Concrete Saltires

This St Andrews' Day there has been a large scale demonstration outisde the Parliament, opposing the UK Government's cash grab on public sector pensions.

Pickets were in place from early on and I had a good and lengthy discussion with one of them at 7.30 this morning , expressing my strong sympathy for the cause but my view that the Parliament must meet and Government must take place.

However not a single Labour or Green MSP came in to their work in order to speak for Scotland on the matter. Not one of them was there to take part in this afternoon's important opportunity for our country to be heard on the issue. Only the SNP spoke out and voted against the Tory / Liberal Coalition at Westminster and their Scotish branches' attempt to defend the indefensible.

I eventually found a few minutes, though, to go searching for St Andrews Day Saltires in the Parliament building. I had seen a flag at lunchtime in the canteen but I remembered later that Enric Miralles had designed one part of the Parliament so that it featured saltires in the sky, in a concrete reference to the Battle of Athelstaneford. Here are a few of them from the vaulted roof of the public entrance hall.

Happy St Andrews Day, by the way !