John Swinney shook the world today by resigning. Not quite, but it is perhaps a matter worth noting in terms of the G8 summit of 2005. First to put her hat into the ring within hours of Mr Swinneys announcement was Roseanna Cunningham, the MSP for the area within which Gleneagles is situated.

Aye, Swinney was the leader of the SNP (Scottish national party) by the way.

Cunningham has a good chance of winning the leadership battle.

She has already signed a (globalise resistence letter) letter on her own behalf which stated:

"We wish to protest against the meeting of the Group of 8 apparently planned for Gleneagles, Scotland in the summer of 2005

The policies of the Group of 8 big powers are destructive and discredited. During the years that the G8 has met their aggressive free market programmes have led to the privatisation of essential services around the world and big corporations have imposed the priorities of profit on every area of life.

The results are well known; environmental crisis, a massive increase in the gap between rich and poor globally and big power foreign policy based on war. Today the US and UK alone spend billions of dollars on weapons every year while nearly half of humanity lives on less than two dollars a day.

We believe the vast majority of people in Scotland and beyond oppose the policies of privatisation, free trade and corporate power pursued by the G8. We call on all concerned organisations and individuals from Britain, Europe and the World to come together in a massive campaign of peaceful protest against the G8 meeting in 2005."

Currently, SNP policy on the G8 is basically, 'we don't like it, it will put out some of our voters'. Diddums.

Surely, leading the SNP Cunningham would steer them toward a policy of opposing the summit?

That would leave the unprecedented situation where over a third the parliamentary representatives of a G8 summits host nation (yes! the host nations who benefit massively from the summit and its shutting out of third world nations) are opposed to the g8 and its policies and existence. Never mind all those who didn't vote at all!

Now this ain't going to change much - there parliament doesn't even have any powers anyway! But its a good example of the mistake that our glorious leaders have made in taking the G8 circus (and clowns) up here. This ain't Lincolnshire boys. It ain't even remote. Oh pity, you have made such a terrible mistake......

Next year then, in the face of a wall of protest, the G8's legitimacy will be shattered. Berlusconi may well prance around, smiling and joking in his new kilt. Nobody will be laughing at the patronising little prick though.

Behind the clowns smile lies the dark truth of one mans death in the the streets of Genoa in 2001. For millions, that truth has come to haunt heart. For many billions however, it is just one death in the struggle that has taken millions.

In 2005, Silvio won't be smiling for long.
See ya in the streets :)