Unfinished business

I was speaking at Surgeon's Hall in Edinburgh this morning at a Higher Education Conference.

On the way out I noticed this plaque and it brought back memories of my campaign , on the centenary of the expedition, to secure the Polar Medal for William Spiers Bruce.

The full text of the Parliamentary Motion I lodged in 2002 is this:

*S1M-3530# Michael Russell: Centenary of the Scottish National Antartic Expedition-That the Parliament congratulates the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for organising a substantial and imaginative programme of events to mark the centenary of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition and in honour of its leader, William Spiers Bruce; notes that the exact anniversary of the departure of the expedition in the "Scotia" from Troon harbour fell on Sunday 2 November 2002 but that the programme to celebrate Bruce and the expedition will continue over the next two years and will include a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland as well as an expedition to the Antarctic during this winter, work with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Scottish Country Dance Society and many local and regional events; regrets that, despite his international scientific reputation and his passionate advocacy of his own country and its potential, the work of William Spiers Bruce has been largely ignored in Scotland for the last 100 years and the many achievements of his expedition have been forgotten, and considers that the Polar Medal Advisory Committee should recommend the posthumous award of the Polar Medal to Dr William Spiers Bruce in recognition of his status as one of the key figures in early 20th century polar scientific exploration.

Despite a great deal of support that medal has still not been awarded, making Dr Spiers Bruce the only leader of a significant Antarctic Expendition from these islands to be snubbed in such a way. That is even more extraordinary given the scientific success of the expedition , whose images are also of huge importance, like this famous one of the piper and the penguin which is now also a Scottish dance. And I discovered tonight , via a friend on Twitter, that there has even been a set of British Antarctic Survey stamps in his honour which makes the long term Governmental neglect all the worse.

There is still time for a UK change of heart, of course.