Lesley Riddoch

Riddoch Questions September 28 - Riddoch meets Greer

Australian feminist and commentator Germaine Greer will be Lesley's guest this week talking about the new ladette culture ("the only exciting thing left for girls to do in our anaesthetised culture is to go out and get blind drunk"), equality ("why do women aim so low?"), expectations (girls who do well by doing what they're told at school will become the cannon fodder of the executive world, as the gambler men whisk past them to the boardroom") feminism ("it's not dead, it hasn't even started yet") and Princess Diana ("I didn't exactly say she was a devious moron.")
Is Germaine out to change society or just self publicise?

Hear the interview on Friday at 1.15, then call Lesley with your views on 0500 92 95 00 or e-mail lesley@bbc.co.uk and text 80295.

Sometimes the Outer Hebrides might as well be outer space.

Scotland’s island communities have faced epic struggles for survival over the last century. Have the authorities learned anything from that experience?

Not much if Caledonian MacBrayne’s next six year contract is anything to go by.

The people of South Uist and Barra were hoping for an improvement in what must be the worst ferry service in Scotland – but there’ll be no change. According to the Scottish Government, any added expense (or crafty redeployment of boats that might disrupt other routes) cannot be justified because of the rules on tendering and the low local population base. The self-fulfilling nature of that remark is depressing. Is this government already managing the decline of remote communities, even as it talks a very good game about Road Equivalent Tariff?

Barra’s near neighbour, Mingulay was deserted almost a hundred years ago, primarily because polite calls for better transport were ignored then.

According to author Ben Buxton, “The rising population led to overcrowding in the village and disease such as typhoid, measles and influenza. It was often impossible to get to Barra to summon the doctor or the priest. People and goods were landed on rocks but boats had to be hauled up onto the beach. This necessitated wading out to chest height in the water. For much of the winter launching boats was impossible. The larger boats had to be left at anchor in Castlebay. A visitor reported, “It is no unusual occurrence for islanders to have to throw their bags of meal into the sea and drag them ashore by means of a rope. It is easier to reach America than to get there.

September 21st - Simon Milne - the man who doesn't want Trump

US billionaire Donald Trump wants to create ‘the world’s greatest golf course’ at Menie in Aberdeenshire. Councillors are being advised to approve the proposals - but conservationists are up in arms – would such a major project seriously damage an environmentally sensitive area?

Simon Milne, CEO of the Scottish Wildlife Trust will be speaking to Lesley this week about his opposition to the American tycoon’s plans – backing him up will be Richard Firmin from the Buchan Countryside Group.

Trump’s representatives will put their case for the luxury resort, and the owner of the Marcliffe Hotel, Stewart Spence, will explain why he believes it’s “the most important thing for the North East since the discovery of oil”.

We’ll also hear from the golfers themselves – do they think Scotland needs another major golf course?

On Friday call 0500 92 95 00 or email lesley@bbc.co.uk and text 80295

Office number 01382 308076

Yearning for a return to the politics of diversity

THEY say a picture paints a thousand words. They're not wrong. The image of Gordon Brown and Maggie Thatcher standing by the door of Downing Street last week was deeply troubling.

She wore a deep pink dress, he wore a deep pink tie as if Colour Me Beautiful had been called in - or worse. As if they naturally matched. But there were no matching smiles or body language. He looked jumpy, she had the dull, unfocused look of someone struggling with illness. Michael Parkinson said he couldn't make eye contact with the quick-thinking Mohammed Ali after Alzheimer's struck. Brown was clearly uneasy facing a formidable political opponent now struggling to stand.

September 14 - Maureen Moore - ASH

Smoking is back in the headlines. This week researchers claimed – and some sceptics contested – that the Scottish smoking ban has reduced the incidence of heart attacks. And on Thursday the Scottish parliament will vote to raise the age to buy tobacco from 16 to 18 – effective from October 1st. Will the age change be enough to stop Scots kids being the worst teen-smokers in the UK?

Surprisingly perhaps neither Belinda Cunnison of the pro-smoking group, Freedom to Choose nor Maureen Moore the Chief Executive of anti-smoking charity ASH think the age change will deter young smokers. So what will?

Lesley interviews some of Dundee’s underage smokers who ask why they can’t be trusted to decide about tobacco at 16 if they can join the army, marry and possibly soon be able to vote.

On Friday call 0500 92 95 00 or email lesley@bbc.co.uk and text 80295

Executive ? Government ? What's all the fuss ?

NAME calling is never pleasant but now it's political - thanks to Messrs Brown, Salmond and Foulkes. It seems our "London" rulers won't conform to the will of the "Scottish Government", and insist on callin g the chaps running North Britain, "The Scottish Executive" instead.

Gordon Brown says he must, sadly, use the description written on the tin. The Scotland Act, which created Holyrood, says "Scottish Executive" - and that's what he'll have to call Alex and co, even if they've just paid good money to change signs and letterheads to "Scottish Government", because the previous title only confused the punters.

Aye right. This is a classic and predictable bust-up. Which is why it's attracted less energy and attention than the second political verbal hare, set running by Lord George Foulkes. He's claimed that: "Alex Salmond needs to be very careful when he makes snide remarks about 'London' Labour and the 'London' government, that he's not fanning the flames of any existing anti-English sentiment. That would be deeply irresponsible."

Fail to sow and we fail to reap the rewards

Wind farms are producing only a fraction of their potential because they’re being “wrongly” sited in sheltered parts of England, according to Radio 4’s Costing the Earth.

And yet the energy regulator Ofgem penalises producers who locate in the “right” place -- windy Northern Scotland – because of distance from consumers.

Meanwhile single turbines for domestic use are being turned down by Scottish planners as “too visible” -- even though preferred sites are “too sheltered” to catch the wind and justify the investment.

Wind farm or single turbine, England or Scotland, when it comes to harnessing wind it seems no-one is in the right place. And that’s a massive indictment of policymakers who’re managing to squander the best wind resource in Europe and make the going rough for other renewables like wave and tidal.

Costing the Earth is right. Sheltered areas won’t harvest much wind. On the other hand electricity from remote wind farms is lost in the form of heat as it travels down cables to population centres.

Fabulous –the detractors of wind energy may conclude. Proof positive it’s a useless technology.

.