Belle & Sebastian - Perfect Couples

Stereogum recaps:

Belle & Sebastian have shared a video for an extended version of “Perfect Couples,” a track from their latest album, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance. There’s no real plot to speak of here — it’s more of a visualization featuring a neighborhood party that gradually gets more intricate and chaotic as more people join in. It crescendos with a group dance before being whittled down to its smaller components once again. The passive form of the video should be expected, since it was originally put together by production company The Forest Of Black to accompany the song on the band’s most recent tour.

It looks like they did this in one take except for a moment near the end. Belle & Sebastian's current world tour dips back into the US for several dates next month.

Scotland Leads Ranking Of LGBT Rights

Via press release:

According to ILGA-Europe’s annual review of LGBTI equality and human rights laws across the continent, published today, Scotland now comes ahead of the rest of the UK and Europe in the legal protections offered to LGBTI people. The ‘Rainbow Europe Index’ measures progress in European countries on LGBTI equality against a 48-point criteria that includes legal protections from discrimination in employment and services, measures to tackle hate crime, rights and recognition for transgender and intersex people, and equality in family law including same-sex marriage and parenting rights.

Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage last year, Scotland now meets 92% of ILGA Europe’s criteria, compared to 86% for the UK as a whole. The UK’s overall figure is brought down by lack of protections for intersex people in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland’s failure to respect LGBTI human rights in a range of areas including its refusal to legalise same-sex marriage. 

Scotland (92%) is joined in ILGA-Europe’s ranking of the top five countries for LGBTI legal equality by the rest of the UK (86%), Belgium (83%), Malta (77%), and Sweden (72%). The five countries ranked worst for LGBTI legal equality in Europe include Azerbaijan (5%), Russia (8%), Armenia (9%), Ukraine (10%) and Monaco (11%). With a few exceptions, the human rights of LGBTI people are better respected in Western Europe than Central Europe, and are least protected in Eastern Europe.

(Tipped by JMG reader Timothy)

SCOTLAND: Another Secession Bid?

Yesterday's election in Britain may result in another bid for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) obliterated its opponents, taking 56 of Scotland's 59 seats in the Westminster parliament. The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats could muster only one seat each. This marked a spectacular gain from the six seats the SNP won in the last United Kingdom election in 2010. But with the Conservatives securing victory across Britain overall to stay in power, a wide divide has opened up between England and Scotland. The results from Thursday's election immediately put the question of another referendum on Scottish independence at the forefront of minds north and south of the border. Scots voted against independence last September but the SNP, which led the drive, has surged in popularity since then and eclipsed the pro-union Labour Party, which has traditionally counted Scotland as a stronghold in Britain-wide elections.

In the September 2014 secession vote, 55% voted no.

Vatican Accepts Resignation Of Cardinal Who Confessed To Sex With Priests

Via the Huffington Post:

Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who was accused of sexually harassing several men in a scandal that exploded on the eve of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, has renounced the “rights and privileges” of his office but gets to keep his prestigious title, the Vatican announced Friday (March 20). O’Brien did not take part in the March 2013 conclave and now he will be barred from any future conclaves; at age 77, he would have lost his voting eligibility at age 80. Francis had been under pressure to take some action against O’Brien since one of his victims revealed that an internal church report on O’Brien had been sent to Rome and was “hot enough to burn the varnish” off the pope’s desk. At least five men – three priests, a former priest and a former seminarian – accused O’Brien of either sexually harassing them or pressuring them into sex, in allegations that went back to the 1980s. O’Brien was accused of being sexually active up through at least 2009.

Following the initial accusations, Bill Donohue declared that O'Brien was the target of false charges from the "lavender mafia." And then O'Brien confessed: "In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them. However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal. To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness."

Two weeks after that murky confession, the Scotland Herald revealed that O'Brien's chief accuser had been his long-term boyfriend. In August 2013 it was revealed that O'Brien had thwarted investigations into sexual abuses committed by priests under his command. And yet he gets to keep his red hat. Take that shocked look off your face.

Jimmy Somerville - Some Wonder

Jimmy Somerville's disco tribute album Homage will be released on Tuesday and today we get the first production video. I interviewed Somerville back in November and you can check out a great fan video from album's glorious first single, Travesty.

SCOTLAND: Same-Sex Marriages Begin!

Scotland's Marriage & Civil Partnership Bill came into effect on December 16th and as of midnight local time today the 15-day waiting period for the first round of licenses has expired. New Year's Eve is known as Hogmanay in Scotland, so congrats to all the Hogmanay newlyweds! More photos and video of the above ceremony are here.

SCOTLAND: Same-Sex Marriages Begin

Belle & Sebastian - Nobody's Empire

From the coming album due on January 19th.

Scotland Marriages Begin December 31st

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Scotland on December 31st.

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 will come into force on 16 December, meaning couples can register to marry then. Following the usual 15 day notice period for marriages, the first same-sex weddings will take place on 31 December 2014. Scottish couples already in Civil Partnerships will be able to convert to marriage from the same date, 16 December, by making an appointment at a register office. Those who wish to convert to marriage with a full marriage ceremony will be able to do so from 31 December, and regular marriage fees will then apply. For married transgender people, today’s announcement also brought the news that from 16 December they will no longer be forced to divorce the person they love before they are allowed to have the gender they live as recognised in law.

Jimmy Somerville - Back To Me

BRITAIN: Cameron Promises Devolved Powers For All Nations In United Kingdom

During his triumphant speech early this morning, British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that "just as the people of Scotland will have more power over their affairs, so it follows that the people of England, Wales, Northern Ireland must have a bigger say over theirs." He continued, "The question of English votes for English laws - the so-called West Lothian question - requires a decisive answer. So just as Scotland will vote separately on their issues of tax, spending and welfare, so too England as well as Wales and Northern Ireland should be able to vote on these issues." Some have worried that the government will be pushed further right without liberal Scottish votes in Parliament.
  

Today's Front Pages In Britain

Open Thread: Scotland Poll ResultsUPDATE: BBC Calls It, "The UK Survives"

The polls have closed in Scotland and the votes are being tabulated. Since there was no exit polling, all eyes are on the 32 Scottish councils as they report their results. The first reports are expected at around 9PM Eastern time and we should know if the world has a new independent country about five hours later. The Guardian will be updating the returns at the above link.

UPDATE: Glasgow voted YES for independence, but the margin was smaller than expected. Once Glasgow reported, the BBC immediately called it. "There will be no independent Scotland."

Glasgow - Scotland's biggest city - votes for independence BUT it won't be enough. The UK survives
— Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) September 19, 2014

My YES friends, let's turn our passion towards ensuring the Devo Max promises the Westminster establishment have made to us are delivered

— Alan Cumming (@Alancumming) September 19, 2014

I've spoken to Alistair Darling - and congratulated him on an well-fought campaign. #indyref

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) September 19, 2014

Annie Lennox - I Put A Spell On You

Today's Front Pages In Great Britain

More here. (Tipped by JMG reader Kyle)

Scotland Goes To The Polls

Via the BBC:

People in Scotland are voting on whether the country should stay in the UK or become an independent nation. Voters will answer "Yes" or "No" to the referendum question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" With 4,285,323 people - 97% of the electorate - registered to vote, it is expected to be the busiest day in Scottish electoral history. Votes will be cast at 5,579 polling stations until 22:00 on Thursday. The result is expected on Friday morning. Strict rules mean the BBC - in common with other broadcasters - is not allowed to report details of campaigning until after the polls close. Once the polls have closed, ballot papers will be counted in each of Scotland's 32 local authority areas. These will include votes cast from the 789,024 postal vote applications, which was the largest volume of registration for postal votes ever in Scotland. After votes have been tallied, the counting officer in each area will communicate the result to the chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly in Edinburgh. With her approval they will then make a declaration of the result,.

Headline Of The Day

Today might be the last day of the United Kingdom as we've known it. CNN reports that last minute polls remain in a dead heat.

Politicians are making their final pleas to Scottish voters Wednesday, the last day of campaigning before they head to the polls to vote on independence. Opinion polls put the two sides neck-and-neck ahead of Thursday's historic referendum, which could see Scotland split from the United Kingdom. The latest poll of polls, released Wednesday by ScotCen, an independent research center, shows "no" at 51% and "yes" at 49%, with "don't know" voters excluded. It is consistent with results over the past week or so, which have indicated the race is too close to call. Polls suggest around 8% of voters remain undecided, making their votes crucial to deciding the outcome of the referendum.

As the vote nears, emotions are running high on both sides of the divide. There were chaotic scenes as Labour Party leader Ed Miliband met with members of the public on Tuesday, forcing him to cut short a meet and greet. Prime Minister David Cameron pleaded on a visit to Aberdeen this week for Scotland to stay in the union. If they leave there will be no return, he warned, saying, "This is a once-and-for-all decision." Cameron will face tough questions over the effectiveness of the pro-union "Better Together" campaign if Scotland opts to leave, with critics accusing the main parties in Westminster of complacency over the vote. They have also questioned the promise of more powers for Scotland if it stays, warning that England and Wales should not lose out.

Separatist movements around the world are hanging on every bit of news out of Scotland.

Taiwanese Animators On Scotland's Vote

54% Of LGBT Scots Favor Secession

According to an online poll conducted by Pink News, 54% of LGBT Scots plan on voting for independence from Great Britain.

2,163 Scottish readers took part in the poll conducted on the Pink News website on Friday and Saturday. 54% said that they intended to vote yes, 44% said that they would be voting no while 2% said that they were still undecided. Among 1,204 non-Scottish readers of Pink News, 87% said that they opposed independence, 5% supported it, while 8% were unsure. First Minister Alex Salmond told Pink News: “I am delighted this Pink News poll has produced a majority for the Yes campaign, as well as the opportunity to build a fairer country that comes with it. It is a fantastic response from Scotland’s LGBT community and is a further demonstration of the rise in support for a Yes vote we have seen across Scotland. An independent Scotland will herald a new era for equalities, enshrining rights and protections in a written constitution.”

Both the Yes Scotland and Better Together campaigns have been courting LGBT voters. If the overall margin proves to be as tight as predicted, LGBT votes could turn out to be important.

BRITAIN: Leaders Sign "Historic Pledge" To Scotland If They Vote No On Secession

Via the Scotland Daily Record:

Westiminster main party leaders today set aside their differences to promise that a No vote will mean a stronger Scottish Parliament and total protection for the NHS. David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have signed up to a historic joint statement that was demanded by the Daily Record on behalf of the people of Scotland. In their own words, they pledge to work together to transfer more powers to Holyrood if Scots reject independence on Thursday. The Prime Minister, his Lib Dem deputy and the Labour leader also promise to ensure that no one other than the Scottish Parliament can cut vital public services such as the NHS. The unprecedented agreement was signed after the Record demanded that the leaders clearly explain what they are offering so the Scottish people can decide if it is a better alternative to independence. The agreement was brokered by former prime minister Gordon Brown and Scottish Labour. It will give Scots who remain unsure about separation complete confidence that, if there is a No vote, Scotland will still be given much more control over its future.

The British government has been in panic mode after recent polls showed a surge of support for independence. On Sunday, Queen Elizabeth cautioned Scots to "think carefully" about their vote even though Buckingham Palace is officially neutral on the issue.