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A generous assessment

Posted on January 27, 2015 by

fracktoon

Because this isn’t even a little bit true:

frackingliar

(It doesn’t even make sense, because last night’s bill covered the entire UK, with Parliament voting AGAINST devolving fracking to Holyrood. Why would the SNP need to act to “stop fracking now” if Curran had just stopped it in the whole of Britain?)

Margaret Curran didn’t vote at all on the only amendment last night aimed at stopping fracking. She sat on her hands with almost all her Labour colleagues and abstained, ensuring the amendment was defeated.

What she did vote for, unmistakeably and unambiguously, was an amendment to ALLOW fracking – including companies fracking under people’s homes without their permission – so long as some forms were filled in first.

Imposing a few regulations on something isn’t “stopping” it. There are lots and lots of pretty stringent regulations around the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, but you’d have to be some sort of galaxy-class idiot to claim that they’d “stopped” people buying booze and fags. Both commodities are sold perfectly legally in vast quantities every day, despite the enormous amounts of damage they do.

Friends Of The Earth were crystal-clear in their view of what happened:

“The Labour party abstained, meaning fracking can still go ahead.”

foefrack

So we can only assume Ms Curran is confused. If any readers are still uncertain, they need only consult today’s Scotsman, which announced “Fracking blocked in UK after last-minute U-turn”. If there could be any more compelling evidence that fracking was to go ahead than the Scotsman saying it wasn’t, we can’t think what it would be.

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  1. 27 01 15 11:41

    A generous assessment - Speymouth
    Ignored

  2. 27 01 15 12:41

    A generous assessment | Politics Scotland | Sc...
    Ignored

  3. 16 03 15 22:21

    The Devo Files: Margaret Curran (Glasgow East) | A Wilderness of Peace
    Ignored

130 to “A generous assessment”

  1. John G
    Ignored
    says:

    Think about this. SLab will now vote for a fracking moratorium in Scotland. Shows they are separate from UK lab who abstained and pits pressure on snp who have sat on the fence so long their asses must be full of splinters. Even when they now announce a moratorium, if they do, SLab will claim they have forced them into it. Murphy smells of roses and makes it look like they and milliband are not working together. Cue big stories in msm and on tv giving slab the kudos.

    Moratorium, if there is one at all, will last until 2017, just after next holyrood elections. After which the evidence from England will show how safe fracking is and next Scottish govt will suspend moratorium. Any thoughts?

  2. Doug Daniel
    Ignored
    says:

    There really needs to be *some* kind of law to stop politicians lying so blatantly. That tweet had me fizzing. What a liar.

  3. Murray McCallum
    Ignored
    says:

    It all seems to have been an elaborate dance within the Conservative & Labour Party to enable fracking in the UK.

    They think they have found a way for the papers to sell it to the public – meaningless regulation.

    Watching Diane Abbott MP and Ken Clarke MP on Newsnight made me want to puke. Their meaningless “left” v “right” shtick was so vacuous and completely irrelevant to real life.

  4. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    They think they got away with THE VOW fraud, so now they can say anything they like.

  5. Calum Craig
    Ignored
    says:

    Does Labour *still* not get that the internet means it takes all of 3 seconds to fact check their lies??

  6. tartanfever
    Ignored
    says:

    John says:

    ‘SLab will now vote for a fracking moratorium in Scotland’

    Hard to see how that will happen after they also rejected the vote to devolve powers over fracking to Holyrood.

  7. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour need be more concerned about latest Sky polling which leaves labour 40 short of a majority, around the amount of Scottish seats they are forecast in the same poll to lose to the SNP..”Mr Ed, here are Scotlands terms if you want power….

  8. Dennis mclaughlin
    Ignored
    says:

    Orwell’s ‘Doublespeak’ in tooth & claw…

    Scotland, you’re fucked noo…signed The Scottish Labour Branch ,North Britainshire.

  9. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    From a post by cynicalHighlander earlier is a list of how Scottish MPs voted last night in the Fracking debate.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8T0wdoIAAA39As.jpg:large

    I notice from the list that my MP, Douglas Alexander, couldn’t be arsed turning up to vote.

    Not good enough Douglas, you are not speaking up for Scotland’s best interests at Westminster, therefore you’re time is up.

    Cheerio!

  10. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Calum Craig says:

    27 January, 2015 at 10:18 am

    Does Labour *still* not get that the internet means it takes all of 3 seconds to fact check their lies??

    The Red Tories don’t care. The computer generation are a lost cause. As long as there are enough voters out there that depend on the Daily Record for their information, they know they will get away with it.

    There is enough material out there to hang the Red Tories. The challenge is to get the information out there in time. And with some people, you just have to repeat, repeat, and repeat, until the penny finally drops. We have the ammunition, but we sorely need a delivery system, to reach large numbers of people, fast. There is no point in waiting until nearer the time – we have to strike now and repeatedly, before BBC Labour and the rest of the MSM begin to crank up again. By then it will be too late. So, what do we do?

  11. fred blogger
    Ignored
    says:

    isn’t all of this happening coz WM removed devolved energy powers?

  12. mike
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Murray has this one nailed. A very choreographed performance to ensure fracking goes through. Much to the delight of many MPs on all sides of the house who have had the benefit of corporate munificence and hope to continue receiving it regardless of which side of the house they are on after GE2015.

  13. David Bell
    Ignored
    says:

    I find it incredibly amusing that she chose to reply to someone who has the username ‘wrightybaws’.

  14. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Just wow. 😮

    Black is white apparently.

  15. themadmurph
    Ignored
    says:

    Margaret Curran is not confused. She’ll just a lying scumbag!

  16. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    @Murray McCallum,
    Yeah it’s like a puppet show. Staged media for the brain-dead masses who will base their voting decisions on crap like that. Once every four years we get to decide which flavour of crap will rain down on us.

  17. david agnew
    Ignored
    says:

    John G

    Scottish labour can’t vote on a moratorium on Fracking, because their MP’s ensured Scotland doesn’t have that power. The minute they did such a thing, they would look like idiots, as it would clear from the get go that they would have no authority to do so. Rather than look independent, they would look like a clueless sub branch that has no idea what senior management is doing.

    Scottish labour are now so used to talking complete shite that it never occurs to the party, that events are overtaking them. This makes them look like they have no clue what is actually going on. Going by Curran literally tripping over her own lies is a glaring example of this.

    Derek Bateman is covering this dysfunction on another issue, but this incident and the one covered by Bateman, does suggest that while the lights are on, no one is at home in Scottish Labour.

  18. jaygee
    Ignored
    says:

    On this subject as in many others I wonder if SLAB politicians are stupid or are they just voting fodder for their UK party masters with a compliant media covering their backs.
    Obey your masters and keep your well paid jobs, your constituents are still watching BBC and reading british press.

  19. Nation Libre
    Ignored
    says:

    Why can’t this be brought up in parliament, at PM or FM questions? Can the Scottish Gov add it to their could of conduct that a MP or MSP can’t make false claims against how they voted. Even if they try to do it, it would highlight the lies from Labour.

    Can’t it be raised under a point of order

  20. dougiekdy
    Ignored
    says:

    Curran – wtf?
    Hootsmon article – wtf?

    I was actually a bit confused there, is it banned or is it no banned…

    Now I’m just raging – LIARS ONE AND ALL!

  21. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    I know someone who suffers from the same condition. Serial liar! What happens is that eventually lying becomes so normal to the person. They do it without remorse,guilt or regret. When challenged they continue the lie and then go into denial. Even when the shit hits the fan the lies continue. When the games up they just lie about the lies. Truth then becomes an abstract concept to them. Think about the Westminster system. These people have lied their whole political careers.

    The problem is we have a lazy,biased uneducated MSM in Scoland. Like the politicions they have forgotten what a journalists job is. They don’t have the skills to interogate and investigate. People on Bella,Newsnet and Stu on here are doing what the press should be doing. However on top of evrything else there is an agenda against the SNP in Scotland’s media. So we are fighting lying politicions and the press!

  22. balaaargh
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m led to believe that Lindsay Roy has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. With all due respect to the man, I’d he is unable to attend parliament to vote for his constituents then he is no longer able to represent them and he should resign forthwith and not wait for the election.

  23. think again
    Ignored
    says:

    Scottish Labour hits another new low.

    Margaret and Jim achieve another personal best in lying and are surpassed only by the Scotsman, if only because people actually pay to read it.

    The really depressing bit is I can probably just repost this entire comment for the next 99 days and I won`t be wrong.

    My liar liar detector self combusted yesterday, much more of this Labour crap and I might join it.

  24. joe kane
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s also quite a lot of red tory propaganda being spread on social media, by two Labour Westminster Parliamentary election candidates, that Ed Miliband has agreed to save the Independent Living Fund (ILF) from closure.

    Here is a transcript of what Miliband said which, as usual, is hedged round with all the usual sorts of red tory conditions, get-out words and phrases making what he did say into almost indecipherable gibberish –
    Does Ed Miliband Promises Labour Will #SaveILF?
    http://dpac.uk.net/2015/01/ed-miliband-promises-labour-will-saveilf/

  25. Wullsg
    Ignored
    says:

    You could not make this shit up,…..,
    Seriously…..ScotLab will soon be demanding credit for the sun rising.

  26. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    This is “We have raised the chocolate ration” sort of Big Brother stuff. Are there really voters out there who fall for this?

  27. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Seriously, check this out.

    http://derekbateman.co.uk/2015/01/26/know-who-your-friends-are-2/#comment-71035

    Sincere apologies for going O/T Rev, though it still ties into the lies Labour tell in furtherance of their own party political agenda.

    Grim

  28. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Ok, we know the Red Tories are generally thick as shit, lying bastards, backed up by a corrupt unionist MSM.

    So now, how do we deal with it?

  29. woosie
    Ignored
    says:

    Not surprised in the least. Lab-Tory couldn’t allow fracking ban, after Sir Ian (Lord?) Wood lied for them just before the referendum. Wood is heavily involved in fracking.
    The reality is that any nation – or region – which swallows a last-minute set of vague promises, then accepts a fraction of the powers avowed, are easily manipulated by transparent puppets such as Murphy. MSM will find a way to blame SNP.
    Lets hope the current poll findings stay steady, and some of us aren’t fooled by the phoney left-right scam towards the GE.

  30. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Dear Punters
    Yir aw pure stoopit
    Love
    Megs

  31. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    Luigi 10.32am
    “…we have to strike now and repeatedly, before BBC Labour and the rest of the MSM begin to crank up again. By then it will be too late. So, what do we do?”

    Exactly what I was saying in an earlier post Luigi. The SNP media Dept need to get their arse in gear. Pro-active NOT re-active. Get in there early. Let’s see examples of you telling the media that they got a story wrong and put it right immediately.

    The YES Campaign was similar, they were too powder puff with the media and look at the outcome of that vote.

    A good place to start would be to tell the Scottish electorate of how the vote in the Commons went last night, because not enough Scots know the truth.

    g

  32. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Any chance of Fracking licenses in Newton Mearns?
    Im sure Jims voters would love to see Parklands getting some deep drilling round about it.

    Cant see Mags caring if Easterhouse becomes a hubbub of gaseous fumes, perhaps we could see about a licence under her mansion over on the South Side of the city?

  33. Andrew Haddow
    Ignored
    says:

    @Big Jock

    “The problem is we have a lazy,biased uneducated MSM in Scotland.”

    No. the problem is that there is no such thing as a Scottish MSM.

  34. JET JOCKEY
    Ignored
    says:

    For every lie told by any better together supporters one thousand copies of the Macrone Report will be put through the letter boxes in Douglas Alexanders constituency and this will then be followed up with details of the 6000 square miles stolen from Scottish North Sea and placed into England which very conveniently included 6 oilfields.

  35. JackSloan2013
    Ignored
    says:

    In the past, while some of us knew it was all contrived lies from the near Stalinist Labour Party in Strathclyde and the rest of Scotland, there was no public way to expose them.
    They still think they can get away with it but, thankfully, with sites like Wings we have them and the Scottish people are wising up.

  36. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    A sound memory relies upon intellectual understanding of actions and their consequences, in Ms. Curran’s case, a quality she does not possess.

  37. Caroline Corfield
    Ignored
    says:

    I vaguely recall during the Monica Lewinsky ‘affair’ that some commentator said ‘ah but oral sex isn’t considered sex in Arkansas where Clinton comes from, so of course he’s not lying when he said ” I have never had sexual relations with that woman”‘

    So, my theory is that voting where Magrit comes from is done in some very proscribed fashion and does not include turning up at Westminster as an MP representing a constituency in the UK of GB and NI and going through to be counted as either an Aye or a Nay.

    It’s just a theory mind…

  38. Ali
    Ignored
    says:

    The SNP should make an unambiguous statement that they will use planning laws to stop fracking. But they won’t. I’d like honesty from those who I oppose, but more so from those I would like to support, please.

  39. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    The ENGLISH BROADCASTER CORPORATION & ENGLISH MSM will sort it out, do you not have faith in them? Most NO voters do!

  40. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Actually, what I’d like to see on the front of all Scottish based newspapers is the headline:

    ‘Curran votes for fracking but claims she voted against.’

    I know, I know – in my dreams.

  41. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    desimond says: “Any chance of Fracking licenses in Newton Mearns?”

    Every chance, could well be a fracking hot spot.

  42. Weebeard
    Ignored
    says:

    Mag’s meeting with Alistair Carmichael. Worst negotiation ever.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6xEPf6IMAAYkIt.jpg:large

  43. RogueCoder
    Ignored
    says:

    @Murray McCallum

    In fairness to Diane Abbott, she voted for the moratorium, and for devolving licensing to Scotland – against her party. She strikes me as a decent MP motivated to do the right thing in most cases, unlike the shower of shite we have in SLAB.

    It’s also worth mentioning the four Scottish Labour MPs who did turn up and whom voted for the moratorium against, seemingly, party orders:

    Mark Lazarowica, Edinburgh North and Leith
    Ian Davidson, Glasgow South West
    Cathy Jamieson, Kilmarnock and Loudoun
    Katy Clark, North Ayrshire and Arran

    Looking at their voting records on TheyWorkForYou.com, one wonders what the hell they are doing mixed up with the Red Tories in Scottish Labour. Anyway… credit where it’s due, these four did their jobs yesterday as elected representatives.

    The rest of Scottish Labour can seriously go frack themselves. They didn’t bother to turn up to the vote, with Murphy seemingly thinking that playing football, courting photo opportunities and posting tweets of his football strip was more important than doing his £80K a year job. What a bunch of self-serving, villainous scumbugs. They sold out their country for small political gain against the SNP.

    This entire thing smells of a Lab/Tory stitch up. Scottish Labour stayed home, UK Labour voted against (or abstained) on the moratorium, and the Smith Commission recommendation and subsequent “Vow” to devolve fracking licensing to Holyrood attracted just 52 votes out of 650. Meanwhile Labour propose NC19, a small raft of “protection” prerequisites which the Tories immediately agreed to and pass without a vote. As Rev has pointed out, these “protections” turn out to be largely worthless as they are already covered by existing legislation, represent current industry best practice, are mere lip-service, or are so hopelessly ill-defined that you could drive a bus full of lawyers through them. As some in the Twittersphere also pointed out, they may have been drafted with… ahem… some help from the fracking industry.

    In short, it looks like the voting was engineered to ensure the fracking bill passed smoothly and to stick it to the SNP so that Scottish Labour – with the assistance of a compliant and utterly inept Scottish media – can beat the SNP with a stick over their current indecision whether to permit fracking in Scotland or not.

    Yesterday was a pretty dreadful day for democracy in Scotland – or, more precisely, it was a dreadful day for democracy in Westminster (once again), and Scotland got the shaft (once again). This kind of stitch up is exactly why Scotland needs to get out of this hellish, abusive union.

  44. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    I think everyone now accepts that the unionists are liars as a matter of fact, probably more so Labour, and even more so, Scottish labour, and that they have the protection of the unionist media to hide their lies.

    What I am not so sure about is, are they getting away with it. Is there a down side to their habitual lying.

  45. jackie g
    Ignored
    says:

    Headline from the SNP website:

    Scottish Labour “Sham” on Fracking.

  46. r baxter
    Ignored
    says:

    slab disgusting, CHANCERS.

  47. morgatron
    Ignored
    says:

    She along with her Scottish branch colleauges are all liars . They are not politicians , they are cheats , liars and morally bankrupt. They need to be outed as such and paintballed with their own shite. I trully detest everyone of the red tories.

  48. jim mitchell
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh be fair folks, yes or no, sometimes they can seem so similar that anybody could be confused, especially the Labour Party!

  49. Macca73
    Ignored
    says:

    Can I ask people who may be on here and in M. Curran’s constituency to get out there with this stuff when the time comes. There’s going to be a raft of these lies from now till then and the more people get informed the less likely they are to vote for that horrid woman.

  50. CameonB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    Macart said:

    Just wow. 😮

    Black is white apparently.

    I think the technical term is blackwhite. 🙂

    …this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink. — Orwell, 1984

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwhite

  51. RogueCoder
    Ignored
    says:

    An addendum to my rather long-winded diatribe. Have a scroll through Katy Clark’s Twitter feed.

    What the hell is she doing in Scottish Labour? Anti-Trident, anti-austerity, pro-Syriza (before it was fashionable), pro-living wage, trade-unionist… She’s got SNP (or Green) candidate written all over her.

  52. No no no...Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    Tom Greatrex wrote this piece of drivel on Labour Hame website:
    https://archive.today/LhSJI

    Headline:Scottish Labour MPs will vote to block fracking

    The second paragraph gets a prize

    “Labour have tabled an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill that will stop shale gas extraction. It will mean that it cannot go ahead until the right protections for the public and environment are in place.”

    Ha, caught out! The two sentences are contradictory, and the reality is their voting intention was NOT to stop fracking but to introduce terms and conditions, but they were trying to be clever with the wording to play politics. Now, the average Labour List reader will not read this inaccuracy and carry on with the mantra as per Curran, “we voted to stop fracking.”

    Labour know their backs are against the wall and are doing ANYTHING to try and hoodwink the gullable public. It is not working!!

  53. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Cameron

    Clearly these buggers don’t work in print, but they do seem to have their own version of colour management. 😀

    Smart chap, that Orwell fella.

  54. wingman 2020
    Ignored
    says:

    I am now blocked and all my comments removed from LabourList

    http://labourlist.org/2015/01/labour-will-force-a-vote-to-stop-shale-gas-extraction/#comment-1817985189

    Please correct this on my behalf.

  55. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Agreed, Katy Clark is in the wrong party, she looked terribly uncomfortable when Murphy won, she was one who did not shake his hand, I wouldn’t have either at least not without counting my fingers.
    I no idea how they think this will play, I think the trouble is that they forget the number of their members who now own their own homes often in places which will be fracked, do they think that this was a clever move?

  56. Lewy Tee Bee
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev with your permission can I be cheeky and post this link here. I know wingers arw a generous bunch and I’m doing a littlecrowd funder to help with my art work.
    Completely off topic and if I see this post dissapear and I incur your wrath I completely understand!
    Would bribery of a nice piece of Scottish art work save my skin though? 😀
    If folk see this, please feel free to check out what I’m up to here http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/printer-perfect

  57. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    wingman 2020 says:
    27 January, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    I am now blocked and all my comments removed from LabourList

    Wasn’t that fortunate, I am on Disqus, so I will probably be next, but I have added my tuppence worth. If even one person sees it, I am happy.

  58. David Wardrope
    Ignored
    says:

    @Balaaargh,

    Don’t know if I go along with that, considering how Margo managed with all weighing down on her.

  59. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    caz-m, Luigi

    I see alot of posts where people moan about SNP being passive and reactive especially about being first with a message on a hot topic.

    Can you tell me how they are meant to get out there first in the media when the media are against covering their point of view and all coverage is at the media’s discretion?

  60. wingman 2020
    Ignored
    says:

    “Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has announced that a Scottish Labour Government would stop onshore fracking in Scotland.
    Hydraulic-FrackingBarnettShaleDrilling-e1320158260740

    Although the Scottish government has power of veto ,enabling them to stop fracking through the planning process. Murphy has said that now the decision over shale gas extraction will be devolved to Scotland through the Smith Commission, he would to stop fracking altogether.

    This would be done through a “triple-lock system”, involved the following steps

    A local referendum before final planning approval is given;
    Halting any fracking in Scotland until the lessons of fracking in the rest of the UK are learned;
    A comprehensive review of the baseline conditions before any planning application is granted;
    He has also called on the SNP Government to stop any onshore fracking in Scotland immediately and the UK Government to suspend the current fracking licensing round in Scotland.

    Murphy explained his reasons for taking this position over fracking:

    “If I am elected First Minister in 2016 there will be no onshore fracking in Scotland until it has been shown beyond all doubt that it can be carried out safely.

    “People are rightly concerned about shale gas. They are worried that it will be imposed on their community against their will and without their consent. I will not let that happen.

    “So the next Scottish Labour Government will give local communities full control over onshore fracking in their area through a local referendum. No development will be able to take place without a majority of local residents endorsing any planning decision.

    “In the past Scotland has been used as a testing ground for bad policies. Mrs Thatcher’s poll tax is an example of this. That should never happen again. No application for onshore fracking will even be considered in Scotland until we see what happens in other parts of the UK. I will not let Scotland become a guinea pig for fracking.

    “In Scotland we have a beautiful and bountiful landscape, and a fragile ecosystem that we must protect. Almost all of Scotland is considered to be a drinking water protection area. With this heightened sensitivity, it would be reckless and unnecessary to push ahead with fracking without a thorough and comprehensive review of the baseline conditions in Scotland before any applications can be permitted.

    “The SNP Government in Edinburgh already has a veto over fracking through planning and permitting. The First Minister should use these powers now to stop any fracking taking place in Scotland.

    “With the new powers coming to Scotland through the Smith Agreement, all decisions about fracking will soon be made here. The UK Government should suspend the current licensing round for fracking until the powers have been devolved. These decisions about Scotland need to be made in Scotland.”

    Extract from the LabourLies website

    http://labourlist.org/2015/01/murphy-rules-out-fracking-in-scotland/

  61. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    The Labour Party truly are taking the Scottish electorate for complete and utter fools.

  62. BrianW
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice to see BBC Scotland covering the story of the Commons Vote.

    All I can see is a wee bit on the Scotland Live bit. Absolutely no mention of Labour Abstaining from the Vote, nor any mention of their boosum buddies in Scottish Labour that couldn’t get off their fat expenses padded arses to vote. Happy to be Labours tumpet of propaganda guff prior to the vote, but when it all goes pear shaped.. silence..

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30959646 where Mr Jim to the rescue Murphy

    “People are rightly concerned about shale gas,” Mr Murphy said.

    “They are worried that it will be imposed on their community against their will and without their consent. I will not let that happen.”

    HE DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER TO TURN UP – SO YOU DID JUST LET THAT HAPPEN YOU LYING COCK! Good to see BBC Scotland pointing this out.

    They must just do it to piss us off, then sit there and pish themselves laughing at us going off our nut at their ineptitude, and the fact we pay the license fee to let them do it..lol

    Have a swatch at this too for Margaret’s inability to tell the truth.. maybe BBC Scotland should read it too.. get some tips on how proper investigative journalism is done.

    http://scottishstatesman.com/labour-attempt-to-cover-up-fracking-betrayal/

  63. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    Hopefully one of the reasons why the SNP is so far ahead of Labour in the polls is because the people of Scotland realize just how dishonest Labour politicians are.

    How can they not when a Labour MP claims he voted with the Tories last week because the vote in question was about lowering the deficit, not imposing more austerity cuts.

  64. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    If you want to check where in the UK, licences for drilling have been granted, then check out the site called wrongmove (like Rightmove) I can confirm Giffnock shows up, so that area will be open to drilling.

    I’m trying to calm down before I write to my MP McClymont. I have already written to the leader of NLC.

    So far, the North British branch have voted for austerity, Trident, and now fracking.

    They must hate this country with a passion, it truly beggars belief.

  65. Tattie-bogle
    Ignored
    says:

    Patiently waiting on the fat man of Springburn canvassing so as to give him an earfae “Fatty bain couldn’t go to spain because he ate his chocolate aeroplane ”
    childish i know but still

  66. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m not sure if this is OT, but it made me smile. 🙂

    3) Will Labour’s Scottish vote share reach a record low?

    A key question for the election outcome is whether Labour will lose their traditional support base in Scotland. Our model suggests that it is very likely that the Labour Party will receive its lowest ever share of the Scottish vote, which previously was the 35.1% they won in the 1983 election. We estimate that the probability of this happening is 80%.

    http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/generalelection/four-electoral-records-that-might-be-broken-in-may/

  67. Dr Ew
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour is caught between a rock and a hard place, so it’s not surprusing fracking has caused a massive release of gas.

    Spinning this as a Labour “win” is perhaps not up there with the dodgy dossier, but in its own way almost as chilling in its cynicism and contempt for people. Possibly they’re losing the grip on reality just as they’re losing their grip on power, and the collective psyche simply cannot cope.

    Desperation can lead people to strange places. Keep watching, Wingers, I suspect the best / worst is yet to come.

  68. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    Since the SNP Government retain fracking planning powers only they CANNOT pre judge the law or an applicant could use this to overturn a refusal. I wonder if people like cas-m really understand the big wide world. The SNP cannot demand the media to print their press releases and furthermore cas-m your reference to K and such forceful thoughts are pure dangerous. .i hope it is just your sense of humour which is off but if you suggest illegality the Media would love it and undermine what you believe in or pretend to. Yes GCHQ probably have your views on file ready to supply the Daily Mail with your puerile rants. Grow up!

  69. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    http://www.facebook.com/theSNP/photos/a.339647974077.151375.77249349077/10153117832899078/?type=1&theater

    The list of our imperial Slab masters that didn’t show up for the moratorium on fracking vote. Presumably at least one of them will have the common decency to explain Curran’s extraordinary lies?

  70. muzzy
    Ignored
    says:

    We should be hooking up all these lying Scottish labour politicians to a methane gathering machine and collect all the crap they say we could power the country for a millennia from them.

  71. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    John G says: 27 January, 2015 at 10:05 am:

    ” … Any thoughts?”.

    Several but most are along the lines that you are some kind of anti-SNP/pro Union poster. As a long time independent supporter I cannot say I know a single SNP member or supporter who doesn’t know the SNP are anti-Fracking.

    However, until any matter can become official party policy it must be declared such by National Conference after debating and voting upon it. As a Government the SNP parliamentarians, (both Scottish and in, (the unelected as such), de facto Parliament of England at Westminster), they have taken a more cautious approach to the matter but have voted against all moves to allow the de facto Parliament of England to decide or overrule Scottish Parliament and electorates democratic decisions.

  72. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    desimond

    The SNP could have more ministers prepared with relevant rebuttals.

    There must be a way that they can have a minster ready to reply to a BBC Scotland lie, for example. They have direct lines into all the main TV studios in the UK. So surely something can be organised.

    Just because it didn’t work before doesn’t mean they should just give up and let the media do and say as they please.

    The SNP ARE a major UK Party now, so that at least gives them a bit more weight than they did in previous elections.

    And I am sure that the hard working members of the SNP media Dept will be working all out from now until the GE to see we are treated as fairly as possible by the MSM.

  73. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Enjoyed listening to Bradford taking about the new Southern. There was an attempt to water the praise down but under budget, 5 weeks early and sounding like it is state of art….it wasn’t easy for her…. 🙂

  74. Debbiethebruce
    Ignored
    says:

    Did the vote on fracking actually happen last night,or did we all just dream it?
    I ask because the BIG story today according to the MSM is the opening of a new hospital in Glasgow.

  75. Christian Wright
    Ignored
    says:

    And the Daily Mash offers a wider perspective of why we only have ourselves to blame for having to endure these shenanigans.

    “EU technocrat Denys Finch Hatton said: “There is a very real danger that people across Europe, inspired by the Greeks, will no longer choose to be ruled against their best interests by people they never voted for living in massive wealth hundreds of miles away.”

    Though we hope they will follow the fine example Scotland set and continue to do just that.

    Emphasis added.

    http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/greeks-vote-to-stop-having-shit-kicked-out-of-them-2015012694755

  76. think again
    Ignored
    says:

    wingman 2020 and Helena

    Some days the pro independence comments outnumber the unionist ones on Labourlist, but in total the comments are no where near as many or as good as they are on Wings. Their analysis is also woeful when there is any, mostly it is just propaganda and they fall far short of the talents of MSM at even this aspect.

    My alter ego is still able to post, at least meantime. I am surprised to have got as far as I have.

  77. Flower of Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    A bit o/t

    I’ve been waiting for Radio Scotland to tell us about the absence of the Labour MPs yesterday, at Westminster, to vote for J Murphy,s anti fracking law. Hmmm.

    However they have spent a lot of time over the last two days telling us stories about The Holocaust. It was a horrendous time , seventy years ago. The American soldiers who released these poor people from Concentration camps deserve to be applauded. Can I say there was another Million people killed a few years ago in Iraq by forces from the west. Where is their Memorial Anniversary Day?

  78. Paul Eunson
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry, can someone here please explain how she can get away with this?
    She hasn’t ‘misspoken’, or in some way been misquoted.
    She’s downright and deliberately lied. Is there some sort of parliamentary conduct authority who can be contacted?

  79. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Unconventional Gas Extraction Facts

    ENVIRONMENT

    Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    Coal Seam Production (The main Scottish resource)
    The methane produced could be burned more efficiently, producing less CO2 than burning the coal itself. That is the only fact you will hear from the Fracking lobby.
    What they do not tell you is that escaped unburned methane from elsewhere in the production system more than makes up for this.

    However it has been calculated that a 1% escape of methane would mean that the GG effect would be more than twice that which you would get if you simply burned the coal.

    In reality (e.g. actual data from Australia and the US) estimates of escaping methane vary from 4% to 8%.

    Leakage increases with deterioration of well integrity with time.

    It has a much greater effect on GGEs than just burning the coal would.

    Toxicity

    As well as releasing escaped methane, which itself can produce asphyxiation or explosion hazard when accumulated inside buildings, the release of other already present but trapped pathogens like Radon gas for instance, can occur.

    But it is the introduction of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, especially when fracking takes place (which it eventually will), which gives rise to the greater concern.

    First in the controlled release of the large quantities of polluted water which are produced as a by product.
    Secondly by the the unknown (and therefore less controllable by regulation) contamination potential into water courses and aquifers or even directly to the surface.

    Aesthetic effects

    To develop the Central Scotland coal seam fully will require many wells to be drilled, average productive life around two years each. We are not talking tens, or dozens here, we are talking thousands.

    Next post for economic impacts

  80. wingman 2020
    Ignored
    says:

    https://pennsylvaniaallianceforcleanwaterandair.wordpress.com/the-list/

    Our future…. More serious illness and less medical support or services! These islands are already looking like some dystopian future.

  81. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    think again says: My first foray into the dark side, just noticed whilst on another Disqus site that someone had upvoted my comment. So it must still be there!!!!!

  82. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    Famous 15

    That was a right wee rant you had there about me. What have I ever done to you.

    The post you are talking about was a wind up to an earlier post by SOMEONE ELSE. I suppose it is my sense of humour. If you have something to say to me on a personal basis then tell me to my face, NOT on an internet site.

    I attend every Rally, so we can have a wee chat then.

    FFS, I wish people would get their facts right before they go off on one with another Winger.

    I could have done without having to write this, but I have to correct this guy.

    PEACE!

  83. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Wingman 2020, Until very recently I was unaware that Pennsylvania produces more oil than Texas, I was also unaware that they were now fracking. My friend in Bristol Pennsylvania works for an oil company there, I must ask her about the state of play. Very interesting. I wonder how this abstention of Labour will play here in Fife? They forget that many of their voters bought their Council Houses and now have the thought that this could be a poisoned chalice as it is for everyone else.

  84. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @jaygee says:27 January, 2015 at 10:44 am:

    On this subject as in many others I wonder if SLAB politicians are stupid or are they just voting fodder for their UK party masters with a compliant media covering their backs.

    Wonder no more, Jaygee. Press the wee buttons on your remote control for channel 131, (The BBC Parliamentary Channel). Watch just about any matter in the chamber, other than PMQs or anything to do with members expenses or salary, and this is what you will observe.

    Lots and lots of empty green seats and you would be forgiven for thinking the House was almost empty. Just watch, though, and see the few members actually debating and the speaker and non-Member civil servants until the division bell sounds. Then hundreds of members appear, as if by magic, and file through the division lobbies to cast their respective votes according to how their respective party whips direct them to vote.

    No doubt many of those members came from the many subsidised licenced eateries and bars and others from the many functions that we humble voters would consider as hobby or pastimes for fun and relaxation in our own unpaid for time.

    A few may even come from their provided offices where they are at best attending to constituency business and at worse sleeping off their substantial subsidised lunch washed down by the subsidised booze we humble serfs provide for them

    To misquote the old song :-

    “It’s nice work if you can get it,
    And you can get it if you Lie.

  85. Cuilean
    Ignored
    says:

    What will keep me sane in the face of the General Election campaign barrage of: red (labour), yellow (liberal) & blue (conservative) tory lies is the thought of watching them all fade from public existence and relevance in the wee small hours of 8 May 2015 as they one by one read out their defeat speeches, the length and breadth of Scotland. “Stand not upon the order of your going, only go”.

  86. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T But according to the guardian the sales of the National have fallen to about 20.000.

    Yesterday I tried 4 stores and couldn’t get one so I’m not sure what’s happening but in the light of Labour’s blatant lies re the ‘fracking vote’, it would seem essential to support this newspaper

  87. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    In the US they drill under vast empty plains and depopulated areas. The fracking in Scotland is under every major town and city, bar Inverness and Aberdeen. This is completely irresponsible. We won’t even know when they are under our houses never mind trying to stop them. Below is an example of the power of the State and City of New York. Which will not allow fracking under any circumstances:

    New York City. The New York City watershed includes a large area of the Marcellus shale formation. The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection’s position: “While DEP is mindful of the potential economic opportunity that this represents for the State, hydraulic fracturing poses an unacceptable threat to the unfiltered water supply of nine million New Yorkers and cannot safely be permitted with the New York City watershed.”[

  88. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    During the Referendum Nicola Sturgeon had a nice phrase for it
    “Serial Misleaders”…and if you did’nt get that
    “Lying Bastirts”…See how they look the same

  89. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    “It takes two to lie, Marge. One to lie and one to listen”.
    Homer Simpson

  90. MarkAustin
    Ignored
    says:

    The more I see SLAB statements, the more I’m convinced that thewy’re not liars. They’re bullshitters.

    Look at On Bullshit (2005), by Harry G. Frankfurt, easily available on Kindle or paper on Amazon.

    He defines a truthteller as one who tells the truth because it is true.

    A liar as one who tells an untruth knowing it is a liar.

    A bullshitter as one who tells either the truth or a lie, without caring about whether it is true or false, but only as to which is most expedient for them.

    I think the third category fits SLAB best.

  91. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    …I’ve been blocked from LabourList for quite some time and I can assure you every pre-ban post was factual and polite (knowing the risk of being blocked I didn’t want to give them an excuse).

    I’ve now realised my crime was using the truth.

    That site is kept as pure as a Gordon Brown “open” meeting.

  92. think again
    Ignored
    says:

    Helena Brown

    I can see all your comments including one about fracking a couple of hours ago where you suggest labour will get found out, sincerely hope that is the case.

  93. Dr Ew
    Ignored
    says:

    @Robert Peffers
    I can name you at least one SNP member is who is not anti-fracking: Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism. And he is not alone.

    While I readily acknowledge the SNP could not be presented as pro-fracking, it should be said there is a tussle going on behind the scenes on this issue, albeit fairly low-key for now. Fergus and his supporters want the SNP to be seen as a responsible party of government and interpret that as being business-friendly.

    I don’t have a problem with business-friendly; I do have a problem with business being decidedly unfriendly to people, the economy and the environment. And I certainly have a problem with people’s rights being trampled in the rush for fracking gold.

    Many view fracking as a necessary evil to meet rising energy demands and figure we might as well set about exploiting the resource now. Environmental concerns are poo-poohed in scientific reports commissioned by pro-fracking corporations who give their sympathetic or sycophantic boffins all kinds of inducements to work to very narrow criteria and spin findings towards the most favourable light. So not very scientific.

    Legions of lawyers will be deployed to quash any planning law that stands in the way. Media consultants will lead an onslaught of positive spin on fracking coupled with demonisation of any who oppose them – not necessarily directly on the fracking issue; there are alwyas ways and means. Money will be poured into party funds, directorships dangled and sinecures wrapped up for post-ministerial careers.

    In short, this is a test issue for the SNP. As yet we have no unequivocal statement declaring opposition to fracking; Wings is great at deconstructing Scottish Labour spin and double meaning, but I’d be interested to see if anyone can find evidence that contradicts the idea that the SNP’s position on fracking per se is yet to be determined. Saying the power over licences should reside with the Scottish Parliament – a position I strongly support – is a natural stance for the SNP but it is not a policy to rule out fracking.

    I do appreciate politics isn’t always about making the big gesture and that the SNP see the first priority as bringing decisions on fracking to Scotland, trusting the Parliament to reflect Scottish opinion. Fair enough. But to all those who are take for granted an SNP anti-fracking position as read, well, all I can say is read some more.

    And to those many ordinary members of the SNP who read this site, try asking your SNP MSP, MP or councillor for a clear party policy. You might be surprised.

  94. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    ECONOMICS

    The only people who will benefit economically are the few companies doing the fracking along with the politicians and professional lobbyists whose palms have been greased plus a very small workforce.

    Immediate negative economic effects include property devaluation, insurance premiums (or even availability) and tourism.

    Next is the effect on ‘Brand Scotland’. ‘Brand Scotland’ has a valuable premium where customers are willing to pay extra for perceived ‘quality’ produce. Whisky, Salmon, Beef, Water and others. That perception is based on a vision of natural purity, particularly of course, on purity of water supply. Once that perception is gone, it will have huge economic repercussions and be virtually impossible to get back.

    Then there would be the eventual costs to the SNHS from the medical complications arising.

    What kind of economic legacy is that to leave for future generations?

    Of course, in the fcUK up that is Britain, we have a situation where not only has the majority in a ‘tyranny by the majority’ become a regionalised fixture (SE v everyone else) but that population base which still retains a social view has been effectively disenfranchised (Red Tory, Blue Tory) and with FPTP you don’t even need a majority.

    So we can safely predict, that just as with wind turbines, tolerated SE NIMBYISM will ensure that only token implementation of fracking will take place there.

    So that’s all right then.

  95. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    My view is that the gas is going nowhere so let them drill Surrey and Hampshire and demonstrate that they can do it cleanly and safely before we let put so much as a pin in the ground here. If they can’t vote for a moratorium in Westminster let us have one here at Holyrood.

    There is no rush to do this thing.

  96. Tarisgal
    Ignored
    says:

    Like many here, I wondered why the SNP were not commenting on exactly what their stance was on fracking. It seemed rather strange that with this practice to be devolved, they would drag their feet on what is a huge subject and a worry for many. So only late yesterday morning (before the afternoon’s Labour debacle!) I got in touch with my local SNP MSP and got the desired information that helped me to understand their (SNP) position.

    Personally this MSP feels VERY strongly that fracking is wrong. But on a party level, he explained and I’ll quote,

    “The situation with regard to policing of Fracking is very much in a state of flux at the moment owing to recent developments which have suggested control of Fracking will be devolved to Scotland. I expect that how we proceed will become clearer over the next few days.

    You are correct that the SNP Government has not taken a clear position on Fracking and there is a very good reason for that.

    As things stand the only means at our disposal of preventing Fracking proceeding is on planning grounds. We have stated that in utilising these we would always adopt the precautionary approach. In reality that is as far as we have been able to go for one very simple reason.

    Were we to come out and say we would block any and all applications using planning regulations then on a case by case basis developers could lodge appeals which, if granted, could potentially be granted without any restrictions or controls – ie they could Frack as they wanted.

    No responsible Government, especially not one committed to the generation of clean, green energy and meeting world leading Climate Change targets could or should take that risk. It is easy for parties who have no governmental responsibilities or are ever likely to have such, to take an apparently principled position. The SNP, as the party of government, has to act responsibly not least of all because of the above noted reason.

    That does not make us weak on this issue. Far from it. As I made clear earlier I am personally utterly opposed to Fracking as it is potentially dangerous and we do not need to proceed in that direction.

    Hope that sheds some light on the situation.”

    I hope that helps some that might be wondering why the SNP are ‘fence sitting’ at the moment. Apparently until the decisions re fracking are devolved, they need to ‘ca canny’…

  97. Graeme Doig
    Ignored
    says:

    Famous 15

    Re comment @ 12.35 about caz-m

    It was i who made inappropriate comments initially. I also made comment about GCHQ.

    Apologies for any offence or damage done. No offence meant by my childish humour. It will not happen again.

  98. r esquierdo
    Ignored
    says:

    The capacity of her waste expulsion pipe must be on a par with that of John Murphy. She is spewing great quantities of shoit

  99. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Big Jock says:27 January, 2015 at 10:50 am:

    … The problem is we have a lazy,biased uneducated MSM in Scoland. Like the politicions they have forgotten what a journalists job is. They don’t have the skills to interogate and investigate …

    Actually, Big Jock, that is not the problem. I’ve had a lifelong interest in Scottish History and after many years the big picture slowly became clear. Our whole history boils down to one main overall significant factor and I’ve posted that fact several times. To date no one has disproved it as a fact.

    Our written history begins with the Roman occupiers of Britain in 55/54BC. Before this time we only have archaeological or Roman hearsay evidence of what went on. The Romans came and remained an elite ruling class in south Britain for 465 years. Yet there is little to nothing of Roman genes in the modern British gene pool. Romans obviously did not interbreed with those they enslaved or ruled over. In fact Legionnaires made vows of celibacy.

    The Romans left and south Britain invited the Germanic Anglo Saxons to come and protect them but the Germanic tribes became the new elite rulers in south Britain and they too were the masters and the south Britons the slaves. This has been the lot of the South Britain that the Anglo Saxons named, “Angle Land”. However genetics prove that there is less than 5% Anglo Saxon genes in Britain today.

    Other elites followed on until the Normans and they became the royals and aristocrats mainly breeding among themselves and we are still living under the remnants of the Feudal system today with the Royals and hereditary Peers still breeding mainly among themselves.

    Now, though, the elite rulers are also drawn from those with money, influence and political power. In most instances they can weald all three or buy the influence and power they need to remain the elite rulers of the slaves or working class. Now we call them, “The Establishment”, and they encompass the MSM and broadcasters you speak off.

    For some time the working class could wield some semblance of power as the elite needed them as workers to mine, smelt, spin, weave, manufacture and transport the things that provided the elite class their wealth. They only paid what they had to in order to maintain their elite position. The constant battle of the working classes to maintain some semblance of equality.

    Now the elite have emasculated the serfs. Where now the powers of the Mineworkers, Rail, Transport, Textile, Steel and Engineering Unions? Remember the trade union movement began with the agricultural workers Unions because that was the main source of wealth for the elite back then. Remember the Tolpuddle Misters?

    A group of 19th century Dorset agricultural labourers arrested, convicted and sentenced to penal transportation to Australia for swearing a secret oath as members of, “The Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers”.

    It clearly was a trade specific, “Friendly Benefit Society”, but was classed as a Trade Union by the Elite Rulers of the day. As agriculture became less vital to the elite their main drive concentrated more upon crushing whatever power the serfs of the day had to exert.

    Go figure now who the present elite classes are and why the poorest, oldest and most vulnerable of the population are being pushed into extinction. Make no mistake there are thousands of these now dying throughout Britain from poor healthcare and poor social care. Not to mention from hunger or cold depending on whether they choose to eat or heat. Yet the Rich have continued to become richer throughout the deep depression they engineered for the United Kingdom. The UK is awash with wealth but it is confined to a very few already wealthy pockets.

  100. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers

    One of my friends told me over 25 years ago that he considered the Class system to be an apartheid system with the High Class “Saxons” ruling over the “Working Class” Celts.

    I have never found anything which would suggest he is wrong.

  101. Patrick Roden
    Ignored
    says:

    Can someone help me out here,

    Am I just imagining things, or did the biggest donor to BT, Mr £500,000 Ian Taylor, not have a hand in the fracking industry, and would be one of the major beneficiaries, if this industry was allowed a licence in Scotland?

    Wasn’t it reported on Wings by some commenter that Mr Taylor had good reason to believe that, if the No vote won then Westminster could be relied on to vote to allow Scotland to be well and truly fracked (see what I did there.

    So was this the Labour Parties ‘pay back’ to the strangely generous MR Taylor?

    Some people on Wings may comment that Mr Ian Taylor is anything but a generous person, as his behaviour in his business dealings have shown he is a man who is prepared to go to extreme lengths to make money, and therefore he is not someone who would be expected to put so much money into a political campaign if he wasn’t going to make money out of it…

    …but I couldn’t possibly comment!

  102. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @think again says: 27 January, 2015 at 10:52 am:

    “Margaret and Jim achieve another personal best in lying and are surpassed only by the Scotsman, if only because people actually pay to read it.

    think again says:

    27 January, 2015 at 10:52 am

    ” … Margaret and Jim achieve another personal best in lying and are surpassed only by the Scotsman, if only because people actually pay to read it”.

    Whit! You imaging, “The Scotsman”, to be more expensive to the individual than that pair of reprobates? Have you considered the salary and expenses these two have per annum between them? Now I’ve never bought a “Scotsman”, Newspaper since it’s first decline as a World Class publication and thereby hangs the tale.

    I had the free choice to stop paying for the inferior goods that the newspaper had become but I have no choice than see a percentage of what I pay in tax and duty go to support such self-serving members of parliament that are neither the government of choice nor effective opposition to that government.

  103. BrianW
    Ignored
    says:

    I emailed the newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk address last night re Labour Abstaining from the Fracking Moratorium Vote (i did use a bit of cutting and pasting..lol):

    “I hope to god you print the truth about the fracking vote on 26th January 2015. Jim Murphy said the other day that if he were to become First Minister he’d impose a moratorium very similar to the Lib Dem one that Labour abstained on tonight, didn’t turn up to either vote for that UK-wide one, or to vote to give himself the future power to actually enforce such a ban in Scotland.”

    I see that they went with the TOTALLY IGNORE the story approach.. Head in the sand job from Team Labour/McQuarrie & Co.

    But hold on.. No sooner has Ed Balls appeared on the telly to say that he’d not go into a coalition with the SNP and this pops up.. Didn;t take them long to scramble this story together..

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-31000167

    This is though not what the SNP has really hinted at – by what i take on whats been said – they have stated they would enter into agreement on a case by case basis, not a formal coalition, which lo and behold the BBC seem to be deaf to those words too..

    A bit like oo’r Mergrit Curran being deaf to the truth..

    I can feel “A Few Good Men” outburst coming on aimed squarley at Mergrit.. YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH…

  104. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Did the biggest donor to BT, Mr £500,000 Ian Taylor, have a hand in the fracking industry?

    Well spotted, Patrick. In the UK his company, Cuadrilla, is every department and the entire store for fracking.

  105. M4rkyboy
    Ignored
    says:

    http://uphellyaa.com/
    Livestream on just now if anyone likes their Shetland fiddle tunes.

  106. robertknight
    Ignored
    says:

    Someone should put a paid advert in a newspaper calling her out for what she is and let her try to seek legal recourse for defamation.

    How about it Stu? Crowd funded ad’ anyone?

  107. KennyG
    Ignored
    says:

    This is astonishing. The lies these people are telling us is getting out of control.

    Let me get this right, Labour are putting it out there that they have voted to successfully stop fracking, but what they have actually done is, not vote at all, which means that fracking can still go ahead, and are now publicly asking the SNP to do the same despite knowing that what they just lied about voting on means the SNP have no control over it now.

    Is that right?

  108. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @caz-m says:27 January, 2015 at 11:05 am:

    “Exactly what I was saying in an earlier post Luigi. The SNP media Dept need to get their arse in gear. Pro-active NOT re-active. Get in there early. Let’s see examples of you telling the media that they got a story wrong and put it right immediately”.

    So, Caz-m, just how exactly do you propose they do that?

    The MSM and Broadcasters are part of the Establishment and the Establishment also includes the Government, (all of it including the opposition), The Civil Service, the Armed Forces, the Media, The so called Secret Societies, the financial sector, international big business corporations and the even the churches.

    We have word of mouth and the social media of the internet. In other words you, me and the rest of the faithful in the independence movement but if you imagine there are not Establishment Agents working within the movement then try to explain the several leaked documents of the last referendum campaign?

  109. Peter Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    I just looked for that tweet on her feed, I can’t find it anywhere. Has she removed it?

  110. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Andrew Haddow says: 27 January, 2015 at 11:14 am:

    “No. the problem is that there is no such thing as a Scottish MSM.”

    Got it in one, Andrew. The closest the Indy movement gets to a method of propagating the truth is you, me and the several million more supporters of independence and it has been a great triumph that we have done as well as we have.

    Put it this way, Murphy, Brown or Mags Curran open their mouth and burp and within minutes the MSM and broadcasters are propagating that burp throughout the entire MSM and broadcast waves, spinning it as a true story.

    Nicola makes a profound statement and if anything is said about it in print or over the airwaves it is watered down or misrepresented. The only way the truth gets out is by social media and damned hard work by the believers in independence.

    While some independence supporter trawls round a small area pushing things through letter boxes or talking to folks on the doorstep an establishment broadcaster picks up a microphone and lies over the airwaves and a columnist types out a tall-story and sends it to print.

  111. iain taylor (not that one)
    Ignored
    says:

    A cartoon about Curran’s underwear should come with a health warning.

    Grisly thought…

  112. EphemeralDeception
    Ignored
    says:

    @DR Ew

    Even if Fracking was neutral on environmental impact, most of the proceeds would not benefit Scotland. Eg. Most high paying and indirect North Sea oil jobs are around London, not in Scotland.

    Scotland would get the minimal extraction jobs but not the proceeds and not the indirect employment. This is a partially known, but factual, truth.

    I understand some elements in the SNP would like to shore up business, it is a lifeblood. The big picture

  113. EphemeralDeception
    Ignored
    says:

    oops.

    The big picture is what is in our interests long term.

  114. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ali says:27 January, 2015 at 11:26 am:

    “The SNP should make an unambiguous statement that they will use planning laws to stop fracking.”

    First of all they have stated that they are against fracking in principal. The fact is plain that if they went further just now the might of the Establishment would spin it and many would believe them.

    “But they won’t”. And you have that on whose authority?

    “I’d like honesty from those who I oppose, but more so from those I would like to support, please”.

    Perhaps if you gave them your unqualified support then you might have more success. They can only make gains when they can make the Unionist fear being defeated in their attempts to dominate. Laughably you are decrying the SNP of sitting on the fence while sitting on the fence beside them.

    The SNP are not a remote set of exclusive elected members. They do nothing without it being a democratically agreed policy of the membership. Wee Nicola has just the same vote on policy as the last one of tranche of members who joined recently. If you want to have an influence and a vote in SNP policy you can do so, as a member, by attending branch meetings and having your say.

    As the old seaside comic postcard used to say, “Don’t just stand there – do something”.

  115. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @RogueCoder says:27 January, 2015 at 11:38 am:

    “In fairness to Diane Abbott, she voted for the moratorium, and for devolving licensing to Scotland – against her party.”

    And do you imagine for a moment that she doesn’t have enough savvy to work out that with the whips pushing her Labour comrades through the division lobby to vote one way she can gain some support from such as yourself by going against the majority she is certain are voting?” Mark

    ” … Lazarowica, Edinburgh North and Leith
    Ian Davidson, Glasgow South West
    Cathy Jamieson, Kilmarnock and Loudoun
    Katy Clark, North Ayrshire and Arran.

    Same goes for those four – not too bright but bright enough to know they will gain nothing except to fool some folks they are not so bad after all without altering the basic fact that Labour have voted against the moratorium anyway.

  116. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @CameonB Brodie says:27 January, 2015 at 12:00 pm:

    “I think the technical term is blackwhite. 🙂

    Naw” When you mix together Black and White you get one of the many shades of grey/gray, variously described in dictionaries as, neutral colours ranging between black & white; dreary; vague or nondescript.

    All quite appropriate descriptions for describing the Labour party.

    BTW: We all know what happened to then Holyrood party leader Gray on being confronted with protesters, don’t we?

  117. Shiprex
    Ignored
    says:

    I ask why not have a state run corporation that can (leasing equipment from commercial companies) who can set about developing these with democratic decision making as to who and where it is done so that the stuff is gotten out of the ground but it’s in the hands of the Scottish people, One could shout state owned privately aided PpP (People private Partnerships) then the nation state can reap the benefits of this resource for the benefit of all rather than the current model of for the same old bunch of oligarchs

  118. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m reminded of the immortal moment Homer Simpson takes a lie detector test in the X-Files/Simpsons crossover episode:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Ylu0YywoA

  119. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers,

    “The MSM and Broadcasters are part of the Establishment and the Establishment also includes the Government, (all of it including the opposition), The Civil Service, the Armed Forces, the Media, The so called Secret Societies, the financial sector, international big business corporations and the even the churches.”

    Add to this the lowest of the low – the vast majority of lawyers and judges.

  120. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    I see several people have suggested that the Scottish government should declare Scotland a National Park as it is against the law to frack in national parks. Thing is that Scotland is already declared a national park by Westminster. It is the nation they have chosen to park their weapons of mass destruction in.

  121. JLT
    Ignored
    says:

    To be honest, we really need a pamphlet setup, listing every lie and broken promise that the Scottish Labour Party have been involved in since the beginnings of the Referendum.

    The people of Scotland have got to get it into their heads that Scottish Labour will be the end of us. We have to get that message across!

  122. Marian
    Ignored
    says:

    The saddest thing about that the UK media won’t expose Labour’s hypocrisy and lies just as the Rev Stu has done here.

    How do these hacks live with themselves in the knowledge that they are all part of a vast conspiracy to cover up and lie to the people of the UK.

  123. Cadogan Enright
    Ignored
    says:

    As the MSM continues to push these monstrous liars and repeat their lies – I wonder how we can out them to those in Scotland who do not have access to real information sources more than we already are?

  124. Gary
    Ignored
    says:

    Another ‘Murphyism’

  125. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Marian,

    “The saddest thing about that the UK media won’t expose Labour’s hypocrisy and lies just as the Rev Stu has done here.”

    What is stopping our favourite papers The National and The Sunday Herald from exposing them?

  126. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Isn’t it strange how the Scottish Labour MPs followed the
    Westminster Labour’s Whip and abstained on the Fracking Bill,
    when Smurph assures us he Rules Labour Scotland?
    Do you think he will ever consider writing down the Lies he spouts
    daily?
    He contradicts himself every second time he opens his mouth.
    He has mastered lying though! He is a natural when it comes to avoiding anything which might be considered true.

  127. Bob Sinclair
    Ignored
    says:

    I work alongside some of the smartest people in the petrochemical industry and you’d better believe me when I tell you that they would be able to run rings round any so called ‘toughening up’ of planning regulations regarding fracking. Their view would be ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’.

    Massive investment at Grangemouth (all of which info is available in the public domain), on the basis of bringing in Fracked gas from the US would not be happening if these people thought they wouldn’t be allowed to fracking Scotland.

    give them an inch & they’ll fracking a mile.



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