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In colours pink and gold

Posted on August 21, 2013 by

There’s a rather horrible article by Margaret Curran in the Scotsman today. (No real news there.) It’s a combination of empty noise and ugly smears about the pursuit of independence – an attempt to engage directly with the rest of the world in our own right – being xenophobic and inward-looking and all the usual rubbish.

pinkcurran

But we thought it might be interesting to take a look at a single paragraph, examine it forensically and see what it was actually saying. We chose one from near the end, because to be honest we’d be amazed if anyone else had actually had the fortitude to wade that far through Curran’s  plodding, will-sapping prose.

It ran like this:

“That’s the thread that connects Gray’s comments last week to Alex Salmond’s belief that our country succeeds if we outperform England, even if people are worse off now than they have been for a generation. It’s the complete opposite of what Ed Miliband is talking about when he speaks about a one-nation Britain. To paraphrase Bill Clinton, “it’s Nationalism, stupid”.”

We’ll only take a moment over the toe-curlingly witless attempt to crowbar the Clinton line in there, which is both a semantic and thematic misquote, not a “paraphrase”. Paraphrasing is using another form of words to say the same thing, not using some of the same words in a sentence about something completely different.

Curran might as well have used “I can’t believe it’s not Nationalism!” or “Nationalism – because you’re worth it”, because neither would have been any more irrelevant to or distant from Clinton’s meaning.

His purpose in saying “It’s the economy, stupid” was to remind himself what his priority was. Unless Margaret has accidentally revealed that Labour’s new guiding ideology is British Nationalism – which of course isn’t a far-fetched notion – neither she nor Ed Miliband have any comparable intent.

The key passage, though, is the bit before that. Let’s break it down.

[it is]Alex Salmond’s belief that our country succeeds if we outperform England, even if people are worse off now than they have been for a generation. It’s the complete opposite of what Ed Miliband is talking about when he speaks about a one-nation Britain.”

What is the “complete opposite” of Ms Curran’s (highly questionable) interpretation of Alex Salmond’s belief? In so far as we can construct a conceptually-accurate opposite to that sentence, it would be:

“It is Ed Miliband’s belief that our country succeeds so long as one part of it is not outperforming another, even if people are worse off now than they have been for a generation.”

In fairness, this does seem to be an accurate depiction of the “One Nation” philosophy. As we’ve previously explored, it’s clearly Labour’s future intent to eliminate the areas in which Scots currently enjoy advantages over other UK citizens. Free university tuition, free prescriptions, free personal care and bus travel for the elderly, and all other universal services are under attack as symptoms of a “something for nothing country”.

Gordon Brown, meanwhile, has made it clear that his vision of a Scotland with more devolved taxation is one where Scots pay higher taxes to subsidise the poor of England. It’s surely now beyond a doubt that this is deliberate Labour policy. All of these senior figures can’t be constantly mis-speaking by accident.

In plain and simple language, Lamont, Miliband, Brown and now Curran have all said that in the event of a No vote, Scotland will be dragged down to the level of the poorest regions of the UK, in the name of “solidarity”. If Scotland stays in the UK, Scots will not be allowed to escape the austerity that all three London parties promise for the next decade and beyond.

That’s the offer. There’s a year left to think about it.

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130 to “In colours pink and gold”

  1. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Bill Clinton said “it’s the economy stupid”….you know, that thing Labour screwed up. The reason why we have the worst recession in 80 plus years.  

  2. Angus
    Ignored
    says:

    Margaret Curran should simply have “It’s stupid’ as a subtitle to any article or statement that bears her hypocritical negative mark on it.

  3. ronald alexander mcdonald
    Ignored
    says:

    She’s  poison. Would love to see her on tv every night.
    On the other hand young Stu you are fast becoming the most important person in the Independence debate.

  4. Jiggsbro
    Ignored
    says:

    On the other hand young Stu you are fast becoming the most important person in the Independence debate.
     
    Which will piss off all those who thought they were the most important people in the debate. 🙂

  5. Taranaich
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t know why Margaret Curran wasn’t on my Enemy List, but she sure is now.

  6. Angus McLellan
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland will be dragged down to the level of the poorest regions of the UK.

    Does that mean we’ll have flegs, and riots, and dead people voting, and bombs, and murder gangs, like they do in the poorest part of the UK? Not sure that’s a best-seller. I could be wrong though.

  7. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “On the other hand young Stu you are fast becoming the most important person in the Independence debate.”

    Let’s not go mad. Maybe one of the most important people in the debate who live in south-west England.

    😀

  8. G H Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    It is quite shocking that Curran and her Unionist colleagues, especially those in Labour would rather Scotland be worse off due to an opposing political party’s policies rather than be rewarded with an opportunity for higher levels of prosperity post independence.

    They know the economic argument for Scotland being able to survive on its own has been proven. So it seems that the default position, repeated ad nauseam by die hard ‘socialists’ such as councillor Terry Kelly, is to say that since austerity is going to make life miserable for the vast majority in the UK for at least another generation, Scotland should not be given the opportunity to mitigate the effects by achieving independence. It’s sounds like an adult telling one of his teenagers that they won’t be allowed to go to university to study law because the other teenager is a drug addict.

    If allowed to get away with it, One Nation Britain is actually a race to below the poverty line in which voters in Scotland are press ganged into joining by Labour. You can participate in the race if you want to Margaret, I’m running for an independent Scotland & competing for Gold.

  9. Ronnie Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    Curran’s problem and indeed Labour’s problem is that they’ve effectively killed off the folks who would go to a polling booth and automatically put a cross by the Labour candidate without even wanting to know about who they were and what they stood for. Voters are a lot more selective and are not voting by tradition. The game is a bogey for Labour and they know it.
     

  10. dee
    Ignored
    says:

    Would love to see a re-make of “The Steamie”
    Starring Johann Lamont, Margaret Curran and Jackie Bailey.

  11. M4rkyboy
    Ignored
    says:

    If you can divine that from one paragraph imagine what the rest of the article is hiding.

  12. Stuart Black
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank god you didn’t use the photo from the article of Stairheid Rammy in full flow, you’d have frightened the readership away. 🙂

  13. The Tree of Liberty
    Ignored
    says:

    What means this does?

  14. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    dee- the steamie was sold off, it’s now a starbucks 🙂  So instead we could have Jo. Mags and Jackie in some sort if `Friends’ programme.  Which one is the ditzy one, the kooky one or the bampot one?

  15. Peter A Bell
    Ignored
    says:

    Who the hell is Maggie Curran to declare Alex Salmond’s “beliefs” – far less “interpret” them for us applying her warped prejudices, convoluted associations and painfully contrived allusions? I recognise nothing of the Alex Salmond I know in Curran’s outrageous calumnies and vile smears. I recognise only the snide, salaciousness insinuations of a character sorely twisted by rancid resentment.

    Nor do I recognise anything of the independence movement with which I have been involved for over half a century. Like all her British nationalist ilk Curran speaks of Scotland’s civic nationalist movement as one who is infinitely more foreign to our affairs than simply being of another nationality, ethnicity or culture. She speaks as one separated from the realities of modern Scottish politics, not by the mere borders of a nation, by the impenetrable barriers of her own prideful ignorance, primitive tribalism and mindless bigotry.

    Blind and deaf to her own hypocrisy she defends a British state that is daily more repressive, more isolationist and more socially divisive while spewing hateful lies about those who want no more than that Scotland should be empowered to take a different and a better path.

    If you cannot find a better reason to vote Yes in next year’s referendum then do so for the precious opportunity to rid Scottish politics of repulsive individuals like Maggie Curran.

  16. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    All our opponents have left are predictions of doom, and these become less articulate with every passing day. At this rate, they’ll be reduced to screaming “NO!” like angry toddlers by next September. 

  17. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    She’s an absolute gift to the YES campaign. I luv her ‘rants’ (that nobody in her party listens to), she’s a bit ‘no aw there mind you’ but none the less; her key moment for me was to use the divisive term of family becoming foreigners in the future if they were to study in England ? Oh and she describes her nationality as Glagow – Irish  & British to be really cool ! (no mention of Scots; its been tainted by sleekit SNP success you see). So that’s it for me a clear Galsgow Labour Numpty (GLN). If she had a brain you could class her comments as ‘pure vitriol’. But as the we  say in these here parts say she’s ‘no the full shillin’ when you hear her, so don’t be too hard. Like the nutter  on the bus she goes away eventually if you just smile and ignore her. I don’t think her own party see her as a star either, come on they gave her the revered office of shadow Scottish secretary after all, (corks on the sharp knives – know what I mean ?).
    But what surprises me is MSM give her space (again – corks on the sharp knives for that lot too ???)
     

  18. Tris
    Ignored
    says:

    Promoted well above her ability.

  19. Gordon Bain
    Ignored
    says:

    Or the cast of Rainbow.

  20. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    sneddon says:

    dee- the steamie was sold off, it’s now a starbucks  So instead we could have Jo. Mags and Jackie in some sort if `Friends’ programme.  Which one is the ditzy one, the kooky one or the bampot one?
     
    There all bampots!

  21. creigs1707repeal
    Ignored
    says:

    Whilst we send £billions in surplus every year to help build up the south-east (HS2, Boris Island), 20% (and growing) of our children are condemned to a life of poverty. Labour in Scotland’s response is to keep them there along with the rest of the impoverished children in the UK. If this were a primary school on fire and one of the teachers, rather than taking his class out the side door to saftey, keeps them inside to meet the same horrible fate as the rest of the school; if this were allowed to happen in the school there would be a public outcry.  And so there should be a public outcry with Scottish Labour’s support of ‘One NAtion Britain’ that will serve only to impoverish ALL children when they have a golden chance to at least try and lift some of them in iScotland out of poverty. Scottish Labour should be ashamed of themselves.
     
    YES Scotland

  22. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m not one for personal insults but Margaret Curran really is offensive to all 5 senses.

  23. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Pete A Bell & Rabb :
    Come on guys (chill pill) – the wumins clearly a nutter on the edge (GLN); just ingore her mince.

  24. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    A deeply unpleasant individual. This is the woman who said she wouldn’t be disappointed if her political opponent was run over by a bus. That’s her mindset: remember that the next time she talks about any other politician.

  25. fordie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Peter A Bell Well said, as always.

  26. Vincent McDee
    Ignored
    says:

    Over the years, I’ve noticed my dogs surround and bark at the telly in three cases:
    Wolfs howling
    Hyenas barking
    Curran shrieking.
     
    Make of it what you want, I’ll just keep trusting my dogs instinct.

  27. Tony Little
    Ignored
    says:

    Well said Peter.  I know we have discussed this before, but what drives these people to so openly distain their own country and its peoples?  Is it JUST the money they will lose out on?  Is it that they are actually all self-loathing?  Is it the “power” they imagine they can have?
     
    I’m not a believer, but if there IS a God, I hope they can get forgiveness for the moral vacuum that exists in their hearts and heads.  They are a disgrace, and although I will not say what I think she is (I think the Rev doesn’t like us descending to their level – fair enough) but why should Scotland and Scots even give them the time of day?
     
    An utter, utter embarrassment and disgrace. 

  28. Jiggsbro
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m not one for personal insults but Margaret Curran really is offensive to all 5 senses.
     
    You’ve tasted her? What flavour is she? I’m guessing creosote and vanilla.

  29. Jiggsbro
    Ignored
    says:

     Is it the “power” they imagine they can have?
     
    I think that, for many, it’s the power rather than the money. As UK politicians, they dream of being in cabinet in a world power (no sniggering at the back!), whereas they view an independent Scotland as relatively unimportant on the world stage. They want to make world history, not Scottish history.

  30. david
    Ignored
    says:

    mrs curran is desperately protecting her lifestyle

  31. les wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Does my head in when I hear her near hysterical voice, always full of poison, of course BT has nothing else to give.

  32. Murray McCallum
    Ignored
    says:

    “The paucity of hope” – the unionist message to Scotland.
    There is some kind of uncontrollable guilt complex at play here.  Scots should feel ashamed that they have free university tuition and an NHS service that doesn’t make patients drink water from vases in order to improve efficiencies. The fact that these services are highly valued by Scots is irrelevant – they are no longer valued in the South so we must ditch them.
    Are Labour voters really buying this rubbish?  How can they possibly be motivated by such a bleak, miserable, out-of-our-control, and spineless vision for the future?

  33. velofello
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Tony Little: I think the Man said something like “Forgive them they know not what they do”. 
    Just what is in it for her? Like us all she is ageing, losing her looks,and isn’t the brightest penny. Is it just a well paid game to her, unconcerned about the people who invested their vote and hopes in her?
    Somebody else said “but not just yet” with regard to living honourably.

  34. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    To be fair who knows what Disraeli Milliband means by a one nation Britain so it is hardly surprising that Helen is incoherent.
     
    I think she is trying to say too wee, too poor and too stupid but he got lost along the way.

  35. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Curran: “[it is]Alex Salmond’s belief that our country succeeds if we outperform England…”
     
    In fairness to the SNP, they want Scotland to outperform every country, not just England. This is what the Labour Party in Scotland find hard to grasp and come to terms with – the SNP have politicians who actually want to see Scotland succeed, as opposed to the ‘sit on your hands’, policy free, vision-less, take your money for nothing Labour Party.
     
    As for Curran’s belief that: “that our country succeeds so long as one part of it is not outperforming another…” (I know it is not what she said, but it’s obviously what she meant), to achieve that goal, since Scotland already outperforms most of the UK, they would have to purposely sabotage the Scottish economy. But then, they’ve been purposely holding Scotland back for generations.
     
     

  36. X_Sticks
    Ignored
    says:

    Margaret Curran, Iain Davidson and Llord Ffoulkes.
     
    With these three on their side the No campaign has an uphill struggle to convince anyone that we should join their gang.
     
    All three make me want to swear vociferously.
     
    They are like a disease in the body of Scotland. 

  37. JLT
    Ignored
    says:

    If I remember rightly, to the left of Ms Curran’s rant, there was a ‘Scotsman’ opinion column, which debated what Tam Dalyell had said about the BT mob making a mess of the whole thing. One thing that made me raise my eyebrows was the last couple of paragraphs, where once again, the Scotsman lies by saying that ‘most Scots overwhelmingly support the union’.
     
    Good to know that they are still blasting out that little ditty…No wonder they’re sales are falling, when they lie through their teeth, and then let Ms Curran waffle the biggest load of p***!!!

  38. Ron Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Does Curran feel ‘uneasy’ having to sit down opposite Sarwar now that his old man is a ‘foreigner’?
    This woman – and the bastardised party she represents – is running to UKIP’s tune.
    Plenty to capitalise on over the next 12 months & win for Scotland.

  39. a supporter
    Ignored
    says:

    losing her looks
    Eh?
     

  40. Sonas
    Ignored
    says:

    IT’S THE JAIKIT!!!
     
    How I have missed it. 
     
    Off to read the post now. 

  41. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    Margaret Curran has no political talents at all.  Like Lamont, all she can do is abuse the SNP and independence supporters.  She is incredibly bitter that Scotland has rejected Labour.  She has nothing to offer, only spite, bile, and an unpleasant personality.  Curran has been reduced to defending her own privileges and career down in London.   

  42. Murray McCallum
    Ignored
    says:

    Shouldn’t the “One Nation” philosophy really be called “The Fourth Way”?  Or is it a bit like the Star Wars prequels and we go back to One?
     
    This political numbering system baffles me.

  43. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Sonas
     
    IT’S THE JAIKIT!!! How I have missed it. 
     
    Aye, been a while since we’ve seen the fuchsia jaiket.
     
    Honestly, what self respecting woman  would want to be seen in the same fuchsia jaiket as all her pals, as if she can only follow their fashion – not set her own. Speaks volumes…

  44. Vincent McDee
    Ignored
    says:

    MPs are not “employed by voters to listen to voters’ concerns”; an MP is there to represent voters, which is something completely different
     
    From http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2013/08/andrew-lilico-mps-are-not-employed-by-voters-to-listen-to-voters-concerns.html  O’course.
     
    Que?

  45. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    I no longer do the Scotsman but goodness knows what the regulars there think as they are increasingly the somewhat rabid Taxpayers Alliance loving wing of the Tory party. I can’t imagine they care tuppence for Milliband’s one-nacho Britain.

  46. HenBroon
    Ignored
    says:

    iggsbro says:
    21 August, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    “I’m not one for personal insults but Margaret Curran really is offensive to all 5 senses.
     
    “You’ve tasted her? What flavour is she? I’m guessing creosote and vanilla.”
     
     
    As  cultural attache to the Cybernats, I would like to draw your attention to yon wonderful Aussie TV drama, Prisoner: Cell block H, or as it was known in Canada, Caged Women! It finished in 1986, so only those of a certain age will have experienced the joys of the cardboard sets that shook with every breath, the flared trousers and kipper ties, and the mullet hair of the guys,  and the gallons of brown and beige paint used to cover every inch of the set. But the most joyous thing about the show was the description given to one of the warders by one of the oldest hardest looking hags in Christendom, as “vinegar tits,” I cannot help but think of that when I see the picture of Steirheid Rammy in the Scotsman. She really does look as if she is trapped in some kind of Halloween time machine. We need to give her all the support and encouragement we can, as it is with Project Fear models like this that Scotland will vote for freedom to be rid of the poor mad sod.

  47. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    (Donation in from the Dál Riata Scots Rev)
    Ermine Chasing self interested opportunist (she may be), an annoying cringe worthy nonentity (we can all agree), an Ian Davidson BrtiNat crony fanatic : yes for sure (despite the Irish nonsense : they don’t want her either). An absolute nutter : yes again.
    But sorry, sorry no, no ,no …… a looker ???? Come on surely never no way, that’s a face only she could love herself, too blinking bitter & twisted
     
     

  48. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Just sent this piece off to Margaret as well.

  49. Shinty
    Ignored
    says:

    If you cannot find a better reason to vote Yes in next year’s referendum then do so for the precious opportunity to rid Scottish politics of repulsive individuals like Maggie Curran.
     
    Spot on Peter (as always)

  50. Atypical_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Superbly written, just the right quotient of satire and venom deservedly dealt to the obnoxious person one T short of a dehydrated fruit.

  51. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “Or the cast of Rainbow”
    pity she doesn’t have a zip on her mouth

  52. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    what peter said !

  53. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    She’s an absolute gift to the YES campaign.
    More of her garbage the better in my view. 
    Honestly she’s a nutter.

  54. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    has anyone ever noticed the bt mob all seem to have a permanent sneer on their faces?
    the look I have on my face at the minute is the same face I pulled when I sucked petrol out of my car to put in the lawn mower and got it in my mouth, including spitting

  55. Firestarter
    Ignored
    says:

    When thinking of those “promoted beyond their ability”, Curran is surely at the top of the list? Unless that spot is held by Lamont …. or Sarwar …. or Rennie……. or Osbourne … or Davidson …… or Fooks …. Oh, I give up!

  56. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    ““That’s the thread that connectsGray’s comments last week to Alex Salmond’s belief that our country succeeds if we outperform England, even if people are worse off now than they have been for a generation.”
     
    now your getting there mags who do you think caused Scots to be worse off now than we’ve been for a generation? take your time mags

  57. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
     
    Got a ballot paper through the post today from my union. The ballot was on whether to continue funding the Labour Party.
     
    I voted No

  58. Hetty
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
    Very long article just now on bbc online news about supposed ‘decline’ in oil and gas
    production in ‘under british waters’.

  59. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    volfello says 
    “Like us all she is ageing, losing her looks,”
    really?

  60. Archie [not Erchie]
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Lanarkshire – Nae bother about the Avatar to Gravatar – Glad you could do it and hope your own suggestion takes fruit.

  61. Breastplate
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Rabb

  62. Sonas
    Ignored
    says:

    Having read the post I have nothing more useful to add to my salute to the jaikit. 
    I did enjoy the look on Magrit’s face when she lost her seat that time to John Mason. It was a short-lived triumph sadly 🙁

  63. IainGraysSubwayLament
    Ignored
    says:

    The idea that the spineless dweeb Ed Mliband gives a flying f**k about the plight of the poor in scotland wales england or N.I. is simply laughable.
     
    There is no tory policy he would not consider adopting to please the Blairites and to try to win tory marginals in the south, and next to no tory policies that he would repeal.
    We saw what happened under the previous Blair Brown years of labour in power at westminster and it was the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. That’s the reality with Labour dreaming up ATOS and health privatisation ‘reforms’ while implementing PFI and PPP that crippled public services. Ed would be no different and likely even more gung-ho with even more blue labour policies since he has surrounded himself with blue labour policy wonks like himself.
     
     
    Curran was always voter repelling and her smearing bile is only matched by her dishonesty.
     
     
     
     
     
     

  64. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Surely our country succeeds when it is performing at it’s best, without our arms tied behind our back. How can she accommodate this perception when sitting in Westminster and wining and dining with associates from The City of London. Surely all boats should rise and an Independent Scotland doing well could help prime the conceptual pumps for everyone. This women seems to think volume trumps substance. Still, wouldn’t like to be her looking for gainful employment in the near future.
    Lanarkist.

  65. les wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Any one heard of Murphy, these days?

  66. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    les wilson says:

    Any one heard of Murphy, these days?
     
    Last I saw him he was in Mr Minit having his beak sharpened.

  67. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    That gravatar thing defeated me. I will give it another go later.

  68. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Michael E. Smith @ProfMESmith
     Univ of Aberdeen prof of int’l security, EU/US politics, privacy/tech, military history (WWI), novice novelist, American expat, Europhile. Always question…
    “I see my views on Scotland & NATO have inspired debate; the interview is accurate: The keepers of the gate” – http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-keepers-of-the-gate/ …
    Posted by the good professor interviewd about NATO by WoS

  69. IainGraysSubwayLament
    Ignored
    says:

    A small suggestion that the the Rev Stu might want to consider.
     
    We know that previous polling has received publicity and been highlighted in the media usually with a few remarks from a pundit/psephologist like Anthony King or John Curtice. Given that they are not the only psephologists available (I seem to remember another from Curtices own backyard) and given that they have proved themselves to be less than balanced and also frankly wrong in their punditry before – might it not be wise to find another psephologist willing to provide some balanced commentary to accompany the results of more polling to nullify the inevitable attacks from the scottish press and media and make it harder for them to ignore?
     
    Just a thought mind. I know that the Rev Stu has learned from the previous example and will be making it far harder for them to ignore anyway. Sadly I predict that still won’t stop most of them trying to ignore it.

  70. themadmurph
    Ignored
    says:

    @les wilson says:
    Any one heard of Murphy, these days?
     
    Hello, I’m here!  Just checking in after a long day at work!

  71. Craig M
    Ignored
    says:

    If you are a sociopath and see the UK as the nation state, then Mag’s comments actually appear to make sense. The words are an admission that the Labour Party acknowledges that the UK economy is effectively broken. There then comes into play the logical priorities in Labour’s bleak view of the future. Keep the South East bouyant and bleed the rest of the UK dry in order to do this. In Curran’s view (which she hasn’t constructed and which has been dictated to her), Scotland is just a cash cow to pay for this. Curran’s reward for all of this will be the usual London trappings; ermine, business contacts and a fat pension. It’s so painfully transparent.

  72. The Rough Bounds
    Ignored
    says:

    Outperform England? Why would we especially want to outperform it? It’s just another country. When we regain our independence it will be the same to us as Denmark or Belgium or Ireland.
    It will be no more important and no less important.
     
    Regarding ‘looks’, there is a very old Greek saying: The gods that you worship show up on your face.
     
    I believe it. Oh boy, I believe it.

  73. Inbhir Anainn
    Ignored
    says:

    OT
     
    First Minister Speech at the public discussion in Hawick.
     
    https://soundcloud.com/scotgov/first-minister-speech-at-the
     

  74. velofello
    Ignored
    says:

    “Like all of us she is ageing,losing her looks”. Oh I’m sorry I wrote that, I was trying to be forgiving and that Curran had yet to face up to – what am I doing this shit for? – stage in life. you know the stage in life when you’ve heard the same nonsense espoused at meetings, and when the burds don’t give you a second glance, and when you don’t run to kick the wayward ball back to the kids playing in the park.

  75. themadmurph
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone fancy applying -:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-23780825
    Mind you with the screening process, not too many might get through!

  76. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    She’s a prize and no mistake. This isn’t opposition, its hatred pure and simple. No reason, no respect or empathy for her political opposition. Just blind tribal hatred for Alex Salmond, the SNP, the greater YES campaign and all the electorate they represent.
     
    Just desperate.

  77. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    velofello says:

    Some would suggest Curran is a deflated political football worth kicking right in the you know whit.
    Not me …… barge poles /  Fire and pish come to mind. 

  78. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    volfello says 
    ” what am I doing this shit for? – stage in life. you know the stage in life when you’ve heard the same nonsense espoused at meetings, and when the burds don’t give you a second glance, and when you don’t run to kick the wayward ball back to the kids playing in the park.”
    what? what? 
    what have we done to you?
    why bum us all out? 
    what is wrong with you? 
    I hate my life,
     I wanted to buy a convertible and the wife said
    “is that so you can let the wind blow though the place where your hair USED  to be?”

  79. Roger Mexico
    Ignored
    says:

    In your desire to dissect one particular paragraph of this this rather odd article by Curran you missed out another paragraph, even stranger.  Elsewhere she says:
    Nat Edwards, whom I met last week during a tour of the Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, was singled out for criticism by Gray..  Edwards may have been born in England, but as director of the museum his passion for Burns and understanding of his work is as great as many Scottish scholars I have met. And with years of experience in Scottish museums and the National Library of Scotland, he is well qualified. It’s not his accent that determines his ability to run one of our national arts institutions – it is his passion, knowledge and performance. That’s what he, and others like him, should be judged by.
    But if you actually read what Gray wrote (helpfully linked to by you – via the Guardian – though unreferenced by the Scotsman), nowhere does he mention Nat Edwards – or indeed Burns.  Far from criticising him, Edwards would appear to be a prime example of what Gray calls a ‘settler’, someone who makes Scotland their home rather than a ‘colonist’ who takes advantage of the cultural cringe to swan in, enhance their cv, and head back to London.
    So what Curran seems to be doing is attacking an article (eight months late) which she hasn’t read.
     

  80. Alba4Eva
    Ignored
    says:

    There is another side to this.  Yes, it would appear that Scotland remaining in the union will result in being dragged to the lowest economic common denominator… but England and the rUK will suffer the same fate.   The truth is, that the failed Westminster system negatively affects the whole UK.  England & rUK needs the shake up to free itself from the parasitic establishment, as much as anyone.  Currently, we’re like two mafia victims tied together and thrown into a river.   Tied together we both sink and drown… but if we can just get free from those ropes!

  81. Tattie-boggle
    Ignored
    says:

    I see a….. I smell shite and smears stunt happening over on twitter

  82. Fairliered
    Ignored
    says:

    Magrit has just had her portrait painted – by Edvard Munch.

  83. G H Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    When all the unionist & independence issues are set aside, Curran, like all her other chums with seats in Westminster are interested in one thing only; their own financial well being which is entirely dependent on their political career, serviced from the deep, tax payer funded trough.
    With full awareness of their own comprehensive lack of talent, they scream like children about to have their swings removed from the playground at the SNP & Alex Salmond because he, his party & its supporters represents the gravest threat to their unearned, privileged lifestyle.
    In no other sector or industry would these people command an audience let alone an income anywhere close to what they have become accustomed to because no business or institutional leader with even a basic level of acumen would employ them.
    Can you imagine this stairheid rammy character driving around Scotland as a representative of a national or international company? The only purpose for having her do that would be to take the CEO’s car to the garage to get its tyres rotated. I’d keep her away from customers & clients at any cost by having her do challenging work like filing inventory cards in a lower basement warehouse.

  84. Kenny Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    where was Margaret and her chums when all the money and investment flowed to the SE, In any case Labour are irrelevant the Tories are in power

  85. Elizabeth
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T looks like some kind of smear thing developing tonight.
    A couple of tweets from Euan McColm 
    “the yes scotland campaign is in crisis tonight over “bung” allegations. calls for chief exec blairjenkins to resign.”
    “”independent” expert writes newspaper article. yes scotland privately pays him.”
     

  86. david
    Ignored
    says:

    i quite fancy her

  87. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    You need professional help.  Soon.

  88. david
    Ignored
    says:

    im not that type of bloke

  89. Roland Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Saw her today wandering around the book festival with Ms Harman in Edinburgh. Interesting as last time they were seen in Scotland together was in Aberdeen and we know how well that went.

  90. DMyers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jon D – What did poor Zelda do to you to get such an unwarranted comparison?

  91. Ron
    Ignored
    says:

    Tempted to tweet McColm and ask if he’s actually got evidence for this. Certainly trying to build it up tonight. If turns out it’s not true, he probably hopes damage done.

  92. scottish_skier
    Ignored
    says:

    In any case Labour are irrelevant
     
    Yes, outside of Wales, that’s the case and is in all probability likely to remain so for many years to come.
     
    They’re best chance in Scotland is to back independence.

  93. david
    Ignored
    says:

    how sweet will it be after independence watching curran, lamont, mundell murphy etc 

  94. Breastplate
    Ignored
    says:

    STOP PRESS
    Blair Jenkins driven home in taxi after giving driver ” bung”. 
    No Scotland demand his resignation.

  95. scottish_skier
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Their best..’ (before Morag gets me). 

  96. Archie [not Erchie]
    Ignored
    says:

    @ handandshrimp – I will post a walkthrough Avatar to Gravatar in the Off-Topic [Quarantine] section in the morning so that you and others can make use of it at your leisure. In preparation, if you have any particular pics/logos/flags or emblems saved on your PC and you would like to use them as your Gravatar then just remember where they are on your PC.

  97. A. H.
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
    Like Hen Broon’s idea of renting a Wings over Scotland blimp for Calton Hill. It should help to get the word out big time.
    Rev Stu could organise another fundraiser, the rates seem to be pretty reasonable.
    http://www.blimps.co.uk/BLIMP-RENTALS.aspx

  98. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    Elizabeth says:

    O/T looks like some kind of smear thing developing tonight.
    A couple of tweets from Euan McColm 
    “the yes scotland campaign is in crisis tonight over “bung” allegations. calls for chief exec blairjenkins to resign.”
    “”independent” expert writes newspaper article. yes scotland privately pays him.”
     
    How convenient. Anyone would think they had something to bury. Like hacking or something like that.

  99. AlexMci
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes I see. It on STV news making a big thing about an academic being paid by YES Scotland. Nothing much about the hacking of the computers. Sounds like the press are bang at the hacking again to me. 

  100. Red squirrel
    Ignored
    says:

    Stupid, petty and poorly written – tremendous work yet again. Apparently it’s ok to embrace and celebrate any nation except our own. I suggest they guage the will of everyone contributing to this site – we’re not going to be told by anyone how to think or act in our country’s best interests. We’ll make our own decisions based on the facts thanks.

  101. southernscot
    Ignored
    says:

    The article about so called bung in the Telegraph.
    Got BT frothing, related to hacking claim.
     

  102. Linda's back
    Ignored
    says:

    The Yes Scotland campaign has revealed the nature of the email at the centre of a hacking inquiry.
    It said it concerned a payment made to Dr W Elliot Bulmer in connection with an article he wrote for the Herald newspaper.
    The campaign said it had been unable to discuss the content of the email because of a police investigation.
    Another own goal as No campaign can take heat off hacking issue
     
    Police had been asked to look at the “unauthorised access” of an email account.

  103. ann
    Ignored
    says:

    Just like to say. 
    Fantastic speech by Alex.  He puts the leaders of the opposition to shame.

  104. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    You hardly need to pay Eliot Bulmer to write pro-Yes pieces.  Though I imagine he has to pay the store account the same as the rest of us.

  105. Training Day
    Ignored
    says:

    The Telegraph article is full to bursting with lies and distortions (so what’s new?)

    The greatest service WoS is doing is showing the ‘Scottish’ MSM – press and broadcast – in their true light: controlled from London, eager to propagandise, and utterly bereft of principle or integrity. They ARE the No Scotland campaign.

  106. scaredy cat
    Ignored
    says:

    Unbelievable. This is such a non-story. £100 for a story that they had no control over? I mean £100? Seriously, these people need to get a life.
    The real issue is that the email account was hacked. Some people need to get their priorities sorted out.

  107. scottish_skier
    Ignored
    says:

    The article about so called bung in the Telegraph.
    Got BT frothing, related to hacking claim.
     
    Ha ha ha. Just read it.
     
    Jeez briefly there I though this might be something sort of maybe a little significant. Wondered what it was.
     
    Man that was not worth waiting up for.

  108. rabb
    Ignored
    says:

    I heard Jenkins done a smelly pump in the office canteen. He should resign now!!

  109. Linda's back
    Ignored
    says:

    Forced to have a first look at Telegraph web site and saw this story about non payment of BBC Licence fee.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10256679/TV-licence-offences-account-for-one-in-ten-UK-court-cases.html
    well I never.

  110. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Oooh.  “Flagging Yes campaign paid for good publicity.”  Elliot Bulmer would have written a pro-No article unless he was paid that fee?  Really? 

  111. Firestarter
    Ignored
    says:

    Independence campaign “fatally undermined”? ………… Aye, right!!

  112. Training Day
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder how the MSM will describe the Yes campaign after thousands gather in Edinburgh next month to support it. Flagging? Moribund? (‘Moribund’ will not appear in the Daily Record) Defunct? Joined the choir celestial?

    Or maybe they’ll just say there was no one there.

  113. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    That Yes Scotland have to pay a pro-independence academic a small fee for an article, when the papers themselves will only commission articles from pro-No spokesmen, says quite a lot.

  114. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Looking at some of the detail, I suspect Elliot wrote the article and offered it to the Herald, and the Herald refused to pay for it.  Yes Scotland then stepped in to cover the shortfall.  Just a guess.

  115. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    The real issue is that the email account was hacked. Some people need to get their priorities sorted out.
     
    People are paid to write pieces all the time, not sure I understand the issue, I suppose McColm does it for free though. Now hacking, there are already people in jail for that and I hope the individuals that are responsible for the hacking of the Yes campaign emails are sweating.

  116. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    They seem to be trying to make out that Elliot Bulmer was somehow bribed to write an opinion favourable to Yes.  As if Yes couldn’t get an academic to support their position without bribery.
     
    Leaving aside that most academics would want a lot more than £100 to write an article that contradicted their fundamental beliefs, do they have any idea who Elliot Bulmer is?  I still think the explanation may be that the papers won’t pay an academic who is a Yes supporter, and the Yes campaign stepped in to make sure Elliot wasn’t out of pocket.

  117. CameronB
    Ignored
    says:

    “It is Ed Miliband’s belief that our country succeeds so long as one part of it is not outperforming another, even if people are worse off now than they have been for a generation.”
     
    Sounds like English Socialism to me, which as an imaginary political philosophy is described by George Orwell in 1984 as;
    The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, by Emmanuel Goldstein, describes the Party’s ideology as an Oligarchical Collectivism, that “rejects and vilifies every principle for which the Socialist movement originally stood, and it does so in the name of Socialism”. It is noteworthy that, in the terms of the book, this ideology would be a form of doublethink.
     
    (sorry for all the links Rev. 😉 )

  118. David McCann
    Ignored
    says:

    It this the same  Margaret Curran who denied that she was around when Denis Healey was Labour Chancellor, and who recently told Holyrood Magazine that they lied about Scottish oil?
    Indeed not only did 20 year Margaret know who he was, but was sufficiently angry with him to be calling for his resignation.!
    AS Alan Smart said “her credibility and the credibility of her entire generation that is now running the Labour Party in Scotland is shot. They were mugged. We were mugged…”
    Read the full article from Bella http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2013/05/28/being-there/

  119. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    training day says
    “Moribund’ will not appear in the Daily Record”
    whaat ir ye tryin tae say?
    spit it oot

  120. HeatherMcLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Poisonous nasty woman indeed!
    Read this little gem in my email box this morning..
    http://news.stv.tv/politics/236896-margaret-curran-accuses-alex-salmond-of-playing-fast-and-loose-with-bbc/
    She accuses Alex Salmond of “playing fast and loose with the BBC” while she and her fellow labour party no campaign supporters are playing fast and loose with the very future of millions of Scottish peoples’ lives!!  
    As regards the biased BBC, I personally couldn’t care less what happens to it, it needs broken up or a complete overhaul at the very least. As for scaremongering comments suggesting people in Scotland might not be able to watch the BBC for free after independence .. well every cloud has a silver lining .. no great loss! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the Republic of Ireland is able to watch the BBC for free and they are not even part of the UK!
     

  121. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Can we all move on from discussing  the Curran ? –
    She / It , doesn’t deserve any further discussion.
    Like a very, very, bad smell it will go away eventually if you ignore it.

  122. jake
    Ignored
    says:

    Re the shock horror story that Eliot Bulmer received £100 from the Yes Campaign for an article that the Herald subsequently published……..this is great news really if it means that the MSM are now insisting that ALL opinion pieces from experts, academics and pundits are to be subject to full financial transparency. I look forward in future to every piece of churnalism that they reproduce coming fully sourced with the institution, organisation, think tank or political party that inspired it and full clarity and disclosure about how these organisations and the individuals who are associated with them are funded.

  123. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Now can we all leave Margaret alone. She schooled at Our Lady and St Francis (aka Charlotte Street) in Glasgow . We reprobates at St Mungo’s annexe in Duke Street used to sneak down there and gaze at them through the railings during lunchtime. I’m sure the nuns will have warned  them all about telling lies. Couldn’t a lot about stupidity sadly

  124. Paul Kirkwood
    Ignored
    says:

    The thing about Margaret Curran is, that she is rather horrible!

  125. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “i quite fancy her”
    I saw her first

  126. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s not a lot of eating on her

  127. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “Like Hen Broon’s idea of renting a Wings over Scotland blimp for Calton Hill. It should help to get the word out big time.
    Rev Stu could organise another fundraiser, the rates seem to be pretty reasonable.”
    I wanna a balloon I wanna balloon I wanna balloon waaaa

  128. ScotsCanuck
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu,
    your  only “flaw” is trying to interpret this cretins witterings.
    Could I suggest that in trying to decipher any logical argument from this guttural diatribe,
    one might be induced to partake in large quantities of strong drink ?
    Cheers !!!!!!    



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