Orcadian Column, 18 September 2025

During the Festival of Politics at Holyrood last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing veteran BBC News anchor and foreign correspondent, Clive Myrie. I started by asking him about the title of his autobiography, Everything is Everything, an expression taken from his mother, who came to the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation in the 1960s.

Clive described it as a sentiment of optimism; that however bleak things appeared, it would work out OK in the end.  Given some of the places from which he has reported over the years, including war zones, famines, genocides and natural disasters, Clive acknowledged that sustaining optimism had often been difficult. He went on to argue, though, that through hope comes strength. 

Even so, scanning the horizon of current affairs here in the UK and globally, Mrs Myrie’s laudable mission statement seems a big ask. Vladimir Putin has intensified his illegal assault on Ukraine, while testing NATO resolve by sending drones into Polish and Romanian airspace.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s regime continues to unleash a genocidal decimation of Gaza alongside the annexation of the West Bank through settlement and violence. Recent attacks on Hamas negotiators in Qatar reinforces the truth that Netanyahu has no interest in pursuing a diplomatic settlement of this bloody conflict. It shows too the extent to which the Israeli Prime Minister, his Cabinet and Israeli Defence Force believe they can act with impunity in the absence of any willingness by President Trump to act as a restraining force.

Alistair Carmichael and I had the chance to discuss these issues with members of the Orkney Friends of Palestine last Saturday. Notwithstanding the sanctions and export bans already in place, and the prospect of the UK, France and others formally recognising Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly later this month, there was a clear and understandable determination within OFoP to see Scotland and the UK go further. 

There is certainly a very legitimate case for broadening out sanctions, divestment and boycotts as part of a wider international effort to apply pressure on the Israeli government. Indeed, following the vote at Holyrood earlier this month, I assume the Scottish Government is preparing a package of measures, but with little sign of any restraint being exercised by the Netanyahu regime, this feels like a debate that will need to continue to take place.

Meanwhile, the shooting of right-wing activist, Charlie Kirk has poured yet more fuel on the political fires already raging across the US. Those taking delight in Mr Kirk’s murder do their case and cause no good. At the same time, the rush by President Trump and many high-profile Republicans to use Mr Kirk’s assassination to up the ante in calling for retribution and, in some cases, “war” is beyond reckless. Assertions that the killing is somehow “on” Democrats is also grossly irresponsible and, as we learn more about the alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, wildly misleading.

Unsurprisingly, some of this call to political violence has washed up on our shores, as evidenced by the alarming so-called Unite the Kingdom march in London on Saturday. If the link wasn’t obvious enough, a video address by Elon Musk explicitly calling for the violent overthrow of the UK government removed any doubt.

Don’t get me wrong, I have issues with a Keir Starmer administration that lurches from one crisis to the next, most recently with the entirely predicable self-immolation of its Ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson over spectacularly inappropriate ties to former US financier and convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. 

We have elections, however, for unseating unpopular governments and need no lessons on good governance or democracy from Elon Musk and his followers. Indeed, seeing saltires and union jacks flying from lampposts along Broad Street at the weekend offered a distant and depressing echo of events unfolding in London. A reminder, perhaps, that Orkney is not immune.

As concerned and even angry as people might be, often with good reason, we need to focus on the real source of the challenges we face, whether in housing, healthcare, jobs or the cost of living. Only then can we hope to find effective and lasting solutions. Meantime, as Mrs Myrie would say, everything is everything.