An alliance between Scotland’s seven cities – Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling – set up to develop a wider economic and environmental strategy will focus on hydrogen-based technologies. Aberdeen already has Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen-fuelled buses, has plans to extend it and the other cities are expected to follow suit. See:
Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen-fuelled buses is in Aberdeen
Scotland is, of course, a world-leader in the production of hydrogen from tidal power. See:
In addition, Aberdeen has already installed the UK’s largest hydrogen cell for its Exhibition and Conference Centre
A fuller account of the Alliance can be found in the Insider online news magazine at:
http://www.insider.co.uk/news/scottish-cities-alliance-smart-cities-11763737
You won’t be surprised to know that I could find nothing on this important and very positive initiative beyond the business magazines, Insider and Energy Voice. Indeed, the only Scottish mainstream media report I could find came in the Herald back in 2014 and was headlined:
‘Scottish Cities Alliance refuses to reveal figures about its investment deals’
Could the negative tone have had something to with the Alliance being ‘a Scottish Government-backed collaboration’? The article gives extended space to grudging and mean, wee Labour and Tory representatives but none to the SNP government.
Talking-up Scotland 
Nice wee article John which highlights truly good news on several levels. You are doing sterling work with exposing the very poor and dishonest “journalistic” media coverage which is prevalent in Scotland. Keep it up, it fair cheers me up!
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Thanks Ian. I appreciate the encouragement.
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John, Many of your articles deal with business and innovation. Is this not an aspect where you could collaborate with Gordon Macintyre-Kemp?
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Kind of like doing my own thing and not having to agree with other writers. Getting cantankerous with age?
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I can understand that and I suspect that your politics and his are probably some way apart, except, of course for resolution with regard to independence. I was not necessarily meaning joint work, but, there may be sources of business and commerce information of which he knows that you might be able to mine.
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Hi John ert al. I very much like the ‘alert’ you have included above your headline – If the scrutiny from the Scottish alternative media is having occasional beneficial effects in allowing beeb journos to include even a modicum of context then I say “Hooray – let’s have some more of that!”
The year ends with Brexit issues continuing to dominate. Was interested to see on beeb site re. Lord Adonis (Blair era business/technocrat type former Minister who was taking on an infrastructure advisory role for Theresa May has felt the need to resign due to the continuing brexit disaster): See below:
The government’s infrastructure adviser has announced he is quitting his role, describing Brexit as a “populist and nationalist spasm”.
Lord Adonis said Prime Minister Theresa May was “pursuing a course fraught with danger” over the UK’s EU departure.
The ex-Labour minister is already a high-profile campaigner against Brexit.
In his resignation letter, he accused Mrs May of “allying with UKIP and the Tory hard right to wrench Britain out of the key economic and political institutions of modern Europe”, saying the UK was “hurtling towards the EU’s emergency exit with no credible plan for the future of British trade and European co-operation”.
MP Iain Duncan Smith said the departure of Lord Adonis was “long overdue”.
He added: “It’s a bit rich for him to pontificate on what he calls populism, but what most would refer to as democracy, when he himself has never been elected by a public vote. He has instead relied on preferment from others.”
Note John – IDS accuses Adonis of ‘..pontificating..’! – I wonder if he’s been reading this blog??
Interesting to learn that IDS apparently believes that unelected Peers should butt out – I wonder if he preaches this message with such evangelical energy at the 1922 Committee and other Tory institutions? – Or, he couldn’t just be a hypocrite could he?
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Thanks Ludo
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A wee piece from the beeb wales site neatly encapsulates the metropolitan view towards the Celtic Fringe: See below:
A Downing Street aide dismissed as “tiresome” a Welsh MP’s request to discuss south Wales’ job losses with Prime Minister John Major in 1991.
The comment, by Mr Major’s private secretary, Dominic Morris, is revealed in newly-released cabinet papers.
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Labour MP Ted Rowlands wanted the June meeting after hundreds of Hoover and Thorn EMI jobs were lost in his constituency.
“I fear you will have to give him five minutes,” Mr Morris wrote.
Mr Morris told the prime minister Mr Rowlands had not been satisfied with a meeting with the Welsh secretary and was “pressing” to see the prime minister.
He wrote: “It is tiresome, but unless you wish to abandon policy (which I understand both Mrs Thatcher and Lord Callaghan followed), of seeing MPs with significant closures, I fear you will have to give him five minutes.”
In a separate note ahead of the meeting, Mr Morris added: “I think all you need to do is listen sympathetically and then take him through the action highlighted.”
Hopefully we can soon free the BritNat elite from these “..tiresome..” requests and meetings insofar as Scotland is concerned. Role on the UK Two State Solution.
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I’ve never even heard of the Scottish Cities Alliance . . . . So thats a case of Job Done by our anti Scottish Media . . . Another great article John. . . Hope you keep digging out these articles . . .
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Cheers CB
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