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Wings Over Scotland


Free bird seed

Posted on February 13, 2016 by

whatcage

Order “Welcome To Cairnstoon”, Chris’ compilation of Wings cartoons and more, here.

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151 to “Free bird seed”

  1. David MacGille-Mhuire
    Ignored
    says:

    Cheep cheep, Yoonies, as you join the Dodo:)

  2. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    Good one Chris but shush don’t tell anyone. We know its a trap & more importantly so does John Swinney. Doesn’t he do well in the guise of Hamish?

    Good to see Hamish back again 🙂

  3. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s quite clearly seen that Hamish disnae button up the back! Welcome back Hamish! 🙂

  4. aldo_macb
    Ignored
    says:

    But what about all those pre referendum guarantees of Devo max? Surely these people weren’t havering? Were they? I really believed the promises of Gordon Brown, the Daily Record, Jacquie Bird, David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Alastair Darling. I especially believed George Galloway’s promise of super Devo max. Aye right.

  5. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Its a small box for a spectacular pile of great devo-max, federal UKOK bullshit, all wrapped in a soiled copy of the Daily Record. Once it drops, EVEL, Brexit, red tory tax hikes, Trident 2… you voted UKOK, shadap.

  6. John Moss
    Ignored
    says:

    Cartoon sums things uo nicely. Well put!

  7. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh, that’s a clever illustration, Chris, of where we are with the fiscal trap. Very nice. I spotted fat John Bull lurking behind the bush. (If I keep praising your work I’ll get trapped into buying your book! – just joshing.)

    This is a long read in short chapters; but, hey, it’s the weekend:

    ‘Is Our Society Democratic?’

    https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/is-our-society-democratic/

  8. Sooz
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh Hamish’s eyes are PERFECT!! The whole thing is, but his expression – absolutely spot on.

  9. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    I hope John Swinney hands this out at his next meeting with the treasury and opens with “this is how Scotland sees your proposals so let’s cut out the BS”.

  10. MolliBlum
    Ignored
    says:

    Shades of “We have catch‘d Scotland, and we will bind her fast”, eh?
    Fool me once…

  11. Marie Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh Chris, what a great way to start a Saturday. You aye manage to hit the nail on the head. The look on oor Hamish’s face is priceless.

    Welcome back Hamish wonderful tae see ye again.

  12. davidb
    Ignored
    says:

    Scale it to 72% and print it landscape for A4.

    Excellent work Mr Cairns.

  13. Geoff Huijer
    Ignored
    says:

    Very good indeed.

    Totally agree with Almannysbunnet too.

  14. Scott Borthwick
    Ignored
    says:

    Fantastic, Chris. Put a smile on my face on a miserable Saturday morn.

  15. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Great cartoon, as always. This one really captures (pun intended) the situation.

    Cameron and pals have been sleekit wee con men over their times in power. Screwed and destroyed the LibDems in coalition. Won IndyRef with the ‘free bird seed’ of DevoMax promises. Screwed and destroyed Labour in Scotland by using them as cannon fodder. EVEL announced triumphantly and delivered. And now they think they can screw Scotland with a poisoned chalice devo package.

    Firstly the powers don’t match the promises and are almost useless, and secondly they are attempting to damage faith in Scottish ability to govern ourselves by financial damage.

    Well, Cameron, this is one is a con trick too far. His head’s in our lion’s mouth and his brass neck isn’t as strong as he thinks!

  16. Tony Little
    Ignored
    says:

    A picture paints a 1,000 words. Another excellent capture of the reality. Good to see Nicola sanding strongly on the No Detriment principle. She is no one’s fool, thankfully she is on our side.

  17. Hobbit
    Ignored
    says:

    Talking about Labour in Scotland …

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/ousted-scots-mps-f-g-useless-says-labour-minister-1-4028831

    (soz, too good to ignore)

  18. Hamish Mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    And no key to unlock the “goodies”.

  19. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    And we will have none of that positive “Spirit of Scotland” crap. According to Douglas Fraser at the (we who must accentuate the negative) BBC, these figures are “rather important to those who want to see another independence referendum.”
    That would be us then so I’m sure some of our WOS economists can have a go at his figures.
    https://archive.is/9djjo

  20. Bill Fraser
    Ignored
    says:

    We’re no sae daft.

  21. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Cartoon is brilliant.
    I’m less sure about the process we are witnessing.
    I think I have a grasp on it; we have stealthily brought ourselves to a fork in the road where SNP takes us one way and Westminter policy leads us in the opposite direction. Both sides knew we would come to this point, and this is the point of no compromise. So far so good… it isn’t going to be pretty, but it was always going to happen.
    So far, I’m fully on side, but what concerns me is that these constraints Westminster seeks to impose on Scotland are not, how can I put it, led by necessity. It feels like both parties recognise a fight is inevitable, but its Westminster which is picking the battleground.
    I hate to say it, but I am troubled about how predictable current policy is.
    The whole Indyref campaign was constantly bound to an agenda being manipulated and set by a Unionist cause which was prejudiced and artificial, and so many rich and decent arguments in favour of YES were starved of oxygen.

    What am I saying? Not sure yet. But I have good instincts, and I am uncomfortable about how comfortable Westminster is to pick this fight. It seems for the Tories that an angry and uncooperative Scottish Government is now their desired objective, and the SNP is ready, perhaps too ready, to dutifully oblige.
    To use the analogy of the cartoon; we see the cage yes, but we should be alert to the wider problem that John Bull can predict our route and where to set his traps.
    I think we need to be smarter than this. We will never hold the initiative if we pursue someone elses agenda. We should get ourselves skiing off piste, and letting the rest play catch up.

  22. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Another “Keeper “so to speak. Usual brilliant depiction of a complex situation in one picture Chris. Outstanding.

  23. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Another date comes & goes and no further forward, Westminster will talk & talk & talk meanwhile the money train flows South & thats whats important to Westminster / Cameron ect ect. Nicola John should tell Cam & Co tae FRA, nae mair setting deadline dates in the future.

  24. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    Great cartoon Chris. Absolutely spot on. Nicola is doing a magnificent job both against Cameron ( I love that photo where she’s giving him a sideways look) And against the Labour morons in Holyrood. We should all send her a wee e mail of support- she looked pretty pissed off as Findlay’s “apology” was delivered.

  25. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Nicely captured Chris.

    Just one more nugget in the political and demographic enlightenment of Scotland.

  26. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks

    I agree with what you say, but I am perhaps more optimistic about the outcome.

    It has always troubled me that WM appears to be playing fast and loose with their Union. We should not underestimate the powers behind Unionism.

    The Establishment forces Scotland is pitted against are cunning, deceitful and ruthless. They adapt quickly to unexpected situations and are good at capturing the agenda. It’s the way they have behaved for hundreds of years.

    They operate in a highly reactive way, rising to challenges as they appear rather than prediction and preparation.

    With modern universal suffrage it is essential they manipulate the population and keep them onside. That is their weakness. Newspapers are withering, the BBC is believed by fewer and fewer. Simultaneously the Internet delivers alternative views and information they can’t control.

    They are doing things the way they always have, and it will be their undoing.

    They no doubt they believe if the Scotland Bill fails they can blame the SNP and Scottish Government. They will try using traditional methods. It will fail because they have been bypassed by new media.

  27. Aranciaca
    Ignored
    says:

    What happens next.
    Hamish pretends to creep up to the trap, diverting John Bull’s attention from the unicorn that rams his capacious backside, forcing him to spring the trap prematurely.

    (And after delaying the process until she has a larger majority in the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister graciously agrees to an outcome that is fair to Scotland.)

  28. jdman
    Ignored
    says:

    I agree with Breeks,
    we have for too long danced to THEIR tune,
    It’s time WE ceased the initiative!

    Im not smart enough to understand how that can be achieved I would like to think Swinney will have a plan!

  29. jdman
    Ignored
    says:

    ceased=seized dammit

  30. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish’s eyes say it all, “Aye right!”.

    The situation facing Scotland, boiled down and distilled, in one cartoon.

    Bravo Chris, bravo!

  31. The Man in the Jar
    Ignored
    says:

    Great cartoon. However it looks like i’m going to have Lynyrd Skynyrd in my head all day. 😉

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY

  32. Orri
    Ignored
    says:

    The assumption that what the Treasury are up to is any part some Conservative master plan is possibly not the real case. For a start we’re talking about the monkey rather than the grinder. I do remember some high heid yin breenging in to the independence debatabe so perhaps there’s a vested interest in ensuring their back of a fag packet predictions are seen as accurate.

    On the other hand in all good movies you either get someone deliberately screwing up their governments treaties for their own selfish reasons or being set up as a fall guy who’s boss gets to claim was acting without his permission.

    If either scenario is true then we should be keeping a wary eye on Osborne as the heir apparent to the tory throne.

  33. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Fantastic cartoon, no way will Hamish be caught in a trap.

    Podcast: Westminster intrigue and what it means for Scotland http://newsnet.scot/?p=116404

    Interesting discussion fiscal framework and asset stripping mentioned also EU referendum

  34. Alison Rollo
    Ignored
    says:

    They think they are playing with us!! I just hope we can give them a good hard bite when they least expect it!!

  35. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Great toon Chris and we all know what happened to Wile E Coyote in every single cartoon.

    As for what happens next? The dominoes are almost all set up IMO. We need to give Westminster a big hand for helping set them up for us (waves). They simply can’t help being who and what they are.

    Galamcennalath is right IMO. That is exactly how they will continue to act and react in their dealings with the Scottish government and electorate (shrugs). Its going to fail.

    Yesterday’s revelation by an unnamed serving shadow cabinet minister being the icing on the cake and explains quite a lot regarding the escalating desperation of Scottish Labour. I’d be fairly desperate too knowing the PLP didn’t have my back anymore, that effectively and after all of my actions against my own electorate in the interests of the PLP, I’d been abandoned to face the consequences on my own. Worse, that I’d been regarded as ‘f***ing useless’ anyway.

    To Labour members in Scotland I’d say, time to change your local leadership. They led you to this. Their blind hatred, their dogma, their insistence that the only way to represent the people lay in how the establishment and UK Labour practiced politics. Time to erase that line in the sand and BE SCOTTISH LABOUR. Clean house, and represent your people in an independent Scotland. Your choice.

    That first domino gets tipped on May 5th.

  36. Wuffing Dug
    Ignored
    says:

    Great depiction of the current situation.

    That lazy bastard John Bull not even hiding properly says it all….

    Agree with other commenters, I hope the snp are going to deviate way off the dictated agenda.

    No more dancing to their yoony tunes.

  37. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye : right enough .. how many times has this trick been used on Scotland ?

    O/T – fulcrum of the Fiscal framework trap ?

    Came up on GMS by accident this morning; Dont know if REV or anyone else heard Prof Robert Wright from Strathclyde Uni explain the need for Scotland to grow working population and how UK will frustrate this despite examples from around the world.

    For ‘ Alexssammin ‘ haters and No voters generally seems our former FM was right yet again.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06zv0z0#play (12 mins in)

    Rest of the show was worth a listen for once as well.

    Note – anyone know where Isobel Fraser has gone ?

  38. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Cairnstoon / Hamish – Kinda thing that should have been on the front page of the National ; or Billboards Rev ?

  39. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks

    The problem is that Holyrood’s powers are so constrained and so is the budget that the scope for meaningful actions ‘off piste’ are rather limited. Doon sooth they are noticing that the Scottish NHS is not covered by Hunt’s imposed contract and as the second largest NHS we now look attractive as a place to train for junior docs.

    That is off piste by us not changing anything. The Tories are changing the landscape so much in England that normality in Scotland looks off piste.

    So with the Tories in WM we can let them build the contrasts. Where would you rather live and who would you rather govern you? become ever starker and more salient questions. People just need nudging towards them.

  40. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    And where is the opposition in all this, waiting to play party politics. Don’t they realise that this agreement is the most fundamental change to Scotland,s governance since the act of union. When did the press decide to not talk about it? No really remember this time how quiet the other party’s her, when over their bandwagon will start on what a bad deal was made,

    Apologies for the poor language in my post this morning on the last topic, my gander was up, as they say!

  41. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    Very apt cartoon. Now let us watch all those who said we would get extra powers by voting No speak up for ‘no detriment’ and not take the Westminster line. Herald, Record et al.

  42. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Chris!
    Hamish is saying:
    “10 oot oh 10 fur effort John bit the only bird ye’ll fool wae a trap yon size is oor Jackie ower et the Beeb.”

    @ Hobbit (8.52am):
    Nana already posted a ARCHIVED link to that story yesterday at 11.55am. Her archived link helps limit gathering advertising revenues for the full of crap BUM. Please try and use the archive system.

  43. kininvie
    Ignored
    says:

    So who is going to stump up the fee for the Major? https://twitter.com/MajorMcBloodnok/status/697561007267434497

  44. Orri
    Ignored
    says:

    The change in Junior Doctors conditions may seem cack handed but may not be as clumsy as it seems. Without imposing a rota on them it’ll be far less likely that there’ll be suficient staff to cover out of hours. Given recruiting will no longer work it’ll be up to the private sector to provide agency staff. That might be provide by the same JDs who refuse to work for a pitance if there’s no exclusivity in their NHS contract. The result of it all will be JDs working long hours in total but as far as the NHS part goes well within legal limits. Not to mention private enterprises skimming of their cut.

    The tory wet dream will be a fully contracted out NHS that we all contribute to and their pals all profit from. In order to do that they need to create enough percieved crisis so as to ride on a wave of public indignation.

  45. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Gordoz 1030 – yes! I heard Professor Wright too – how embarrassing for BBC Kneebenders!By the way John Bull in the cartoon doesn’t need to hide – he’s just showing the usual contempt for we lesser beings!

  46. Swami Backverandah
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve come to the conclusion that the Labour Party hacks and activists must loathe Scotland more than they loathe the SNP.
    What other conclusion could be arrived at from the current scenario.

    The SNP want Independence.
    The Better Togethers wanted the Union, and before the referendum were willing to sign up to a Vow which promised more powers for Scotland in order to keep Scotland in the Union.

    Essentially the case for remaining in the Union without sweeteners, ie, the alternative of either Independence or Status Quo, was considered an outright loss for Better Together.

    Was there a point prior to the Referendum of the mention of no detriment?

    So now Scotland has a situation whereby The First Minister, of a Party preferring Independence, has to negotiate, not only the ‘more powers’ promised, but also a ‘no detriment’ position that was negotiated after Referendum, at the Smith Commission.

    Better Together wanted the Status Quo, realised they were backing a loser, promised more powers but now won’t deliver them without financial detriment, and expect the SNP to be responsible for delivering them with no detriment.

    Ironic.

    They really do hate Scotland. But they will protest that conclusion. I wonder how they can’t see it. It’s not so difficult.

  47. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    A Hundred years lease agreement for Hong Kong with China & at the end of that Westminster still wanted to force a agreement on the Chinese.

    Jaw Jaw I want tae Walk Walk tae ah better future in Scotland.

  48. Albaman
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone got an idea what’s happening in the Monklands/Coatbridge S.N.P. branch ?, the Herald seems to be making a meal of it, in as much it’s running, and running with the story for days now.

  49. The Tree of Liberty
    Ignored
    says:

    Absolutely spot on, Chris.

  50. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    Albaman

    I would presume it is personality clashes. I’ve seen it over the decades, nothing new.

  51. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Absolutely marvelous piece in today’s National from Mhairi Black
    Labours “Union Tax”

    http://www.thenational.scot/comment/mhairi-black-no-wonder-labours-tax-plan-is-so-badly-thought-out.13694

  52. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Albaman . It has been a long time in the coming 2014,due to the SNP elite ignoring members complaints & thank Fek I didn’t take up the invitation to join Airdrie branch,the good People I worked with during the Referendum campaign are no-longer members. You can only keep a lid on grievance’s for so long then it blows.

  53. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    By off piste I mean something like the following:

    Made the point before about a plebiscite, but just suppose right now the SNP was canvasing opinion in Scotland to manufacture a mandate to seize some control over broadcasting by democratic means. This would essentially be an issue about Scottish interests alone, a decision for the Scots by the Scots, with real potential to pose a legitimate threat to the BBC / Unionist monopoly on broadcasting. It is, or would be an issue Westminster could not ignore, and it would have to intervene, precisely because it must maintain and protect that monopoly. It would then have the devil’s own job to defend the BBC and its corrupt manipulation of news, and simultateously avoid appearing like a foreign dictatorship seeking to interfere in internal Scottish affairs. That as I see it would be the Scottish Government playing hard ball and seizing the initiative on rock solid ground.

    Instead, I see Tory led Westminster building up steam over a controversial exit from Europe for the UK, and needing grounds for anything ranging from demonisation of Union-wreckers seeking to capitalise on disunity right through to emergency powers being assumed to suppress sedition in the North. An angry and disruptive SNP presence in Westminster could be manna from heaven for the Tories. Not just a good day for bad news, but a contrived state of alarm to distract people’s attention away from the usual devious and underhand shady goings on we are accustomed to over Europe.
    For the SNP to be seen as a disruptive influence in Westminster is for the Tories, what the Tory Westminster government muscling in unbidden on the SNP’s internal fact finding plebiscite when it was, by clever design, none of their business.
    I don’t think broadcasting is the only issue where this could be done, its just for example. The issue is command of the agenda and making Westminster engage with us on our terms when they hate it most. Right now, I see no such thing happening. What are we waiting for?

  54. Graham Harris Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    If you really want to know how Scotland has benefitted from being in a political United Kingdom with England since 1707 to the present day, one needs to discard every economic data, spread sheet & chart but for one; population growth.

    There is nothing more revealing that the movement of people. Where a war breaks out, a mass exodus is inevitable. Where there’s gold, people will willingly suffer extreme & chronic hardship in exchange for the chance of striking it rich.

    In 1801 England’s population stood at 8.3 million, while 1.6 million lived in Scotland. By 2001, England’s population had ballooned to 49.4 million while Scotland’s had already topped out in 1939 to around 5 million & has barely budged since.

    In 200 years, England saw its population grow by a factor of six. Scotland’s growth was a more modest factor of three & has hovered around the 5 million mark for the three quarters of a century.

    You might wonder, if this political union has been so economically beneficial to Scots, why vast swathes of its population have had to leave to find prosperity somewhere else.

  55. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Swami 11:09am

    Agreed. All through Scotland’s history there have been Scots[!] who betrayed Scotland, and fellow Scots, in their selfish pursuit of personal gain. Today’s unionist politicians in general, and Labour politicians in particular, are just the latest example.

  56. Jock McDonnell
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks

    Much of what you say is correct, but the only way to deal with this is to be strong willed, determined, confident & if necessary choose conflict.
    We must pick our battles of course & Westminster is powerful but does not command the respect or admiration of many Scots.
    Playing the game is playing by Westminster’s rules & as you suggest, makes outcomes predictable.
    We need to throw a little unpredictability into the mix.

    Lets kick the Scotland Bill into the new parliamentary session on the basis that the FM feels the people need an input into this back-of-a-fag packet proposal, via the election campaign.

  57. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Albaman

    I think it is an old guard that were discombobulated by the influx of new members. They wanted to keep control and do things their way. As far as I can tell most branches have welcomed the big influx of new members and enjoyed the energy and more radical edge they have brought with them but one or two branches have been less excited by the latter.

    I would imagine Labour will be having the same issues down in England with the influx of Corbyn supporters. There will be noses out of joint.

    As a story of about petty jealousies it isn’t much more than a footnote but as the press have so little to get their teeth into with the SNP it is all they have.

  58. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Needs to be on the front page of The National.

  59. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    I am glad Nicola and John have stood their ground on this. The Tories have done nothing but try to booby trap Smith from the moment the Cameron’s cabinet filleted it.

    They failed on the first principle of the Vow to make Holyrood permanent and as a consequence Fluffy Muddle has lied ever since about Smith being delivered in full. He has also made exceptionally clumsy attempts to be clever and try to snare the Scottish Government into agreeing a bad deal on the fiscal framework.

    He is not interested in Scotland being “better together” he simply wants to make devolution look bad and with it the SNP.

    I see the Tories are set on cutting 50 seats from Westminster. One will have to see the boundaries but I suspect that they will favour the Tories and almost guarantee them a win in 2020.

  60. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Could it be that they hope for some sort of backlash by delaying a deal before the Holyrood elections and think this ‘reflects’ badly on our government in Scotland? Ergo it will diminish the vote for the SNP?

    I think they are ‘that’ stupid. And it’s certainly how the media are attempting to ‘frame’ the situation, as if it is us who are somehow ‘at it’ when we all know it’s a trap that is being set ‘for’ us.

    They are badly underestimating the levels of political engagement in Scotland, remember after the ref and the GE there was much unionist commentary (rationalisation) on the short interval between the ref and GE and that if the GE had been a year or more after the ref, the ‘hit’ would have been less, as they always count on people forgetting…that has after all been the ‘cycle’ of politics in these lands for generations.

    This hasn’t panned out the way they expect, so I feel this is why we must hammer them in May, for the point is to keep our foot on the accelerator and show them that we will not be quietly retreating into the night. Nicola and John need to know we don’t give a flying whether this is done before the SE. We will not accept a trap wherein Scotland is impoverished for generations to come by the devious machinations of the Tory party who are merely the public face of the aristocracy who are the real players behind the scenes.

    They won’t let go of their ‘possession’ without this fight, and fight we must…we have never been so close…ever. This is not about ‘party’ politics, this is about one of the founding nations of civilisation fighting for its very existence on these islands. We must vote SNP twice to ensure that they get the messsage: It’s not over till we regain our Independence, we will not forget and we will not be intimidated and bullied by the corpmedia into relinquishing our Sovereignty.

    Your cartoon nails it Chris. 😉

  61. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t go to my branch meetings since after the Referendum when lots of new and shouty “experienced” ex Labour activists joined and since then have succeeded in doing what they used to do when they were in the Labour party Argue amongst themselves over minutiae endlessly

    Not all I hasten to add, but it just became so boring listening to how the Labour party did stuff and they get annoyed if you remind them that’s where it went wrong

    I guess there are folk who are maybe just Bandwagon activists who only like to back a winner so they jumped to the SNP to give them a purpose to Activate for want of a better word

    I suppose things will sort themselves out in time once the newer members learn that being heard doesn’t mean you can adopt everything everybody wants all at once, that would throw a political party into complete and utter disarray

    Ooops!!

  62. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill wrote:
    “Absolutely marvelous piece in today’s National..”

    A perfectly valid point worth considering Dave – If it’s such a “marvelous piece” why not archive it?

    By archiving articles you prevent anyone from making changes to the original article and you retain the piece for future reference.

    By archiving the article you also persuade people such as myself to have a look and read. By doing so you also stand a better chance of converting people to The National.

    People such as myself will never commit to it but you will at least get us to read the articles which i would never do by clicking on a direct link.

    Using the archive facility is not just about preventing advertising revenues as you can see so it’s certainly something worth your consideration.

    I’ve archived your link and would agree – it’s a good article.

    Mhairi Black: No wonder Labour’s tax plan is so badly thought out
    http://archive.is/ZnNNj

  63. Swami Backverandah
    Ignored
    says:

    @DanHuil 11.35

    Thanks for your response.
    I’ve just read MhairiBlack’s article online National.
    She is saying much the same thing, and she is using the new Labour Union tax to make her point, and she makes it well.

    I left out the mention of that tax fiasco – which is yet another illustration – as I was looking at the more seminal aspect, that Labour would rather be governed by a Unionist Parliament than an Independent Scottish Government, and would, and even some of them advocate, accept this position even to the point of accepting fiscal detriment in order to do it.

    They managed to cover-up this position prior to the referendum, but are now openly advocating this. And they can’t deny it.

  64. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Almannysbunnet says:
    13 February, 2016 at 9:03 am
    And we will have none of that positive “Spirit of Scotland” crap.

    If you’re ever in Canada

    https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/biography-series/francis-rattenbury

    “Historica Canada contributes to the national conversation on history, identity and citizenship through timely and provocative surveys.”

    Don’t know who funds this but they have rolling tv ad campaigns on CTV that cover all kinds of vile separatist Canada stuff, Canadian history, science, industry, sport, politics you name it. Did you know Winnie the Pooh’s Canadian?

    Scotland has the BBC, to daily explain just how shite Scotland is and doesn’t really exist anyway.

  65. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker concluded at 12:20pm:-
    “I’ve archived your link and would agree – it’s a good article.
    Mhairi Black: No wonder Labour’s tax plan is so badly thought out
    http://archive.is/ZnNNj “.

    Here’s the concluding pieces from Mhairi Black’s article:-

    “Do Labour politicians really think we’re that daft in Scotland?

    They campaign alongside Tories in the referendum to allow the Tory Government to impose stringent austerity cuts on Scotland, they back the cuts, they refuse to hold the Tories to the infamous vow and then they decide that their only solution is to increase tax in Scotland to pay for Tory cuts.

    The fact that this Union tax proposal is ill thought out, illogical and harmful is reason enough to discard the ridiculous idea. But the most powerful argument against this is quite simply: why should we have to?

    Scotland actively rejected the Conservatives at the election. It rejected the party’s cuts, austerity and ideology as it has done for decades. Why should we still have to endure at the hands of a party with absolutely no mandate to Scotland? Why should we have to pay an extra price in order to offset something we did not vote for?
    And above all else, why should we have to put up with the hypocrisy of a Labour Party that is now reaping the rewards of the No vote it fought so tirelessly to secure? They are part of the reason we are in this weak position as a nation and we cannot allow our citizens to pay the price for it.”

    I agree with all she says about the ‘Union Tax’ AND Labour.
    Call it exactly what it is–a Union Tax,courtesy of The Bettertogether Labour Party!

  66. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    IMO the SG have played a blinder. Hold out, refuse to walk into the trap, but not being seen to walk away either. Demonstrating a willingness to keep trying and trying and trying, even though everyone knows WM will never play fair.

    As Macart says, the dominoes are in place – what next, a SNP manifesto for FFA or its indyref 2? I wouldn’t be surprised. I do feel that Sturgeon and Swinney have something big up their sleeves but nothing will be revealed before time. Watch out Cameron. It was easy for you to fool the LibDems and Labour in 2015, but the SG are in a different class. I have a feeling the at the trapper is about to become trapped.

  67. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Ronni Anderson,
    Hey what’s rang wi Airdrie! That’s me home toon! No good enough for you eh!
    We may be poor, we may be simple, we may be, well, you know but we have a SNP MP and MSP! So there stick that in your shed!

    come on the diamond!

    🙂

    Fighting in the SNP good, shows passion, shows we are alive! Herald fuck off, there’s a good chap!

  68. Karmanaut
    Ignored
    says:

    Nailed it. Great cartoon.

  69. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    And another thing herald when your chief political journalist was told he couldn’t run the allegations of child abuse surunding Sir Nick, he should have resigned! So fuck you, you covered up to keep sweet with the Tory party, yes we have your number.

  70. carjamtic
    Ignored
    says:

    Luigi @1:05

    Excellent analysis,the prisoners dilemma…

    Yoons have a long track record of selfishly cheating,we are a strong position,we have the better team,they cannot help themselves,they cannot win.

    Soon to be game over

    I wait in anticipation for their resignation announcement, it is coming,not if,but when.

    tic toc

    Hamish 🙂

  71. Dougie Brawls
    Ignored
    says:

    A blinn man wae a gless ee could see this is a trap..but oor Hamish is no as daft as these yoonies think he is..weel spotted Hamish
    Onwards and upwards…Dougie…xxx

  72. Onwards
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice cartoon, but is getting into a situation where it looks like Scotland is dependent on the Barrett Formula just as much (or even more) of a trap?

    Does that make independence more or less likely?

  73. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Saw a lone Tory out on the streets handing out leaflets for the local candidate whose name escapes me (Jamie something?). A brisk wee morning and not a lot of takers by the looks of it when I went by.

    However, I suppose it is getting to that time. Seems like only a few weeks ago that Nicola was here and the streets absolutely packed.

    I think 80 odd days out is jumping the gun but I am quite looking forward to the spring weather and a wee bit street stalling with the badges and stickers.

    We are planning on having better supplies this time. Kept running out of badges and stickers last year – not that it held us back 🙂

  74. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Onwards

    It looks like the Tories are desperate to cut Barnett. That will be their and the Union’s undoing. Without the supposed support of Barnett to baffle people with they will not be able to argue that the sky will fall if we are independent.

  75. Swami Backverandah
    Ignored
    says:

    @HandandShrimp
    Yes, they don’t realise how thick they are.
    How can they argue that an Independent Scotland will be fiscally worse off while still wanting a Unionist Scotland to sign up to a charter that will make them fiscally worse off.
    They really are that thick.

  76. msean
    Ignored
    says:

    Great toon,love Hamish the lion.

  77. AFewHomeTruths
    Ignored
    says:

    @galamcennalath
    ‘The Establishment forces Scotland is pitted against are cunning, deceitful and ruthless. They adapt quickly to unexpected situations and are good at capturing the agenda.’

    They have all the cards and they make the rules. They have greater powers, finance, international support and a bought and paid for mass media along with those among us who sell out their own. They can also legally intercept all our communications and if necessary cut off our internet supply lines.

    If those who fought for us had those odds it would have been a shoo-in. What our side has achieved in getting this far with so little to work with is remarkable.

    Someone else saw this as the biggest change since the Union. I can’t agree. The reconvening of the Scottish Parliament was that. It wasn’t meant to be but we have made it so.

    Our side will need to be careful that the whole obvious Fiscal Trap furore doesn’t end with an apparent last minute concession hiding even more toxic small print.

    However I still think this is intended as an offer we can’t accept to provoke a crisis that is used to justify extreme actions. It is the entire DNA of UK Government and the Tories especially, as with Hunt and the BMA.

    I think the plan will be to justify Scottish Parliament being dissolved, shelved or rigged in the defence of national security or the English National Interest. Even if it is not we ought to think about what we would do if it was. I hope behind the scenes we are lobbying European and World leaders and opinion formers constantly.

    @Orri I’m told that to impose a new contract without agreement you first have to sack all 53,000 Junior Doctors. It’s far from clear that NHS boards in England would all back Hunt’s comments. McTernan’s piece yesterday saying all doctors should resign and set up an external agency to get the terms they wanted would please Hunt. No Doctors employed by the NHS is what he is after.

  78. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @Onwards,

    We are dependant on the Barnett formula, just like N Ireland and Wales. Being unable to keep our own revenues is the problem, as we accept what England says is our fair share, without them ever actually letting us see the books.

    Imagine running a company where the receptionist tells you, the owner ,how much you have made ,but she never allows you to check the figures for yourself.

    The problem is that what we can say with certainty is that they have definitely fiddled the books to disadvantage Scotland. Two such occurrences were oil revenues during Thatcher and Healey, and the recent discovery of George Younger declining Barnett consequential due to Scotland,courtesy of our own Tam Jardine..

    It is certain there are many more such events as yet uncovered.

  79. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Great cartoon Chris but I’m trying to figure out how you managed to get all of the powers of the ‘most powerfully devolved parliament in the World’ into that wee box? Just asking.

    @Dave McEwan Hill …….

    Thanks for posting the link Dave. Brilliant article by Mhairi Black clearly summarising the proposed SLab tax hike. Henceforth definitely to be known as Labours ‘UNION TAX’ ……. the very thing they warned us about if we voted yes in the Referendum. All very confusing to say the least!

  80. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker @12.20

    As Mhairi Black says

    Labour’s proposed tax increase is effectively a Union tax and I will refer to it as such from now on. It is the extra price they want to force us to pay for their No vote.

  81. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Orri says:
    13 February, 2016 at 11:06 am
    The change in Junior Doctors conditions may seem cack handed but may not be as clumsy as it seems.

    I’m with you on this. The Tories haven’t privatised 10% of NHS England bt accident.

    Their aim is to sell every asset the UK has and have one of their £Billionaire supporters provide the alternative with massive profit waiting to be picked up from the sick and the needy.

    There are over 250 members of the House of Lords who have invested in medical companies. These companies lie in wait to pounce on the Westminster government’s announcement that “They have no alternative, as the NHS is no longer viable, but to sell off as many aspects of the NHS as possible”.

    There will be aspects o the service that can never be profitable, so we will be able to retain these services for our selves.

    They need a crisis and someone else to blame before that can turn on the Health Service gravy train for their supporters.

    Junior Doctors signed the hippocratic oath to look after us,
    Westminster are hypocritical Oafs sworn to look after themselves.
    Which ones do you support in this engineered dispute?

    Following on this thread, I am again appalled at the EBC coverage. Many Junior Doctors get paid for overtime as things stand, with this so called pay rise, these Doctors will be presented with a 30% pay cut, along with even more sociable
    hours of employment.

    If Westminster gets away with this by Imposing the new contracts,
    you just know that they will soon be back to enforce more and more unacceptable conditions and costs.

    If very intelligent, hard working, professionals with life saving skills can be bulldozed aside, what chance do your own employment
    conditions have of remaining equitable?

    Some months ago, I had proposed an advertising campaign by the Scottish Government to attract English Doctors to our shores.
    Absolutely delighted that this is now in motion and provides these Doctors with lower housing costs, greater access to recreational facilities such as Skiing and of course that assurance that our Government and people value them and all set out to treat them fairly.

    Also proposed that we should find a way to source the many refugees who have medical, or indeed or skill shortages that our
    nation urgently requires, and welcome them, and their families, to Scotland.

  82. Brian McHugh
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra says; “Great cartoon Chris but I’m trying to figure out how you managed to get all of the powers of the ‘most powerfully devolved parliament in the World’ into that wee box? Just asking.”

    Pandora’s Box?

  83. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Question..

    If the NHS down South is privatised as many of us think,will this directly affect Barnett consequential for health in Scotland,given there will be a lot less public spending on Health in England?

  84. Clapper57
    Ignored
    says:

    The anon feckin Shadow cabinet minister stating upside of GE was losing 40 useless feckin Scots Mp’s….not sure why feckin Ian Murray said that…if only…if only.

    I am Sure this is trending BIG time among the feckin Yoon clique on twitter..or perhaps not.

    Keiza stabbed in feckin back as she has now taken on one of the said 40 useless feckin Scots Mp’s as a useless list feckin MSP in SLAB.

    I am sure Findlay one of the many useless feckin SLAB MSP’s will shout LIAR at feckin Shadow cabinet minister.

    Note the abundance of my use of the word ‘feckin’ is in accordance with , but not as blatant, as the actual word used by the said shadow feckin minister.

    Perhaps the said feckin shadow minister could also extend this same description i.e. ‘useless MP’s’ towards the current Labour MP’s sitting in Westminster.

  85. crazycat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Bob Mack

    Yes, that’s what Philippa Whitford highlighted during the referendum campaign, for instance in the videoed speech that brought her to prominence.

    It’s also no doubt an added attraction for Hunt et al.

  86. Clapper57
    Ignored
    says:

    Re my previous post….know there are ‘3’ former Labour MP’s vying to be a SLAB MSP but my comment was targeting ‘1’ in particular.

    Take your pick.

  87. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    FFA or it’s IndyRef 2.

    Now that would be a message to get em panicking.

    Put it in the manifesto, Nicola!

  88. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    As well as the wet willies in Westminster this is what we are up against. I wonder how this would change if it’s a NO vote for staying in the EU?
    US Secretary of State John Kerry, “Now obviously, the United States has a profound interest in your success as we do in very strong United Kingdom staying in a strong EU.”
    US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter, “Britain must keep its Trident nuclear weapons system if it wants to play a significant role in the world”. He said “Trident aided the UK’s special relationship with the US and helped it continue to play that outsized role on the global stage”.

  89. Graham MacLure
    Ignored
    says:

    Effijy 2.36

    “Junior Doctors signed the hippocratic oath to look after us,
    Westminster are hypocritical Oafs sworn to look after themselves.
    Which ones do you support in this engineered dispute?”

    That is a masterpiece in succinctness and accuracy and is definitely a “Keeper” !

  90. thomaspotter2014
    Ignored
    says:

    Great toon Chris.

    Always bang on the money.

    Looks like the 1707 No Detriment clause didn’t work out too good eh?

    It’s a disgrace that we should be begging to have normal everyday rights like the rest of the world.

    Why?

    Cameron needs a boot up the fucking arse.

    Trying to fob us off with this miserable shite.

    It’ll come back and bite him on the same arse

  91. Peter Clive
    Ignored
    says:

    The Detriment today equals the “Equivalent” in 1707, interestingly …

    http://moflomojo.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-equivalent.html

  92. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    Continuing on from what Almannysbunnet said at at 3:21pm.

    I clearly remember Hillary Clinton being interviewed on BBC Newsnight,June 2014 pre-referendum saying,” I would hate to have you lose Scotland.” [!!!!!]

    LOSE? 🙁

  93. boris
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent cartoon. Gives more than adequate warning to those with an interest in the outcome of the fiscal saga

  94. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    Pig Boy, just give us what was PROMISED, if not we’ll have our INDEPENDENCE please, if not then their is no signed contract.
    Its a bit like signing a contract to buy a Ferrari, you sign for the whole car to be delivered, only to find on delivery, you only have a steering wheel and a brake pedal.
    We won’t get fooled again.
    SNPx2

  95. Reciresco
    Ignored
    says:

    @Peter Clive
    In Agnes Mure MacKenzie’s history of Scotland, I recall she said the ‘equivalent’ of £400,000 was to wind up the Darien company. Once the treaties were signed Scotland was promptly landed with a £3 million share of England’s national debt.

  96. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish’s entire posture suggests to me that he just might be thinking of taking a pee in the bushes…

    = )

  97. Croompenstein
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish has a wee look of ‘are you thinking what i’m thinking’. Aye we do Hamish it’s a load of pish but some would have us gladly walk in to the trap….

    https://twitter.com/GeorgeFoulkes/status/698540159340560385

    I think he’s just convinced me to vote Labour…. not!!!!

  98. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Its a bit like signing a contract to buy a Ferrari,

    Its like being sold a clown car, that will drive us over a cliff. But BBC etc wont mind, as long as its a British cliff and it takes out the SNP.

  99. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Almannysbunnet says: 13 February, 2016 at 9:03 am

    ” … That would be us then so I’m sure some of our WOS economists can have a go at his figures.
    https://archive.is/9djjo

    Can’t be bothered with specifics, Almannysbunnet, every Scot, over 6 Years old, with more than two braincells for cynapse, knowa Scotland hasn’t got a negative balance of trade.

    Just to comment that with the actual Oil & Gas from Scotland’s geographic waters, our own Scottish Crown Estates profits, Scottish produce and manufactured goods leaving the UK from other than Scottish ports not counted as Scottish exports we are well in surplus.

    That takes no account of the extra charges for adding power to the national grid while subsidising the English generators for what they add and aseveral other nice little earners for the treasury at Scotland’s expence.

    You do not needs be a forensic accountant to know the buggers are robbing us blind.

  100. Croompenstein
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry Baron FurFoulkesSake i’ve been such a fool… #foolsuchasi

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkATTrmyF1M

  101. Christian Schmidt
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent cartoon. The stupid connection of powers with the fiscal framework, that it is so obvious a trap

  102. Iain
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish knows that independence is a long game, but the pace towards the goal is quickening. The Tories are tearing themselves apart over Britexit which is great and Labour is split and insignificant in Scotland. So all we have to do is work hard to win in May and events may well bring us another referendum. The end of our long journey is finally in sight. We are going to win, as long as it takes.

  103. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Andrew McLean I knew about certain complaints pre GE that should have been dealt with ,& people would,nt have left the SNP branch, but they were ignored, a great loss to any branch.

    Sweeping complaints under the carpet, to hide other peoples failings was/is wrong & just gave the other Political Party,s more mud to sling & the Herald slung it.

  104. Iain
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder how long rags like the Herald and the Record are only available on line. Then again it is maybe a bridge to far for their readers.

  105. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Albaman says: 13 February, 2016 at 11:16 am:

    “Anyone got an idea what’s happening in the Monklands/Coatbridge S.N.P. branch ?, the Herald seems to be making a meal of it, in as much it’s running, and running with the story for days now”

    Ach! Albaman, those vile rags are just attempting to divert attention away from a Labour MSP calling the FM, “a lying hoor”.

  106. Sandy
    Ignored
    says:

    “Pig in a poke” come to mind? No cock-up this time.

  107. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    The Westminster yoons accepted during the referendum that Scottish independence is inevitable and decided to speed up the plundering and looting of Scotlands wealth while the Union deception was still working on the yoons

    That is what the NAW BAWS are so determined to allow. They are being asset stripped but don’t want to see it, their feart and think the establishment is looking after them. After all they are part of the Londinium upper classes, or at least they think they are.

    Aye better the GITHER, it’s easier to pick your pockets when your close.

  108. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    I like the unicorn analogy. You’ve got Hamish whistling nonchalant like, looking at the trap and then walking towards it as he has been for over a year, and all the Hamish-haters have been out there saying “it’s a trap, Hamish is daft as a brush.”.

    Well, nobody, and I mean nobody, gets away with calling Hamish daft. It’s John Bull is in the brush and he only has eyes for his “foolproof” trap, not Hamish. Nor do Hamish’s unwitting pals, some of them just naive, some of them totally witless.

    Yes, have faith as other posters have said regularly. We’re in the endgame of this stage of the battle.

  109. Graeme McCormick
    Ignored
    says:

    Take heart from that great psalm of the Scottish Reformation:

    “Even as bird out of the fowler’s gin
    Escapes away and so our soul’s set free.
    Broke are their nets and thus escaped we”

    If we start living as if we are independent we shall be independent. Excentuate the differences in a good way.

  110. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Heh, the SNP don’t need to do anything other than be a majority government in Holyrood. With that mandate all they need do is insist on delivery of the undeliverable Smith in full and to the letter.

    Westminster will do anything to avoid this. Its in their very nature. They’d have to admit the settlement was intended to cause harm to a partner after all. Its a pickle for them. 😀

    Before this even comes into view however, there will be Mr Osborne’s March statement and oh that will leave a mark that should leave no one in any doubt about four more years of austerity ideology.

    After the Holyrood elections then comes the EU referendum, which at the moment ain’t looking so hot for the in vote and after all of that, we’re back to either ‘settlement’ negotiations and/or living with the reality of four more years of austerity legislation.

    All the while a patient Scottish Government will be watching public reaction and the polls. Their job is to safeguard the interests of the people of Scotland and protect them as best possible from the worst effects of central government’s austerity legislation. This they will do so long as polling suggests Westminster government is what the majority want. Its up to the public to say ENOUGH!

    Now, we’ve seen a steady movement of the YES vote upward over the past sixteen months, the latest poll 52%Y 48%N. With the year ahead we’re looking at, does anyone think it’ll stop there?

    The most terrifying thing for Westminster in May is the thought of a majority pro indy Scottish Government willing to respond to popular demand from a hacked off Scottish electorate.

    Perhaps they shouldn’t write IOUs they had no intention of honouring?

  111. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Effijy at 2:36pm ……

    Great post Effijy and yeah we’re are well aware of what the Tories are getting up to … sitting round a table studying the ‘bills’ that they have to pay and trying to figure out how to transfer taxpayers money into private hands … usually their own. They must think we’re daft.

    You also mentioned the following Effijy: ”and proposed that we should find a way to source the many refugees who have medical, or indeed or skill shortages that our nation urgently requires, and welcome them, and their families, to Scotland.”

    I read in The National this week that the SG have started doing this already with 33 refugees … doctors and so on. Working on improving their command of English and updating their medical skills in preparation for working in Scotland. Makes sense alround. Too bad that Westminster can’t see it that way instead of scapegoating.

    @ Bob Mack says at 2:58 pm …. ”Question.. If the NHS down South is privatised as many of us think, will this directly affect Barnett consequential for health in Scotland,given there will be a lot less public spending on Health in England?”

    Crazy Cat has mentioned Phillipa Whitford Bob. She gave up a job that she loved, breast surgeon, to become a politician because she could clearly see what Westminster was doing / planning to do especially with so many Tory and Labour politicians holding interests in private medical services.

    For one scary wee Rifkind (stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, due to cash for access scandal, while remaining on the Committee) …. cousin of even scarier Leon Brittan (now deceased):

    https://tompride.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/rifkind-firm-awarded-nhs-contract-despite-charging-7-million-more-than-nhs/

    ”She (Phillipa Whitford) had spoken in favour of independence, advocating it as a way of protecting NHS Scotland from the same kind of “creeping privatisation agenda undermining services in England.” She helped bring the NHS to the fore of the independence campaign when an online video of her arguing against the dangers of privatisation went viral.

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

    Take a look at this video Bob. Jeane Freeman ‘sorting out’ Andrew Neil. Telling him that we have control over the shape and form of our NHS but not the finances to run it which will reduce with privatision down south. Mentions the implication of TTIP and puts him straight with the following comments:

    ”Limited pot of money that comes North from the Treasury that is significantly less than Scotland contributes to that Treasury …………..

    In terms of (Scotland) increasing taxes can I remind you that people in Scotland already pay taxes for the NHS so are you seriously suggesting that we whould pay twice for a Health Service simply because down south the UK Government wants to decrease its spending on health by introducing privatisation and market forces.”

    Good for her. I’m sure that she’ll be on the BBC black list now never to be interviewed by Andrew Neil again.

    ‘Jeane Freeman wipes the floor with Andrew Neil on NHS and Indy.’

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23m6CukRUGM

    ‘Jeanne Freeman NHS Question.’

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

  112. Iain
    Ignored
    says:

    Looks like Labour is fucked!

  113. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain says:

    “Looks like Labour is fucked”

    Yes. And they still blame the electorate rather than their own betrayal of their voters.

    Ideally consigned to history. Scotland is perfectly capable of creating a completely new left party with none of Labour vast baggage.

  114. Molly
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra

    From what I read , if the Health Service, prison service or any other service goes out to private contracts there are repercussions for the Barnett consequentials.

    On that theme though, does anyone know if Scotland is being asked to raise our own taxes and the Barnett Formula is to be cut, will Scotland still have to send the same total amount we do now to the Treasury ?

  115. North chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting comments from earlier today , especially “Luigi” at 0316pm. Hopefully John Swinney will stand firm and not fall for “the fiscal trap” .Scotland was “promised ” FFA/DEVO MAX and this is what Westminster ( are you listening Mundell?) has to deliver.Not the “Scotland bill con trick” and “treasurey trap”. Consequently is it now time for Nicola to ” through down the gauntlet ” to Cameron on this?Perhaps this is exactly the right moment to “pick a fight” with Cameron , as he has “plenty on his plate” with a split Tory party over Europe and the Euro vote supposedly scheduled for June.Also the “Labour” party in Scotland has never been weaker.So yes Luigi , I agree that FFA should be included in the SNP manifesto for May ,together with a threat of Indy ref 2. If this “pre 2014 referendum bribe” is not implemented within say 12 months of an SNP majority win in May.
    No “ifs or buts” make it ” crystal clear” to these “chancers” that the “gloves are off”,
    Nicola and John ” go for it now” , ” fortune favours the brave”.

  116. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    Me@6.26
    Sorry, there not their.(must learn to check before send)
    SNPx2

  117. Molly
    Ignored
    says:

    Just been reading Richard Murphy ( linked from The Green Benches blog) Tax Research UK.

    He has written a piece where he states The Institute of Directors, basically “wish to abolish corporation tax altogether and shift the cost onto Income tax, National Insurance, VAT and council tax.”

    Not only would this impact on small business but do you think Kezias 1p would cover it for the rest of us?

    Interestingly he also predicts a financial crash ( actually he predicted this a year ago for 2016) yet unless your up with the birds to watch the money markets, you would never know from our media.

    They’re too busy talking about a European Ref, that has no question, has no information and doesn’t even have a date .

    Vive la squirrels

  118. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    @Graeme McCormick

    Living as if we were independent will make us independent.

    Brilliant,please develop your ideas!

  119. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    More on democracy here, ours or theirs?

    https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/is-our-society-democratic/

  120. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Just heard on the state broadcasting service Scotland don’t you know,
    That the Russians are targeting school and hospitals, blaggeds

    Hands up in the class who believes this, not you nigella and Timothy, we know your mater and pater are Brits, but the rest of you who actually believes this shit,

    Yesterday it was hooray, peace in our time, today is blasted ruskies, tomorrow who the fuck knows, but as our bombs are smart, can enter a car, smoke a joint, then kill the baddies, whilest giving the goodies a rather good talking too on account of there bad company, those bad soviet bastads, I mean global competition are bloody killing kids and sick people.

    Boy am I glad I am on the side of the good guys, no we won’t elect a man who fucks dead pigs in their mouth, no way hosay!

    You yanks should have not throw out the Brits, throwing out seams tame, actually you fought and died in your thousands to rid yourself of the plague of UKOK. Don’t you know we Brits are the ruling class of the fucking world, that London is the worlds capital city? No update your right, well in that case!

    God bless you honoured dead!

    May we few, we brothers true get of so lightly.

    Freedom, wich no man gives up, you fought and died for. Yeah the republic for what young men died to create and preserve! The idea of We The People, that resonates though the ages from posters like RP, thanks for the history to the Rock for his strength , and fortitude.
    To nana for her intelligence to the Rev for his, well tear in eye, God bless you!

    Soar Alba

  121. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    John Swinney warns of “final attempt” to strike new powers deal with Treasury

    https://archive.is/wgf49

    Tory leader Ruth Davidson attacks Unionist credentials of Labour and LibDems

    https://archive.is/5hxAK

    Labour MSP blasts party for not doing enough to help disabled people
    https://archive.is/TcOkp

  122. bugsbunny
    Ignored
    says:

    Graeme McCormick@8.21,

    Or as I read somewhere, “Live as if you’re in the early days of a Better Nation”.

    Stephen Roney.

  123. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Grouse Beater at 12:30am …… Absolutely BRILLIANT! Thank God for people like you with such TALENT. Thank God you are on OUR side …. fighting for an Independent Scotland.

    Proves that Westminster hasn’t managed to quash us Scots at all. 300 years plus of being subjugated by Westminster, in EVERY possible way, and it hasn’t worked. It isn’t working as they can no longer ‘shut up’ people like you Grouse Beater. You and people like me (THE COLLECTIVE … MANY) aren’t ever going to go away and we WILL get our Independence sooner than later. And they know it.

  124. Cherry
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra

    Hi I left you a wee message on the last thread 🙂

  125. bugsbunny
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi Folks,
    O/T, I can’t sleep. So I revisited an old site I haven’t been to for a while. It’s nearly 1 year, 19th February 2015, since I visited Urban Dictionary. For a laugh, (I didn’t expect it to be accepted), I made up a word and a false description. The board of Urban Dictionary believed me. Visit Urban Dictionary and type in my made up word and description for that “well known”, Old Scots word, “ersendichter”. lol

    I went by bugsbunnys arch nemeses name Elma Fudd.

    Stephen.

    P.S. I wonder if anyone can figure out what it is before you look it up? A clue? They used to advertise it with yellow Labrador pups. I should be making up policies for the Scottish Labour Party. They are shite too.

  126. Onwards
    Ignored
    says:

    Bob Mack says:
    13 February, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    We are dependant on the Barnett formula, just like N Ireland and Wales. Being unable to keep our own revenues is the problem, as we accept what England says is our fair share, without them ever actually letting us see the books.

    Imagine running a company where the receptionist tells you, the owner ,how much you have made ,but she never allows you to check the figures for yourself.
    ..

    ——-

    But until then, the message the unionists will hammer home is that Scotland is now dependent on the Barnett Formula at times of low oil prices.. and the SNP is OK with that..
    Yes, I agree some big savings and hidden UK costs will likely be found after independence. But I would still be willing to accept a few years being slightly worse off in order to gain the long term benefits of independence.

    Similarly with the current Scotland Bill.. would people be willing to accept a few years being (gradually) worse off within the union, in order to persuade more people that independence is the best way forwards ?

    Tactically, I can see that the Tories backstabbing Scotland on the Vow could help the SNP this May. I can see the SNP playing for time until 2020 or 2021 when conditions might be best for IndyRef 2.

    But there is also a danger in appearing to get comfortable with Barnett instead of being a step close to Indy with income tax devolved, and a whole new competitive and unstable situation between Scotland and the UK government.
    That will breed a whole new mindset, and force people to choose a side when it becomes obvious that far more powers are needed.

  127. Neil
    Ignored
    says:

    This is a classic from the BBC in the stu school of distorted news beadlines.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35566480

    The quote ‘punching above its weight’ is from its own text, Nowhere does it state that the American senator said it. Be actually said ‘plays an outsized role’.
    The BBC must have thought that sounded a little derogatory and stepped in to protect the state and trident.

  128. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC northland GMS – Telling us about impartial lobby group ‘Scotland in Union’ poll.

    (In Scotchman and Fundy Herald)

    Only 1 in 10 Scots believe 2nd Indyref is a priority.

    Whooo ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha. Nice try …

    Aye right enough guys !!!!!

  129. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Pure BBC Gold on GMS

  130. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Listening to Philip Hammond on Marr, lying through his teeth on Syria.

    Accuses Russia of bombing civilians, and Russia produces surveillance to show American bombers in the area, with no Russian flights that day.

    Hammond had the nerve to say Russia should honour UN agreements and stop bombing! It’s ok for US and UK to continue bombing Syria illegally, but the power invited to help, must withdraw.

    Still lots of talk about helping the moderate rebels. They are determined, and growing increasingly frustrated, that Assad must go, and give up the country to the West.

  131. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Jack Murphy (12.59pm) and Sinky (2.36pm):
    Aye, i’ll be referring to it similarly.
    The Red Tory Union Tax.
    _________________________

    Since it’s St.Valentines Day i am reminded of this wee story:

    Roses are red my love,
    violets are bluuuuuuuuuueeeee.
    Rangers they died my love,
    and so will Sevco toooooooooo.

    I got papped off one of the BUM rags a few years ago for posting that wee ditty. Funny as! Oh happy days…
    🙂

  132. cirsium
    Ignored
    says:

    @Valerie, 10.01

    Hammond had the nerve to say Russia should honour UN agreements and stop bombing

    As Mr Hammond knows, Russia is honouring UN resolutions 2254 and UN Resolution 2249. A key point of these resolutions is that all member states should fight ISIS and al-Nusra and all other groups, individuals that support them and that the ceasefire will not apply to these groups and individuals and that they ought to be eradicated.

    So, who is occupying part of Aleppo? As well as al-Nusra (al-Qaeda in Syria), there are the Da’esh affiliated groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, al-Aqsa brigade and the army of al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (consisting of mercenaries from Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Ossetia and Uzbekistan).

    http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160212/1034667291/aleppo-liberation-media-silence.html
    http://landdestroyer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/in-syria-if-you-cant-find-moderates.html
    http://atimes.com/2016/02/asian-rebels-in-aleppo-western-blind-spot/

  133. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Plays an outsize role’. Spending £170Billion on obsolete weaponry. Sanctioning and starving the vulnerable. Hammond described Faslane as a ‘wasteland’. 30mins from one of Scotland’s biggest cities and most beautiful area, the West coast.

    US/UK and France have bombed the Middle East to bits and caused the worst migration crisis since 11WW.

  134. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Total taxes raises in the UK £515Billion. Total taxes raised in Scotland £54Billion. Take £54Billion from £515Billion = £461Billion. Divide £461Billion by 11 (rest of the UK 11/12 pop) = £42Billion pro rata. The rest of the UK borrows and spends £90Billion more.

    Scotland raises £54Billion – spends £54Billion. £30Billion block grant. £16Billion (UK) pensions/benefits. £4Billion Defence. Pays £4Billion on debt repayments it doesn’t borrow or spend.

    Scotland loses £10Billion to the Union. Scotland pays £4Billion on debt it doesn’t borrow or spend. £1Billion on Trident. Could save £1Billion on a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink. £Billions on tax evasion and banking fraud. HMRC is not fit for purpose. Oil sector is taxed at 60% The price has fallen 75% Google pays 3% tax.

  135. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    For years we complained about Slab’s “Monklands Midden!” now it appears we have the “Monklands McMafia!” somebody from SNP Central will have to start kicking a few arses in darkest Lanarkshire toot sweet.

  136. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    My attempt to explain democracy as we know it: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-4qV

  137. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    The Scottish tolly party can trace a path right back to the Scottish Parliament of 1707. They appear to be very proud of the fact that they sold Scotland out for English money and have absolutely no regrets, indeed they are very proud to have stuck a knife in Scotlands back. The proud yoons.

    Mcgrigor msp to Brewer on Sunday politics.

  138. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Just watched Gordon Brewer interview on EBC.
    Some post on this site have suggested that Brewer is one of the better EBC reporters and doesn’t show the same level of Bias.

    I took this on board, despite having the opposite opinion.
    Having studied his recent performances, especially today’s,
    I’m 100% convinced that he is a die hard Unionist.

    He, like Lord Flipper Darling, was supposed to have been a Trotskyite. I’m convinced this must have been a cover proposed
    by the UK’s special services to have a series of moles in various camps.

    His interview with James Dorran and Jaba the Hut, was a full scale attack on all things SNP. He rudely interrupted James throughout, he tried to demean him by suggesting he didn’t understand the clear answers that James gave, and old Jaba was aloud to go unchallenged.

    I’ve decided never to watch it again as it is just a propaganda piece with well paid lackies of the Union.

  139. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    OT.TODAY:-‘New Shetland gas fields could supply whole of Scotland’. 🙂

    “New gas fields off Shetland could supply 100% of Scotland’s gas needs, analysts say.
    Advice provided to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre said peak production at the Laggan and Tormore fields could satisfy average demand across the whole of Scotland.

    Operator Total started production at its new Shetland plant on Monday.”

    BBC:- https://archive.is/LWj0k

  140. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Effijy
    Cant disagree with any of that.

    I like James Dornan, he told JaBa that she was posted missing for any important finance committee discussion/decision. When James is given the chance, he doesn’t miss and hit the wall.

    He is a plain speaker, when Brewer was babbling about SNP ‘changing their mind’.

    That’s right Brewer, just because Unionists stick to lies doggedly, in the face of facts, does not mean the rest of us can’t take on board New facts and developments, and respond accordingly.

    Shocking practice, eh?

  141. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Effijy, there was a Brewer fan on here a few weeks ago, probably Brewer himself, 🙂 the leopard doesn’t change his spots, still a shit & an increasingly hauf-biled shit at that. Another Darling trait.

  142. louis.b.argyll
    Ignored
    says:

    Deliberately poor journalism ALERT.

    As others mentioned, re BBC MIS-QUOTING U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE…

    Read the quote below, from BBC WEBSITE..

    …Ash Carter told the BBC it was an “important part of the deterrent structure of Nato” and allowed the UK to punch above its weight…

    Q..Why use “and”, not “which” after the direct quote?

    A..because they are liars and trutht-twisters. Weak stooges looking for crumbs of a bygone age.

  143. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    I haven’t seen the Brewer clip I don’t have to ,I imagine it follows the same line as all the previous junk we have been having over the last few months , when oh when will it dawn on the SNP leadership that all the media are the enemy and they will never get fair treatment , so when the usual interruptions start the interview stops and the person concerened goes for the Questioner and highlights the constant interruptions then ask the Questioner if he would like to interview him or her self as they seem to be doing all the talking , the best I have seen recently was Tommy Shepard on the daily politics he controlled the rabid partner of Brillo nut , her with the big beak can’t remember her name , by stopping her as many times as she stopped him it worked , if anyone with influence in the snp are following this Waken Up we are drowning in a sea of shit fight back .

  144. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Graham said at 12:55 pm:-
    “Tommy Shepard on the daily politics he controlled the rabid partner of Brillo nut ,…….. , by stopping her as many times as she stopped him it worked ,”.

    Yes it did work,and Jo Coburn [BBC] didn’t seem very pleased.
    I would call the interviewing technique as hectoring.

    BBC Daily Politics in January. The questioning of Tommy Sheppard MP starts at 2:10 into the piece.

    http://tinyurl.com/hk4q99x

  145. Graeme McCormick
    Ignored
    says:

    @Famousfive

    This discussion is not really about the Scotland Bill, but how we deliver Independence. As the Referendum showed, simply being an outstandingly competent government with the legislative powers we have and will have, will not by itself move sufficient people to vote YES.

    The SNP was established to undermine the British state to such an extent that Scots will vote for Independence when they feel that the UK is superfluous to their daily lives.

    Alex Salmond’s book is “The Dream will never die” , but the Referendum allowed us to live the dream, and we can share that dream by finding common cause with the army of former No voters in the things which matter to all of us; Everything we do whether in government, as councillors, in our workplace, in our families and in our communities has an Independence Dimension.

    By identifying and acting upon it we celebrate the difference and become truly fishers of men and women to our cause. Even without the reserved powers we Scots can have more favourable mortgage terms as we are a lower borrowing risk; We can create a supplementary non convertible currency to use within Scotland; we can develop a Scottish pension; we can encourage armed service people to live in Scotland with attractive relocation packages; and we can provide time-limited redeemable business start-up vouchers to all returning Scottish universities graduates, and we can introduce an annual ground rent system to ensure our land works for all of Scotland and not just very few.

    There are simple things each one of us can do: If you are taking out any sort of insurance, credit or consumer agreement ask the sales assistant if the agreement is under Scots law. Invariably you’ll find that it is under English Law. Ask them to change it to get your business. If we don’t use it we’ll loose it.

    If you are a member of a professional or trade body which is part of a UK body organisation like the BMA lobby to start a separate Scottish one.

    We have shown the World that the advance of social media is eclipsing state broadcasters. The days of the BBC are numbered. We need spend little time worrying about or commenting on its demise. Instead use our collective efforts to spread the joy of freedom and human endeavour and art in all its myriad forms across the globe

    We should not get involved in HS2 or where London should have its third runway. The high road to London is not the noblest prospect for a Scot. There are 31 other points on the compass, and our greatest opportunities lie to the east, north and west. Jim McColl is pumping new blood into our manufacturing traditions on the Clyde against mighty opposition from the UK establishment. Our movement is at such a strength now that we could lead the crowd funding of a national Industrial Bank to provide the financial guarantees which other states provide their global manufacturers but which are denied to ours by the UK government.

    And a plea to the Scottish government: Don’t even bother to consider Scotland’s place in the mediocrity which is the UK when we should be celebrating our nation’s performance against the most advanced nations in the World.

    We are living the dream, if we believe we are independent and act as if we are independent our belief and our actions will so weaken the British state that our people and our country will reach the state of independence before Westminster provides the rubber stamp of a Scotland Act.

  146. robert graham
    Ignored
    says:

    thanks to Jack Murphy for posting the link to the daily politics clip featuring Tommy Shepherds put down of brillo nuts little friend , i do know her name but i feel brillo nuts little friend is more a more appropriate description i know i know it’s childish but when your into your sixties it’s expected i suppose , I do hope more people view this clip as an example of some of the things the SNP need to start doing to combat this one sided media bias that we have been getting on a daily basis for months now

  147. robert graham
    Ignored
    says:

    very good post Graeme Mc Cormick you should post it on a more recent topic thread so more people can read ,it deserves a wider audience some very good points that needs further discussion i believe .

  148. Reena
    Ignored
    says:

    Imagine running a company where the receptionist tells you, the owner ,how much you have made ,but she never allows you to check the figures for yourself.



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