He can’t get no satisfaction
This tweet mysteriously vanished from Blair McDougall’s Twitter timeline last night:
We’re not sure why, as we know that Scottish Labour love nothing more than to attack the Scottish Government (no matter how ham-fistedly) over education.
And we’re pretty sure it’s not because McDougall felt guilty about picking out only the negative aspects of what Scotland’s biggest teaching union called a “largely positive picture” of the state of Scottish education – and which the OECD itself said contained “much to be positive about” – because if there’s one thing we know for sure about Blair it’s that his conscience isn’t troubled by misleading people.
Our best guess was that even he was just too embarrassed at having made an attack line out of the fact that 20% of the country’s schools were “only” rated “satisfactory”, thereby implying that “satisfactory” status was actually in some way unsatisfactory.
In doing so, of course, he was echoing the words of his hapless leader Kezia Dugdale, who in September told the Holyrood chamber that “no parent wants a satisfactory education for their child”. Maybe McDougall just realised belatedly that he was reading from the wrong month’s script.
Or maybe it was that he just realised that he’d been too busy gloating about “reading performance dropping sharply” to check the small print, which noted that said drop in fact occurred between 2003 and 2006. When, er, Labour were in charge. Whoops!
To be fair his idiocy is a poor reflection on Scotland’s education system; thereby inadvertently proving his point. Were the SNP in power when he was at school?
Its double down on Doh!
If only education had been better for his generation, but we all know who was in charge then …
Our best guess was that even he was just too embarrassed
I didn’t realise oor wee tuba player got embarrassed … EVER! 🙂
I guess I must be wrong then … obviously he DOES get embarrassed. Now if only he’d get embarrassed a bit more often we might actually start to get somewhere. 😀
The SNP are obviously being negligent here.
Why isn’t Nicola in every school in Scotland overseeing our children’s education? I mean, for goodness sake, it’s the SNP not the teacher’s responsibility to educate our weans.
Did Blair actually read that extract before he tweeted it?
“Scotland’s performance in reading dropped sharply between 2003 and 2006, and has remained statistically unchanged over succeeding PISA cycles.”
So according to the OECD report, reading standards plummeted dramatically when Labour were in charge and the SNP have managed to halt the decline. No wonder Blair deleted it.
But thanks for pointing it out, Blair, good to know that SNP is officially doing a better job on education than Labour did.
A definition of Satisfaction;: a happy or pleased feeling because of something that you did or something that happened to you
: the act of providing what is needed or desired : the act of satisfying a need or desire
: a result that deals with a problem or complaint in an acceptable way……………I’m satisfied with that.
Scottish Labour are going to have to suffer a genertaion in the wilderness before they recover, and regain our trust.
David @11.24pm I reckon the present lot will all have to be dead and long buried before they will every regain the trust they abused and continue to abuse.
To read some of these idiots in the papers you would think it was every child who was bright enough to excell at everything.
I went to a very good school where people like myself and others went into a variety of professions, but many opted for trades or even manual jobs, even though they were bright enough to have done something else.
You cannot make children learn.They have to want it ,and that itself is dependant on so many different factors both at home and in their social activity.
I always remember one guy who was far brighter than people who went on to become lawyers and doctors. He ended up running a market stall. Why? Who knows? Though he was happy enough when I met him years later.
I believe that when you become constantly negative about everything, as Labour is about what the Scottish Government does.
Then there comes a point when it becomes counter productive
Because people stop listening!
“That’s a telling Twitter avatar, isn’t it?”
As I have oft said – ‘sabernats’, one and all.
Doesn’t help when Labour cooncils (we’re looking at you Glasgow) actively rail against any initiative in education coming from the Scottish Govt.
Attacking an educational system is the province of the political charlatan.
They know radical change costs too much so they’re pleased they need only carp at the edges to get the desired public reaction.
@David
Or they could simply wither away. There is no rule of the universe which says any party will continue to exist in perpetuity. Seen any Whigs about lately? The FibDems only still exist because the Liberals and Social Democrats combined in an orgy of self preservation.
The major part of Labours strategy is to belittle everything that happens in this country under an SNP government.To always talk things down.Its very much a blunderbuss approach.Criticise everything to make sure you miss nothing.Their trouble is that people are looking for some hope,not constant negativity about everything that happens in Scotland.Everythings bad and it’s all the fault of the SNP.Then they accuse the SNP of blaming Westminster for everything.But the SNP don’t.Yes,they are critical,but they don’t just sit and girn about Westminster.They work hard to make the best of the hand they’re dealt and always in the best interests of the people of Scotland.
Maybe McDougal removed his tweet because someone in Labour told him it sounded pathetic.Maybe they’ve cottoned on to the fact that if they don’t have anything constructive to add to the debate they should sit down and shut up,because nobody’s listening to their “Scotland baaaad” crap anymore.Or maybe not.Maybe they’re just too far into the Scotland is Rubbish mantra to be able to find their way out.
@David 11:24
I don’t think there is any future for “Scottish” Labour, nor can I forsee any circumstances where they regain the trust of a significant number of Scots. Surely the aim of anyone who opposes the Labour party (whether they are SNP members/supporters or not) is to ensure that post independence there will be a new constellation of parties.
It isn’t enough for Scottish Labour to simply change the name plate on their office and order new headed paper post-independence; we don’t want old wine in new bottles, we want new parties which represent ground-up rebuilding. If the odious Blairites who have helped drive Scottish Labour over the electoral cliff want to have political careers, let them establish a party arguing for their worldview, and let’s see how many Scots support them.
Good old Bliar. He does like to brag about how he single handedly stopped Scotland running its own affairs last year, or how he saved Scotland, from a fate worse than than self governance.
Historic Scotch cringer of the Millennium award goes to…
I think it was only yesterday he tweeted about the price of oil again and the deal Shell will do that could cost another 2000 North Sea jobs, he is gloating about it, its the Unionist way, he is a fucking arsehole of the highest order.
I replied to his tweet asking him to go to Aberdeen and tell them the broad shoulders of the UK Gov will protect all those jobs, as promised by him and others during indyref, he did not reply.
I think he is doing a great job of destroying Slab and Unionism in this country, the job is nearly done, hopefully it won’t be long before he fucks off and slithers back to London to join all the other, ahem Scottish, lowlife sell out lying scum fucks and never returns.
O.K. folks just a wee head’s up for tomorrow night’s BBCQT.
Jacob Rees-Mogg Conservative
Emily Thornburry Labour
Mark Reckless UKIP
Piers Morgan Dickhead
Hannah Bardell SNP
Big Blair McD, Scottish Labour, and the rest of the BetterTogether BT gang seem to have lost their soul.
They must find out what they want to really do, and do it ’til they’re satisfied. (Screaming ‘SNP Bad” is *not* an option.)
link to youtube.com
I fully agree with Andy Ellis that “It isn’t enough for Scottish Labour to simply change the name plate on their office”. They need to become a party of the people, guided by what is good for the people of Scotland, if they are to avoid extinction.
P.S. My 11:24 comment was being sarky & snarky at ScotLab’s expense, should’ve highlighted that a little more. 😉
Check how ‘genertaion’ is spelled…and Kezia the daughter of two teachers LOL
Andy Ellis 11.43
Labour got 707,000 votes in Scotland only seven months ago.We shouldn’t count on this level of support simply withering away.We have to work hard to get as many of these votes over to the party that puts Scotland first every time.SNP.
And this is some of the positives from OECD report. We can all be selective Bliar
link to twitter.com
Labour are still there, deeply embedded within the system. And then there are the councils…
The point is that we can take nothing for granted. We need to wipe Labour out.
I’m going for SNP / SNP next year and SNP again the year after!
Interesting that the BBC and the BUM concentrate on the 10% of schools that are weak and the 20% of schools that are satisfactory.
The remaining 70% are therefore better than satisfactory, what word would you use… excellent, ah but we cannot use that word near anything Scottish can we.
Kudos to the Gov for inviting in a third party to assess our progress, without bench marking no progress can be made no weaknesses identified.
@Bob Mack
“but many opted for trades or even manual jobs, even though they were bright enough to have done something else.”
probably the shitiest thing I have ever read on Wings,and that includes from the resident pet Trolls.
professionals are the curse of this planet,pretentious C##ts.
@Scot Finlayson.
Tell that to your Doctor the next time you go to see him.
Twat
Scot Finlayson writes, “professionals are the curse of this planet.” Talk about hitting out at the wrong target.
Professionalism is skill, education. Our enemy is not professional people; our enemy is the capitalist class.
@mealer 12:16
I’m not denying there is support for both the Blairite vision of what their party should be, or that there are still lots of Scots who will vote Labour irrespective of who is in charge, or what they do. Of that 707,000 there will of course be a hard core of unionists who will never support independence under any circumstances, and a few hundred thousand Blairite “bitter einders” (with a big overlap in the two groups).
The point I was trying to make is that in a post independence scenario, I don’t see any realistic prospect of the Better Together era Scottish Labour party simply being able to set their stall before the people and have that 707,000 transfer their allegiance as a group.
If independence is to mean anything worthwhile, surely the opportunity to forge a wholly new political system, (including the number, make-up and “content” of parties, a written constitution, promoting localism and our general approach to governance, foreign policy and promoting progressive policies), must be one of the main pillars of that? If the demise of Scottish Labour shows us anything, it is that they are profoundly out of step with those ideals and not fit for purpose.
A large proportion of that 707,000 will vote for parties further left than current Labour, some may vote for a centrist replacement, others will probably vote for the SNP or its successor; others may vote for new parties which might spring up which could be sectional or interest group related.
Remember, like Mark Anthony, we come not to praise Labour, but to bury it! 😉
link to caltonjock.com
I thought his contract with the Unionist parties had ceased!!!
Trident in trouble??
Janet 12.20pm
“I’m going for SNP / SNP next year and SNP again the year after!”
So will I be Janet.
And hopefully so will millions of other Scots.
Scottish Labour are starting to panic, as their day of reckoning draws ever closer.
Would that be the same labour party which when in power, sent back a billion pounds to westmonster at the same time as I was struggling and stressed up to the eyeballs, trying to get support for learning, in school, for my sons with learning disabilities and Aspergers.
The labour council were not too bothered, when I pulled one son out of school to home educate due to lack of support in school, we saved them a few quid as well, about 5-8k a year. Was just discussing that with a friend yesterday.
Labour would have kids (learning how to be grateful and vote for them) in run down wooden huts if they had their way. No thanks.
Greg Moodie exels with his Christmas edition 🙂
link to commonspace.scot
[…] He can’t get no satisfaction […]
heedtracker says:
“Good old Bliar. He does like to brag about how he single handedly stopped Scotland running its own affairs last year, or how he saved Scotland, from a fate worse than than self governance.”
… and in a wonderful twist of history, he may in fact be central to the surge in SNP support, and the slow but sure increase in Yes as the post IndyRef world of the Union is laid bare.
By the day of the vote Blair et al had lost absolutely everything except the numeric count at that instant.
He, like all BT types must be well aware of the reality. Fear and anger is all they have left.
@Hugh Barclay (12.05) –
🙂
If you don’t mind me tweaking your comment, this:
‘…he was a fucking arsehole of the highest order.’
would be a truly original epitaph.
McDougal embarrassed?
You couldn’t give that man a red neck with a blowlamp!
How does McDougall earn a crust these days?
Obviously, it must be a job which doesn’t involve starting before 10.00 a.m., but what else do we know for sure?
I’m sure things would be better if we introduced tuition fees for Schoolchildren and built more schools with the PFI system.
If the kids can’t pay, we can start work placement schemes; maybe down pits or up chimneys or something to help the little ones learn what a privilege it is to have an education.
Wibble.
He, like all BT types must be well aware of the reality. Fear and anger is all they have left.
galamcennalath, Bliar will have been well paid for his UKOK efforts though.
There’s a top 100 SLabour unionists what made a fortune monstering Scottish democracy with
1. link to parliament.uk
2.link to gordonandsarahbrown.com
Slab’s such a creepy outfit. Note how none of biogs of that pair of red tories makes any mention of how they helped destroy Scottish democracy last year, or, spinning it into stopping the break up of the UK, or saving the silly Scottish from actually running Scotland, not a UKOK peep, absolutely nothing etc
At the very least, Bliar MacDougal does love to brag about his UKOK independence triumph of saving Scots from themselves and how we must have SLabour/FM Dugdale, or else.
Perhaps the under-achieving schools are all in Areas controlled by SLAB Cooncils!!! Is there any way to find out where these schools are located?
I’m also looking forward Jackie Baillie’s third book, “An Idiots Guide to Education” as a follow-up to her two previous block-busters, “An Idiots Guide to Arithmetic” and an “An Idiots Guide to Structural Engineering”, LOL. You know I’m laughing but their behaviour is not really a laughing matter.
Auld Rock
SNP/SNP Until Labour is wiped out and then, but not until then I might just might
No I won’t, I’ll still vote SNP/SNP because I’m and extremist, a separatist, a cybernat, and all the names that I won’t forget I’ve been called over the last couple of years
by a bunch of nasty lying Tories both red and blue, and the irrelevant ones as well
@breeks
I like your style. 🙂 Reminded me of this bit.
————————————————————
Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.”
“Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge.
“Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge. “Are they still in operation?”
“They are. Still,” returned the gentleman, “I wish I could say they were not.”
“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?” said Scrooge.
——————————————————-
@Bob Mack
Just standing up for us working class folks,you know the tradesmen and manual workers.
doffs cap ironically.
I had a graph showing how the OECD indexes for Scotland plummeted under SLAB control and how they had stopped falling and some even increasing under the SNP but cannae find it noo.
@Scot Finlayson,
You keep your cap on mate. Cambodia started with a guy who hated professionals as much as you.like .He was called Pol Pot.
Hated professionals so much he eradicated them from the face of the earth My father was a railway worker,my mother a cleaner. You need give me no lessons on the working class and how important they are. They always wanted something better for
me,which thankfully, I had the dedication to work enough and study enough to fulfill that wish.
Jackie B shown fondling a broccoli and stuffing it in a food parcel box at a food-bank…doing her bit for TV good for her.
All this while ‘Big Brian’ explains to us about Swinney’s new tax raising powers… (well almost), he left the important bit out that all rates must go up or down together and no choice is available to him, they all forget to mention that bit on BBC.
Good old Auntie!
Tuning into the budget statement soon.
“between 2003 and 2006”
Nice catch 🙂
(I was in too much of a rush to get Cara down to the vet.)
The £50 billion figure being banded about is a projection. Can we do a wee projection of our own?
I wonder if anyone can extrapolate the PFI figure had labour still been running Scotland these last 8 or 9 years.
I know of no reason why they would not have continued with their disastrous funding method so would that £22billion quid of PFI debt now be sitting at double where it currently is?
If that were the case the overall debt including council debt but less SNP projects would be much more.
Why would it be anything other than significantly higher than the current projection?
The question for SLab MSPs is- what level of debt would slab have landed us with if we hadn’t wisely shown them the door?
an Brotherhood says:
16 December, 2015 at 12:57 pm
“How does McDougall earn a crust these days?
Obviously, it must be a job which doesn’t involve starting before 10.00 a.m., but what else do we know for sure?”
He moved house and family to Scotland during the Referendum and had another child.
He is SLabour’s White Elephant, they have to feed and water, generally look after his wellbeing and pay him.
They wanted him, they got him.
Slightly O/T, got a timetable for Cara Hilton’s Surgeries the other day, thought to myself is this no a wee bit late considering she will be out of office, thankfully she isn’t standing in May. I said this was a little O/T because this was the woman who could not remember voting to close schools here in Dunfermline. I noticed the bus for what I imagine are some of the kids who used to attend the old Victorian School at Wellwood being bussed from another Victorian School down the road. No Idea where the kids from Pitcorthie have gone but considering that they had to build three new schools at Duloch I imagine it is a squeeze regardless and two of those were full the year after they opened. So much for the care they give education.
A nice example of SLabour unionists tweeting like UKOK mad for the Dail Heil. Lately unionist red/blue tory zealotry’s savaged Scottish NHS for being awful, Forth Bridge disaster, today they’re all going after Scottish schools and back to the future, for too poor, small, stupid Scotland.
Scott Arthur ?@DrScottThinks 5h5 hours ago Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotland’s £50b debts: Minister warns Sturgeon would be ‘scuttling’ to IMF for a bailout if she’d won independence.
link to archive.is
Feel the red/blue unionist fear and loathing of what?
Scottish PR parliament in Holyrood. Scots voter numbers increasing, SLab on the way out, imagine what Scotland could do with devo-max, why historic red tory fraudsters like Gordon Brown raged Vote NO for devo-max and why Scotland will never get devo-max.
Back in your box Scotland, under SLabour, the union, keep paying that licence fee.
Auld Rock the vast majority of under-achieving children are being ‘educated’ in Labour Council controlled areas. Poverty stricken areas.
Research findings show that under-achieving academically is often linked to socio-economic factors such as poor diet / lack of nutrition (and levels of parental depression / anxiety). Further studies could now be implemented to establish if there is a correlation between under-achieving and number of food banks in an area.
Mr McDougall and his cohorts did everything in their power to get people to vote no for Independence: in turn voting yes for the very austerity measures that have / continue to create such abject poverty. Then he and people like Dugdale have the audacity to blame the SNP for a situation that Labour, in the main, has created and further compounded. We also know that people like McConnell were handing back millions to the Treasury because they couldn’t find anything in Scotland to spend the money on. Beggars belief.
Now we’re hearing (from someone on here) that Labour controlled Aberdeenshire Council is closing around 16 libraries in their area. Libraries an absolute Godsend for children from poverty stricken families. Seems as though they are totally intent on destroying this country and it’s number one asset …. It’s people.
I don’t agree with yon Scott fella but professionals are no longer the professionals they once were. A lot of the deference to them has gone for a start but my recent impressions have been that enough of them don’t really care very much about the people they’re supposed to serve. A lot of professional work has been bureaucratised and computerised which IMHO has led to a real drop in quality of service. I think many joined their respective profession thinking there would be a lot of personal fulfillment as a result and become disillusioned fairly quickly, after which service suffers a lot.
Mild rant over.
Blair McDougall is an arse too.
Another world famous UKOK unionist puts the blue tory boot in to his outrageous Scotland region, via a red tory, as usual
Scott Arthur Retweeted
Kevin Hague ?@kevverage 6h6 hours ago Gifford, Scotland
Some great work by @severincarrell on Scottish Council debt – but do most voters notice, understand or care?
Good example of how UKOK propaganda works because as we know, rancid The Graun goons deliberately left out the £50bn debt is £30bn of SLabour PFI frenzy legacy.
Wonder hard core UKOK unionists leave out stuff like the how and why of Scottish debt, on their mission to educate the too stupid, small, poor Scots.
@PhilJoMar says:
like this
link to twitter.com
I saw this tweet retweeted last night from Keiza and it was getting ripped to bits for the very reasons you outlined above.
“So Called” Scottish Labour are the party of no polices and gripe politics.
Bob Mack
Thou doth protest too much Sir, you ballsed up, we all do it, for example, I have more than double the money of all the people I know who have twice my brains.
Go Team Wings – takes all sorts
@hundredthidiot,
Anger abated, honour restored, point taken.
Onwards and upward.
O/T Noticed again at PMQs today that Carmichael was jumping up and down every time trying to ‘catch the Speaker’s eye’ (from his position next to the SNP!!) – but he never got called, wonder if this is anything to do with still be ‘investigated’ by Westminster?
Or maybe Bercow doesn’t want risk Carmichael telling more carmichaels in the Chamber!!
Petra says; 2.10
A wee heeds up. I think you mean Aberdeen City as opposed to Aberdeenshire.
The malign grip of Unionism is slowly being prised from Aberdeenshire yet despite that they remain two cheeeks of the same ****.
“He can’t get no satisfaction” – from Labour.
Of course, this statistic will be reported by our State Sponsored Broadcaster and by our unfailing CorpMedia – won’t it?
Let’s finish them off.
SNP BOTH barrels SE2016
Why are bbc, simultaneously, showing opinionated, alternating tweets on half the screen, AND two banners running below..WHILST Mr Swinney is delivering budget.?
It’s a pathetic attempt to pass on accurate information..
Surely the bullet-points from the budget should be FEATURED on the bbc’s information on display…
Instead, a tweet stating that “…lauding the Scottish Government record, because there is an election next year..” has been on screen for almost 10 minutes…
Hi Petra,
Thanks for that but what I was looking for was something that identified the schools so that we could hang them on SLAB Cooncils.
Auld Rock
GO Swinney! But slow down a bit man…let the good bits of the budget sink in. I’m finding it hard to absorb it all.
You know the present SG is working for a better Scotland.
SNP x 2 best for us all.
Now we’re hearing (from someone on here) that Labour controlled Aberdeenshire Council is closing around 16 libraries in their area.
ACC and Shire are very much UKOK unionist strongholds, they hope. Wullie Young’s a notable SLab right to reign over you unionist top dude, property lawyer, very wealthy on sky high private property rental empire, NO social housing built in SLab Aberdeen for over 40 years, banned Alex Salmond and the Saltire from all ACC property, kind of red tory socialist worker.
They have run up giant debt, littered Aberdeen with horrific eye sores, city streets look like there’s been a great depression, they splurge hundreds of millions on stuff like
link to bbc.co.uk
£333 million on a conference centre might work but the other one they built is more or less bankrupt.
Council elections lucky to get 20% turnouts.
UKOK
Jackie Baillie trying to rain on Swinneys budget…but lots of SNP bad stuff claiming it’s short term stuff for the election.
Hey Baillie where’s the Labour equivalent? Thought not!
A laughing stock! Next! Oh wait!
Swinney gently wipes the floor with her and then asks her to produce the labour budget.
Love it!
John Swinney has torn Jackie Baillie to shreds over her non budget propsals.
Bbc cut off John Swinney in full flow during important budget debate.
If all else fails try this link with no interruptions.
The fun continues .
Oh Rennie now! Can’t wait… 🙂
link to bbc.co.uk
How dare Swinney produce a budget which does not diminish the popularity of the SNP.
Think that about sums it up.
Sassenach says:
16 December, 2015 at 2:34 pm
O/T Noticed again at PMQs today that Carmichael was jumping up and down every time trying to ‘catch the Speaker’s eye’ (from his position next to the SNP!!) – but he never got called, wonder if this is anything to do with still be ‘investigated’ by Westminster?
Or maybe Bercow doesn’t want risk Carmichael telling more carmichaels in the Chamber!!
Ruby replies
I don’t know if it’s a load of carmichaels or something has been lost in translation but apparently he has received a death treat in connection with his pro-bombing stance.
Re : louis.b.argyll says
” Why are bbc, simultaneously, showing opinionated, alternating tweets on half the screen, AND two banners running below..WHILST Mr Swinney is delivering budget.? ”
Yeh, from ‘Philip Simm?” Scottish POLITICAL JOURNALIST ya ken, tweet…on…off…on…off…on…off…on..off…on….off..on …..off…on….off….wtf…we get it!….enough already ffs !!!
Piggin BBC wouldnae pit up ma tweets when Chancer Tossborn wis reading oot his budget in Hoose o Conmens ( SNP excluded obvs).
Dinnae git me started aboot Blair McDougall…just dinnae .
Some information only for those of a hardy disposition! 😉
BBC Scotland News ?@BBCScotlandNews 7m7 minutes ago
Budget reaction on @BBCRadioScot’s Newsdrive, @JohnSwinney at 1705, @jackiebmsp at 1735, @murdo_fraser at 1740 and @willie_rennie 1635.
I would have though for Blair getting satisfaction is in his own hands.
This is about Sport
This afternoon, an email from BBC Complaints dropped into my inbox; this concerned a complaint I had made about them telling the entire UK that Scotland’s Women’s team had beaten Macedonia 10-0 at Hampden.
The match in question was actually played at St Mirren Park, as I pointed-out.
In their reply the BBC admitted: “This appears to have been an error”. You bet it was an error.
They then go on with the usual guff: “Fell below our usual high standards, these things happen-blah de blah”
The whole tone was condescending, and, nowhere were the three most-imortant words: “We are sorry”
Even when they get it wrong, they are incapable of saying sorry, and, in any case: “It’s only you Sweaties”, is the sub-text.
When I was “on the tools” on a Sports Desk, if I had let such a mistake through, the Sports Editor would have booted my goolies from here to Kingdom Come. But, then, I didn’t work for the BBC.
L-A
”
O.K. folks just a wee head’s up for tomorrow night’s BBCQT.
Jacob Rees-Mogg Conservative
Emily Thornburry Labour
Mark Reckless UKIP
Piers Morgan Dickhead
Hannah Bardell SNP”
Does he realize that surname just makes him look like a dickhead? what kind of dickhead has a name like Reckless anyway?
Petra,
“Auld Rock the vast majority of under-achieving children are being ‘educated’ in Labour Council controlled areas. Poverty stricken areas.”
Labour has been happy to keep folks poor and ignorant so that they can blackmail them into voting for them.
Ruby says @ 3.33pm:
“… and Carmichael… has received a death treat…’
A death TREAT?!?! How intruiging!!! What with Christmas coming an’ all!
Labour/Unionists can’t count or understand elementary maths. They don’t understand the first thing about education, they are do out of touch. Going back to school might improve their lot, but maybe not.
Teachers should get training on additional needs. A module should be included. Labour/Unionist made no provisions for changes in society, older parenthood and inclusion. The SNP will have to sort out their mess, as usual.
Teacher get no training in additional needs, unless they specialise. Some local authorities do well. The Scottish Gov will have to get the rest on line, and keep down class sizes.
Scotland still has one of the best educational system in the world and most schools are doing a great job.
Students are now getting loans to go to college and Uni. Labour/Unionists were means testing loans preventing working students from going to Uni.
Socrates MacSporran @4:50
May I remind Mr MacSporran that….he knows full well that pish spouted from odious orifices….does not imply in any way the truth.
In fact I am aboard the 3 billion pounds FPSO Glen Lyon and you expect me to believe that it is on it’s way to Shetland as we speak….rhubarb Mr Mac Sporran…as well you know….then again I do not watch the BBC or read the MSM…I read WoS….
P.S. Nobody gives a shit about football
@Helena Brown,
Regarding Clara Whatsit, is she standing down in order to let Docherty have a go?.
O/T Forth Bridge.
Does the “Focussed” inquiry worry anybody else?
Will it allow them to ignore all the ‘historical’ stuff that got us to where we are? Will SLabs part in it be whitewashed?
🙂 love it!
If you can listen in, BBC Orkney has our heroic Scottish democrats interviewed today.
Dont mess with our democracy, yoons!
The four petitioners, who launched a legal challenge to the election of Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael, have written to the leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron urging him to dismiss Mr Carmichael as party spokesperson and to remove the whip which would effectively mean expulsion from the Lib Dems in parliament.
The petitioners – Tim Morrison, Fiona Grahame, Cary Welling and Euphemia Matheson – known as the Orkney 4 – warn Mr Farron that if he doesn’t do this then the Lib Dems will “become a byword for dishonesty.”
Anyone know why the useless Cara Hylton MSP is standing down. I’m in her constituency (Dunfermline) and wonder is she is being puched aside for Thomas Docherty (ex MP) who wanted to erect a statue in Westminster to Tony Blair???????
Sassenach says:
“Does the “Focussed” inquiry worry anybody else?”
Indeed. We are where we are because Labour wouldn’t build a replacement and then went on to try to stop the SNP building one.
Investigations of recent maintenance decisions are an aside. If a second bridge had been built we would have a spare to allow intensive maintenance on the other at any time.
We got the trams. We needed a second bridge. The report MUST call out Labour.
“A death TREAT?!?! How intriguing!!! What with Christmas coming an’ all!”
Oh goodie can we play hangman? 🙂
Thomas Docherty (ex MP) who wanted to erect a statue in Westminster to Tony Blair???????
To Blair or of Blair? To Bomber Bliar-
link to italyguides.it
@Jimbo says: 16 December, 2015 at 11:14 am:
“Why isn’t Nicola in every school in Scotland overseeing our children’s education? I mean, for goodness sake, it’s the SNP not the teacher’s responsibility to educate our weans.”
It just may have dawned upon the numptie that as the Labour Party in Scotland is the party that controls the majority of Local councils then it is Labour responsible for the majority of School Boards, Health Boards, police boards and Hospital Boards – the very things Tory and LibDem and Labour parties are mainly responsible for.
Like the Numptie MSP who stands up in Holyrood and accuses the SNP over the shortage of Nurses, Teachers or hospital consultants. The SG do not employ such public servants – the Local authorities do, though.
Ruby says
“apparently he [Carmichael] has received a death treat in connection with his pro-bombing stance.”
If true (and what is truth where he is involved), the police must fully investigate. Such actions must have zero tolerance.
Top of my suspects list would have to be a UKOK false flag attempt!
Bill McLean says:
16 December, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Anyone know why the useless Cara Hylton MSP is standing down.
I think you just answered your question. 🙂
“Top of my suspects list would have to be a UKOK false flag attempt!”
SNAP!
You read my mind.
Back to Blair McD.
I think we should club together and crowd source him a trade.
He needs to do something productive.
I think a painter and decorator assistant would suit.
I can see him happily opening paint tins, making the tea and getting the pies and ginger in.
Chitterinlicht says:
“Blair McD … getting the pies and ginger in.”
That’s a bit too challenging, eh !?
Lying and misinforming is part of ‘fighting the good fight’.
It’s how history works. It’s how politics works.
Churchill was a master of the art.
Can truth defeat it?
Chitterinlicht says:
16 December, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Back to Blair McD.
I think we should club together and crowd source him a trade.
He needs to do something productive.
It is pretty weird that the self proclaimed winner of Scotland’s independence referendum is apparently unemployed/able.
If Lady Mone of Mayfair got to be a UKOK legislator for life in the House of freakin Lords, why not Baron MacDougall of Creggs. popular purveyor of pasties and pies. They are quite nice.
BBC blogging about Trump leading us into a ‘post truth era’. link to bbc.co.uk
Hypocracy of the worst order !
Right wing politicians and right wing corporate media in the States are only supplicants at the table of the masters of the dark side in our State and Corporate Media in the post-truth world.
As for the red, blue and yellow Tories – it’s clear that the State and Corporate Media are writing their lines at this stage
Tîm Criced i Gymru says:
16 December, 2015 at 5:13 pm
Ruby says @ 3.33pm:
“… and Carmichael… has received a death treat…’
A death TREAT?!?! How intruiging!!! What with Christmas coming an’ all!
Ruby replies
Ooops!
I wonder if the letter writer got the spelling right! Perhaps he was just promising to send Carmichael a big chocolate cake. Death by Chocolate Gateau!
Chitterinlicht says :
“I think a painter and decorator assistant would suit”
“painter and decorator assistant” ???
Yeh flatter him ……perhaps he could be James Kelly’s mentor on hoo ta talk in public places…”gonna no interrupt me til ah make ma point ya ken….gonna no” .
Thuggy teaches Uggy , like Professor thingy teaching Eliza Dolittle (“Do little” being operative term fir Kelly ….and I am fair stretching it wae gaen Blair a Professor ‘mantle’, maybe professor’s assistant…am still stretching it …oh yes flattery for fattery).
I have a question,
Does anyone else think STV HAVE JUST CROSSED A LINE?
The story about the spat between Salmond and Trump sees them follow Trumps assertion that
“Salmond should go back to unveiling portraits of himself”
with a picture of Salmond beside his portrait but SINGULARLY fail to show Trump doing EXACTLY the same thing with a portrait of himself
link to tinyurl.com
Time we told advertises on STV to forget about our buisness
or advertisers even
Oh! For pity’s sake!
Quite frankly I’ve not heard so much claptrap, outside of the Unionist parties, than people sniping at either professionals and or A.N. Others.
Especially the remark to tell it to your Doctor. How about telling it to the Builder, Joiner, Electrician or Plumber you must trust to know their business?
How about telling it to the tradesman fixing your vehicle that your life depends upon? The truth is that each of us has strengths and weakness’ and we play to our strengths to make a living.
Anyone who imagines a trades person stopped learning when they finished an apprenticeship is deluded. However, I know many University graduates and tradesperson’s who did stop learning upon gaining a qualification.
Some more claptrap (lies) from the guardian, Trump versus Salmond:
The two men were once warm allies, after Salmond backed Trump’s £750m development of the Menie golf resort in Aberdeenshire, and after planning permission had initially been refused by Aberdeenshire council.
They were never ‘warm allies’, and Salmond didn’t back Trump’s Golf Land fiasco. The nearest he got was to say jobs were important for his constituency. The entire project belongs to Union Jack McConnell, with an SG committee final approval after an inquiry – with Salmond not involved in either.
Will the Guardian correct the record?
Will they bloody hell.
@ Petra
Aberdeenshire Council has been a LibDem council for decades. However, after the last Council elections, the SNP were the largest group but the Liberals, Tories and Independents united to keep control. Ditto with Aberdeen City where Labour, Tory and Liberals joined together for same reason.
Recently, two Greens have joined the SNP to produce a small majority thus ousting the Liberals in Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeen City still has the Labour coalition in place. See COSLA site with current political control.
link to cosla.gov.uk
Heres the right picture of Trumps painting
link to pinterest.com
Jdman, yes they damned well did. Totally unnecessary to give us Trumps insolent , insulting spite.
I was really angry and if I ever see JOHN MACKAY in the street he’ll get an earful.
@Robert Peffers.
Presumaly you think it ok to tell your doctor he/ she is a useless c#×t.?
Thought you were smarter than that.
” Presumaly you think it ok to tell your doctor he/ she is a useless c#×t.?
Thought you were smarter than that.”
And if his Doctor is Richard Simpson?
rev you and this site are worth your weight in gold, i bet it keeps lots of people sane , going places and seeing things so we don’t have to well done .
Tasmina did well on Channel 4 at 7.20
Good spokesperson
Just watching Tasmina on CH4 quite good but clearly does not know that it was NOT Mr Salmond who invited Mr Trump to Scotland AND it was Mr Salmond who made Mr Trump a Global Scot.
Surely she should know that basic information. An open goal missed – just as it was missed on This Week a couple of weeks ago when the same questions were put to her.
It would appear that someone has slipped up by not getting this basic information to her particularly so since it is not the first time she has been asked about Mr Salmond ‘inviting’ Mr Trump to Scotland.
Clearly our MPs are either not getting briefed properly or are not making sure they are fully informed on current issues such as Mr Trump.
Channel4 News
An SNP MP being interviewd re Donald Trump being asked why Alex Salmond had invited Trump into Scotland in 2007 and waffled.
Am I right in thinking it was a Labour FM who invited Trump. alex Salmond must contact Ch4 and set the record straight. As for briefing before being interviewed pah…
@Bob Mack says: 16 December, 2015 at 7:12 p
“Presumaly you think it ok to tell your doctor he/ she is a useless c#×t.?”
You know what, “Presume”, did, Bob Mack?
He presumed he was about to fart and shit himself.
“Thought you were smarter than that”
Well! Bob, Considering I said nothing of the sort as you imply, I would think I just may be smarter than that.
O/T but tonight Scotland 2015 has Murdo Fraser, Jackie Baillie and wee Wullie to debate today’s budget.
So what happened to impartiality, fairness, balance.
Silly me, it’s the BBC they do whatever they want
“Just watching Tasmina on CH4 quite good but clearly does not know that it was NOT Mr Salmond who invited Mr Trump to Scotland AND it was Mr Salmond who made Mr Trump a Global Scot.”
And don’t you think those bastards were counting on that?
They were well aware of just WHO smoothed the way for Trumps gouf course!
Baillie made me smile over the budget.
I ‘m really looking forward to Jackie proposing a coherent radical tax raising budget
Didn’t catch the name of the Tory having a rant about the budget. The gist of his argument seemed to be that “the budget is fine…but the SNP are bastairts anyway”
O/T
link to facebook.com
And yet there,s a conserted effort by people to see Maryhill Foodbank Closed.
“Didn’t catch the name of the Tory having a rant about the budget”
It was Murdo Fraser.
Agree that Tasmina made a mess of it tonight. Have my suspicions about her. Just checked Wikipedia, she was a tory from 1986-2000 and had some harsh words to say about Salmond’s comments on Kosovo. Maybe it was no accident!
@Robert Peffers,
I suggest you back track and read the post by Mr Finlayson I was replying to. It helps to put it in context.
Secondly,I have restored cars for years.I have installed my own central heating. I installed my own extension. No qualifications for any of the skills required.
It is only reality that some occupations require greater knowledge and skills than others?
Then again you may be a dab hand at heart transplants from a manual. Who knows?
@Bob Mack says: 16 December, 2015 at 12:32 pm:
“Tell that to your Doctor the next time you go to see him.
Twat
Ah” Yes, Bob Mack! and while we are on the subject of, “Twats”, why are you being so sexist about Doctors by presuming them all male?
Did you not know physician, Elizabeth Blackwell, (Born on February 3, 1821, near Bristol), become the first woman to graduate from medical school, (in the United States).
She later in her life became a leading public health activist and educator.
I neither deprecated professionals, craftspeople or even simple labourers. Only stating that we all play to our strengths. Whatever they may be.
OT
Already we’e having the dumkopf anti-SNP brigade complaining Swinney made no attempt to rake more money from the middle-classes. We’re going to see a lot of these ignorant ignoramuses or Carmichaels (take your pick), so here’s the facts about SRIT – the Scottish Rate of Income Tax, in a simple two page document with pretty pictures even “Unionists” might be able to understand:
link to scottish.parliament.uk
If the SRIT goes up from 10p to 15p, then the basic rate goes up from 20p to 25p, the higher rate goes up from 40p to 45p, and the additional rate band goes up from 45p to 50p – all in the £ound.
So putting the SRIT up doesn’t hit just the “middle-classes”, it hits everyone.
Scotland won’t get control of the bands until 2018 (if then).
@Robert Peffers,
My wife IS a doctor.!!!!! Sexist?
“Just watching Tasmina on CH4 quite good but clearly does not know that it was NOT Mr Salmond who invited Mr Trump to Scotland AND it was Mr Salmond who made Mr Trump a Global Scot.”
I thought it was Jack McConnell who made Trump a Global Scot?
In other news I see the Tories have backtracked on fracking under national parks in England.
Another area the SNP hold firm on, although I know the moratorium is in place until at least Spring 2017.
@jdman
You got the official self-portrait. Here’s the real one of Trump:
Auld Rock I know that some of the highest incidences of poverty in Scotland relate to certain areas in Glasgow. Council controlled by Labour. However to check (my) the poverty / underachievement connection, specifically, and your more general query we would require a list of ‘underachieving’ schools / their location. I see that Capella has posted a very informative Cosla link that should help answer your question to some extent.
Thanks to Heedtracker (3:06pm) and Capella (6:45pm) for clarifying the situation in Aberdeenshire. Interesting to see that the Unionists, with so-called totally differing political ideologies, are pally-wally (at all political levels) and unite to seemingly undermine the SNP. So much for main aim …. to serve the public.
Shame too that so many people have no idea that the SNP are totally limited in relation to their authority / control. Caught between a rock and a hard place: Westminster and Unionist controlled Councils.
Re Tasmina on Ch4.
She is needing spend more time reading WoS including comments.
O\T Wee Ginger Dug’s getting married!! 🙂
“She is needing spend more time reading WoS including comments.”
I’ve known that for a while now,
there is more knowledge floating around Wings than the average SNP MSP/MP knows, they should be made to take a test when elected so they can’t be made a fool of set by the Rev.
ps I’m friggin serious.
Re Swinney’s budget.
If other Unionist parties, especially the alleged opposition, Labour, haven’t prepared alternative budget plans with costed proposals, then they should just shut their faces! There is nothing meaningful or constructive they could add.
Anyone stupid enough to have used PFI to deliver services clearly doesn’t understand ‘costed’.
Roll on May and SNP&SNP.
“If other Unionist parties, especially the alleged opposition, Labour, haven’t prepared alternative budget plans with costed proposals, then they should just shut their faces! There is nothing meaningful or constructive they could add.”
They could do this
link to theguardian.com
link to commonspace.scot
Tasmina didn’t do well when she was being questioned by Andrew Neil either and watching makes me feel like tearing my hair out in frustration. It would seem that some posters on here could do a better job of sorting them all out. High time they all attended Stuart Campbell’s College of Political Education.
As to the STV. It’s nearly as biased as the BBC now and I only became aware of this about 3 / 4 months ago. I wonder if there’s been a change in relation to who’s calling the shots now?
I’ve been phoning / emailing them and wish others would do so too. Many people watch STV news because they don’t trust the BBC. Their biased reporting now is extremely worrying as there’s no alternative.
I saw John McKay (wee guy) in B&Q a few months ago. Next time I bump into him I’ll be giving him a piece of my mind.
”Hi I’m John McKay. This is the STV news at Six. Live from Glasgow.” Now changed to ”LIES from Glasgow.”
Capella says:
16 December, 2015 at 8:06 pm
“Just watching Tasmina on CH4 quite good but clearly does not know that it was NOT Mr Salmond who invited Mr Trump to Scotland AND it was Mr Salmond who made Mr Trump a Global Scot.”
I thought it was Jack McConnell who made Trump a Global Scot?”
My bad. There should be a NOT in there. Red mist clouded key board.
2000 Shell jobs lost are worldwide. Unemployment in Aberdeen Oil sector has gone up 50% from 800 to 1300. There are more job loses in the supply chain in the rest of Scotland/UK.
Fishing quotas have risen. New agreements. Haddock up 45%. That will create jobs. Oil tax is due to come down in New Year 10/15%? On certain fields. That will make a difference.
I agree that Tasmina seriously has to up her game. She certainly appears to be ambitious enough. Having fought successfully to become an MP, she now writes a regular piece in the National (which has not been very impressive thus far) and always miraculously seems to position herself very close to the real leaders when the cameras are rolling. I have no problem with someone seeking a high profile and greater power and influence in his/her party (it’s what politicians do!). However, she now has to show that she is up to the task.
@ job losses
Fact is Tamina you’re going to have to do better. All the other SNP MPs and MSPs should be doing more homework too. There is too much riding on the forthcoming election to allow the Unionists the smallest chance of a dig at the SNP and Scotland.
“O\T Wee Ginger Dug’s getting married!! :)”
Congratulations Paul
you deserve some happiness,
I wish you both all you would wish for yourselves.
Thanks to Heedtracker (3:06pm) and Capella (6:45pm) for clarifying the situation in Aberdeenshire. Interesting to see that the Unionists, with so-called totally differing political ideologies, are pally-wally (at all political levels) and unite to seemingly undermine the SNP. So much for main aim …. to serve the public.
They drive people to distraction, what are the inmates running the asylum going to do next? so from wild and whacky ACC unionista referendum results like,
link to bbc.co.uk
ACC hold them , then ignored them, because they’re so democratic n shit, its only money.
to
link to bbc.co.uk
Shooting roe deer up at Tullos, for unionists royals grovel fest that is ACC a new tree planting celebration for one more royals anniversary. Local people wept at this bizarre shooting of deer, not just because local’s loved the deer but that there were other alternatives. They even wrote to the queen but seeing as shooting deer for fun is one Brenda’s favourite pastimes…
Welcome to Aberdeen, currently owned by UKOK nutters. 20% voter turn outs.
Hey people,
Let’s go easy on the ‘this bla bla needs to up his game’, or ‘that bla bla missed a trick’…etc.
Can it be that the SNP tell any MP/MSP going on TV, not to try and score points AGAINST the other sides argument, but instead just try to get our own positive message across?
It might get a few laughs on here when someone slam duncs a Yoon MP, MSP or Donald Trump…but will this tact win the prize of independence?
I get so angry at how weak the SNP come across sometimes, but when I (eventually) calm down I like to remind myself just how far we have come, since the SNP adopted the strategy of ‘a positive campaign always defeats a negative campaign’
Look how ugly unionism has become and never forget the SNP never ever want to be that ugly.
Let’s stay on the sunny side of life and be patient…our time is coming…soon!
I got that on my mobile at 6 o’clock on the road from Prestwick. Well done Paul, hope you have many happy years ahead of you. He surprised him in Boston in a posh restaurant on bended knee. How romantic. Best of Scottish.
Stephen.
Patrick I agree we have to be positive and get our message over but SNP MPs / MSPs should ensure that they are fully briefed before going on TV or radio. Its embarrassing that they don’t know simple rebuttals that most Wings readers are well aware of… ones that only take a few seconds to explain. For example “Actually that was Jack McConnell”
Meanwhile we can check John Swinney’s budget proposals here:
link to snp.org
in order that we can keep the media right.
O/t Wee ginger dug getting married! Congratulations Paul all the best and good luck for the future.
@heedtracker to be fair, and it is a very rare thing, ACC did the right thing over Union Terrace Gardens (though for 100% the WRONG reasons).
The public vote on the gardens was a misleading and bias affair from the outset and should never have stood for that reason, ACC’s Unionists instead blocked it because SNPbad.
As such they’re not doing much to stop other modern eyesore financially motivated rather than regenerative projects in the center of Aberdeen because they can’t score opposing the SNP points for those.
Am I right in thinking that the UK government is withdrawing funding from BBCAlba?
Does this mean that for a couple of million a TV channel that can be a Public Service Broadcaster could be funded totally in Scotland and so adhere to the BBC charter or
have I got it wrong?
Hi Sinky.
You typed,
“but SNP MPs / MSPs should ensure that they are fully briefed before going on TV or radio. Its embarrassing that they don’t know simple rebuttals that most Wings readers are well aware of… ones that only take a few seconds to explain. For example “Actually that was Jack McConnell””
Yep, I agree. The SNP don’t seem to be taking on board all the ammunition that WOS is making available to them.
So, what do we do to educate them?
I do agree that the SNP often deserve a “could do better” mark on their report cards when they are interviewed on TV.
Fiona Hyslop was dire on Andrew Neil just days before the indyref. And I have seen Hosie appear to be hungover in the way he sometimes answers questions in the mornings!
Nicola has got them all on twitter. But twitter is just a one-way thing, in which, like in “1984”, chocolate rations are always up! What I mean is they only ever post SNP-positive things, and especially painting themselves in a good light (or just fluff like the said Fiona Hyslop “excited to be attending the… blah blah blah”).
Less time getting excited on twitter and more time reading up on the facts and preparing your answers. Do you really expect the BBC to give you an easy ride?
Everybody knows Wings is the place to come to get all the right answers, whether above or below the line. Even the unionists know this. But too often Stu is doing the job the SNP press office should be doing.
I suppose we should be glad we have a wealth of talent outside the SNP as well…. Wings, Craig Murray, Tommy Sheridan, Women for Indy… This will all be needed when indy comes — when the SNP will not have any guarantee of our support. So come on, SNP, let’s have your A game.
Scottish independence is not some mystical romantic dream — it is about pulling so many kids out of poverty, saving so many vulnerable people from the hateful benefit cuts (attacks) and protecting our country from TTIP, fracking and other environmental hazards. No time for you not being briefed; for some in Scotland, it really will be a matter of life and death.
@Sinky
I’d also recommend (surprisingly perhaps) reading the Herald’s coverage of the different topics of the budget. Firstly it’s not bad, with (again surprisingly) Gardham’s piece quite neutral, well, almost.
It also gives that different view over compared to the SNP’s coverage, which gives an advance idea of what the more extreme opposing activists might, well, already have, come up with. There’s one that’s adamant, for instance, that Swinney COULD vary the income tax bands, Well, no.
It should be noted the SNP release says nothing about reductions, though the small reduction to Universities has, surprisingly, been welcomed by the principals. The council ones weren’t by COSLA of course, with David O’Neill ex Labour head of NAC being surprisingly anti. Mmmm.
Strangely enough there seems to be little activity amongst the anti-SNP activists so far. Must be desperately working at their spinning wheel, trying to find something to yarn about.
For me, close to the edge, keeping the Small Business Bonus Scheme (I pay 0 rates on my small unit), freezing the council tax, and not putting even a 1p on the SRIT are life-savers, and I know many many people who will be breathing a sigh of relief tonight.
The SNP really aren’t that good at putting out info. One of the most important parts I think is the transfer of £250 million to care, but that’s not mentioned on their release.
Sadly you are right Paula. Ozzy the towel folder stopped funding BBC Alba in his Autumn statement. I do believe the Scottish government may have kept their support though.
I think George did cut the funding to ALBA in his budget, maybe he didn’t like this from the SG last year.
link to archive.is
PS:
Meanwhile in the WM boiler room plans are afoot
link to archive.is
@Brian Doonthetoon 10.15
I wrote to those I knew giving a few examples and asked if their FT parliamentary researchers could keep a watch and pass on good tips to spokespersons.
If you know any, maybe you could write too?
@Paula Rose 10:15
thats what I understood too. Its funded from Westminster and theres eff all we can do about it.
Apparently the cost would be covered by forgoing a couple of airstrikes on Syria.
So instead of nurturing one of our indigeneous languages for another year, the Eton boys think it more worthwhile to blow up a couple of pick-up trucks in a desert somewhere.
Inkall says:
16 December, 2015 at 10:10 pm
@heedtracker to be fair, and it is a very rare thing, ACC did the right thing over Union Terrace Gardens (though for 100% the WRONG reasons).
Even so, ACC yoons held a citywide vote that was FOR Sir Ian Wood’s horror. It is bizarre cabal of unionists go wild in architecture.
They destroyed the beach boulevard, Union Streets an awful failure of everything really, Union Square looks like a giant porta loo, they’re about to demolish this, then they said well lets have a whip round to move it, only £6 million, ask someone rich and nice for the money silly people,
link to eveningexpress.co.uk
This is what 20% vote turnout gets you.
Blair McDougall ?@blairmcdougall 9m9 minutes ago
After every #peepshow I spend the next day repeating lines & laughing to myself. Going to miss that. Thanks to all for brilliant fun.
Did we really lose our country to this dude?
Blair McDougall …you gotta love the guy.
At times, I have wondered that when we do get another shot at a 2nd Referendum (hopefully), as to who will be leading ‘Bitter Together Part 2’?
While I can’t see Darling returning to the battlefield (now that he’s finally got his ermine coat), old Blair must be a shoe-in for some position in another referendum for ‘We really are Bitter Together, honest!’.
In fact, I remember a wee discussion / article on Wings not that long ago where it was mentioned that the complete screw-up that was Better Together couldn’t be as bad a second time round (I think it revolved around the discussion of the book ‘Project Fear: How an Unlikely Alliance Left a Kingdom United but a Country Divided’).
Seriously …I think it could be worse!
The same idiots on the other side are still floating around and have not disappeared into the ether. None have really resigned. Cameron is still here and making a complete hash of his job these days with wee digs at the Russians, a possible fruitless war in Syria and a bickering match with the EU over Human Rights and Freedom of Movement that he is never going to win!
Big Gordon is back in his deep dungeon being rested until a 1,000,000 watts of electricity is needed to resuscitate him from his long sleep.
Jim Murphy is floating around somewhere …where? …no one knows …but you know he’s there ………somewhere…
Kezia is a walking disaster, and I believe a 2nd referendum on her watch would be an utter catastrophe for her. Johann was one thing; Kezia is something else …she would be waaaay out of her depth fighting for the soul of the nation.
Ruthie is Ruthie …no change there …and wee Willie Rennie …well …wee Willie is wee Willie …no change there either!
McAveety is back in some sort of way.
Seriously …if a Referendum was called somewhere in the next parliament (if the SNP were to get a majority), then I can’t see anything but a huge car crash of epic proportions once again. And with the broken promises, no home rule, Trident, Syria …with Blair McDougall, Kezia, Cameron all in the mix …it would have to be a catastrophe …if not worse, since the next time round, the BT mob would have to explain why all their previous promises were all utter codswallop; that they deceived and terrified a nation, but then have to argue once again why we should remain in the Union! It makes you wonder!
Am I alone in that every time I see Kezia Dugdale rising to speak in F.M.questions I burst out laughing.I think it’s just that she comes out with so much tommy-rot,it’s become a natural reaction.
Strange, I’ve watched coverage of the budget on both BBC and STV, and the BBC’s is better, while STV seems to really be going off on one, with Ponsonby getting delirious and mouth-frothing about the cuts to council funding.
Perhaps this federal break-up of the BBC does have legs, and BBC Scotland are getting ready for a Scottish Trust to keep them on their toes.
And what the f*** is it with the Jedi Avatar?
Surely a picture of the Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Vader or even the Emperor would be suitably appropriate.
After all …these clowns love telling us about how great the Empire was / is / could be!
Aye but the establishment push that pinnacle of edukashun
Eastendurs.( there are many other pish programmes available)
Education for the Wukfit masses.
It was inevitable Gideon would cut anything that has to do with the Sweaties culture.
Stop paying the bast*rds the licence fee.
Tick Tock.
yesindyref2@10.21.
Just been on the SNP FB page and the trolls are out in force with their ignorant rantings, specifically the Guardian article and the price of oil.
Cannae quite believe there are people in Scotland who do not know that the SG has no borrowing powers as yet.
And that is the, mainly-led Labour, cooncils that have run up the debt.
They show their fear for all to see – frothing at the mouth.
Just reading an article on Lobster magazine on line and came across this bit:
link to lobster-magazine.co.uk
A day later it was reported that Alistair Darling, who had been Chancellor of the Exchequer under Brown, was joining the board of the American bank Morgan Stanley. On the day of the announcement Darling said on Twitter: ‘I saved the banks in 2008, quite frankly.’ Indeed he did: he was one of those who enabled them to become the criminals they are and then bailed them out with public money, with no strings attached, when they got into trouble.
Has the writer looked at the wrong Twitter page for the ermine clad great one, and read the fake Lord Darling one by mistake? Did Darling really make the quote highlighted above? It is no wonder Maggie Vaughan hates the fake Twitter account! It has obviously hit a nerve. 😀
Guardian trolls are obviously tooooo thick to understand.
At the moment we get about 8.4% of the price of a barrel.
If independent we would get 100% of the price.
I think this sort of sums it up(I could be wrong)or maybe I am too thick to understand.
@still positive 10.48
I wrote to them about the SNP FB page and suggested that the 1000’s of ordinary people who use the page to gain info and show support would benefit if the SNP ‘hid’ the worst of the trolls that do spoil some of the posts with really persistent crude and ignorant posts.
No one minds the odd Troll but some of these are really obsessive. SNP person replied saying they were thinking about it – I’m not convinced the idea was properly considered from the point of view of the average page user – and have seen no difference.
Has the writer looked at the wrong Twitter page for the ermine clad great one, and read the fake Lord Darling one by mistake?
Its the best one though.
link to twitter.com
This one’s even more mad, for the UKOK toryboy swivel eyed loonyness of it all. Frankly.
@Still Positive
The Guardian article was funny, As was Severin Carrell’s article dated 19th December 2014 saying that Scotland’s economy was so based on oil that the drop that month to $60 per barrel would bring doom doom doom to the Scottish economy.
Scottish Government figures show that in the first and second quarter after that, 2015, Scotland outperformed ther rest of the UK in terms of growth by 0.1%. Oops, ASS (Anti-Scotland Severin) got it wrong – again.
Gary, yep you’re wrong. At the moment we dont get anything from any oil. Its all lumped into “extra regio” allocation. But if we did, the oil price is not what earns the money. Its the corp tax, and petroleum tax etc.
But your sentiment is correct, 100% of whatever oil revenue there is, is better than bugger all at the moment.
@Alan Mackintosh
Yes, it’s the revenue and directly we don;t get a benefit, but we do indirectly, in terms of there being more money for the UK to spend, and we get 1/12th of that, either in block grant or consequentials – though Osborne probably prefers to be austere about it and not spend it.
So if the revenue in one year was £10 billion, Scotland gets £800 million worth, whereas if it’s £1 billion we get £80 million – as it is about now.
But if Independent we get the whole £1 billion now as opposed to £80 million, and £10 billion when it was, and if it becomes again, £10 billion.
Unionists aren’t really very good at figures, look at Danny boy and his 175 government departments iScotland would need to set up whereas the whole UK only has 27, several of which already exist in dScotland..
@legerwood
You are so right. Tasmina should have known these facts. I feel like screaming when amateur bloggers on here are better informed than elected representatives. It’s simply not good enough. It’s hard work keeping up with unionists lies. But we do it despite full time jobs etc that have nothing to do woth politics If it wasn’t for this site god help us.
So MPs keep up!
Good day for toryboys red and blue?
Murdo Fraser ?@murdo_fraser 3h3 hours ago
You have to feel tonight for all the SNP foot soldiers, campaigning for years for more powers to end ‘Tory austerity’, now utterly betrayed
Toryboy Murdo doesn’t say by whom though. Their Scotland region must be the only toryboy land in the world where the far right conservative loons shriek, we demand you tax us more, you leftie scum!
Only in the land of UKOK red/blue toryboys, sorry, UKOK region of toryboys.
Don’t stop, paying your licence fee
link to youtube.com
@Stuart Campbell
Haha. Just got home to find a wee envelope waiting.
Loving my Badge of Justice and three (3!) packets of Swizzels Fizzers (suitable for vegetarians and NO artificial colours).
Put a smile on my face. Thanks.
Tomorrow’s rancid The Graun vote SLab headlines.
REVEALED, SNP hate art, unless it’s Alex Salmond portraits.
Yoons eh?
Severin Carrell Retweeted
Libby Brooks ?@libby_brooks 3h3 hours ago
Libby Brooks Retweeted Severin Carrell
It really was a frickin’ awful budget for the arts… Libby Brooks added,
Severin Carrell @severincarrell
Heavy cuts to Scotland’s arts companies: @JohnSwinney gives @ScottishOpera @NTSonline @scottishballet @RSNO @SCOMusic 17% cut, losing £4.7m
We have a Referendum to give people a choice to say let’s do it different but the people say NAW we want the same as we had before then the folk who convinced everybody to deny themselves the choice they were offered complain that the people they wanted in charge are being mean but the folk who offered the choice are left in the position of being moaned at for not doing enough to fix the meanness of the folk that the people voted for in the first place
Really simple Eh
One thing I do know, Jackie Baillie can never be allowed to be in charge of money, and I’m really not trying to be unkind here but a person who can’t count CARBS definitely can’t be trusted to count money, one word: PIES
Willie Rennie: Listen it’s weally weally important tae understand that we know that we huv tae listen and take stock and then with hindsight we formulate a decent plan which will involve (And then you punch him in the face)
Murdo Fraser: Snigger Snigger Snipe Smirk I’m a TOWY and I don’t care where’s that “Wabbit” heh heh heh Osborne Wules
Fwee Pwescwipshons heh heh
@Bob Mack says: 16 December, 2015 at 7:47 pm
@Robert Peffers,
I suggest you back track and read the post by Mr Finlayson I was replying to. It helps to put it in context.
Secondly,I have restored cars for years.I have installed my own central heating. I installed my own extension. No qualifications for any of the skills required.”
First of all, Bob, you assume I had not read what you replied to – I had.
Secondly, you either did not read what I then said or failed to understand it properly.
Matter of fact I also rebuilt and restored classic cars, almost rebuilt all my own cottage, including plumbing, central heating, rewired, fitted kitchen, (from scratch – not bought in units). et al. That, though was not my point.
But here’s the thing, Bob. For a living I served a five year apprenticeship and, being in electro/mechanical engineering with the MOD, when the MOD did all their own gear it was all cutting edge stuff.
I was moved into the RADIAC, Lab, with the advent of Nuclear powered submarines.
That is – RadioActiveDetectionIndicationAndComputation). It also dealt with biological warfare & chemical weapons detection instruments. We calibrated these instruments and thus we had to have a grounding in human anatomy, radioactivity and atomic theory, quantum physics, chemistry and physic in addition to our original qualifications in Electronics and electro/mechanics.
My whole working life involved constant courses to learn new skills and working with highly hazardous substances.
But so what?
For my point was that, with few exceptions, we are all valued human beings and we all play our part. I no more look up to a GP or brain Surgeon than I look down on a toilet cleaner and, believe me, I’ve known many of both throughout my life.
I knew Dr Norman Dott, (and his brother), and Dr Anna Herdman, (Brain Surgeons), My mother also worked on the surgical team under Doctor A.J.Slessor, (who was one of the doctors that operated upon the late King George).
So there you go, Bob Mack we all contribute and where would we be without the humblest workers who do the dirty work?
Why would I look down my nose at anyone of my fellow humans? I’ll tell you why and who. Those who DO NOT strive, or deliberately oppose. the betterment of others.
So there you go, Bob Mack – I am as opposed to the views of Mr Finlayson as I am to yours.
Daily Record: “John Swinney launches £300m raid on councils’ cash in bid to bail out Scotland’s NHS and police services”
Herald: “Scottish Budget: £500m council cuts will cost 15,000 jobs or 50 Tata Steelworks, local government leaders warn”
Scotsman: no headline but “…Cosla, which warned that Scotland’s 32 councils would lose out on £350m.”
NNC: no headline but “And local authority body Cosla warned that funding going to Scotland’s 32 councils had been cut by 3.5% – meaning they would lose out on £350m between them.”
however
Jackie Baillie on Scotland Tonight: “Swinney cut £800 million from Council budgets”
Oh dear, Baillie really doesn’t have a head for figures. And the great thing is anyone who heard her will see a more accurate figure elsewhere.
@Bob Mack says: 16 December, 2015 at 8:01 pm:
“@Robert Peffers,
My wife IS a doctor.!!!!! Sexist?”
So what, Bob. My late wife was a nurse – does that make her of less value to humanity than your wife?
My wife also, from childhood, worked tirelessly in aid of the old, disabled and sick. As did I and that is how we met each other – doing volunteer work for those with learning difficulties. It doesn’t make either her or I more valuable as human beings.
So what’s you point? When we all pop our clogs it will be the same kind of mocks that will crawl out of us.
If you believe in a God then there will only be one queue at the gates to get into heaven and neither wealth nor station in life will allow anyone to jump the queue.
Auld Queen Lizzie will get the same treatment as the street sweeper or the wee auld wifie that cleans the hospital toilets.
@yesindyref2 says: 16 December, 2015 at 10:46 pm:
” … with Ponsonby getting delirious and mouth-frothing about the cuts to council funding.”
This is all daft stuff, yesindyref2. It seems based upon the Bitter Together myth that the Council Tax should not be frozen as it is the main basis of the council’s income.
It isn’t. The councils get most of their income from SG grants. The next most significant is the charges for Council services and often mainly parking charges and Business rates.
In fact the average council tax income is just 15p in every pound they spend. For the better run councils it is a damn site less than that.
So that’s what they are making all the noise about – 15% of their income at most. So even for the worse run councils that means they are getting 85% of their income from the Scottish Block Grant and from council charges for services.
One wonders if their intent is to still take the SG grants in full and still ramp up the council tax and increase council charges.
“Perhaps this federal break-up of the BBC does have legs, and BBC Scotland are getting ready for a Scottish Trust to keep them on their toes.”
More likely they are expecting to get their jotters and P45s.
@Gary45% says: 16 December, 2015 at 10:56 pm:
“Guardian trolls are obviously tooooo thick to understand. At the moment we get about 8.4% of the price of a barrel.”
Sheeeeeesh!
Not another one?
Gary, Scotland does NOT get a brass farthing of the oil & Gas Revenues. Zilch! Zero! NIL! Nowt! Bugger All!
The revenues from ALL off-shore oil & gas reserves are accounted for by the United Kingdom Treasury as being extracted from, “EXTRA-REGIO TERRITORY”.
As such they are claimed as a United Kingdom Asset and every single penny goes right into the UK Treasury. Nothing whatsoever is returned as Scottish oil & gas revenues.
That oft quoted mythical 8.4% figure is not what is given to Scotland for Scotland gets nothing except the Scottish Block Grant and you will not find a figure stating part of it is oil & gas revenue.
8.4% quoted mythical figure is used only for deriving other statistics. It is, in fact just an estimate for working out what is known as the Scottish share of the entire UK’s Gross Domestic Product.
That is, they take the total revenues for the United Kingdom and divide that figure by the total United Kingdom Population to give a figure for the average earnings from revenue per head of population, (but we do not actually get any of it).
Even at that it is a swindle for around 95% of the extra-Regio Revenue comes out of Scottish territory. It is geographic – not per capita and is just an estimated figure to derive statistics from and even those statistics are a fudge.
As for what we do get – the block grant, it is based upon the stated per capita sum that is spent in England. That is the up-front total English funding divided by the population of England but they cheat on that figure too. By funding several things in England that do not come from the United Kingdom Ministries. (Government Reserves for one).
So why from the UK ministries? Well only England gets funded directly as the UK by the UK Ministries.
This is how devolution is funded but only N.Ireland, Scotland and Wales have devolved functions and the Block Grants are the devolved funds from the UK ministries to fund the devolved functions. Which leaves only England being financed as The United Kingdom and Westminster the as the de facto parliament of England.
That is what the Barnett Formula does. It is a little more complex but mainly is the devolved money that came with the devolved functions.
You cannot devolve a function to a part of the UK that has no tax raising powers without taking the funding from the ministry that used to carry out the function and give it to the devolved government. How else could they fund their devolved administrations?
So that’s a fact – Scotland gets none of the oil & gas revenues – not even the mythical 8.4%.
Unless, of course, YOU can demonstrate otherwise and show it in UK produced figures. I promise you will not find it anywhere.
I don’t want a federal BBC.
I want rid of the damn thing. What the BBC has done for decades, and continues to do to Scotland is unforgivable. The BBC is synonymous with deception, misrepresentation, manipulation, bias and breathtaking arrogance. After its disgraceful conduct with our referendum, it should be forever tainted as a Unionist puppet show which has no place in nor any loyalty towards modern Scotland. It is the living embodiment of the Orwellian Big Brother telescreen which has no off button. Don’t federalise the thing, pull out the damn plug.
Breeks
“Don’t federalise the thing, pull out the damn plug.”
I couldn’t agree more, Breeks, the very Acronym BBC is forever tainted and post-independence I would campaigning to ensure it NEVER transmits to Scotland EVER again,
But I think people missed the point Paula-Rose was making (hope I’m not wrong P-R?) were you musing about taking over ALBA and it becoming the new Scottish independent channel?
And if you weren’t “musing” P-R isn’t it time we were?
If they don’t want ALBA then why done we have it? they hardly deny us its already licenced it already has whatever a channel needs to exist (cos it does)we could keep the (whisper it, Gaelic content) but have (for the first time) a channel that present unbiased news where the SNP don’t get any favours but neither are they going to be demonised, the channel could be on a digital pay to view platform (bringing in some of its income from subscriptions) and earning its keep from adverts (wouldn’t hurt independence-leaning companies turnover )
can anyone imagine Rev Stu doing Gordon Brewers job (properly)?
Wheres Ken Mackintosh?, Gordon Macintyre Kemp, …
Are these “Council Funding Cuts” the same ones we have been discussing for months locally? If so the cut to my own council is considerably less than we had expected.
So is it new cuts or the cuts we already knew about? Anyone know?
As to permitting council tax increases, the increases before the freeze were usually double the rate of inflation for years. Since the recession most people I know have had little or no pay increases, with some having wages cut. Why do the Labour party persist in believing the council should get a bigger slice of a smaller pie each year?
The Councils got more money to spend. An overspend of £1.7Billion.
Most councils are a disgrace. They spend taxpayers money like water, then claim they have no money for essential services. Trams etc were massively over budget and had to be bailed out, because of the way the Project was run by Unionists. Stop, start, stop, start. Costing double.
Unionist/Green have ruined Aberdeen City centre with an appalling carbuncle, the majority did not want. How they got it through planning Laws is a mystery. It is costing £Millions (debt). It is just beyond comprehension. To make such an utter mess causing more congestion and disruption. A complete eyesore. It was better the way it was before.
The majority wanted the City centre pedestrianised, The UTG project would have pedestrianised the City, tastefully. They refused a Gift of £80Million and built a carbuncle for spite. They are spending £33Million renovating an Art Gallery. They intend spending £330Million buildings a Conference Centre when the current one doesn’t pay. £26Millions was spent paying off the debts. Buiding more houses in an already congested area, where the Conference Centre is the only amenity in the area.
They say they are underfunded and spent taxpayers money getting the City in debt. Wasting money on projects that are a total waste of money, that the majority do not want just for spite. Against the majority wishes and the public interest. Many are not fit for public office and have been censored many times.
2017 can’t come quick enough. Look through all Councils books. There is complete and utter waste. GCC is corrupt. Projects the majority do not support but want monies spent on essential services and infrastructure. Roads, schools etc.
O/T links
link to theorkneyvole.com
link to totalpolitics.com
Tory MP heaps praise on e-cigarettes after vaping firm treats him to £1,600 trip to Rugby World Cup
link to archive.is
link to change.org
All the cut backs are coming from Westminster. Already more taxes are raised in Scotland pro rata. £54Billion raised in Scotland compared to £42Billion (pro rata) raised in the rest of the UK. Scotland then gets lumbered with a % of the rest of the UK debt and has to make loan repayments £4Billion a year.
HMRC is not fit for purpose. Westminster and their associates evade tax. Multinational making vast profits evade tax through the City of London. Westminster has illegally and secretly been taking the equivalent of £Billions from Scotland. Westminster lied about it and kept it secret under the Official Secrets Act. The McCrone Report and Thatcher. ‘This must be kept secret’, written on the documents.
Why should Scotland pay for illegal Wars and Trident, banking fraud and tax evasion, because of Westminster corruption and lies. Scotland did not vote for that. More taxes are imposed on it by Westminster. Not equal or fair, under the Terms of the Act of Union. People are being sanctioned illegally by Westminster and starved to death. Scotland was promised a Devolution Settlement. FFA, Home Rule, Federalism. Scotland is getting tax raising powers to pay for Westminster lies and corruption.
Vote SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence.
O/T links
link to thirdforcenews.org.uk
link to taxresearch.org.uk
link to rcooley123.wordpress.com
link to sputniknews.com
Ijust sent Roger Mullin an email
I read Craig Murrays bloghttps://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/12/jack-straw-responds-to-alex-salmond-with-blatant-lie/ with a growing sense of alarm ,I was one of the people who told him to get over himself when he wasn’t selected to stand for the SNP I get that the SNP runs a tight ship and applaud you for that, but what I can not understand is the SNP’s seeming dislike of him when he clearly supports the cause of independence,
Are we so replete with enough independence supporters that we can pick and choose what type of support we will welcome and other “types”are persona non grata, eg Rev Stu Campbell who does far more to keep the independence cause alive than many (I’m sorry to say) SNP MP’s , eg Tasmina Ahmed Sheiks inability to correct her inquisitor that Trump was not made a “Global Scot” by Alex Salmond but Jack McConnell,
Are we to see a continuation of the (frankly) lacklustre performance of the SNP so disappointingly displayed during the referendum campaign, which everyone (including me) was waiting for the killer punch to be unleashed in the last week of the campaign just to see our magnificent grassroots campaign so badly let down by people such as Jenkins (I googled “leader of the yes campaign” and the response was “Alex Salmond) I knew we were going to lose the minute he was stuck in front of a camera and challenged to say that he felt the BBC were biased, and he cravenly said “NO”
When Oh when is the SNP going to take a zero tolerance approach to the fallacious outpourings of the media, who have become noticeably bolder in their base lies knowing that Westminster has their back,
It is simply not good enough to say “oh but we don’t get a chance to put out the SNP message by the BBC/STV shills”, when we do get the chance eg Tasmina, we MUST NOT squander it,
My God even Angus Robertson (of all people) got caught by a puerile assault by Andrew Neil with a complete pile of nonsense and who, when Rev Stu Campbell completely demolished his plainly idiotic assertion that the only area of the UK NOT to suffer cuts was Scotland, felt confident enough to brass it out on twitter in the sure knowledge the SNP would not stand up to him, I am seriously beginning to wonder if the party has reached the peak of its ambitions and happy to sit back and enjoy it while it lasts,
The SNP gave us the desire, it MUST not assume that the support of the public is without consequences, the Slab found out the hard way that what the voters giveth the voters can taketh away, for everyone’s sake don’t dismiss your support, or you may forever regret it!
On another note if the Tories propaganda machine don’t want BBC ALBA why don’t we offer to take off their hands?
Just imagine documentaries of the outstanding quality of “Diomhair” being transmitted in English!
Have a great Christmas Roger
regards John king
Too much?
Call Kaye. BBC.
Pure SNP bhaaaad. Do not pay for their propaganda. Do not pay tv licence.End of.
I get it now! Swinney refused to walk intonthe tax trap
,
I wonder how many people, familiar with Westminster debates, and blinded by Oxbridge accents, are put off independence when the rank amateur in our Parliament feel they need to express something or other.
There are just as many dud politicians in the House of Horrors, probably more, but for the most part they’re lost among the talented.
Re Louise Whyte programme on GMS
Calling John Swinney cowardly or timid is Tory code for our Finance Minister being aware anough not to fall into a Unionist trap. They are stamping their spoilt little feet and “scweeming and scweeming”
Grouse Beater says:
17 December, 2015 at 9:46 am
I wonder how many people, familiar with Westminster debates, and blinded by Oxbridge accents,
Scotch cringers?
Coffee time read around and relentless UKOK bullshit like this from these bullshitters
link to archive.is
“Scotland is the only region where there are now fewer property millionaires than there were in January – which may reflect the impact that a new Scottish property tax introduced in April has had on the upper end of the market.”
UKOK meeja shysters like rancid The Graun always leave out facts n shit that might show their UK economy is making the south east of UKOK extremely rich, their regions can suck it.
“may reflect the impact that a new Scottish property tax” must make red tories like Crash and the Flipper lol.
Davie: his idiocy is a poor reflection on Scotland’s education system; thereby inadvertently proving his point
You can look at that the opposite way: despite a poor education he manage to better his circumstances raising himself by his bootstraps, eventually becoming a member of parliament.
jdman at 8.57
And what is it that you are doing?
The SNP is of course a huge failure. It only has five times as many members as all the other parties in Scotland put together, has an overall majority in Parliament where that was impossible, has nearly all of Scotland’s MPs, has won all but three of the local council by-elections this year, regularly shows in polls at over 50% support and despite the most dishonest and vicious campaign in living memory by virtually all of the media and broadcasting services came within a whisker of winning independence.
What it needs of course is more carping from the sidelines by those who know better and more self indulgent ego driven pro independence parties coming onto the bandwagon the SNP built to do the britnats work by dividing the independence vote.
heedtracker says:
“Scotland is the only region where there are now fewer property millionaires than there were in January ”
A first home, family home, main residence … is deemed not to an investment and therefore free of Capital Gains Tax when you sell. However, how can a £150k and a £1.5m house both be simply considered simply ‘family homes’?
My own views is that above a certain level has to be an investment and as such the Scottish Property Tax banding and rates seems appropriate. In the absence of the power to set and modify CGT, what has been done seems sensible.
It isn’t what they would have in dowan sourf Toryland, though.
But the problem is Dave when they’re presented with a open goal, time and again they fire the ball over the crossbar, a few “sitters” put in the back of the net once in a while would be a real boost o the campaign!
They are missing just too many opportunities and were it not for the rev the relentless onslaught of the unionist press would be all we would get!
I have to get this off my chest this morning, having been vilified by Robert Peffers, Scot Finlayson AND AN OTHER of somehow disrespecting those in manual jobs. I think they completely misunderstood what I was saying.
Your place of work is ultimately a choice for you whether you are educated or not or whether you have a background of deprivation or not.
Mr Peffers cites the example of the dead being equal.True.but what a “cop-out”.
Unfortunately the living are not,and you can live a long time. Try telling someone who earns less than minimum wage
and is trying to feed their family in a Council Housing scheme where drugs and crime are rife,and where they don’t know if their teenage children will be stabbed,killed or injured that night.
Try telling them they are equal,when they have to sit quietly in the house to avoid collection companies ,or the money
lender looking for repayment.
Try telling them we are all equal when they sit through very intimate interviews down at the DWP because they need a crisis loan for a childs bed or clothes.
Try telling them they are equal when they go down to the foodbank to feed their family.
Sorry rant over. Equality is a notion which only exists in the romantic mind of some posters on here.
Some are just more equal than others
Heedtracker: Scotch cringers?
Aye. Precisely. Those inculcated to believe a Scottish accent is somehow uneducated working class, to be shunned.
“The SNP is of course a huge failure. It only has five times as many members as all the other parties in Scotland put together”
It’s not long ago since the Labour party had that on their website as being the “LARGEST” political party inScotland, now look at them.
@davidb says: 17 December, 2015 at 7:45 am:
“Are these “Council Funding Cuts” the same ones we have been discussing for months locally? If so the cut to my own council is considerably less than we had expected. “
Let’s put things perspective, Davidb.
Council’s get their incomes from several sources and the Council Tax, at most, gets the council just 15p of every pound they spend.
The rest of their income comes from the cash charges they make for the services they provide to the users of their services. The main part of their income is directly from Scottish government grants. Which grants were greatly increased when the SG froze the Council tax.
The freeze was because badly run councils couldn’t be trusted to do a decent and fair budget. Opting instead just to whack up the Council Tax year on year.
So the situation now is that well run councils not only tend to have lower council tax rates but also, by good financial management, lower charges for such things as parking, business rates, Library charges, Sports facilities, et al.
Thus that 15p, (or 15%), of the raised funds is an average figure. Thus well run councils have much less than 15% of their income from Council tax while for badly run councils it is considerably more.
Now comes the hard reality. Westminster has drastically reduced the Scottish Block Grant and thus the cash available to make SG grants towards the local council income. Austerity cuts have been made by Westminster and statistically they apply to everyone, (except the most rich people in society).
That is a stone cold fact. Figures show that the gap between the rich and poor has increased year on year under all Labour, Tory and Coalition governments. So even during these, so called austerity measures, the rich have continued to increase their riches while the poor have continued to become poorer. In effect the wealthy are getting wealthier at the expense of the poor.
So just why should the local councils be exceptions to the austerity cuts? They at least have options. They can adjust their charges for council services, make efficiency improvements in vital services and increase the charges upon non-vital services while cutting them for vital services.
Note that there are several councils closing libraries and such like but not their grants to, for example, certain quite unnecessary arts and leisure facilities. Yet these are the ones who blame the SG for the cut backs. Many local councils are very badly run. When you hear the likes of Jackie Baillie’s laughable figures on just about anything you can understand why.
Such people just do not understand basic arithmetic.
Grouse Beater says:
17 December, 2015 at 10:23 am
Heedtracker: Scotch cringers?
Aye. Precisely. Those inculcated to believe a Scottish accent is somehow uneducated working class, to be shunned.
Socio economic domination is quite a wide field but it’s interesting just how hard they have to bullshit their regions to keep it up and running. Scotch cringers are just part of a wide ranging and rather deep pile of UKOK bullshit.
Its all a cultural, financial, class, linguistic domination that only really works if Scots buy into it all. Maybe less and less actual are.
London and rich bits of England are the clever grafters, our regions like the Scotch bits are merely an irritating burden, with nice scenery.
Come back to Scotland in a decade and see how that’s all working out for our chums in the south:D
Nice example of yoons in action trying to stamp out Scottish democracy, a twit from Sunderland, sorry The Guardian’s Scotland Editor, no less, with his routine monstering of SNP Scots.gov
“Travelling around Scotland, the country feels dynamic. Motorways are being extended, new schools built and modern hospitals are springing up. But these projects are also the largest source of new public sector debt in Scotland and the biggest financial headache for Scottish National party ministers.”
England’s had several hundred billion quid pumped into its motorway infrastructure alone, all of it aimed into London and the south east, for at least 5 decades, lets not go into cost of HS rail, London to Birmingham say, but
Scotland has to pay its share, when SNP Scots.gov try to emulate England giant infrastrcuture investment, UKOK attack propaganda like The Graun takes a long hard poop all over it, shock.
I heard Jackie Baillie being interviewed this morning on GMS. Her first words were ‘Good morning’. I’m sure she was lying.
Mr Peffers
“So just why should the local councils be exceptions to the austerity cuts? They at least have options. They can adjust their charges for council services, make efficiency improvements in vital services and increase the charges upon non-vital services while cutting them for vital services.
Note that there are several councils closing libraries and such like but not their grants to, for example, certain quite unnecessary arts and leisure facilities.”
Straight out of the George Osborne handbook!
Local authorities do much more than inefficiently provide unnecessary facilities. For the children and elderly whose care is dependent on local authority funding, there are real problems with a cut of somewhere between 3.5 and 7% (depending on how it is calculated). Public sector employment is already at an all-time low and this will reduce it further.
It is exacerbated because Mr Swinney has some catching up to do to match the Tory NHS spending and needs an increase in funding to Police Scotland (which was, of course, supposed to deliver significant savings).
Bash the councils, cut jobs, more money for the police – how very Tory!
@heedtracker
Are you sure you don’t have shares in the Guardian???
You seem infatuated with it.
Why?
I have NEVER picked up a Guardian newspaper but I have heard that the it is a Pro Unionist, Anti Scottish Government piece of shit, so why do you insist on promoting it on a site like Wings Over Scotland???
You seem to leave a lot of other Pro Union links on your posts. Why?
This is a Pro-Indy website.
I hope that the following possible problems with the proposed 2nd. home supplement can easily be surmounted.
How are people who buy there new home before selling their exoisting one, which is a pretty common practice, going to be treated?
It could be particularly nasty for those who have trouble selling while having already purchased their new home.
There have been plenty cases where having bought the original property languishes on the market for months even in some cases years.
Apart from this 3% supplementary tax such people are usually lumbered with paying for the new property using a bridging loan and are forced to rent out the original property to make ends meet until a buyer can be found.
It is going to be necessary to define at what point a property becomes a second home,if at all, for tax purposes.
Call Kaye:
A pointless exercise in programming given that Scotland only has two political points of view YES or NO so anyone phoning in to put in their two pence worth does it through the prism of FOR or AGAINST the SNP whether you agree with the premise of the argument or not
My suspicion is (sarcasm) the BBC are well aware of this and plough on regardless in the hope of having as many YOON opinions aired as possible in their desire to inform the gullible, and or bewildered members of the public that Scottish opinion favours the YOON position
But there is I think an answer to this crappy tactic from the BBC, if we, as the nasty Cybernatty persons that we are succumb to the urge to phone not call Kaye mibbees we could just start the conversation with “Good Morning (insert name) SNP Baad Oh yes SNP definitely Baad”
until we are cut off
My hope being if there are in fact any neutral listeners out there they might get the point and also irritate the YOONS into Screeching it even louder leading to a more entertaining show by far
Trashing Scotland’s teachers again.
They don’t seem to learn, do they?
You seem to leave a lot of other Pro Union links on your posts. Why?
caz-m, because I am Blair MacDougal! UKOK.
or
I’m a Graun reader(ex) and have been for decades and WoS is all about the media and politics in Scotland. So WoS has a CiF section below WoS commentary on media, from all kinds of media…
or
Wings Over Scotland is a Scottish political website, which focuses particularly on the media – whether mainstream print and broadcast organisations or the online and social-network community – as well as offering its own commentary and analysis.
@ jdman at 8:37am
Re. Craig Murray. I’ve got a great deal of respect and admiration for Craig Murray. We know that he’s extremely intelligent and a highly qualified / experienced professional. As a whistleblower he has exhibited decency and bravery of the highest order and has suffered terribly as a consequence. Continues to suffer in fact.
However I think that the SNP know what they are doing, at this time, in relation to employing Craig. He’s a loose cannon (I personally like this trait and can equate to) and has a past that the CorpMedia would make a meal of …. tear him and the party to shreds … such as his admission of ménage de trois … and exaggerate of course. It’s the last thing that the Party needs right now. There may also be issues that we are unaware of.
And who knows maybe when Chilcott has been dealt with, more so the culprits involved such as Straw and Blair (if it ever happens), and we get our Independence, having less of a care about CorpMedia propaganda, there will be a rightful place for Craig in the Scottish Government.
Whatever the case I wish him all the best for the future.
gus1940 says:
“There have been plenty cases where having bought the original property languishes on the market for months even in some cases years.”
Been there, done that, suffered the financial consequences. And, years in right. It is crippling and I won’t do it again.
And, it gets a whole lot more complicated if you try to rent out one of the properties to help cover costs.
I look around and see many properties and families in exactly those circumstances.
People find a job elsewhere, possibly have to find a job elsewhere. Then they take the risk of buying something which seems idea. Move. Start new job. Children into new school. And, pay a mortgage and a bridging loan.
Shit happens, but the last thing families like this need is for their misfortune to be treated as privileged second homing
A quote from a new leaflet from Roseanna Cunningham …
“The only real and lasting alternative to Tory governments that we don’t vote for is independence for our country.”
Obviously.
Very glad to hear a SNP elected representative actually say it!
galamcennalath says:
and a bridging loan.
The very words are to me synonymous with financial disaster.
In my life any course of action that included bridging loan was a no.
As for second homes and buy to rent, I am all for them paying more tax, the number of homes lying empty for a large part of the year given the shortage of housing should have some return for the public good.
I reckon Jackie Baillie is one of the SNPs greatest assets. It doesn’t really matter what she says as she has the sleakit look of (face / facial expression) and tone of voice of a most untrustworthy person.
@Bob Mack
On behalf of the Trade, Workers and Toolmakers union (TWaT) I accept your humble apology.
Is it just me or is http://www.scottishparliament.tv getting more and more broken? Trying to watch FMQs these days is really frustrating, it is hard to get more than 30 seconds before it repeats segments several times over, or just hangs.
It is now virtually unwatchable, and it was like this last week too, and has only had about three weeks of good performance since May. I had to give up after less than five minutes.
Is it just too many people trying to watch it, or is something else going on? Does anyone know if any work is being done to address this?
PS I’m sure it wasn’t related, but as I was typing this I had a phone call from Populus doing a survey on Scottish politics. I am sure they were in no doubt where I stood!
RE FMQ and talk of Scottish Income Tax.
So, for May, Labour are going to campaign on a message to having higher tax in Scotland, are they?
As discussed, it’s a trap. Swinney has my support.
I’m not against higher taxes, but they would need to be part of a much wider political changes post Indy!
I don’t want to pay more tax at the same time as wars and WMDs are being financed. Or, money poured into nuclear generation as subsidies are removed from renewables. And, why should normal people pay more in a setup where mega rich only get richer?
As for the Tory Scotland Branch, are they going to campaign in May for a reduction in Scottish Income Tax? Of course not!
@ Dr Jim, if you’ve phoned Pacific Quay before, the switchboard know who you are & doubtless your political stance, when your call is answered.
@Petra, if you think Alastair Carmichael is a liar, Jackie Baillie would put him in the shade (literally). Will the elactors of Dumbarton throw her a lifeline in May is the question. God knows she’s trying hard enough! A ships hawser might be required though!
Was I seeing correctly when I’m sure Mr Kelly was sitting in his usual position at FMQs?
Had he not been banned for two days?
@Scot Finlayson,
You cannot accept what wasn’t offered.
Xaracen,
Watch it on B.B.C. SCOTLAND, DEMOCRACY LIVE.
I’ve given up on the parliments own t.v.
One day Sassenach, he was barred on the day and on one more parliamentary sitting.
@Bob Mack says: 17 December, 2015 at 10:21 am:
“I have to get this off my chest this morning, having been vilified by Robert Peffers, Scot Finlayson AND AN OTHER of somehow disrespecting those in manual jobs. I think they completely misunderstood what I was saying.”
First of all I suggest you are doing a good enough job of vilifying yourself. Secondly I read your comment in full and I am not in the habit of misunderstanding the English language – spoken or written.
” … Sorry rant over. Equality is a notion which only exists in the romantic mind of some posters on here.
Some are just more equal than others.”
And there for the forum to see is the proof of your own folly. Your belief is that some are more equal than others.
A belief that is, strangely enough, held by both the extreme right and extreme left of the corrupt United Kingdom political spectrum.
First by the present holders of power in, “The Establishment”, where power and equality only belong on, “The Playing fields of Eton”, except that system still involves, “Fagging”, to teach the lower orders their rightful place in the scheme of things.
Then the other, equally class driven, Labour Party and the Orwellian quote, “But some are more equal than others”. It didn’t take Labour long to join the Establishment. Right from Kier Hardy onwards.
If you consider you are being vilified, for what you commented, may I suggest you drop the matter before getting yourself into even more deep waters?
Well, Bob, in the first place I never made any remarks to put down the professionals as you seem to imagine.
To me all persons are indeed equal in value.
I live by the mantra that we are, “Aa Jock Tamson’s Bairns”, A phrase coined by those who knew the Reverend John Thompson, an early 19th century minister of Duddington Kirk, (at the foot of Arthur’s Seat)in Edinburgh. He was so highly regarded in the parish that even those not members of his flock would say, “We’re aa Jock Tamson’s bairns”.
Walter Scott was an elder of that Kirk and Jock himself was close friends of both the painters Turner and Raeburn. This may well have indeed helped popularise the expression.
I also follow the manta of Burns that, “A Man’s a man, fir aa that”.
Also springs to mind the much older expression, “To be ‘worth one’s salt’.
Our modern word, “salary”, comes from the Latin, “salarium”, (sal is the Latin word for salt).
Most scholars accept the expression stems from the money allowed to Roman soldiers for the purchase of salt. Roman soldiers were not actually paid in salt, as some seem to think. As they were obliged to buy their own food, weapons etc. the cost of these was deducted from their wages in advance.
So even in early Roman times the simple squaddie was known to be, “Worth his salt”.
@K1
Thanks, I must have lost a day of my life through laughing so much!!!
At a time when Scottish Labour are saying that Coucil are starved of cash and Glasgow City Council is pleading poverty and laying people off – I can’t help but remark on the near FOUR MILLION quid they have spent/lent recently on:
1. Scottish Opera/Theatre Royal revamp (£2m)
2. Briggait Centre revamp -Dance, Arts, Street Theatre (£1m)
3. Glasgow Film Theatre revamp (£0.9m)
I can safely say that I have never set foot in any of these cultural centres and I suspect the majority of Glasgow citizens fall into the same category – they appeal to a very small minority. However I have nothing against Glasgow City Council making the finance available.
What I object to is this Labour controlled Council throwing cash at elite projects, crying poverty, and laying off workers at the same time, whilst their MSP colleagues tell Scotland that Councils haven’t got tuppence.
@Grouse Beater says: 17 December, 2015 at 10:23 am:
“Heedtracker: Scotch cringers?
Aye. Precisely. Those inculcated to believe a Scottish accent is somehow uneducated working class, to be shunned
Actually I find it quite hilarious. The reason being that I was born and brought up, in my very early years, by my Scots speaking Grandparents on a, then, fairly remote farm. Both my parents were away to war. Dad in the army and Mum conscripted to work in England on armaments, (but that’s another story).
The farm had no piped in services and operated a Bothy system for the unmarried males with Pluchie’s Raws, (ploughman’s rows, for married couples and Kitchies, (female workers), lodged in the big farmhouse. I thus never heard actual English spoken until I went to primary School in the nearest village.
So I switch my language between English, Lowland Scots, (Lallans), and Scottish Standard English. This depending upon who I am conversing with. Mostly I am not even consciously aware I do so.
It can be very comic indeed to see the reaction upon a Scottish Cringe victim when the person they deemed to be a thick Sweaty Scot suddenly switches to good English. It is at its most comic with such as Cockneys, Brummies or perhaps Westos with their thick regional English accents.
An interesting article by Duncan Campbell
link to theregister.co.uk
Especially for the more paranoid among us
Henry
Many of the art goers come from areas who have no wish to be part of a greater glasgow council tax area!
For that matter they rely on Glasgow for their employment and if a coumcil employee can get special rates for council facilities.
Suggest that Beardsen Rutherglen Eastwood etc come under a GGlasgow and you will have letters galore criticising the issue.
On a broader issue re the funding problem we have. Do we really need 3 Ayrshire councils, 2 Renfrewshires etc all with Chief Execs etc.
Scotland is a country that, like others, has a complete mix of people of different social backgrounds, jobs, trades, professions, education, attitudes.
What it has in common is that at the moment we are part of the Union, and many of us, of all different backgrounds, want Independence for our country.
I don’t think the SNP is a failure, nor is it failing, but it is I’m afraid underperforming when it comes to its self defence and projection of the pro independence narrative. I’m not talking about a lack of will to put their case, there is no lack of commitment I am sure, but time and again, they are caught out and left reacting to the MSM’s agenda rather than seizing the initiative.
It’s all very well making a virtue out of stoicism and grace under pressure, but the product seems to be an emboldened media which is happy to discredit our elected Scottish Government at every opportunity, and worst of all, do so with apparent impunity. The SNP seems afraid to challenge the bias lest there is an even worse backlash.
I am left very troubled that people will hasten forward the May elections with this growling monstrosity of the Unionist Media machine left in such fine fettle. It stole the progressive arguments for Scotland’s sovereign independence and supplanted those arguments with horseshit about currency, EU membership and pensions. ALL of those issues become ephemeral choices of policy for an Independent country. NONE of them is a choice within the constraints of our “union”, so why, oh why, did they feature as central arguments time and time again, when they had such little relevance to the principal issue of sovereign power and power to choose? I don’t recall ANY SNP spokesperson taking a step back and challenging the media’s agenda wholesale. Independence gives you choice, and having that choice trumps every argument of union, and I mean, every single one of them.
Do you, the SNP people who read this, do you not see this?
How can you hope to defeat this fraud of a news agenda when it can so readily blindside your arguments and pull you off course and into their trap laden web of deceit?
Robert Peffers says:
17 December, 2015 at 1:39 pm
@Grouse Beater says: 17 December, 2015 at 10:23 am:
“Heedtracker: Scotch cringers?
It is interesting, cultural, societal, class, trust, sexy, status, it can’t all be peculiar to English/British but it does seem to be a foundational part of the domination of regions in the UK.
West country is for thickos, Cockney for crooks, Scotch for violence, Welsh for comedy, Scousers for working class/thieves, … just reading from the BBC manual for UK drama and comedy producers thereof.
At the top of their tree of special UKOKness is the royals RP, civil service Whitehall, then the City spivs, BBC propaganda tv and radio, R4’s gone RP mental lately, but you can do this all day.
Ultimately, would you trust the voice of Oxbridge City spivs or BBC presenters now, after the last City crash, or their wholesale destruction of Scottish democracy last year, by eck as like?
link to youtube.com
Scottish accent is still the best, from Hawick to Unst!
Breeks
I am an SNP person and agree with you 100%. Where we need to go is position the next referendum on a written constitution – the fundamentals around which all other policy areas will be decided by future governments.
Currency cannot be left to be decided at a later date however.
Printing Scotland’s Future seemed a tactical error to me as it made the decision look like we were not only voting for independence but also for an SNP government. It legitimised the unionists criticism of decisions we were not voting on for years.
Thanks for your post- it needed saying.
It looks like he’s been getting his social media training from Neil Findlay MSP.
@Robert Peffers,
Sorry mate,your homespun philosophy does not cut the mustard.
You are out of touch with reality. This horrible country sets the rules under which people have to live,and you should have seen by now that there is absolutely no equality about it.
According to yourself all people,in spite of how they are treated view themselves as equal. Well mate,they do not.
Some feel they are treated like shit,and you know what ? They are right. You stay in your Walter Scott romantic novel Robert. I will continue to look at the facts.
We are supposed to be fighting for a better Scotland. Better at what? My answer is to be better at how we treat those who are disenfranchised . Yes,they do exist.They are real.
Pride held together by occasional blessings,but always on the edge.Try checking the suicide statistics for young men Robert. Died by their own hand due to lack of hope for the future.
Everybody is born noble, but has it stripped from them by so many factors. Is that your equality Robert?
I worked with mental health, dozens of new patients every month,all suffering depression,anxiety, helplessness.
They came from all walks of life,but especially from those with low income or existing on benefits. I saw at first hand the damage inflicted on my “equal” citizens by the Establishment, and lack of opportunity.
People should stop criticising the SNP because 5% voted NO, in the Referendum.
There is no excuse for those complaining about the cuts if they voted NO or didn’t vote.
Scotland was promised FFA, Home Rule, Federalsm. It got tax raising powers to pay for Trident/illegal wars, banking fraud and tax evasion through Westminster. Debt it doesn’t borrow or spend. Broken promises and Evil.
Until the next Referedum. Vote SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence.
A wee bit of info for those of you struggling with the live streaming of FMQs. I asked if there was an overload problem and got the following prompt and hopeful reply:
“This is indeed a problem with the webcasting service we’ve been experiencing over the past few weeks and extensive work has been done to try and find a solution.
Our contractor have released an update to the system which they rolled out this lunchtime after Members’ Business, which we hope will put an end to the particular problems you mentioned about sections of video being repeated.
I am hoping things will be smoother from here onwards, but meanwhile I will continue to put pressure on our contractor to sort out any bugs which arise.”
Breeks,
Your comment should be given to each SNP MP/SNP with instructions to read daily, because it is exactly what many of us are feeling now.
Compulsory reading of.WOS should also be required.
McDougall will be all excited about Star Wars right enough – it was ‘Tubacca’ that sparked his interest in the instrument.
Get it? See what I did there? Eh? Dae ye?
🙂
I’m afraid I have to agree with some of the commentators on this post. The SNP are allowing themselves to be caught out too often.
Regarding the referendum, I too felt it was going to be a real uphill struggle when we had the likes of Blair Jenkins in charge of the Yes campaign. Talk about wishy washy and bland. The SNP just seemed to sit on their hands and let the unctuous losers in Hope Street squander our once in a generation chance at freedom.
As a matter of interest, just how often did we hear that word ‘freedom’ during the whole affair?
@Phil Robertson says: 17 December, 2015 at 11:32 am
” … Straight out of the George Osborne handbook!”
Utter Pish!
” … Local authorities do much more than inefficiently provide unnecessary facilities.”
Indeed they do – many of them.
Then there are the others who do not. These, throughout Scotland, tend to have been Labour controlled for something like 80 years and are still numbered among the most deprived areas, not just of the United Kingdom but also Europe including the more recently signed up Eastern European states.
I’ve more to do with my time than debate such things with an obvious brainwashed numptie armed with myths and propaganda.
I’ve been around long enough to have seen the Labour controlled single most productive square mile in the entire British Empire become the most deprived square mile in Europe.
This by the then government at Westminster deliberately, for political gain, take the work that they were most obviously best qualified to do, away to England. If you do not know where I refer to you need to do more research.
I have watched the Westminster Government deliberately make the decision not only to unequally devolve a legally bipartite United Kingdom not along the lines of the original signatory kingdoms but upon the quadratic and geographic lines of four countries. This also by only devolving powers to three of the four countries and even then all three on unequal devolved functions.
I’ve watched the then Labour Government deliberately set up the most corrupt and idiotic almost unregulated banking and financial system the UK has ever known and when it, predictably, failed spectacularly, then bail it out at the expense of the poorest members of society instead of at the expense of the corrupt bankers and financiers who now, under the Tories, can be seen, statistically, to have continued to more than double their individual wealth while the poorest in society are queueing at food banks.
In Scotland the very worst run councils are almost exclusively run by Labour. These councils it is who hocked Scotland up to her neck in PPI/PPP debt while lining their own pockets. How dare you lecture me and accuse me of being a Tory.
The referendum exposed Westminster and the Westminster controlled political parties in Scotland as what they really always have been – the very bitter together South Britain Establishment that we long term Scottish Nationalists have always known them to be.
Now push off and take your Britnat propaganda with you.
BTW: Your kind are powerless to upset me – I passed that stage way back in the early 1960s.
I just, now and then, like to give your kind a lugfull of truth.
As you say, “we know that Scottish Labour love nothing more than to attack the Scottish Government”
link to moflomojo.blogspot.com
@Breeks
“Do you, the SNP people who read this, do you not see this?”
It is a mixture of the hubris which characterises most politicians and a wrong theory of what works based on circumstantial evidence.
May elaborate when I have more time.
Stv are now shamelessly on side with Project Fear Mark2.
So with the BBC all the non internet savvy population are bombarded by downright lying Unionist propaganda.
The latest escapade in the SG of James Kelly and his lame ‘zeros’ highlighted what the strategy is: undermine the very competence and legitimacy of the SG i.e the SNP.
This is the second part to the original strategy. Part 1 was destroy any credibility that Scotland could afford to pay for itself an economy that could sustain a welfare system including pensions nor an economy that supposedly depended upon erratic oil prices. The hardcore Unionists wanted to believe this and the rest were frightened into believing this.
The YES campaign failed to attack the implicit lies and mistruths in this narrative. Since then the SNP have tried to instill a belief generally that they are competent, a safe pair of hands in government. Thus the result at the GE. But remember 50% only of the electorate backed this appeal ( we need 60%).
Since then the defeat on the issues lost in the REF have never been addressed or challenged again by the SNP or the moribund YES movement. This has been a major error for the long term objective of Independence.
The safe managerial style of the SNP is now under a monolithic battering by the corporate msm on this reformist agenda. Threaten their competence and then they become just another government.
The Revolutionary zeal of the YES campaign has been lost and now we are left with mealy mouthed ripostes to extraordinary foul untruths. There appears to be no strategy within the SNP rather than ‘nicey, nicey’. This approach failed the YES campaign ultimately because of the SNP’s refusal to back the outside alliance of the likes of Tommy Sheridan and even ‘Wings’. I believe that a repetition of this supine and passive ‘resistance’ is a great danger, one that could mean that the Holyrood election could be muted as a result.Any reduction in SNP numbers will only signal defeat in the eyes of our yellow msm attack dogs and also weaken the cause for total independence.
@gus1940 says: 17 December, 2015 at 11:42 am:
” … It is going to be necessary to define at what point a property becomes a second home,if at all, for tax purposes.”
No, Gus it is not difficult at all. If it stands empty it remains a, (at least potentially), second home. If rented out it is a good cash income and Scotland is in dire need of rented out accommodation. Not only are there homeless people sleeping rough but the new intake of refugees to find homes for.
Going by the, “going rate”, of rentals a property that pays a rent is a better investment than the interest from the banks and the owners can offset their loans with the money received as rent. Even more so if they furnish their former home as a furnished let.
link to en.wikipedia.org
The Rough Bounds. says:
17 December, 2015 at 2:48 pm
I’m afraid I have to agree with some of the commentators on this post. The SNP are allowing themselves to be caught out too often.
She’s a fascinating woman just by her wiki biography but I also watched her last night on C4 teatime news and wondered why she didn’t tell the interviewer that its was SLabour and Lord McConnell, that brought Trump to Scotland.
It’s clearly up to the judgment of the SNP MP interviewed, whether or not to get into a nasty squabble with the UKOK media goon show, and you can bet that C4 news dude is fully briefed on stuff like Trump in Scotland. They have to be get their UKOK shots in and they love to get mean and nasty with the SNP too.
There are lots of UKOK ways to smear SNP Scotland and we see it every single day. One interview with a sweaty faced belligerent UKOK propagandist, is certainly not going to make any difference to the future of Scotland.
C4 are ferocious UKOK propagandists to say the least. So fair dues to anyone SNP talking to them.
And yes I know, Snow’s a nice guy but who do you think takes all the editorial decisions? He’s a UKOK establishment boot boy, right up there with future Baroness Jackie Bird of mayfair.
@ Hamish100
I’m not really interested in where opera and ballet lovers come from to patronise the Theatre Royal – the point is it shouldnt be receiving £2m funding from GCC at a time when they’re pleading poverty.
@Petra says: 17 December, 2015 at 12:10 pm:
”
Re. Craig Murray. I’ve got a great deal of respect and admiration for Craig Murray. We know that he’s extremely intelligent and a highly qualified / experienced professional. As a whistleblower he has exhibited decency and bravery of the highest order and has suffered terribly as a consequence. Continues to suffer in fact.”
I agree with you on that, Petra, but add that I think Craig is just too nice a guy for the job at the moment. Having said that I have detected Craig as having hardened up slightly more of late. Being nice is, (well), nice but being too nice is perhaps not so nice – (or something like that)!
;-))
Absolutely agree about a future referendum being based on a constitution rather than a prospectus, as Breeks says …
“one thing the referendum achieved irreversibly was to decouple Scottish Independence as an idea from the contingencies of a particular party’s political fortunes. It is no longer the case that you can undermine the credibility of Independence by questioning the competence of the SNP. And for this reason, Scottish Independence is now inevitable”
link to moflomojo.blogspot.com
the snp has been monstered for a long time, so was the yes campaign
being the nice guy? managerial style? fight a positive campaign? yes
but support for indy has increased from 29% upto and passed the referendum
sometimes I would like to wring the necks of the unionists myself, so I do sympathise with those who want the snp to change tact and go on the attack.
but I believe it is the unionists who are making the mistakes, not the snp.
why should we change tact when the polls still show a trend towards yes? albeit, not as fast as I would like.
wings is not the snp and neither should it be, it gives the rev the freedom to say what he likes without critisim, without which, the snp would be fighting in public like mcternan and Findlay?? the snp don’t need to make despariging remarks about the unionist lies, there are more than enough of us doing so
criticise the snp and yes groups all you like, but it was wingers who got off their asses, crowdfunded the wbb, then delivered it (wingers who btw belong to all indy groups)
rather than bickering amongst ourselves, our time would be better employed asking the question
Now what do we do?
@ schrodingers cat
Well said, there is too much in fighting starting to creep in and that is what the unionists want. They want us to fall apart and become dysfunctional.
Lets not do their work for them.
Robert Peffers at 3.11
Hi Robert – you are missing the point – the problem I was pointing out is how do people who are only moving house going to avoid having to pay the 2nd.home supplement if they buy before selling and have trouble selling – in other words owning 2 houses until the old house sells.
Today’s First Minister’s Questions now available archived here on Scottish Parliament TV:
link to tinyurl.com
Is this fanny for real.
Lord Darling ?@A_LordDarling · 1 hr1 hour ago
Major cracks are now appearing at Stamford Bridge. Are any bridges safe from Sturgeon’s poisonous SNP?
What a prick and him a lord????
scott says: Lord Darling ?@A_LordDarling
Is a spoof account. Which sounds close enough to the real thing to be occasionally cutting and absurd nearly all the time.
“rather than bickering amongst ourselves, our time would be better employed asking the question
Now what do we do?”
How about right after xmas new year starting to prepare/crowdfund for an updated WBB 2.0, with the aim of delivering TWICE as many as last time? A scattergun approach but is there any other way of reaching into the soft No demographic?
Also a smaller scale effort to create, print and distribute copies of what someone on here dubbed the “red white and blue book” a unionist looking book/booklet but which inside has verified and verifiable details of “look what they said/did then and look what they’re saying/doing now”.
And if a company which puts up billboards can be found that isn’t unionist or perhaps neutral but unafraid of unionist threats then a crowdfunded billboard campaign created by people with marketing skills and experience in media could go a long way to opening minds or at least forcing the not totally thick and deluded to start asking themselves questions.
O/T Can someone tell me if the Rev is going to be in the question time audience tonight?
Mr Peffers
I’m afraid that job cuts and reduced services for vulnerable children and the elderly are more than “myths and propaganda”. They are the result of John Swinney’s budget. However you seem content with that especially if it falls on people in Labour-controlled local authorities.
Even George Osborne allowed an increase in council tax in England if the money raised was spent on social care!
Anagach says:
scott says:
“Lord Darling ?@A_LordDarling
Is a spoof account.”
I enjoy the wicked sense of humour. I suspect the Rev does too by his retweets.
Schrödinger’s Cat Says 3:55
Rather than bickering amongst ourselves, our time would be better employed asking the question Now what do we do?
The public’s endorsement for Labour policies is non existent; Actually Labours endorsement is non existent as they don’t know what they are for themselves. As for the unionist cause it is bankrupt for the main reason that they have nothing to offer. Negative, threatening and insulting is the mainstay of their debating prowess. No wonder there called bitter together, bitter describes the no camp to a tee.
The strategy of reasoned comment will in the long term, pay dividends, it is a truism that if your argument gets extreme, complicated, and involves secret dossiers, the electorate turn off.
But you ask what now, I take it you wish the independence movement progress the argument, I believe this cannot be limited to a purely political arena but go further, we should not let our future or indeed our history be bushwhacked by the unionists we need to dismantle the sacred cows of Brit unionism wherever they dwell, This is essential as I truly believe the independence movement travels furthest when it transcends politics.
I agree totally with you that the Independence movement needs ALL shades of opinion, not only as a democratic strength but as cultural strength, a cultural strength and awareness that will be the catalyst that fuels the progression of our nation, from subservient bondsman reliant on our neighbour’s control and rule, to the self control and independence that is ours by right.
And it’s this transcendence from the political to the cultural that heralds and proclaims that Scotland is our country, our nation our Future.
well said jcd
1. crowd fund 10,000 new yes 2 flags
(once distributed freely, these are a good source of funding for indy groups, I crowd funded the first 10,000 then bought 2 from out yes group for £5 each)
2, billboards, yes but highly visible gardens and fields from busy roads are a good location for signs, and we have potentially 100s across Scotland
3. I distribute leaflets for…ahem…a certain party in Scotland in my area. anything produced by wings, wbb2, leaflets newspapers etc will get distributed freely. right across Scotland. this is a resource we have, why don’t we use it
Petra,
“Re. Craig Murray. I’ve got a great deal of respect and admiration for Craig Murray. We know that he’s extremely intelligent and a highly qualified / experienced professional. As a whistleblower he has exhibited decency and bravery of the highest order and has suffered terribly as a consequence. Continues to suffer in fact.”
The disgraced liar Carmichael is a long time close personal friend of Craig Murray.
Someone who campaigns for independence while at the same time having Carmicheal as a close personal friend has no credibility in my view.
The same applies to BBC apologist Derek Bateman.
“Business for Scotland” people and “Lawyers for Yes” have Tories as their closest personal friends.
Don’t trust these people.
Right – since we’re on the subject of BT; who can tell me what Blairs sidekick Rob Shorthouse (hero of the Union) is doing for a living now?
Answer on 5 mins -clocks ticking
To someone of no importance
Yesterdays budget £250m to councils for social care
Phil Robertson says: 4:34
Imagine for a second I am your boss, tonight I tell you you’re not getting the Christmas bonus you were expecting, in fact you are getting a pay cut! You have to go home and reassess your priorities for Christmas, now is that your fault or mine as a mean scrooge boss!
Now you haven’t understood the funding of the Holyrood Parliament or the block grant, but you also appear not to have read the budget.
“Deputy First Minister John Swinney today announced an injection of an additional half a billion pounds for health boards, taking total spending to a record of nearly £13 billion. And, to support the most significant reform since the foundation of the SNHS, Mr Swinney announced £250 million for the integration of health and social care, ushering in a fundamental realignment of the way the NHS and local government deliver care.”
You obviously don’t realise that the reverend holds a particularly large organ that is adept at overwhelming minuscule competitors.
I do agree with the calls for crowdfunding literature to be delivered to houses. Both a red, white and blue book to show what two-faced liars the unionist propagandists are — and a WBB to calmly explain all the positives for indy. Such as the fact that oil is just a bonus and we get nada at the moment anyway.
Rock
My Mum is a Labour supporter, My dad a tory should I abandon them?
You do realise in the New Independent Scotland we will have the same people, same arguments on the division of wealth?
Scottish Tory’s Scottish Labour Scottish Liberal, but looking to our nation not our neighbour for their guidance or overlord-ship?
A very telling post on twitter
link to tinyurl.com
tx Kenny
we could start small though, simple
1. 10,000 flags
can anyone remember how much they cost the last time?
does anyone know they guy who organised it?
2. garden signs, 1.5m x 1.5m
how much?
these would require the greatest input, ie ideas from the wingers
my effort, a picture of carmicheal, with, this libdem is a liar. are you better together yet?
if we made 100 different ones, we could exchange them, across gardens
3. a leaflet or newspaper or wbb2,
any costs?
keep our tinder dry, start with a leaflet or like the libdems do in my area, they deliver what looks like a newspaper but is infact libdem literature
a lot of critisisms about yes literature at the start of the ref campaign. that should not be a problem for wingers. we have more than enough expertise on this site to avoid this problem
Rock
There were tories who voted yes last year, not all tories are unionists. An IScotland would still have conservatives in it and sitting as MPs. That’s the mix of the country and as a fair and inclusive society that we all want to become we couldn’t exactly ban them.
The unionists are said to have fought the ref like a general election, a lot of the yes campaign did the same.
Phil Robertson,
Even George Osborne allowed an increase in council tax in England if the money raised was spent on social care!
And in your toryboy free Scotland region Phil.
The Graun, don’t have kittens Caz-m
“Three-quarters of people affected by the bedroom tax say they have had to cut back on food, an independent evaluation published by the Department for Work and Pensions has found.
The research found that 46% said they had cut back on heating, 33% on travel and 42% on leisure. Among a control group of tenants unaffected by the bedroom tax, far fewer – 56% – said they were cutting back on food because of benefit changes.
The findings by the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research and Ipsos Mori were slipped out by the government on the last day of parliament before the winter break, along with a deluge of more than 380 other documents.”
Nicola versus Kez – a bit like Real Madrid versus Dukla Pumpherston Sawmill and Tannery.
link to bbc.co.uk
gus1940
I think when you are in a situation where you have bought a new house but not yet sold your old one, and require therefore a bridging loan, that it will be pretty clear you’re not a but to let landlord, there ought to be some small print in the changes that take that into account.
Buy to let mortgages and people buying holiday home second houses are the targets here. And as I understand it only if the property is over 40 grand or so.
I can’t image there are two many people who buy, completing the whole purchase including paying the stamp duty before they have sold their old house. In Scotland it’s harder to gazzump ( technically it’s illegal) and house deals fall through less frequently as a result.
I had a man interesting discussion on fb, apparently some landlords have indicated they would rather invest now in Scotland, I hope this revives empty properties and keeps private rents lowered.
We will see.
Answer to BT ibdy reward Q – Tour guide at central station Glasgow, compensation for a nighthood aparently
Why is the Mourinho story top story on the BBC? Would this happen if it was Celtic or any top Scottish club? Aye right.
Andrew McLean
“now is that your fault or mine as a mean scrooge boss!”
Not sure I get the analogy here. Are you suggesting that vulnerable children and the elderly have to take some of the blame when their support services are cut?
“Now you haven’t understood the funding of the Holyrood Parliament or the block grant, but you also appear not to have read the budget.”
I do and I have but you seem to have overlooked council tax which is what I was talking about. The £250M is not for the councils but, even if it is taken into account, there is a still a cut in the funding.
heedtracker says:
“Even George Osborne allowed an increase in council tax in England if the money raised was spent on social care!
And in your toryboy free Scotland region Phil.”
Lost me here. Osborne does not control Scottish council tax. That lies with John Swinney.
Hi schrodingers cat.
Here’s the page for the 10,000 flags fundraiser:-
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/10-000-flags-for-yes–11#/
Cost?
“We can land these flags in Scotland for a price of £9000,or 90p each!”
The organiser was Mark Piggott.
Lost me here. Osborne does not control Scottish council tax. That lies with John Swinney.
Its the comparison with England and Scotland and the bedroom tax, what its actually doing to the worst off, and how bleeding heart red/blue tory unionists like you, weep UKOK crocodile tears for, Phil
Andrew McLean @ 5.11
If I remember correctly there was an announcement at the beginning of this year of £100 million in funding for the integration of NHS and Councils responsibilities for Social care. I think the legislation came into effect earlier this year therefore this £250 million seems to be over and above that initial £100 million.
The integration of responsibility for social care is seen as a way of reducing bed blocking by making the transition from hospital to home. A recent news broadcast, can’t remember which channel, mentioned Scotland’s new model in the course of an item on social care down south. Nearly fell of my seat when I heard them hold up something in Scotland as an example to follow.
Whilst watching an old TV “quiz-show” at a friends house recently.. upon tweaking the title, came up with a new phrase, which could be used to describe certain unionist politicians of an idiotic nature.. so feel free to use:
‘Universally Challenged!’
Also, another name for the obsoleting MSM abbreviation (if not already suggested) could be the:
‘SCOrporate Media’
Hello to everybuddy alike.. yessers, noers and undecideders X
gus1940
Surely the empty house would not be taxed immediately. Houses empty short term i.e for probate & pending sale the house doesn’t become taxable for 6 months. After that normal council tax is levied in England.
If you can’t sell then should let. Too many people are looking for homes in Scotland & there’s too many empty 2nd homes. The same happens in Cornwall where villages have been decimated by 2nd home owners & the village youngsters have had to leave & move to the cities because no homes available to them. It’s also put housing prices well out of reach of normal wages.
Scarcity of property for sale increases prices-if you’re an owner your house value rises but if you’re trying to buy price rises just push that idea further out of reach.
Hi schrodingers cat.
I’ve just archived that “10,000 flags” page, for posterity. It’s historic, iye?
link to archive.is
From the Herald: “Anti-independence business chief joins Scotland Office – Keith Cochrane, Chief Executive of the Weir Group, was appointed as Lead Non-Executive Director by Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell.
They’re all better together, at Ben-Dover House. Don’t worry, his costs will be attributed to Scotland via GERS as expenditure by the UK on behalf of Scotland. Whooppee-doopppeee dooh. £10 million a year well spent if you ask me [1] Oh YES.
[1] first thing in the morning that is, when I don’t have a clue what I’m saying.
Or maybe he’s just an in-bred wanker.
Maybe not possible or to pricy but would the flags be bought in scotland if possible
oh and you know when Jackie Baillie is lying she opens her mouth
@gus1940 and Lollysmum
Fear not on the second home tax. We had that introduced in Ireland for similar reasons
The same exceptions we had I am sure will apply in Scotland .
It’s not Rocket Science
Simply email your MSP and point out the issues that local people have that would not apply to holiday homers from London and the like
Hi caledonia.
I understand that the flags were sourced in China or, as Mark Piggott types at the link, the “far east”.
They were, of course, eventually sold in Scotland, after import.
‘re a wbb2… this is my opinion…if a red white and blue leaflet came thru my letterbox I wouldn’t stop and even look at…straight in the bin. I won’t buy anything with the union colours, it makes my skin crawl when I see the butcher’s apron. I don’t think I would be alone in those feelings. Maybe a neutral colour on the front and back cover or just a very memorable image like the little girl with the saltire beside the two union men.. it’s the inside that is important and it’s there that the message will be told.
I do like the idea of putting placards in our gardens. How legal is it, anyone know? Would people be able to do it if they live in council homes? A lot of people have printers, I design greeting cards, so my printer will print up to A3 which is quite a good size for Windows. Think how many people would see them if you live on a busy road, a new one every week, if Wingers put their heads together this is do-able.
Lollysmum says:
“gus1940
Surely the empty house would not be taxed immediately. Houses empty short term i.e for probate & pending sale the house doesn’t become taxable for 6 months”
I posted earlier. I know from bitter experience it can take years to sell. 2008 just before the bank problems we bought. Two months later and absolutely nothing would sell. It took two years to get rid of our house and we had to sell for 80% of what it had cost us!
On top of that real loss, was a bridging loan..
People say, easy rent it out to cover costs.
We discussed letting our ‘old house’ out with our solicitor. His advice was to avoid if possible. He has seen too many houses in perfect decorative state trashed. The remedial costs outweighing any short term income!
Yes. Six months and you start paying half tax. Then after 12months it is treated as a second home and you pay 90% to keep an empty house hoping every day a buyer turns up.
Families in this situation are fighting to keep solvent and not have one, other or both houses repossessed. Then don’t need tax problems!
Hi Cherry.
You typed,
“‘re a wbb2… this is my opinion…if a red white and blue leaflet came thru my letterbox I wouldn’t stop and even look at…straight in the bin. I won’t buy anything with the union colours, it makes my skin crawl when I see the butcher’s apron”
But Cherry, the proposed ‘WBB2’ wouldn’t be for your consumption – it would be aimed at ‘soft’ and ‘not-so-soft’ NOs, who may find the Union Flag reassuring.
Hopefully, by the time they’d finished reading, they would be Yessers!
@ Breeks 2.00pm
I take the points you make but have to conclude that, on balance, the SNP is performing very well in hugely difficult circumstances.
We are facing a cat and mouse situation and we will only win if we never forget that.
The notion of fronting up the opposition, of deciding that we have to go on the attack and somehow we can win the day with an all out assault, is a recipe for defeat. The Vietnamese saw off the might of the USA by a process of exploiting the corruption that was endemic in the coalition of the US and the ‘proud Vietnames-But’s’: by guile rather than superior force.
The SNP leadership are playing the long game because they have no choice and their success has been nothing short of amazing. Who amongst us ever believed that we would see the Slab mafia booted out in May?
Of course I would like to see successes every day and a clear path to independence but that is not going to happen. In my opinion independence will come as a surprise when it comes and it will happen out of circumstances that none of us can predict.
What I will predict is that the corruption of the British state will be its Achilles heel. It is that corruption, the bare faced lies, the smears, the veiled and unveiled threats, the abuse and misuse of power – the things that so upset us – that will be its undoing. In the face of that the SNP must be the voice of reason, of humility, of common decency.
That doesn’t mean that the SNP has to say and do nothing to offend but it does mean that it must at all times take care to take the higher ground – the higher moral ground. Our opponents despise that approach, seeing honesty as weakness, and think they can do whatever they wish with impunity. Of course with all the advantages they have at their disposal they will make some gains. But we have to commit to the long game, like the SNP and learn to ride out the storm.
Which leads me to the issue of the next referendum, that some within our ranks, at least a number of whom are moles, are super keen to bring about. Forget it. It will come if and when it is the right time. The purpose of independence is to enable a better way of life for the Scottish people. It is not an end in itself. The needs of the Scottish people must never be subordinated to the pursuit of independence any more than to the needs of rUK. We have to pursue both goals simultaneously and that is exactly what the SNP is intent on doing.
However difficult it feels, we are winning and we don’t need to change a winning strategy. Let’s just get better at using it, which I think is Breek’s point.
Wel said arthur…completely concur with what you outline. We are winning, there are moles…too keen et etc. The SNP are taking care of the home and away front…we have to exercise our patience, doesn’t mean we can’t let off steam and also set about keeping the flame burning bright, keep talking to folks, etc.
I don’t believe for a second the wider communities are falling for their guff on stv or bbc, as for the rags we know they are failing, we have to remember you’re all political geeks…(no me, I’m a novice political geek), and are probably far more sensitive to the constant barrage than the wider population.
But the wider population put the SNP into Westminster, never forget how far we have come. I especially agree with you arthur that it will just happen, and it may come about quite unexpectedly. Chin up.
SNP/SNP May. Wipeout. 2017 Finish the job.
arthur thomson @ 7.33 pm.
Very well written, arthur. This is exactly what we are finding on the doorsteps. People are gradually coming around to our way of thinking, and like you, I believe the leadership of the S.N.P are using exactly the correct strategy.
Arthur Thomson 7.33pm.
I totally agree.
“Softly softly catchee monkey.”
Time is on our side as the UK continues it’s steady decline into third world status our time will come.
@K1
Talking of rags, daily record one of many on a downward spiral. Hahaha
link to pressgazette.co.uk
@yesindyref2
Cochrane threatened to pull Weir Group out of Scotland if we voted for Independence to protect the shareholders,
Weir Group shares have nearly halved since the Referendum and yet the shareholders still give Keith Cochrane the CEO,£1,600,000 salary,
Cochrane also stated at the time of the Referendum that uncertainty about Scotland`s membership of the EU was a major reason for him to vote against his own country,
now England wants out and he does nothing,
why the shareholders of Weir Group put up with his incompetence is a mystery.
From Rev’s Twitter, Fife Times: ‘It was the ‘right decision’ to delay bridge repair work’
‘IT WAS the “right decision” to postpone repair work on the Forth Road Bridge until the new Queensferry Crossing opens next year.
That’s according to Dunfermline Lib Dem councillor Tony Martin, the last convener of the authority that was in charge of maintaining the 51-year-old structure.
That decision has now backfired spectacularly but he insisted that if the expert advice in 2010 had been that the work could not wait, the project would have gone ahead and the underfire Scottish Government would have paid for it.’
link to archive.is
Couldn’t post earlier, at work, but seriously lads
Bob Mack
Robert Peffers
You pair need to go for a pint or two!
Ha ha right enough Nana, down 10.83% in one year. Getting there!
I see the Express is falling sharply too (revolting rag).
Great post Arthur. Sums the scenario up very well and the strategy we must adopt if we are to succeed. And how the CorpMedia, the Yoons (and their moles) must detest us for it.
SNP x2 SE2016
Steady as she goes.
@Briandoonthetoon
Yes sorry was thinking that wrongly..I forget that some like that symbol. Can’t think of a time I ever saw it as a comfort. I remember in primary school, many moons ago, we had to draw the union flag..I drew the saltire..even as young as I was it filled me with uneasy feelings…
Think I got the belt for it too! Worth it 😉
Hi Cherry.
I was a bit peed off today when I noticed that the pack of two steak pies (99p) that I buy from Lidl, apart from proclaiming ‘British Beef’ (which I don’t mind), are now displaying A Union Flag, which I DO mind.
I must have a wee word with the manager in Lidl Lochee tomorrow…
@briandoonthetoon
I think it’s a deliberate ploy..putting the “butcher’s apron” on anything…subliminal that’s what it is! My hubby bought me flowers…flag …he got a right sore lug lol! 😉
While putting the lights on my tree today I had film4 on. A war film with David Niven. It started with a view of the heavens, then slowly descended to Earth and hovered over the British isles…when the narrator said “A very english fog hung over ENGLAND” red rag to a bull…my two doggies moved so fast out the room as I yelled BRITAIN YOU BLOODY YOON!
SNP,SNP 2016/17
“I was a bit peed off today when I noticed that the pack of two steak pies (99p) that I buy from Lidl, apart from proclaiming ‘British Beef’ (which I don’t mind), are now displaying A Union Flag, which I DO mind.”
I watched Irene look at Scottish strawberries in Marks and Spencers on Princes street and not once did I see her cover the union flags on them, but miraculously she covered every one with a YES sticker, I swear I didnt see her do it but she had to have covered about 20 union flags #STICK(er) IT TO THEM
Free Scotland: don’t knock Dukla Pumpherston Sawmill and Tannery. The team that qualified for Division Eight of the Devon and Cornwall Sunday League were legends.
Arthur Thompson: Well said.
Lochside: Well said.
This debate needs to be had.
Fact: this one-man blog frequently packs more punch for the cause than all other pro-indy media efforts – including SNP MPs on the telly – combined.
What does this tell us?
Is it because we are riding the swirling vortex of a digital media singularity, as Pat Kane might say.
And I’m not knocking Pat: he was a good performer on the telly at IndyRef time.
Plurality is important in the online battle. We all know the other pro-indy digital and print offerings out there, but a lot of them are a bit … meh.
The newspapers, owned by the worst kind of cynical capitalist swine, are given no money to do anything substantial. And the blogs are a very mixed bag.
Perhaps we need more quality blogs (incisive, in-depth, independent and articulate, like wot this one is) speaking in different tones to different audiences.
Or maybe the pro-indy digital ecosystem is doing just fine.
In one tweet a Frankie Boyle or an Irvine Welsh can eviscerate a whole chip-wrapper full of mainstream media tripe when they choose to do so.
Ponder, ponder …
O/T
link to pieria.co.uk
link to democraticauditscotland.com
@Breeks says: 17 December, 2015 at 2:00 pm:
” … Do you, the SNP people who read this, do you not see this?
How can you hope to defeat this fraud of a news agenda when it can so readily blindside your arguments and pull you off course and into their trap laden web of deceit?”
Well, Breeks, This wee auld long standing SNP supporter/member moved to this Fife Mining village when the Kelty pits were still open. I must have been the only SNP guy for miles around. Most of the village families had
links to Labour councillors or MPs.
The Kelty saying was, “In Kelty thir aw earsehole connections”, which translates into the English as, ‘they are all interconnected by either marriage or obliged to each other in some other way’.
The village has produced at least two Dunfermline Labour Provosts and at present the MSP who is the Labour in Scotland Deputy Leader, Alex Rowley and Alex Father was a Labour Councillor.
So let me answer your question, Breeks. It is my view that whatever the SNP are doing the result is a steady movement of voters to the party and that is mainly from the Labour Party.
Now it is only common sense to stick with a winning strategy and I must also conclude that those who are on the move are quite obviously not being taken in by the tactics of either the Unionist Establishment or the Establishment’s propaganda wing.
I’ll put it this way, I and many other independence minded people have been patiently waiting for this movement to independence all our lives and I’m certain I’m not alone in being patient a little longer. When the pendulum begins to swing back the other way will be the time to change tactics and perhaps become a little more strident and aggresive.
In the meantime,, ” Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down. Sit down your rocking the boat.”
@gordoz
Rob Shorthouse is now Client and Communications Director at ScotRail.
He popped up on GMS after the FRB closure talking about extra carriages for trains between Fife and Edinburgh.
I don’t advocate an all out frontal assault. Far from it. In fact it occurs to me the Unionist media is baiting those of pro-Indy persuasion precisely so they can be monstered as dangerous radicals who can be readily discredited and dismissed. That’s not what I’m saying.
But there is a world of difference between engaging in a bun fight which is baseless and contrived, and having the presence of mind and gravitas to see the bun fight for the shallow contrivance that it is, and taking the initiative to move the discussion onto matters of greater weight. It’s that level of awareness and reluctance to be drawn in that I rarely detect, and I disagree that the SNP draws any benefit from simply playing along with these endless lightweight interviews and blatant manipulations.
Maybe it is better playing the longer game, but having already lost one referendum to this propaganda circus, and having scarcely scratched the media’s false veneer since, I would like to see some grounds for hope that something better is in the pipeline. All I see is more of the same, and yet more ermine for the dutiful servants of unionism.
It’s been commented above that there was a widespread expectation for the big guns to open up in the last few weeks of the YES campaign but it never happened. I would be lying if I denied that I am getting the same feeling again.
I think we have the “walking soft” part working pretty well for us, but it’s “carrying the big stick” which still needs work.
Breeks: also well said.
One snag in the full-frontal assault could be the deep-rooted problem of ‘mainstream media’ journalists who are sympathetic to independence still being absolutely terrified of being portrayed as SNP mouthpieces.
This means even openly pro-indy newspapers and journalists end up regularly undermining the Nats when it isn’t warranted, and fail to back them up with timely reports and investigations that take the wheels off the Unionist lie chariot when it counts.
The safe (and cheap) option seems to be for them to give pages over to Sturgeon or Swinney, but all that does is provide rather dull content and a lingering sense that there is little else on offer. It ain’t good enough – but again those papers are clearly starved of resources.
As for the state broadcaster and its outriders, their axis of political balance still seems to be unrelated to the new political reality of the country beyond Pacific Quay. The problems with broadcasting are so intractable that the next step will probably have to be entirely new online telly channels that the masses want to watch. To borrow an idea from Arthur, that’s something else that will probably arise from unpredicted and surprising circumstances.
Another snag is possibly the strength in depth of pro-indy politicians. There are quite a few of them around now in the SNP in particular, but are they up to it? More Mhairi Blacks and fewer gravy-train-catching chancers will be required going forward.
@Lochside
This is the second part to the original strategy. Part 1 was destroy any credibility that Scotland could afford to pay for itself an economy that could sustain a welfare system including pensions nor an economy that supposedly depended upon erratic oil prices.
Totally agree, we are now in Phase II where the Corporate and State owned media at the Unionist governments behest have gone into overdrive with their anti-SNP rhetoric.
For them, this is a long term project, so we can expect the same not just leading up to next Mays election but for many years to come. They just can’t afford to slow it down or the progress towards an Independent Scotland will overwhelm them, and then all is lost. For them.
For many that voted Yes, memories of the referendum will fade, they may be brought back into the fold of the cuddle of the Unionists and that is the plan for Phase II. For us that get our “truth” from Wings that is unlikely to happen.
It is our job then, all of us readers to continue to fight their propaganda with well reasoned arguments and by showing pointers to the real sources of information so as they may learn. As well as trying to increase the numbers that will vote Yes in the next referendum we also have to hold on to the soft Yes, they do exist just as there are soft No’s.
I won’t be getting back in the box anytime soon. We must up our game in response to their continued attacks on the “truth”. The best we can do meantime is continue to support Wings and other pro Indy online media, continue to discuss Independence with our family and friends. Most of all support each other also.
Many who are complaining about Westminster cuts voted NO.
The SNP gets the blame because 5% voted NO and 15% didn’t vote.
56 out out of 59 SNP went to Westminster. It would have been 59 out of 59, if 16/17 year olds had the vote.
People were told you vote NO you get nothing. Scotland was promised FFA, Home Rule Federalsm. Instead it got watered down tax powers. Until the next Referendum.
If the rest of the UK votes to leave the EU. There will be another Referendum.
The baseline will be far higher second time round Breeks, and yes we lost the 1st but how close did we come, from the original baseline? Very close from very far I would say.
We then wiped out the Labour party in one fell swoop, ‘cept that famously hardline red morningside heartland in Endinburgh….oh wait…
Seriously…Scotland is transformed and though you won’t hear or see anything of it in the usual places were we traditionally found our news, we know it in our hearts and in our minds.
When did the Labour party ever get the doin’ it did May, ever in Scotland? Never.
It’s happening, whether they like it or not. Come May, when the next tier is removed, perhaps then people will feel a little more settled that it is ‘real’ what is happening. It’s coming Breeks. Make no mistake.
The SNP are doing just fine. It is better to let the opposition howl, they are merely drawing attention to their own deficit. And are no longer taken seriously, if the SNP start barking back, then the ‘tribal’ shit continues, and we have had enough of that.
There is nothing that can stop this, we must trust the process…as it is a process of change that as a Country we are undergoing, we’re at the pre Full Nation (again) state if you will. (I often think of it in gestational terms.)
There’s never been a country that has taken their Independence in quite the way that Scotland will. It’s all coming together. Let’s not fret too much and let’s not be pre emptive, the SNP are doing a very good job.
Our time is coming. Soon enough.
@ahundredthidiot: “Couldn’t post earlier, at work, but seriously lads
Bob Mack
Robert Peffers
You pair need to go for a pint or two!”
The funny thing is they’re arguing about how they agree with each other!
@yesindyref2,
You’re right. We are.
Frustration gets the better of me on occasion.
Don’t tell him ,but I have enormous respect for Mr Peffers most of the time.
Bed calls after a day to forget.
Mmm … maybe I am being unduly and hypocritically harsh on the SNP. Fact is we would not be where we are now without them.
But this is all about ‘keeping the feet to the fire’ as Salmond said.
K1 is dead right. It is a process.
A process we are all able to participate in, in unprecedented ways.
And boy do the people above hate that.
@Bob Mack says: 17 December, 2015 at 2:33 pm:
“Sorry mate,your homespun philosophy does not cut the mustard.”
Homespun philosophy indeed? Sheeesh! (and I’m not your mate.)
“You are out of touch with reality. This horrible country sets the rules under which people have to live,and you should have seen by now that there is absolutely no equality about it.”
What Horrible country might that be Bob? Scotland perhaps? Wales perhaps? N.Ireland perhaps? or even England, perhaps?
Just thought I would point out that not Britain, not Great Britain nor the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland are now, or have ever been, countries.
The first is a geographic feature, an archipelago in fact.
The second is also a geographic feature, it is the largest, or greatest, island of the group. It contains but three of the eight countries of the entire British Isles.
The last, as its name correctly describes it, is a bipartite Kingdom that is composed of the only two British Kingdoms legally existing in 1706/7 when the treaty, and both acts of union, were signed to create a United Kingdom. It is not a country but a kingdom or royal realm.
According to yourself all people,in spite of how they are treated view themselves as equal. Well mate,they do not.
Sorry to contradict you — again.
I made no such claim. My claim, if you care to read basic English, was that I viewed, or regarded, all people as equals. I have no authority to speak on behalf of others.
“Some feel they are treated like shit,and you know what ? They are right. You stay in your Walter Scott romantic novel Robert. I will continue to look at the facts”.
Oh! Dear! The very last thing one could claim of Sir Walter Scott was that he believed, or treated, all others as his equals.
“We are supposed to be fighting for a better Scotland. Better at what? My answer is to be better at how we treat those who are disenfranchised . Yes,they do exist.They are real”.
Indeed they are, Bob Mack, and, if you care to read basic English, or indeed basic Lallans, you will again find I have never claimed otherwise. My claims were always, as ever, that I regard them, and treat them, as my equals – as I also treat those who presume to be my betters.
“Pride held together by occasional blessings,but always on the edge.Try checking the suicide statistics for young men Robert. Died by their own hand due to lack of hope for the future.”
Did you imagine, for a moment, I have not already done so? I’ve been doing volunteer work among the disadvantaged since I was a primary schoolboy in Edinburgh. Way back in the early to mid 1960s. Matter of fact from around the same time I first became an SNP supporter of independence.
“Everybody is born noble, but has it stripped from them by so many factors. Is that your equality Robert”?
Get real, Bob, stop being such a supercilious numptie and stop presuming what you imagine I think and say. Oh! and learn to read basic English and you just may understand what I have actually said and thus what I claim to think.
“I treat everyone as equals”, does not mean I think everyone is equal – it means exactly what I say – I treat them as equals.
Nor does it mean we are all identical – it means exactly what it says – we should all be regarded, or treated as equals.
You have been presuming, assuming and concluding various things in your cack handed attempts to be thoroughly nasty to other and you have been in the wrong from the very start.
“I worked with mental health, dozens of new patients every month,all suffering depression,anxiety, helplessness.
They came from all walks of life,but especially from those with low income or existing on benefits. I saw at first hand the damage inflicted on my “equal” citizens by the Establishment, and lack of opportunity.”
Aye! Bob and I’ve been working among, (especially the younger and more elderly), people with either mental illness or mental disablement since I was a boy. So what? I’m not looking for medals or anything.
Even my wee Papillon bitch is trained as a Therapet and we still visit the disadvantaged. Not so much these days as I’m now somewhat physically disabled.
You seem to have a very strange attitude towards others, Bob, and seem to regard them as NOT your equal. Believe me I have never in my life looked down upon anyone. I may despise them for their evil actions towards others but I do not look down on them as my inferior.
@Bob Mack
Well said you, I seen it all between you and Mr P as just a misunderstanding. Both trying to say the same thing in different ways.
Been guilty of the same myself at times 🙂
Thepnr? Never…really? 😆 😉
@ahundredthidiot says: 17 December, 2015 at 8:19 pm:
“Couldn’t post earlier, at work, but seriously lads
Bob Mack
Robert Peffers
You pair need to go for a pint or two”
No thanks, ahundredthidiot, first of all I do not drink alcohol now, (nothing against it for others though).
Secondly the guy attacked me and seems unable to read basic English. He is slinging accusations about what he imagines I wrote but which I did not. I’m certain he and I would never get on together.
By the way I have already decided not to waste any more time on what seems to me to be a closet Unionist. Note his remark about, “This Country”, that rules us.
That statement would indicate he follows the Establishment mantra that the United Kingdom is not in fact a Royal Realm but is a country that rules that, “Country’s”, Scotland region.
The guy is a total waste of time and nasty with it. I will not be answering him again.
Perhaps these words by Arthur Hugh Clough are pertinent, they are the last two verses of his poem “say not the struggle nought availeth”
For while the tired waves.vainly breaking,
Seem no painful inch to gain,
Far back,through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent,flooding in,the main.
And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.
@Breeks 9.17
Like you, I have been disappointed on a number of occasions with the performance of some SNP reps. Too often they haven’t seemed to have the presence of mind needed to deal robustly with awkward questions. By contrast, I recollect Jean Freeman putting Andrew Neill in his place by being down to earth and forthright. I think the SNP needs to invest heavily in training for reps.
@Robert Peffers
I don’t know when you moved to Kelty, Robert but I first did some canvassing for the SNP when I lived there in 1965. My relatives on my mother’s side were McCurleys, all Labour and all miners and my uncle George a Labour Councillor. You can no doubt imagine the sense of disbelief in the family that I was promoting the SNP. But I was undeterred. We have come so far.
Robert Peffers
Then go for a bloody green tea!
My point is, you are both two peas in a pod simply arguing over how to get out of the leaf/plant/whatever.
You are not each others enemy, yesindyref2 is right, surely you can concede that simple point?
An enemy made makes no recipe for peace – the world over by the way.
Bbcqt Hannah Bardell misses the opportunity to say ..no it was Jack McConnell who made him a global scot NOT Alec Salmond…I just stared open mouthed. Hannah was asked directly and didn’t correct Piers Morgan about Donald Trump.
For the rest of the programme Hannah was excellent! Good comeback on the oil and how Scotland doesn’t count it in our GDP…then drops the ball on trump:(
Just watched Question Time on the EBC.
SNP’s Hannah Bardell accepted the collective jeers from the panel, and audience, when it was stated that Alex Salmond appointed Donald Trump a Scottish Ambassador?
I read on this site that it was Labour’s Jack McConnell that
gave out this accolade?
Can anyone find any reason why an SNP representative wouldn’t know the answer to such a topical question when being briefed before her appearance. and why wouldn’t she read WoS on a daily basis when it provides free informative and verified information?
Cherry
You’re right, but lights in your face, alien environment, hostile audience, dare I say, enemy territory, anyone would be bound to be not quite at at Alex Salmonds level.
Let’s be a wee bit understanding.
I must admit I don’t just understand this Globalscot “ambassador” thing. I registered for it years ago, and once put a wee post asking for some advice (about doing biz in the US). In time I received a helpful reply from the network. Just a small bit of biz (big enough for me!), and it did the job – still is occasionally. Just checked, wow, my login still works 🙂
The word is “network”, I don’t understand what this idea of “ambassador” is all about.
Robert Peffers
On reflection re Bob Mack. To accuse a Winger of being a closet unionist is, well, not quite cricket as our English friends would say.
Cheap shot.
An apology of sorts would be a good start.
@ Scot Finlayson at 7:37pm … Weir Group.
Let’s not forget that Lord Kelvin (Smith of Smith Commission) was the Chairman of Weir Group up until 8 / 9 months before the Referendum (31/12/2013) when he stepped down. Weir (big on fracking) Group. Same crew going round and round through the Gravy Trains revolving door.
A great deal of discussion going on about the SNP. Let’s make it VERY clear to anyone visiting the site, (normal visitors, the CorpMedia and anti-Independence supporters) that we are 100% pro-Independence and support the SNP and our MSPs to the hilt: Are in fact extremely proud of them.
Combating the Propaganda Machine: Let’s start fundraising to get the WBB out there. The usual data plus short and sweet myth busters (such as England subsidises Scotland), lists of assets, Labours latter 50 year performance, Unionist broken promises and lies etc. Or leaflet as many Scottish homes as is possible.
Instead of just standing at stalls let’s all hold placards outlining key information / back up references. Many no / undecided voters quite often won’t approach the stalls but may be encouraged to do so / or go home and check out data. We should also list the type of short statements that we reckon would catch someones eye.
Start visiting / speaking at clubs etc for the elderly where possible.
Billboards as mentioned previously.
TV advertising: How feasible / costly would that be?
Constantly monitor and complain to STV. Their biased reporting MUST be nipped in the bud.
I know most are on the next Wings post but its too early to go OT over there.
Please do not respond , I merely wish to plant the seed/concepts
Q 1 ) is it not time the SNP Admin got a fact sheet they e-mail out to all MPs , MSPs and spokes persons .
This fact sheet can be done in a simple word Doc and as new items become current topic ( e.g.Donald Trump / Joke McConnell item etc) is added to the top and is always picked up by everyone when e-mailed out. As new current items are added the older ones slip down the line , but by this time it would be lodged in memory by all to remember for ever.
Just a thought and it is very controversial ( illegal)
Q 2 ) Euro Ref , looking @ recent Polls Scotland is under threat of being taken out of Europe against our will. I will add that it could equally be said that Scotland could keep England in Europe against its will. By this if 2m Scottish IN Votes could be enough to swing it, depending on how the numbers stack up on the day.
So we all in the Wings family would love the Euro vote to instigate IndyRef2
My thought is the only way this can happen is if we,as in ALL Wingers, “Collectively” vote the correct way ?
What is the correct way ? The Exact opposite of Englandshire.
I suggest we consider asking our RWM like the good Rev to consider all polls on the eve of the Euro Ref and make a suggestion which way we ALL vote.
Just left an OT post on “He can’t get no satisfaction”
I suggested some SNP members contact SNP and suggest the SNP Admin set up a wee word doc which is e-mailed to ALL SNP MPs ,MSPs, media spoke persons & maybe even members.
This document is a list of FACTS e.g. The Donald Trump / Joke McConnell and so on , which are topical and current.
As new items become current the relative FACTS are added to the top of the list and the older ones slip down. They should be memorised naturally in time.
Like others here I find these missed opportunities fe@£ing annoying .
Aggh FFS
Spot tonight balls up !
@ Mosstrooper at 11:07pm …..
Thanks very much for posting the lines of the A H Clough poem Mosstrooper. Extremely apt and seriously profound. A most ‘timely’ reminder for us all indeed. Tension left me. Relaxation and in fact a feeling of joy washed over me and now time for bed …. to have sweet dreams of an Independent Scotland and with it Freedom at last.
@Tackety Beets
No worry man where you post it. I agree with every word you said.
Brian Doonthetoon
Cherry
thanks for your input and links etc, I will contact mark Piggott but will wait til after xmas (and the orkney4 expensis decision) to launch crowd fund
I think another 10,000 flags would be a good starting point, perhaps even a 1000 extra snp ones too, for may2016
wrt garden signs, my garden is next to a main road, I was targeted many years ago and asked to put up large SNP signs, same during the ref, but these are just text based, vote yes etc, I don’t believe there is a law against this?
what I was talking about was more of a visual sign, eg a photo of bojo with the text, a £ spend in croyden is far more use than a £ spent in Glasgow, AYGTY? are you better together yet? etc.. as far as I am aware, he did say this so it isn’t liablous or slander to post this up in my garden/ (this is where wings would be useful, there are many here who have better knowledge of this than me and would give advice and even ideas for posters)
we would need the revs ok to put the wings logo on any poster
wrt A3 printers, many people have access to them, I was able to source flouresent yellow a3 and a4 which we printed the candidate name, snp and the village or town name, these were popular, but the idea of printing similar a3 posters is a good one
link to caltonjock.com
£11million spent recruiting young men and women from university on huge salaries. Double the total at the time the Tories took up government. So much for austerity.
Andrew McLean,
“My Mum is a Labour supporter, My dad a tory should I abandon them?
You do realise in the New Independent Scotland we will have the same people, same arguments on the division of wealth?”
We won’t have an independent Scotland as long as we have dumb or selfish people supporting Labour or the Tories.
Fran,
“Rock
There were tories who voted yes last year, not all tories are unionists.”
The vast majority of Tories are unionists. 1 or 2% might have voted Yes.
Hi Rock.
I would pay a couple of quid to watch you having a debate with the Winger known as “Tartan Tory”.
Here’s a pic of his car…
link to i.imgur.com
Today (Sat) I bought a Herald – I know I am sorry such a waste of money, however, I noticed that in the ‘What happened on this day section’ they have called out a number of event from around 1054 forward and not one of their important events were in Scotland.
Imagine all the resources of the Herald and they could find nothing happening in Scotland in a thousand years.
No wonder their reporting of Scottish politics is so poor
Makes you laugh really.
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