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Reference

The Reference section comprises several categories: links to selected Wings features containing key facts, figures and arguments; a repository of documentation relevant to the independence referendum (from all sides); archive copies of important articles in other publications, and a few interesting video clips.

(The full archive of “reference”-tagged posts is here.)

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Figures

Newspaper sales in Scotland

Latest Holyrood polling

Latest Westminster polling

Westminster polling (Scotland) 2017-19

Westminster polling (Scotland) 2007-2017

UK-wide general election polling

Indyref polling Jan 2013-Sep 2014

Indyref polling Oct 2014-May 2016

Indyref polling post-2016

Independence opinion polling (pre-2014 referendum, only with DKs)

Independence opinion polling (post-2014 referendum, only with DKs)

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Predictions

Our track record

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Features

The Road Ahead From Here
Our only remaining legal and non-violent route to independence.

The Endless Road
How we can have a plebiscitary election within weeks, without Westminster permission.

For English Gold
How much staying in the UK is worth to the SNP.

The Elephant In The Courtroom
What do we do if the UK government says “Now is not the time” forever?

The Buckaroo Principle
Why we can’t win if we make independence about a raft of specific policies.

An Idiot’s Guide To Tactical Voting In Scottish Parliament Elections
And why, basically, it can’t work. (See also Parts Two, ThreeFour and Five).

The Limitations Of GERS
Why anyone who says they can prove what an independent Scotland’s financial condition would be based on the GERS figures is at best seriously misguided and at worst lying to you on purpose.

The Great Division
How the ideology of Margaret Thatcher still dominates British politics from beyond the grave, and how she did it by splitting the population into haves and have-nots.

What You Could Have Won
According to calculations by pro-Union economist Prof. Brian Ashcroft, had Scotland been independent since 1981 it would now have a reserve fund worth between £68bn and £200bn, rather than being liable for a share of the UK’s trillion-pound debt.

The Outstanding Balance
How has Scotland paid £16bn in debt interest in five years on £1bn of debt?

The Subsidy Myth
Not unrelated to the above, the only known recorded instance of a serving government minister admitting in the House Of Commons that Scotland has subsidised the rest of the UK by tens of billions of pounds since the 1970s.

The Historical Debt
UK Government figures showing that Scotland was a huge net contributor to the Treasury even decades before the discovery of North Sea oil.

Scottish Labour’s Biggest Lie
Does the largest party in a hung parliament have any special rights when it comes to forming the government? No. Next question.

Why Labour Doesn’t Need Scotland
The fallacy that Scottish independence would condemn the rest of the UK to perpetual Conservative governments comprehensively debunked with the facts.

The Faithful Lie
Not unrelated to the above – if you vote SNP, do you let the Tories in?

The Stab In The Back
Did the Nats usher in Mrs Thatcher? The true story of the 1979 devolution referendum, the subsequent vote of no confidence and the 34 Labour MPs blamed by their own leader for handing the Tories victory – told by someone who should know. (Also this.)

The Angels’ Share
How Scotland gets hammered twice for more than its fair share of UK finances, and then told that that leaves it too poor to run its own affairs.

Why We Won’t Lose The BBC In An Independent Scotland
How Scotland would in fact have vastly MORE money to spend on broadcasting.

Reasons To Be Fearful
The very best of the Unionist scare stories…

Fearwatch
…a selection solely from April-July 2014…

40 Reasons To Vote Yes
…and then some true ones.

The Nuclear Deterrence FAQ
Why Trident makes no sense on any level.

The Oil Debate For Busy People
Who to believe?

The Wrong Lizards
Why it doesn’t matter which UK party you vote for.

Referenda For Dummies
It’s really not that complicated. So why do so few people seem to understand what the purpose of a referendum is?

Alex Salmond Dictator-Comparison Bingo
Which despotic, genocidal murderers have or haven’t Unionists compared the democratically-elected First Minister of Scotland to?

What Happens If We Vote No
There might indeed be “more powers”, sort of. But you won’t like them.

The Barnett Future
One of the likely outcomes of “more powers” is a massive cut to the Scottish block grant, via the abolition of the Barnett Formula. But don’t just take our word for that, listen to what everyone else says.

Independence Falls Behind, Surges Ahead
What cross-party voting intentions tell us about the likely referendum result.

Scottish Labour Policy Update
What, if anything, do Scottish Labour stand for this week?

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Repository

A collection of various documents from Yes/No and others, mainly in PDF format.

50 Questions The No Campaign Must Answer

A’ The Blue Bonnets – Defending An Independent Scotland
(Stuart Crawford and Richard Marsh, October 2012)

A Model Constitution For Scotland
(The Constitutional Commission, 2011)

Achieving Autonomy
(The All-Party Parliamentary Taxation Group, November 2013)

Assessment Of Key Currency Options – Technical Annex
(Fiscal Commission Working Group, February 2013)

“Better Together” – 500 Questions
(May 2013)

Campbell II report
(Scottish Liberal Democrats, 9 March 2014)

Cancelling Trident – Economic And Employment Consequences For Scotland
(STUC, 2007)

Currency Choices For An Independent Scotland
(Scottish Government/Fiscal Commission Working Group, April 2013)

Devolution: A Decade On
(House Of Commons Justice Select Committee, 2009)

Disaggregation of HMRC tax receipts in England, Wales, Scotland & N. Ireland
(HMRC, October 2013)

Edinburgh Agreement, The

Fairness In The First Year
(University of the West of Scotland, 2013)

Federalism: The Best Future For Scotland
(Scottish Liberal Democrats, 2012)

Federalism: The Best Future For Scotland (summary of recommendations)
(Scottish Liberal Democrats, 2012)

Fiscal Sustainability Of An Independent Scotland
(Institute for Fiscal Studies, November 2013)

Foreign policy implications of and for a separate Scotland
(Graham Avery, Honorary Director-General of the European Commission, 2013)

Funding Devo More
(Institute for Public Policy Research, January 2013)

Funding Devolved Government In Wales: Barnett And Beyond
(The Holtham Commission, July 2009)

Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) 2011-12

Glasgow Labour council election manifesto 2012

Key Considerations For Rating An Independent Scotland
(Standard And Poor’s, 27 February 2014)

Labour Party UK general election manifesto 2010

Labour’s Lost Grassroots: The Rise And Fall Of Party Membership
(Bristol University, 2013)

Make Sure You’re In The Know
(UK government, 20 January 2014)

McCrone Report, The

Official Statistics in the context of the referendum on Scottish independence
(UK Statistics Authority, October 2013)

Power To The People
(Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, 2014)

Powers For A Purpose – Strengthening Devolution (Interim Report)
(Scottish Labour Devolution Commission, April 2013)

Powers For A Purpose – Strengthening Devolution (Executive Summary)
(Scottish Labour Devolution Commission, March 2014)

Powers For A Purpose – Strengthening Devolution (Full Final Report)
(Scottish Labour Devolution Commission, March 2014)

Referendum On The Independence Of Scotland – International Law Aspects
(Profs James Crawford SC and Alan Boyle, 2013)

Reflections on Defending an Independent Scotland: A View from Ireland
(Institute of International and European Affairs, August 2013)

Securing The Nation – Defending An Independent Scotland
(Scottish Global Forum, 12 November 2013)

Serving Scotland Better: Scotland And The UK In The 21st Century
(aka The Calman Commission Final Report, June 2009)

Scotland Act 1998
(HM Government, 19 November 1998)

Scotland Act 2012
(HM Government, 1 May 2012)

Scotland’s Economic Future
(Reform Scotland, October 2011)

Scotland’s Future (“The White Paper”)
(Scottish Government, November 2013)

Scotland’s Population 2011
(National Statistics, August 2012)

Scotland as an Independent Small State: Where would it seek shelter?
(Icelandic Review Of Politics And Administration, June 2013)

Scotland Decides
(The Herald, 18 December 2013)

Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2012 (briefing notes)

Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2012 (tables)

Scottish Labour: new directions
(Wendy Alexander MSP, 2008)

Scottish Labour Holyrood general election manifesto 2011

Scottish Labour Party accounts 2009

Scottish Labour Party accounts 2010

Scottish Labour Party accounts 2011

Scottish Liberal Democrats general election manifesto 2010

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 1999

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2001

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 2003

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2005

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 2007

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2010

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 2011

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2015

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 2016

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2017

SNP Westminster general election manifesto 2019

SNP Holyrood general election manifesto 2021

Strathclyde Commission on the Future Governance of Scotland
(Scottish Conservatives, 2 June 2014)

The 1997 Scottish Referendum – Analysis Of Results

The Claim Of Scotland
(HJ Paton, 1968)

The Common Weal
(Jimmy Reid Foundation, 2013)

The Economics Of Currency Union
(Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank Of England, 29 Jan 2014)

The Option Not On The Table – Attitudes To More Devolution
(ScotCen Social Research, 2013)

The Quebec Referendums
(House Of Commons Library, July 2013)

The UK’s Public Finances In The Long Run: The IFS Model
(Institute for Fiscal Studies, December 2013)

Together We Can (The “Red Paper”)
(Scottish Labour, March 2014)

Transitioning To A New Scottish State
(Prof. Patrick Dunleavy, London School of Economics, 22 June 2014)

Trident – Nowhere To Go
(CND/Scottish CND, January 2012)

UK Continental Shelf – Maximising Recovery Review
(Sir Ian Wood, 24 February 2014)

UK debt and the Scotland independence referendum
(UK government statement, January 2014)

UK general election statistics 1945-2003

UK government ‘Scotland Analysis’ papers (website)

UK Income Tax rates 1974-1990

UK Income Tax rates 1991-2013

UK National Asset Register 2007 (most recent edition)

UK Oilfields And Boundaries
(Mahdi Zahraa, Glasgow Caledonian University, 2001)

UK public spending by region
(House Of Commons Library, 24 January 2014)

Views Of Scottish Labour Leadership Candidates On Nuclear Weapons
(Scottish CND, 2011)

We Belong Together: The Case For A United Kingdom
(Alistair Darling, July 2013)

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Articles

Figures explode subsidy myth: Scotland gave £27bn more than was received
(The Herald, March 1997)

How black gold was hijacked: North sea oil and the betrayal of Scotland
(The Independent, December 2005) (archive link)

North Sea oil gave Scotland ‘massive’ budget surplus, say Government records
(The Telegraph, September 2009) (archive link)

Scotland and the banking bailout – time for the truth
(The Scotsman, July 2011) (alternative version with links) (archive link)

State Papers on Scotland: Economic Advantages to Scotland of the Union
(UK government, 1975) (archive link)

How democracy was stripped from the SNP
(Robin McAlpine, 2022)

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Video

Diomhair (translation: secret, confidential)
(BBC Alba, 2008) (direct download)
Full English transcript

“The story of how successive Labour and Conservative governments up until the 1970s worked behind the scenes to discredit the Home Rule movement and the SNP – as revealed through once secret papers now available from official archives.”

Five Million Questions
(Dundee University, October 2013, Blair Jenkins/Blair McDougall) (direct download)

Scotland: A Time To Choose
(The Scotsman Debate/BBC, 1992, Salmond/Dewar/Lang/Bruce) (direct download)

The Cheviot, The Stag And The Black, Black Oil
(BBC, 1974) (direct download)

“The history of economic change in the Scottish Highlands, from the Clearances in the early 19th century through to the contemporary oil boom.”

The Fear Factor
(Rough Justice Films, 2013) (direct download)

The Great Debate
(BBC Scotland, February 1995, Alex Salmond vs George Robertson) (direct download)

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6 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. 27 01 14 06:41

    A Wee Word Tae Barrowfans | The Wild Hairy Haggis

  2. 01 04 14 13:23

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  3. 22 04 14 18:29

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  4. 20 06 14 18:48

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  5. 24 08 14 21:32

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  6. 18 12 16 19:07

    It’s good to talk « Wee Ginger Dug

67 to “Reference”

  1. Rev, would it be possible to collate a list of embarrassing questions, in the reference section, that we could ask B.T. at their sites? I know that you can think what questions to ask at the drop of a hat, but people like myself  struggle to come up with questions quickly that would leave them struggling to respond to. Just a thought.  

  2. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    That’s a really interesting idea. Will have a think.

  3. Creag an Tuirc says:

    Should Niall Aslen’s ‘The Big Lie’ and ‘The Great Deception’ be in this list?

  4. Robert Kerr says:

    @themadmurph.

    There is an enormous amount of Scottish stuff on scribd. If you have spare time a browse is well worth it.

  5. themadmurph says:

    Thanks Robert. Any recommendations?

  6. TheGreatBaldo says:

    Will there be a ‘Hubris’ section for any pre vote Unionist triumphalism in the form of tweets/articles etc ?

    This would be an exceptionally useful tool in the early hours of Friday September 19th

    I suspect Baron Foulkes, Rear Admiral Cochrane and Fraser Nelson would require their own personal archives.

  7. RICHARD says:

    Is it possible to have a copy of the commons committee paper that sets out the optiohs post no? I once saw it but can no longer find it.

  8. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    “Will there be a ‘Hubris’ section for any pre vote Unionist triumphalism in the form of tweets/articles etc ?”

    I’m thinking of collecting and compiling those for a post-Yes cash-in book 😀

  9. Neil McAdam says:

    This is a good one showing Tax receipts from the various “countries” of the UK.
    And BT can’t argue with the source:
    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/receipts/disagg-method.pdf

  10. Frankie goes to Holyrood says:

    Excellent idea. Perhaps add the UK government “Scotland Analysis” papers?

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scotland-analysis-papers-informing-the-referendum-debate

  11. john king says:

    “I’m thinking of collecting and compiling those for a post-Yes cash-in book”

    No thats a book I would buy
    I’ll have six 🙂

  12. Roberto says:

    In 1999 A Darling,G Brown and T Blair annexed 6000 square miles of the NORTH SEA to England via a statutory instrument thus avoiding having to go through parliament.Scotland lost 6 oil fields by this action.What effect does have on Scotlad and England’s
    GDP?

  13. castle hills chavie says:

    How about the fear factor.

  14. joe kane says:

    This political leaflet archive website might be of use. Scanned images sent in by members of the public –
    http://www.electionleaflets.org/

    Of special interest –
    Leaflet category – Nationalism and devolution
    http://www.electionleaflets.org/categories/nationalism_and_devolution/

  15. Ananurhing says:

    Interesting piece from 2012 by James Maxwell in the New Statesman entitled “Where does Scottish Labour stand on Trident” Very damning regarding Lamont’s flip flopping on the subject.

    http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2012/03/clyde-based-nuclear-issue

    Contains a link to a Guardian story by Severin Carrell about the MOD’s cavalier attitude to a catalogue of leaks and spillages as highlighted by SEPA.

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/apr/27/nuclear-waste-scotland

  16. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    Good call. Will sort it.

  17. Chic McGregor says:

    An excellent report regarding the effects of population size for small countries. Commissioned by Plaid but relevant to Scotland.

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97149913/Flotilla_Effect_-_Adam_Price_and_Ben_Levinger.pdf

  18. Weedeochandorris says:

    Rev have you seen this document? Annex A Opinion: Referendum on the Independence of Scotland – International Law Aspects. http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/annexea.pdf

  19. Xaracen says:

    Sorry, Rev, can I point out that your copy of the IFS Report “Fiscal Sustainability of an Independent Scotland” returns only a single blank page? I have tried several times with two different browsers, downloaded the file (0K) rather than try to open it, and get the same result. It seems to be an empty file. I had to get it from elsewhere.

  20. Look Skye Walker says:

    Just to say, this is an absolutely brilliant idea in bring everything together for new readers. The truth will be our shield and the internet our sword! Onwards brothers and sisters and take the fight to the enemy. We will win!

  21. Anthony Armstrong says:

    By the time they read all that they’ll need a catch up list

  22. Cameron says:

    Can you keep this pinned to the top of the board?

  23. Morag says:

    Rev have you seen this document? Annex A Opinion: Referendum on the Independence of Scotland – International Law Aspects. http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/annexea.pdf

    I realise that post is six weeks and more old, but still.

    Considering the link goes to “worldofstuart” which is – ta-da – Stuart’s own domain, I’d hazard a guess that he’s seen it. Isn’t is one of the links above? 🙂

  24. Morag says:

    Looking at that list of articles, I didn’t see the one entitled “On Our Own Two Feet”. I have found that an excellent one for dispelling TWTPTS arguments. What about adding it, Stu?

  25. Weedeochandorris says:

    @Morag so it does (blushes) 🙂 still got my learner wheels on. ‘worldofstuart’ should’ve been a big clue. Hehe….

  26. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    “What about adding it, Stu?”

    It’s pretty much covered by “What You Could Have Won” and “The Subsidy Myth”.

  27. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    “Sorry, Rev, can I point out that your copy of the IFS Report “Fiscal Sustainability of an Independent Scotland” returns only a single blank page?”

    Sorry, just spotted that message. Fixed, ta.

  28. Drew Grozier says:

    Very interesting interview with Andrew Neil of the Spectator on the Australian Broadcasting Company’s Lateline Show last night.
    Andrew blames Rupert Murdoch for Scots push for independence.
    He also states that independence will destroy England’s standing as a world power.

  29. call me dave says:

    Doh!

    Thanks I’m 103 you know. You’ve all done very well! 🙂

  30. Josef Oluain says:

    Your site is far too restrictive for my tastes.

  31. Hi there, I have been blogging now for just over a month. I am a passionate YES campaigner with YesHelensburgh. My main aim is to engage with the other side of the debate to inform, challenge and listen to their arguments. To date I have about 2000 readers of my blog and around 12,000 per week readers of my tweets. I would like to engage with your site – can you advise please

  32. good luck for a yes vote

  33. Dear Wings,

    Below you will find a copy of complaint I sent in this morning to the BBC regarding a report by Glen Campbell introducing the news that today is the start of the official campaign. I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt that the error was unintentional, bearing in mind that our unintentional errors sometimes give away what is really going on inside us (the Freudian slip etc., but applied to politics and especially to ‘official neutrals’ … or ‘neutral officials’). It was a small and relatively unimportant incident, but amusing – and ironic – that it happened in the very report in which Glen Campbell was announcing the imposition of strict broadcasting rules for the final 16 weeks.

    On another point, let me congratulate you on your work which exposes so well what is going on in large sections of the media with regard to this campaign. No doubt many similar things are also going on in other areas of news reporting, although what we are seeing in regard to misrepresentation and downright deliberate falsehood in reference to the independence debate is particularly acute. Even if the issue were something else, websites like yours are absolutely necessary to educate the public regarding how badly they are being misinformed. In that regard I see your work not only as a particularly fine contribution to the campaign you support, but as an excellent adult education project. Whichever way the referendum eventually goes, there will always be need to alert people to the multiple ways in which they are being misinformed, deceived and, quite simply, lied to. Keep up the good work.

    It is also interesting, and significant, there is no equivalent Better Together service or website. If Yes campaigners are up to the same tricks that you have identified among their opponents, someone from Better Together should be pointing this out to us in blog/website similar to your own. That should not be difficult for them to arrange. It would also give them the opportunity to refute any of the claims you at Wings, or Newsnetscotland or any other site might make, if they are mistaken. That would help us all to be properly informed, instead of leaving everything to short and usually ridiculous or twisted soundbites in the mainstream media. If no one has done this, it is perhaps a sign that there is nothing they are able to refute, and little or nothing that is genuine misinformation being promoted by the Yes campaign and its allies.

    Finally, you may do what you like with this communication EXCEPT reveal the name, identity or even the email address of the provider (i.e. me). I know you will respect my wish for confidentiality and anonymity, so I thank you in advance for making sure that that is respected. Thank you.

    Here is the complaint I put in earlier this morning to the BBC:

    ‘Glen Campbell announced that today was the beginning of the official referendum campaign in Scotland, with strict rules now applying to political parties, broadcasters etc. He gave an overview of the history so far, which contained clips from different speeches etc., including previous launches of ‘Yes Scotland’ and their opponents ‘Better Together’. He introduced Alex Salmond’s previous launch of ‘Yes Scotland’ and went to a clip which was obviously supposed to be from that speeach of Salmond. Bizarrely, what we heard instead was Alastair Darling, saying ‘We are better together’, followed by applause. Glen C then introduced the launch of ‘Better Together’ followed by another clip which was a continuation of the clapping in the first clip, with the voice of A. Darling and others being heard in the background. It made BBC Radio Scotland sound like a cheerleader for ‘Better Together’. Not a very good start to these better, and strictly neutral broadcasting standards which, so G. Campbell told us, are supposed to come into force this very day!

    Many people think the BBC has so far failed to be neutral in this campaign, and some that it has been very clearly biased. If they are under an illusion … please try a lot harder to dis-illusion them. There are still 16 weeks during which the BBC could live up to its Charter, and salvage something of its increasingly tattered reputation. I wish you well with that project. Thank you.’

  34. Buidseach says:

    http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27731725

    Is this just imagination or forward thinking? Perhaps those pesky cybernats are giving those south of the border something to contemplate.LOL

  35. Bill Halliday says:

    Help please Wings,
    Trying to do letters in local paper. Given up wasting time answering looney stuff like “How will we fight off Putin’s Bear Bombers”?

    I’m now looking for utterances by Scots MPs during the run up to the Iraq invasion. I’m sure I can remember Darling on TV saying we were all doomed by Saddam’s WMD. Google isn’t coming up with anything. Can anyone help?

  36. Angus says:

    Years and years of practice….Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-27893072

  37. William Bolton says:

    I give small amounts to the yes campaign every month from my wages, so I’m a definite yes but I’m getting very worried.

    The campaign is being crucified on the currency issue and we are going to lose because of it. Why can’t the campaign give a plan B in the shape of a Scottish pound pinned to sterling and backed by a national bank? If we don’t get an announcement soon of a plan B, we will lose.

    Can I also ask why no-one has pointed out to No voters that they won’t be entitled to criticise the actions of the next Tony Blair or the next Margaret Thatcher if they insist on staying subject to the Westminster parliament? Every Scottish soldier who is killed or maimed abroad will be as a direct consequence of a No vote.

    Finally, why has no-one pointed out that the location of the new UK nuclear waste repository was supposed to have been announced over a year ago and yet (suspiciously) the announcement has been delayed until after the referendum?

  38. Daibach says:

    William Russell, very powerful prose, any reply from BBC?

    William Bolton, Plan B to Z are in the white paper, why should we/Alex aim for less than plan A?
    Your question about the future nuclear waste repository is a valid point, has it been answered?

  39. iain says:

    why has the Westminster government not been forced to publish the result of there own poll about scots independence? Surely there is only one reason, and that is because a big majority was in favour of independence, and they do not want to give any momentum to saying yes!

  40. Now's the Hour says:

    Thought you might be interested in this.

    I popped into the No campaign shop in Cumbernauld town centre this morning. It was manned by two student types. I told them that I had just returned from Latvia, a small country which, I assumed they knew, had regained its independence from the Soviet Union and cleared its territory of nuclear weapons. I asked one of the young men what assurances the No campaign could give the people of Scotland that, in the event of a No vote, they would remove nuclear weapons from the Tail o’ the Bank. He smirked, looked at me as though I was stupid, and said, ‘They’ll be staying. Are you not interested in the economy?’. I told him that led on to my next question and asked his colleague if he really thought we’d be better together economically by continuing to squander billions of pounds on weapons of mass destruction. He asked if I was trying to convert him. I said no and repeated the question. After an awkward pause he said, ‘Yes. Now I think you should leave’. I asked him why, but he just repeated himself, making it clear the ‘discussion’ was at an end. His colleague got on the phone and called security.

    People, Better Together really are bitter. An awkward question? No problem, have the guy evicted! So much for the spirit of open debate. So much for democracy.

    Incidentally, on hearing of this, an undecided friend has decided to vote Yes, so well done to the two guys in the No shop. You did a better job than you ever thought possible!

  41. Excellent comments in the Blue Book introduced to Dumfries by Jim Sillars last week.
    I agree about the BBC being biased BUT listen to Iain Anderson on Radio Scotland…Mon to Wed 10pm till 1am…..he is a true nationalist.
    You have done Scotland a great service.

  42. Excellent comments in the Blue Book introduced to Dumfries by Jim Sillars last week.
    I agree about the BBC being biased BUT listen to Iain Anderson on Radio Scotland…Mon to Wed 10pm till 1am…..he is a true nationalist.
    You have done Scotland a great service.

  43. I am a luddite so dont expect anything clever. I am concerned none the less on media coverage of the referndom which appears akin to political chaos theory being applied.

    It is not working on me, as although I am a pensioner I am prepared to take a hit to secure a meaningful future for my children.

    I have huge faith in my fellow Scots, but feel that they need to be constantly reminded of who they are dealing with and the lack of creditibility of the elite of whatever nationality soliciting responses to undermine the people.

  44. Ken McDonald says:

    My heart say’s yes
    My head say’s no

    Been advised to read the blue book

  45. Colin Paterson says:

    Although I’m an expat living in Australia I’m trying to follow debate as best I can though it isn’t easy. I’m trying to find a budget that would accompany the “wee blue book” scenario…………..does one exist? I read the IFS paper and of course it’s pro-union but it contradicts positions stated in the blue book! It’s a real pity I can’t vote. I was a potential no but admit I have been turned!!!

  46. fraser says:

    nearly 50000 signatures on the 38degree website ref electoral fraud and recount (from article in mainline media scottish independant news) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-result-petition-calling-for-inquiry-into-vote-counting-reaches-28000-signatures-9744588.html

  47. Robert Peffers says:

    @Drew Grozier says: 24 April, 2014 at 1:34 am:

    “He also states that independence will destroy England’s standing as a world power.”

    Eh!

    England’s as a World power?
    Now there’s a novel idea?
    What will the UK Parliament have to say about that?
    Does he mean that England is already an independent Kingdom/country/nation and not part of the UK?

    Who’d have thunk it?

  48. Heather Koutny says:

    I was very disappointed Scotland voted No. The vote was swayed by the women. If you do not sway the hearts of women to an independent Scotland you will never win a yes vote.

  49. John Connelly says:

    Interesting diversion for new posters

  50. onelessday says:

    Ian Smart @ianssmart · 14h 14 hours ago

    Imagine how miserable the wee Nazi candidate in Paisley must be about tonight’s Celtic performance.

    There you go

  51. Iain Munro Coyne says:

    Australians can relate! We have tried to become independent of our English colonial and economic ties too. I’m an indigenous aussie and i fully support the YES campaign and its future success! Geet Laldy Scotland – i hope i said that sorta right…
    GO SCOTLAND!!

  52. Raffle Lady says:

    Can’t believe how generous wing readers are. Keep on giving. 🙂

  53. Simba says:

    Why don’t we have a directory of Scottish companies who threatened to leave Scotland if it voted for devolution or independence – and then highlight that they subsequently left all the same? e.g.The owners of Shanks Barrhead were very anti devolution in the 1970s and threatened to leave if Scotland voted for devolution in 1979. Here is what happened when Scotland didn’t accept devolution at that time:-
    http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/armitage-shanks-barrhead.t40942

  54. peat seeking missile says:

    Hi Rev

    Can you consider including a section here or elsewhere on “how to read the media”? I am considering doing this myself, but having read various posts where you give such advice i think you would do a much better job. you know- read the whole article, not just the headline, ask who commissioned the research, who is the author, etc? It would prove very useful, and if you wouldnt mind i would spread it about. (I know -i missed an apostrophe)

    thank’s 😉

  55. twathater says:

    Hi Stuart i have posted on the site a few times but unfortunately there appears to be no or very little discussion re Scotlands continued membership of the EU, and grass roots views of the SG’s assertion that the majority of Scots support their view

    Would it be possible to set up a discussion or comments board to address this issue, also would it be possible to incorporate a reply button on the site to enable responses to comments, rather than responding and confusing people after a period of time or other multiple postings,the site visitors and comments have grown massively and it can be confusing to visitors to tie in comments relating to the original posting Thanks

  56. Ed says:

    Wanted to be on mailing list after 1st read.

  57. graham simpson says:

    So we Scots (at least 62%) of us, don’t want to leave the EU. A very wise decision!.

    So let’s look at the huge current and projected expenditures within the U.K that England regards as vitally important to them and which have little or no value to a Sovereign Scotland… as a Social Democratic Republic remaining within the EU.

    The Annual UK ‘Defense’ Budget
    (Actually the cost of waging seemingly endless wars on other nations) £ 33.0 Billion
    Trident annual cost £ 2.5 Billion
    Trident replacement cost of £167 billion amortized over 30 years. Each Year £ 5.5 Billion
    Annual UK Foreign Affairs Budget (at least)* £ 1.2 Billion
    Cost of Monarchy and House of Lords £ .64 Billion
    Total £ 42.84 Billion

    I say (at least) since there are so many secret deals going on within The British government that we we never know the actual truth. A small example of this is… that on the remote and obscure mid South Atlantic ‘British Possession’ Island of St Helena, the UK built a £200,000,000 airport that is totally unsafe to use and is now quietly forgotten. Imagine how much of Scottish oil was squandered in this fashion.

    So for easy maths…let’s round that off down to £40 Billion for the total UK and since the Scottish shared cost of this, is currently assumed to be 8.4%, then immediate sovereignty there apon would yield annually… a saving to the Scottish people of £ 3,360,000,000. Or if you like if when we divide this by the approx. total of the Scottish population (5 Million) then every man, women and child would save £672 a year. What a lovely change from David’s current and most certainly Boris’s future austerity programs.

    It’s important to know these things since we hear so many commentators, anti-independence pols and others glibly quoting the lie that Scotland is a parasitic beggar at the English Table we must refute this at every occasion since it can effect even the confidence of many Scots who are hammered daily by the FEAR FORCE of the establishment media even in Scotland.

    Another new factor that must be recognised is, that in the last referendum we were obliged to overcome the the fears of English people who having sold their home there, cashed in on a hugely, inflated South England real estate market and retired to Scotland with a fat pension fund in their pocket These people would never empathise with with the Scots long held, natural desire to self govern. They will have to think twice now. Likewise the many EU itinerant workers who always had a back-up plan to skip south for work have now smelled the whiff of xenophobia from the Brexit people
    and will rally to the independence cause to to keep their ease of movement safe. Because these two groups of people totalled approx.15% of eligible voters in the last referendum, home grown Scots had to at least achieve well over 60% of the vote to win. Now the tables are turned and we must move fast
    to secure this advantage.

  58. Quakeawake says:

    I agree with many here that the time has definitely come for the SNP, as the governing party in Scotland, to get proactive about this.

    It’s not about pro-Indy and Unionism – I get that the SNP don’t want to be drawn into a slanging match about bias etc – it’s about the government of the country taking to task a state broadcaster which is very obviously not reflecting the nation’s will.

    What they need to keep pointing out is that the BBC is being irresponsible as the nation’s broadcaster. They are not representing the nation in a responsible manner. They need to keep repeating this over and over, on air, until everyone, even the great uninitiated whom the BBC rely upon to swallow their pigswill, gets the message. The BBC is being irresponsible.

    There is an example of this kind of behaviour from Radio Four’s World this Weekend from the Sunday after the EU Ref. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07h2v8d

    At 34mins15secs in, some Tory Leave tosser is asked about the petition that was started up by Remain voters in the aftermath of the referendum. Like the good tory he is, he’s keen to tell the people to fuck right off, but the point is, he starts off like this: “As the nation’s broadcaster, the BBC needs to be responsible about this”.

    Why is it Tories can do that, to suit their own agenda, but the SNP, who are responsible for governing this country in the face of the BBC’s utter contempt for the democratic will of the people of Scotland, utter not one word?

    This has to change.

  59. Quakeawake says:

    Sorry, posted the above on the wrong thread!

  60. Naina Tal says:

    naw Quakeawake, Yer richt enough.

  61. Naina Tal says:

    Simba Or how about a list of businesses who support independence?
    Companies that show the saltire etc. Nae butcher’s aprons. Agreat positive message!

  62. Effijy says:

    Grunter Brown on Radio Shortbread having
    The nerve to say extensive new powers delivered
    To Scotland?

    He now pretends that we would get more but
    The bad Tories won’t go for it.

    The man is a bully, and an incompetent imbecile!

    He sold of UK Gold Reserves before the price trebled.

    He was in charge of regulating the Banks when they went Casino Gambling

    He stole £10 Billion from private pension funds.

    He was party to Labour stealing 6,000 miles of Scottish waters for England

    He was the Clown who signed up to pay £305 Billion in interest on £50
    Billion worth of PFI hospitals and schools

    The above schools as we know put our Children in danger.

    He stood up and lied about no pensions, transplants, or blood transfusions in
    An independent Scotland

    He showed us his true colours when he vilified
    Pensioner Gillian Duffy

    He even promised to force Tesco to keep open
    His local Store , you know that one that closed

    He is the man who spends £10,000 per week
    On expenses from his own “charity” , but doesn’t
    Have any money for his local foodbank?

    He must be the last man on earth that I’d
    Take advice from . He should be hiding in some 5 star
    Hotel holding his head in shame.

  63. louis.b.argyll says:

    2017 will be the Year of the Hoaxes.

    Nations WITH weapons of mass destruction will complain that their index-linked oppression overseas, is creating a new situation.

    Centuries of advancement must be further eroded, to create an atmosphere of suspicion and zenophobia..thereby stymying the terrorists…huh?

    Punish the young, appease the old, maintain an illogical hierarchy.

    The HOAX is democracy ITSELF.

  64. People Carrier says:

    Apologies O/T – can’t seem to remember how to get to the O/T section……………yes I am that stupid!

    Can anyone furnish me with the link to the description of the UK (as submitted by the UK) to I think it was the United Nations? Can’t quite recall finer details and have looked through the postings to no avail. Be very grateful if someone could help.
    Ta



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