Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
YOU know when someone has something to hide. It’s very clear from their actions, which vary from the usual and become furtive or offhand.
Last month I applied to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for a grounds pass to attend the UN general assembly first committee discussions on the outcome of the open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament which I’d attended and spoken at in Geneva in August.
Suddenly I wasn’t welcome to attend as far as the British government was concerned, because it already had a diplomatic team attending and the Westminster line of opposing any change to the accepted wisdom of no change to the nuclear doctrine accepted by the Permanent 5 nuclear weapons states on the security council would prevail.
BILL KIDD MSP says increasing Britain’s nuclear arsenal at this time is dangerous and expensive folly


