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A grasp of foreign affairs

Posted on October 27, 2014 by

On the left the Observer yesterday, on the right the Guardian this morning.

jlmc

Imagine the UK’s great newspaper of the liberal left repeatedly confusing Theresa May with Esther McVey, or Harriet Harman with Dianne Abbott. Feel the comradely love.

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  1. 27 10 14 09:01

    A grasp of foreign affairs | FreeScotland
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  2. 27 10 14 09:42

    A grasp of foreign affairs - Speymouth
    Ignored

72 to “A grasp of foreign affairs”

  1. Bugger (the Panda)
    Ignored
    says:

    “Scottish Labour”

    That is how fundamentally London just doesn’t have a clue.

  2. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Just goes to show how hard it is to tell the Blue and Red Tories apart.

  3. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Good Morning Stu. …..Ermm, Stu. The Observer starts with an ‘O’.

  4. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe we should send them a picture of Paula Rose and tell them it is JoLa. They’ll never know the difference.

    Happy Birthday, Stuart.

  5. cath
    Ignored
    says:

    If anyone feels sorry for JoLo, console yourself with the right this is what she wanted and spent years fighting for. It’s what she and her acolytes spent years calling us cybernats, Nazis, nationalists, viruses etc to preserve. Serves her right.

  6. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if Johann Lamont, after licking her wounds, decides to serve a little more revenge and speak our again (or maybe she has already been spoken to). After all, her reputation has been completely trashed by her former friends and colleagues during the past two days. BBC Labour are closing ranks (as they did with Wendy Alexander) and JL is looking increasingly useless, suggesting she could have done a lot more. Probably true to an extent, but the speed of betrayal has probably taken her by surprise.

  7. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    archive.today/SNZfn

    Douglas Alexander, quoted today in the Guardian:-

    “The shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, said “You have got to be responsible always in the language that you use around issues of immigration,” “

    But, on Independence or the SNP, you can say whatever the f*ck you like.

    Douglas and McTernan in a race to the botttom.

  8. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Maragaret Curran will have to politely correct quite a few media hacks, as she swans around Westminster:

    “Miss Lamont, what did you mean by………”

    Ha Ha

  9. John Walsh
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it your birthday today or am I mistaken?
    It is not that the Engish media don’t know it is a fact they don’t care.
    With dwindling readers up North this is a distraction to the UKIP agenda.
    We will watch MSM present an apologetic SLAB over the next six months hoping we forget their complicity with the Tories in the indyref.

  10. Brian Powell
    Ignored
    says:

    They probably couldn’t get a photo of Johann Lamont in those situations. These are the ‘what it would have looked like’ reconstructions.

    “Have you seen this woman with these men? An actress is playing Johann, She was last seen standing outside a lift in a hotel”.

  11. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh Dear, one (or two) of the selfish little gits at Westminster will now have to put aside their massive ambitions, healthy pay rise (11%), and of course those generous expenses aside to return north and save the party.

    Nobody wants it. The pressure is on.

    Who is going to blink first?

  12. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    They might as well have captioned it Pol Pot, Evita and Kim Jong Un in happier times, in keeping with their usual practice when discussing Scottish politicians. Or is that just reserved for the First Minister?

  13. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting comment by a Labour supporter on GMS:

    “The fear is that an independent Scottish Labour Party will become a nationalist Labour party and support independence”

    Mmmmmmm

  14. Ghengis D'Midgies
    Ignored
    says:

    If only it was a foreign affair. To think we almost made it and now we are to continue as a mostly exploited part of a rotten state.

    UK rotteness reminder:
    youtube.com/watch?v=CIQ8VVn8AJA

    Take that Akismet!

  15. Mosstrooper
    Ignored
    says:

    Honest tae god! This is better than Laurel and Hardy. I don’t think I’ve stopped laughin’ all week end. Then I heard Jabba on radio 4 as representatve of the great state of denial. Bloody hell I’m away again. Then some prat of a labour councillor from Cumbernauld telling us that Johanne was a great leader and that Wendy’s brother would be a great leader because he has a lot of new ideas. Oh ma sides!

    In the Thick of It? Should that no be the Thick in It?

  16. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Their inept Scottish political ‘analysis’ is as bereft of intelligence, as their inept use of the wrong picture 2 days in a row.

    Dear Guardian,
    POP quiz: Which Scottish ‘leader’ of ONE NATION British Labour in Holyrood, recently resigned, is it a) Margaret Curran, b) Ed Miliband, c) Gordon brown or d) Johan Lamont?

    (Hint: Ed Miliband is not Scottish).

  17. ronald alexander mcdonald
    Ignored
    says:

    They should put an advert in the papers under situations vacant.

    Wanted: Branch Manager for the Labour party in Scotland. Apply in writing to The Leader, Mr E Miliband.

  18. Rod Robertson
    Ignored
    says:

    I pointed this out to Owen and immediately had my comment removed.
    Oh the UK MSM love freedom of speech ,but only when it applies to them.

  19. Murray McCallum
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe Scottish people all look the same to the liberal left in London?

    This is actually quite handy as, for example, you can have one or two generic photographs for all Scottish female politicians.

  20. No no no...Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    The Guardian/Observer are incompetent, just like the Labour Party.This just shows the lack of knowledge and professionalism they possess.Yet some people sill buy and view it!
    Just checked the Twitter feed of their Scotland hack, Severin Carrell.Nothing since 10 October, he must be away on holiday after a tough referendum campaign.Don’t hurry back.

  21. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Trawler men don’t bother with the fish they discard.

    I wouldn’t bother wi’ Mrs Lamont.

    Labour were never gonnae keep her.

  22. Andrew Haddow
    Ignored
    says:

    Those Jocks all look the same.

  23. Bugger (the Panda)
    Ignored
    says:

    If anyone was unsure just how bad JoLa was, have a look at this video and watch trying to explain the inexplicable and argue the unarguable.

    She was simply out of her depth, which is how London Labour wanted their local council branch in Scotland to be.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsUkgtsYDSw#t=241

    Can anyone understand WTF she is talking about.

    A meaningless scrabble of political soundbites.

  24. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    They are all useless liars. Greedy and useless. All in it together

    Unionist free by 2016. Vote SNP

  25. Famous15
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    says:

    Jim Murphy would have to sacrifice a great deal of wealth so it is a big ask as they say. I suspect Jim will take a high moral stance to sidestep any loss and it dawned on me he will back a bright but vacuous glove puppet. That photo of Kezia Dugdale looking all sad and sweet makes her the ideal candidate for Sooty or Sweep.

    Any bets?

  26. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    I would spit on Mags Curran, mind you there would be a long queue with JoLa at the front summoning up a whopper from her mucus membrane.

  27. ronald alexander mcdonald
    Ignored
    says:

    To state the obvious, war has broken out between London Labour and their servants in Edinburgh.

    In a war you have two choices. You either fight or surrender. What will the Labour MSP’s do?

  28. thoughtsofascot
    Ignored
    says:

    I can see murphy actually getting the chalice. His current seat is almost certainly going tory in 2015. his only way to avoid obscurity is to search for a safe holyrood seat

  29. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    At a quick glance, I thought mags and gordon were cross armed Ald lang syne stylee.

    Loves Labour Lost.

  30. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    On that second one, I was looking for a mis-spelling of Lamont’s name or something. I didn’t realise at first it was Curran in the pic (not having seen the first one at the time).

    That is just too crass for words.

  31. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Isnt Jackie Baillie in the running yet?

    Jim Murphy is interesting as it gives the Scottish Labour party a leader who actually believes in right wing politics so he could take them to the right with true conviction without any faux caring social conscience puff.

    They dont care about the left or centre anymore regardless of some Scottish peoples dreamy “Old Labour” delusions and given the No vote, there may be justification for Scottish Labour to declare “This is a new new Scottish Labour and we arent ashamed to be right of centre..Im youre doing okay, we’ll help you make more cash!”.

    Stranger things have happened but can Murphy win the Unions over?

  32. mogabee
    Ignored
    says:

    Are we completely sure the papers made a mistake?

    Perhaps Magreet Curran should be checking her back too…

  33. Calgacus
    Ignored
    says:

    Perhaps Mz Lamont has been airbrushed out of history as in the old days of the Soviet Union:)

  34. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    This is of course the orwellian swap over in the file. Was Johann been replaced even before she’d left? Maybe it’s a vision of the future?

  35. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    desimond,

    Running? Baillie? I doubt it!

    The position certainly needs someone who is a heavyweight and with gravid ass. So who knows?

  36. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Haha too funny, hope Magrit sees the articles, and panics.

  37. emegra
    Ignored
    says:

    “POP quiz: Which Scottish ‘leader’ of ONE NATION British Labour in Holyrood, recently resigned, is it a) Margaret Curran, b) Ed Miliband, c) Gordon brown or d) Johan Lamont?

    (Hint: Ed Miliband is not Scottish).”

    Neither are the other 3 in my opinion they’re British they’re all British…not a Scot amongst them

    Graeme

  38. farrochie
    Ignored
    says:

    Whoever accepts the poisoned chalice of Labour leadership in Scotland will be invited, like Ms Lamont, to participate in Miliband’s Shadow Cabinet, and will be silenced by Cabinet Collective Responsibility.

    It was our own Donald Dewar, when he was Opposition Chief Whip in 1996, who wrote that the principle ‘must apply to the
    Shadow Cabinet as certainly to the Cabinet…. [Research Paper 04/82, The Collective Respnsibility of Ministers, footnote 47].

  39. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Ho Ho, even a left wing newspaper hasn’t a clue who Jola is – come to that, they obviously don’t know who Magrit Curran is either.

  40. No no no...Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    The headlines in both articles sum it up,the Labour Party in Scotland is dying before our very eyes.Nothing can save it from self inflicted injuries over a period of many years. Most recently,the patient has had the added complication of a failed diet of poor leadership,deceit,denial and an unhealthy association with toxic third parties.The patient was gullable and exposed itself to medicine supplied and administered by snake oil salesmen. The pulse is weak and there is no injection of talent, policies and unity available, they are all sold out. Even a transplant of foreign tissue supplied by the London surgery is out of the question: potential donors are hard to find because of the personal financial loss likely to be incurred, and this patient in particular has poor self esteem and could never achieve full independence.
    The voters are fully aware of the situation and party members and media types, who are still in denial, will learn the fateful outcome in May 2015.

  41. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis says:
    “POP quiz: Which Scottish ‘leader’ of ONE NATION British Labour in Holyrood, recently resigned, is it a) Margaret Curran, b) Ed Miliband, c) Gordon brown or d) Johan Lamont?
    (Hint: Ed Miliband is not Scottish).”

    ….. that must be ….. Millband? 🙂

  42. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @cearc

    Bravo…knocked out the park!

    Im still laughing at todays Herald “Mags Curran is in tears at suggestions she was behind the Jola exit strategy!”

    As if Mags could be anyones puppet ( http://www.virginmedia.com/images/puppets-terrahawks-290×400.jpg )

    Strange how shes not been mentioned as a contender mind…

  43. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Stick a fork in them, they’re done.

    I hope they’re having nightmares about this coming GE.

  44. Albaman
    Ignored
    says:

    Can anyone imagine G Brown taking on the job of leading Labour in Scotland, when his boss would be one of his former underlings, and that he’d have to take orders from him (Miliband) naw can’t see it.

  45. Macnakamura
    Ignored
    says:

    Dugdale and Marra will be content to be considered as contenders in the same company as Murphy etc. It will give them status by association.
    Brown will not be interested but will take a great interest because he is full of self importance.
    Alexander will fail at interview stage because he will still be talking long after the panel has fallen asleep.
    Murphy will stand only if his accountant advises him to do so.

    Sarah Boyack.
    While the others brief against each other, she will keep quiet and be invited to lead for the good of the party.

    Just a wee bit of speculation based on nothing more than speculation.

  46. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Awe REV cut they papers a bit of slack, its easy to get Con_ fuddled after all they come from the same Mold,just a different style of Emporer,s clothes.

  47. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @Macnakamura

    Nice reasoning there, now you have me wondering if wee wide mouthed Wendy could usurp her brother in any bid!

  48. Devorgilla
    Ignored
    says:

    Murphy’s seat is in no danger of going Tory in 2016. He has a 10,000 majority. And has had, more or less, since 1997. But as a Blairite who campaigned for David Miliband and is well to the right of Ed (he was actually demoted last March to a less demanding role in Ed’s re-shuffle) his ministerial prospects are not that great in a Labour government. My guess is that he will be considering it, but will be naming his price for what comes thereafter. If he does go for it, it will squash the left of the Labour Party in Scotland and they will either have to suck it up or go elsewhere if they have any principle. Which of course, is a big ‘if’. Andy Kerr and Malcolm Chisolm not happy at the prospect of Murphy. He’s a bully, and was cited for bullying behaviour by Ken Livingstone.

  49. velofello
    Ignored
    says:

    Dugdale or Marra as the puppet, with Murphy as the “guiding hand”.

    With “Scottish” Labour always consider the prospect of cack-handed cynicism and deceit.

  50. AuldA
    Ignored
    says:

    Scottish Labour is on the verge of becoming an oxymoron.
    Speaking of morons… … … 😉

  51. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m guessing most posters here know EXACTLY what Labour need to do in Scotland, but we’re not telling?

  52. Steffen G
    Ignored
    says:

    Over the weekend Mr Edward ‘Longshanks’ Milliband will have mumbled this, standing in front of his mirror: “The trouble with Scotland is that it’s full of Scots”; Perhaps also: “Who is this person who speaks to me as though I needed his advice?”. Those unruly Scots. All they need to do is to return their allocation of 40 MPs so that we can get back onto the gravy train.

  53. JLT
    Ignored
    says:

    Priceless! Then again …if the media have no idea who Curran and Lamont are …and neither does Ed …then is it possible that they’ve mixed the 2 women up, and that it is ACTUALLY Margaret Curran whose coat is on a shoogly peg. Can you imagine JoLa’s face as she realises she has slagged everyone off …only to find out that it wasn’t her that Ed was going to sack!

    This would not surprise me in the least coming from Labour!

  54. chalks
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye, they need to dissolve.

  55. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Mmm, X Factor. Perhaps they could anoint Jim Murphy as Leader, with Gordon Brown as the other part of the duo, and they could make a guest appearance on X-Factor with their song:

    “Bring me Sunshine, in your smile,
    Bring me Laughter, all the while,
    In this world where we live, there should be more happiness,
    So much joy you can give, to each brand new bright tomorrow.

    Make me happy, through the years,
    Never bring me, any tears,
    Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
    Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.”

    I’m not sure which one could get away with being Wise.

  56. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    JLT,

    A lovely thought!

  57. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    I love the coincidence that as the nominations file into Scottish Labour HQ, its Trick of Treat week!

  58. MochaChoca
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s got to be deliberate… how could anyone mistake Terrahawks arch enemy Zelda for Wee Jimmy Krankie?

  59. Macandroid
    Ignored
    says:

    Desimond you can’t use “Jackie Ballie” and “running” in the same sentence!

  60. James Caithness
    Ignored
    says:

    Macandroid says:
    27 October, 2014 at 4:07 pm
    Desimond you can’t use “Jackie Ballie” and “running” in the same sentence!

    ========================================

    I bet her husband has fun though, slap her arse and ride home on the waves, provided he doesn’t suffer from seasickness.

  61. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    Have you not noticed the great retreat already from the job, Sawar, Ballie, Dugdale, Finlay and Marra have all said NO to becoming leader of Scotlands redtorys.

    Surely if you are a scottish redtory, the job of leader must be the pinnacle of your profession, but naa it appears not, instead they are all shiteing themselves that they may be in line for the job.

    Do the redtorys not realise how f-ing stupid they look, their top job is up for grabs and they are all to scared to go for it, Scotland why would you ever vote for that bunch of spineless twats.

    Still laughing.

  62. MJack
    Ignored
    says:

    I didn’t get this right away cause I didn’t think newspaper cutbacks had effected quality so much but, then I got it and, what Fwits. Lamont is obvious for so many reasons, one being that I now have to FF anything she says on FMQ’s but I do watch her being interviewed (cause I like seeing a politician out of their depth being dissected!

  63. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    They are all feart

    Poetic justice

    It couldn’t happen to a worse bunch of people. Neil Findlay is another nasty.Bully bouy. Every time another one of them rears their head they lose support.

    Thanks for some of the posts they are hilarious.

    Those who have the last laugh, laugh longest.

  64. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    This is what happens when the Scottish press are the regional branch much bigger companies. Same with the telly,I heard about 3 or 4 different pronunciations of Ms Lamonts’ second name.

  65. Hetty
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour in Scotland are done for, it’s what the tories always wanted isn’t it? If Labour are dead in Scotland, where does that leave politics in Scotland, to demean and diminish one opponent might mean the other one looks weaker as well. Defo do not need more blue tories
    here either. What a cock up, but as I say it’s what the tories always wanted, dream come true for them, stupid Labour.

  66. Katie
    Ignored
    says:

    Just read something quite frightening about Lamont… she used to be an ENGLISH teacher apparently for 20 years!!! By the way she comes accross on some of her interviews she can barely string a sentence together. I just hope she doesn’t go back to that career!!!!

  67. Hetty
    Ignored
    says:

    Ps I have really enjoyed the comments here today, the YES lot have great creative talent and wit that is for sure. Thanks, from a geordie.

  68. Carin Schwartz
    Ignored
    says:

    Am I missing the whole point – that woman is Margaret Curran and not Johann Lamont.

  69. SiPeKi
    Ignored
    says:

    She is there they are just sitting on her.

  70. thoughtsofascot
    Ignored
    says:

    @Devorgilla

    I disagree there. His seat is in a traditional Tory area. If he loses 40% of the labour vote(as is expected across the country), or if those with traditional Tory leanings turn back to their original party then he is toast. Its probably one of the few seats we have absolutely no chance of taking with a yes candidate because at absolute most we’d be able to get about 15000-20000, and that is being generous.

  71. fletch49er
    Ignored
    says:

    Someone in the Guardian is going to get their jotters. Mind you don’t the English think we all sound and look the same

  72. Will Podmore
    Ignored
    says:

    No fletch49er, ‘the English’ don’t think any such thing. If I made sweeping statements about what ‘the Scots’ all think, I imagine you would count that as English prejudice, if not something worse. I do hope you don’t have double standards.



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