paulwheelhouse.bsky.social
Former MSP & Minister in Scottish Government until 2021. Focus on Energy & Environmental policy, not politics, these days. Sports fan. Live on beautiful #CostaDelBerwickshire☀️, Scottish Borders, South of Scotland 🏴🇪🇺 Opinions are my own, not my employer’s.
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We know he does not speak for all Americans, Maria. Your country remains a great nation of the World in so many ways and has done much that is good, too. However I and many others are saddened to face a period where 🇺🇸’s usual role as ‘leader of the free World’ is very much suspended.
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I believe most Americans will see the behaviour of Trump & Vance as a disgraceful way to treat a heroic country🇺🇦 and its leader. I just hope European nations & all true democracies step up for Ukraine to offer € & help on top of warm words. We now know the US can abandon its friends at drop of a 🧢.
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Simply stunning photos! 👏😍
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Not yet - not sure I want to, but will look ahead. Modelling seems accurate so far here - speeds on average in 40s feels about right with some really horrible gusting into 80s I guess. If what is coming next week is worse than that, then I am glad I am in blissful ignorance right now! 😅
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Charlie sought to connect with his roots in the North in his later years and (re)learned Gaelic & sang in a Gaelic choir. One of the most beautiful moments in the service was a Gaelic song ‘Cro Chinn t-Saile’. He rests here, but I hope Charlie finds his spiritual home in the cattlefold of Kintail.🤞
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Thanks, Gillian - appreciate your kind thoughts. Great care and kindness being shown to my family member from the team at the hospital & hopefully, with a bit of therapy initially there and then thereafter as an outpatient, will recover fully in time.🤞 Can only offer my praise & thanks to the team.
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Sorry re the false weblink above - not sure how Bluesky added that!
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Hi Margaret - absolutely agree. We are lucky to have our SNHS. Thank you for your kind words and I am hopeful that all will go well. Great to read of the positive experience you’ve seen. I hope that your own family member continues their strong recovery & gets back to good health. Very best wishes.
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I think the racket we made firing caps off and the like probably ensured our neighbours didn’t see it that way! 😂
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😂 You went all out on the cowboy kit, there! Bravo! 👏 I had one of the hats with the edging on it, too. Also a small sombrero, I think (from Spanish holiday & certainly not authentic/Mexican 🌵 , though! I think I had ‘chaps’, too, but usually just running around in my chords, etc (hid dirt well!)
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I am not sure the neighbours would have agreed😉, as Jonny and I made quite a racket with our cap guns. And there others, too - we were quite a fearsome bunch of bandits/sheriffs depending on whose turn it was. Great times though - could play outdoors for hours on end and we were not in any danger.
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I missed my vocation. Ate plenty of the bars, though. 😂
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I am giving folk a few days grace, Angie - a lot of people (including folk I know are real) are still learning the ropes, and working out their migration across from the toxic place and haven’t filled in new bio details or uploaded pictures, so I am waiting a bit, for now.
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By the way, Daniel, lovely to actually meet someone from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - I have only ever been to California for business, so have never visited your area, but sending my best wishes to all in PA from Scotland 🏴.
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I genuinely do worry things could get a lot worse in the US & hope I’m wrong. There’s lots I admire about 🇺🇸, but a lack of protections for those in need is something I hope we never copy. In 🏴, our Parliament has worked to keep healthcare free at the point of need & I’ll never take that for granted.
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Ignore the weird link there - must have happened when typing ‘pinch’. Hopefully I will get the hang of posting on Bluesky soon! 😂
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Also real wage growth has been sluggish at best & trade has been sharply down in aftermath of Brexit, so prices are higher, energy costs⬆️ due to 🇷🇺 invading 🇺🇦 & weak £, & consumers ‘feel the pinch’. Disposable income is weak, discretionary spending (in C) & tax revenue⬇️. ➡️Stagnation, more austerity
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Hi Daniel, IMO too few MPs understand aggregate demand (GDP) is built via C+I+G+(X-M), where C is personal consumption spend, I is investment, G is government spend on goods and services, X =exports, & M=imports. Since 2010 Govts have cut, I, G (in real terms) via ‘austerity’, & pushes ⬇️GDP 1/2
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I think the shape in midfield (left Modric unmarked) and uncertainty in the normal high press meant we struggled. I think the ref got it right, but the key was then to take advantage of the red card and we did. Doak is such a talent though - we are lucky to have him & he is thrilling to watch! 👏😊