Sometimes it’s all just too much
We’re over the worst of the flu now, readers. You can blow out those prayer candles. Sadly, though, we’re still not quite at 100% fighting fitness, so it might be a wee bit too dangerous to wade recklessly into the pool of shrieking, panicked insanity that poor Brian Wilson is thrashing around in at the Scotsman today.
If you perhaps weren’t yet certain of the power of Nicola Sturgeon’s tremendous and widely-lauded keynote speech at Strathclyde University on Monday, Wilson’s furiously incoherent and plainly terrified response is the proof of the pudding. The No camp is losing the argument, and they don’t know what to do about it.
We’re not about to help them out with strategy tips as to the right way to make their case, but out of basic human decency we’ll give them one clue: this isn’t it.
With the news that Better Together are already having to PAY people to campaign for the union (http://www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.aspx?jobid=37867), I think it’s safe to say that your “illness” is actually a unionist conspiracy to shut you up.
Steer clear of folk with narrow-eyes in future, Stu. They’re out to get you…
What does Wilson say? I just cannot summon the motivation to read his articles anymore.
Isn’t that just typical – you all got flu at the same time 🙂
“What does Wilson say?”
Basically he says “aye that’s all very nice Nicola, but in actual fact you’re all sekrit Existential Nats, and the Scottish people will see through your fine rhetoric and vote for the true socialists – the Labour party”
Will Wilson ever have the decency to admit he is a diehard British Nationalist? I am not holding my breath…
Quite simple I too cannot summons up the energy and will to read what Brian Wilson has written.
I long since sussed that the arguments he puts up are shot through with holes so big you could drive double decker bus through. His stance on nuclear power defines the man to me. Union Jack rent a gob. If he is the intellectual shock trooper for the Union case, their position is a goner?
Slightly O/T I see that Osborne is talking that this “depression” has a lot longer to run that he declared some years back.
I am with whoever think that Cameron has done a deal with Salmond and he will help the Yes vote by actions.
How else can you explain the golden eggs they keep laying for the Yes campaign.
The response to Sturgeon’s (excellent) speech has been interesting. It seems to have been well received, occasionally grudgingly so, by a lot of the journalists that are normally openly hostile to independence or the SNP – you almost get the feeling that they are happy to have something substantial to write about instead of the usual tit-for-tat bollocks.
The response from political opponents who have been continually asking for the debate to be “raised” and “honest” and asking to be told what an independent Scotland “would look like” has been predictably sour and negative.
I find it impossible as things stand to imagine a member of the No Campaign making a corresponding speech setting out their vision for the future of the country in the Union. If someone tried, it would genuinely raise the debate to a decent level but I’m not holding my breath.
Yes, I was expecting Brian Wilson to raise his game and finally stop carping on about what the SNP are doing or saying and actually expound the positive case for the Union (remember that?) – or maybe even what Labour’s policies might be? Still waiting.
What with today’s headline – ‘Scots’ water hold billions of barrels of North Sea oil – I assume they are renaming their paper as The ‘Scots’man?
RE Priti Patel story in the Record.
I’m beginning to warm to the Tories. Really are doing their best to help. Although I think Priti’s not doing it intentionally; not clever enough for that methinks.
However, she could move into Louise Mensch’s territory as the next Tory pin-up?
@s_s
I’m beginning to warm to the Tories. Really are doing their best to help. Although I think Priti’s not doing it intentionally; not clever enough for that methinks.
I will never warm to the Tories, maybe with a red-hot poker though…
@Major B
However, she could move into Louise Mensch’s territory as the next Tory pin-up?
Yeah, that was what I was thinking when I saw her photo. Shallow minds think a like…
@Doug Daniel
Campaign Volunteers
Better Together is a new cross party campaign that promotes the view held by millions of Scots: that Scotland is a better and stronger country as part of the United Kingdom.
… then why do they need to campaign and require volunteers? If the same view is held by millions of us (in a country of 5 million) surely old Flipper Darling will just have to put the feet up, smoke a kipper and watch Countdown until those assured millions of votes come pouring in elevating his status to Lordship. Maybe he knows something we don’t (or we do actually know and he’s feart to admit).
@muttley
Quite. It’s a step up from Ann Widdecombe certainly.
I don’t think Yes Scotland is having to publish actual job adverts for volunteers, or not that I’ve seen anyway. They’ve got about 143,000 already, haven’t they?
@Dcanmore
Better Together is a new cross party campaign that promotes the view held by millions of Scots: that Scotland is a better and stronger country as part of the United Kingdom. … then why do they need to campaign and require volunteers? If the same view is held by millions of us (in a country of 5 million) surely old Flipper Darling will just have to put the feet up, smoke a kipper and watch Countdown until those assured millions of votes come pouring in elevating his status to Lordship. Maybe he knows something we don’t (or we do actually know and he’s feart to admit).
It is the old arrogant Westminster attitude coming out. It is very patronising, assuming voters in Scotland automatically support the union. This despite the fact that the No parties are devoid of rational arguments, political talent, and of course that rarest of things, an appearance of the positive case for the union. The latter seems to have bizarrely morphed into attacking the SNP, and Alex Salmond, at any opportunity.
Ah, Brian Wilson, eh. Previous Communist, SNP member, Labour MP, Climate-change denier (Flying Matters, pro-aviation coalition), pro-nuclear lobbyist (AMEC) , vote No to Scottish devolution campaigner, ‘red’ Tory propaganda spouter, blah, blah, blah… and now ‘blue’ Tory full-time Brit-Nat Scotland vote No propagandist is in the ‘quality newspaper’ the Scotsman [sic] expounding ever more long-winded verbal garbage to rubbish Scotland, and, especially, the SNP… quelle surprise !
He occasionally gets airtime on BBC Alba, thanks to some laudable work he did back in the day for land reform and the Harris Tweed industry, which is usually non-political. As a Gaelic-speaker and descended from crofters from the Inner and Outer Hebrides and with a real understanding of the culture of those areas of Scotland, I can tell you that Mr.Wilson is not as popular there as he likes to believe he is. In fact, there is a great deal of resentment to his ‘turncoat-ism’. It has happened far too many times in the past, where someone would come and be seen as a saviour to the people there in their struggles against Tory landlords, only to then become no more than the Tory they were so supposedly against previously (although this time in Tory views, beliefs and outlook rather than ownership of the land). When he is on BBC Scotland or in any member of the Unionist press doing down Scotland’s hopes for independence the people of those islands are extremely unhappy at what they see as Wilson’s betrayal.
And for Brian Wilson to extol the virtues of Labour’s ‘good work’ in the east end of Glasgow is disingenuous at best, with stuff like, “… how politics had changed their lives for the better.” being simply breathtaking.
@Doug Daniel 12:12pm
Well done for another exposure of the Better Together campaign!
Paying ‘volunteers’ to campaign on their behalf, National Minimum wages and all…in the spirit of the season – Ho! Ho!Ho!
The inaugural meeting of the Argyll & Bute Yes campaign, with its CEO Blair Jenkins, took place last Saturday in Oban. Considering the distances involved in Argyll & Bute and the somewhat uncooperative weather conditions on the day a turnout of over 60 was more than expected, with people gathering in Oban from many parts of the county. The Yes campaign will be further devolved in Argyll & Bute with northern, central and southern branches being set up.
Slowly and surely will win this race. We live in interesting and exciting times. Onward and upward to Scottish independence!
His closing paragraph about social justice and equality was quite telling. If he was paying any attention to what is actually going on, he’d realise that nationalism is safeguarding these very things against a coalition government determined to cut them and a labour party who want to join in.
David Torrance referred to the piece as “muscular” – if that means pig-headed and wrong then for once I agree with him.
Muscular, as in gluteus maximus?
@Juteman
Are those the muscles he uses to keep his ears warm?
@Major
That would depend on where he has his head planted!
Every time Brian Wilson writes anything for The Scotsman the usual tedious, essentially conservative, gatekeepers of the debate line up to shower it with the usual mutters of approval along the lines of ‘Hmm yes, very cogent stuff there from Brian Wilson.’ Or in the case of Labour folk, ‘God, wasn’t all that bile just brilliant? Brian’s a genius. Reminds me of what I got into politics for.’ Wilson’s quite capable – in fact his columns for the West Highland Free Press are sometimes a good read – but his contributions to the constitutional debate are pretty rubbish. They usually amount to little more than a few paragraphs of sneering polemic. If you were mistakenly looking for any ideas, you’d quickly realise how barren his thinking on the subject is. Remember, this is a man who always believed, and still does, that the creation of a Scottish Parliament was a mistake. He doesn’t believe any further devolution or constitutional reform is necessary or desireable. He is that far away from the democratic realities of modern Scottish politics. Wilson’s a sort of neo-Liberal Trot, having completely sold out most of his old principles except for the ones about denying self-determination to small nations. He’s also a very well-paid nuclear lobbyist and has been for years. Just as an afterthough, it’s quite hilarious that he lacks the self-awareness to realise that talking about the ‘difference’ the Labour Party has made in the East End of Glasgow might not be a good idea. I think a few hard statistics could put that argument in its place.
“Desperate families walking 20 miles for food handouts” (Mirror 5 Dec 2012)
Meanwhile Better Together will pay for your lunch if you hand out their shit.
UK OK
The advert for volunteers for the better together lot has at the bottom
© 2012 Working for an MP
This site is funded by the House of Commons
So the HoC is paying for their advertising
In regards to Nicola Sturgeon’s continued rise, and prominence in the SNP, should this be regarded as a sign that Salmond will play a lower profile in the referendum campaign than was anticipated, or is it just looking to the future when he steps down?
Alex has to be First Minister of all Scotland, and run the government. It’s not surprising he’s putting a little distance between himself and the referendum campaign.
Against my better judgement I clicked onto that link to Brian Wilson’s Baloney in the ‘Scots’man.
Dear me! I really ought to have known better.
I now wonder what I did so wrong in a previous life that I must now inhabit the same country and time frame as the execrable Brian Wilson.
mato21
Where did you see this advert?
Is it in a newspaper or online?
@ DougtheDug
http://www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.aspx?jobid=37867
@DougtheDug
the link to advert is in the first post to this thread (Doug Daniel’s).
I’ve had a look at the advert and the guide, http://www.w4mpjobs.org/Guide.aspx, and it appears to be quite legal to put a better together advert on the House of Commons jobs page.
Yes Scotland should get in there with their own advert.
Does anyone think Captain Darling and co. will ponder why there seams to be little or no enthusiasm for a campaign which aims to prevent their nation from gaining self-government and statehood? :D:
Completely O/T, but putting the snaw for tomorrow at elevation aside, keep an eye on the weather forecasts folks in the coming week. Something interesting brewing. Model outputs today are jaw dropping; something I’ve not seen in a wee while, well since Dec 2009 as it happens. Met Office getting bullish too. Still hard to say how it will develop, but put it this way, if this did come off you’re going to be doing a lot of digging, notably those in eastern areas.
http://cdn.nwstatic.co.uk/ecmimages/20121205/12/ecmt850.240.png
We shall see, but for those who like a flutter, a white christmas is increasingly odds on.
I’m close to 800 feet up on the eastern side of the Pentlands, but the BBC weather forecast for the 10 days to 14th December isn’t showing anything out of the ordinary.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/eh46
scottish_skier
From about the eleventh there will be no brass monkeys alive.
http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=jetstream;sess=
@Morag
I’m close to 800 feet up on the eastern side of the Pentlands, but the BBC weather forecast
BBC? Are you serious LOL. They’re well trustworthy aye 😉
No wanting to start the thread off on one here but…
As per CH’s post above, just wanted to note that, while I’d far more confidently predict the 2014 referendum result, those with an interest in forecasting and a love of cold and snow are getting increasingly excited. I understand gov now on cold weather alert due to the potential. MetO strong hinting too; when they get bullish, worth noting. Just something to watch in the next week or so. Chances are certainly the best you could ask for in terms of things leading to a white christmas, although it all going pear shaped as usual can’t be ruled out.
I hope the worst weather holds off until the end of next week – give me a chance to get home and enjoy it! Also the Mrs. Holebender doesn’t do so well digging herself out of the house while I’m away.
Gee thanks. I have to be in Ayr by tomorrow evening, then back on Saturday via Motherwell.
And I’m intending to spend Christmas in Halifax (swapping the Pentlands for the Pennines) and back here for New year.
Yes I have winter tyres on the car.
And I bought a snow blower after the hell of 2010-11, and only used it once last winter. I hope it survived the summer.
I still don’t see how CH’s link adds up to a white Christmas though. It’s all red….
@ Morag
Yes I have winter tyres on the car
Keep meaning to write to the Scottish Government and suggest they divert funds from rock salt purchases to the universal benefit of free winter tyres 😉
Winter tyres are a must in Scotland. Mine are usually on from the start of December to some time in April. I actually fitted them in October this year, when we got our first snowfall. The key is 7°C. Any time the temperature is below 7°C the rubber compounds in “Summer” tyres harden and lose their grip. Winter tyres aren’t just for the snow, they’re for the cold.
Two years ago, not long after I got my winter tyres for the first time, I woke up one morning to Mike Russell (I think it was) pontificating on GMS about how maybe we would have to think about winter tyres, “even though they cause damage to the road surfaces”. After I had finished beating my head against the nearest wall, I emailed him and pointed out his error. (In confusing winter tyres, which look just like any other tyre but are made of a different rubber composition and have a different tread, with snow and ice tyres, which have studs that will damage tarmac and shouldn’t really be used on roads without a snow cover or over about 40mph, just in case anyone wasn’t clear.)
To be fair I got a nice mea culpa email back, saying several people had emailed him to explain how he was wrong, but honestly, there’s a whole educational internet out there. I haven’t seen much sign of any educational information since, though word of mouth is doing quite a lot. So many people are woefully ill-informed. I had an email from my insurance company with a check-list of winter precautions, but not a syllable about the advisability of winter tyres.
Nobody could have done a damn thing about what happened on the M8 that day two years ago – at least, nobody in government. And it was really dishonest of the BBC to feature the whole-UK weather forecast from the night before, which showed snow across the central belt, and not to mention the dedicated Scottish forecast, which didn’t. And not to mention that even the UK forecast didn’t predict the depth of the snow.
But the real story was that these jams would simply not have happened if all these cars had had winter tyres. The difference they make is indescribable. When I bought my new car in 2009, it was like Bambi on an ice rink. It was absolutely embarrassing. I began to think I’d have to change it, even though I love it to bits. I put winter tyres on it in November 2010, and three days later was the only person to make it to work in more than a foot of snow.
There is no downside. You can’t wear out more than one set of tyres at a time. You do have to pay to have them changed twice a year (unless you buy steel winter wheels and change them yourself), but you get your tyres checked and your wheels balanced as part of the package. (My garage man just told me my summer tyres are worth putting on again but they won’t last all summer, so get used to the idea that 2013 is New Tyres year.) And people with nowhere to store tyres say, just change the drive wheels, and then put a chipboard disc and a tablecloth on the two spare ones and you have a coffee table.
I’ve seen some garages advertising them, and a couple of TV adverts, but we really need a proper “clunk click” campaign about it. I’ve heard some people say, what’s the point in changing them, you’ll get stuck anyway because of the people in front. Honestly. Me, I’d prefer to be the one who can drive out of the drift without calling the RAC, I have to say.
This year my car was due its first MOT in mid-September. I was a bad person. I delayed for two months, then took it in in mid-November for MOT and tyre change at the same time. Synchronising the operations for the life of the car. Right now I’m looking at a band of white between me and where I have to be tomorrow evening. And I’m not worried at all.
Morag
The link I posted is the jetstream high altitude winds i.e in summer they should be to our north allowing a warm southerlly airstream to envelop us and in the winter it should be to our south letting cold air come from the north. Click the screen until you get to the 11th dec and see those strong winds dragging cold air directly from the north and keep warm. It is not cast in stone though!
Morag, I heard last winter (or maybe the winter before) that some insurance companies were discouraging winter tyres and even refusing claims on the basis that they were modifications from the manufacturer’s original specification. Utter lunacy, especially as the tyres will safe on insurance pay-outs for accidents.
I have a nice set of alloys which I bought on Ebay which I have permanently fitted with the winter tyres, and the car’s original alloys with the summer tyres. I change them myself and keep the off duty set in the garage. I drive a rear-wheel drive car and four winter tyres are essential, IMHO.
Morag
Thanks for that info.
Holebender, I’m not sure how true all that was about the insurance companies. The most I heard confirmed was that you were advised to tell your insurance company, but that you wouldn’t be charged any extra. I think there were some urban legends going around. I’ve never said a word to the insurance company. For goodness sake, I have a VW. If you buy the same car in Germany in winter it will come with winter tyres as standard because they’re mandatory there.
I agree with you about a rear-wheel drive needing four tyres. Essential. (Did you see the YouTube clip that was going the rounds two years ago of the man painstakingly fitting snow chains to the front tyres of his Bentley – I think – which apparently the viewer was supposed to realise is a rear-wheel-drive. As expected, he got in and the wheels just went right on spinning.) I only had the front tyres done on my front-wheel-drive Golf in 2010, because that was all I could persuade the garage owner to get me! The difference was spectacular and I had no trouble, but I was conscious that my back end was on a couple of sledges. In 2011 I said, just order me another two and don’t argue. Given the improvement in the grip, I want that all round please. Now he’s stopped arguing and he says he’s putting them on more cars every year. Like I said, we’re 800 feet up in the Pentlands.
I have 17″ wheels, and these are fine just changing the tyres, and since I can’t be bothered doing the job myself I just do that. I know people who have gone for the insanely expensive 18″ Monza Shadows find they have to change the whole caboodle anyway because the road salt gives the diamond-etch Monzas white worm. VW offer 16″ steels as winter wheels for the car, and I can see the attraction.
You know, if you’re just doing the shopping and the school run, and never driving long distances or going far south in summer, I think there may be an argument for keeping the winter tyres on all year as standard in Scotland, if you don’t want to keep changing them
Discuss.
Morag keep ours on all year and insure through NFU and they will not quibble about winter tyres.
I know summer tyres fail drastically under 7C, but what I don’t know is what the upper limit for winter tyres is supposed to be. I imagine there comes a point where they’ll stick to the tarmac if you leave them parked in the sun, and I wouldn’t want to leave them on in Germany, but here? I have a feeling that they could be quite practical for the non-performance car as an all-year proposition.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres must be fitted to all four wheels of a vehicle, the difference in traction is spectacular – you cannot drive in a manner that defies the laws of physics, but you have a higher level of available grip and winter tyres have more sips (slim cut outs in the softer rubber compound that remove water, slush and snow into the larger tread cut outs that let the tyres cut through to the road surface) It works like large amounts of rain fall onto the hills, this makes it way to burns and a large number of contributory rivers before getting to larger rivers and out to sea – hope that makes some sense.
Winter tyres are often used on vans year round, but i would say if you only cover 4-5 thousand miles a year using winter tyres all year round makes better sense.
I lose about 3-4 miles per gallon (drops down to about 50mpg with winter tyres fitted. However the extra feel through the steering, available grip and confidence gained when driving early morning on untreated roads, very wet, snow covered, compacted snow covered, icy roads more than makes up for this – the hassle involved in having an accident through lack of driving grip, imagine having to wait on a recovery truck, getting in touch with insurance company, arranging hire vehicle, possible loss of no claims bonus etc.
I always use proper winter screen-wash at this time of year – it must be capable of remaining liquid to -36 Degrees C (if you factor in wind chill factor at around 0 degrees, then the wind chill factor at 50 miles an hour is probably closer to -10 or so. Forget the stuff sold on most garage forecourts it generally works to about -2 if you are lucky! The stuff that Shell sell as a general rule is good, but at about £7 for 4-5 gallons it isn’t cheep, but is better than driving in conditions without having a clean windscreen, especially with a low winter sun.
Sorry last paragraph should read…
£7 for 4-5 litres.
Concur on the above. Once you’ve tried winter tyres, you won’t go back. 2WD on winters is better than a 4WD on all seasons in terms of traction and particularly braking on ice/snow.
There is no need to inform insurers (you’ll just probably confuse them); winter tyres (non-studded) are just tyres, albeit it with softer compound and a tread pattern optimised for wet, ice and snow. If it’s 20 C+ and you are doing 70 mph on a summer’s day they’ll wear out faster than all seasons and feel soft when cornering hard, but you can use them all year round if you want.
Check this out for ice, particularly the cornering sequence:
Britain is going bust…
why would anyone vote for more of this?
http://www.terrysmithblog.com/straight-talking/2012/12/a-real-autumn-statement-part-1-lemmings-in-denial.html
@Dal Riata:
You missed out one of Mr.Wilson’s predilections: his love of all things Irish – well, a certain kind of Irish. Like many Scottish Labour MPs, he manages to maintain the doublethink of supporting Republicanism in Ireland whilst being fanatically pro-Union for his constituents. What a difference a gold-plated pension makes to Labour morality, eh?
Remember when Henry McLeish was caught on mike, moaning about how Wilson spent most of his time in Dublin?
Tamson: I didn’t know about that. For anyone else who didn’t:
http://www.totalpolitics.com/quotes/?tag=Henry+McLeish&count=3
Comments start out discussing Wilson’s article in the Scotsman and glides into discussing winter tyres. Here’s my tuppenceworth from decades of motorcycle off-road competition.
I consider tread pattern the more important feature to help grip. Compare the rear tyres of a tractor as one extreme with the annular grooved car tyres as the opposite ;then a motocross bike with big spaced out squares but not suitable for tarmac but huge grip and self cleaning properties; then a trials motorcycle. Closer spaced and suitable for the tarmac.Still affords excellent grip.So a tread pattern tending towards rectangular segments should be excellent but a big increase in road noise.
Another consideration is tyre pressure. For motocross I ran 15 psi front, 12 psi rear; for trials 7 psi front, 4 psi rear. Excellent grip, squidgy handling. If you ever get stuck in the desert sand lowering tyre pressure is the first step to finding grip.
Unfortunately low tyre pressures on annular -grooved car road tyres will lead to unpredictable handling and additions to your DVLA points score if your caught.
So by all means have two sets of tyres, or drive a Subaru. I wouldn’t leave home without it!
I think what really vexes the man is that the message of social justice, equality and fairness has been taken by the SNP. He thinks it unfair now that labour has cast it aside that the SNP picked it up, dusted it off and then put it on and then found it was a good fit. Like most banal unionists, the man is always looking to the past and it clearly never occurred to him, that this message is one that has to be protected, not torn down to triangulate a right wing vote.
O/T. Listening to FMQs today, if there was any doubts that Scottish Labour and the Conservatives are not in an alliance and acting in concert with each other, they were removed. Both Lamont and Davidson chose the same subject for their questions to the FM. This level of collusion is laughable for supposed enemies, particularly given that Osbourne says that austerity will last till 2018.
If LabCon simply repeat each others questions, better to have them alternate on different FMQs, and give time to the Green/Indy group and back benchers.
@Oldnat
Surely there must be people associated with Scottish Labour who are reaching breaking point in regards to this pact with the Conservatives?
@velofello
So by all means have two sets of tyres, or drive a Subaru.
Aye. There’s a subaru with winters on near me. Could pull a tractor out of a ditch in 2 ft of snaw.
Surely we’re allowed to go off topic right at the bottom of a long comments thread 😉
But they’re such ugly cars. I could never bring myself to drive a Subaru!
As for FMQs, party leaders are too inept to have a backup question ready in case someone asks their planned question first. It’s not a conspiracy it’s a cock-up.
Apropos of nothing…
I see today, once again, we’re going to get thrown out of the EU but not need to re-apply as we’re already in, just renegotiate but as we’ve been thrown out we’ll need to adopt the Euro immediately and apply schengen while we’re at it.
Seems to make sense.
Have to say, my recent visit to EFTA Norway and the prospect of being a non-successor state ergo debt-free is increasingly appealing.
The funny thing is, this issue will have naff all effect on the referendum result for very, very obvious reasons. Worrying that so many in the no camp which govern Scotland from London can’t understand such basic concepts.
In regards to the weather, it was interesting to note on GMS today that Gary Robertson talked of the day he had to abandon his car a couple of years ago because the weather took people by surprise.
“This can’t be right,” I thought, “the BBC told us it would snow, and it was just the Scottish Government who ignored it!”
Surely BBC Scotland’s determination to force a minister out of his job wasn’t just a case of their employees being pissed off that they had to abandon their cars…?
Sottish skier: This intertwining of topics on Wings I find most enjoyable, and thanks for the videos.
Holebender ref Subaru: My stock answer on Subaru car styling – You don’t see the car when your behind the wheel but you sure will notice a big improvement in driving pleasure and capability.
Ref FM Question time. Someone obviously has had a word about classroom behaviour.
Alex Salmon has adopted a reasonableness and senior politician style.
Johann Lamont has dropped the personal insults but thankfully not her mannerisms. I find her right hand gestures fascinating. And today we were treated to some finger pointing. And I could hug her when she throws Alex Salmon one of her thunderous looks. Credit to the BBC camera crew, they are getting better at catching her unloving glances and mannerisms.
Just loved Tricia the presiding officer calling on Ruth..pause..Davidson, and with a ghost of a smile.
The EU, relax, Scotland has a strong hand both in economics and strategic importance. In or out, I’m relaxed about it post independence.
I find it impossible to comment on this topic.
I don’t drive and refuse on humanitarian grounds to criticise the less able in our community like Wilson, Lamont and Davidson.
Then again, obviously my first sentence is rubbish. So I’d ask – which of these tyres is best to use as fenders on a boat?
Barney Thomson: Try Fender Stratocasters