A modern history of Scotland.

No Mean City.

Billy Fullerton stumbled ut of the bar at closing time, singing away to himself the tune of his gang, the Bridgton Billy Boys. It was his intention to go home, pass out in a drunken coma, to wake up the next morning with a murderous hangover.

His luck could not have been worse.

Around the corner, at that precise moment came seven members of the gang, the Tim Malloys, who were equally drunk. "Shut it, Billy ya Orange bastard!" screamed one, whilst another pulled a razor from his pocket. "Alright lads, nae messin'"came the reply, to be quickly stopped in his tracks by the response "Too fuckin' right" and with that a razor went searing through the jugular vein of Billy Fullerton. His killer being covered in the blood of his rival.

"Fuck sake Mick, what've ye done." his comrade said, looking up at him."There will be hell to pay now. "This means fucking war."

The killer, wiping his face, looked up and smilled.
 
The Hall on the Mound was buzzing. The chamber was packed as the Justice and Home Affairs minister, Bob Jamieson made a statement about the recent spate of knife and razor crimes which had decended upon west-central Scotland.

In the previous fortnight, over fifty people had been admitted to hospitals throughout the area. The Western General alone had over twenty people with serious wounds. It was estimated that there were more who were injured, but too scared to go to hospital in case they got identified as being part of one of the various gangs.

Jamieson made the speech, stating the Executives position that the only way forward would be a zero tolerance approach to knife crime and that he was authorising for a short time, a show of force by the police throughout the estates of the Central belt. He made the point that "No thieves, hoodlums or repribates will stop the way of life we enjoy in Scotland." He also acknowledged several measures were to be brought forward.

Of these, the right to stop and search potential suspects were introduced. Should they be concealing something which may be considered a weapon, then they would be detained for questioning. He also encouraged members of the public to phone the police in confidence to help break the gangs. The bill was rushed through the Commons and approved by the Senate, with almost universal support, except the Liberals and Willie Gallagher.

The Scottish Executive was declaring war on knife crime.
 
1955

1955 saw the first major changes in the Scottish budget. The '55 budget was called by the ranks of the Scottish media as 'the Shipyard budget' with the Executive financially backing up the shipyards and helping fund much-needed reforms to them. The First Minister believed that the reforms would help the shipyards continue to compete into the future in the international stage and were to be funded over the next decade. Much of the reforms were opposed by the Labour Party as money was to be taken from elsewhere rather than a raise in taxation, but was accepted by the Liberal Party and the SNP.

The Executives popularity took a dent, however when the UK wide rail and firemen strike was resolved sooner in England and Wales than it was in Scotland with Stuarts administration caving in to worse measures than Anthony Eden did in London. James Stuart made matters worse in his attempts to brush aside the matter, as it made him look aloof and uncaring to the general populace.

Scotland also, technically, became larger during this year with the United Kingdom annexing Rockall. Much was made of this, with Stuart famously stating he was the first Scotsman since James IV to oversee new territory into Scotland.

Hugh Gaitskill became the new leader of the UK Labour Party in December.
 
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