The Journal - Edinburgh Issue 022

WWW.JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

EDINBURGH’S UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER

WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL 2009

ISSUE XXII

"I'M GLAD I'M NOT GOD" » 22

AS

LAURENCE SHORTER HIT ON WHAT LOOKED LIKE A WINNING IDEA – HEADING TO SOUTH AFRICA TO THROW HIMSELF AT THE MERCY OF ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU

» IN NEWS

EUSA TEACHING AWARDS HAILED A ROUSING SUCCESS » 3

Edinburgh backs ethical patents Poorer countries set to recieve special deals on medicine developed at The University of Edinburgh

ACADEMIC NEWS » 8

EUSA president criticises lack of reaction from education secretary

Climate change threatens Leith Edinburgh City council has warned project bosses about possible flood risks to The Harbour redevelopment project

EDINBURGH NEWS » 7

Trams go off the rails again Blaming the economic downturn, the council have indefinitely shelved the line planned to connect Haymarket to Edinburgh North

EDINBURGH NEWS »7

Hyslop backtracks on fees for medical students Last Wednesday's ceremony in Teviot sought to reward quality teaching at the University of Edinburgh Malcolm Harris

» Campaign promise shelved as education minister confirms English medics will pay more Constantine Innemée constantine@journal-online.co.uk FIONA HYSLOP HAS reversed her decision to eliminate top-up fees for medicine students, despite previously labelling them as discriminatory and “wrongheaded”.

In a response to a letter from EUSA president Adam Ramsay, a government spokesperson said that Fiona Hyslop has “no plans at this stage to amend the level of tuition fees for undergraduate medical courses at Scottish schools.”

Mr Ramsay initially contacted the education secretary in an attempt to get her to stand behind the SNP’s original opposition to the fees which were introduced in 2006 by the then Scottish Executive.

At present medical students from England who began their course after

September 2006 are the only students who have to pay fees of £3000 per year of study. This can be paid back when they begin earning over £15000pa.

Responding to the EUSA president’s letter Ms Hyslop said that due to “Westminster imposing the tightest financial settlement since the devolution, the Scottish government has had to make hard choices to identify the areas of priority.

“Despite this, the Scottish Government is investing a higher proportion of its spending in Scotland’s universities than the previous administration – up 3.73 per cent to 3.79 per cent.”

Speaking to The Journal Adam Ramsay said : “Charging people more because they want to be doctors is one of the craziest pieces of legislation to come out of the Scottish parliament. When the SNP abolished road tolls on the Forth road bridge—at a cost of millions—they said they would not collect unfair charges.”

Referring to the education secretary’s original alignment with SNP opposition Adam Ramsay said:“Fiona Hyslop described medical top-up fees as discriminatory when they were introduced three years ago. Yet unlike road charges she refused to abolish them.

“Government has decided that subsidising drivers is more important than ensuring everyone can afford to be a doctor. That is pretty messed up.”

The top-up fees were initially introduced to avoid large numbers of English medical students taking advantage of a cheaper Scottish degree before going on to seek work south of the border – a situation anticipated to leave NHS Scotland understaffed.

Fiona Hyslop adamantly oppsed topup fees for medical students in that past saying: “Scottish education should be based around the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.”

Lothians Green MSP Robin Harper, also the party’s education spokesperson, voiced his opinion on the matter saying: “Fiona Hyslop campaigned against these fees when they were introduced, but now she’s the Minister she won’t act.”

“It’s wrong to dissuade students from poorer backgrounds from becoming doctors especially given the continued shortage of medical staff across the country, and it’s ludicrous to impose higher fees on a subject where we have such a strong international reputation.”

Speaking on a previous occasion Adam Ramsay also said that the time had come for government to act and live up to its promises.

“When this fee was introduced, Fiona Hyslop described it as ‘wrongheaded’ and said ’sometimes in politics there comes a time to do the right thing. This is such a moment.”

Squabbles over Daily Mail EUSA plans for constitutional reform as tensions grow over plans to scrap diaries and the "racist" Daily Mail

STUDENT POLITICS » 11

» IN FEATURES

Cracking down on bogus colleges The alleged terrorist plot in the north-west threw light on the sham academic institutions that offer a backdoor route into the UK. Geoffrey Alderman argues that a crackdown is needed

COMMENT » 17

Frank To Chris McCall talks to a rising star on the Scottish art scene

ARTS » 25

2 News

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

THIS WEEK AT JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

TOMLINSON

HELICOPTER VICTIMS First Minister pledges to address causes

G20 COMMENT Former Green Party chair says police malpractice is nothing new

» Students could be left out of pocket as decision on negative interest payments is delayed until September

paris@journal-online.co.uk BRITISH STUDENTS COULD be in line for a student loan repayment from the government as the UK is hit by deflation for the first time since the 1960s.

Interest on student loans is calculated using the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation, with the aim of keeping the total value of the loan in line with prices over the entire repayment period.

However, RPI figures revealed on 21 April show that prices in Britain fell by 0.4 per cent over the course of the previous year, meaning that instead of paying interest to the Student Loans Company, student debtors in the UK

should expect a small repayment from the government.

The National Union of Students is campaigning for all loans issued before 1998 to be made eligible for negative interest payments. Officials have delayed any decision on the interest rates until September.

Speaking to The Journal, Edinburgh University Students’ Union President Adam Ramsay said: “If RPI had doubled, you can be sure that the government would be making students pay the difference.

“They can’t change the goalposts now that it doesn’t benefit them much.

Deflation means the same value is reached with less money – that means students should be paying back less than they borrowed.

“A deal is a deal,” Mr Ramsay said.

This is the first time since student loans were established that the UK has experienced negative inflation.

The costs of many government initiatives have increases pegged to inflation, including jobseekers allowance, housing benefit and the state pension; however, all of these are protected by agreements that dictate a minimum increase no matter what the value of the RPI. However, analysts have expressed doubt that students will see the benefit of deflation in their student loan repayments. Speaking to The Economist, Lucy Newcomb, a partner at law firm Addleshaw Goddard said: “For the government, the worst case scenario is that no interest is payable.”

EDINBURGH’S UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER

Editor Evan Beswick Deputy Editor Chris Williams Managing Director Devon Walshe Deputy Editors (News) Nick Eardley, Matthew Moore Deputy Editor (Comment/Features) Simon Mundy Deputy Editor (Sport) Graham Mackay

Well-known broadcaster promises to give brain to charity

SEXIST SOCIETY SUPPRESSED

St Andrew's head continues to shake up the university by banning allmale clubs

WWW.JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

Government puts brakes on deflation loan windfall Paris Gourtsoyannis

PAXMAN GIVES HEAD

Evidence against police mounts

General News Sarah Clark Edinburgh News Nick Eardley Academic News Rob Church-Taylor Student News Constantine Innemée Student Politics Megan Taylor National Politics Matthew Moore Comment Helen O’Shea Music Dan Moss Theatre Anna Fenton Art Colleen Patterson

Web Editor Marthe Sandvik

Football Elvira Kemp Rugby John Geddie Hockey Lewis Mallen

Copy Editors Helen Broadfoot, Abbey Kickhan, Laura McCaffrey, Gemma Pirnie, Alex Reynolds, Lizzie Wilkinson

Crossword Junta Sekimori Chief Illustrator Lewis Killin Photo Editors Silvia Pavlova Foteva

THE JOURNAL WILL BE BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

Thanks to everyone for your support over the last year, especially to our long-suffering staff.

Good luck with your essays and exams, and have a great summer.

Email editor@journal-online.co.uk if you'd like to get involved next year The Journal is published by The Edinburgh Journal Ltd., registered address 52 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JB. Registered in Scotland number SC322146. For enquiries call 0131 662 6766 or email info@journal-online.co.uk. The Journal is a free newspaper for and written by students and graduates in the City of Edinburgh. Contact us if you’d like to get involved. Printed by Morton’s Printers, Licolnshire.

Copyright © 2008 The Edinburgh Journal Ltd. Elements of this publication are distributed under a Creative Commons license - contact us for more information. Distributed byTwo Heads Media, www.twoheadsmedia. co.uk. Our thanks to PSYBT, Scottish Enterprise, and all who make this publication possible.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION call our sales department on 0870 919 4909 or send an email to ads@journal-online.co.uk

News 3

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Classics named best course at inaugural teaching awards » Plush ceremony marks first annual EUSA prizegiving for top teaching staff MALCOLM HARRIS

THE RESULTS IN FULL

Benjamin Edwards benjamin.edwards@journal-online.co.uk THERE WAS A red carpet; there was bunting; there was even a spotlight for the winners. As Edinburgh University Students’ Union’s own version of the Oscars, Wednesday night saw the inaugural results ceremony of EUSA’s teaching awards – a new system designed to enable students to reward their most valued tutors and lecturers.

In a ceremony presided over by newly-elected rector, Ian Macwhirter, trophies were handed out to ten tutors and lecturers considered representative of the best teaching the University has to offer.

The awards come following the University of Edinburgh’s disastrous results in the 2008 National Student Survey. The university came bottom or near the bottom for almost every course in the assessment and feedback category – a result which left student representatives and university officials scratching their heads for ways to improve the academic experience of students at the institution.

Speaking to The Journal, EUSA Vice President Academic Affairs Guy Bromley said: “I spoke in my election over a year ago about the need for proper recognition and reward for university teaching and, remembering how happy a Guardian Teaching Award had made my sixth form economics teacher, thought trying out teaching awards at Edinburgh University might be worth a shot. Little did I expect that over 2,700 nominations would be put forward for over 600 academic staff.

“It’s normally my job to be critical of the University, but here there’s nothing to be critical of. Huge swathes of academic staff are massively talented and loved by their students. One of the award winners emailed me to tell me how much he enjoyed teaching, but until receiving an award last night, felt this commitment had gone largely unrecognised.”

As part of the evening—which saw classics named the best course, and Elizabeth Bomberg from Politics and International Relations handed the “overall high performer” gong—a collection of around 150 students, shortlisted staff and university officials as well as higher education bosses from

BEST DEPARTMENT: Winner: Classics Runner up: Chemistry BEST COURSE: Winner: Criminal Law (Ordinary) Runner Up: American History 2 BEST DOS: Winner: Tony Gilbert, Mathematics Runner Up: Martin Reekie, Engineering TEACHING EMPLOYABLE SKILLS: Winner: Kenny Pryde, Moray House Runner Up: Michael Lurie, Classics INNOVATIVE TEACHING: Winner: Richard Milne, Biological Sciences Runner Up: Simon Bates, Physics & Astronomy BEST FEEDBACK: Winner: John Simpson, Respiratory Medicine Runner Up: John Kitchen, Music COMMITMENT TO ALL-ROUND TEACHING: Winner: Tonks Fawcett, Nursing Studies Runner up: Alastair Richmond, Philosophy

across the UK gathered for a three course sit-down meal in Teviot’s debating hall Widely hailed as a success by those present, the awards attracted a total of 2,704 nominations for 621 members of staff, 191 courses and 60 departments – ahead of the numbers expected to fill out the online application in the award’s first year.

From these nomination, a panel from EUSA selected 20 shortlisted staff members and courses across ten categories, with the winners announced at Wednesday’s event.

Speaking at the awards, Tonks Fawcett, a senior lecturer in nursing studies who topped the “commitment to all-round teaching” category, said: “The students were so full of enthusiasm – they made it such an enjoyable evening.

It was like the Baftas.”

Since Wednesday, the organisers of the awards have also been recognised in Holyrood, after MSP for the mid Scotland and Fife region, Claire Baker proposed a parliamentary motion

in praise of the scheme. The motion, supported by MSPs including George Foulkes, Robin Harper and Sarah Boyack, commends the awards as “a positive way for students to push for high standards of teaching, especially in research-intensive institutions.”

The weight of expectation now sits squarely upon university authorities as staff and students wait to see how the institution will respond to calls to increase the value placed upon quality teaching. A court away day was held last month on the topic of “improving the student experience,” whereat ideas regarding teaching and feedback were discussed, though no clear proposals have emerged from the forum.

Presenting one award, Head of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences April Macmahon praised the students’ association for their initiative, adding that the university was perhaps a little behind in providing incentives for good teachers.

Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Tim O’Shea also added

his congratulations: “This is a great scheme and a wonderful initiative on the part of our students. I know that colleagues who’ve been nominated are delighted and have taken great motivation from having their efforts recognised in this way.”

Referring to the university’s positive response to the event, Mr Bromley said: “The recent shift in the University’s culture needs to be properly embedded; teaching is the number one reason for its existence, and good teachers need to be given their deserved place as the stars of this University.”

He added: “I cannot thank enough EUSA Reps, my fellow sabbaticals, EUSA staff, particularly Craig Stewart and Jackie Laird in Potterrow as well as all the catering and entertainments crew that made last night, the culmination of EUSA Teaching Awards 08/09 such a success. Robert Jenkin, this year’s Teaching and Learning Convener has been a fantastic partner in crime, and deserves enormous credit. Roll on EUSA Teaching Awards 2009/10!”

OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATOR: Winner: Ian Campbell, English Literature Runner up: Gordon Findlater, Anatomy BEST DISSERTATION SUPERVISOR: Winner: Yew Ming Chia, Accounting Runner up: Lloyd Llewelyn Jones, Classics OVERALL HIGH PERFORMER: Winner: Elizabeth Bomberg, Politics and International Relations Runner up: Phillip Wadler, Informatics LEFT: Overall high performer Elizabeth Bomberg

4 News

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

The force is strong... in Strathclyde FLICKR.COM/WSH1266

Neil Bennet

Scottish accent turning English Constantine Innemée

neil.bennet@journal-online.co.uk

constantine@journal-online.co.uk

EIGHT POLICE OFFICERS serving with Strathclyde Police force have listed their official religion as Jedi in an internal survey used to monitor diversity, it has emerged.

The fictional religion was created by science fiction filmmaker George Lucas for his 1977 film Star Wars and its subsequent sequels, prequels and many varied, cross-platform spin offs.

In the films, Jedi is an ancient religion of declining popularity, whose adherents believe in a supernatural Force which binds all living things together. The Jedi are a peacekeeping order who use the “Light Side” of the force and reject the “Dark Side” and its practitioners, including Darth Vader and the Sith Lords.

Strathclyde Police are Scotland’s largest police force, covering the city of Glasgow and the surrounding area, and have around 8,200 currently serving officers. Two of the force’s 2,800 civilian staff also recorded their religion as Jedi on the diversity monitoring forms.

The results of the voluntary diversity survey were obtained by Jane’s Police Review, an independent professional magazine run by the London-based defence publisher Jane’s Information Group, through a Freedom of Information request.

Strathclyde were the only UK police force to admit to having Jedi officers among their ranks.

A spokeswoman from the force told The Journal: “Strathclyde Police monitors equality and diversity across the six strands of diversity which are age, disability, gender, race, religion and

A PROFESSOR OF speech science at Queen Margaret University has presented his use of pioneering ultrasound technology to analyse the evolution of the Scottish accent.

Professor Scobbie explained at a conference held last week: “There is so much social variability in the Scottish accent.

This lecture reveals the complexity of “normal” pronunciation as well as the new and exciting techniques that we can use to give us a better insight into speech formation across all languages, but particularly in the Scottish accent.”

According to Professor Scobbie the rolling “r” is on the verge of disappearing amongst Scottish youths, in an attempt to sound more middle-class.

Researchers from Glasgow University also found that young people from middle-class families in Maryhill were likely to maintain a traditional Scottish accent, whereas working-class families were more likely to sound like the English in an attempt to avoid sounding middle-class. Some linguists suggest that this change is due to the increasing amount of Cockney accents Scottish youths hear on television.

The ultrasound technique used by professor Scobbie relies on a probe being placed under the chin to record the movement of the speaker’s tongue, this information is then analysed by a computer.

The lecture, titled ‘Subtle, exotic and mysterious: Scottish accents and their value to speech science’, was held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh as part of official events celebrating Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Should Scottish police forces be forced to take religion into account when issuing uniforms? belief and sexual orientation, to ensure that employment practices are fair, non-discriminatory and which support equality of opportunity.

“Officers and members of police staff provide this information voluntarily,” she added.

Following an email campaign, some 390,000 people in England and Wales and 14,000 people in Scotland recorded Jedi as their religion on the 2001

census. While the numbers were significant enough for the answer to be given its own processing code, the claim in the widely-circulated email that if just 10,000 people declared themselves Jedi it would become a “fully recognised and legal religion” proved to be fallacious.

Strathclyde Police refused to comment as to whether the officers and staff in question were taking the diversity questionnaire seriously and were infqct

Study finds Scottish beaches “dirtiest in the UK” MARGARITA TORRES

Anna Murray

genuinely followers of the Jedi religion.

Clare Stewart, a member of staff at the Forbidden Planet store in Edinburgh, told The Journal: “I know some people who really do follow it, so if they’re serious then I guess they’re entitled to their beliefs like anyone else.

“If it’s just for a laugh then that’s a bit immature. But I suppose even the police are allowed to have a sense of humour.”

Homecoming 2009 music festival cancelled Alice Stanes alice.stanes@journal-online.co.uk

anna.murray@journal-online.co.uk SCOTLAND HAS BEEN awarded the dubious honour of being home to Britain’s dirties beaches, according to results published earlier this month.

The Annual Beachwatch study carried out by more than 800 volunteers found more than 55,000 pieces of litter on 52 Scottish beaches.

Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland’s environment minister said that the government was committed to cleaning Scotland’s coastline: “We are tackling the problem at bathing waters and beaches, through our new Scottish bathing water litter grant scheme.”

Ms Cunningham also praised the survey for highlighting areas of concern and in raising public awareness.

While recorded levels of debris in Scotland were slightly lower than last year, they were still the highest in the UK, with sewage and sanitary waste at five times the UK average.

The levels found on East Bay beach in Hellensburgh and Clynder beach in Argyll raised the Scottish average considerably.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which organised the study, pointed out the difficulty of blaming particular beaches, as what is washed up is dependent on the weather and the direction of the tide.

However, the group is calling for the

Scottish government to set up a single body to co-ordinate a response. Anne Saunders, Scottish projects officer for MCS said: “Currently there is no government-led body in Scotland to tackle beach litter. We want a co-ordinated strategy to prevent litter getting into the sea in the first place.”

Public waste, such as food packaging, made up a third of all litter. Other major contributors were sewage, fishing products—including nets and lines, shipping litter—and medical waste.

As well as the expense of cleaning up the litter, there is also the devastating impact on wildlife. According to the MCS more that 170 species of marine wildlife have perished due in part to polution.

With help from the government and the public, MCS aim to halve the amount of litter on British beaches by 2015.

The natural environment contributes around seven million pounds to the Scottish economy; preserving it must be given greater priority by the government and by individuals.

SCOTLAND’S HOMECOMING 2009 music festival, set to feature the likes of trance DJ Armin Van Buren, has been cancelled just two weeks before the event was due to take place. The two day music festival was set to run between the 2nd and 3rd of May at Irvine Beach, Ayrshire, but was cancelled after a disagreement between festival organisers and North Ayrshire council.

News of the cancellation has dissapointed up to 20,000 fans, who were set to dominate the seaside town of Ayrshire and enjoy a variety of music performances. The organisers of the festival released a statement, saying: “It is with great regret that organisers of the Homecoming festival have announced that this year’s event has been cancelled. This is due to new demands from the council requesting 50 per cent of the profits and a £60,000 bond on the land.

“All ticket holders will be entitled to a full refund, and arrangements are currently being made to organise new venues and dates for some of the artists that were scheduled to perform at Homecoming 2009.”

With council disagreement over poor organisation, the festival organisers were forced to cancel. Alec Wattie, Communications Officer for North Ayrshire council, has made the council’s position clear: “The event could only take place if all

public requirements were agreed and in place. They were not. For instance the event management plan submitted to the organisers stated that an initial event risk assessment would be in place by 16 March; a major incident and emergency plan would be in place by 30 March and a traffic management plan would be in place and signed off by 2 April. None of these have been produced by the event organisers.”

The organisers of Irvine Music Festivals have responded, claiming they were, “stunned” by the council´s actions, and expressed disappointment at the council´s “unrealistic” requests: “The council offered us the land at Irvine beach for a ‘nominal’ fee at first, this was thought to be maybe a few thousand pounds or so. In their letter last week they asked for 50 per cent of the profits – as well as a £60,000 bond on the land.

“We were also told that policing costs would be no more than £60,000, but this doubled to £120,000,” a spokesperson claimed.

Nonetheless, North Ayrshire council have stood by their decision claiming: “Our principal consideration has always been public safety. The organisers acknowledged that they could not meet the conditions and therefore the event will not take place.”

The event was unrelated to the Scottish government’s official Homecoming Scotland ‘09 celebrations, a programme of events designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns and Scotland’s great contribution to the world.

News 5

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

The unknown faces of Scottish politics » The Journal speaks to some of Scotland's MEP candidates in the run up to the 4 June elections

Charlotte Morgenthal charlotte.morgenthal@journal-online.co.uk SCOTS WILL HEAD to the polls on 4 June 2009 to elect their seven representatives in the European Parliament. Despite typically attracting a small proportion of the electorate, the parliament in Brussels has the power to ratify and amend legislation and regulations being implemented the UK, so influencing around 70 per cent of legislation being written into the statute books of Westminster and Holyrood.

Prof. Drew Scott of the Europa Institute in Edinburgh explains why it is so difficult to see Scotland’s role within the EU: “We just don’t know how well Scotland is represented within the UK and in Brussels,” Professor Drew Scott of the Europa Institute in Edinburgh explains why it is so difficult to see Scotland’s role within the EU. “I suspect that over 90 per cent of the policies are consensually met between Holyrood and Westminster, but these discussions are confidential,” he tells The Journal. But Scott knows that “there were some differences in the past on GM food, environment policy and fishing.”

In his eyes, the EU is economically important for the UK and Scotland. He points to a small “CE” sticker attached to his PC screen and explains that “this one sticker says that this product is safe to sell and buy in 27 countries.” That is why Scott argues for the UK to become a member of the Euro currency. “We need to establish ourselves as Europeans,” he says.

In previous European elections the voter turnout has languished at around 30 percent in Scotland, compared to around 50 percent at national elections. Scott blames the failure of the British government: “It was a failure of leadership that dates back to Thatcher,” he states.

To shine light onto the confusion of why and how we vote and more importantly who is standing for election, The Journal contacted the various parties to find out: What do they want to achieve within the next term, what they did achieve within the last term and whether the EU help the current economic crisis and how? And where do they see Scotland’s future role within the EU?

“I am Scottish, I am British, I am European,“ says Catherine Stihler MEP, Scottish Labour Party (2nd on the list)

Scotland is better off being independent, says Alyn Smith, MEP Scottish Nationalist Party (2nd on list)

No more bent banana rows says Belinda Don, running for MEP, Scottish Conservatives (2nd on list)

The future is green, says Elaine Morrison, Scottish Green Party, (1st on the list)

Catherine Stihler was elected in 1999. In the past, her political work in Brussels helped to get the ferry between Rosyth and Zeebrugge (Belgium) up and running again, and to get bigger anti-smoking labels on cigarette packages. “That was a big achievement for me,” she says.

“Europe, by working together, can help us getting through this financial crisis and also help us deal with climate change,” Stihler emphasises.

Being a Labour politician she thinks it is important for Scots to vote so that they have people in Brussels who put them first on their agenda.

But devolution is “a big opponent,” she says. “I believe that our strength is within the UK and I hope that we will remain there.”

Stihler criticises the current tensions over devolution as not helping within times of an economic crisis: “I think that is very worrying where independence for Scotland is more important than trying to find people jobs at the time of an economic crisis.

“The financial crisis needs European solutions,” Stihler argues.

Nationalism would make people more insular and in her eyes, people should be more outward looking.

“27 countries have come together, working together; like any family there are problems but, in the end, it is 27 countries that have come together – and not in terms of war,” she says.

“That is why the EU exists, because we could not allow nations to fight one another again; because we have to work together.”

Alyn Smith was elected in 2004 to Brussels and is currently the youngest Scottish MEP. As a member of the agricultural committee he has been working, in his eyes, on some “pretty crunching issues.”

“I am particularly proud of the part I played in the fight against sub-standard Brazilian Beef imports to the EU, which was a massive issue for Scottish farmers,” he tells The Journal. He also mentions how much EU funding helps Scotland to tackle climate change with energy projects in the North Sea. Smith additionally campaigned for a Scottish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, “perhaps not the most serious issue ever, but any showcase for Scottish talent has to be a good thing.“ You might also meet Smith on his work experience programme in summer where he was a vet in Shetland or worked as a fisherman on a trawler. “I’ll get my hands dirty to master my brief,” he promises.

Smith is critical of an EU approach towards solving the financial crisis – speaking just a day before the Council in Brussels decided on a €130bn rescue package. He wishes the EU would only coordinate the money transfers.

He has a completely different view of Scotland’s future role within the EU, emphasising that is an independent country. “Our government in Scotland looks like, acts like and to all intents and purposes is a member state government. It is the UK speaking for us and that looks odd.“ Smith adds that Denmark, Ireland, Sweden or Finland would be likeminded and could be future allies to an independent Scotland.

Belinda Don names two issues which would be important in her candidacy, namely to work together to improve things and to lessen “legislation, micromanaging every aspect of our lives from how long we can work to whether we eat bent or straight bananas.”

Don opposes the EU constitution and wants to campaign for a British Referendum should there be a Treaty within the next term.

The EU can help Scotland and the UK within the financial crisis “by not putting in protectionist policies which may have short term appeal, but will lengthen and deepen the world recession,” she says.

“I see Scotland as part of the UK leading the way with its long tradition of valuing education and entrepreneurship to develop policies which make the EU more business friendly, which will create jobs and prosperity for all its citizens,” Don explains.

Morrison agrees that Scotland needs the EU and vice-versa, mainly to ensure a stronger voice at global climate summits.

A green economy is also crucial in Europe, according to Morrison.

“This means stimulating things we need – green energy, insulation, education and jobs, while recognising that this green growth is not the same as crude GDP growth, which includes financial speculation, illness, and population,” she tells The Journal.

“It also means that we should reclaim our economy. The government should not have allowed bankers to gamble away people’s investments,” Morrison says.

» EU ELECTIONS: KEY FACTS When is it?

4th of June 2009

Which party for which European coalition?

How will we be able to vote?

In the EU Parliament elections the UK will be divided into 12 regions.

Scotland counts as one constituency and can—by proportional voting— elect 6 of the 72 UK Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Labour Party – Socialist Group Conservatives – European People’s Party and European Democrats Liberal Democrats – The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Green Party – The Greens/European Free Alliance Scottish National Party - The Greens/European Free Alliance UK Independence Party – Independence/Democracy Group BNP – Non-Attached Members There are also a few members of some parties who chose to be NonAttached Members

Each party publishes a list with the preferrable candidate on the top. You can either vote for one of the parties or an independent MEP. The MEPs will then most likely join the European counterparts of their parties:

Colin Fox, national cospokesperson of the Scottish Socialist Party wants to make the current financial crisis the centre of the European agenda He told The Journal: “The European Parliament Elections on 4 June will be dominated by one issue above all others, the worst economic collapse in 70 years and its brutal consequences for working people. In Britain it will be the first chance people have to register their fury at the reckless, greedy, banking elite and their equally incompetent political spokesmen who have gotten us into this mess.

It will be in effect a referendum on Gordon Brown’s premiership.”

“Make June 4th the British Independence Day”, says a MEP of the UK Independence Party on a vodcast The UKIP decided not to respond or comment.

“The EU is Scotland’s best bet”, says George Lyon, running for MEP, Scottish Liberal Democrats (1st on the list) It is Lyon’s aim “to make Scotland stronger by using Europe and not dismissing it.” He tells The Journal that the EU is needed to face the economic crisis, climate change, the rising crime and the threat of terrorism. At the same time, Lyon wants to support Scotland in the EU. “Liberal Democrats will make sure we have a practical plan that supports Scottish business and cuts the cost of living”, Lyon says.

Scotland’s future role in the EU would be as a part of the UK. “Liberal Democrats will convince people that, whether it is in the UK or in Europe, we are stronger together and poorer apart,” Lyon says.

Leave Tommy Sheridan’s seat in Brussels and Strasbourg empty, say the No2EU – Yes to Democracy alliance The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) created a nation-wide electoral alliance, combining the socialist and communist parties, the Morning Star newspaper and the Indian workers’ association to represent the British working class without fostering racism in the manner of the BNP. Tommy Sheridan will be second on the list for Scotland, behind professor John Foster.

If elected, all of the No2EU candidates will refuse to take up their parliamentary seats.

6 Edinburgh News

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Unight deal marks the end of “irresponsible” capital drinks promotions Nick Eardley nick.eardley@journal-online.co.uk NIGHTCLUBS AND BARS who are part of the capital’s Unight scheme have voted to impose a ban on drink promotions five months before they are required to do so by law.

The move means the end of promotions which encourage “irresponsible drinking” such as admission promotions which include free alcohol and two-for-one deals on drinks in over 40 city centre venues. In September, promotions which encourage excessive drinking will be banned throughout the country as part of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy.

David Edge, chair of the Unight group, said: “In tough economic times the Unight member clubs have unanimously taken a big step in banning these irresponsible drinks promotions.

“This decision levels the playing field throughout the city and ensures that all venues focus on entertainment first and foremost to drive their business forward.

He added: “It is yet another example of Unight leading the way in improving the late night economy in Edinburgh and a big thumbs up for the 2005 Act that that comes into force in September.”

The Unight coalition was established in 2007 and sees member venues share CCTV footage and information on anti-social behaviour. Last year, The

Journal reported that the scheme has caused a 21 per cent fall in crime in city centre venues, and this new initiative on drinks promotion has received praise from the Scottish Government.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, said: “There’s no doubt that some of the promotions in pubs and clubs encourage people to buy and drink more alcohol. Some of them also encourage excessive drinking and fuel the drinking to get drunk culture that’s damaging Scotland.

“The decision to focus on promoting clubs through the atmosphere and entertainment rather than lure people in with cheap deals is very responsible and is certainly something that I welcome.

“The fact that it’s being done five months ahead of the law requiring it is a welcome sign that the industry is embracing the new Licensing Act.” The ban is focussed on those promotions which encourage excessive drinking, and will not mean the end of cheap drinks promotions of student nights.

Sarah David, co-chairperson of Unight and manager of Cabaret Voltaire, explained the implications of the decision to The Journal: “Any promotions that encourage patrons to consume excessive amounts of alcohol such as door admission packages that include alcohol, any promotional references that encourage excessive drinking, drinks promotions that offer alcohol free or at a reduced price on the purchase of one or more drinks, alcoholic

ADAM WILSON

» WHAT'S BEEN BANNED? » Door admission promotions that include alcohol » Promotional references that encourage excessive drinking » Promotions that offer alcohol free or at a reduced price on purchase of one or more drinks » Offers that encourage additional drinking » Alcoholic drink vouchers

drinks vouchers and so on.”

She added that a thorough consultation with all member venues was undertaken before the move was implemented: “The final decision on what actually constituted irresponsible drinks promotions took many hours of deliberation both by the Chair Group and the full committee but we feel that we have come up with a comprehensive charter that surmises the groupings beliefs on the subject.”

Despite the end of multibuy promotions, which has led to some students complaining that the cost of an average night out will rise, advocates of the move have claimed that the impact a night out will be minimal.

Ms David added: “I don’t foresee this having much real impact on the cost of the average night out In Edinburgh.

“Hopefully the customer will reap the benefit with venues investing more

time and effort into entertainment and providing a great atmosphere to be in rather than focussing on cheap drink.”

She added: “The Licensing Scotland Act 1976 clearly states that alcohol must be ancillary to entertainment; therefore this undertaking by Unight members

OUR STUDENT BOX KIT OF 8 BOXES TAPE AND PEN WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR AT AN AGREED TIME FOR YOU TO PACK.

YOU PACK YOUR BOXES TAPE THEM SHUT MARK YOUR DETAILS ON THE BOXES AND WE WILL PICK THEM UP FOR STORAGE

WE THEN STORE YOUR BOXES DURING YOUR HOLIDAYS AND WHEN YOU RETURN WE DELIVER THEM BACK TO YOU AT AN AGREED TIME

EXTRA STUFF? If you need more boxes or have items that don’t fit the boxes, let us know, and we’ll adjust the price to suit your storage needs

Quote “The Journal” when making your booking REFERAL CODE

levels the playing field throughout the city and ensures that all venues focus on entertainment first and foremost to drive their businesses forward.”

Members of the group include popular student venues Lava&Ignite, Shanghai and WhyNot?.

Edinburgh News 7

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Climate change threatens Leith Last chance for historic cinema building docks development GARY DENHAM

Lidija Liegis lidija.liegis@journal-online.co.uk EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL has warned project bosses about possible flood risks to The Harbour redevelopment project of Leith Docks in the capital’s Leith area as a result of climate change.

The council’s transport and engineering department has warned that the area may be prone to flooding because of rising sea levels caused by changes in the climate.

The area affected is part of the port just north of Ocean Terminal, which is being redeveloped in a multi-million pound project which could last a further 20 years.

Forth Ports, the company which oversees the project, have now been told to improve flood defences amid worries that the multi-billion pound project could be flooded.

Alvin Barber, a flood prevention expert for the council said: “There is uncertainty about the predicted extreme water levels, both at present and as a result of climate change.

“The drawings submitted show flow paths in the event of a storm which exceeds the capacity of the drainage system, causing surcharge and overland flow.”

He added: “This is generally satisfactory, but shows an area where this flow could cause flooding of a proposed building. The proposed development should not increase the risk of flooding of any building, existing or proposed.”

The Docks are currently being revamped to include new homes, retail outlets and commercial space. There are also plans for nine “urban villages” and a new cruise liner terminal.

A spokesman for Forth Ports said: “Forth Ports continues to work closely and constructively with City of Edinburgh Council’s planning department in relation to the application for The Harbour, Leith Docks.

“Forth Ports is well aware of its statutory responsibilities which are independent of the application. However the transport, traffic and engineering department’s letter contains material inaccuracies and Forth Ports does not agree with its conclusions.

“The Environmental Statement submitted with the application demonstrates that there is no increased flood risk as a result of the proposed development.”

The council has advised that Forth Ports ensure certain conditions are met in the project, including ground height 5.5m above sea level. Officials have also requested the removal of all buildings from potential storm flooding plains.

» Campaigners call on Historic Scotland to halt plans to demolish Clerk Street Odeon Anna Murray anna.murray@journal-online.co.uk THOUSANDS OF EDINBURGH residents have called on Historic Scotland to save Clerk Street’s old Odeon cinema after a construction company revealed plans to demolish it.

4700 people have signed the petition on gopetitions which suggests that the building could be saved and used to host digital media events.

The Cinema Theatres Association have described the art deco cinema as “the best surviving example of architecture of its time in the UK”.

Although the building is currently a B-listed property, it was in the process of being considered for A-listed status when it was bought by developers Duddingston House Properties (DHP).

However, DHP are convinced that there is no economically viable alternative.

A spokesperson said: “We didn’t buy the building to knock down the auditorium. I’d be delighted if someone would make me an offer for it. We’ve continually

said we would consider any credible proposal. But I haven’t seen one yet.”

The plans approved by Edinburgh City Council in December, are now being reviewed by heritage watchdog Historic Scotland.

The developers plan to convert the cinema into a luxury 231 room hotel, with artists’ studios and restaurant.

While they would preserve the façade and foyer, most of the inside of the building would be destroyed.

Local people are proposing an alternative scheme: to keep it as a cinema, with a film library and cafe. They are calling on Historic Scotland to oppose DHPs plans and to support a public enquiry.

Ewen Bremner of Trainspotting fame, Sir Sean Connery, Brian Cox, James Cosmo and Dougrey Scott are just some of the famous faces who have added their support to the campaign.

The Theatres Trust, Cinema and Theatres Association, and MSPs from across the political divide sent an open letter to Historic Scotland raising their concerns.

The organisation is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks.

Tram plans come off the rails... again » Blaming the economic downturn, the council indefinitely shelves tram spur line to north Edinburgh TIE

Neil Bennet neil.bennet@journal-online.co.uk EDINBURGH’S TRAM NETWORK is facing new turmoil after it was announced that another major component of the project has had to be shelved due to the economic downturn hitting council budgets.

The £87m “spur line” from the main tram route has been put on hold indefinitely, while construction continues on the first phase of the scheme.

Line 1b was intended to connect Haymarket to the north of Edinburgh, completing the Line 1 circle as it met Line 1a at Granton. Now only Line 1a and Line 2 are going to go ahead as part of the initial construction project currently underway. The lines will run across the city from Edinburgh Airport in the west to the Waterfront in the east, crossing the city centre via Princes Street.

David Mackay, chairman of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, the company set up by the council to run the trams project, said: “The global economic

recession has not spared Edinburgh and as such I believe that it is prudent to postpone Line 1b until such times that the climate for development is far more favourable.

“Our focus in the meantime is the delivery of Line 1a and the creation of a world-class integrated public transport network for the people of Edinburgh.”

Original plans had included proposals for additional lines, including an extension west to Newbridge, and “Line 3” extending south to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France.

These plans were shelved due to lack of available funding, however the land needed is protected to allow for their possible construction at a later date.

Council leader Jenny Dawe, said: “Trams are vital in creating a modern, successful Edinburgh. Connecting the airport, West Edinburgh, the financial district, the city centre and the Waterfront will promote Edinburgh’s continued economic prosperity. I am pleased that this route is progressing well.”

She continued: “It is disappointing that in the current recession monies are not available to fund Line 1b. We will

CHARITY PUB QUIZ EVERY WEDNESDAY @ 8.30PM

1st Prize = a gallon of beer or bottle of champagne £6 entry per team, all going to charity Max 6 people per team

MONDAY NIGHTS

SOCIETIES

Acoustic Sessions, Live music with Kevin Gore Need Sponsorship? Ask at the bar about our deals

revisit this as soon as economic conditions improve. Experience elsewhere also suggests that, once operating, trams prove immensely popular with residents and businesses and create real demand for expansion. I am confident that this route will be the first of a world-class integrated public transport network for Edinburgh, including Line 1b and Line 3 to Little France.”

However, the viability of even this initial phase reaching completion has been called into question. Shirley-Anne Somerville, SNP MSP for the Lothians, has raised concerns about lack of available information regarding the financing of the project, and has requested project managers and Edinburgh City Council make a full statement regarding available funds.

This current setback comes only weeks after work on the key Princes Street phase of the scheme was delayed after a month long fall-out between tram bosses and project conglomerate BSC. Similarly, in November last year TIE’s chief executive resigned amid criticism over the problem-plagued Mound closure.

44 WEST CROSSCAUSEWAY (CORNER OF NICHOLSON STREET)

8 Academic News

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

University medicine ruling "could save thousands" » Poorer countries set to recieve special deals on medicine developed at Edinburgh University Evan Beswick evan.beswick@journal-online.co.uk IN A PIONEERING move which could widen access to life-saving drugs in developing countries, the University of Edinburgh has agreed to impose terms upon its medical patents which require all pharmaceuticals licensees to offer cheap medicines to poorer countries.

The move comes in line with policy agreed upon last November at the Edinburgh University Students’ Association AGM, at which students voted unanimously to demand that the university implement a socially responsible medical patenting policy. Following campaigning from the students’ association and student group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), this policy has now been adopted by the university, making it the first university in Britain to do so.

Accordingly, medicines which result from research at the university will only be licensed to commercial partners who agree to increase the availability of medicines at affordable prices to less developed countries. The university have also vowed “to prosecute patent applications in less developed countries only as necessary,” for instance in providing development and marketing leverage for new products and technology, or to exert leverage over commercial licensee of the university’s technology across the world.

EUSA president Adam Ramsay said: “Edinburgh is a world leading medical research university. But big pharmaceutical companies take the university

discoveries and price millions out of the market. The university has said it will no longer stand by while people suffer and die from treatable illnesses because of a lack of access to its medicines. I am delighted that we have managed to get the university to take this stand, and UAEM deserve enormous credit for their hard work on this campaign.”

UAEM also issued a statement in response to the university’s move. A spokesperson said: “This marks a major step forward and we are delighted that the University of Edinburgh has decided to take a leading role in this effort to improve access to medicines for the world’s poor. The key focus now will be to ensure that the pledge is realised and we look forwards to working with the University to actively follow it through.

“We hope Edinburgh’s decision can convince other universities to adopt the same policy, truly developing a group of universities allied for essential medicines, where research success is measured not by potential profit, but by potential health impact.”

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines is a student pressure group based in Berkley, California, but with members worldwide. Noting the role universities and their research plays in shaping society, the group calls upon institutions to ensure that their medical research “meets the needs of the majority of the world’s population,” in particular ensuring that the world’s poor are not priced out of access to medicine.

The campaign, which has already proved successful in some American universities, builds upon initiatives begun by the Bill and Melinda Gates

foundation, the [Bill] Clinton HIV/Aids Initiative and, in the UK the Department for International Development.

Today, ten million people die from treatable diseases for which drugs are available but which they cannot afford, and in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia, over 50 per cent of individuals do not have regular access to essential medecines. In addition, millions suffer from so-called “neglected diseases” – illnesses such as sleeping sickness, lymphatic filariasis and blinding trachoma which, because of their prevalence in only developing countries, do not

constitute a market opportunity to warrant commercial research and development. According to campaigners, public institutions such as universities have a vital role to play in countering this inequality.

The announcement this month is important given the University of Edinburgh’s top quality research into healthcare technology. In the 1980s, for instance, Professor Ken Murray engineered the first vaccine against Hepatitis B, a disease which continues to claim around 600,000 lives per year.

Patented by the scientist and

licensed to Biogen, Inc., a US biotechnology company which Prof. Murray co-founded with fellow biologists from Europe and the United States, the vaccine made a substantial amount of money. Indeed, the hepatitis B vaccine is now valued at over $1bn worldwide.

Prof. Murray donated his share of the royalties to a charity he set up.

The announcement will cover patents on all future research.

Current projects include a three year project now under way at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine into the production of synthetic blood.

Review of the academic year one step closer Evan Beswick evan.beswick@journal-online.co.uk AFTER A LENGTHY process, which has included complaints over the reluctance of some departments to reform, a final settlement on the review of the University of Edinburgh’s academic year was passed at a meeting of the academic policy committee last week.

The key policy-making body within the university’s structures, the academic policy committee must now defer to the university senate for a final decision on the review, although those familiar with the process have suggested that, given the support for the proposal in committee, senate approval ought to be a simple formality.

Following a number of proposals, a final timetable has been passed

forward to the senate. This would provide a full 11 weeks teaching in semester one, plus a dedicated revision week before exams. Semester two would gain an additional week of teaching, while Easter holidays would be fixed – coinciding with the religious festival two years out of every three.

Speaking following the committee vote, vice president for academic affairs at EUSA, Guy Bromley said: “I’m delighted that, after years of campaigning by EUSA, Edinburgh students are finally getting more teaching and revision time.”

He added: “This solution was developed in consultation with class representatives, 87% of whom supported this change.”

This compares favourably to a proposal from the College of Humanities and Social sciences which offered no

spring break between the end of teaching and exams, and which was rejected by 90% of class reps.

Mr Bromley pointed out, however, that the new system would not solve all of the problems with teaching provision at the university: “Although this is an interim solution, prior to a much larger scale review of the way in which curricula are delivered across the University, it represents a clear improvement on today’s position. Despite this positive change, myself and other EUSA representatives will continue to fight for an end to the situation where many students have only three or four contact hours a week. But this week’s decision brings Edinburgh University a step closer to being run primarily for its biggest population – students.”

Chairing the review group, Professor Simon van Heyningen, vice

principal, learning & teaching said: “We are pleased that Academic Policy Committee has given its support to the proposal which offers students a week’s extra revision time in semester one and a week’s extra teaching in semester two.

“The new proposal should also be better for staff with family responsibilities as it positions the spring break at the end of the semester, rather than part-way through the semester, where it will coincide with Easter the majority of the time. The next stage is for the proposal to be presented to Senate in June.”

In other news, currently underway is a review of academic and pastoral support at the university – ostensibly a review of the Director of Studies system, to those unfamiliar with the institution’s often impenetrable jargon.

Key proposals include the creation of

a body of dedicated advisors to assist with non-subject specific needs, alongside improved support from academic staff.

However, the full recommendations of the teaching and learning committee look set to be delayed following the temporary absence of a key contributor.

Speaking to The Journal, Prof. van Heyningen, vice principal, learning & teaching said: “We are continuing with our work to improve the academic experience of students at the University of Edinburgh.

“However, because of circumstances outside anyone’s control, the review of academic and pastoral support has been unavoidably delayed. A full report will be published and available for everyone to read and discuss once this review is complete, which we hope will be before the end of the summer.”

Legal highs + Smoking paraphanalia + Herbs and seeds

Juggling equipment and other interesting products 47 Clerk Street + www.apothecaryedinburgh.co.uk + www.botanicalspecimens.co.uk

Academic News 9

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Edinburgh researchers in MS and leukemia breakthrough » Researchers from Edinburgh University discover a crucial breakthrough to help the fight against diseases such as MS and leukaemia JONATHAN RIDDELL

Edinburgh mourns death of law professor and leading nationalist Lidija Liegis

Cameron Robinson

lidija.liegis@journal-online.co.uk

cameron.robinson@journal-online.co.uk

PROFESSOR NEIL MACCORMICK died on 5 April 2009 after serving as Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations at the University of Edinburgh for 36 years.

A profound and creative thinker on the role of law in modern society, Professor MacCormick published influential works on law, politics and morality, and on the relations between overlapping legal and political orders.

Having studied law at Oxford and Philosophy and English at Glasgow, he was appointed Regius Professor of Law at the unusually young age of 31. During his academic career, he was twice Dean of the Law Faculty, as well as serving as Provost of the Faculty Group of Law and Social Science 1994-7, and as vice principal for international affairs, 1997-99.

Colleague Professor of law Neil Walker said: “Neil’s work has been and will remain a major reference point for all the major contemporary debates on law’s place in the order of things.

“He published ground-breaking studies on the special quality of legal reasoning and on the connection between the conscience of the law and the broader spheres of private ethics and public morality.”

Professor Douglas Brodie, head of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Law said Prof. MacCormick “possessed a staggering intellect, great wit and a wonderful, dry sense of humour, but most of all

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH researchers based at the Roslin Institute have developed novel insights into how genes regulate the growth of cells crucial to the immune system, with potential therapeutic benefits for disease such as MS and leukemia.

The research, published in Nature Genetics, focused on white blood cells called macrophages. These cells are part of the body’s first line of defence against infection and work to clear the body of harmful bacteria and viruses.

However, if their growth becomes uncontrolled the cell can turn on the body’s own tissues causing damage leading on to autoimmune disease. The improved understanding of the communication between the various genes responsible for the growth of cells like macrophages could help researchers to identify ways of combating diseases such as MS, arthritis and even types of leukemia.

It was previously thought that a group of master genes was responsible for controlling the growth of cells which cause such conditions. In light of the group´s new research it now appears there are actually hundreds of genes involved all interacting with each other. It is also thought that variations in this communication network could help explain why these diseases then

The University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute develop in different ways.

Professor David Hume, of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, who led the study, said: “This study has effectively shown us where the brakes are which could slow down or stop diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis.

We believe this could lead to treatments and cures for many diseases of the immune system.”

The study was conducted as part of the FANTOM (Functional Annotation of the Mammalian cDNA) consortium, which involves scientists at the Roslin Institute working together with groups

from around the globe, including collaborators from Japan, Australia and America, as well as several more from across Europe.

The research group now aims to identify potential weak spots in the gene network, which could be exploited to stop the uncontrolled growth of cells and ultimately prevent any damage caused. With these goals in mind scientists plan to extend the project with new funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to look at the way genes communicate to control immunity in livestock animals.

a warmth and spirit that touched all who knew him.”

He said: “Perhaps no other contemporary scholar has influenced so many areas of legal thinking so deeply over such a long period.”

Known for his innovative approaches to new ethical dilemmas and for refining his ideas to account for changes in legal and political affairs, his numerous awards provide some measure of the esteem in which he is held.

These include his fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and of the British Academy. He was a visiting professor in Australia, Sweden and the United States and was awarded seven honorary Doctorates and foreign membership of the Finnish Academy of Sciences.

He was appointed Honorary Queens Counsel (England and Wales) in 1999, and in 2001 he received his knighthood for services to scholarship in law.

After retiring from the university in January 2009, Professor MacCormick continued a lifetime of public service as special adviser to the first minister on European and External Affairs.

Described by colleagues as “the constitutional authority behind the surge of Scottish nationalism in the late 20th century,” Professor MacCormick stood for the UK Parliament at five elections between 1979 and 1997, eventually becoming an SNP member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004.

There he served with distinction, as indicated by his being voted Scottish European MP of the year for three consecutive years.

10 Student Politics

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Streeting re-elected NUS president at annual conference

Job shortage forces students to seek hardship funds » Demand for hardship funds far exceeding demand as students' futures look bleaker than ever SILVIA FOTEVA

Megan Taylor

Megan Taylor & Lizzy Matthews

megan.taylor@journal-online.co.uk

megan.taylor@journal-online.co.uk THIS TIME LAST month, over 1400 NUS delegates from student unions all over the UK gathered in Blackpool for the annual NUS conference.

As well as the usual burning debates about the major issues facing the modern student, elections for the next academic year’s student representatives were held.

Current president Wes Streeting was re-elected with a staggering 81 per cent of the vote.

Mr Streeting was clearly determined to act on the issue of top-up fees that the latter part of 2009 promises to bring: “We will step up to the plate with an analysis of its failings and a fairer, equitable and sustainable alternative that sees graduates contribute according to the real benefits they obtain and our government putting it’s money where it’s mouth is on the importance of education and the necessity to widen access and increase opportunity and aspiration.”

He added: “I relish the challenge that lies ahead.”

His opponent Rob Owen was one of the ring leaders of the pro-Palestinian protest that disturbed proceedings at the last conference, back in January.

He acted as their spokesperson and was granted to speak for a period of five minutes to an audience of disgruntled delegates, most of whom had turned their backs on him in their own protest.

Despite gaining 140 votes for President, he and friend Hind Hassan, who coincidently also lost his bid to become vice-president of welfare, were censured by the conference for their illegal protest and their powers were duly taken from them.

Edinburgh delegate Ross MacRae spoke of his content with the elected candidates as he told The Journal: “The students elected were the better candidates on the day. People who expressed a wish to engage properly with the government were generally elected and the more radical voices gained the least votes.”

In the wake of the “extraordinary conference” last January, where a new constitution was finally approved, two new zones were in need of vice-presidents.

Susan Nash was elected the first ever VP of the Societies and Citizenship Zone and mandated to concentrate on anti-racism strategies in the run up to elections.

Meanwhile, Richard Budden, better known to many delegates as ‘Bubble’, emerged victorious as the new VP of Union Development. He said: “I want

Current president Wes Streeting was re-elected with 81% of the vote ours to be a movement that works together, and wins together.”

Another change as a result of the new constitution meant that the block of 12 National Executive Committees (NEC) now became the block of 15. It was up to delegates to decide on the day of conference who they vote for.

It became evident that the outcome of the vote was largely swayed by election gimmicks rather than the candidates’ speeches.

The Union of Jewish Students representative, Jak Codd went to the trouble of handing out a portion of fish and chips to every delegate present. He was one of the first to be elected.

A number of current issues were

debated, followed by votes that determined NUS’s official position on them.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, delegates voted to campaign for a fair and sustainable higher education funding system to replace top-up fees.

Following the recent media storm late last year, NUS voted to support students’ unions in regulating unacceptable initiation ceremonies on campus.

A review of the minimum wage was also called for, as delegates suggested abolishing the current age bands system making it fairer for all.

The newly elected students will take up their positions on Monday 1 July as the reformed constitution will be officially implemented.

suruchi Indian Cuisine at its best

DESPITE WORKING “INCREASINGLY hard” to find vacancies, the careers service at the University of Edinburgh has reported a 20 per cent drop in the number of jobs being advertised.

The news comes as figures released to The Journal from Edinburgh University’s Advice Place show a dramatic increase in the number of students enquiring about hardship funds.

In the academic year 2006/07, 1212 requests for hardship funding were made, compared with 2097 enquiries recorded by the Advice Place up to 17 March.

The unprecedented increase is being considered a direct result of the increasingly limited availability of part-time jobs and the unwillingness of banks to extend overdrafts and grant new loans to struggling students.

Edinburgh University Students’ Association President Adam Ramsay has taken on the campaign to rasie awareness of the dire consequences the present financial situation poses for students, including publicising the issue within the pages of The Edinburgh Evening News.

Speaking to The Journal, Mr Ramsay said: “The government has depended on part-time jobs and bank loans to fund students through education. The prospect of bank loans being refused and part-time jobs drying up is terrifying.

“It will mean some students from poorer backgrounds can’t afford to come to university at all. A society where people are priced out of a degree is one of the most regressive steps possible.”

Finding a term-time job has become increasingly important for students who have discovered that not even student loans, bursaries and interest-free overdrafts are sufficient for survival in a bleak economic landscape.

When contacted by The Journal, a spokesperson from the Scottish Government said it “recognised” the student support system was “inadequately funded” and that money for university hardship funds was being increased from £14.04 million to £16.1 million, an increase of eight per cent on 2007/08.

Mr Ramsay is calling for further state action, arguing that a guaranteed minimum income of £7000 per year is required to stem the predicted increase in university drop-outs as a

result of the recession.

“We have been campaigning all year for an increase in the minimum income for students to £7,000. This is more crucial now than ever before,” Mr Ramsay told The Journal.

“If the government doesn’t increase levels of student support urgently, it will be allowing the credit crunch to crush social mobility for a generation.”

Emma Lunec, a second-year student at the University of Edinburgh, agreed that students are being presented with stark decisions by the economic climate.

Speaking to The Journal, she argued that increased funding from the government may not solve the problem: “Dropping out because of money issues is possible, and it’s definitely something I worry about. I find that even with my loan, overdraft and help from my parents, it’s still not enough.”

“If my loan increased then it would just mean I have to pay back more in the future. At the same time, if I was lucky enough to find a job I doubt I’d be able to keep up with university work.”

50% off for students.

Come and enjoy Edinburgh’s best Indian food, prepared by the experienced Master Chefs from different regions of India

Discount applies to food ordered from the à la carte menu Sunday to Thursday. Get 25% off on Friday and Saturday, too. Just show your matriculation card on arrival

Suruchi Restaurant | 14a Nicolson Street | 0131 556 6583 Suruchi Too | 121 Constitution Street | 0131 554 3268

Student Politics 11

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Diaries and Daily Mail spark EUSA squabbles » Calls for democratic reform as union disagrees over budgets and moves to ban ”racist” newspaper VLADIMIR UDALOV

Megan Taylor megan.taylor@journal-online.co.uk CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised over the democratic structures within EUSA following a disagreement over the presence of diaries in the fresher’s packs.

The squabble occurred after the SRC executive unanimously voted to remove diaries from the 2009 Freshers’ week packs.

As preparations for freshers week 2009 get under way, the finer details of the budget were debated by the SRC. However, once this was formally approved and the cost of the packs finalised at £32 each, the SRC executive voted unanimously to remove the diaries from the package thus lowering the cost of the packs to £30.

Their intention to lower costs for the new first years was based on a feeling that the planners from previous years lay abandoned, gathering dust in desk draws.

Controversially this decision was reversed by the association executive once EUSA’s four sabbaticals held a meeting and decided that, as there was no concrete evidence, such as a survey, to confirm whether the diaries were largely superfluous, they could not justify removing them from the already finalised plans.

However, those on the SRC frustrated by the decision have queried the association executive’s reasoning. Societies convener and vice president, Camilla Pierry, pointed out that the budget approved by

the SRC had been delivered three months late, restricting the potential for amendments or revisions and making the higher-priced pack—including the contested diary—essentially a fait accompli.

A survey of 300 students conducted by SRC members at Pollock Halls, claims Ms Pierry, showed that 72 per cent did not use the diary.

Speaking to The Journal, EUSA president Adam Ramsay sought to downplay the situation:”The Student Representative Council Executive is cross because the Association Executive has chosen to go with the budget agreed by Student Representative Council rather than the budget as later amended by Student Representative Council Executive – after the budget was formally approved.”

However, the issue has served to anger many who see this as a direct failing of EUSA’s democratic processes. The frustration felt is intensified by the fact that the technicalities of EUSA’s systems of committees, councils and executives are, to the average student, somewhat confusing.

Ms Pierry said: “If you’re concerned with a proposal you discuss it in the meeting – that’s what democracy’s about.

But the sabbs can vote one way in public and backtrack in the safety of the office – it’s not accountable. I think that’s what’s got everyone upset.”

Mr Ramsay has acknowledged this and was keen to draw attention to the upcoming constitutional review, the plans for which are already being put in place.

He said: “EUSA committee structures

EUSA VPAA Guy Bromley proposed the "ban" on the Daily Mail are obscure and complex. They haven’t been reviewed for a generation. We have launched a process to look into how and whether people would like to change them. I hope we can end up with a system suitable for the 21st century.”

Commenting on what has been dubbed “diarygate” Mr Ramsay hit back saying: “While I happen to think that the diaries should not be included in the pack, as suggested by SRC Exec, I think this has been blown out of proportion a little.”

Nonetheless, EUSA has become involved in a second scuffle over claims that those at the head of the organisation are attempting to stifle free speech.

It has been suggested that the Daily Mail newspaper should be banned from sale

in EUSA shops on the grounds that it is a ‘racist’ publication.

The idea was proposed at a Committee of Management meeting last month

by EUSA vice president academic affairs, Guy Bromley and supported by Mr Ramsay, but was met by a mixed reception.

While those supporting the proposal argued that EUSA had no duty to support the sale of the newspaper, some elected representatives have claimed that EUSA was imposing a type of censorship on the free press.

Mr Ramsay said: “The Daily Mail is a racist newspaper.”

Referring to the paper’s staunch stance on immigration, Mr Bromley outlined his support for the ban: “Freedom of speech is one thing, but a paper which

so clearly vilifies large numbers of our students cannot be given a platform by EUSA. If anyone still needs the paper for any reason, they can bring it into EUSA buildings – we simply won’t be selling it.”

There is a strong likelihood that the ban will be implemented, especially as a Potterrow shop spokesperson confirmed they only ever sell a handful of Daily Mails compared to an average of around 800 Guardian copies which fly off the shelves on a daily basis.

However, any decision must be approved through EUSA’s democratic process. Mr Ramsay explained: “This will be discussed by the elected Committee of Management, and can go to a general meeting if people want to overrule their decision.”

Three decades of service at EUSA comes to an end » Calling it quits after thirty years, EUSA senior advisor Marion Matheson regales Joe Pike with tales of sex, drugs and John Swinney

joe.pike@journal-online.co.uk

T

HE BACKROOM SKULLDUGGERY of any workplace, especially political ones, is fascinating. But who actually gets to see all the action – the back-biting, scandal and heartbreak? The secretaries, of course. But Marion Matheson is no ordinary secretary. Retiring in June after 30 years service to students at Edinburgh, the friendly matriarch of EUSA—officially the “senior administrative advisor”—has seen it all and has given up her lunch hour to chat to me.

She’s worked with them all, from politicians to journalists. Douglas Alexander was external convener from 1987 to 1988, long before he became secretary of state for international development.

John Swinney—now Scotland’s finance secretary—ran unsuccessfully for a sabbatical position around the same time: “He was a lovely guy. Seems a bit

boring when you see him on television now but he’s very friendly, great sense of humour.”

It all began in October 1979: “I’d worked in the university before in medical illustrations, which I hated, and I saw this job. I thought ‘9.30am start!’

Mornings aren’t my best time so it was perfect. I got the post and as soon as I started I thought ‘this is a strange place’. To kick off the female president was living with the permanent secretary [then the chief member of staff]. They were having an affair.” Marion frowns.

She didn’t particularly enjoy it at first but knew she would eventually: “It’s a weird world. They were quite keen on drugs at that time so that was novel as well: having to prop them up when the university secretary was coming over for a meeting.”

It must be tiresome, I suggest, to work with young upstarts who think they know it all. Not really: “Some I had a lot more in common with, but student politics always attracts characters and

eccentrics. Some are plain weird but most are funny, bright and engaging. It’s been brilliant: where else can you come in one morning and there’s a stall saying ‘Coffee, Cake and Chlamydia’. You just blink. We’re absolutely un-shockable and for that I’m hugely grateful.”

Has anything really changed over the past thirty years? “It’s always been bitchy and devious, there have always been budding politicians. If you’re new staff, elections are very confusing; the students themselves don’t know what they’re standing for most of the time.

When we read the manifestos and election pledges, it’s a bit déjà vu. Have they just taken this and that from last year?”

But she is clearly passionate about the organisation’s work: “EUSA teaches people. You come to university to get a degree but with us you learn so much more than that: negotiation, manipulation,” she grins. “Its ludicrous that there’re something like only 80 elected students involved in EUSA. You need to get more students involved and they

this voucher entitles you to: a free pint of red stripe or a free 250ml glass of house wine when ordered with 2 main meals.

Phone reservation required stating use of voucher, no walk ins.

Student id will also be required. The vouchers are not valid on fri/sat evenings

0131 466 8550 3a merchant street, edinburgh eh1 2qd info@underthestairs.org

need to be prepared to do things. Only a handful actually work hard.”

I ask what she’d do if she were to run for a sabbatical position: “I don’t think I’d get involved in the backstabbing and negative campaigning. It sometimes works but it’s not the best way”. And which role would she like: “Oh, definitely president because it’s the interesting stuff. I like the political work, the campaigning.”

So what will she miss? “The good times are when you’re putting all your energy into a project and it’s really important to some of the students. It doesn’t seem like work at all: you’ll stay here until seven.” And surely the absurd situations? “Indeed. Like when the auditors came for a meeting in the committee room one morning. Suddenly the door of the cupboard opened and out comes one of the sabbaticals. He’d been living in there because he got chucked out of his flat.”

The hour is coming to an end so I delicately segue onto the issue of

cut out, fill in and bring with you to Under The Stairs

Joe Pike

gossip and scandal. She insists there have not been all that many relationships between staff and students, but suddenly remarks “How did you hear about that?” when I start listing names.

Far more prevalent are complications between the student politicians themselves: “It hasn’t changed and it’s not going to change for God’s sake. You’re all young and at the height of your sexuality. There’s always going to be bonking and affairs and God knows what.”

And surely a few tense situations post-break-up? She nods: “Crying, banging of doors, wailing: we’re good at cuddling. It’s not written down in the job description but we’re fond of the students.” Is it so obvious that drama is happening? “It gets round the EUSA gossip mill like wildfire: it’s like hotline from Hollywood.” So, is Marion the scandal-supremo, the Perez Hilton of the office? “I’m actually very good at not spreading gossip, at keeping a secret.”

And with that she slips off back to her desk.

name: email: 0131 466 8550 3a merchant street, edinburgh eh1 2qd

12 National Student News

£1.95 DRINKS 4 STUDENTS 2 MEALS £8 (MAIN COURSE)

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Napier strengthens China links » New scheme set to provide advice to Scottish companies expanding to China Jodi Mullen jodi.mullen@journal-online.co.uk EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY is set to provide business expertise to Scottish companies attempting to enter the Chinese and Hong Kong markets as part of a new scheme launched earlier this month.

The Edinburgh Institute, a partnership between Edinburgh Napier and the University of Hong Kong, will offer training, advice and consultancy support to Scottish businesses seeking to expand in Hong Kong and China.

The new initiative was launched by cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, Fiona Hyslop, in Hong Kong while visiting China with first minister Alex Salmond.

Ms Hyslop said: “Building on the existing, strong partnership between Edinburgh Napier and the University of Hong Kong, the institute will help Scottish businesses access the right knowledge, skills and contacts to grow their businesses and make the most of increasing economic globalisation.”

The education minister stressed the importance of universities to companies seeking to expand abroad, especially those with well established links in the local area.

It will be based at HKUSPACE - the Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education.

Initial support from the Edinburgh Institute will focus on preparing Scottish

companies for operating in Hong Kong and China and will include leadership training, introductions to people, culture and education on differing business practices.

The Edinburgh Institute will work closely with Scottish Development International, an initiative working to stimulate economic growth in Scotland both by offering support to Scottish companies in overseas markets and encouraging foreign businesses to invest in Scotland.

Edinburgh Napier University has maintained an active presence in Hong Kong for more than twenty years, where it already works in partnership with the University of Hong Kong to provide educational solutions.

Joan Stringer, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier,

emphasised the importance of the scheme to the university.

Ms Stringer said: “This is an historic occasion for Edinburgh Napier University and Hong Kong University and in partnership we hope that the Edinburgh Institute at HKUSPACE will provide concrete business management solutions and corporate education in what are most certainly interesting and challenging economic times.”

The University of Edinburgh has also announced the creation of closer ties with China recently. The Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the university signed a landmark agreement to increase collaboration in stem cell research with China’s National Centre for International Research in Stem Cells in Beijing.

Edinburgh hits back at “poorly researched“ donations report Matthew Moore

CARLOS MARTÍNEZ

matthew.moore@journal-online.co.uk

92 GRASSMARKET, EH1 2JR 0131 225 6601

ALSO AT

THE ROSE AND CROWN 170 ROSE ST, EH2 4BA 0131 225 4039

THE UNIVERSITY OF Edinburgh has heavily criticised a report that questioned its independence in light of a substantial donation from a Saudi Arabian Prince.

‘A Degree of Influence’, authored by Robin Simcox for The Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC), studied external donations from foreign governments across more than ten universities in the UK. A spokesperson for the university said: “The University categorically denies any allegations that funders influence its research methods or outcomes or bias its teaching provision.”

The report documented that in 1982 the university received a “handsome endowment” from the University of Baghdad, a state run institution under the power of Saddam Hussein. It then documented many human rights breaches of the Iraqi government in the same year.

Along with that donation the institution was in receipt of £8m from Prince Al-Awaleed bin Talal, the money was used to set up the Centre of the Study of Islam. It is this donation in particular which was used by the report as evidence of unhealthy external influence.

The university refuted the claims: “The report presents no evidence of the outcome of alleged influence on the operations of these centres at the University of Edinburgh. The alleged influence suggested in the report is greatly overstated.”

In an article in The Times Higher Education guide in March 2008, Carole

Hillenbrand, head of the department for Islamic and Middle Easter studies, responded to suggestions that academic neutrality could be threatened.

She said: “We don’t have any ‘agenda’ at all. We are going to do very serious research projects and publish them through public outreach.”

The report said that the aims of the centre, that of “building bridges”, should not be the aims of a university that professes itself not to be pushing a line.

EUSA president Adam Ramsay said that it was the role of the university to teach students to form their own opinions and that he had “only praise for the centre”.

Speaking to the The Journal Mr Ramsay said: “The report says that by ‘fostering understanding’ the university is pushing a particular view. This is true.

The university is saying that knowledge is better than ignorance. It is promoting understanding over misunderstanding.

Some people don’t like this. But it’s what academia is for.”

Diana Warwick, chief executive, of Universities UK defended current systems in place to ensure that academic programmes are subject to independent quality assurance procedures.

Ms Warwick said: “There are established cultural and business links between the UK and the Middle East, and also with China. These are important parts of the world for the UK to engage with and understand.”

Saira Aslam, president of the Islamic society of Edinburgh university, told The Journal that the university “has the right to teach whatever it wants, in whichever manner it wants. The department should be free to decide on internal issues without external pressures”.

A spokesperson for the university questioned the methodology used in CSC’s findings: “This appears to be a poorly researched report which makes selective use of the available evidence.

The document fails to consider a range of wider contextual issues.”

The report has been criticised by a graduate of the School of African and Oriental Studies in London, David Shariatmadari, who wrote in the Guardian, that the report “made a mockery” of legitimate attempts to scrutinise universities and he criticised the, 2007 founded, centre for Social Cohesion saying that it “spread poison” and “whipped up anti-Muslim paranoia”.

The university said that the report would have no bearing on them: “The University of Edinburgh continues to uphold its proud tradition as an institution where the free exchange of ideas is fundamental to research and teaching.”

National Student News 13

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Edinburgh universities fare well for funding » Quarter of Scotland's higher education funding goes to universities in capital

Tamil student continues hunger strike protest DAVID WOO

Matthew Moore & Nick Eardley matthew.moore@journal-online.co.uk OVER £1BILLION HAS been allocated to Scottish Universities as part of the annual Scottish Funding Council (SFC) budget announced earlier this month.

The allocation, which was based on the 2008 Research Assesment Excercise (RAE), includes £666.5m for teaching and £242m funding for research, and has been welcomed by Edinburgh’s four universities.

John McClelland, SFC Chair said: “Scotland’s universities are an essential part of the intellectual, social and cultural fabric of Scotland but they are also playing a critical role in the economy by providing well qualified and employable graduates, and through their research, development, and support for innovation in business.

“Today’s announcement is a significant investment in Scotland’s future prosperity and signals a major change in the way that the Scottish Funding Council funds universities, aimed at strengthening even further their contribution to Scotland’s economic, social, cultural and civic prosperity.”

Edinburgh’s four universities all welcomed their respective allocations, which is based in part on the number of students enrolled and the quality of previous research they have conducted.

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Napier University, who were allocated £51m, said: “Overall Edinburgh Napier University will receive a 2.1 per cent increase in main grant next year which, together with the associated assumed tuition fees is expected to result in a 2.5 per cent increase in overall income from these sources.

“In particular, we were pleased that our strong performance in the 2008 RAE has been rewarded with an increase of almost £400k in the grants for research. This increase reflects the hard work and innovation of many staff across the University.”

Following widespread results of excellence in last December’s RAE, there were fears amongst research intensive institutions that research

funding would fall in real terms for those institutions who recieved large grants in last years funding.

Responding to the announcement on funding for the coming academic year, the principal of the University of Edinburgh, who received £153m, said that, as far as Edinburgh was concerned, its allocation was “further objective evidence of improvement in the university’s research performance.”

Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea said: “Since 2002 our objective has been to improve the quality of our research at a faster rate than the upper quartile of the Russell Group of universities – and we have achieved that. Thanks to the hard work of staff across the University of Edinburgh, we have improved the quality of our research and the support we can offer to young researchers.”

The overall funding allocation includes £77m of captial funding and £25.3m ring-fenced grants.

A spokeswoman for Heriot-Watt welcomed the substantial rise they received, which amounted to a total of £35m for 2009-10.

She said: “Heriot-Watt has received a 3.6 per cent increase in its grant this year, above the sector average of 2.9 per cent. This allows us to continue to work towards being a world leading university and to compete in a world populated by many larger and better funded institutions.”

In addition to the research and teachings grants, an additional fund has been established this year. The “Horizon fund” is worth £126m and is an incentive based grant which will be distributed based on the performance of universities in the following areas: improving employability of students, widening access for learning, cultivating knowledge exchange and increasing the student learning experience.

Professor Anthony Cohen, principal of Queen Margaret University, said that they had “broadly anticipated” their allocation of £13.5m.

A spokesperson for Universities Scotland said that the funding was acceptable in what has been “a volatile year”.

Hiran Balasuriya hiran.balasuriya@journal-online.co.uk A SRI LANKAN student is in his third week of a hunger strike in Parliament Square, as Tamil protesters continue to disrupt the streets of the capital.

Thousands of Tamils have joined 28 year old Subramaniyam Paramestvaran in urging the British government to apply more pressure on the Sri Lankan government to seek a peaceful end to the conflict.

Suren Surendiran, of the British Tamils Forum, explained: “As British citizens, they want the UK government to act. Rather than just calling for a ceasefire, they should go to the UN security council to demand one.”

More than 100,000 civilians have been displaced from the formally Tamil Tiger-held area in the north-east, pouring out into government-controlled ‘safe zones’ after the government intensified their effort to defeat the outlawed group.

However, aid agencies have said that an unknown number of citizens remain trapped in the shrinking area of land held by by the Tigers.

Mr Surendiran said: “These are people who have relatives and friends in Sri Lanka; people who have lost brothers and fathers and sisters.”

Mr Paramestvaran, who is resting in a tent outside Westminister, has been told that serious damage could be done to his health if he carries on.

Dr Sellappah Nallanathar, a Sri Lankan, of St.Peter’s hospital in Surrey, has been checking on his countrymen regularly. He said: “I’m asking him to take small sips of water and it’s the water that is keeping him going. If he doesn’t wan to take food, we can’t force him. He’s determined to carry on.”

The government also claims that there are only 300 to 400 rebels left, confined to a five square-mile area. Tamil Tiger leaders have been urging their troops to swallow their cyanide capsules and take their own lives, rather than surrender.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara stated that over

3,000 rebels had surrendered since January 2009. The government and the Tamil Tigers are giving, typically, conflicting accounts of the facts at hand; the National newspapers claims that the army has rescued over 170,000 civilians who “blame the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, for their plight and harassment”.

However, TamilNet, a news website sympathetic to the rebel cause, alleges that there are almost 200,000 civilians left that are seeking refuge with the rebels, moving from Valaignar Madam to Mu’l’li-vaaykkaal.

The US State Department has asserted that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) since its conception has not adhered to the standards of conduct expected of a ‘resistance movement’ – the LTTE is guilty of highprofile assassinations, including that of a Sri Lankan president, several ministers of parliament and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, recruiting childsoldiers, inclduing somes orphaned by the tsunami.

The Sri Lankan government has also been under fire for a list of humanrights violations. The suppression of independent, impartial media has led to allegations that human rights abuses to go unnoticed.

While foreign journalists and local correspondents that are not employed by the government are not allowed in the war zone, any other media coverage of the war has been stifled through threats, government-imposed restrictions and violence.

Amnesty International claims that at least 10 media workers have been killed since the beginning of 2006. In January, Lasantha Wickrematunge, one of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists and outspoken critics of the government, was gunned shot in broad daylight.

Since 1983, over 70,000 have been officially listed as killed in the conflict, although the real number of casualties will likely never be ascertained, as both sides, it is widely accepted, manipulate the figures before they are released.

Student visa row erupts following English arrests » Released men could face deportation despite no charges being brought against them Matthew Moore matthew.moore@journal-online.co.uk THE ARREST OF 12 men, who were subsequently released without charge, at the start of the month over an alleged bomb plot has re-ignited concern over student visa checks here and abroad.

Once it emerged that ten of those arrested had entered the country from Pakistan on student visas, the Home Office was criticised for not applying more rigorous checks.

Mohammed Ayub, representing three of the men, said: “After 13 days in custody, during which no evidence of any wrongdoing was disclosed, they have now been released without charge.”

All but one of those arrested are

Pakistani nationals who were transferred to the custody of the UK Borders Agency after being freed last week.

The prime minister’s spokesperson said that they would try and deport the men, aged between 22 and 38, under grounds of national security.

Mr Ayub, a lawyer, said that his clients have every right to remain in Britain: “Our clients have no criminal history, they were here lawfully on student visas and all were pursuing their studies and working part-time.

Our clients are neither extremists not terrorists.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said there were “serious concerns” over the current visa system: “Whilst we welcome the implementation of the points based system, the changes that came into effect this year do not solve

the existing problems.

“We have warned for years about abuses of the student visa system for immigration purposes, as this route is often fraudulently used as a way into the UK.” Mr Grayling said it was important to maintain a strong influx of foreign students but lamented the Home Office for failing to deal with consistent breaches.

The high profile raids, in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire, were pushed forward after anti terror chief Sir Bob Quit was photographed by journalists outside Downing Street with top secret documents.

One of the arrests took place at Liverpool’s John Moores University, where footage of a student being hurled to the ground was captured by a student

inside the campus.

The police have said that photographs of four locations in Manchester were found during the searches. These were of two popular shopping centres, a nightclub and a busy city centre square.

On 31 March this year tighter student visa regulations came into place, linking visas to learning institutions, following the introduction of compulsory identity cards being for international students in December 2008.

Universities UK (UUK) insisted that the necessary checks were taken in granting student visas and refuted claims that universities were in any way unscrupulous.

A UUK spokesperson said: “Universities take the issue of national security very seriously. It is simply

irresponsible for anyone to suggest, for example, that this issue is being ignored by universities for the sake of international student fees.”

For the past 18 months it has been mandatory for postgraduate students applying to study “sensitive” subjects like science and technology to be, initially, vetted by the government. Clearance then has to be granted by the government before the Home Office can consider applications.

UUK said that surveillance of many incoming students was taking place: “Once international students are here many are required to register with the police in their local area and provide the police with their contact details.”

Sir Bob Quit resigned the day following the arrests and remains entitled to his full final salary pension.

EE FR

FR

EE

FR EE

fr

ee

WWW.FESTMAG.CO.UK

l e a h Mic GIFTTHE FROM EN! GARD LS

they n ntyre n e si p M l c u f d a dre DEA CKETOR-1 -F GET TI E AND 2S AT THEN RD DRINK EL GA SPIEG GE 16 SEE PA

JIM

ROSE

HAS IT C 2008 ME TO YO::U12 YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE AUGO R CAUG—15 008TO THE FESTIVAL OMPLE aug 2 12 THIS? TE GU — g IDE TO 8 au :: l a THE F stiv E F ESTIV E h

s rop yd E to t alpllEtE guid n i fcom

uR oy yn n

Wh

008 y2

you

pe he rt g —8 au yea e :: 5 h et val lb sti l e i f W e

h ot et u id eg t e pl om rc

008 g2 au

F GI GAROMFTT RD EN !

HE GE T A TIC D ND 2KET D IN SPR IEG KS AFOR-EALS EL T T 1 GA HE SEE RD P AG E

EN

18 AL :: 15 AUG— 19 AU G 200 YOU 8 RC OM PLE TE GU IDE TO THE

FES TIV AL

DRFRE IN E KS

:: 1 9

AT TH E GA R SP CO SE DE IE ONMP E O N! GE L E P T UR AG IT E IO

18 N AU G—2 4A UG 200 8

edinburgh’s favourite festival magazine is back for 2009 for more information on getting involved, visit

http://recruitment.festmag.co.uk

EE

WW W.F EST MAG .CO .UK

THE MOST EXCITING YOUNG THEATRE COMPANY AT THE FRINGE FLY THE FLAG WITH “ARCHITECTING”

FR

l xwEl Ew mFaRiEs F andR JE & Jim E h t an caRav n E v E st koFF bER n Jaso E byRn

.uk .co mag est f .

W WW

WWW.F ESTMA G.CO.U K

the

.uk ag.co FEstm www.F

National Politics 15

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Equality bill to bring voluntary positive discrimination to UK

SNP enjoy poll success on the back of spring conference » YouGov poll shows Salmond and the SNP still have voters' confidence, almost two years after election

WILLIAM KEMSLEY

Amy Grant

David Livey

amy.grant@journal-online.co.uk

david.livey@journal-online.co.uk A GROUND-BREAKING EQUALITY Bill which will attempt to reduce discrimination in society by unifying over 100 previous laws is being introduced to parliament this week.

Harriet Harman, minister for women and head of the government equality office, has launched the bill, amidst criticism from opposition parties and business leaders.

Ms Harman has said the bill intends to “address the serious inequalities that still exist”.

If passed it could dramatically change the way people are treated, not only in the workplace, but in society as a whole.

Somewhat controversially, the bill will allow employers to positively discriminate when hiring in order to ensure a more even representation of society in their workforce.

Shadow leader of the commons, Theresa May said of the bill: “This bill should seek to unite not divide. It has good intentions but its lack of detail and clarity is disappointing.”

For example, a woman as equally qualified as a male counterpart will be favoured, although Harman has denied criticism that her bill could make women “more equal” than men. When introducing the bill the Labour deputy was met with cries of “outrageous” and “disgusting” by Tory backbenchers.

One of the key elements of the bill is increased transparency of existing discrimination. All public bodies, such as

Discounts aimed at young people and students will not be affected local councils and the police force, will be required to disclose not only what action they are taking to tackle gaps in pay between genders, but a breakdown of their workforce, which could result in some bodies being publicly named and shamed for inequality amongst their employees.

However, this is a diluted version of the original plan to demand the same revelations from the private sector. The government is, reportedly, deciding whether or not these demands will be made of all government agencies.

The bill will also attempt to eliminate age discrimination in society. Current laws only serve to protect against discrimination in the workplace, however the Equality Bill will put an end to people being refused services such as

insurance, mortgages or NHS treatment on account of their age.

Moreover, the bill seeks to legally eradicate class discrimination for the first time. Education authorities would be required to encourage working class parents to send their children to less deprived schools. This would be the first law to tackle such issues.

However a spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) assured The Journal that: “Discounts aimed at young people and students will not be affected. Exemptions like this will be built into the bill.”

EHRC warned this week that a detail in the bill, which could make it compulsory for businesses to carry out audits on equal pay, could lead to a surge of litigations.

“WE´VE GOT WHAT it takes,” was the slogan unveiled at the Scottish National Party´s spring conference last week as First Minister Alex Salmond promised to steer Scotland through the recession.

This new double-edged party slogan set the tone of the conference and the political objectives of the SNP: to present itself as the most cohesive and able party for governing Scotland and to counterbalance scepticism emanating from opposition benches that, under the current economic conditions, Scotland could not ‘go it alone’. These themes formed threads which ran through the speeches of both Mr Salmond and Deputy SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Responding Scottish Labour leader Ian Gray’s March conference speech, Mr Salmond made clear his intentions to cut through the politics of insularity and opposition: “This will not be a speech of attack lines on the Labour Party or Mr Gray –because, we are the Scottish National Party not the antiLabour Party”. “This speech will be about the economy, about recovery – about our plan to make sure Scotland is well placed to recover first and recover fastest,” Mr Salmond said.

The first minister’s words were accompanied by a number of funding announcements which amounted to a £95m package, which has been made available through European funding.

This funding will create 8,000 jobs and provide training and skills for 75,000

Festival Flats

people in Scotland, according to the first minister.

This announcement followed Nicola Sturgeon’s statement that funding for council-house building is to be doubled, from £25m to £50m. This, she said, would help secure over 3,000 jobs “at a time when the construction industry is under the most severe pressure”.

Opposition leaders, however, voiced their scepticism at the SNP’s message.

Ian Gray claimed that Salmond had failed to deliver on promises to provide assistance to apprentices affected by redundancy to finish their training. Mr Gray continued, in a familiar tack, saying: “Alex Salmond is the first minister of broken promises.”

Tavish Scott, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, also voiced his criticism, directing his comments towards the SNP’s new campaign slogan. Mr Scott said, “People do not want to hear rhetoric, they want to see action.”

Despite these criticisms, the SNP have polled their best results in six months in a YouGov survey published last week.

Alex Salmond, in the “best first minister” rating polled 36 per cent, dwarfing Ian Gray, whose fortunes ebbed at a low of 7 per cent. Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, polled a distant second-place with 10 per cent.

The message of the SNP certainly appears to have resonance among the electorate with 53 per cent of respondents believing that the SNP “cares most about the Scottish economy”, followed by the Labour Party which languishes on 22 per cent.

EST: 1986

We are now seeking central properties to rent during July and August for the Edinburgh Festival for 1, 2, 3 and 4 week lets.

Short term lets throughout the year and long term property management & rental also offered.

For more information and to discuss a rental valuation contact Carole, Elaine or Flora 01620 810 620 email: festflats@aol.com www.festivalflats.net

Photo: Ville Miettinen

If your property is vacant for any period during this time, we may be able to let it for you.

If you are a student returning home this summer but have a 12 month lease, we may be able to help you sublet, with your landlord’s approval.

Comment 17

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Comment Discussion&Debate

Bogus colleges:

Closing the loophole Geoffrey Alderman

T

HE RECENT, MUCH-PUBLICISED arrests in connection with an alleged terrorist plot in Manchester have drawn attention to what is widely seen as the “weak link” in Britain’s immigration system, namely the apparent ease with which students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can obtain visas to study in the UK. The media have focused their attention on so-called “bogus colleges”. But there are in fact two interrelated but essentially separate issues to consider: bogus colleges and bogus students. Is the government doing enough to tackle both these problems? I first became aware of the problem of bogus colleges when, as pro vice-chancellor at Middlesex University in the 1990s, I had to deal with a number of instances involving third-world students who had been induced to part with large sums of money in order to attend self-styled “colleges” and “academies” in the London area. Sometimes these institutions existed only on paper. In other cases they boasted “campuses” (of sorts, often a couple of rooms located above a betting shop or laundrette) and claimed to award a variety of qualifications which, so they said, could be transferred to a bona fide UK university.

Well, they couldn’t. Often these institutions lacked any accreditation.

Where they claimed accreditation, the accrediting body was (in my professional judgment) as bogus as the institution itself. So I had to tell students that the “diplomas” they had received from these outfits were worthless. Real tears were shed. But what made me angrier still was the discovery that the then Department for Education & Skills (now the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills) actually maintained a list of bogus colleges, but kept it hidden from public view. In due course the DfES was induced, under Home Office pressure, to publish a list of “approved” education and training providers. But getting onto the list was far too easy.

There were no checks on the quality of education provided. The process was

Mini m

geoffrey.alderman@journal-online.co.uk

entirely paper-based. In evidence to the parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee in 2006 I pointed this out by drawing attention to a case where a London-based college boasted that it was on the DfES’s approved list (which was true), but which I knew was also, simultaneously, on the secret list of “dodgy” institutions. The government’s right hand did not know what its left hand was doing.

The arrangements that came into force last month are designed to deal with the issue of bogus colleges in a very different way. No educational institution, be it a public university or a private college, can now recruit nonEEA students without a licence from the UK Border Agency (UKBA). How is such a licence obtained? Private institutions must be accredited by one of a small number of specialist accrediting bodies. But bona fide degree-granting bodies can escape the need for such accreditation if they are in membership of the Quality Assurance Agency (which they all are) and are considered by the QAA to be “in good standing.”

So far, out of around 2,100 institutions that have applied for “Tier 4” [Student] licences, more than 400 have had their licence applications refused. The system ought, over time, to weed out most if not all of the bogus colleges.

But it will not deal with the problem of bogus students. Indeed, as the bogus colleges are forced to shut down, bona fide universities and degree-granting colleges can expect to receive more applications from those who have no intention of studying here, but are willing to pay whatever it takes to gain entry into the UK. When the licensing system was being worked out, Universities UK cut a deal with the UKBA which (it is clear to me) failed to understand what it was being induced to agree to. UUK gained exemption for all its members from the need to undergo specialist visa-related accreditation, claiming that periodic “audit” by the QAA (to which all publicly-funded degree-granting bodies must subscribe) was sufficient.

Well, it isn’t, for the simple reason that a QAA audit deals with none of the matters that are pertinent to the recruitment and monitoring of international students. So we can expect, for

University of

um

ge work

The alleged terrorist plot in the northwest threw light on the sham academic institutions that offer a backdoor route into the UK. A crackdown is needed – for the sake of genuine international students as much as anyone

-wa



Ingredere Ut Proficias the foreseeable future, the continuing presence on our university campuses of persons who are not genuine students, but who have simply exploited a very imperfect system to gain entry to the UK. And it is also worth noting that there is now a movement amongst some academics (wholly misguided in my view) to “boycott” such monitoring as does or will take place (such as the reporting of students who fail to materialise for required lectures and supervisions) on the grounds that such practices [to quote from a letter in the Guardian of 14 April] “distort academic freedoms.”

Genuine international students have absolutely nothing to fear from the new arrangements, which will, inter alia, protect them from exploitation by bogus institutions offering sham qualifications. Moreover, the need for bona fide institutions to undergo regular visarelated inspections and spot-checks by the UKBA constitutes additional guarantees. But, as I have indicated, there remain issues to be resolved relating to the current exemption from accreditation enjoyed by QAA subscribers.

The exemption needs to be revoked.

As for my fellow academics who have

(as it were) declared their intention to wreck the new arrangements, I urge them to discard the pretence that these arrangements have any impact on “academic freedoms” (a claim that is patently absurd), and to play their full part in educating genuine students and exposing the imposters.

Geoffrey Alderman is Michael Gross Professor of Politics & Contemporary History at the University of Buckingham, and Patron of the UK Council for Academic Freedom & Academic Standards

18 Comment

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

The right to protest Why don't the police "kettle" crowds of Christmas shoppers as they did the G20 protesters?

In a democracy, public protest should be everyday business David Howarth david.howarth@journal-online.co.uk

J

UST BEFORE 11 pm on the night of 1 April I was speaking by phone about events at the Climate Camp protest at Bishopsgate to the Metropolitan Police officer who was second-in-command at the G20 protests. According to reports I had received from the scene, police officers seemed to be launching violent assaults on a protest that, as I had seen for myself earlier in the day, had been perfectly peaceful and non-violent.

The police officer’s argument for breaking up the Climate Camp by forcible means was that it was illegal under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986. He did not claim that there was any public disorder at Bishopsgate, which is one ground on which that section can be invoked, nor that that serious criminal damage going on. It was merely that the protest was obstructing the highway and, according to him, constituted significant disruption of the life of the community’.

In other words, he was saying that he was justified in using violence—with all its risks to the protesters’ lives and well-being—just to make it possible for a few delivery vans to take a short cut. At that point, I did not know about the death of Ian Tomlinson. But what makes the police officer’s responses even more alarming in retrospect is that he must have known about it. And yet he consciously took the risk.

That conversation sums up many of things about the police attitudes that I object to. The first is a scale of values that sees traffic flow as more important than democratic protest. It is true that protests and traffic are usually incompatible uses of the highway (apart from protests that confine themselves to walking briskly along the pavement in single file - but even when I took part in a protest that did exactly that— against English student tuition fees in Cambridge—I still found myself being videoed by the police). But the police automatically assume that the problem is that protest gets in the way of traffic.

A democratic police force, one that had deeply internalised democratic values,

would see the problem the other way round: that traffic gets in the way of protest.

Similarly, the police often talk about making sure that protest does not interfere with people going about their everyday business. That remark assumes that protest is not everyday business. In a democracy, public protest should count as normal and acceptable. The police assumption that shopping is legitimate but protest is not belongs not in a democracy but in the People’s Republic of China, the home of capitalism without political freedom.

The second objectionable feature of the police’s attitude to protest revealed by the 11 pm conversation is the view that if a protest is technically illegal in any way, full-scale riot police violence is justified against it. We do not see the police beating up motorists who have parked on double yellow lines or ‘kettling’ crowds of Christmas shoppers who have strayed on to the road. The only obvious difference is that protesters, unlike drivers and shoppers, are openly disagreeing with government

policy. The obvious dangers for the police of appearing to be politically biased do not seem to have occurred to them.

The third objectionable feature of the conversation is perhaps one that affects lawyers more than anyone else, but it is still aggravating. The police officer argued that obstructing a small part of the road at 11 pm in an area of London well-known for not attracting night-time crowds amounted to “significant disruption of the life of the community”. That is not legally sustainable.

In fact, it is close to bizarre. But the officer seemed not to care whether his legal argument was correct or not. He appeared to think that the law is a kind of word magic in which all that matters is correctly pronouncing the words of a spell.

A similar desperately crude view of law arose later in the week when the police repeatedly claimed that the courts had decided that their controversial ‘kettling’ technique was lawful.

In fact, the House of Lords merely decided (in a case that itself is now on appeal to the European Court of

Human Rights) that confining protesters and passers-by could be lawful as long as eight specific factual conditions applied – including the condition that the confinement “was necessary as many of the demonstrators were bent on violence and impeding the police, and its imposition was in no way attributable to policing failures.”

Those conditions did not apply to the climate camp protest at Bishopsgate, and, as more evidence comes in of what happened at the nearby protest at the Bank of England, it seems increasingly doubtful that they applied there either. In addition, the police action at the climate camp was not confined to cordoning off the protest. It also included forcibly compressing the protesters into a smaller space and, later, violently breaking up the protest itself.

The following morning I wrote a letter to the police officer concerned outlining why I found what he had said so disturbing. I have yet to receive a reply.

David Howarth is the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

North Korea:

After Kim Jong-Il For a picture of the future of North Korea, try imagining a nuclear-armed Burma Peter M Beck peter.m.beck@journal-online.co.uk

W

ALKING ALONG PYONGYANG’S Taedong River with my most enlightened and curious North Korean guide and without anyone else within earshot, we were having a free-flowing discussion on topics ranging from life in South Korea to how North Korea is viewed by the rest of the world. But when I asked Ms Kim who would take over when Kim Jong-il dies, her expression froze and she replied: “It would be better if you did not ask that question.”

Chairman Kim suffered a stroke in mid-August and has made a partial recovery. His health scare beckons us to consider what will happen when he passes from the scene. At this point, beyond trying to recover his health, Kim’s paramount concern is ensuring a smooth transfer of power to his anointed successor. He cannot be pleased with his options. For starters, Kim cannot be sure that the military junta likely to take over will have a need for any of his underwhelming family members.

The only member of the royal family with a real chance of emerging from the succession scrum successfully is brotherin-law Jang Song-taek. He was a rising star in the Korean Worker’s Party before being purged sometime in 2004. Jang studied in Moscow and has accompanied Kim Jong-il on several foreign trips.

Jang’s chief weakness is that he does not have a military background, but his older brother is a general in the Korean People’s Army (KPA). Jang’s prospects improved greatly in early April when Kim Jong-il named him to the National Defense Commission.

The choices are even more unclear when we examine Kim’s inner circle.

The average age of the top 20 leaders

attending 60th national day ceremonies on 9 September was nearly 80. De facto head of state Kim Yong-nam (80) is emblematic of this group. A Western diplomat who met with him in July told me that he found him to be “engaged but elderly.” He and his colleagues could serve as little more than caretakers should Chairman Kim become incapacitated. A system designed to block rivals from emerging makes leadership succession inherently problematic.

While it may be difficult to discern which individual or group will lead a post-Kim Jong-il government, the institutional king-maker and veto-holder is crystal clear. In a totalitarian regime like North Korea, the military-security apparatus calls the shots. It was no accident that 11 out of Kim’s last 14 public visits before falling ill were to military installations. Kim holds many titles, but first and foremost he is chairman of the National Defense Commission, through which all power flows. Senior members of the Commission hold titles in the other key institutions, namely the Central Military Committee, the Ministry of Public Security and the Korean Workers’ Party.

In North Korea, one’s power is based on one’s proximity to Kim and/or membership in one of these institutions. Despite the lack of a succession mechanism and the threat of renewed famine, the North Korean state remains formidable.

The lack of discernable factions within the National Defense Commission or the North Korean leadership more broadly provides us with a strong hint of how the succession saga will play out.

In the absence of personal, regional or ideological groupings within the leadership, the North is unlikely to devolve into warlordism. Conversely, given that any signs of disloyalty can lead to an untimely death or banishment to a gulag, no one person is likely to go for the brass ring, certainly not an elderly general.

Nevertheless, the emergence of a military strongman cannot be ruled out.

Both Park Chung-hee and Chun Doohwan were in their 40s and unknown outside the military when they launched their respective coups in 1961 and 1979.

Beyond the top tier of octogenarians, we really know almost nothing about the North Korea’s million-man military.

Indeed, an iron fist that respects the invisible hand is probably the best-case (albeit unlikely) scenario for the North.

Military leaders have accompanied Kim on his visits to China, so they at least know what successful economic reforms look like.

Unfortunately, there is a much greater likelihood that the North will come to resemble Burma rather than South Korea or China. A collective leadership system dominated by the military will likely emerge. However, it could be months or even years before the North’s elites sort out who is in and who is out of the new ruling junta. The military will clearly be in the driver’s seat. The only question is whether it will use a member of the Kim Royal Family as a hood ornament.

Last week saw the announcement by Mohamed Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Authority, that North Korea is now a fullyfledged nuclear power; and there are signs that the state has turned inward and entered into a hunker-down mode.

The six-party talks have stalled and North-South relations have undergone a deep freeze despite President Lee Myungbak’s repeated overtures. Of course, the ultimate losers will be the North Korean people. Only a lucky few will be given a chance to vote—with their feet.

Peter M Beck is a faculty member at American University in Washington, D.C. and former executive director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

Comment 19

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Internet privacy:

DEAD END FOR FAIRER MEDIC FEES

Mind your own business Fred H Cate fred.h.cate@journal-online.co.uk

W

Cause for concern In a maintenance system supported on pillars of private funding, it is unsurprising to find these pillars looking increasingly shaky Adam Ramsay adam.ramsay@journal-online.co.uk

S

TUDENT FINANCE IN the UK is built on four planks: commercial credit, part time work, parental funding, and government support.

The first three are beginning to crack.

Commercial loans should never have been a key part of our student funding model. People should not be leaving university with up to £30,000 of high interest overdraft. But the one thing worse than being in debt is not being given the credit you need to live.

In recent months, students have started to trickle into the EUSA Advice Place with a problem we haven’t seen before. They have applied for an overdraft limit and been turned down. Newly riskaverse banks have decided that they are no longer willing to gamble on students.

This is pretty horrifying. Most students borrow money because they need it to get by. Without their overdraft or credit card, they would not be able to stay at university. Fortunately, those who have come to the Advice Place so far have got bursaries from the university. But most students apply for an overdraft at the start of the academic year. If banks are still not lending at the end of the summer, thousands will be denied credit they cannot get by without.

On its own student credit drying up is a terrifying prospect. But that’s just

the start. The Careers Service is working harder than ever to find students parttime jobs. Yet the number of posts advertised there has dropped by 20 per cent on last year. Some still manage to find work.

But for others, the desperate need for a job is matched by cuts from those hiring.

One student I have spoken to has applied for 60 jobs, and only had two interviews.

Without part-time jobs, many couldn’t get by. 31 per cent of Edinburgh University students work to fund their degree.

Most of these say this pays for essentials – rent, bills and food. Unless the job market rallies before next term, many will find themselves with serious problems.

Our education system shouldn’t depend on full-time students working hours behind a bar. But without these jobs, many may have to drop out of university.

The third plank of our student funding system is parental support. Much has been written about the credit crunch, and I don’t need to repeat it here. But it goes without saying that many parents will no longer be able to provide the support they once did.

Which means the final plank—government support—is all that’s left for many.

The overly complex system of student funding is a nightmare to navigate. But some things are consistent. Student support levels are lower than the poverty line. They are also less than you would get if you were unemployed. More importantly, they are not enough to live off.

This year, EUSA has been pushing the

Scottish government to increase the level of student support to £7,000 a year. This is a modest amount, but would mean students could get by – just. It would help to ensure that access to education is defined by ability rather than wealth. And now, more than ever, it is absolutely crucial.

Some will argue that the middle of a recession is the worst time to ask for a boost in funds. But I would disagree.

Funding students through education— and, similarly, funding our universities— is absolutely crucial to rebuilding the economy we need. The credit crunch will be painful. We can’t change that. What we can shape is the kind of society we emerge with. If we don’t boost student support levels, we will allow education to become the preserve of elites. In doing so we will be stepping back to a world where your prospects in life are defined by your parents’ wealth, rather than your ability.

Alternatively we can start to build the society we need. With looming climatic catastrophe, oil rapidly running out, and a broken economic system, we desperately need all hands on deck. And we need these hands to have the best possible understanding of the world we have found ourselves in. Our generation is going to have to clean up this mess. The least the government can do is ensure everyone can afford to learn how.

Adam Ramsay is the president of Edinburgh University Students’ Association

“

Debate the issues online

“

Student Funding:

E LIVE IN a world of constant data collection – online and off. Increasingly, everything we do, every step we take, every transaction we enter into is memorialized in digital data. These digital footprints are then collected, stored, manipulated and often shared by third parties, usually without meaningful notice or consent.

Frequently, we volunteer this information, especially online, through more than 30 billion e-mails and billions of text messages a day, 113 billion searches a year, the deluge of photos and videos we post to YouTube and Flickr, and MySpace and Facebook profiles that get a reported 100 billion page views per month.

Even information we don’t provide online is consistently converted to electronic format and launched onto computer networks. This is true of the 30 billion cheque and 48 billion credit and debit card transactions that we engage in annually. More surprising is how much personal data is collected and stored that we are never aware of.

Consider, for example, location information. There are upwards of 2.7 billion mobile phones worldwide, which 95 per cent of users say they keep within three feet of themselves at all times. Mobile phones thus constitute the world’s largest sensor network. Through GPS and triangulation, these phones generate increasingly precise information about the location, speed and direction of movement of the user. In the US, under federal law, all cell phones now have to provide the cell phone service provider—not the user—with precise information about the location of each cell phone.

In the face of ubiquitous digital data, the edifices of data protection we have built are looking increasingly outdated.

Even more problematic, no matter how solid the data protection surrounding the sea of digital data in which we are awash, we are reminded almost daily that personal information in even our best institutions is vulnerable to theft, loss, and mishandling. The more data an institution holds, the more it has to lose.

Of greatest concern, however, is that this data is increasingly available to our governments. In many instances, our laws require that the private sector report our activities to the government.

Moreover, because we apply weaker privacy protections to anti-crime and anti-terrorism efforts—if we apply any at all—government authorities have ready access to the massive store of digital data about each of us, no matter what privacy protections were promised by privatesector intermediaries.

Protecting privacy in the face of ubiquitous data requires many tools: technology, education, market pressure but most of all it requires strong laws that impose serious obligations on industry to act as stewards, not merely processors, of our data, and firm limits on government access to those data.

The UK, under a rigorously independent information commissioner, Richard Thomas, has made important strides in this area. Regrettably, the US lags farther behind. But we all have a long way to go if we are going to accord individual privacy—the bedrock of human dignity—the respect it deserves.

journal-online.co.uk

Fred H. Cate is Distinguished Professor and C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law at the Indiana University School of Law

20 Editorial

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Letters letters@journal-online.co.uk EDINBURGH’S UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER | ISSUE XXII

European Parliament elections:

We aren't voting for chickens THAT THE UPCOMING elections for the European Parliament this June are approaching under the radar cannot be much of a surprise. Unlike its domestic counterparts, the European Parliament is far removed from most political debates and the media spotlight with the subsequent effect that the average European has little idea as to what is going on. With little over a month to go until polls open in the UK on 4 June, one could be forgiven for not even knowing an election was to about to take place.

There has yet been no media attention, no national debate, no mention of any of the key issues – by and large, nobody has paid any interest. Indeed, were it not for the seasonal revival of interest in the far-right British National Party and the upcoming Party Political Broadcast season, all but the keenest Europhile could be forgiven their ignorance.

All this leaves the responsibility for stoking up interest in the European Parliamentary elections in the hands of the European Union itself. Without any of the usual press and broadcast coverage that accompanies national election days, the EU has to resort to a major public advertising campaign to raise awareness. Yet of the trickle of posters and print adverts seem unlikely to tempt more voters to the ballot box this year than the paltry 38.2 per cent of

the British electorate that showed up in 2004 – less in Scotland. The reason for this is rather obvious: the EU lacks sex appeal.

In an attempt to relate the European Union to “real people” the campaign attempts to celebrate the past successes of the parliament. Unfortuately—given that firstly the EU is, by nature, still very much an economic union and secondly that the parliament is by far its weakest institution—such successes are hardly mind-blowing.

Indeed, one such poster looks in danger of reinforcing a greatly distorted stereotype in implying the EU is only good for wrapping masses of red tape around anything that moves: need one recall the fuss stirred up by the untrue “straight banana” myth of a few years back? The offending advert portrays two supermarket-packaged chickens— one covered in information as to where its from, how it was reared, what it was fed on; the other, though, conspicuously unlabelled—and features the tag line “How much labelling do you want?” and then encourages the onlooker to vote.

While undoubtedly the ad-exec and bureaucrat in charge of drawing up an awareness campaign must have struggled to come up with a theme so apolitical and down-to-earth as grocery shopping, food-packaging regulation is hardly sexy. And this is the

problem with the European Parliament in a nutshell: only those with a special economic interest are truly likely to care about the seemingly alien economic regulations on which the EU spends most of its time. The heavyduty political issues—crime, education, health—remain the reserve of domestic legislatures. And even these struggle to pull in the voter numbers. The complex relationship between the European Parliament and the twin powers of the Council of Ministers and the Commission only serve to add to voter apathy – after all, the Parliament doesn’t actually instigate legislation, but rather acts in a ratifying capacity through the co-decision procedure.

That is not to say that one shouldn’t vote in the European Elections this summer; simply that the reasons for doing so are not the ones that the EU’s advertising and websites put forward. As the political theorist Andrew Moravcsik points out, European elections are remarkable for the presence of political extremism on both the left and the right. Mass voter turn-out is the only sure-fire way of guarding against this.

Instead of chickens, we should be shown the faces of Nick Griffen, JeanMarie Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Robert Kilroy-Silk smirking above the tag-line: “Do these men really represent you?”

DEAR SIR, Re: Rape: Answers needed What a depressing story - this man's attacks could have been stopped if the police had taken action and followed up the reporting of this crime.

Why are women treated in such a dismissive way? Ancient cultural attitudes need to shift. Women need to demand better treatment by the police.

Jane Bellis via www.journal-online.co.uk

DEAR SIR, Re: EUSA president talks about his time in Palestine Anyone who has ever looked at a map of the wall understands that its purpose is to annex the land and resources of the West Bank.

The construction of the wall itself is not complete - as an Israeli peace activist pointed out to me: "If I were determind to carry out an attack I would take the trouble to walk a few hundred metres and pass through a gap in the wall."

'SM' via www.journal-online.co.uk

DEAR SIR, Re: EUSA president talks about his time in Palestine You disgust me. Your view is obviously biased and not based on facts - show the other side of the story.

I heard one of your sabbaticals proclaim how he loves Palestine and hates Israel. Funny to hear him say that, when the fact is that he couldn't be gay in his beloved Palestine where as Tel-Aviv is the gay capital of the Middle East. I'm so happy your term of office is almost over. Thanks for nothing!

'Hishma' via www.journal-online.co.uk DEAR SIR, Re: Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show Every facet of this show has been discussed apart from the live music of White Heath. Without meaning to sound sore, we committed a large amount of time rehearsing and reworking material to complement Becca Nice's fantastic choreography, which was superbly executed by all of the dancers. Otherwise this is a good review of a fantastic night that we were honoured to be a part of!

Adam Pearson White Heath

Crossword #14 - Quick

Medical student fees:

Again the buck is passed WITH THE COST of training a new doctor in the UK standing at a staggering and perhaps bemusing £250,000 for a five year course it is understandable that the Scottish government wants to retain as many of its expensive medical graduates in the sceptred isle’s better half as possible.

Around half of Scotland’s 4,652 medical students hail from the sheltered climbs that exist between Bognor Regis and Newcastle and so it is perhaps unsurprising that 35 per cent of all medicine graduates run back to the old country as soon as Hippocrates has been paid his due.

Back in 2006, the imminent introduction of top-up fees in England got the Lab-Lib Scottish government imagining a locust storm of undergraduate medics from the south invading their northern neighbour to feed on cheap Scottish degrees before turning their backs on a host now bereft of junior doctors and financially shafted. The move then to impose tuition fees of English proportions on these parasites seemed sensible to safeguard the NHS in Scotland from potential ruin.

The SNP at the time saw the folly of the argument, however. With five

medical schools in Scotland together churning out 900 medical graduates a year—far more than Scotland could ever know what to do with—the only sensible way to save any money on training would be to chop out a couple of gangrenous hangers on. St Andrews perhaps, or maybe Edinburgh. Not politically very appetising.

In the event, Labour’s fears have been left unsubstantiated; the number of degree places accepted by English students to Scottish institutions actually fell from a pre-fees figure of 4,256 in 2005 to 3,796 in 2007.

So we needn’t have worried after all and the SNP can feel confident in fulfilling their pledge of scrapping this unfair tax on some of the UK’s most debt ridden students.

The only problem is, they can’t afford it. You see, the SNP promised the world in the run up to the 2007 Scottish election but delivery on such promises has been hard to come by.

An old SNP tactic this paper has observed and criticised before was wheeled out again this week when a Scottish government spokeswoman told the Scotsman newspaper: “With Westminster imposing the tightest

financial settlement since devolution, the Scottish government has had to make hard choices and identify areas of priority.” And thus the buck was passed.

As EUSA president Adam Ramsey is quoted as saying on the front page of this issue, it is a “pretty messed up” government that prioritises a toll-less Forth Road Bridge over free education for the nation’s future doctors. Already, 60 per cent of UK medical applicants come from managerial and professional backgrounds and members of this group are more than twice as likely to be successful in their application as those whose parents are categorised as unskilled. No one doubts that hard questions must be asked as the costs of undergraduate medical education spiral, but top-up fees cannot be the answer.

The SNP’s 2007 manifesto dug the party into a fairly deep hole and they are right to admit that only prioritisation of promises will get them anywhere nearer the surface. The government should be warned, however, that students will not remain so placid if they are continually considered as an afterthought.

LETTERS@JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

TRAVELLER-THEMED QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

1 5 8 9

1 2 3 4

10 11 13 15 16 19 20 21 22

Whet (7) Near, almost (4) Elite (3) (Of water) Clean and mild enough to enter (9) Obama, for example (8) Sir David ___, directed A Passage to India (4) Beat Scott to the South Pole (5,8) Roman garment (4) Broken up rhythm (8) Venetian b. 1254, travelled extensively across Asia (5,4) Binary digit (3) Captain ___ Sparrow, Disney pirate (4) Slums or isolated areas (7)

5 6 7

12 14 17 18

am/pm (8,4) Group of elites (1-4) Last line of address (8) Made a giant leap for mankind (4,9) Captain ___, travelled 20,000 leagues under the Sea (4) Chalices (7) Spanish conquistador, overthrew the Aztec empire (6,6) Story, incident (8) African republic (7) Asian country, capital Lhasa (5) Captain James ___, explored Oceania (4)

Profile 21

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

When two worlds collide "Britain's number one spiritual medium" Derek Acorah gives Evan Beswick a dressing down over mind-reading and bothersome ghosts – but fails to win a new audience member

CHARLEINE BOIEIRO

Evan Beswick evan.beswick@journal-online.co.uk

“I

WOULD SAY that the scepticism business, really, it’s a minority,” Derek Acorah tells me after all of about three minutes. Currently on tour and playing to packed houses, spiritual medium and star of television’s Most Haunted is nothing if not committed to his work.

Two tours per year, on top of television and book-writing (”It’s about my experiences, the places in the world I’ve found myself, and encountering spirit people”); Acorah is, by his own admission, Britain’s hardest working medium. Indeed, he’s immersed in his work in a way which other professions—professions which avoid, say, spiritual possession— do not usually require.

It ought perhaps come as no surprise then that, from Acorah’s perspective, scepticism is indeed a minority notion: “As a matter of fact, I always stay behind to do signings and have photographs and talk to people after the shows, and every one of them seem to be saying ‘when are you coming back? when are you coming back?’ And I said ‘I’ve only just finished!’

So that’s a good sign, you know.”

“A good sign for whom?” I almost ask. But don’t. An admission is perhaps necessary here: I am not, and have never been in contact with the spiritual world. I have, moreover, no desire to do so; I remember grandad’s coin through the table trick, and that’s fine. I have, however, watched Acorah’s performances on Most Haunted and giggled at his “possessed” growlings; I’ve enjoyed John Culshaw’s impressions; I’ve cheered on Harry Hill—ahem, Bafta award winning Harry Hill—and his ebullient mockery of the paranormal explorer.

But, despite having just driven from Inverness for tonight’s show in Glasgow, Derek Acorah has been good enough to spend the best part of half an hour trying to extricate himself to a quiet spot for us to have a chat. One can’t imagine he particularly enjoys talking to journalists—particularly the puffed up, self-important student sort—a bunch who tend to sit staunchly on the side of aggressive scepticism where the charge of quackery can be easily levelled. It seems fair to conduct the interview with an open mind. Perhaps our two worlds aren’t entirely irreconcilable?

I start with the football. But rather than grasping at the straws of forced male affability, I’m on legitimate ground here: Born Derek Johnson, Acorah, 59, began his working career not as a spiritual medium, but as a footballer with none other than Liverpool FC. Ending his sporting run at USC Lion in Australia, he returned home to Liverpool and eventually found what he terms his “niche” developing the spiritual powers he claims to have inherited from his grandmother, also a medium. In 1996, after years on the circuit, Acorah gave a psychic reading on the Granada programme Livetime, and a television career was launched.

“I was absolutely gutted when I heard the result,” he groans. Liverpool had last night drawn 4-4 with Arsenal in an extra-time nail-biter. “It was amazing, just amazing, you know, to see them score these goals in the last couple of minutes against Chelsea and then against Arsenal and then not get the points. Ah, so disappointing. It’s just not our season.”

That’s the ice successfully broken.

I’m more keen, however, to get an idea of some of the positive aspects of what he consistently refers to as his “work”. What does one gain from an acceptance that Acorah’s performances on stage and TV are, indeed, the real deal?

“When a person opens up to the possibility and the probability that [communication with spirits] is the truth, then something happens to them; a metamorphosis takes place of some kind and, you know, they start looking at things brighter, and looking at their lives in a brighter way. They start to say it’s all worthwhile because at the end of the day it’s nice to think that there’s somewhere else that we’re going and that we’re not being snuffed out at the end of this physical life.”

Sadly, though, this affability can’t last indefinitely, and it’s on the sharp point of spiritual doubt that we get stuck again: “I can’t believe the way the word scepticism is used in our country today,” he laments. “In this present day and age, it seems, I don’t know why, but most journalists or reporters they will always bring up the scepticism: ‘it’s rife, isn’t it’ or ‘there’s an awful lot of it’. And I say, ‘no there’s not’.”

For “journalists,” one might also substitute “scientists,” who have tended to have equally nasty things to say about clairvoyants: “Well, science only comes from calculation.” He enunciates this with a suitable degree of—for want of a better word—scepticism. “Generally and, up to now, the scientists haven’t been able to calculate...what they can’t calculate they believe not to be so.

“Scientists have not really, overall, have not really concentrated on the metaphysical as much as they have on other things. Had they done, and put the time in, who knows? Maybe they would have scientifically proven it without a shadow of a doubt by now. It’s just a matter of time. It will happen.”

It’s a metaphysical wrangle we are unlikely to settle over the course of our somewhat more prosaic conversation.

And in spite of his relative optimism here he is, understandably perhaps, quite weary of all this, remaining far more at ease when discussing his own work. And it’s work he’s immensely proud of. Acorah, he details, practices “what we call a discipline—a coded discipline—where I open up to the spirit world when I’m doing spiritual work.

When I’m not working, in my time off, I close down and I’m just an ordinary guy.”

I admit to the performer that I was somewhat intrigued as to whether his daily activities—shopping, driving— were interrupted by spiritual intrusions. “That would be silly,” he retorts.

“It would just be ludicrous because I wouldn’t be able to communicate with the loved ones of those spirit people because they wouldn’t be around.” Just as “ignorant” are questions regarding his ability to read minds – his work concerns only “natural mediumship; clairvoyance and clairordinance.” I don’t know what the second one is, but opt not to ask. Whatever else, he’s extremely knowledgeable about his field; almost schoolmasterish. I cringe slightly when, scrabbling for jargon, I use the term “spiritual things.”

Of course, he should know his stuff.

By most accounts, Acorah is the daddy of the profession, having trod the circuit for the best part of 35 years. While friends with fellow old-timers such as Colin Fry, he’s somewhat dismissive of the young guns: “You see these mediums coming

out of the woodwork; they’ve been about for two or three years and their egos are so big and what have you. And they haven’t walked the walk. And, you know, they wonder why they fall down after maybe one tour or two tours because they haven’t got the stamina, the spiritual stamina.”

Once in his stride, Acorah really does heft around a great deal of bravado. It’s a stark contrast to the way he speaks of one of his least impressive episodes.

While on a Most Haunted “investigation” at Bodmin jail, footage shows apparently possessed by the spirit of a man he reveals to be “Kreed Kafer”. Having seemingly summoned a particularly stroppy South African turnkey, Derek is quickly raised from his spiritual stupor by concerned crew members.

But Ciarán O’Keeffe, a lecturer in the paranormal at Liverpool’s Hope University, and the show’s “official sceptic” at the time claims to have made up the name—an anagram of “Derek Faker”— and fed it as historical fact to Acorah prior to the shoot. Weeks later, this time soul-searching at Prideaux Place, Cornwall, O’Keeffe pulled the same trick with “Rik Eedles” – itself an anagram of “Derek Lies”. Acorah duly performed, passing off the fictional character as an outlaw with whom he had made contact.

Unsurprisingly, Acorah is less than enamoured when I raise this: “I’m not prepared to talk to you or anyone else about that,” he says, a little snappily. “To me it’s old chippie paper. That happened about four years ago. It’s not even worth talking about. I have made a statement with an explanation of that.

“Why you...why journalists bring this up four and a half years on, God only knows. Maybe it’s the scepticism side of you. Why don’t you let it go? You know it to be nonsense. I mean, everyone in Fleet street, all the top people, know the truth.

There was one red top reporter that thought he had information from someone [...] who was against me, OK, and put that and only one paper touched it. The rest of Fleet Street left it alone, because they knew it was rubbish.”

One can’t help but feel the broadsheets left the story alone for reasons other than factual inaccuracy, the uncovering of psychic tricksters having ceased to be news since Victoria ruled the waves. Still, this interviewer apparently hasn’t got over it yet. And neither, it seems, has Acorah. He continues: “And the person who reported it is now no longer at that major tabloid; he’s at some little shit-town where he’s just...just gone missing, because he knows it was lies when he was approached.”

Now, even the most perfunctory sleuthing reveals that the journalist who wrote the story, Matt Roper, still works for the Mail. Indeed, his latest piece, ‘Susan Boyle: The only man to have ever kissed the Britain’s Got Talent star speaks out’, suggests he remains very much in the same line of work. But, in reality, there’s little point pressing this; it’s too late and I’ve ruined it.

Minutes later, he calls our interview to a close. He’ll perform at Glasgow’s Concert Hall this evening to crowds who gain some sort of closure or comfort from the “spiritual readings” he does on stage. I’ll go off and write this, knowing that I’ve failed to reconcile either of the two spheres we inhabit. And neither of us will really care.

Derek Acorah performs at the Edinburgh Playhouse, 27 June

22 Feature

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

“I'm glad I'm not God...”

Anxious to find a mission in life—and a way to impress his restless girlfriend—Laurence Shorter set out to write a book on the art of optimism. After a rocky start, he hit on what looked like a winning idea – heading to South Africa to throw himself at the mercy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu...

TOM HUNT

W

HAT I HAD to do now was get my project back on track. Optimism was my trump card. It was something that Zara understood, something she admired, something we could collaborate on.

In the meantime, action was required: clear, decisive action on some pressing world issue, something that worried everyone and would be impossible to ignore. I needed something simple and straightforward, something depressing and universal, like starvation or poverty or . . .

“Africa,” said Zara, when I saw her that evening. “Are you not going to tackle Africa?”

“That’s it!” I said.

How could I forget Africa? It had been on my list from the start – item 35, between Food Prices and the Absence of a Tangible, Interventionist Deity – but I had put it off, intimidated by the scale of the problem. It was right in the pessimist sweet spot, a constant source of worry and guilt, the perfect excuse for cynics to feel bad about humanity and give up on the world. Forget Buddhism or psychology. Africa needed

serious attention. But who could help me figure it out?

“Desmond Tutu?” suggested Zara.

“Tutu!” I said. “Why not?”

Archbishop Tutu, surely, was the ultimate optimist: legend of the antiapartheid struggle, founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and veteran campaigner for peace. He was so busy bringing forgiveness and reconciliation to the planet, and so ubiquitously present in every global initiative, I sometimes wondered if he had cloned himself and offered himself for commercial release.

Would he have time for us?

That evening I sat at my desk, trying to visualise a meeting with Desmond Tutu. I pictured myself in a grand office with alabaster statuettes and oil portraits of churchmen. Tutu was wearing a purple gown and I was in a suit.

I waited. Was something supposed to happen? The self-help books had said quite clearly that I was supposed to make my request and then leave it in the hands of the universe. But then what? The image faded.

Unwilling to put my trust in wishful thinking, I fired off an email to Tutu’s

office, asking when we could see each other. I told him I would be bringing my assistant, Zara, who was a trained psychologist, and that we had matters of importance to discuss with him. My tone was confident, masterly. Within an hour his secretary had replied.

I’m sorry, the Archbishop is travelling constantly and I can’t crowd him with meetings.

I picked up the phone. As if that was going to stop me! I knew if I could get this meeting, then Zara and I could have one last, epic holiday together – and our union would surely be sealed. I would not give up. I called Tutu’s office and pleaded, with ruthless and irresistible persistence, until his secretary finally gave in.

Two weeks later we were in Cape Town.

6.45 a.m. The chapel of St George’s Cathedral, waiting for the morning service to begin. We didn”t exactly have a meeting, but Tutu’s secretary knew that I was here. She said that she would do her best. It was good enough for me.

I smiled at Zara. Amazingly, we hadn’t had an argument about emotional commitment for days. She had

I wasn't sure what I had done to offend him but I didn't care any more. I was sitting in a car with Desmond Tutu – and he was driving! I felt as if the doors of the universe had opened and finally let me in.

even stopped arguing when I introduced her as my girlfriend. It seemed she had finally accepted her destiny as my future wife. The tide was beginning to turn.

I scanned the chapel for Desmond’s secretary.

Strangely, my hands were beginning to sweat.

“Relax,” said Zara. “Trust that things will work out. That’s what optimism is all about.”

“What do you mean, trust?”

“Make a clear and positive intention that the meeting will happen, and then it will.” She smiled, brightly.

“I’ll try,” I said.

A rustle of anticipation passed through the congregation as a small man in a purple dress walked up the aisle. He gave the crowd a long-suffering grin. I tried to catch his eye but he didn”t seem to notice me.

Tutu delivered the service and then closed his Bible with a look of relief.

“Welcome!” he shouted. “Welcome, welcome!”

The congregation clapped as if they had just witnessed God himself giving communion.

Feature 23

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009 “It wasn’t that great,” I whispered.

Tutu’s secretary appeared and led us outside to a bustling café. Inside there was a committee of at least 15 Tutu fans waiting for their hero.

“We’re hungry!” cried Desmond, appearing in the doorway.

I crammed myself next to two other worshippers – a lady priest from Canada and a silent German. The archbishop was squashed in the middle like a birthday boy, with an oversized cup of chocolate in his hand. He was doing his best to talk to everyone at once. The Canadian priest – with her upturned collar and Margaret Thatcher handbag – was dominating the early running with stories about her diocese. Her object of worship looked bored. I seized my chance.

“Archbishop,” I said, “I’m Laurence Shorter, the optimist. . .”

The room went swimmy as my eyes tunnelled in on the international celebrity.

“Mmm . . .” said Tutu. “The optimist. Well, let me tell you, I am not an optimist.” He looked around the table as if to muster support. “I’m definitely . . . not . . . an . . . optimist. I am . . . a Prisoner of Hope!”

I felt as if I had just been shot in the chest. A chorus of admiring sighs ascended from the Tutu fan club.

“Optimism,” he said, pointing his finger to the ceiling, “can turn far too quickly into pessimism if conditions don’t go well. Hope is different!”

He cackled meanly. I was now the object of attention – possibly hatred – of the entire cafeteria. “But isn’t hope the same as optimism?” I persisted.

“Not optimism . . . no!” He grimaced at my dictaphone.

“Hope is an article of faith! That despite all appearances to the contrary it’s going to be OK!” “That is optimism,” I insisted, but the archbishop ignored me.

By this time my fellow breakfasters were beginning to look at me as if I were an ambassador from another species, probably in the insect kingdom.

The Nobel Prize winner himself was giving my project the thumbs down, in public. Carol from Canada shifted her seat slightly to the left. Didn’t she know who I was?

Tutu grinned. “For example, we always said that apartheid would end . . . but all the signs indicated that we ought to give up hope! That we ought to be totally pessimistic! I mean, the international community supported the apartheid government. Your Prime Minister actually called Nelson Mandela a terrorist. If you were only an optimist you would have given up!”

He looked around, appealing to the crowd.

“This is a moral universe,” he declared. “There’s no way that injustice . . . ha ha ha! . . . will ultimately prevail.

But that’s an article of faith! It’s not something that depends on how things look. Things look awful.”

I took a gulp of tea. I had to let him know we were talking about the same thing – that he really was an optimist, that I wasn’t a naïve fool but a very nice young man. Maybe then he would stop talking to me like some kind of colonial idiot from the 1980s.

“But aren’t optimists better at being hopeful?” I reasoned.

Desmond frowned. “Now you are cheating because you are making me talk about what we are supposed to talk about later. So you needn’t come!

We’ve finished our interview. Goodbye!”

I was shell-shocked. I didn’t even know we had an interview. And I had already blown it. I ran to the toilet and did a yoga move to calm myself down.

If I gave up now, the whole reputation of optimism would be in jeopardy.

When I got back, breakfast was over.

The archbishop had gone. I ran out of the building and followed his secretary down the street.

“Do you have a car?” she asked.

“No!” I cried.

“We can give you a lift to the office.”

She caught up with Tutu. “They’re going with you,” she ordered.

“Oh, man!” he sighed. “Only if you promise not to talk!”

Next thing I knew I was sitting in a BMW. Zara was in the back and Tutu was in the driving seat. Desmond looked out the window. “No talking!” he said.

It took twenty minutes to get to his office. Tutu gazed contemplatively at the road, still hoping that I would somehow disappear if he didn’t look at me. I wasn’t sure what I had done to offend him but I didn’t care any more.

I was sitting in a car with Desmond Tutu – and he was driving! I felt as if the doors of the universe had opened and finally let me in. From now on, everything would be OK. At the next junction, Tutu twisted around in his seat. “Let me give you some advice. Don’t be optimistic. Be hopeful. Hope is not dependent on reality.” He looked at Zara in the mirror.

“Hope says that good will ultimately triumph over evil. But in the meantime you have to put up with poverty and torture.”

He waved at the traffic. An ocean of cars waited politely at a crossing, giving way without a honk. “Incredible!

People can actually be quite considerate on occasion.”

“Maybe I can persuade you,” I said.

Tutu ignored me and steered his

vehicle into a business park. A gateman waved us past.

“I have a firm faith in people,” said the cleric quietly, as he parked the car.

“I believe that people are fundamentally good.” He looked me up and down.

“Now most of the evidence contradicts that, you know, and yet . . .”

He put his head in his hands. “Oh, man! Why am I talking to you?”

Tutu led us up a stairway past some numbered, prefabricated business units. I looked around, confused.

Where was the palace? Where were the liveried guards and the ornamental fountains? Had I made some kind of mistake?

To my relief, the archbishop’s study was covered with awards and plaques from the nations of the world. I could feel the warmth returning to my cheeks. It felt good to be surrounded by the hushed approval of great men.

I could do this, I thought to myself.

I could be a world leader. Why not? I gazed longingly at a framed medallion cast in gold.

“Have you met my girlfriend?” he asked, pointing to a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese dissident.

“I’ve never met her, but I like to call her my girlfriend.” He winked at Zara and stared back up at the picture.

“They wouldn’t even let her see her husband when he was dying. They are such vicious creatures. Vicious, vicious, vicious. But they are also God’s children. Oohh! I’m glad I’m not God!

Ha ha ha!”

I laughed politely. No wonder Tutu was getting hope and optimism mixed up. He was a Christian!

The old man sat down. “Yes?” “Optimism,” I reminded him.

He put his hands together and frowned. I frowned back in return.

“You might not agree with optimism,” I said, “but at least it’s better than pessimism.”

“Nah,” he said, stubbornly. “I think optimism leads far too easily into pessimism . . . really. Because as soon as the material circumstances change then you are for the high jump.”

“But . . .”

“Listen, pessimists are usually people who are not actually doing too badly. But they’re cynical because they’re holding onto the wrong kind of things. They”re holding onto externals . . .”

Oh, no, I thought, not again.

“You’re cynical because you think that external things can make you happy . . . you know, a smart car, a nice house, a beautiful wife, but it was discovered long ago . . . you don’t have to be a Christian to realise that. Ha! All of these material things, wealth, success, sex . . . they don’t actually have the capacity to satisfy.”

I cast a doleful look at Zara. Did every optimist I meet have to get involved in our personal relationship?

Everyone knows that material things are superficial and unsatisfying. But

some are less superficial than others.

Like joint bank accounts and two-bedroom apartments in West London.

“So what is hope?” I asked, my voice steady.

“I think there is a deeper thing that people have. Human beings have a remarkable resilience. I was in Haiti just now and the poverty is . . . it just knocks the breath out of you. And yet people could laugh, people are smiling, people are neat, and they call that . . . home! You know, that dingy, squalid shack . . . home! There is something in us that tells us we”re made for something better.”

“And Africa?” I asked cautiously. “Do you feel ‘hopeful’ that it can sort itself out?”

He looked up sharply. “If you were just a little more modest and remembered just a little bit of your own history you”d not be so hoity-toity.”

“I”m sorry?”

“I often say to Europeans, I just wish you didn’t have such short memories. You know, you produced two world wars, you produced the Holocaust and you’ve most recently produced ethnic cleansing! I mean you are experts!” He laughed, full of mirth, “Yes, Africa,” he said, as if he were thinking out loud to himself. “It will take some doing, but it will be done. Yes, it will be done.”

There was a knock and his secretary poked her head around the door. “Time is up!”

Tutu smiled faintly and carried on in a whisper. “We used to do a lot of funerals. When we were talking to our people we would say to them, ‘Do you know what? Some of you are going to be killed. Some of you, they are going to torture you. You’re not going to see this wonderful denouement. But it doesn”t matter, it’s going to happen!’

And there was an incredible time in the struggle when people were remarkably altruistic, when they said, ‘It doesn”t matter if I’m tortured or killed, as long as it contributes to the attainment of our freedom.’ Now there must be something that makes these young people say, ‘Even death doesn”t matter. My total . . . my apparent . . . total ANNIHILATION doesn’t matter.’” He slapped his hand on the chair leg. “And it”s not optimism!”

By now, I had figured out Tutu’s system. Hope was a code word for optimism. And optimism was a code word for stupidity. We were talking about exactly the same things. We just had different vocabulary.

But the old warhorse wasn”t going to budge. “You know, the police . . . they used to have photographs of Mandela and lesser mortals like . . . like me. And they liked to use us for target practice!

They have your face and that was . . . he hehe hehe heh ha ah aha!” He rolled his eyes and hooted. “Hope,” he said. “Yeah . . . Hope is a God who accepts everyone.

Even killers. And that is when you say, I think I’ve got to be a better person. Not because that is the grounds on which God accepts me. No, God has accepted me already!”

He put his hand on my knee. “You know, the Bible says some extraordinary things. It says, God chose you before the foundation of the world. God said, Laurence, this is going to be my special child.” I looked down, mesmerised, at his giant fingers. “And then because you are God’s special child you then evolve into . . . a saint.”

“That”s very interesting,” I said.

“Every one of us has the capacity to become a saint,” said Tutu slowly. “The best thing that God ever created is you.”

He smacked my knee. “You! Especially!

There”s nothing better, God couldn”t have done better. You”re the best thing that God ever produced . . . ! You see?”

I nodded.

“Good!” He cranked himself off his chair. “Now get out!”

This is an edited extract from The Optimist (Canongate, £10.99)

Arts & Entertainment 25

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Music ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead

 ORAN MOR, GLASGOW 17 APRIL S.E. Grogans

arts@journal-online.co.uk

Art interview

Frank To

CHRIS MCCALL TALKS TO A RISING STAR ON THE SCOTTISH ART SCENE Chris McCall

chris.mccall@journal-online.co.uk

INDIE-NOISE-ROCKERS TRAIL OF Dead have chosen Glasgow’s ears to assault this time round and play to a sold out mixed crowd of old rockers, art school bespectacled types and keen-as-mustard young guns who immediately make their way as close to the stage as possible.

It’s apparent that Trail of Dead have a devout following, with many close to wetting themselves upon discovering that frontman Conrad Keeley had not just brought a merchandise stall on tour, but a booth selling prints of his own original artwork. Keeley, no stranger to adorning an album sleeve or two, has drawn the cover for latest album The Century of Self entirely in blue ballpoint pen; this might sound rather garish, but it actually looks pretty cool. A few lucky fans walk home clutching prints signed by the band – in ballpoint pen of course.

Oran Mor is a suitably dim

underground space for an equally dark, alternative band and the crowd anticipates their arrival onstage with reverent near-silence. The set is mostly made up of songs from Century; latest single ‘Isis Unveiled’ proves a heavy anthemic hit with the crowd, inducing an audience sing-a-long. Songs from other albums do make an appearance – most notably ‘Another Morning Stoner’ from fan favourite Source Tags & Codes, aptly fuzzed out and blurry round the edges.

While Trail of Dead are tight, and it’s clear they really care about their fans and are trying to put on a show, one can’t help but feel frustrated by their apparent failure to energise the audience – the crowd only lightens up and gets moving for the last few songs, preferring to stand stock still and ‘appreciate’ their favourite artists for most of the show. Where’s the fun in it?

PATRICK STEWART IS used to seeing his image used on merchandise and film posters, but even the seasoned Hollywood star must have been taken aback when he viewed a striking oil portrait of himself in the style of a roman emperor.

The painting in question was created by Frank To, a highly regarded young artist based in Glasgow, and was being displayed at the Leith Gallery as part of a recent exhibition showcasing Frank’s work.

Stewart visited the exhibition and gave the portrait his personal seal of approval. It’s little surprise that Stewart liked it – the actor already owns five of To’s pictures.

To is delighted at the support the actor has given him. “Having someone like that backing you, supporting you and demanding your work is brilliant,” he says when we meet at the café attached to his studio in Glasgow’s East End. “When I think of Patrick, someone of that status being a fan of my work, it’s a massive confidence booster – especially in this economic climate, and being an artist, because sometimes I do get second thoughts about what I’m doing. But he thinks that I could be someone important in the art world, that’s why he’s supported me. He’s like a patron.”

Born in Falkirk but raised in Grangemouth, where he stayed yards from the nearby oil refinery (“it did wonders for my bronchitis”) Frank and his family moved to Glasgow when he was nine.

Despite showing an obvious talent for drawing from a young age, Frank was initially reluctant to embrace the idea of becoming an artist. “I kind of denied of my gift when I was a teenager,” he says, “but it kept coming back to me and the interest kept growing stronger and stronger even though I kept denying it.”

Why was he so reluctant to accept art as a possible career? “I don’t know.

I think it was maybe a cultural thing. I was always brought up to believe that if you were an artist, you won’t do well,

you’re always going to end up being poor. But I think it was the passion that drew me back into the arts.”

He completed his formal art training at the University of Huddersfield and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. It was whilst at Huddersfield that To first met Patrick Stewart, who had recently become chancellor of the university. Having been impressed

by Frank’s artwork when he visited the university’s degree show, the actor kept a close eye on Frank’s progress, eventually contacting him at Dundee, requesting that they meet.

To readily admits he thought he was being fooled. “I thought it was a prank.

I made a lot of enemies at university,”

ON THE HORIZON...

MUSIC

ART

Zappa plays Zappa

Alive with Innovations: Paolozzi's Beginnings

Lothian Picture House 18 June, £24.50

Dean Gallery, until 30 June, free

Does what it says on the tin. A tribute act with a twist, namely that Frank Zappa’s flesh and blood, Dweezil Zapper leads the appropriately eclectic band.

The Dean gallery offers a unique chance to get a handle on one of pop art’s standard bearers.

John Mayall

National Galleries Complex Until 18 July

Lothian Picture House 30 June, £30

Legend of British blues appears for one night with support. Expect hits from the Buesbreaker years. Don’t expect Eric Clapton.

he laughs. “I mean how many times do you have a major Hollywood celebrity emailing you?”

Since then, To’s career has gone from strength to strength. This is largely down to his unique style of painting; a highly visual style which marries elements of the abstract to the figurative.

“It’s a technique I’m getting more well known for, because I’m the only one who paints like this. It’s down to my conceptual art training at Huddersfield, which was like Tracey Emin, Damian Hirst, shark in a glass box, that kind of stuff. But then when I went to Dundee it was a much more traditional painting course, so I managed to

Robert Adam’s Landscape Fantasies One of Scotland’s favourite neoclassical architects, interior designers and furniture makers, the eighteenth century Fifer also left behind a collection of water colour landscapes.

combine the two things together. It was almost like alchemy, combining two elements together to make it my own.”

How would he describe his paintings to someone completely unfamiliar with the art world?

He ponders for a moment. “Someone once asked me, how do you describe yourself as an artist in the art world at the moment?” He grins. “And I said think of Tiger Woods driving a golf buggy, but with a boom box hanging out the back.”

Think of Patrick Stewart chasing that buggy, and you’ve got a perfect image of Frank’s career to date. If you have any sense, you’ll start chasing him as well, before everyone else does.

ITALIAN RESTAURANT ➤ 20% STUDENT DISCOUNT ➤ ITALIAN RESTAURANT ➤ CATERS TO LARGE PARTIES ➤ PRIVATE DINING AREA 64 SOUTH BRIDGE | 0131 557 3777 | WWW.CIAOROMA.CO.UK

26 Arts & Entertainment

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Theatre

Music

Waiting for Godot

Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Joseph Swensen

 Beckett's iconic play is revitalised by a much heralded production

THE KING'S THEATRE Anna Fenton

anna.fenton@journal-online.co.uk

Comedy Al Murray's Beautiful British Tour

 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 4 APRIL Dan Moss

dan.moss@journal-online.co.uk



ONE OF THE most eagerly anticipated productions of the year, Samuel Beckett’s iconic play has received a new lease of life with renowned actors Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. Though meeting as enemies in Hollywood’s successful ‘X-Men’ trilogy, ‘Waiting for Godot’ sees them as two very close, yet very argumentative companions, Vladamir and Estragon, who meet every day to wait for the illusive Godot.

Their relationship is the key to the immense success of this performance, pitching between irritation and bickering, and gentle tenderness and care.

McKellan’s Estragon is wonderfully cringing and forgetful, shuffling across the stage in his saggy trousers, whilst Stewart’s Vladamir is the more sentient of the pair, helping his incapacitated companion put on his boots, and constantly reminding him of the facts of their existence.

The production fulfills all of the comedic possibilities of a play that is often considered relentlessly nihilistic.

The pair caper geriatrically across the stage, combining slapstick humour with delicate pathos, their distinctive sonorous voices filling the theatre.

Simon Callow, never known to do things by halves, adds a fabulous, overblown element to the show as Pozzo, roaring across the stage with his abused servant Lucky (Ronald Pickup) in tow. Pickup’s single speech was an unexpected delight in this performance, delivered with alarming speed and animation.

Despite the emphasis on physical humour, the production does not neglect the deeper implications of Beckett’s masterpiece. The set brings out the play’s post-apocalyptic potential, with crumbling, bombed-out buildings, and a bare, dead looking tree. At times of high emotion, the lighting creates harsh shadows upon the broken buildings, silhouetting the lonely figures on the stage. The repetitions in the second act expose the characters’ endlessly bleak quest for meaning in a troubled universe.

It would be easy to imagine that these roles were designed for such a gifted veteran cast; their rich and memorable performances combined with Sean Mathias’s dexterous direction made this a production well worth the wait.

NOW A RESPECTED veteran and major crowd-puller on the national comedy circuit, surely more is expected of Al Murray and his alter ego, the ‘Pub Landlord’ than undemanding low-brow humour that has consistenly comprised of anecdotes involving beer, digestive gases and casual xenophobia.

Immediately, it’s obvious that Murray’s core strength lies in his ability to establish a very particular atmosphere as soon as he steps on stage. The venue is his pub, the audience its patrons; the front row and box-dwellers soon discover to their intense discomfort that they are the ‘regulars’, his go-to whipping guys to divvy up his more meticulously prepared segments. But while his unrelenting and seemingly improvised personal critiques are enjoyable, the right wing vulgarity that the landlord identifies with prove to be both the great strength and weakness

of his act.

The ludicrousness of categorising female members of the crowd in to one of two professional denominations— “you’re either a nurse or secretary”— draws laughs from everyone because it is well executed and because the first two volunteers he surveyed were, as luck would have it, representatives from these two schools of employment.

But one wonders whether this laughter originates in the awful sweeping statements that we identify with the constructed character of the landlord, or whether, more worryingly, the majority of tonight’s audience are genuinely laughing at a perceived inferiority of women. Depressingly, the loudest collective guffaw of the night comes when Murray ‘outs’ two gentlemen sitting up in the boxes (“do you lads go out in pink on Tuesday nights together?”)

Lusciously resonant harmonies characterise a programme of effortless vibrancy

QUEEN'S HALL 4 APRIL Sarah Mitchell

sarah.mitchell@journal-online.co.uk

There’s certainly some merit in exploring the Landlord’s obsequious personality, but the material just isn’t strong or consistent enough. His longwinded attempt to prove the “existence of God” through the “miracle of bacon” could well have been garnered from a child’s joke book.

Despite the mediocrity of some of the individual punch lines, Murray keeps character to ensure that his delicate and wonderful ‘pub universe’ is never jeopardised.

His time-honoured call and reply catchphrase, “If we had no rules where would we be? France! And if we had too many rules where would we be?

Germany!” hopefully leaves the audience laughing at an ironic exponent of backdated Britishness, rather than associating more directly with the performer’s adopted personality.

JOSEPH SWENSEN, COMPOSER of tonight’s world premier, The Fire and the Rose, boasts an impressive CV of work with the SCO. Having toured extensively and conducted many recordings with the ensemble, he was able to give the audience an emotive realisation of this striking new work for horn and orchestra.

The first piece of the programme— Respighi’s The Birds—can initially be mistaken for classical writing, and was executed with the clarity required by such composition. Vibrant birdcall echoes were rendered beautifully by the wind in particular, while the strings underpinned this delicacy with deep and resonant harmonies.

Such thick chords were present also in Sibelius’ Peleas and Melisande – an evocative suite written for the symbolist play of the same title. The dense opening chord was particularly effective in demonstrating the ensemble’s unity and effortless communication, and this timbre was continually portrayed throughout the rest of the work. Such fulfilling writing also serves to frame fabulous solo passages, in particular those of the cor anglais and the duets between clarinets. The strings succeeded also in portraying the inherent contrasts within the string writing, and subtly bringing these nuances to the foreground.

It was Swensen’s symphony, however, which presented us with the biggest variety of sounds. From the serene and wistful opening, Swensen presents a vast range of timbres and orchestral textures. Soloist Radovan Vlatkovic—for whom the solo part of the piece was written—projected his part with great tenderness and created an excellent balance between the tonal qualities of soloist and ensemble player. The work is set apart also because of its juxtaposition of compositional elements: from the gentle echo effects created by the three horns, to the fast paced percussive dance sections in which the percussion section displays a flawless moving rhythm.

Though occasionally too unpredictable, the form of the piece works well in maintaining an original coherence.

Arts & Entertainment 27

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Art

Theatre

Turner & Italy

An Apple a Day





Collection charts Turner's journey from classicism to illuminated romanticism

NATIONAL GALLERY COMPLEX UNTIL 7 JUN David Stevenson

david.stevenson@journal-online.co.uk

JMW TURNER’S OUTPUT was prolific, and any exhibition of his work must find some route into an oeuvre that shifts from enlightenment classicism to romanticism and the dawn of the modern. This exhibition finds its unity from Italy’s influence upon Turner and explores the development of his work throughout the seven journeys he took to the peninsula.

Turner first made the trip during the 1802 Peace of Amiens, taking advantage in the cessation of hostilities to travel to France and explore Napolean’s ‘acquisitions’ at the Louvre before making the treacherous Alps crossing to Aosta. It was here he found a city dominated by Roman ruins that would forever seal his love affair with the country.

This first trip provided Turner with ample material to produce ‘typical’ landscapes that have their roots in the Arcadian ideal of Lorrain. Thomson’s Aeolian Harp, produced upon his return, is a wonderful pictorial allegory of his desire to bring Italy home, the view of Twickenham doused in a shimmering Mediterranean light as the Three Graces dance on Richmond Hill portends his radical and imaginative development of landscape art.

There are many large crowd pleasers here; Rome from the Vatican dominates the central gallery providing evidence of Turner’s own art historical knowledge and alongside there

are plenty of stunning examples of his mastery of illumination. Radiating from the dull walls of the gallery are fleeting shafts of yellow sunlight that so irked his contemporary critics and offer an illustration of the spirituality that Turner found in daylight.

It is the final two galleries that exhibit the work that would ensure Turner’s place in our modern artistic consciousness. The exhibition moves on from Rome to Venice, edges gradually dissolve whilst water and stone melt into one until, in the final room we are again at Aosta, now all but lost amid a deluge of pure sunlight.

But it’s the side attractions of this exhibition that make it truly worth a second look. Piranesi’s prints demand detailed examination and Turner’s own sketchbooks and library provide evidence of voracious study of Italy by a highly observant and contemplative traveller.

Works like Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino explore his change in outlook on Italy from crumbling mausoleum of antiquity to vibrant cultural melting pot. Any Turner exhibition leaves a curator with the difficult choice of what to exclude, and at times Turner in Italy does feel that part of the story is missing – but instead you are offered your own romantic journey strewn with bandits, volcanoes and unrivalled beauty. It is a journey I urge you to take.

A frank exploration of sexuality delves into every nook and cranny of erotic fantasy

TRAVERSE THEATRE Anna Fenton

anna.fenton@journal-online.co.uk

A RISK ASSESSOR theologian goes to visit a transsexual prostitute with a special request: he wants her to eat a Cox’s Orange Pippin apple and burp in his face. Though it sounds like the beginning of a bizarre joke, this latest play by Jo Clifford has a lot more to offer than facile humour.

Set in a feminine boudoir, complete with draped scarves and skimpy underwear, the play opens on the scantily dressed transsexual (David Walshe) fussing and strutting theatrically across the stage, spraying herself with her perfume atomizer. Walshe plays this role with incredible delicacy, oscillating between acting overtly sexually and revealing the character’s true insecurities, even veering towards self-loathing.

There’s a real sense of the monotony of her occupation, her inner torment, as she says: ‘Sex is the most tedious occupation in the world’.

The two characters embody two sides of the same coin, the sex industry and the business world, brought together in this economy of exchange.

Yet rather than a clinical interface, there are some genuinely touching moments between them, as the client (Crawford Logan) reveals the origin of his persuasion with painfully raw emotion.

Clifford delves deeply into issues of gender and sexuality, sensitively addressing the ostracised figure of the transsexual in society. When combined with contents of the mysterious suitcase, the play enters more speculative, portentous ground, questioning preconceived notions of what is considered erotic or perverted in sexual desire.

Apart from the obvious humour generated by the awkwardness of viewing a fully-grown man wearing tiny lederhosen, and a transsexual in unflattering dungarees, the dialogue is incredibly well crafted. The differences between the two characters is exploited using clever, contrapuntal conversation; the client requesting that she should act normal, but as she acidly remarks: ‘I’m not sure I do normal.’

Tang s

Japanese Restaurant

10% student discount Monday to Thursday

“The sushi tasted as good as it looked wonderful textures, perfectly seasoned rice and meltingly fresh fish” - The Scotsman

tangsrestaurant.co.uk

The only Italian Karaoke resturant in Edinburgh

97/101 Fountainbridge 0131 228 5069 | www.lamoreditalia.co.uk

44 Candlemaker Row EH1 2QE 0131 220 5000

28 Fashion

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

ECA’S NEW FASHION HOPEFULS: A SNEAK PREVIEW

Helen Broadfoot meets the students shaping the future of Scottish fashion

JOHN MCGREGOR

EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF Art host their annual sell-out fashion show on 6-8 May, where fashion design undergraduates and performance costume undergraduates will have the opportunity to showcase their final collections.

The college’s fashion department has an acclaimed reputation at both national and international level adding pressure to, and increasing expectations from, this year’s fashion students.

As the opening night draws closer, the tension seems to be mounting – and having spent an afternoon immersed in the hustle and bustle of their studio, I became aware of just how much time, dedication and resources are necessary to create these individual and innovative designs.

Raine Hodgson, 21, from Newcastle, has labelled her collection “Folks like these,” which is derived from her love of historical Russian folk costume fused with haute couture. The designs take on a theme of indulgence by creating dramatic, colourful and voluminous pieces, using materials such as furs, skins and leathers. She emphasised her regard for ethical materials using all animal byproducts such as sheep skin, horse hair and feathers. Evaluating the effect of the current financial situation, Hodgson reflects on any positive repercussions, commenting on the come-back of the “investment piece” and decline of the “throw-away piece” which is allowing designers to cater for markets which yearn for well-made and long-lasting garments.

Another exuberant collection is that of Keryn McCoy, a 22-year-old from Glasgow. Her “Treacherous” collection focuses on the dark side of Victorian circus, incorporating a collection which entails structure and femininity. She has combined this with aspects of vintage tailoring and luxurious wools, sourced from the prestigious Lochcarron of Scotland manufacturer, as well as velvets which communicate texture and character within each garment.

Looking to the future, Keryn highlights the importance of gaining experience, hoping to work under a major designer after graduation.

Also following a dark theme is 22-year-old Natalie Morris from Glasgow, whose fascination with the silent film star Clara Bow, her character and embodiment of “IT” (sex appeal), sets the mood for her collection. She relishes in the morbid, dark and sinister elements of the world which can be seen in an evening-wear collection which is suitably black. Morris has used high-end fabrics as well as Swarovski crystals which are subtly positioned along the seams. Her own affection toward magpies also plays a role in her creations – beautiful yet ugly at the same time, a motif reflected in the construction of each piece. Natalie hopes to continue to work for a Scottish designer she has had previous experience with and perhaps work in Paris after that.

Budding designers Amelia Hobson and Joseph McGee have drawn

Cristina Garriga (left, wearing design by Mairi Dryden, ECA graduating Fashion student 2009) and Sofie Fischer (wearing dress by Joseph McGee).

Sketches by Raine Hodgson influence from the United States. A work experience placement over the summer in the States prompted Hobson to do further research into American fashion, and her influences can be seen in her use of clean-cut palettes and the effortless sexiness in the designs.

Interestingly, she has drawn on aspects

of her Kenyan heritage, being inspired by the strength and incongruous femininity displayed by the women hunters and farmers in the pages of old family photo albums. Using one of her garments, she highlighted the fusion between the creamy silky material and subtle leather zebra prints merged onto

it. Hobson hopes to follow the more business route of the fashion industry, interested in sourcing and buying for large scale businesses.

McGee, meanwhile, has drawn inspiration from classic Italian designs creating a look for the super rich – luxurious and expensive. He has taken the body or the nude figure in suspended movement, exploring the relationship between body and cloth, garment and wearer. His collection is entirely for women and is a mixture of soft, draped materials and structured tailored ones.

By showing me a jacket in progress, he was able to help me understand his concept and vision: a beautifully constructed cream jacket with no seams or end-points, simply layers of material draped, yet tailored, and sculpted so as to fit the woman’s physique perfectly.

ECA prides itself on giving students the opportunity to “focus on fostering and developing individual visions and talents, and encourage innovation in the use of fabrics and techniques.” In keeping with this spirit, the final show here promises to provide innovative and unique designs at the highest of standards. It looks like the world of fashion is about to be joined by some very talented and determined young individuals.

ECA Fashion Show 2009 Wednesday 6 May, 6.30pm and 8.30pm Thursday 7 May, 6.30pm and 8.30pm Friday 8 May, 6.30pm and 8.30pm Tickets £15 www.eca.ac.uk

Eating & Drinking 29

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

THE PRICE OF COOL

Natasha Bird checks out George IV Bridge's hippest restaurants

ALL FOAM AND NO SUBSTANCE?

As the third wave of coffee gets underway, Carol Chan checks out what the future holds for the humble cuppa

MIGUELARREDONDO

COURTNEY LOVE ONCE compared cocaine to “really evil coffee”. Coffee hasn’t always been a legal drug; its intoxicating effects have been reason enough for it to be banned in several communities in coffee’s long history.

Now coffee has undergone an identity makeover worthy of Madonna.

Once referred to as the “devil’s brew”, its health benefits are now widely acknowledged: it apparently makes us more wakeful, relaxed, increases our metabolism rate, and is full of (gasp, really? What doesn’t have it?) antioxidants.

And as if we needed any more reason to justify our caffeine addiction, enter latte art, the idiomatic cherry on the cake… Latte art — whassat? Latte art’s when it looks like your morning cuppa’s succumbed to the pressures of modern society and has started sporting a heart or fern leaf because it’s pretty, cute and gives it the illusion of a personality.

But surely it’s not all foam and no substance? According to those at CoffeeGeek.com (and who would know better), beauty runs cup deep with latte art, since it’s a sure indicator that the milk has been steamed to a right temperature that maximizes its sweetness.

Without the right texture and consistency of steamed milk, and a wellextracted espresso, latte art wouldn’t be possible at all.

It’s not just about the controlled “wiggle” of the trained barista’s wrist.

Latte art may be gaining in popularity but it isn’t something you’ll get at your local Starbucks...yet. However, the baristas at Peter’s Yard make their bean juice an extra special experience by conjuring up cats and even Nessie from the clouds in your coffee. Though latte art may be a fairly good indicator of coffee’s quality—since the barista’s putting in so much effort— this doesn’t mean cafes that don’t do it are any less dedicated to the craft.

Caffe Lucano is one that prefers to serve their java with some chocolate instead. Sure, they may not do latte art, but at least their cappuccino’s a real one with enough foam, while at the other two cafes, my cappuccinos are compromised into semi-lattes.

To learn about latte art is only the tip of the iceberg of a new coffee revolution, where independent coffee shops are serious about the whole process from the sourcing of beans to owning the best equipment. Gwilym Davis, Britain’s Barista Champion 2009,

referred to this as a “third wave” of coffee in The Guardian recently. This third wave, he says, is about “taking coffee to the next level”. The first and second waves were instant coffee and Starbucks respectively.

Kilimanjaro Coffee is part of this third wave. Run by Jonathon Sharp, Scottish Barista Champion 2009, the café is a patron of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, the work of two previous world champions who directly source, blend and roast their own beans.

Kilimanjaro has also recently installed a Synesso Hydra – often referred to as the Ferrari of espresso machines.

Latte art’s arguably one way of expressing all this dedication to making that perfect cuppa: for they would care about every part of the process, including presentation. However, this means that your coffee may also take 10-15 minutes to arrive at lunch hour, as compared to a minute at Starbucks.

Though I reckon the whole sensory experience of having my fresh cuppa with a Nessie on top beats just having it to go.

Peter’s Yard, 27 Simpsons Loan Kilimanjaro Coffee, 104 Nicolson Street Caffe Lucano, 37-39 George IV Bridge

The Villager FACE TO FACE across the George IV Bridge, Villager and The Outsider stare at each other, quietly sizing up the competition.

Contrary to popular belief, these two restaurants are not under the same management. Villager is born of three “like-minded city gents”, dedicated to the “funk experience” who call themselves Blue Steel Ltd. The Outsider, on the other hand, is sibling to The Apartment on Barclay Place and is run by the recognisable and notoriously aloof Malcolm Innes.

The two restaurants have similarly unassuming fronts. The grey and maroon hues of the paintwork are neither garish nor demanding. The lettering is subtle and understated – in fact The Outsider’s name, vertically inscribed on a panel near the door, is barely visible to the desultory glance of the average passer by. These are two restaurants that do not have to shout their existence over a tannoy to attract custom.

This, though, is where the similarities end. The Outsider leans towards the minimalist simplicity of a gallery space. The sharp corners of the mezzanine, teamed with the mural of dark squares on the central wall give the impression of walking into a greyscale Mondrian painting. The simplicity is kept from dullness by the odd punctuation of several pieces of “artwork” – a blurry print of speeding cars and a black sculpture that looks like a cross between an old fashioned radiator and a CD rack. Villager, on the other hand, steers towards the younger side of “cool”. The easy chairs and sofas give it a plush, laid back feel, while the stencilled Banksy-esque wallpaper treads the popular graffiti-art boundary.

The service in each restaurant seems to match its interior. Villager staff cut an interesting profile. Pierced, tattooed and dressed like students, the emphasis is on the individual. The tendency to crouch beside our table for a chat or to enlighten us to the passions of cocktail making is endearing, if a little put on. On the subject of cocktails, their Smartini deserves a mention. A sweet and thick blend of Absolut Citron and Crème de Cacao nicely set off by the colourful addition of chocolate

smarties in the bottom – definitely worth a try. The Outsider staff determinedly blend in to the background.

While you might chide them for the occasional inattentiveness, the opportunity to dine in peace was welcome.

After all, it calls itself a restaurant, not a common room.

On to the food. Starting with Villager, the chicken and prawn tempura was well done, if a little predictable.

The goats cheese bruschetta was better, though the bread was a little thick. The mains were generously portioned, but what they achieved in size, they lacked in flavour. The paella was watery and tasted more like an Italian Ragu than the buttery, saffron infused Spanish dish that it should have. The mixed vegetable curry was similarly bland, overwhelmed by too much coconut milk.

The burger was the only main course of real merit. A thick, crumbly, succulent patty so filling that the bun it was sandwiched in was barely necessary.

The deserts were fine, but had a certain air of the “shop-bought” about them.

The Outsider, on the other hand, produces some of the best value for money in the city. Their menu boasts a varied selection of innovative dishes of the type that you could easily find in some of the more upmarket eateries in Edinburgh, but at a fraction of the price – averaging at around ten pounds each. The rump of lamb was rich and tender, while the aubergine mash it sat on was novel and moreish. The belly of pork, while a little dry, was perfectly edible and the black pudding base a pleasing textural contrast. The deserts were similarly savoury – the brownie was moist and rich and the plum and almond tart was not too sweet.

While less self-consciously “hip” in the design and service, The Outsider has an oral impact that blows Villager out of the water – remarkable considering that The Outsider is cheaper. While Villager’s trendy-factor lives vicariously through the décor and cocktails, it seems to have left the food uninhabited. Is this the price you pay for “cool”?

The Outsider, 15-16 George IV Bridge 0131 226 3131 Villager, 49-50 George IV Bridge 0131 226 2781

GET IT ONLINE WWW.JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

Happy summer from The Journal www. journalonline. co.uk

Property

Abbeyhill West Norton Place, 850, 3, 3D G CG Z, 0870 062 9688 Rossie Place, 560, 2, 2D G O, 0870 062 9384 Milton Street, 495, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Milton Street, 450, 1, 1D E CG O, 0870 062 6604 Regent Place, 1200, 4, 1S 3D G PG O, 0870 062 9340 Royal Park Terrace, 1180, 4, 1S 3D, 0870 062 3700

Ardmillan Ardmillan Terrace, 395, 1, 1D E Z, 0870 062 3768

Barnton Barnton Grove, 850, 2, 2D G CG P, 0870 062 9478

Bellevue Bellevue Place, 1200, 5, 1S 4D G PG O, 0870 062 9522

Blackhall Craigcrook Place, 550, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 9314

Bonnington South Fort Street, 560, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9488

Broughton Barony Street, 980, 3, 1S 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 9688 Dicksonfield, 670, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9302 Pilrig Heights, 595, 2, G P UF, 0870 062 9388 Papermill Wynd, 550, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9488 Broughton Road, 450, 1, 1D 1B CG Z, 0870 062 9326 Broughton Road, 450, 1, 1D G CG, 0870 062 9334 Broughton Street Edin, 1000, 3, 3D, 0870 062 9546

Bruntsfield Bruntsfield Place, 960, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9314 Hartington Place, 950, 3, 3D G PG Z, 0870 062 9594 Montpelier Park, 950, 3, G CG Z, 0870 062 8312 Bruntsfield Place, 940, 3, 3D, 0870 062 9316 Montpelier, 875, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Viewforth, 700, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 9334 Mardale Crescent, 1650, 5, 5D G CG O, 0870 062 9558 Bruntsfield Place, 1640, 4, 4D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Bruntsfield Place, 1380, 4, 1S 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Viewforth, 1360, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Montpelier Park, 1275, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Montpelier, 1200, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Montpelier Terrace, 1100, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9558

Canonmills Rodney Street, 650, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Broughton Road, 525, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700

Carrick Knowe Saughton Road North, 1000, 4, 4D G PG O, 0870 062 9302

Central Elm Row, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Grindlay Street, 820, 3, 1S 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 9234 Lothian Road, 700, 2, 2D G CG, 0870 062 9340 Warriston Crescent, 700, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9326 St. Patrick Street, 600, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9448 Easter Road, 590, 2, 2D W CG, 0870 062 9688 Upper Grove Place, 550, 2, 1S 1D E O, 0870 062 9388 South Bridge, 400, 1, 1D W Z, 0870 062 9326 North Bridge, 350, 1, 1S E, 0870 062 7736 Brunswick Street, 1370, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700

Chesser Saughton Avenue, 645, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 6604 Chesser Crescent, 1100, 3, 3D G P, 0870 062 9478

Clermiston Alan Breck Gardens, 595, 2, 2D G PG P, 0870 062 9234 Rannoch Road, 595, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9594 Clerwood Park, 1000, 3, 3D G PG O, 0870 062 9558

Comely Bank Comely Bank Road, 990, 3, 3D G CG Z, 0870 062 9424 Learmonth Crescent, 575, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9326 Comely Bank Terrace, 550, 1, 1B CG Z, 0870 062 9300

Comiston Pentland Drive, 650, 3, 1S 2D G O, 0870 062 9560

Corstorphine Forrester Park Drive, 725, 3, 3D G CG P, 0870 062 9488 Carrick Knowe Drive, 695, 3, 1S 2D G PG O, 0870 062 8708

Craiglockhart Greenbank Gardens, 1295, 4, 4D G PG P UF, 0870 062 9488

Crewe Toll Ferry Road Grove, 750, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Crewe Crescent, 525, 2, 2D G PG P UF, 0870 062 9384

Dalry Caledonian Road, 990, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Hermand Terrace, 990, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Dalry Drive, 960, 3, 1S 2D G P, 0870 062 9302

Murieston Crescent, 950, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Springwell Place, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Gorgie Road, 915, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Dalry Road, 670, 2, 2D G, 0870 062 9316 Cathcart Place, 650, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Cathcart Place, 650, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Murieston Crescent, 580, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Caledonian Road, 575, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 8252 Cathcart Place, 550, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Murieston Road, 550, 2, 2D G UF, 0870 062 9324 Cathcart Place, 500, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Dalry Drive, 1800, 5, 5D G P, 0870 062 9302 Easter Dalry Drive, 1800, 5, 5D G P, 0870 062 9302 Dalry Road, 1360, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Dalry Wynd, 1340, 4, 2S 2D G P, 0870 062 9302 Caledonian Road, 1300, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Caledonian Road, 1045, 3, 3D, 0870 062 9316 Murieston Crescent, 1020, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9302

Davidsons Mains Corbiehill Crescent, 675, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9234 Corbiehill Road, 475, 1, 1D G PG, 0870 062 9384

Drylaw Wester Drylaw Drive, 625, 2, 2D G PG P, 0870 062 9478

Duddingston Bridge Street Lane, 795, 3, 3D G O UF, 0870 062 9488 Bridge Street Lane, 620, 2, 2D G O UF, 0870 062 9488 Duddingston Park South, 575, 2, 1S 1D G P, 0870 062 9384 Duddingston Park South, 575, 2, 2D G CG P, 0870 062 3872 Duddingston Park South, 575, 2, 1S 1D G P, 0870 062 9384 Peffer Bank, 400, 1, 1D G CG P, 0870 062 9558 Mountcastle Drive South, 1200, 3, 3D G PG P, 0870 062 9594

Easter Road Hawkhill Close, 640, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9522 Easter Road, 525, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9326 Bothwell Street, 495, 1, O UF, 0870 062 9324 Easter Road, 480, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Elgin Terrace, 475, 1, 1D W CG Z UF, 0870 062 9312 Easter Road, 1180, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 1005, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700

Edinburgh Dalmeny Street, 915, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Bellenden Gardens, 875, 4, 4D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Manor Place, 600, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Oswald Road, 550, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Slateford Road, 500, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Fountain Place, 475, 2, 2D G P UF, 0870 062 9348 Fountain Place, 450, 2, 2D G P UF, 0870 062 9348 Seafield Road, 410, 1, 1D W CG O, 0870 062 9334 Grindlay Street, 1825, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 East Claremont Street, 1800, 5, 2S 3D, 0870 062 3700 East Claremont Street, 1700, 5, 1S 4D, 0870 062 3700 Montgomery Street, 1150, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700

Fairmilehead Pentland Drive, 650, 3, 1S 2D E O, 0870 062 9560

Ferry Road Ferry Road Drive, 625, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 East Pilton Farm Crescent, 595, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9320

Fettes East Pilton Farm Crescent, 550, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 2018

Fountainbridge Murdoch Terrace, 830, 3, 1S 2D G Z, 0870 062 9234 Fountainbridge, 550, 1, 1D Z, 0870 062 6782 Dundee Terrace, 545, 2, 2D G Z, 0870 062 9560 Grove Street, 495, 1, 1D E, 0870 062 6782 Lothian Road, 1350, 4, 1S 3D G, 0870 062 9688

Gorgie Gorgie Road, 900, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Gorgie Road, 900, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Gorgie Road, 850, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9558 Wardlaw Terrace, 520, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 3920 Robertson Avenue, 510, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Gorgie Road, 500, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9592 Westfield Road, 495, 1, 1B G CG O, 0870 062 9234 Westfield Road, 495, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 3768 Gorgie Road, 485, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9424 Newton Street, 480, 1, 1D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9478 Wardlaw Street, 475, 1, G CG O, 0870 062 3704 Wardlaw Street, 475, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9560 Gorgie Road, 450, 1, 1D E O, 0870 062 9326 Smithfield Street, 450, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9334 Stewart Terrace, 450, 1, CG O, 0870 062 1316 Westfield Road, 450, 1, 1D CG O, 0870 062 3768

HOW TO USE THE LISTINGS Meadows

Area Agent phone number

Buccleuch Street, 750, 2, 2D W CG Z, 0870 062 9434

Bedrooms Monthly Rent Location

Smithfield Street, 425, 1, 1D E O, 0870 062 9560 Stewart Terrace, 425, 1, W, 0870 062 9560 Stewart Terrace, 425, 1, E O, 0870 062 9560 Stewart Terrace, 420, 1, 1D W CG, 0870 062 9688 Gorgie Road, 1600, 4, 4D E CG P, 0870 062 9314

Granton Granton Terrace, 550, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Waterfront Park, 495, 1, 1D G UF, 0870 062 2414 Lower Granton Road, 450, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 3768

Grassmarket West Bow, 750, 2, 2D G Z, 0870 062 9478 Cowgatehead, 650, 1, G, 0870 062 9300 West Port, 575, 1, 1D E, 0870 062 9560 Heriot Bridge,Edinburgh, 550, 1, 1D G P, 0870 062 5696 Spittal Street, 1250, 4, 2S 2D G Z, 0870 062 9302

Haymarket Richmond Terrace, 975, 3, 1S 2D G Z, 0870 062 9302 Grove Street, 675, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Morrison Street, 625, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 2418 Morrison Street, 530, 1, 1D G Z, 0870 062 9560 West Maitland Street, 470, 1, 1D G Z, 0870 062 9558 Morrison Street, 400, 1, 1S G Z, 0870 062 9560 Morrison Street, 1550, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Morrison Street, 1550, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Grove Street, 1450, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Morrison Street, 1320, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Haymarket Terrace, 1200, 4, G CG O, 0870 062 3780 Spittal Street, 1040, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700

Hillside Earlston Place, 990, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Montrose Terrace, 980, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Wellington Street, 950, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9558 Cadzow Place, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Hillside Street, 900, 3, 3D E CG O, 0870 062 9558 Rossie Place, 675, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Maryfield Place, 640, 2, 1S 1D, 0870 062 3700 Hillside Street, 1750, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Hillside Crescent, 1550, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Brunton Place, 1500, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Montgomery Street, 1400, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Earlston Place, 1300, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700

Holyrood Viewcraig Gardens, 680, 2, 2D E P, 0870 062 9302 Royal Park Terrace, 595, 1, 1D 1B G CG O, 0870 062 9334 Viewcraig Gardens, 1340, 4, 4D G O, 0870 062 9302

Juniper Green Wester Hailes Road, 900, 3, 3D G PG P UF, 0870 062 9558 Lanark Road, 530, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9560

Kirkliston Glendinning Way, 995, 5, 4D 1B G PG, 0870 062 6776

Leith Portland Gardens, 995, 3, 3D G CG P, 0870 062 9234 Dalmeny Street, 990, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 940, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 940, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Largo Place, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Leith Walk, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Chancelot Terrace, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Hawkhill Close, 900, 3, 3D G CG P, 0870 062 9558 Lorne Street, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Smith’s Place, 750, 3, 1S 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9422 Easter Road, 725, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Duke Street, 720, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Stead’s Place, 680, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Hopetoun Crescent, 650, 2, 2D E CG Z, 0870 062 9522 Great Junction Street, 645, 2, 2D E CG O, 0870 062 6604

Giles Street, 625, 2, 2D E P, 0870 062 9456 Easter Road, 620, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Portland Gardens, 610, 1, 1D G P, 0870 062 9424 Elbe Street, 600, 2, 2D W P, 0870 062 9424 Constitution Street, 600, 1, 1D W P, 0870 062 3768 Tower Place, 595, 2, 2D G, 0870 062 3768 Great Junction Street, 575, 2, 2D G CG Z UF, 0870 062 9424 Great Junction Street, 550, 2, 2D G O, 0870 062 9456 Buchanan Street, 460, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Dickson Street, 450, 1, 1D E CG O, 0870 062 9558 Buchanan Street, 435, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 9560 Sloan Street, 425, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Thorntree Street, 425, 1, 1D CG O, 0870 062 9422 Duke Street, 395, 1, 1D W O, 0870 062 9312 Bonnington Road, 1425, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Wellington Place, 1300, 5, 5D G Z, 0870 062 9478 Brunswick Street, 1300, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Easter Road, 1280, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Kirk Street, 1200, 5, 5D E Z, 0870 062 9478 Easter Road, 1200, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Wellington Place, 1200, 4, 4D 1B G PG Z, 0870 062 9478 Pitt Street, 1165, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Ferry Road, 1125, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Great Junction Street, 1010, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Brunswick Terrace, 1000, 4, 4D G PG O, 0870 062 9468

Leith Links Links Gardens, 960, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Thornville Terrace, 480, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Bathfield, 460, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 9522 Gladstone Place, 1550, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700

Leith Walk Sloan Street, 990, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Leith Walk, 950, 4, 2S 2D, 0870 062 3700 Dalmeny Street, 930, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Leith Walk, 930, 3, 1S 2D, 0870 062 3700 Leith Walk, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Albert Street, 725, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Dicksonfield, 700, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9320 Leith Walk, 625, 2, 2D G O, 0870 062 9234 Pilrig Heights, 600, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9488 Leith Walk, 575, 2, 2D G CG, 0870 062 9340 Springfield Lane, 570, 2, 2D W P UF, 0870 062 9334 Iona Street, 540, 2, 2D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9334 Balfour Street, 500, 1, E CG O, 0870 062 3872 Leith Walk, 495, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Leith Walk, 1650, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Albert Place, 1600, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Gayfield Place Lane, 1000, 3, 1S 2D G P, 0870 062 9302

Liberton Malbet Park, 800, 3, 2S 1D G CG P, 0870 062 9558 Malbet Park, 795, 3, 3D G P, 0870 062 9424 Peffermill Road, 475, 1, 1D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9324

Little France Mains Of Craigmillar, 850, 4, 1S 4D 1B PG P UF, 0870 062 9342 Upper Craigour Way, 700, 2, 2D E PG P UF, 0870 062 9592

Lochend Craigentinny Road, 550, 2, 2D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9558

Longstone Parkhead Grove, 595, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9460 Redhall Crescent, 520, 2, 2D E CG O, 0870 062 9322

Marchmont Marchmont Crescent, 990, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9322 Roseneath Street, 900, 3, 3S G CG Z, 0870 062 9322 Marchmont Street, 1600, 4, 1S 3D G CG Z, 0870 062 1876 Thirlestane Road, 1600, 4, 4D G CG Z, 0870 062 9322 Warrender Park Road, 1515, 5, 5D G Z, 0870 062 9316 Marchmont Street, 1235, 3, 1S 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 1876

PROPERTY LISTINGS PROVIDED BY WWW.CITYLETS.CO.UK

Bedrooms: Heating: Garden: Parking: Furniture:

Meadowbank Moray Park Terrace, 750, 3, 3D G P, 0870 062 9488 Hillend Place, 700, 3, 3D G CG, 0870 062 9234 Hillend Place, 700, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9460 Wolseley Terrace, 620, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9594 Abbey Lane, 575, 2, 1S 1D G O, 0870 062 9560 Piersfield Grove, 520, 2, 1S 1D W O, 0870 062 9688 Comely Green Place, 1450, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700

Merchiston Ettrick Road, 700, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9592

Morningside Falcon Avenue, 950, 3, 3D E CG Z, 0870 062 9558 Comiston Road, 840, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9322 Falcon Court, 675, 2, 2D E CG P, 0870 062 9558 Springvalley Terrace, 650, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9478 Craighouse Gardens, 625, 2, 2D W P, 0870 062 9312 Jordan Lane, 595, 2, 1S 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9334 Craighouse Gardens, 565, 2, 2D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9434 Balcarres Street, 475, 1, 1D W CG O, 0870 062 3768 Morningside Road, 1750, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Morningside Road, 1700, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Morningside Road, 1400, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Morningside Road, 1400, 4, 2S 2D, 0870 062 3700 Balcarres Street, 1020, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700

Mountcastle Northfield Farm Avenue, 550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9424

Murrayburn Baberton Mains Hill, 670, 2, 2D G PG P, 0870 062 9558

New Town St Stephen Street, 930, 3, 1S 2D, 0870 062 3700 Dundonald Street, 900, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Barony Street, 875, 2, 2D 1B G Z, 0870 062 4830 Drummond Place, 800, 2, G PG Z UF, 0870 062 9300 Canon Street, 700, 2, 1S 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9382 St. Stephen Street, 625, 2, 2D G CG, 0870 062 2418 Barony Street, 620, 2, 2D G Z UF, 0870 062 9388 Albany Street, 575, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 9326 Dundonald Street, 550, 1, 1D E Z, 0870 062 9320 Royal Circus, 1800, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Eyre Place, 1775, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 York Place, 1760, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Bellevue Crescent, 1700, 4, 4D CG Z, 0870 062 9558 Dundas Street, 1600, 4, 4D G PG Z, 0870 062 9314 Cumberland Street, 1500, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Scotland Street, 1500, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Eyre Crescent, 1340, 4, 4D G CG Z, 0870 062 9302 Royal Crescent, 1265, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9316 Drummond Place, 1215, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Fettes Row, 1200, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Dundas Street, 1120, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Barony Street, 1050, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9460 Hart Street, 1050, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 4830 Brunswick Street, 1030, 3, 3D, 0870 062 9316 London Street, 1000, 2, 2D G Z, 0870 062 9592 Nelson Street, 1000, 2, 2D G PG Z, 0870 062 9320

Newhaven Ferry Road, 850, 6, 2S 4D G PG P, 0870 062 9558 Pitt Street, 850, 4, 4D G O, 0870 062 9312 Dudley Avenue South, 695, 3, 1S 2D G CG O, 0870 062 6604

Newington Dalkeith Road, 945, 3, 1S 2D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Dumbiedykes Road, 900, 3, 3D E Z, 0870 062 9302 Montague Street, 895, 3, 3D G CG Z, 0870 062 9302 Oxford Street, 800, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Fountainhall Road, 675, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9316 Nicolson Street, 675, 2, 2D, 0870 062 9316 St. Patrick Square, 600, 2, 1S 1D W Z, 0870 062 9388 St. Patrick Square, 595, 2, 1S 1D Z UF, 0870 062 9388 St. Patrick Square, 550, 2, 1S 1D W Z UF, 0870 062 9388

S Single D Double T Twin B Box G Gas Central W White Meter E Electric PG Private CG Communal Z Zone O On-Street P Private UF Unfurnished

St. Patrick Square, 550, 1, W CG Z UF, 0870 062 9388 Causewayside, 495, 1, 1D G Z, 0870 062 9312 Oxford Street, 1575, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Dalkeith Road, 1500, 5, 5D G CG Z, 0870 062 9558 East Preston Street, 1400, 4, 1S 3D G Z, 0870 062 9312 Macdowall Road, 1400, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Dalkeith Road, 1380, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Sciennes Hill Place, 1370, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 West Savile Terrace, 1360, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9362 West Preston Street, 1310, 4, , 0870 062 9316 West Preston Street, 1310, 4, 3S 1D G Z, 0870 062 9316 Fountainhall Road, 1300, 4, 4D E CG O, 0870 062 9558 Dalkeith Road, 1275, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 West Nicolson Street, 1230, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 West Nicolson Street, 1200, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Oxford Street, 1140, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Montague Street, 1050, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Brown Street, 1020, 3, 3D G P, 0870 062 9302

Old Town Canongate, 900, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9688 Drummond Street, 600, 2, 2D E Z, 0870 062 9558 Drummond Street, 550, 2, 2D E O, 0870 062 9558 Brighton Street, 1450, 4, 4D G CG Z, 0870 062 9340

Oxgangs Oxgangs Avenue, 675, 3, 1S 2D G CG O, 0870 062 8252 Oxgangs Bank, 550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9424 Oxgangs Crescent, 550, 2, 2D G O, 0870 062 9424

Peffermill Peffer Bank, 580, 2, 2D G P UF, 0870 062 2414 Craigmillar Castle Avenue, 550, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9460

Pilrig Dryden Gait, 850, 3, 3D G P, 0870 062 9522

Pilton Pilton Avenue, 750, 4, G CG P UF, 0870 062 9384 West Pilton Street, 625, 2, 2D E PG P, 0870 062 9302

Pleasance Brown Street, 2040, 6, 6D G P, 0870 062 9302

Polwarth Polwarth Gardens, 995, 3, 3D 1B G CG Z, 0870 062 9312 Cowan Road, 950, 3, 3D G PG O, 0870 062 9558 Temple Park Crescent, 675, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Tay Street, 625, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 9424 Temple Park Crescent, 595, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 3768 Ritchie Place, 525, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 3768 Temple Park Crescent, 525, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Watson Crescent, 500, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 9326 Bryson Road, 475, 1, 1D E, 0870 062 9560 Watson Crescent, 450, 1, 1D G CG Z, 0870 062 6782 Watson Crescent, 450, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9446 Bryson Road, 425, 1, 1D W O, 0870 062 9560

Portobello Southfield Place, 595, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 1992 Adelphi Grove, 500, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 3768 Seafield Road East, 475, 1, 1D G O, 0870 062 9340 Kings Road, 420, 1, 1D W CG O, 0870 062 9688

Prestonfield Prestonfield Road, 580, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9522

Roseburn Roseburn Street, 925, 3, 1S 2D G PG O, 0870 062 7736

Saughton Saughton Crescent, 550, 2, 1S 1D G PG P UF, 0870 062 2414 Whitson Grove, 460, 1, 1D G CG O, 0870 062 9334

Saughtonhall Glendevon Park, 590, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9302

Sciennes Sienna Gardens, 680, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9322

Sciennes Road, 1300, 4, 4D G CG O, 0870 062 9558 Gladstone Terrace, 1170, 3, 3D G, 0870 062 3876

Shandon Hermand Crescent, 680, 2, 2D W P, 0870 062 3768 Hazelbank Terrace, 575, 1, 1D G PG O, 0870 062 3768 Cowan Road, 1150, 4, 4D G PG P, 0870 062 9334

Sighthill Broomhouse Street South, 825, 3, 3D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Broomhouse Street South, 825, 3, 3D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Broomhouse Street South, 795, 3, 3D G CG O, 0870 062 9302 Calder View, 750, 3, 3D G O, 0870 062 9302 Calder Road, 610, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Calder Drive, 595, 2, 2D 1B G CG O, 0870 062 9234 Calder Grove, 595, 2, 2D G CG O UF, 0870 062 9234

Slateford Gorgie Road, 990, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Hermand Crescent, 750, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Hermand Crescent, 575, 2, 1S 1D W P UF, 0870 062 9388 Hermand Crescent, 575, 2, 1S 1D W P UF, 0870 062 9388

South Gyle South Gyle Wynd, 575, 2, 2D G CG P, 0870 062 9326 South Gyle Park, 475, 1, 1D P, 0870 062 9384 Gogarloch Haugh, 1100, 3, 3D G PG P, 0870 062 9488

Stenhouse Stenhouse Crescent, 600, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9522 Stenhouse Avenue, 595, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 8252 Stenhouse Drive, 550, 2, 2D G, 0870 062 9334 Stenhouse Avenue, 495, 2, 1S 1D E CG O, 0870 062 9560

Stockbridge St. Bernards Crescent, 715, 2, 2D G CG Z, 0870 062 9316 St. Stephen Street, 1400, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9314 Dean Park Crescent, 1220, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9316 St. Bernards Crescent, 1000, 3, 3D G Z, 0870 062 9314

The Shore Sandport Way, 650, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9424 Rennie’s Isle, 640, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9302 Tower Street, 625, 2, 2D G P, 0870 062 9314 Commercial Street, 575, 1, 1D E P, 0870 062 9234 New Bell’s Court, 545, 2, 1S 1D W P UF, 0870 062 9388

Tollcross Glen Street, 750, 2, 2D G PG O UF, 0870 062 9342 Lochrin Place, 650, 2, 1S 1D W P, 0870 062 9334 Panmure Place, 625, 2, 2D G Z, 0870 062 9446 East Fountainbridge, 575, 1, 1D G P, 0870 062 9560 Lauriston Street, 525, 1, 1D, 0870 062 3700 Lochrin Terrace, 420, 2, 2D, 0870 062 3700 Lauriston Gardens, 1850, 5, 5D, 0870 062 3700 Grindlay Street, 1440, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Gilmore Place, 1345, 4, 1S 3D G CG Z, 0870 062 1876 Home Street, 1200, 4, 2S 2D, 0870 062 3700 Gilmore Place, 1100, 4, 4D G Z, 0870 062 9522 Grindlay Street, 1100, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700 Tarvit Street, 1000, 3, 3D, 0870 062 3700

Trinity Mayville Gardens East, 750, 2, 2D G PG O, 0870 062 9302 Trinity Court, Edinburgh, 700, 2, 2D CG, 0870 062 2414 Craighall Crescent, 600, 2, 2D G CG O, 0870 062 9478

Viewforth Viewforth Square, 725, 2, 2D G Z, 0870 062 9324 Viewforth, 1450, 4, 4D G PG Z, 0870 062 9322

West End Morrison Street, 700, 2, 2D G, 0870 062 2414 Orchard Brae Avenue, 675, 2, 2D G PG P, 0870 062 9446 Haymarket Terrace, 1350, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700 Roseburn Terrace, 1280, 4, 4D, 0870 062 3700

Sport 31

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Please keep off the grass Graham Mackay

Deputy Editor

graham@journal-online.co.uk

£

750 MILLION IS quite a lot of money. In fact, it’s more than that. For the non-fiscallyminded amongst you, allow me to contextualise this figure: it equates to four Windsor Castles, is 50 percent greater than the Gross National Product of Monaco and would take England captain John Terry 96 years to earn on his £150,000 a week salary.

With this in mind, I find it difficult to imagine how a consortium comprising the combined forces of the government, the FA, Sport England, the National Lottery and a lorry-load of private investors has been able to spend this monumental amount of money rebuilding Wembley Stadium, yet failed to deliver on its most fundamental aspect.

Anyone who watched either of last week’s FA Cup semi-finals will agree that the state of the pitch at England’s national stadium was horrendous – I don’t quite mean SPL horrendous, though the pace that it forced the games to be played at might well make you think otherwise. Lumps, bumps and divots abounded as Chelsea took on Arsenal on semi-final Saturday and things looked even worse when Everton and Man United were forced to grind out one of the most painfully slow and uninspirational matches in the history of the competition the following afternoon.

In the wake of aggressive attacks on the stadium’s surface from top Premier League managers David Moyes, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, the FA has pledged to re-lay the pitch for a sixth time since the new “home of football” was completed in 2007. As such, plans have been made to dig up the Wembley surface in time for the all-important clash of the titans that is the FA Trophy final between Stevenage

and York on 9 May – either that or the Football Association executives are keen to avoid the humiliation of having their shoddy, war-torn pitch beamed to millions across the globe when England take on Andorra the following month, but the jury’s still out on that one.

What’s more, in an absolutely fascinating account of their decision to replace the existing “fibre-rye grass” turf with a new “sand-soil” alternative, equipped with a sophisticated hydroponic growth-enhancement system, the FA believes that the new surface will be able to cope better with the strenuous nature of football, as well as the various other events that take place at Wembley, including speedway, American football and numerous rock and pop concerts.

But it is precisely here that I believe the FA, despite all their hifalutin’ knowledge of horticultural practice, has failed to recognise a fundamental flaw in their thinking: the substance they are talking about here is grass. Yes, grass. If the Football Association insists on prostituting their glorious national

stadium to anyone from the New England Patriots to AC/DC, then it really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the surface of the pitch has sustained such crippling damage over the last two years, and I must admit I doubt that an alternative method of seed-scattering is going to do much to change the outcome.

To illustrate my point, if you take a fruit pastel and drop a grand piano on top of it, it’s going to get squashed; it doesn’t matter if it’s a Tesco value fruit pastel or one of Rowntree’s finest. Likewise, you can talk till you’re blue in the face about sand-soil grass, rye grass or even elephant grass for that matter; the fact is that as soon as you unleash two bawdy NFL teams onto a football pitch, or have it crushed to death under the weight of 50,000 metal-heads, you’re hardly going to be stepping out onto the set of Ground Force the following day.

Of course, it would be naïve to suggest that the FA restrict the use of the Wembley pitch to football matches exclusively, as multi-million pound

stadiums clearly don’t pay for themselves, but they could at least plan their events calendar a little more carefully.

Anyone who remembers England’s woeful performance that saw them fail to qualify for Euro 2008 in a home match to Croatia last year will remember the sate of the pitch that day – possibly the worst in Wembley’s history. Why? Because the stadium had hosted an NFL exhibition match just two weeks earlier. Again, like the fruit pastel/piano scenario, it’s not rocket science; though apparently the art of how to piece together a half-decent timetable was not part of the pre-GCSE curriculum at the time when the current staff of National Stadium Limited were at school.

What becomes of turf at London’s 90,000 seater arena remains to be seen; probably not during the FA Trophy final, because I doubt anyone will be watching it, but come July when the Three Lions take to the field against Andorra, we’ll see if miracles on the Wembley pitch really are possible – and I don’t just mean a win for England.

Cardle's Napier departure brings hope to QMU Graham Mackay graham.mackay@journal-online.co.uk

A

FTER THREE YEARS at the helm of Edinburgh Napier’s top footballing side, Gary Cardle has decided to call time on his career at Saughton and step up to the monumental challenge of taking the reigns at Queen Margaret University, currently lingering in the Scottish seventh division. But as the veteran coach tells The Journal, it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.

No stranger to Scottish university football, Cardle has held coaching positions at both Heriot-Watt and St Andrews, and has also worked south of the border where he steered Liverpool Hope University to British plate championship glory in 1999/2000.

A spell with Manchester United and further coaching programs in Canada and the USA have also provided QMU’s manager-to-be with a wealth of coaching experience over the last ten years.

However, despite a decade in the industry, Cardle cites the toughest challenge of his career as nurturing the squad at Saughton Park: “When I took over at Napier, the club was in a lowly division four,” says Cardle, “but with a little bit of organisation towards the club structure, we then became a major force in university football.”

One presumes that modesty forbids the ex-Napier boss from telling the whole truth about the difficulties of reversing the clubs fortunes early in our exchange, and I soon find out that “a little bit of organisation” is an

understatement to say the least.

“When I took over as coach, there was no structure about the club,” Cardle tells me. “Attendance was poor and the players’ approach to training was that it was little more than a kickabout with their mates.”

With this in mind, I cannot help but be impressed at the level of progression that Napier has made under Cardle in what has been, in football terms, a remarkably short space of time. With two Scottish University titles under his belt, and impressive performances in the Anderson Cup and East of Scotland championships, Cardle’s presence has clearly made an impact on what was previously a shambolic outfit.

“Working with the club captains and committee over the past years, we have managed to stabilise the club with a structure where players are more competitive,” Cardle says, continuing, “attendance at training has been excellent, but most importantly, we have succeeded in instilling a sense of unity at the club, meaning the boys can have fun, but still produce firstrate performances on the pitch.”

The zeal with which former Napier boss describes the changes he brought to the table makes it clear that he is a man with true passion for building football teams from the ground up, and with this in mind, there are fewer teams more in need of the sort of lift that he is able to offer than Queen Margaret. Moreover, he is aware of the time that it will take to rear a new club from zero to hero status: “The goals at QMU are to build stability and organisation within the

Cardle takes charge of a final training session at Napier club; instill confidence within the players and, most importantly, win the League Championships and progress through the higher divisions. Anything is achievable with hard work and I see no reason why we can’t build a solid team at QMU. “QMU is a club that should be competing with the best in Scottish university football, just like Napier is now. It is an excellent challenge and I always thrive on challenges, this opportunity requires a more long-term commitment from myself as the club is currently in division seven, but with

hard work from the guys at QMU on and off the field, we can make it work, no doubt about it.”

As a veteran of Scottish university football, Cardle is pleased with the inroads to success made by student clubs over the last ten years, particularly given the wealth of talent that exists in other regions of the British Universities and College Sport championships: “In my ten years coaching at university level, I have seen excellent progress from Scottish football teams in terms of closing the gap that exists

between them and their counterparts south of the border’” he says. “This has been down to the hard work put in by the staff at Scottish University Sport and the Scottish University Football Coordinator Ross Campbell, implementing and developing the Sport with consistent improvements from year to year.

“Having such an excellent organisation associated with universities in Scotland to offer guidance and support each year for sports presidents and club captains certainly helps produce success on the field and I hope this continues for many years to come.”

32 Sport

The Journal Wednesday 29 April 2009

Sport University men look to make an impact in Haddington Graham Mackay talks to the two men behind semi-pro football club Haddington Athletic on the troubles faced by lower-league sides and why students are a precious commodity IAN FERGUSON

Graham Mackay graham.mackay@journal-online.co.uk

W

HILST SPORTSMEN AND women at university tend not to venture far beyond the reaches of their own sports unions when looking to get involved in a team, two men from Edinburgh University are making an impact on football outside of the BUCS leagues.

David Griffiths, an associate professor in management of training and development, and Tiwa Cardoso, currently studying for an MSc in the same subject, are the manager and assistant-manager of East Lothianbased Haddington Athletic FC, a semiprofessional club currently competing in the South Division of the SFA’s Junior Eastern League.

Griffiths, a qualified UEFA A-licensed coach, is a native of Wales

and has been involved in coaching football for almost 20 years. Beginning his career in the USA, he was later involved in coaching programs with Liverpool FC and Icelandic club KTH Reykjavik, before returning to his homeland where he was appointed as a football development officer with the Welsh FA. He has since worked alongside a number of well-known football coaches including former Bolton Wanderers general manager Frank McParland and ex-Liverpool legend Steve Heighway.

After the resignation of former Haddington manager George Bowmaker, Griffiths was appointed as club manager in January 2009, charged with the task of reversing the club’s fortunes following relegation to the lower tier of the Eastern League in the 2001/02 season.

Assistant manager Cardoso, a former player and manager with semi-professional London-based side

The ultimate working holiday in Canada

Haddington Athletic take on rivals Kellingworth at Millfield Park Princes Park FC, enjoyed success as a central midfielder, but a serious knee injury in May 2008 prevented him from continuing his playing career. During his recuperation, he began the early

Working Adventures Worldwide

Your commute to wo

rk

Your new office

A quick stop at the gym

If you are a full time degree-level student or have graduated in the last 12 months then not only are you eligible for a 12-month student working visa, you can go as many times as you're eligible. This means you can go in your summer holidays as well as after you graduate.

Exclusive to BUNAC this flexible visa allows you to work anywhere and do practically any job - leaving you free to explore one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world.

Contact BUNAC for more info Email: canada@bunac.org.uk Tel: 020 7251 3362

A couple of drinks in town

www.BUNAC.org/canadastudent

Happy summer from The Journal www. journalonline. co.uk

stages of training to become an FAaccredited coach and presently holds a Level 2 licence.

In an interview with The Journal, Cardoso explains: “David and I first met as at Edinburgh University as a student and lecturer respectively. Long before he took the Haddington job, we had discussed football at length, so I was very excited when he offered me a trial as coach.”

The assistant-boss also admits that he did not intend to ply his trade as a coach during his spell at university, but the opportunity to work alongside a seasoned professional like Griffiths proved too good to turn down: “I wasn’t going to get involved in any serious coaching while I was in Edinburgh,” he says, “but the chance to work with someone of David’s experience doesn’t come often. I’ve already learned so much from him that will stand me in good stead should I ever want to move up a level and take my coaching more seriously. To be his assistant manager has been challenging and rewarding, and has definitely been a steep learning curve.”

Recently, Griffith and Cardoso have been faced with selection difficulties having inherited a squad that had lost a number of key players prior to their arrival. A recent spell of injuries and suspensions has also made picking a starting eleven particularly tough, and results over the past few months have not been what the managerial pair would have hoped for, with the team currently lingering at the lower end of mid-table. However, the two coaches are fully aware of the job that lies ahead: “Considering what this squad has been up against—having to use amateurs, trialists and youth players in every game to overcome the injury crisis—I’d say there’s pretty good justification for our position,” says Griffith.

“We haven’t been in a position to start the same eleven players since I took over, that’s how bad the situation has been. We know that we need to match passion with ability, and we are under

no illusions of our need to expand the playing staff.”

Unsurprisingly, given the current tribulations of the club, the managerial duo are now looking to recruit new players, and intend to use their connections with Edinburgh’s universities in order to discover new talent.

“The project at the club is definitely a long term one,” says Cardoso, “and this is why we’re keen to get students involved as they are often able commit to two, three or four years at a time. We are extremely keen to forge links with students from around the Edinburgh area – Edinburgh University, Napier, Heriot-Watt. We’re always on the lookout for new talent. As well trying to recruit new players, we’re also looking for physios and fitness coaches.”

Though despite the proven quality of university football, the Haddington number two emphasises the difference between playing football at university and competing at semi-professional level: “University football can often be played at an excellent standard,” he says, “and having watched a number of games, I’m aware that the standard is extremely high this year. However playing at semi-pro level is a different type of challenge. When you’re getting paid to play, the pressure and scrutiny you’re under is totally different. Your approach to everything from training through to match-day routines has to be spot on and you know that apart from the manager expecting you to justify your place, fans paying money will also have high expectations.”

Despite facing the difficulties with which so many of Scottish lowerleague clubs are confronted, Griffiths and Cardoso are confident that the club can bounce back next season, and the two managers clearly have every intention of pushing for honours next season.

Anyone wishing to get involved with Haddington Athletic should contact tiwacardoso@haddingtonathletic.co.uk