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Spend, spend, spend

Posted on October 06, 2015 by

The media and Unionist politicians (we really need to come up with a word to describe that single entity), when not concocting hysterical frothing diatribes against Michelle Thomson or complaining about the Scottish Government giving money to T In The Park – a position we must confess we find ourselves in some sympathy with – have recently been loudly protesting about last year’s “underspend” in the Holyrood budget.

There’s an extremely good article here by Dr Craig Dalzell of the Scottish Greens dealing with the broader issue of why such complaints are idiotic, so rather than go over the ground again we thought we’d look at another angle.

heraldspend

Above is a Herald article from earlier this year, reporting an exaggerated version of the figure, which has now been accurately identified at £347m (almost £100m less than the Herald’s original one).

But what’s more puzzling is why the Herald thought £444m was a record anyway.

As Dr Dalzell notes in his article linked above, underspends of the budget are almost inevitable because of the way Holyrood’s finances are managed – without the ability to borrow to cover any shortfalls or emergencies, the Finance Secretary of the day HAS to err on the side of caution or risk unforeseen catastrophe.

Since the SNP took over the Scottish Government, underspends aren’t “lost” money – they carry over to the next year. Under previous Labour/Lib Dem adminstrations, the “spare” cash was returned to the coffers of the Treasury in London to gather dust.

(After the Nats’ first election victory in 2007 an arrangement was made to claw back the accumulated £1.5bn of underspends over four years – see image and link below.)

clawback1

Which makes it even more surprising that there was so much of it.

“The total sum, described as end of year flexibility (EYF), has been announced in June for the past three years. In 2000 the EYF was £435m, but this rose sharply to £718m the following year, before falling to £643m in 2002.”

In other words, in two separate years of the first Lab-Lib coalition, there was an underspend each year of almost TWICE what the Scottish Government underspent last year. And since the Herald knew perfectly well how big the previous underspends had been, it’s very odd that it would make such a clumsy mistake as suggesting that £444m was a “record” total.

We’re often cynical about the competence of mainstream-media hacks, but we’re reasonably confident even the likes of Magnus Gardham know that 643 and 718 are bigger numbers than 444.

There’s probably a logical explanation. Answers on a postcard please.

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  1. 06 10 15 19:43

    Spend, spend, spend | Speymouth
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  2. 07 10 15 14:31

    Spend, spend, spend | Politics Scotland | Scoo...
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136 to “Spend, spend, spend”

  1. ThemadMurph
    Ignored
    says:

    Collective term, how about mudionists?

  2. walter scott
    Ignored
    says:

    A Beeb of unionists. A Murphy… … I’m bored now

  3. Corm
    Ignored
    says:

    Media and Unionist politicians > MUP > Muppet’s.

  4. saor alba
    Ignored
    says:

    Great article..

    Collective term for Media and Unionist Politicians (MUP), supporters and groupies can be labelled as MUPPETS

  5. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    The media and Unionist politicians – HackUticians

  6. thomaspotter2014
    Ignored
    says:

    MUD-ONIONIST?

  7. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Loonionists ?

  8. Nei McAdam
    Ignored
    says:

    meanunists

  9. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    You know, the media should hold all Governments to account, and highlight any failings, but here in Scotland, all we get are nonsense, ill-founded anti-SNP stories dressed up as political discourse.

    I am honestly coming to the opinion, that political reporting in Scotland by a ten year old, would have more substance, be more incisive and contain more actual facts, than the utter propagandist tripe we are getting fed by supposed ‘professional’ ‘journalists’.

    Seriously, those supposed ‘journalists’ get paid actual money for such tosh. Hard to believe.

  10. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    “The media and Unionist politicians (we really need to come up with a word to describe that single entity)”

    The Blob?

  11. Big white
    Ignored
    says:

    Muppets
    Media, unionists , politicians , perpetual excremental tabloid stories

  12. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Collective term for the media and Unionist politicians: The Bastards.

  13. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    K1 at 625pm,

    Or you could just drop the ‘the‘. 🙂

  14. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Under previous Labour/Lib Dem adminstrations, the “spare” cash was returned to the coffers of the Treasury in London to gather dust.

    (After the Nats’ first election victory in 2007 an arrangement was made to claw back the accumulated £1.5bn of underspends over four years – see image and link below.)

    This isn’t right in its inference, and has led to one of the unchallenged myths from the Indy side, that the Lab / LibDems “gave back the money to Westminster”.

    During previous admins ScotGov could automatically draw down returned sums the next year, SG effectively wasn’t allowed to have a savings acccount, so the arrangement was to leave it with the Treasury – for next year if needed.

    In around 2006 / 7, the Treasury changed the rules so that in future it would be lost, and SG had to make its own arrangements to keep unspent funds. It happened that the SNP got into power, but Lab / LibDems would have been able to do exactly the same thing as the SNP – “clawback” those monies.

  15. David
    Ignored
    says:

    Magnus Gardham can count to potato.
    No, wait…

    Magnus Gardham can count to SNPBad.

  16. Skip_NC
    Ignored
    says:

    Could the $435m etc be equivalent to the Closing Balance in the graphic above the quote?

  17. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye Robert, initially I did, but then “The Bastards’ as a ‘collective term”, distinguishes them from all other ‘ordinary’ Bastards…if you see whit a mean 🙂

  18. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    Media and unionist politicos, careerist chancers.

    Good post, as usual.

  19. Brian Powell
    Ignored
    says:

    The answer is Gardham is a Unionist hack, and a lickspittle, of mediocre ability, but it took the referendum to highlight this.

  20. YesMeansYes
    Ignored
    says:

    Mediaocracy?

    Also works as a gag (mediocracy)

  21. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Incidentally that Herald article shows just how far the Herald has declined in its pursuit of a fair deal for Scotland, whether it believes in Home Rule as it stated a few days before the Ref, and that it had done for decades, or whether it supports the status quo or more powers makes no difference.

    The stories it prints these days are increasingly hysterical anti-SNP bile, with no thought or care for Scotland whether YES or NO.

  22. Kenny
    Ignored
    says:

    I would call them the Fifth Estate. As in fifth column….

    Mind you, the likes of the Sun and Daily Mail should really be called the Filth Estate.

  23. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Didn’t the newspapers used employ people called editors who supposedly checked what the so-called journalists passed off as news?

    Seems that nowadays dishonest hacks have a free hand to lie to their hearts content without having to answer to their employers. A few defamation cases against the employers would maybe make them up their game.

  24. michael diamond
    Ignored
    says:

    Corrupt. Unionist. Numpties. Trashing. Scotland.

  25. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Well you swatted that story flat. Excellent stuff… Next!

  26. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Scottish Politicians And Media’ (SPAM or SPAMMERS).

  27. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Collective term for the media and Unionist politicians:

    Well how about The Frozen (as in time, ideas, understanding etc)

  28. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    MUNTS seems to fit perfectly.

  29. Dandy Dons 1903
    Ignored
    says:

    The Herald has turned into a slightly more up market version of The Daily Rectum, with its ever increasing SNP bad stories and downright pro unionist drivel. Its no friend of Scotland or the indy movement thats for sure. Another enemy within.

  30. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the crap reporting.

    I hate the Scottish corporate media but I can’t think of a name terrible enough for them.

    We will never get a fair deal until we are independent

  31. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d be happy to call them either, Jack Shit, Black & Blue, Snotterz, Arseholes, Bluenoses, Oranges and Lemons,
    or Piss n’Boots, or the Panzers, or The Empire Brigade.

  32. neil bruce
    Ignored
    says:

    A far as I am concerned, septic tanks covers both
    politicians and media.

    For both content and rhyming slang.

  33. Brian Adams
    Ignored
    says:

    Corrupticians

  34. bugger (the Panda)
    Ignored
    says:

    cannae counters, failed the qualiy.

    Like Johanne, Iain and Kezia.

  35. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Loads of names for this lot but howsabout a UKOK bullshit scale monitor thing, out of 10, with this pretty routine fraud from Herald chumps say 6/10 UKOK?

    Economic genius that is toryboy austerity teamGB, now running £170.8 billion deficit last year, still the same £170+ billion. UKOK national debt first quarter 2015, £1.56 trillion, heading for £2 trillion, interest alone approx £50 billion.

    Why is UKOK austerity for the poor, socialism for the rich making no debt difference, why is Gideon celebrated by BBC etc, does it matter? Not if you’re a 10/10 unionist chancer.

  36. Graham Bradbury
    Ignored
    says:

    In conversation, I tend to be diplomatic and refer to them as ‘Club UK’!

  37. ross
    Ignored
    says:

    Heres an idea. Crowd fund the hiring of an private investigator and have them dig the dirt on the worst offending unionist journos (we know who they are).
    Then publish the info on blogs like this. Fight fire with fire. Everyone has done things theyd prefer no one else knew about. Find out theirs. I reckon theyd think twice about what they wrote if they thought there was a chance something could be dug up about them.

  38. peter
    Ignored
    says:

    How about clusterf*****s

  39. Croompenstein
    Ignored
    says:

    The Zoomerati, not quite the illuminati but bastards just the same

  40. ross
    Ignored
    says:

    You could call them The Keek

  41. Heidstaethefire
    Ignored
    says:

    There is a logical explanstion, but it won’t fit on a postcard

  42. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Jackie Baillie may find herself being charged by the police for interfering in a criminal investigation.

  43. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it safe to come out from behind the couch yet?

    I am avoiding listening to any Scottish news bulletins today.

    I am maxed-out on mortgages.

    STV need to pay some kind of price for this attack on the democratically elected Government of Scotland.

    Companies who advertise on this channel need to be made aware of the bias reporting that is coming out of the STV newsroom.

    Tell these companies that you will refuse to watch STV while this Bias, anti-SNP reporting is going on.

    As a protest, I have not watched STV all day.

    STV Bad!

  44. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m sorry but just read this. 😉

    Labour’s leader in Scotland Kezia Dugdale has faced fresh questions on her position on Trident today – after admitting to a policy which is “deliberately unclear” and mired in “confusion”.

    http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2015/oct/labours-trident-position-descends-farce

    If I have not suggested this recently then I apologise but … seriously … wee Kezia really REALLY should be on the stage! 😀

    Stand by for Eeyore. 😉

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRK03q76GKU&feature=youtu.be

  45. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    You do pose the difficult ones. 🙂 My best shot is, as we are dealing with two groups both suffering from projection, is … the 2stupid, from their common refrain that they are too wee, too poor and too stupid.

  46. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    gillie says:
    6 October, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Jackie Baillie may find herself being charged by the police for interfering in a criminal investigation.

    Oh PLEASE! 😀

  47. Kenco
    Ignored
    says:

    Munions.

  48. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Buy The National to keep The Herald alive.

  49. McBoxheid
    Ignored
    says:

    Cattle
    because they go
    MUH
    Media and Unionist Hacks

    and they are suffering from BBC naw, BSE, aye ah knew it was some TLA

  50. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Therè already is a word——-Establishment. They are all part and parcel of the same thing.

  51. Finlay
    Ignored
    says:

    “The Establishment” I’d have thought?

    “The British Establishment” in this case?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Establishment

  52. Wuffing Dug
    Ignored
    says:

    Croomp @ 7.15

    I like the illuminati comparisons.

    I could imagine firing up to one of them in the street and pointing / shouting -ZOOMERATUS!

    Or how about;
    The fuckwitati
    The cuntwitati
    The ifanninati

    Scraping the barrel now.

  53. McBoxheid
    Ignored
    says:

    If forgot to mention

    male cattle keep producing bullshit is great quantity

    The majority of male cattle have been castrated. (They can no longer do what they were meant to)

  54. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Name? Tories. Simple.

    Tory Press, Tory Media if necessary.

    The concept of Red and Blue Tories is well established. It means any Unionist.

    It’s a ‘dirty word’ to most Scots, therefore appropriate.

    There is a precedent. During the American struggle of independence, any colonist who favoured continued British rule was termed a Tory.

    One online definition says “A supporter of traditional political and social institutions against the forces of democratisation or reform”. Sounds right.

  55. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    They are not even trying to appear unbiased now. Straight in with the lies and a daily assault on the Scottish government. By default they are assaulting the Scottish electorate.

    Here’s how this works! The SNP managed 51% of the vote at the last election. The opposition managed 49% collectively. 97% of the MSM is on the side of the 49%. Maybe I am just a cybernat,but to me the majority of Scots are being slandered,pilloried, sleazed on a daily basis.

    But here’s the good thing. The majority and counting of Scots know what’s going on, and more and more are getting genuinely angry.

    The media are actually falling to pieces. Remember the outrage of the Unionists in George square. They weren’t the majority but acted like it. Scotland will judge the media at the ballot box. They are finished.

    The really scary thing is that Cameron’s narrative about taking the shine off the SNP. Is being mirrored by the press. This is the millionaire Tory paper owners calling the shots. No doubt more peerages have been promised. There are no Scots writing the headlines for the Herald or Scotsman. This is fleet street dictat.

  56. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    This is nice and say, around strength 6/10 on the Cardham Bullshit scale. Rancid Graun reportage on Daily Telegraph liars going after JC, for shame!

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/06/daily-telegraph-jeremy-corbyn-antisemite-ipso

    But same creepshow totally ignored/not reporting anything at all over Daily Telegraph liars, IPSO ruling and their great UKOK Carmichael memogate fraud on Scotland.

    http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-belated-truth/#more-72666

    “Press regulator Ipso orders paper to run prominent correction after it ‘distorted’ comments made by a prominent Labour MP in a front-page story”

    Good luck with that IPSO, run by charming toryboy at the Telegraph.

    http://wingsoverscotland.com/separatists-and-their-squillions/#more-75837

  57. Sandy Miller
    Ignored
    says:

    collective name I would us “The Vichy Scots”

  58. Bill Dale
    Ignored
    says:

    How about Media Imperialists ‘n’ Corporate Establishment, MINCE for short. (Steak mince of course, no pork here please)!

  59. Wuffing Dug
    Ignored
    says:

    STV Shitehoose Tele Vision

    BBC British Bluster Calamity

    ITV Insidious Trash Vanity

  60. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    They don’t pretend any more because we can always call them out on social media and they know it.

    They are relying on those who don’t use social media.

    There will be some out there who believe every word about MT, and they might be right, but there is no case yet.

    However there might be enough who realise this is completely OTT,

  61. Fireproofjim
    Ignored
    says:

    Rock
    Your anti-National obsession is getting boring. We did that yesterday.
    Buying the National does NOT subsidise the Herald.
    They are two separate papers and profit centres in a stable of over two hundred papers owned by an American group.
    If the Herald makes money it survives. If the National makes money it survives.
    If everybody followed your advice the National would fold. There would be no Independence supporting paper, but it seems that is what you want. God knows why!

  62. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Completely off topic and about 1,000 miles from where we are at present. 😉

    Here is a wee video of a certain Vladimir Putin, no I have no idea who is either 😉 , giving a BBC “correspondent” a right royal smackdown. 😀

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KHCNk9BYy4&feature=youtu.be

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4uivPpzCGo

  63. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    neil bruce says:
    6 October, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    A far as I am concerned, septic tanks covers both
    politicians and media.

    For both content and rhyming slang.

    The septics are tanking. 🙂

  64. frogesque
    Ignored
    says:

    If my dear old mum were still with us she would use the collective term ‘ Penny Dreadfuls ‘ to describe the Rag, Tag and Bobtail of the comentartie.

  65. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyway, I quickly had a look to get back in the swing of it, though lat time I spent hours instead of minutes. Some interesting links to do with DEL and EYF are:

    http://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2009-06-25.18944.0

    http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Finance/EYF-Guide

    http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmscotaf/943/7071702.htm

  66. Stu Magoo
    Ignored
    says:

    BritCunts?

  67. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “the people that lost their home in all of this”

    They didn’t “lose” it, they chose to sell it. They’re not homeless.

    And I haven’t made any judgements about Michelle Thomson. The clues, only picked up by the alertest of readers, were the several paragraphs where I wrote “I know nothing of Michelle Thomson’s business affairs and I’m not defending her. She may be innocent or she may be guilty”.

    It’s unfortunate you didn’t manage to process those any of the times I wrote them, but I’ve been doing what I always do – pointing out lies, incompetence and bullshit in the media. No more and no less.

  68. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    “They are not even trying to appear unbiased now. Straight in with the lies and a daily assault on the Scottish government. By default they are assaulting the Scottish electorate.”

    Yes, Big Jock, but this is a marathon, not a sprint, and the law of diminishing returns will also take its toll on The Establishment.

    The general hysteria of the Press/BBC/STV causes more and more people to switch off and this level of monstering is unsustainable over a seven month period, without further alienating Scottish voters.

    I think your optimism is justified and I wouldn’t be too worried about Call Me Dave. He has a limited shelf-life, like pulled pork. Boris and Gideon are waiting in the wings.

  69. David McDowell
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock at 7:44pm
    “By default they are assaulting the Scottish electorate.”

    This is the real problem Jock. These media ("Tractor" - Ed)s are subverting the democratic will of the Scottish people.
    The Scottish Government are sitting back allowing this to happen. They have a duty to defend our democracy from those who subvert and undermine it.

  70. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t know why we bother voting a Government in to work and run the country for us when the Media seems to want the job so much more

    Maybe the First Minister should just relinquish all power to the BBC the Herald and the Guardian and take herself off for a nice wee holiday Scotland will be in safe hands I’m sure

    I’m heartily sick and tired of all this unremitting Unionist lying constant stream of shit, I did hope that maybe STV would stay only mildly biased but no, it seems the game is up they’ve pulled their mask off and joined in

    Well hell mend them it just means they go on the list and that’s unfortunate once the bodies start piling up when they lose and lose they will, so far I have not heard one adverse comment about Ms Thomson everybody seems more determined than ever to increase the SNP vote because they know this is all Bullshit

    The Media’s greatest success in Scotland will be, to have elected, by the biggest majority in living history an SNP Government which will lead us to Independence in record time

    So for that,….. Media I thank you

  71. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s all coming back to me now. There is one unfairess for Scotland in this. If Scotland has an EYF of £1 billion at the Treasury, it earns not one single penny interest on this to give extra spending.

    If on the other hand it had its own bank account rather than not drawing down the case from the Treasury and thre was on interest on that, the amoung available to dwar down would drpo by the same amount. In other words, it would have by prudent savings and timings, not one single penny for extra spending.

    Just another note before I bore myself to sleep. In 2007 the SNP accused the Labour / LibDem of having an “election fund of £1 billion”, in other words they could make promises to the electorate of spending £1 billion on goodies. Of course, the same EYF was available to the SNP.

    In 2016 the Labour will be accusing the SNP of having an “election fund of £347 million”, in other words they can make promises to the electorate backed by that £347 million. Of course, the same EYF is available to the Labour party.

    Ain’t politics fun!

  72. Xaracen
    Ignored
    says:

    Feral Banshees!

    Because all of them are wild harbingers of doom and misery.

  73. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Gutter dredgers.

  74. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Good grief, that’ll teach me to trypo in near darkness.

  75. Jimbo
    Ignored
    says:

    “Incidentally that Herald article shows just how far the Herald has declined in its pursuit of a fair deal for Scotland”

    The Herald has been lying on behalf of the Westminster establishment for two hundred years, ever since the days of those earlier Scots who sought independence – the Radicals

  76. David McDowell
    Ignored
    says:

    Dr Jim at 8:21pm

    “everybody seems more determined than ever to increase the SNP vote because they know this is all Bullshit”

    I think at last someone has put their finger on it.

    The only thing that will ever stop these media attack dogs is the public showing them at the ballot box their lies are well and truly rumbled.

    That is the only thing that can take this propaganda “big stick” away from them.

    There are signs many more people are starting to see this.
    The general election in Scotland is the best local example but people in Greece and Catalonia have also recently shown they will not be cowed by scare stories and propaganda.

  77. NiallD
    Ignored
    says:

    Another excellent piece of debunkment( if that’s a word) by the Rev. MSM mouth frothing shown for what it really is….complete SNP bad twaddle.
    However an excellent piece by Dr Dalzell showing the Scottish Government to be fiscally responsible and the reason so many people vote SNP/support independence. Competence!

  78. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember in the Matrix when they said, we will show you how deep this wormhole goes! McWhirter,McKenna,Hassan…that’s how deep it goes.

  79. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes, Jimbo, since the time of Thomas Muir.

    Same old, same old, as you say.

    But the referendum was the triumph of experience over hope: by their fruits shall they know them, etc. No-one’s fooled by The Herald any more, I think.

  80. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers says:

    6 October, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    Don’t ask me how but this ended on the wrong topic. Here it is again

    We have been using the correct collective term for the whole boorach o thaim, “The Establishment”, for a long time. They have been ever present even before the printing press was invented.

    It encompasses the royals, Aristocracy, government, the media, armed & security services, the established church, the legal system, the police, the civil service and the Education System.

  81. paul gerard mccormack
    Ignored
    says:

    The penny has just dropped for me as to why I can never ever understand what Kezia Dugdale is saying. This happened when I saw a transcript of her talking.

    How she talks is that she says the same thing 5 times, except in different ways and in different word order. I used to be listening out for the development of an idea, but no, she doesn’t lead on and develop from her first sentence, all she does is go round and round as fast as she can.

    pure nightmare.

  82. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    @paul gerard mccormack

    It’s not an uncommon fault. Nothing much to say, but feels obliged to make a noise. Not a good trait in a politician, though!

  83. scotspine
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert, As an employee in one of those “Boorach” of Establishment organisations and someone who voted YES, how do you square that circle?

  84. David McDowell
    Ignored
    says:

    You’ve got to believe the day will come when most people rumble the media’s big scary “Wizard of Oz” face for what it is – a load of sad old gits hiding behind a curtain typing on laptops.

    More and more people are realising they are being duped.

  85. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    off topic for a moment

    The Uk’s sorry excuse for a prime minister being interviewed by Jon Snow.

    https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/651449982801674240

  86. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Bob Mack says: 6 October, 2015 at 7:37 pm:

    “Therè already is a word——-Establishment. They are all part and parcel of the same thing.”

    Got it in one, Bob Mack. I’ve been calling them that for decades. Ever since I realise they were all in it together throughout British history.

    Want the perfect example? On the run up to the Treaty of Union the Establishment’s undercover man in Scotland was none other than Daniel Defoe. He had been recruited by the Establishment long before and had published loads of political pamphlets for the English Parliament parties.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe

  87. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    Angus Anderson @ 3.20pm

    I suspect that the record of SALES being only 2

    1) Wrights purchase from council @ £21K

    2) MFPS arrange a sale to 3rd party @ £75K ( this may or probably was a Co already known to Frank or Michelle and the worst case senario would be if MT was actually connected in any way with said 3rd party purchasing Co.)

    The 2nd Sale is recorded as the same day the Wrights got their money . MFPS get a kick-back of £75-51K = £24K from either the Wrights ? or more probable the 3rd party.

    The other possibility is that as MFPS arranged the deal for the Wrights(after all Mrs Wright admits to contacting MFPS with the view of concluding a quickish sale) MFPS handled the transaction and MFPS cut of £24K is taken Off the £71K as costs ,before the Wrights get their £51K less the 30K that also legally has to be paid to clear Wrights Mortgage.

    Anyway as per my previous posts & my limited dealings on property ,in a certain way, I have done MUCH WORSE

    I wonder Rev , did it take a lot of effort to uncover the FACTS ?

    Strikes me the MSM are a total waste of space and cant be ar$ed investigating or reporting the truth , too much effort required perhaps ?

  88. Douglas gourlay
    Ignored
    says:

    Collective term! Wankers? Far too easy 🙂 what’s my prize?

    Sadly the fun of calling the msm and establishment politicians wankers as a collective term is only a short little giggle. The reality is that the journalists (?) that write this stuff need to be challenged and held to account for what they write. They put their names to the words. Is there no journalistic overseer or ombudsman to raise a complaint to? No right of reply that demands a justification in what they write? Or is their right to freedom of speech untouchable?

  89. handclapping
    Ignored
    says:

    Of course the likes of Gardham are desperate to bring the SNP down. They got their reputation because they knew where the SLAB plumbing leaked, but in 2007 that, and SLAB, became irrelevant. SLAB wasn’t the Government anymore and they had no contacts in the SNP. If you were getting the lowdown from Labour you weren’t allowed to talk to the Nose Pickers.

    Now they are loosing their reputation because they’ve nothing to say and Stu is picking apart the pish they are spouting their jackets are on the shoogly peg unless Labour get in again or are the leaders in a coalition. I doubt any of them have managed to make contacts with the Torys so when it comes to their editors comparing the progress at the National with their declines, guess who is sitting on the trap-door with mortgages / alimony / schools to pay for.

  90. macnakamura
    Ignored
    says:

    “media and Unionist politicians
    (we really need to come up with a word to describe that single entity)”
    =========
    MUPpets ?
    MUPpests ?

  91. De Valera
    Ignored
    says:

    Please don’t think of this as incompetent journalism. Just as we are detrrmined to see independence, they are are equally determined to thwart it.

    In our medias’ eyes, they are fighting for their survival and they will fight as dirty as they see fit.

    The establishment thought our movement would die after September 2014, the opposite has happened. What we are seeing is the tip of the iceberg.

  92. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    “Want the perfect example? On the run up to the Treaty of Union the Establishment’s undercover man in Scotland was none other than Daniel Defoe. He had been recruited by the Establishment long before and had published loads of political pamphlets for the English Parliament parties.”

    Just so, Robert Peffers. And if anyone wants a reliable account of the Darien Project, see “The Darien Disaster” by Francis Russell Hart.

    Not quite the Ian Hyslop pack of lies that he trots out on HIGNFY and PE.

    “He who controls the past, controls the future” and all that.

  93. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Peffers: “On the run up to the Treaty of Union the Establishment’s undercover man in Scotland was none other than Daniel Defoe.”

    His “History of the Union” published 1786 is about to come up at auction. I’ll be bidding. 🙂

  94. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry folks , last post @ 9.14pm is on wrong thread should have been previous one.

    Doh !

  95. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Luigi says: 6 October, 2015 at 8:03 pm:

    “A far as I am concerned, septic tanks covers both
    politicians and media.

    For both content and rhyming slang.

    The septics are tanking. “

    Nah! While they may often be full of pish shite and slops the Septic Tank, serves a very necessary and useful function.

    Not only that but it actually neutralises the disgusting contents into something much more acceptable. Whatever would country dwellers do without them?

    The Establishment works in a similar manner – but in reverse. It takes the more acceptable stuff and makes it disgusting.

  96. scribblerdubious
    Ignored
    says:

    the term for “that single entity”:

    the boorach

  97. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Just a wee heads up to who are on the panel for Question Time on Thursday night.

    Pritti Patel
    Lisa Nandy
    Tim Farron
    Melanie Phillips

    Oh and someone called Stewart Hosie.

    No I haven’t a clue who he is but he may be able to keep the five Tory party members in check though. 😀

  98. Early Ball
    Ignored
    says:

    Lisa Nandy is Labour and she made a great speech in the Trident debate a few months ago.

  99. EphemeralDeception
    Ignored
    says:

    I like the term MUPpets but I think Demersal (bottom feeders) is a more accurate term.

  100. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Lesley-Anne: I haven’t a clue who he is but he may be able to keep the five Tory party members in check.

    And the obvious planted question?

    “Does the panel think it ethical a politician should own a property company that exploits values?” or some such construct.

  101. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @David McDowell says: 6 October, 2015 at 8:19 pm:

    ” … The Scottish Government are sitting back allowing this to happen. They have a duty to defend our democracy from those who subvert and undermine it.”

    So, David, that’ll be why support for the SNP has been creeping up inexorably over the last few years and that of the Unionist Establishment has declined exponentially, will it?

    Why on earth do you think the SG should lower themselves and, with an aim of beating them, join them in the conduct that is slowly pushing more and more of the people of Scotland towards independence?

    Never change a winning formula, as long as it is working, and never interrupt your opponent when they are making errors.

  102. Kenny
    Ignored
    says:

    Looking at the picture of the Herald front page at the start of this article and the list of most popular stories, I cannot help thinking that it would be much easier (and much cheaper!) for the Herald to just print SNP BAD in large block capitals, filling the entire page.

    Then, having understood the whole content, people would be able to get on with the rest of their daily lives much quicker.

    I cannot understand why a paper would want to engage on a permanent 24/7 SNP-Bad-Fest. Everyone who wanted to has already voted No. The 45 are not going back in the box and it is months and months, I believe, since the polls showed support for independence as low as 45 anyway. The No press are rather like King Canute.

  103. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    Collective term, Plamphers.
    Look up the meaning Plamph.I think it works well

  104. Wired of Hermiston
    Ignored
    says:

    “Meanionists”, surely?

  105. Cadogan Enright
    Ignored
    says:

    I was on the point of wondering if Greens in Scotland were worth supporting again until after independence given some of the daft nonsense we saw in Westmonster. I had campaigned for them going back to 2007, and helped a green-led campaign in the Highlands in the referendum. But last time for WM I went SNP.

    Craig Dalzell gives me hope http://www.thecommongreen.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/we-need-to-talk-about-budget-underspends/

  106. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Well who saw this coming down the track? 😉

    S******* 2015 STILL going with the Michelle Thompson thingy.

    It looks like Bob Sinclair over on Twitter has had enough and is looking to reverse the tide.

    @BBCScot2015 @0604Arb1320 do you REALLY want us to start looking at the property deals of Tories, Labour & Lib Dem MP’s?

    Methinks we may be in for some interesting times ahead, and not just from Bob’s search for anyone who is unhappy with their house sale to a Tory,Labour or Lib Dem politician. 😀

  107. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @scotspine says: 6 October, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    ” … @ Robert, As an employee in one of those “Boorach” of Establishment organisations and someone who voted YES, how do you square that circle?”

    first of all a, “boorach”, is defined as, A group, a heap or a pile. It is a collective so not, “one of those”.

    In the second place It was a chance to receive the very best training there was and often the best way to fight a boorach is indeed from the inside.

    Wasn’t the guy who originated the BOE, William Paterson, a London Scot and who afterwards was in Scotland beginning the Darien Expedition and thus fighting against Scotland from the inside?

  108. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    I think that goes without saying GB. Yet another excellent example of BBC bias!

  109. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    The No press are rather like King Canute.

    King Canute actually sat in front of the rising to show ye olde royalists that he wasn’t able to hold it back.

    UK is owned by the super rich and they own all UK media including the BBC. So socio economic change in their Scotland region may have shock waves across the borders. And that’s why they are savaging the living shit out of Scottish democracy.

    ” Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal has refitted his Savoy, to the dismay of old-school visitors; and this summer the Barclay brothers sold their stake in Claridge’s, the Berkeley and the Connaught to a business controlled by Qatari sovereign funds, after the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority had reportedly offered £1.6bn.”

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Labour
    My Lords, what action are the Government taking to stop the use of tax havens such as the Channel Islands and Monaco for tax-dodging, which results in the rest of us having to pay higher taxes? Would he care to speculate on why a loyal newspaper such as the Daily Telegraph fails to publicise unpatriotic tax-dodgers such as the Barclay brothers?

    The Queen is worth near $100 billion, Sir Ian Wood’s made enough money from not Scots oil, he can probably take it with him etc etc.

    Liggers like Cardham or Torygraph comical Cockers. are merely protecting their bosses and their offshore stash.

    There is some trickle down though,

    http://www.cityam.com/225806/london-property-prices-first-floor-flats-are-most-demand-carry-significant-premium-too?ITO=data-in-focus

    Its a long non HS2 way from Cambuslang.

  110. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lesley-Anne seems the constant barrage of crap is having an effect on folk right enough

    http://xbasslichtie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/why-michelle-thomson-is-drawing-me-back.html

  111. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t you just love it Nana when yet ANOTHER unionist ploy … erm … FAILS! 😀

  112. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lesley-Anne

    Yep! Give em enough rope and all that hahahaha….

  113. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Baillie is already in hot water. She is making accusations as an Msp during a live investigation. I hope the lawyers are still up.

  114. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Grouse Beater says: 6 October, 2015 at 9:37 pm:

    “Peffers: “On the run up to the Treaty of Union the Establishment’s undercover man in Scotland was none other than Daniel Defoe.”

    His “History of the Union” published 1786 is about to come up at auction. I’ll be bidding.

    I would imagine it will cost a great deal more than a Pretty Penny, but I may be putting too much importance upon it.

    As the real history of his part in the affair is mostly air brushed out of the history most people are taught, it may not seem as important to non-history buffs.

  115. neil bruce
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers @ 9.42pm

    Actually the first two paragraphs were from me, and the
    riposte was from Luigi. Thanks for that Luigi, good one.

    I agree Robert, I never thought through the usefulness
    of a septic tank, and I should have as I have worked on
    them.

    However I

  116. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lesley-Anne says: 6 October, 2015 at 9:47 pm:

    “Oh and someone called Stewart Hosie.

    No I haven’t a clue who he is but he may be able to keep the five Tory party members in check though.

    Ah! Lesley-Anne, I heard the rest of the panel were complaining to the BEEB that the though the BBC had stacked against them.

  117. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m really seriously concerned that we do not have enough rope held in stock in S******* to do the job in one go Nana. We may have to let them hang themselves over a series of days. 😀

    Oh PLEASE BJ.

    So far I’ve read today that the Labour deputy of the branch office has his coat hanging on an extremely shoogly peg concerning a possible law suit!

    Now we have rentahonk putting herself up for a possible lawsuit.

    I wonder who is next, oh that’s right probably BBC,STV and meejia! 😀

  118. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye well I’d expect nothing less rom that bunch of LOSERS Robert.

    I can’t wait to see how far Stewart gets before the inevitable constant interruptions start up from the Tory Defence League Chairman!

  119. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Well Baillie’s exact words were: ” We know solicitors take advice from their client’s.” This is libelous. The solicitor is under legal investigation for sharp practices. However Jackie is advising she was acting on the say of her client Michelle Thomson.

    The libel is in in the implication that Michelle authorised illegal practices through a solicitor. In other words they both knew it was illegal. But the facts are that Michelle is not under legal investigation but the solicitor is. Michelle has not done anything illegal as far as the police are concerned or she would be investigated right now.

    Jackie has her as guilty by association. We don’t even know yet if the solicitor has been found guilty never mind Michelle.
    Call it what you want defamation,libel slander its all there. I expect Jackie to be silenced shortly once she gets a call from SLABs lawyer.

  120. Gavin
    Ignored
    says:

    MUnions or just plain minions!

  121. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @neil bruce says: 6 October, 2015 at 11:02 pm:

    “Actually the first two paragraphs were from me, and the
    riposte was from Luigi. Thanks for that Luigi, good one.

    I agree Robert, I never thought through the usefulness
    of a septic tank, and I should have as I have worked on
    them.

    I think my mind works a wee bit different from most. Comes for years of diagnosing complex electro/mechanical systems.

    We had two kinds of people who diagnosed such things. One would immediately start doing complex tests on intricate circuits and get out the complex test gear.

    Only when they had everything rigged up and went to power up the gear did they discover the mains fuse had blown.

    It often pays to look at things from the alternative viewpoint.

  122. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Yup, agree with Big Jock.

    Baillie behaviour abhorrent, despite James Dorman being clear, and trying to warn her.

    I hope she gets her arse kicked for that performance.

    I’m starting to get really angry now. Also stated a Tory has contacted the Standards Commission.

    I think the only small consolation is that I’m sure they were all warned big time what to expect, in terms of muck raking, and fabrication.

  123. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    A can of worms was duly opened tonight. Proverbial shit to hit fan.

    There’s a reason why SlAB are now falling behind the Tories. They really are as stupid as everyone suspected.

    Incidentally what happened to the new Kezia positive vision? Is this charade part of it.

    Glass houses and all that.

  124. Kevin Evans
    Ignored
    says:

    My suggestion for a media/unionist sounds like hunt and starts with a C.

  125. Alan
    Ignored
    says:

    Meduksa or something that riffs on Medusa.

    “a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as having the face of a hideous human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Gazing directly into her eyes would turn onlookers to stone.”

    Maybe you should change your moniker from Rev to Perseus.

  126. Michael McCabe
    Ignored
    says:

    My Name for the press and the media is. The Plague.

  127. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Perfect Michael! I can see the pustules every time I look at their articles.

    OT I have just watched a wee documentary on RT about stateside whistleblowers – quite alarming.

  128. Hamish Douglas
    Ignored
    says:

    How about the Unionedia?

  129. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Peffers: As the real history of his part in the affair is mostly air brushed

    From what I’ve manage to glean from books and pamphlets of the day, the arguments for Scotland to be the battered wee brother of England remain exactly the same, including that we would all become ‘foreigners’ if independent. Defoe’s warped version of history should confirm that ugly bias.

  130. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m a bit confused ? why was BBC Scotland last night saying the top legal guy for Scotland was going to enlarge the inquiry into that dirty lawyer and “other peoples” roles.

    Yet on their teletext (Scotland section) they were saying the top legal guy has said their was no need for any further inquiry.

    Did someone not get the memo ?

  131. Tom Platt
    Ignored
    says:

    The explanation that Rev Stu seeks is surely clear. The author name “Gardham” is a nom-de-plume derived from “guard them” or, as we often say in Staffordshire, “guard ’em”. It is adopted by all those who are determined to guard and otherwise be gatekeepers for the Westminster Establishment. These guarding duties involve rubbishing any threat to Westminster, like Scottish Government and involve frequent use of the chant “SNPbad, SNPbad, SNPbad!”

  132. Cuilean
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent expose of Glasgow Herald’s ‘wilful blindness’ to facts.

    It is for that simple reason that myself and thousands upon thousands of fellow intelligent newspaper readers are losing the newspaper habit.

    I for one would never buy a lying (ie Unionist) newspaper ever again.

  133. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC Question Time.Lesley-Anne said at 9:47 pm. 6th October:-
    “Just a wee heads up to who are on the panel for Question Time on Thursday night.
    Pritti Patel
    Lisa Nandy
    Tim Farron
    Melanie Phillips”

    As a political novice I haven’t a clue who they are except for this person,Melanie Phillips,a journalist:-“The Scots really hate the English”,interviewed on American TV. 🙁

    YouTube FILM:- http://tinyurl.com/o7swpsp

  134. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Fireproofjim,

    “Buying the National does NOT subsidise the Herald.”

    Yes, it does. Fool yourself if you like. Some of us are less gullible.

    Why does it not publish proper investigative articles like the Rev. Stuart does?

    Why hasn’t he been invited to write a regular column?

  135. Big Dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Unionists will be Unionists but our mainstream media’s level of bias is unparalleled out with dictatorships. A collective term would be LUM (Liars Unionists Media) although did chuckle at the MUNTS suggestion.

  136. iclare
    Ignored
    says:

    The media and Unionist politicians (we really need to come up with a word to describe that single entity)

    ”BubbleBrits” ?



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