Quotes Of The Year #4
Only nine to go. Dear God, what were we thinking? (January, February, March.)
“Prime Minister David Cameron will reportedly back Rangers and Celtic joining the English football league in an attempt to win the Scottish referendum on independence.” – Yahoo Sport reporting on a Sunday People ‘exclusive’. We suspect it’s a strategy Alex Salmond would have more luck with, frankly.
And so to April!
“One of the most important things that you can do is free women and girls from the tyranny of rape, of violence, to give them their freedom so that they can contribute as equal members of society. We wouldn’t have the influence to do that in an independent Scotland.” – Lib Dem activist Caron Lindsay suggests that a Yes vote will inhibit the combatting of global rape.
“The cost of the SNP’s constitutional obsession is around £13m. The price-tag is substantial and doesn’t include the costs to Scottish families of sorting childcare or taking time off work due to schools being closed for the vote.” – Scottish Labour constitutional spokeswoman Patricia Fergusson looks at the big picture.
“We should be helping [to] build an unstoppable momentum for permanent change following the Independence Referendum next year, where another Liberal Democrat, Michael Moore, has secured the right of 16 and 17 year olds to vote.” – Lib Dem Voice makes a bold claim. If you haven’t been clicking on these links, make an exception for this one.
To this should be added growing sympathy for the agenda of Ukip. The Scottish electorate now appears more receptive to radical nationalism than Mosley’s blackshirts could ever dream of.” – perhaps the most repellent thing printed in a Scottish newspaper this year, Scotland on Sunday soiled the country’s newsstands with Gavin Bowd’s despicable smear likening the SNP to the BNP, UKIP and fascist Blackshirts under a faked image of a bastardised Saltire featuring a Nazi swastika.
“Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall, who was also appearing in front of the committee, said he would refuse to take cash from foreign donors, but would accept UK-wide donations up to £500.” – the Herald reports unambiguously on the No camp’s plans to reject outside-Scotland donations of over £500, and “foreign” donations of any amount.
“Better Together’s top donator is oil trader Ian Taylor, who handed over £500,000 – ten times that donated by Labour-supporting Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson.” – Whoops. Ian Taylor wasn’t born in Scotland, doesn’t live there and isn’t registered to vote there. (PS the Record: Sir Alex donated £501, which we’re fairly sure is less than a tenth of £500,000.)
“There is a major question of principle here to be addressed as to whether or not the referendum can be bought and sold with foreign gold. Even at this late day, I would hope that the Scottish Parliament and the SNP would show confidence in their own ability to raise money from Scots in Scotland and desist from taking foreign money.” – Labour’s Ian Davidson attacks referendum campaign donations from anyone other than “Scots in Scotland”, shortly after the No camp cashes the cheque from Mr Taylor.
“These allegations are seriously defamatory of our client. There can be no justification for their publication. The article must be removed from the web immediately. Should you fail to take this step our client will issue proceedings in libel against you.” – the aforementioned Ian Taylor’s lawyers, in a letter to us about this article. We left the article where it was. We’re still waiting.
“The data shows that a couple with children, where one parent works, will be worse off by £3,995.65 a year on average after the tax and benefit changes introduced since 2010. Average households will be worse off by £891 a year.” – the Institute for Fiscal Studies, recently lionised by the Unionist parties and media for its integrity and authority, reveals the cost of staying in the Union.
“Scotland could wake up tomorrow to the grim reality of a new Tory government, led by Thatcher disciple David Cameron.” – the Daily Record learns half of the lesson, although its grasp of election dates is a little squiffy.
“yay! well done everyone who crowdfunded that racist cybernat #fuckingidiots” – Scotsman columnist Euan McColm warmly congratulates us on raising £33,000 in a month to support this site’s work.
“A warning that thousands of Scots are being forced into insecure and poor-quality jobs has overshadowed encouraging figures showing a fall in unemployment.” – Magnus Gardham reports the good news that fewer people are out of work the way only he can.
“I am not asking anyone either to forget or forgive what Thatcher did. We never will. But I also remembered that Nelson Mandela, after 27 years jailed on Robben Island, forgave his jailers before he walked out to freedom.” – since Johann Lamont had just told the Scottish Labour conference she would “never” forgive Mrs Thatcher, we can therefore only conclude that she was calling Nelson Mandela a wimp.
“Every time your granny or your uncle or your auntie came up here they’d have to get currency in order to come and visit you.” – Alistair Darling apparently revealing that he charges his relatives for tea and biscuits when they pop round. After some of his Parliamentary expenses claims, we can believe it.
“It remains the case that currently no state has both the intent to threaten our vital interests and the capability to do so with nuclear weapons.” – Dr M. Smith, the Ministry of Defence.
“Looks as if we have over 150 people at tonight’s #bettertogether Aberdeen launch event.” – the No campaign, presumably before going to SpecSavers.
“The Better Together campaign has many faults. It is tedious, piecemeal, relentlessly negative, and a factory for an endless supply of scare stores.” – editorial leader in the Herald.
“I think people are asking this very very important question about the country, which is, y’know, are our problems so deep that NOBODY can actually make a difference to them? My emphatic answer is yes.” – Ed Miliband, Britain’s would-be next Prime Minister.
We might skip to August next and see if anyone notices.
I’d notice
Ho Stu –
What a mix of side splitting utter pish and devious comment (deserving a smack on the gub), from wee shits like Euan (I’m ever so clever, titter, titter -Clutha tragedy guffaw) McColm.
Gavin Bowd (Tosser) – Brave enough to ever order coffe at an SNP conference again ?
Its some read right enough !
Point of note – at least there’s 3 Saltires in the Celtic ranks !!
Hey Rev –
See if that tube on Twitter – Phillip Charles prefers Naebour to Nories
What a pompous bunter !
“Point of note – at least there’s 3 Saltires in the Celtic ranks !!”
If you’re going to be technical, there’s one in every Union Jack too 😉
Sadly a soiled distorted version in the Apron
On the whole donations issue the Scottish Press have failed in a complete dereliction of duty and representation of the Scottish public.
Like the graphic of the Yes v No funding sources. Would it change much if you showed Tory / non Tory funders?
So much twattage going on these last few months. Seeing it compiled like this really brings it home.
Thanks Rev.
O/T
David Torrance will be submitting articles to NNS for first 3 mths of 2014 (?). Having just read the first sneering delivery – as many have said, it may prove to be an error and real waste of money.
http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/8513-2014-the-year-of-campaigning
Any foreigner (as Magrit Curran would say) looking at the footie picture of the auld firm, would be hard pressed, to know which country this football game, was played in if they were not football savvie as they say.
The answer certainly wouldn’t be Scotland, no the unaware would probably say Ireland or England for that matter, are there really so many Scots who worship lands other than Scotland it seems so.
David Torrance will be submitting articles to NNS for first 3 mths of 2014 (?). Having just read the first sneering delivery – as many have said, it may prove to be an error and real waste of money
wow, crowdfunding to read that trash by torrance on nns. unbalanced propaganda as per usual, nothing new at all.
God I know, and only at April Stu!
Gordoz and David – totally agree. His article reminded me of his biography of Alex Salmond – one one hand praise followed immediately by some criticism. NNS have made a big mistake taking on Torrance and i’ll reconsider any future donations to pay for this propaganda!
Bill McLean
Folk tried to warn them
O/T -@ Bill McLean
This got moderated on NNS (?)
“For it was ever thus” DT – nothing to set the heather alight about then.
Really is the best that David Torrance can come up with, a wee slag here a wee dig at YES there. please tell me he is not going to tell us Devo Max is the best opiton – PLEASE, PLEASE, No.
“Ed Miliband who set the political weather with his annual conference speech in September, particularly his pledge to cap energy prices should his party win the 2015 general election”
Really David ?? We can get this stuff in the papers
Lets see David get his teeth into donations story (including Vitol issues) and the BBC Story manipulation info – if he won’t cover this you are wasting your money.
Pretty poor fare!
That bastardeised image of the Saltire as a Nazi swastika by the SoS is just so beyond the pale that it should be preserved forever in digital format and never allowed to be forgotten in an independent Scotland.
Dal Riata
Agree with that !
Rev, You ve gied me a brain overload, but its time oot mrs Brown,s boys is on lol
Admin – Mr Torrance will be contributing articles in the first three months of nexy year.
And every time I think maybe the NNS people aren’t so bad after all and maybe I’ve been mean to refuse to contribute, something happens that makes me even more glad I direct my crowdfunding resources to Stu.
Exactly, Morag
Id rather see my beloved celtic in the 3rd division and break free from the union. cameron could garantee me £100,000 in the bank n id still vote for independence! Give it up better together……you are not going to win this. Have to ask myself why they care so much. They have never given a toss about Scotland or its people. Why now? Im hearing pounds dropping from thier pockets and they dont like it. We have had enough of subsidising the union. C’mon people. Its our time!
I’ve donated to Newsnet in the past and was thinking about getting one of their car stickers. I thought it would be a good way to alert people to their site and would help to show up BBC bias, but this has put me off. I don’t see the point of having Mr Torrance unless they’re trying to “broaden their appeal” by getting a “named” commentator. If you look at Mr Torrance’s publishing history he seems to have written a lot on the conservative party and seems unhealthily interested in the plight of the Scottish conservatives. Actually, I suppose one idea might be that by getting a named commentator you might attract more undecided or soft no/soft yes people to the site, which could be helpful in directing them to more hard hitting stories showing up the bias of the BBC. It might be worth employing his services if this is one outcome of it.
Oh, and I should just add when I said I’d donated to the site, I actually bought the Gaelic map of Scotland which they were selling a while ago. I can heartily recommend this. I bought it for my dad’s birthday and he was well chuffed. It was £28 I think, but it’s really big and detailed. At least A1 with a breakdown of the major Scottish cities in one corner with all their suburbs in Gaelic. It’s really quite an impressive piece of work. Congrats to the cartographer – Andrew Barr, I think. This does make a really great gift and I was pleased the money was going to help a pro independence site.
Thinking about taking my NewsNet sticker of my car – sad!
“Admin – Mr Torrance will be contributing articles in the first three months of nexy year.
And every time I think maybe the NNS people aren’t so bad after all and maybe I’ve been mean to refuse to contribute, something happens that makes me even more glad I direct my crowdfunding resources to Stu.”
I contributed, but feel I’ve been somewhat duped. ()(). OTOH maybe an announcement before the fundraiser might have increased their take from others if it ensured mine would not be made.
Some of their contributors still produce some cracking, informative articles, but if I’ve stopped buying all MSM newspapers because of U content, I don’t see why I should pay for the same on line. My blood pressure is high enough.
Also feel their readership could nose dive, but again maybe not. BT might start promoting it.