After a 16,000 person petition to the State Department and letter writing and lobbying including by Jeremy Corbyn, Roger Waters and Daniel Ellsberg, I have been granted a 10 year US visa. Following my initial refusal of ESTA clearance and the offer then withdrawal of help from the US Embassy in London, it is only fair to say that the staff of the US Consulate in Belfast could not have been more pleasant and helpful, and my “interview” lasted thirty seconds. It is however a disgrace and an insult that the US issues visas in Belfast but not Edinburgh.

I will be going to Washington in a week to have the great honour to chair the presentation of the Sam Adams Award to John Kiriakou – the CIA agent who blew the whistle on waterboarding, and was jailed for it as part of the disgraceful Obama/Clinton War on Whistleblowers.

I shall also be speaking at the World Beyond War conference at American University, on the subject of peaceful conflict resolution. There are many really interesting speakers I am very much looking forward to hearing. I am sorry to say that the conference is completely sold out so it is now too late to register. But much of it will be livestreamed by the Real News.

London Calling, Alan Knight’s superb documentary on BBC bias during the Independence Referendum, had its first showing to a group in Lanark last week. It was very warmly received and sparked a great deal of discussion.

The plan now is for the documentary to be viewed by groups as a communal experience and basis for meetings and discussion. It really is both interesting and, at times, shocking even to me. Despite having been involved in making it, I was roused to real anger the first time I saw it all through. Local Yes groups can organise meetings to show the film, and if they want I am happy to come along as an accompanying speaker. Alternatively Paul Kavanagh I understand to be willing to do the same. Or you can just have the film and discuss yourselves.

Decent audio-visual systems for showing to a small audience are not as difficult to get hold of at many meeting venues as they used to be, but if any groups are struggling we will find a way to provide equipment as well as the film. Personally I have no problem with preaching to the converted – inspiring the troops and arming them with arguments is important and worthwhile. I am prepared to speak on Independence to pretty well anyone who invites me! I have some very concrete ideas on how to counter BBC bias come Indyref2.

The documentary will be released eventually free on the internet, but the producers are keen to use it first as a part of the popular involvement in debate that was such a feature of the Independence referendum.