land. Brush aside the fiscal deficit, the challenges of a trade border at Berwick, the interdependence of the economy across the UK, the currency etc/

[Roshan Rinaldi @Roshan_Rinaldi]

Trump: Hitler was from Germany.

Merkel: No, Hitler was from Austria.

Trump: Then why are there no photos of him with kangaroos?

Merkel: That's Aust,...

Trump: Or boomerangs?

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

What a nightmare. But please don’t misquote people to support your neverendum argument.

[Lewis Hannah🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈💛 @LewisHannahSNP]

Andy Burnham has today stated:

- If 50% of the Scottish public back indy, we can have a referendum.

-Even if we lose, we can have one every 7 years.

Game on.

#yes

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

I must say I could feel Stephen Flynn squirm in the face of this very effective forensic questioning by Willie Rennie MSP.

[Roger Mitchell @RPMComo]

I had Donald Dewar as a guest at a game. Only me and him. I said I feared Holyrood would never attract the real intellects and talents.

He said have faith and give it a generation.

Well here we are. Donald was a decent man. But he was wrong. Holyrood and devolution has failed.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@BBCPolitics Ah but will Farage be there?

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@MccailColl @openDemocracy A lot of words here - but it boils down to the notion that only by supporting independence can Labour - or any Scottish Party- make be progress. This is arrant nonsense except to the limited group that regard the ‘national question’ as the leitmotif of politics.

[Gerry Hassan @GerryHassan]

The state of political power in Scotland: top-down, centralised and concentrated in Holyrood & WM:
"Local communities have NO political power over their own affairs despite the people of eg Cupar being best placed to make decisions about Cupar."

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@campbellclaret #Hydronyms

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@Neilsocialist Although you seem to have forgotten that the water referendum was the brainchild of the late Dr. Christopher Mason, Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Strathclyde Regional Council who persuaded the council Labour leadership to sponsor the referendum

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@jakonian This is what’s called putting up a straw man - a false choice

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@Scunnert2 To be precise there is a partnership agreement between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Independents who run South Lanarkshire as a minority administration. This means compromises in the public interest- the most recent budget was agreed by all parties - Lab/LD/Tory/SNP.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@Think_Scotland This is absurd. A democracy is a political society operated within the rule of law, not an unqualified mandate. Napoleon and Hitler obtained democratic mandates - so did Trump. All of them abused the rights of people by subverting the rules and ignoring the constitution.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@mrmgcoyle @afneil Astonished you raise Brexit in this context. The experience of Brexit reminds us above all of the difficulties and disasters that occur when you break up an economic Union. Scexit would, as has been said, be Brexit on steroids

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@Innealadair 2/Post industrial era more mixed but hardly a disaster. The idea that independence automatically creates hitherto unrealised prosperity per se is obvious nonsense.

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@Innealadair You need to establish cause and effect. From broadly 1750-1960 the Scottish economy led the world in shipbuilding, mining, engineering, philosophy, inventions of all kinds and many other things. Hardly a case of the Union being a disaster for Scotland./1

[Robert Brown @Robert4LibDems]

@ScotNational @JosephR1201 Odd thing - the SNP have produced various draft constitutions for an independent Scotland. I don’t recall there being any provision for say Orkney and Shetland or the Borders to leave.