Born in Glasgow in 1965 and brought up in Clydebank, in the shadow of the John Brown cranes, Derek Stewart Macpherson’s earliest memory is attending the launch of the QE2 at the age of two. Since then he has been a student activist, traveller, father of two, public servant, negotiator, political strategist, campaign manager and trade union official, having brought together a broad left faction within the CPSU (Australian public sector union).
He is a Scottish-Australian dual national, having taken out Australian citizenship in 1985, and insists on his right to comment and participate fully in the politics of both countries. Returning to Scotland in 2014 for the indyref, he joined the grassroots campaigners of Yes Clydebank, while completing his acclaimed five-part series of articles, ‘The Hitchhikers’ Guide To Scottish Independence.’
These days he is a musician, writer, pro-indy blogger and economic and political commentator. He is also the founder of The Babel Fish Project, which was conceived in May, 2000, as a way of drawing together the many artists from disparate backgrounds and disciplines he had met in three decades of playing music.
Derek plays guitar and other instruments, sings, arranges and produces the music of The Babel Fish Project but would also like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the many musicians and others who have contributed musically, technically and administratively to the project.
Val was brought up in the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire before Thatcher and Co scalped it of its industry, and subsequently does not think that Ken Clarke talks sense by any stretch of the imagination. She had the dubious honour of being the first person in the family to go to university, but […]
If Veronika were younger she’d be a New Scot. She was born in Vienna, but her Austrian parents soon moved her to Scotland ‘for a year’ …and never went home. That was back in the 60s. Veronika trained as an archaeologist and a teacher but became a campaigner. She has been active for peace, social […]