Government Can't Rewrite Nature And Allow Gays To Wed - O'Brien

The leader of Scotland's Catholic community has warned that moves by MSPs to legalise gay marriage will be "strenuously opposed" by the Church.







Keith O'Brien said any attempt to redefine marriage would be ‘strenuously opposed'.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, in a strongly worded homily delivered at a mass for politicians in Edinburgh last night, claimed that allowing gay people to wed through a civil or religious ceremonies would be a "direct attack" on the institution of marriage.

However, the intervention sparked criticism from MSPs, with the openly gay leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, attacking the Cardinal's remarks as "absurd" and as an attempt to "suppress" the freedom of gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

The row came after the SNP government launched a 14-week consultation on allowing gay marriage - a change to the law that currently allows same-sex couples to enter a civil partnership, but bans the ceremony from church or other religious premises.

However, Cardinal O'Brien suggested that supporters of gay marriage wanted to "rewrite human nature" as he appealed to MSPs to oppose the proposed reform.

He said: "The Church esteems the institution of marriage as the most stable building block upon which any family can rest.

"The view of the Church is clear, no government can rewrite human nature; the family and marriage existed before the State and are built on the union between a man and woman.

"Any attempt to redefine marriage is a direct attack on a foundational building block of society and will be strenuously opposed."

There was also a sharply worded statement issued by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland yesterday, which suggested that the Scottish Government's consultation was "an exercise for justifying the campaign demands" of the "vociferous" gay rights lobby.

But Green MSP Mr Harvie attacked the Catholic Church's stance on gay rights and highlighted a Scottish Social Attitudes survey which revealed 60 per cent believe same-sex couples should have the right to marry.

"It's absurd to suggest that one marriage can undermine other marriages," he said.

"Just as non-Catholics respect Catholic marriages, so it's time for the Cardinal to start respecting the right of every adult to love who they please.

"The Cardinal should also remember that he doesn't speak for all people of faith, or even all Christians.

"There are many faith groups who want to conduct same-sex marriages for their members, and the Catholic Church seems determined to try and suppress their freedom to do so."

SNP MSP John Mason, who faced criticism for lodging a parliamentary motion that said no-one should be "forced" to approve of same-sex marriage, said he wanted "to encourage churches" to get involved in the debate about the proposals.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Our consultation, published last week, sets out that the Scottish Government tends towards the initial view that same-sex marriage should be introduced in Scotland but that faith groups and their celebrants should not be obliged to solemnise same sex marriages."

SNP ‘Ducking And Diving’ On Poll

Opposition parties have responded to a poll showing a Yes vote for independence leading a No vote by saying the First Minister should stop “ducking and diving” and get on with the referendum.


















The survey – the latest in a series of 10 identical snapshots by TNS-BMRB, revealed exclusively by The Herald yesterday – put those in favour of Scotland breaking from the rest of the UK ahead by 39% to 38%, only the second time this has happened in the series and the first time for more than three years.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: “It is no surprise that, after the SNP winning a majority, many Scots are thinking about our constitutional future, and that is right.

“We saw a similar effect after the SNP first formed a government in 2007.

“The SNP is going to hold a referendum and the important thing is that it stops ducking and diving on the date, the question, and what it means by separation.”

He added: “The people of Scotland have a right to know what exactly the SNP is proposing, and to debate those plans for separation with all the information necessary.

“After four years and several White Papers, it is just not credible for Alex Salmond to claim he cannot answer the basic questions.”

Echoing those sentiments, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP said: “This poll confirms that independence is closer than ever before, with there now being a real danger than Scotland could split from the rest of the UK.

“The SNP has successfully created a warm fuzzy glow about how Scotland would perform as a separate country but has failed to provide any of the detail as to the costs of that separation.

“It has so far refused to answer the six big questions on independence posed last week but it cannot duck and dive for ever.”

The Scottish Tories, now in the middle of a leadership battle, did not respond but a Downing Street spokesman insisted: “The Prime Minister’s position on the Union is clear.

“He has said on a number of occasions that he would make the case for it again and again.”

A spokesman for the First Minister said: “We welcome this poll showing a majority for independence and showing growing numbers of people in Scotland are determined this country should aspire to a better future, taking responsibility for our own affairs.

“Clearly, the attacks on independence in recent days from the Westminster Tory and LibDem Coalition Government – far from making a positive case for the Union – have backfired badly and boomeranged on them.

“The UK Government has so far refused to respect the result of the Scottish election in May, in terms of the need for more powers, and has resorted to recycling old scare stories instead.

“The people of Scotland do not respond well to such scare stories and the fact that negative campaigning does not work was one of the essential lessons of the recent Scottish election, but the Unionist parties do not seem to have learned from that.

“The more that Scotland is talked down to, the more the people of Scotland will set their sights on a better future.”

The TNS-BMRB has used the wording suggested in the White Paper four years ago to ask people on a straight agree/disagree basis.

Apart from the headline figures of the 39%-38% lead for independence, the high level of undecideds, at 23%, would make a referendum campaign all to play for.

The poll showed greatest hostility to independence in Lothian and the south of Scotland, where opposition is still some 15 to 16 points ahead.

Support among men is higher than among women by 43% to 36% and peaks between the ages of 34 and 44 at 47% compared with 32% against.

The Way Of All Tory Flesh

There are three things to be said about Murdo Fraser's willingness to put his own party out of its misery: this is not a new idea, it is not enough, on its own, to spark a centre-right revival in Scottish politics and it is a brave way to begin a leadership campaign. Tactically it is a risky ploy; strategically it makes sense. Put all this together and there's every chance, yet again, that nothing will come of it.









For that matter, it may be a mistake to make this the crucial issue in the leadership campaign. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party may be feeble but it is also stubborn and most of the time it is guided by a kind of paleounionism that will lead to its extinction. So the question is this: a quick death and a new beginning o a long, drawn-out demise that will make the rebirth of Scottish conservatism more difficult than it need or must be?

It is hard to think of a successful right-of-centre party in europe that is not in some way identified as the patriotic party. The Scottish Tories have lost the ability to make that claim or be identified with the national interest. Until this is remedied there can be no secure recovery. Those Tories who claim Fraser is "appeasing" the SNP have it precisely backwards: it is the Keep Calm and Plod Along brigade that abets nationalism. Times have changed and even Tories must accept that.

Instead, however, the party has spent thirty years saying No to everything at a time when Scotland has been minded to say Yes. That must change. Much of the time - no matter how worthy their small-bore policies may have been - the Scottish Tories have viewed everything through constitutional glasses and concluded that anything that pleases the SNP or advances a sense of distinctiveness should be treated with suspicion. As such the party has rarely had anything to say and it has been easy, if sometimes unfair, to portray the Tories as the anti-Scottish party. At best, there's been the sense that the Conservatives have not always put Scotland's interests - which might include, incidentally, a centre-right revival - first.

Some of this is hard to avoid. But a modern and mature Unionism need not be afraid of nationalism. Nor must it continually pretend that independence is an impossible or lunatic dream. The contrary it is feasible and scarcely likely to result in the sky falling. The question Unionists should ask nationalists is whether independence is necessary? Yes, some things might be gained but others would surely be lost.

We have been here before. Sensible Unionists can acknowledge that the benefts of Union came at a price. Something was lost in 1707 and it was appropriate that the bells at St Giles rang out Why Should I Be So Sad on My Wedding Day? So there's been a streak of melancholy running through Unionism. Today, however, the question is on the other foot: Why Should I Be So Sad When My Divroce Papers Arrive? Perhaps because there might be a feeling that we could have made a better go of it and that our seperation was not, actually, necessary or even, when push comes to shove, something we're sure we want to go through with.

The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, however, has failed. Who really thinks it can, as presently constituted, recover? It's purpose must be more than to serve as a burial ground for the bodies left in Last Ditch Unionism. The better governance of Scotland - in whatever constitutional arrangement - should be its mission. At present why should any young, ambitious right-of-centre would-be politician join the Tories? Why not join the SNP and work for centre-right policies from within the SNP's capacious tent?

At present the SNP and Scottish Labour make claims to be the patriotic party. It might be thought preposterous that either consider it possible for them to enjoy a monopoly on patriotism but, no matter, it is evident that the Tories ceded this territory long ago and cannot win it back. For whom, at present, do they speak? And why should the rest of the country be interested in listening?

In the end, what matters more? The party or the future of right-of-centre politics in Scotland? Or, to put it another way, who dares think the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party, as presently constituted, is in any fit place to best lead or serve the interests of right-of-centre politics? Quite. It has had its chance and it has failed and now the national interest must be put above the interests of a mere political party.

Tory MSP Defiant Over Breakaway Bid

A Tory politician who announced plans for a breakaway party in Scotland without consulting Prime Minister David Cameron insists he has the political and financial support for a "new dawn" despite being rejected by the party's biggest Scottish donor.











Murdo Fraser launched his bid to lead the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (SCUP) in Scotland on Monday with a pledge to disband it and create a new centre-right party north of the border.

The Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP has been accused of "dividing the party" and sparking a "civil war" by opponents within and outside the Conservative Party.

Mr Fraser said he has not discussed his plans with Mr Cameron as it would be "inappropriate" for the leader of the UK Conservative Party to take a position in a Scottish leadership election.

He also dismissed claims by his main leadership rival, West of Scotland MSP Jackson Carlaw, that a rejection by the party's biggest Scottish donor was "a fatal blow" to his leadership campaign.

Sir Jack Harvie, the transport tycoon and philanthropist, said Focus on Scotland, the vehicle which currently provides the majority funding for the SCUP, would not extend its funding arrangement to Mr Fraser's party

Speaking at the launch, Mr Fraser expressed disappointment with Mr Harvie's comments but said he has received support from others in the business community.

He said: "I can tell you that among existing donors to the party there is a deep sense of disillusionment, that the money that they have given to the party in recent years has not been well spent.

"They have been paying for successive campaigns with absolutely no political progress and there is a great deal of appetite for a new centre-right force in Scotland amongst people in the business community."

Mr Fraser has already gained the support of airport car park magnate John McGlynn, engineering tycoon Jim McColl and property developer Robert Kilgour for his plans.

Scottish Conservatives: A Toxic Brand?

The Conservatives in Scotland, a sorry tale of dramatic decline unmatched anywhere else in the UK.











David Cameron is keeping quiet about Murdo Fraser's proposal.

Time was when the Tories could rely on electing MPs from Scotland, with areas like Perthshire solid Tory, but the gradual erosion of their support during the Thatcher years descended into meltdown in 1997 when the Tories were wiped out in the Labour landslide.

Not one Conservative candidate in Scotland was returned to Westminster, eleven Scottish MPs lost their seats.

Even now, there is only one Scottish Conservative MP, David Mundell, despite high hopes that they might return as many as a dozen at the last election, and the party pouring money and effort into campaigning north of the border.

So, as they are about to elect a new leader to replace Annabel Goldie, the front-runner, Murdo Fraser, has come up with a radical plan: "A new party for a new Scotland."

This new party would be committed to devolution, and would work in alliance with the Conservatives south of the border.

He believes the Conservatives have become a "toxic brand" in Scotland. Recent elections would suggest that that is stating the blindingly obvious.

The new leader will be elected by the 15,000 members of the party in Scotland. There are two other candidates: Jackson Carlaw and Ruth Davidson, both MSPs

Although David Cameron, who by coincidence is in Scotland as a guest of The Queen at Balmoral, is keeping quiet about Mr Fraser's plan, others have attacked it.

Michael Forsyth, now Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, was the last Conservative Scottish Secretary (1995-1997). He describes as "naive and simplistic" the idea that changing the party name and distancing itself from the Conservatives will bring electoral success.

He believes the move is designed to appease the SNP: "I think the strategy is one of appeasement of the Nationalists, and I think it is one that will fail."

Mr Fraser, however, says senior English Conservatives are backing his plan.

Assuming Mr Fraser is elected leader, by no means a certainty of course, although he is the hot favourite, his new party will have to come up with a new name.

"Same old Tories" was one of the more polite suggestions from their opponents.

'We Can Kill Independence And Break The SNP' — Murdo Fraser To Launch Leadership Bid With Bold Message

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has promised to "kill independence" and "break the SNP" if elected new Scottish Conservative leader.










The Perthshire politician, who is favourite to succeed Annabel Goldie, will outline his vision of a "new unionism" when he officially announces his leadership bid on Monday.

He will tell supporters the UK faces a "serious threat" and that the SNP's promised independence referendum will be the "central issue" of Scottish politics in the next few years.

Mr Fraser will use the speech to outline his vision of how the Tories can make their mark in Scotland against a background of an SNP majority at Holyrood and the looming independence referendum.

"Strengthening the union will be at the centre of everything I will do," he will say. "If Alex Salmond really believed in his own message, he would put his money where his mouth is and have a single-question referendum. No second question. No Salmond cop-out. Separation — yes or no.

"Then we can move on. We can be positive about Scotland and positive about the United Kingdom. We can kill independence and break the SNP."

Significantly, Mr Fraser will also reject full Scottish fiscal autonomy, under which all taxes would be set by Holyrood, describing it as "independence in disguise."

It had previously been thought he was open-minded about such a possibility, a view that could have put him at odds with Prime Minister David Cameron.

But he will say: "I support a new form of unionism. A new unionism that will give the people of Scotland the ability to shape their own future.

'New unionism'

"A new unionism that will provide financial devolution to the Scottish Parliament, because with power will come responsibility.

"A new unionism that calls for a more decentralised United Kingdom, at ease with itself, knowing that the whole will always be greater than the sum of the parts."

He will reiterate support for the extra powers for the Scottish Parliament set out in the Scotland Bill but reject other measures wanted by the SNP such as control of corporation tax.

"But I strongly support the principles of financial devolution, where the Scottish Parliament is more responsible for the money it spends."

But SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell attacked Mr Fraser's comments.

"Before he continues with his campaign Mr Fraser might want to reconsider his language," he said. "The last politician to threaten to 'kill nationalism' saw his party lose at this year's elections and the public back a majority SNP Government.

"Scotland wants a parliament that is working hard to build a better future, to create jobs and grow the economy. Whilst opposition parties spend their time in internal leadership wrangles the SNP will next week set out a positive programme for government that will address the concerns of voters across Scotland and take this country forward."

Call for 'Clarity' On Independence

A senior Liberal Democrat has accused First Minister Alex Salmond of backing away from the key SNP policy for full independence.











Lord Wallace of Tankerness, the Advocate General and former deputy first minister, said Mr Salmond will stop short of the aim and settle instead for maximum powers within the UK.

In an interview with The Times newspaper, Lord Wallace said: "The First Minister is a very forceful character and someone who in spite of all the rhetoric about independence actually knows on which side the bread is buttered and therefore will push for maximum powers but stop short.

"I wouldn't say he was a feartie but he's got his head screwed on the right way."

He called for "clarity" on what independence means and an early referendum, and compared Mr Salmond with Jordi Pujol, a Catalonian politician who settled for devolved powers within the Spanish state.

Lord Wallace's provocative claim follows interventions from other senior Lib Dem MPs in recent days. Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said the SNP has questions to answer on areas such as currency, bank regulation, EU membership and defence after independence.

Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, another Scottish Lib Dem MP, said the country's deficit would have been the largest in Europe, according to the gap between taxes raised and what was spent in 2009-10.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "The First Minister is totally committed to independence, as are growing numbers of people in Scotland, and we will give people that chance to choose independence in the referendum we have promised.

"Jim Wallace's problem is that he didn't even manage to be Scotland's Jordi Pujol when he had the chance. With every week that passes his party seem to be retreating further and further from their supposed policy of more powers for Scotland's national Parliament - and instead are acting as a front for a Tory Government Scotland didn't vote for.

"The Lib Dems now sound like the Scottish Tories did in the 1990s, and it is having exactly the same result on their level of support."