Throwing in the towel
Well, at least now we know why Labour are so wedded to this shameful lie.
It’s because they’ve already given up on winning the rest of the UK.
Because there is only one circumstance in which the above tweet can possibly be true, and that’s if the Tories have won in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The only way “Scottish Labour” – and the tweet is very specific about it being SCOTTISH Labour – can make the difference is if Labour is losing before Scottish seats are counted. And that’s what Labour itself has just told us will be the case.
The Tories aren’t going to go from 2nd place to 1st on the strength of Scottish seats. Even the most apocalyptically gloomy predictions for Labour still say they’ll get more Scottish MPs than the Tories do, so all the Tories can do in Scotland is lose ground.
Which means that either the tweet is a complete lie, or Labour expects to get stuffed everywhere else and be desperately hoping that Scotland will turn things round.
Frankly, either way it doesn’t exactly exude confidence, does it?
I’m going to go out on a limb
here and go with ‘complete lie’.
Or their level of sheer skull numbing idiocy has reached a new low where they genuinely believe that Scottish Labour will win the day…and that people will fall for it…
So this is what it comes to for SLAB.
Reduced to begging their former supporters to “come back please, forgive us”.
The 40% of ex-Labour supporters that voted Yes in the referendum will not forgive easily. Stop begging you weaklings, own up to your errors and repent.
Maybe in 20 years time after you have paid for the sin of siding with the Toties some may return.
Until then, you just need to suck it up.
It all reminds me of a dying fly.
Bzzz…bzzz…bad SNP…bzzz…A&E crisis…bzzz…reduced Corp Tax…bzzz…bad SNP…bzzz
Anyone got fly-swat?
So what Labour are saying is Scotland has the power to decide the election with our 9% of the seats at Westminster,isn’t that a bit unfair on the rest of the UK if they’ve voted Tory?
Desperate times, eh? They really are a shameless bunch. Must be a shock for them that many of their lifelong supporters in Scotland have, at long last, realised that the party left them a long time ago.
Our job is to make sure that many more come to the same conclusion!
Much as I would be the last to be surprised at SLAB tweeting a barefaced lie, judging by the latest ICM poll which puts the Tories ahead of Labour by 6 points at the end of what has been a crap week for the Tories, I think I’d go for option 2 on this one.
Milliband is unelectable, Labour are toast and they know it.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/16/tories-up-six-points-latest-icm-opinion-poll
I don’t think so, the electorate will do that. Labour are in a win, win situation. If they sacrifice the Slabber, who are dysfunctional and need to go, they get the SNP to take them into power. If the SNP sort out corruption in Westmonster, Labour will claim credit and the SNP will weaken their cause for independence. If the SNP fail to sort out Westmonster Labour will step back with I told you so.
Over the years I have met many Labour supporters with functioning brains, where have they all gone, surely they have not all defected or died off.
I would say both. The liars are stuffed.
they said this in 2010 and 2011,
very unimaginative at best. This is not a winning slogan for labour and shows the poverty of their ambition and vision
the policy of “jobs for the boys” is fine when you have a deep pool to chose from, but the systematic replacement of councillers MSP’s and now MP’s, will leave a dirty puddle of talent, like the tories, where people like mundell is the best it gets
hell mend them
Even if they get absolutely humped in May (*hopes*) still still wouldn’t learn their lesson and would still be parroting this shite in 5 years time.
@Grizzle McPuss
Indeed I do have a fly-swat, as do you and many others, in the form of a vote for the SNP.
How many times does it need to be explained to labour, you at present have nearly fifty “Scottish” labour MPs, we still have a Tory government and this is not the first occurrence of this sorry situation and you damn well know it. Now go away and let Scotland thrive.
But we voted Labour last time and got..Eh..Tories
Kezia,
listen to your Dad. You are judged by the company you keep. Yes I know you were Foulkes little helper at Holyrood but you were young then. Smart up.
British Labour (Scottish accounting unit), says SNP bad, by implication. Colour me surprised. Yawn.
@ Jim Murphy
What about a positive case for voting Labour? That might prove as elusive as the fabled ‘positive case for the union’, bur give it a go. Go on, there’s quite a lot you could choose from. Why not sell me your vision for a socially progressive Britain? Tell us how pandering to city spivs will advance the prospects of improved social mobility. Why not tell us how Trident 2 will help alleviate the growth in absolute poverty, in Europe’s most energy rich nation. What is your alternative to the neo-liberal consensus? Got any ideas worth considering?
The population of Scotland is roughly 5 million.
The population of England is roughly 55 million.
It is now thankfully common knowledge that there is no such thing as the Scottish Labour Party, so you can write that off immediately.
This leads me to ask: just how small is the prospective turnout for Labour in England, and exactly how is our tiny population going to make any difference to their prospects if it really is that dire?
I think we’re going through Labour’s equivalent of the big dramatic speech that someone gives after they’ve been stabbed in the heart in a Shakespeare play. A whole lot of noise, but… yeah they’re done for.
SLab’s ‘appointment in Samarra’ was sealed in the early hours of Sep 19th last year.
They can run around screaming all they like, but it’s coming yet for a’ that.
Murphy is on the telly the noo, on his element in fuelling fitba bams wi’ alcohol,
The Scottish cowardly fitba auhtorities are also a disgrace in condoning Old Firmism – again.
One can only hope that the Scottish electorate are as well-informed as viewers of W.O.S.
Last year’s broadcast and print media brain-bombing was effective. Expect more of the same.
Murphy champion of the common man on Stv. I am going to be sick. The doctor made the best point. What is wrong with Scots that they can’t go 90 minutes without a drink.
“Scottish” Labour is all over the place. They can’t remember from one minute to the next what lie they have just told!
Murphy is on Scotland Tonight right now banging on about alcohol and football matches. He complained that you can’t treat rugby fans and football fans differently in relation to selling alcohol at games, then said a few minutes later that rugby and football were different, one of the reasons being the fans aren’t segregated at rugby.
So, are they different or not? This is totally distraction politics and maybe, just maybe, a lot of folk are beginning to realise it because they are concerned with the real problems we face.
Call Murphy this morning on EBC followed by Murphy Tonight on the BBC’s ‘competitor’
Tomorrow it’s the Great British Murph Off.
A must read
http://www.commentisntfree.com/you-meant-it-then/
The problem is that LIES (usually) WORK.
Not sure how this Twitter hash tag thing works?
Can some one not start #VoteRedToriesGetTories?
If they have not done already. 🙂
Time we talked to people about the Labour Party and how it differs from the aspirations of Labour voters.
We will have a fairly accurate prediction in the polls in England and Wales just before 7 May of whether Labour or Tories are ahead and by how much.Since the received wisdom is that Governments lose elections rather than oppositions win them, my gut tells me that the runes are saying that the Tories may win the vote but may lose out marginally in the electoral calculus – the hoped for result for SNP.
Labour’s problem is a Neil Kinnock problem. This looks like a re-run of 1992, but hopefully with a different result.
Desperate emotional blackmail. I prefer this
http://wingsoverscotland.com/quotes-of-the-day/#more-49431
@Roddy Macdonald, good link. I agree with one of the commenters on that link; UKIP supporters are returning to the Tory fold for this election, this will help the Tories and harm Labour.
O/T: A well respected and truly impartial journalist was asked if the perception that BBC Scotland was anti-SNP was, in his view, justified. “Put it this way,” he said. “It probably comes more naturally to them to attack the nationalists than to attack the union.”
But how is this the case? Well, from 1946 to 1991 media affairs in Scotland were subject to the moderating influence of the, BBC Scotland Controller who effectively reported to the, “Broadcasting Council for Scotland”, on which many distinguished Scot’s served over the years. That was abandoned and control of BBC output in Scotland transferred to the Board of Governers of the corporation in England then onto the BBC trust Chairman, in London.
So what’s the problem? The way in which BBC Scotland is run, the quality of care it shows for the many good people who work for it, the standard of what it does, the public service in Scotland ethos it supposedly represents are some of the more important questions facing the Scottish nation but it is doubtful they can be successfully addressed within the control systems that prevail at the present time. The BBC failed Scotland when it is needed most. The two main blockages are in the minds of those who seek to retain control of the state media output:
http://caltonjock.com/2014/11/05/bbc-scotland-labour-party-mouthpiece-in-scotland-politically-corrupt-biased-public-inquiry-badly-needed/
I absolutely agree. The “vote SNP get Tory” line is a straight forward admission that they are going to lose England. Even if the SNP do very well Labour will still get more seats in Scotland than the Tories and likewise in Wales. NI does its own thing. So if Miliband wins in England the rest of the UK will fall into place for him.
The politics of defeat from Labour.
Tories are now ahead in the polls… I predict this is because UKIP is collapsing… I predict that Labour will blame SNP support in Scotland for losing the election.
OT and apologies if this has been linked to elsewhere.
There is an incredible piece of footage of Gideon in action on Munguin’s Republic advocating the defrauding of the state through the use of ‘Clever financial products’:
http://munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/gidiot.html
We can influence a UK election with our paltry number of seats? Surely even a no voter cannae believe that one?!
Slightly OT but still on the lying thread.
Murphy on Scotland tonight has just claimed he was at the infamous old firm match in 1980, adding that he was still at primary school at the time.
I believe he was born in 1967, so it is possible that he was still there, (let’s not forget that he spent nine years at Uni).
However, isn’t it the case that he emigrated to South Africa in 1969 at the age of twelve? Perhaps he popped back for the match or more likely still that it’s another whopper. This guy puts Billy Liar to shame.
My advice to Milliband would be to forget about campaigning in Scotland under the faux banner of Scottish Labour and focus on a sales pitch for the UK as a whole. My feeling is that they are currently damaging any chances they have here rather than making headway.
They have screwed up so badly in Scotland on a whole series of levels, effort tailored to Scotland is wasting resources which could make a greater impact elsewhere. Labour need to win as many rUK seats as possible if Middle England is to accept Milliband as PM.
Croompenstein
I suppose their positive vision is ‘vote Scottish Labour and you might not get a tory government’
Haud me back!
Re-Dead duck Milliband. I’m certain it was reported Lamont told him to bolt back down south as he was losing Nae Bawz votes during the Ref. The man is unelectable.
The ‘Jocks’ getting hammered in the Cricket.
We truly are an embarrasment at sports. I look at Ireland with a lot of envy. A proper nation who usually kick well above their weight in many things.
They are over their ‘English past’ too. They are a lot more confident, self-assured of theirsevles than we are or will ever be, for a long-long time.
This isn’t a blast at anyone here. As we all voted to be free, but I do dispair seeing these ‘proud Scots’ in their tartan breeks, bunnets, ‘Wha’s like us?’ types.
‘Wha’s like us?’ – Ehhh, pretty much no one! Who the fúnk rejects their own Indy?
Apologies for the off post rant.
I think it has come down to self interest now. Labour MP’s are just trying to save their own seats. Greed has overtaken party loyalty now.
it’s
Me, Me, Me !!!!
It looks like Ukip are at the critical point where there vote might just collapse, and so far it looks as if most of that vote is going back to the Tories.If this does happen then a Conservative victory at the next election might begin to look realistic.
I’m not sure where that leaves things. It might shore up the Labour vote in it’s traditional heartlands, but then again it might just make them look like even bigger losers and cause people to desert them even more.
Interesting times.
At this time the best result for all the people under the jurisdiction of Westminster is to return as many SNP MPs as possible – there is no vote that they will affect that is to the detriment of them.
Rob James
According to his Wiki Page he left for South Africa in 1979 at the age of 12….
Will the BBC pick up on that…will they feck.
Faltdubh-agree with every word. Well said! The Irish comparison has always annoyed me too. Cheers proud scots.
@HandandShrimp and Rob James @ 11:30 pm
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@ Training Day, good one, shared it on Twitter and people like it.
Rumour has it that the BBC is renaming the days of the week:
Murphday, Twocratesday, WeedimJimday, Vowsday, Fryeggday, Fitbabevvyday, and Expensesday.
The ridd Tories and the Murphy choob arenae too bothered aboot polls etc. Think back tae the Referendum. They’re daein exactly the same noo. Wi the same biased meeja.
They’re sure they’ll be aw richt gettin free scowff tae air their propaganda, and maybe a vow in the dyin’ meenits, then jist rig the election.
Ever heard a single body frae ridd Torydom denyin’ riggin the election an’ interferin’ wi’ the postal votes?
@ HandandShrimp
Yeah, but there’s a South African Emerald Bhoys Starry Plough bus that leaves a few days before matchday kick-off …
Just watching Murphy now on STV, making out he ‘watched’ the 1980 game, which suggests he saw it on TV … He just said that in England there’s even breast-feeding at some football venues? Eh?
He keeps drawing comparisons with rugby fans but anyone who knows anything knows that there is a different set of behaviour attitudes at play in both sports: football is a far more tribal event, whereas rugby prides itself on being the rough ‘civilised’ sport of the middle-classes. That’s why Chic Young does his ‘socialising’ at a rugby club, far, far from the madding crowd.
Jimbo’s playing the ‘civilised’ card while ignoring the Heart of Darkness card, which people who work in A&E recognise only too well.
Murphy and McTernan are gifts.
Neverlook a gift horse in the mouth. xx
In 2010 excluding Scotland the Conservatives were the largest party on 305 seats to labour’s 217.
For Scotland to have done as the tweet says we can do now, Scotland would have not only had to vote labour in every single seat (ousting Mundell in the process so tories on 304) but would have needed an extra 29 constituencies on top all returning labour MPs.
As constituency numbers are population based, to have fulfilled this statement of ‘fact’ we would have needed double the population to return labour MPs in every last seat!
That’s not strictly true as rUK would proportionally lose seats but it’s too late to do the math. You get the idea. Scottish Accounting Unit’s claim for tge last general election and many others before relies on a massive increase in the population of Scotland relative to rUK.
Such an outlandish scenario still does not give labour a working majority so would have been no guarantee of a labour government anyway!
The reality was that even having lost the election after falling asleep at the wheel during the financial crisis, labour still could have formed a government if they had formed a broad coalition but chose not to!
I remember they appeared to have no appetite for government, the lib dems describing the coalition talks as half – hearted.
And that was after an election up here when we had been fed all the same shite as we’re getting now.
Rob James, I have no idea whether JM was at OF match but wiki says he came back to the British state [sic] (which he loves) in 1985 aged 18. Why being at a OF riot woukd be a good thing you’d think was a good marketing thing, I have no idea. But to admit you (JM not Rob) were clearly a shiteing cunt at that match and also wants to feed alcohol back into fitba is putting shite upon shite
all the best
charlie
—
ComRes Poll Feb13
—
Q. Thinking about how you will decide which party to vote for at the General Election on May the 7th, which of the following is the most important reason why you will choose to vote for a particular Party?
Most popular answer
The Party with the best policies on issues important to me = 66%
Least popular answer
The Party that has the best chance of beating another Party that I don’t like = 5%
Obvious Conclusion – Scottish Labour are completely fucked and are too stupid to either understand polls or even ask their previous supporters why they won’t vote for them any more.
Betty Boothroyd has said Labour MPs will rebel against a Lab-SNP coalition. SNP should offer all the defeated SLAB MPs a vote for a peerage. Sorted.
Take nothing at all for granted, the collapse of Labour in Scotland may well still turn the breadth of the south of Scotland Tory blue which would be like a punch to the stomach for those of us who live here. We’re playing catch up from 4th and 3rd position and with a local media that’s more English than Scottish it’s going to be tough.
There are different trends at play in different parts of the country, the SNP surge in central Scotland is likely to harden tactical unionist votes in the south – the tories are extremely confident down here.
There will be no coalition, of that we can be certain. There may be some some kind of loose coalition whereby the SNP can hold “Westminsters feet to the fire”.
Who cares? It is time for a shake up in Uk politics, let’s start by shaking both Labour and the dammed Tories.
People power is in the ascendency. It’s in OUR hands.
@thepnr
Yes – you are bang on about Murphy and McTernan.
Sometime in the near future 40 odd Slab (soon to be ex-) MPs are also going to work it out and then there will be fireworks. Latest subset poll 58%/21% SNP over labour maybe a slight clue that Murphism is not working.
The more we see and hear of Murphy – the better as far as it am concerned. Come on BBC – get him on every news broadcast – morning, noon and night.
I do not think it is an impossible target to work for over 50% of the vote and with Jim’s help we can do it.
If folk are not sick of him by now they certainly will be by May 7th.
The General Election used to be a UK wide affair.
But not now.
Now, there are two separate and distinct elections –
the one in England,
and the one in Scotland.
What has made the difference this year,
is that at this General Election,
for the first time,
a 100% Scottish party governs in Holyrood.
At past General Elections since 1999,
Scotland has always been governed
by a Unionist party in Westminster and
by a Unionist party at Holyrood.
This meant that there was nothing to be gained for Scotland
by voting for 100% Scottish MP’s in Scottish Constituencies
at past General Elections.
But now there is, because, with the SNP in power at Holyrood,
Scottish voters, for the first time, know in advance that
the Scottish Gov can work IN TANDEM
with 100% Scottish MP’s at Westminster,
for the good of Scotland.
Until now, that has not been possible.
Because until now, Holyrood cooperation with Westminster
was for the good of the Union..
Now, the more 100% Scottish MP’s there are at Westminster, the better for Scotland, especially if 100% Scottish MP’s hold the balance of power – which looks very possible indeed.
The choices for Scots at GE15 are:-
1.Vote SNP to make Scotland better off.
2.Vote Tory or Labour to make Scotland worse off.
1.Vote SNP to strengthen the Scottish Parliament
2.Vote Tory or Labour to weaken the Scots Parliament.
Vote SNP – you know it makes sense.
Labour will just keep banging on about this ‘letting in the Tories’ lie.
Their only tactic here.
It’s going to be a one note tune.
SNP need to focus on their strong points.
Simple messages..
Making Scotland’s voice count.
More powers for Scotland.
Just keep it simple: SNP for Scotland.
So for three years they cosy up to the tories and match them policy release for policy release. For three years they either vote with or abstain on everything from austerity measures to bedroom tax. For three years they denigrate and crap all over their own electorate in order to retain their system of government and patronage.
They deliberately set about a campaign of fear, uncertainty and doubt, othering half of the Scottish population in the name of party, privilege and broken government. They went after the poor, the old and the uninformed. They inspired the worst in the self interested, the corporate world and the media in order to further this campaign.
Now they need us.
Party, patronage and establishment before the needs of their own electorate. All the hallmarks of those unfit to serve.
Fuck em, they’re done.
Q. Jim Murphy appeals to which group of voters?
A. The elderly and those easily amused.
To date, McTernan seems to believe that will be sufficient under FPTP.
Or does he.
There is still so long to go – nearly 11 weeks –
Still plenty of time to launch the Brown Bribery offensive.
Just can’t see Murphy do it all on his own.
Mind you, he’s desperate enough – just not clever enough.
But McTernan is.
Our canvass returns are consistently SNP 45%ish, Labour 20%ish – but with large numbers of undecideds (almost all ex-Labour).
If these people return to Labour in any numbers, we won’t win the seats we need. Labour will promise anything, distort anything, lie about anything in order to win these voters back.
Let’s not fall into the pattern of constantly defending the detail that damaged Yes. Keep the message clear and simple: Vote SNP, get SNP.
Well I have always voted SNP but now I think I better vote Labour because someone got to look after the mentally challenged ;>)
So 41 out of 59 seats wasn’t enough last time to stop a Tory govt. or the feeble 50 in the nineties. Time is surely up on new labour in Scotland.
It is possible to calculate with some accuracy what the 2015 GE will bring for the smaller parties, Ulster Unionists, PLaid, Libdems, UKIP etc
However, while it is possible that many will vote for parties like UKIP, it is unlikely that they will gain many seats. Their real impact will be on how they will effect the outcome of any particular seat. to this end, it is difficult to calculate how many seats the tories or labour will have. The totals are less important than the differences. If the tories have 30 seats more than labour, or vice versa, then even if there is a hung parlaiment, the SNP will not hold the balance of power. 30 seats is a very small margin.
Do not dispair folks, Im not sure that this is such a bad thing, eg, scotland returns 50+SNP MPS, tories/labour (who cares) will form a coalition with an over all majority and they will ignore the snp and the people of Scotland. Good, support for indy will rise from 52% to 60% and in 2016, we will have indy ref2 on the SNP manifesto.
If think this is probably the most likely senario
I still get the gut feeling that no matter which of the 2 parties win, it will be in neither of their interests to work with the SNP.
Labour despise all things SNP, the Tories care not a thing for Scotland-they have managed just fine without them since the Thatcher years.
If the SNP go into partnership with Labour then labour will be looking to screw them over at every opportunity and you can bet your boots that they will use things like the SNP policy on Trident go blame them for the loss of 7500 jobs.
It was once said that ‘Satire was next to impossible because real life keeps on overtaking it’.
15.02.15
Paying the cleaner? Get a receipt, says Ed Balls
16.02.15
Ed Balls among 12 shadow cabinet members who claimed expenses without receipts
You really could not make this up even if you really tried.
And this goup of liars (allegedly) want to run our country.
Labour incompetent, lying Labour/Unionists try to shaft Scotland again. Just like the Vow a complete waste of lying nonsense. These liars have form. Getting into bed with the Tories. The majority of people have seen through their lies and will never trust them again. Just like the Tories and the Libs. Despicable liars.Charlatans
OT
After spending years crawling across this Web thingymabob I must admit I missed this on youtube: by Jack Foster at Rough Justice Films.
It was made some years ago (2011) But it does seem very applicable given today’s climate.
A Parting Hymn: Lies, deceit and the death of the Labour Party
@Al Dossary
Yes, they will and that’s politics. Both parties will look to screw over the SNP and the public, its what they do on a daily basis. The SNP will also be looking for ways to screw them over in return.
The difference is that Labour and the conservatives look for such advantage to benefit themselves. They’ve forgotten long ago why they do what they do for a living. The SNP will do it for our benefit. They still have a purpose and a clear grasp of the job description. Even with the small representation they had, look at what they’ve been able to achieve in the past seven years. Now imagine the possibilities with solid majority home and away.
I know it already scares the bejaysus out of the other two. 😉
Going by the comments on The Heralds front page headline, manufactured by McTernan no doubt, they must be getting heavily censored. Seen a few folk on twitter cancelling their subscriptions.
Vote SNP, get tories…maybe. Vote labour get tories…equally likely. So if we must have a tory govt. we must decide what we want as the make up of the opposition- the SNP, who have broadly kept to election promises and ran Scotland in a manner popular with voters…or labour, who have a track record of none of that.
” Frankly, either way it doesn’t exactly exude confidence, does it? ”
” Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn “
Seems a letter on Parliament headed paper, signed by Cara Hilton and another SLab drone, being posted thru letter boxes stating Scot Gov in favour of fracking!! Folk saying that it is illegal to use Parliamentary headed paper for party political purposes. Would that be right?
Remember all those months ago when Scottish labour told us that people in Scotland were not genetically programmed to make political decisions? Well, now we know that it is Scottish labour who are unable to comprehend them, let alone make them.
How did they ever believe that the referendum was completely separate to the day to day political feeling within the country? And how did they ever believe that the political awakening across all genders, sexes and class would not come back to bite them on the bum?
O/T On Good Murphy Scotland this morning Vince Cable was given an easy deferential ride over the grid transmission charges that discriminate against Scotland whereas Gary Robertson continually interrupted and challenged Fergus Ewing on the same subject of energy supply.
I saw Fergus on TV last night and he put a good case forward. Some Labour chap came on afterwards and tried to balance “concern” about jobs in his constituency with attacking the SNP for raising the issue and blaming people. I guess his position is we are Better Together and if that means the dole then like it or lump it.
Anybody have trouble getting the National this morning? I tried three newsagents near Central Station on the way to the office and nothing but I see today’s front page on Facebook.
Did Kezia not attempt to stand as a candidate for the SNP but failed. Not competent enough without the ability? It was then she joined Labour/Unionists for an easy ride on the gravy train? Another self interested incompetent trougher par excellence, of limited ability and it shows. Who would be so disillusioned enough to join a Unionist Party, without thinking it through, especially in Scotland.
O/T Re: the alleged anti-Semitic increase. Is it just me? Am i the only one who just doesnt see it?
@Roll on 2015,
Lies, deceit and the death of the Labour party.
Thanks for that, well worth sitting down with a cuppa for 30 mins.
Labour have betrayed every principal they ever held.
Hell mend them.
indigo says:12:38 am
Take nothing at all for granted, the collapse of Labour in Scotland may well still turn the breadth of the south of Scotland Tory blue…
Good post as I feel we have not learned the lessons from ‘Yes’ and are still too self congratulatory and insular. We cannot underestimate the strength of the well organised Tories in the South of Scotland and they will be poring their resources into this area served by Border TV. A blue border will spoil the political map of Scotland.
Hope SNP HQ are aware of this and work hard to support our prospective MPs. We need all the help we can get.
I’m not sure but I think McTernan has just shot Miliband in the foot!
You may have noticed Labour pushing an old video clip from 2003, of Osborne being interviewed by Andrew Neil some time ago.
In it he suggests avoiding tax by changing ownership of parents home.
The only thing is, I believe that is what the Miliband’s did themselves to avoid inheritance tax
Perhaps something that Stuart can look into?
http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/07/04/Mail_on_Miliband.html
@ Maureen
Because that’s the way its always been as far as they are concerned.
What changed?
Peoples ability to communicate, research, share and support.
When you control all the avenues of information its easy to treat people like mushrooms. When you don’t? Then you have to explain yourself and in fact answer for your actions to the people who really count.
Us.
With less than three months to go, the red tories are stuffed. They have allowed themselves to be completely outflanked:
1. Labour against EVEL (Gordzilla roars).
2. Labour does not rule out coalition with SNP (probably will do eventually, far too late).
3. Jim Murphy wants to pay scots services with London (mansion tax) money.
4. Labour against a European referendum (but will change, again far too late).
5. UKIP supporters will not risk Ed Milliband getting near Downing Street.
6. UKIP voters will not risk a Labour-SNP coalition.
7. The LibDems, who may have provided support, are heading for political extinction.
Ignore the polls – UKIP/former tories will return to the fold, just in time for Cameron. Yep, big Tory win on the cards, methinks. Labour are now in danger of being seen by the electorates as anti-Scottish north of the border, and anti-English south of the border. What a disaster. The big question we are all interested in is – what will the Scottish voters do in May, when they realise that Labour has no chance to form a government?
Soda says:
17 February, 2015 at 9:18 am
O/T Re: the alleged anti-Semitic increase. Is it just me? Am i the only one who just doesnt see it?
I think BBC Scotland are just trying to be relevant, after the recent tragedies in France and Denmark. It’s a pity they weren’t so “concerned” about events closer to home during the Scottish referendum.
IMO the most important outcome of the GE is where as many Unionist MPs as possible are replaced by SNP ones. That will mean in the next WM parliament Lab/Con represent rUK and SNP represent Scotland. That is the strong position we need to be in.
What next? Three possibilities…
i) minority Labour supported by SNP in return for decent powers to Scotland
ii) minority Tory supported by LibDems, UKIP, DUP
iii) minority Lab or Con supported by the other to thwart the SNP’s attempts to influence WM
I don’t believe the first will happen, Middle England won’t stomach it! The second will mean an EU referendum. The third reinforces the situation where Lab/Con can only speak for rUK, and not Scotland.
A variety of situations could easily arise where IndyRef2 becomes necessary!
Soda
The rise in anti-Semitic behaviour may well pass us all by. I haven’t heard anything but dismay about the attacks in France, Denmark and elsewhere or any ill-will towards our very small and long established Jewish community.
I think the difficulty is that there is a real and rising danger towards Jews in Europe but it comes from radical Islamists and those are circles none of us travel in.
O/T
It seems that most of the Jewish community in Scotland voted against Scottish Independence.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/ahead-of-historic-vote-many-scottish-jews-wary-of-independence/
No wonder BBC Scotland are giving them so much air time.
And now we know why Murphy joined the “Friends Of Israel”.
It’s because the majority of Jews in Scotland stay in his constituency of East Renfrewshire.
Murphy is an opportunistic, brass-necked, chancer.
Luigi says:
17 February, 2015 at 9:35 am
I think BBC Scotland are just trying to be relevant, after the recent tragedies in France and Denmark. It’s a pity they weren’t so “concerned” about events closer to home during the Scottish referendum.
So you dont feel its a Europe wide PR exercise by Israel then? They keep saying anti Jewish sentiment, hatred towards Jews, etc but it isnt about that at all. I see plenty of people who are very vocal about the actions of the Israeli government and military and their internationally illegal actions towards civilians. I’m not anti-Israel or feel that Israel shouldnt exist but i strongly disagree with its actions. Does that make me anti-Semitic?
It seems the Tories are going to win by a greater margin than Scottish labour votes would cover.
The only conclusion, even by the dim witted, must be to vote SNP and get some action going that is of benefit for Scotland, for once.
@Luigi – I think you call it correct.
I too think this much trumpeted “too hard to call” election will turn into a clear Tory win on the day.
In the UK 90% of the population don’t live in Scotland so interms of determining what government we get in London it is out of our hands.
The only way the Labour party would ever be in a position to need Scottish Labour seats to form a government in London is if enough people in rUK vote Labour (essentially enough people in England).
Miliband delayed the payment of tax. The tax liability will now be due when Miliband/wife die (death duty wil now be proportionately higher – higher value) or the house is sold. It has been passed from generation, because his mother no longer legally owns the family home. Miliband brought out his brother share? David could have paid tax on the money Ed gave him for the share of the house.
Soda says:
I’m not anti-Israel or feel that Israel shouldnt exist but i strongly disagree with its actions. Does that make me anti-Semitic?
Of course not. My point was that you have to put into perspective with recent events in Europe (attacks on jews). If this BBC Scotland topic for “discussion” came out of the blue, then people could question the agenda. But in light of what has just happened, of course BBC Scotland will try and find an angle.
Checking on Labour sites,it would appear that their sole philosophy is based around the premise that Scots like Labour slightly more than Tories.That is their selling point.It is fundementally wrong.Personally I now treat them to equal contempt.
Sorry, this is so off topic, but it really got under my skin:
What Jackie said:
On Reporting Scotland last night Jackie Bird said something so mind-boggingly stupid, so brain numbingly wrong, so completely cretinous that I feared for my own sanity. Luckily I wasn’t alone in the room and they agreed with me: Jackie Bird did utter the most ridiculous thing she could possibly say. Watch the clip:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b052fypk/reporting-scotland-16022015
from the beginning. She comes out with the corker at around 30secs.
Now, if you don’t understand, I will not point and snigger at you. Her delivery was so dead-pan, so unquestioning and trusting in her own words, that I don’t blame you.
Let me clarify. She said:
“Scotland has also faced criticism for leaving Scotland over-reliant on renewables”
That is just nonsense: you cannot be over-reliant on renewable energy. The aim is to be 100% totally reliable on renewable energy. That is the point. Renewable. Energy we can tap for as long as we need, without bringing harm to the planet.
Unrenewable energy is energy that can be used up. We run out of it. Jackie Bird wants us to rely on energy sources that will be used up.
Specifically:
Oil, coal and gas extracted from those sources – they are unrenewables. When we use them up there’s nothing left. And in the process, we increase pollution, greenhouse gases and we boil the planet. Yes, Jackie, lets rely on those.
Renewables are solar; wind; tide; geothermal; hydro – they are not going away, well not for millions of years.
If we only rely on 99% of renewables, that still means the unrenewables will be depleted. So, I repeat again: the goal is to be totally, 100% reliant on renewable energy.
And in the report that followed, which was in fact well balanced (considering it came from BBC Scotland), was no-one quoted as saying Scotland is over reliant on renewables.
So Jackie, want to edit that statement?
It is possible Tony Benn paid full inheritance tax. Did not transfer assets to avoid tax. (did not avoid/evade tax). Left £4Million – 4 children. It is reported each beneficiary got £800,000 = £3.2Million. Paid £800,000 in inheritance tax.
‘You can’t take it with you’.
Jeez – there were as many people now claiming they were at the 1980 old firm game as we’re at Woodstock.
I seriously don’t understand why anyone thinks the outcome of the General Election will be anything other than a victory for the Tories. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in some kind of alternate reality where all that has gone before didn’t really happen. I know what the polls say but anyone who believes them is a total mug.
The Union is all that matters to these people, be they tory or labour, it makes no difference. They will manipulate the news & the polls in any way they see fit as long as it keeps us chained to this sinking ship.
Our enemies are the true patriots. We’re just playing at it.
Noel
To be fair to Jackie it is BBC policy to repeat any criticism of the Scottish Government as if they are all equally valid, sane points of view no matter how bat-shit crazy they obviously are.
Swivel eyed climate change deniers frequently rail and rant about wind, hydro, wave and solar energy. If you can’t burn it and release Co2 then it ain’t energy in their book. Jackie will simply point to such a loon and say “he said” not me.
PS re my earlier post…did people get hold of the National this morning? I couldn’t find one.
@ Noel Chidwick
@ Noel Chidwick (2nd try)
Being pedantic here – remember Jackie and all her fellow newsreaders are exactly that – ‘news’ Readers – they are reading what the autocue in front of them says. So who ‘writes’ the news? A more intriguing question.
@HandandShrimp
Re – The National
My copy popped through the letterbox at 6:30 as usual.
Aye but when Jackie interviewed Darling it was a love in. She said everything with a wink and a smile. When she interviewed Salmond he was like the dirt on her shoe not Scotland’s First Minister.
It comes down to respect. The BBC have no respect for our countries First Minister becuase they ae not wearing a red rosette.
O/T
Can anyone edit Wikipedia?
Someone has been changing Jim Murphy’s wiki page, changing occurences of “The Labour Party in Scotland” to “The Scottish Labour Party”. Presumably this is create the impression that the “Scottish Labour Party” is an actual party.
While I was there, I noticed that the UK Labour party still describes itself as centre-left!
What a cheek.
@thedogphilospher
I agree, and that’s my point: nowhere in the report does anyone say the phrase ‘leaving Scotland over-reliant on renewables’ Jackie – or her scriptwriter – made that up.
It’s just another example of trashing Scotland when there was so much to be positive about.
It turns out that they only use Longannet power station when the wind isn’t blowing – it said so in its own report.
I think what Jackie must have meant is that until it is possible to store unused electricity for times when renewable sources are under-powering the grid (when the wind doesn’t blow) then we are always going to have to need to generate electricity from conventional fuels such as gas or coal. It isn’t technologically possible at present to be 100 % reliant on renewables.
But I’m just guessing that’s what she must have meant.
It is a lie but it makes perfect sense for Slab. They know that England will never vote for Milliband, but not to worry there is little difference between the main parties anyway.
Who is Slabs main threat? Who threatens their nice expense claims? Not the blue Tories but the SNP. As long as the SNP are stuffed, thats as good as an election victory.
Labour have viewed Scotland as their own private fiefdom for a long time and keeping it would be a perfect consolation prize. That is the main reason they gave us devolution in the first place, although as we know that hasn’t quite worked out the way they meant it.
Agreed, Big Jock, the hostility Bird demonstrated towards Alex Salmond was one of the defining moments of the Indy#1 campaign. We knew then, if proof was really required at that point, what we were up against because at that moment the ‘mask’ of any kind of impartiality had clearly slipped.
@ Noel Chidwick
I bet you the inhabitants of Pacific Quay can feel a ‘wind blowing’ stronger and stronger with each passing day!
@kininvie
Disillusioned people often don’t vote or throw their vote away on hopeless parties (SSP, Green, maybe even UKIP). So all those undecided people may not be the threat you think even if they don’t go SNP.
Handandshrimp, got ours in W.H Smiths this morning as normal.
Karmanaut says:
“Wikipedia”
For at least a year, I’ve been aware of Unionist activity on Wikipedia, one way and another.
I can’t remember the examples I highlighted previously, but there seems to be effort into putting a Unionist / anti-Scotland spin on articles.
@ Big Jock
S’okay I have no respect for the BBC.
Karma can be a bugger like that. If they show no respect to people, then they shouldn’t be surprised when the receive none.
To state that the outcome of the election will be determined by Scottish votes makes it axiomatic that also only voting SNP will stop the Tories from being the largest party.
They’re idiots.
I’m guessing that the delivery of the National around Central Station was late or something. Neither WH Smith, Tesco or a wee newsagent and all three sell it.
Will have to try later.
Just noticed Stu’s new rules involving hammers…wondered why people were rabbiting on about hammers the other day…luckily he has left the rusty axe to one side for the moment.
noel chidwick – yes i did hear that and my ears pricked up at the time and thought what? and then i quickly moved onto something else like getting a cup of tea. just show how these subliminal statements work.
OT but I have just watched Cameron’s speech live from Hove. He talks about the downward spiral of school gate to unemployment to a life on the dole of our feckless youth; a cycle which must be broken as it is unfair that the undeserving unemployed get more than the deserving unemployed on poverty wages topped up with tax credits. That would never do.
However, In a memory lapse to match Ed Milliband’s failure to mention the deficit, there was no mention of the other spiral: the upward spiral which perpetuates the inexorable progress of the elite and their offspring from silver spoon to Eton to Oxbridge to Westminster gravy train to a peerage regardless of talent or effort.
Roll on May.
As Jim watched Celtic,Rangers game 1980
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FYlKKGmX-Ds
Does anyone know what’s going on with the link to the protest march against the BBC? Its been down for a few days now!
https://www.facebook.com/events/779063018851870/?pnref=story
Protect Scotland’s interests – Bin the BBC – vote SNP.
More bollocks. If they keep saying its true, maybe it’ll come true?
Noel Chidwick@ 10.41am, I also thought WTF at the Birdwumman!
Talking down Scotland’s achievements, because we are regularly praised by Green groups as having ambitious climate targets, whilst many south of the Border grapple with climate deniers, like UKIP.
I’m sure we have some climate deniers here as well, but there are a huge number down south with vested interests in fossil fuels, that deny there is any need to curtail emissions.
Totally agree Birds remark was hugely cretinous.
BTW, Scotland can generate 100% of its needs through wind. Our turbines here are paid money to switch off, because the National grid can’t handle it.
Whitelees was paid millions last year.
On the subject of climate deniers, I used to have ding dongs with a certain gentleman on the Independent who accused me of lying after he had said that those Wind Turbines were useless pieces of junk. Well I said that those round my way had been turning all summer, so he accused me of lying and I then discovered where he lived, of course down south where they probably were not working, I then told him I was in Scotland, well I could have told him I was on the surface of the moon. He did shut up after that.
There are anti turbine types trying to invade the anti fracking groups, because they dislike the ‘bird choppers’.
I was a bit apathetic about them, until the threat of fracking arrived! It makes an awful lot of sense that we use the renewable energy we have, and keep this beautiful country as clean as possible.
Referring back to Rob James comment on Jim Murphy on Scotland Tonight. He didn’t say he was at the game but interestingly, he did say he was at primary school. This throws up a couple of questions
I’m a month older than Murphy. I started primary school in 72 and left in 79. I then started high school in 79, leaving in 83. In May 1980 when the cup final was played, I was at the end of 1st year in high school. Murphy also apparently left for South Africa in 1979
So did he repeat a year at primary or did he do a further year of primary in South Africa? (possible, given his 9 year Uni)
If he was in South Africa, was it possible to get the Cup Final transmitted over there in 1980?
“It isn’t technologically possible at present to be 100 % reliant on renewables.”
The key phrase is ‘at present’ for it IS possible for renewable energy to be produced all the time.
This requires a combination of wind/tide PLUS pumped storage Hydro/Wind electricity for when it is calm or at peak usage.
http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/03-04/marine/tech_storage.htm
onelessday says:
16 February, 2015 at 10:52 pm
A must read
http://www.commentisntfree.com/you-meant-it-then/
Thanks for that. This is the sort of stuff that needs to be got out there.
I can’t undestand how he continues to get elected. Maybe come May, he’ll see what it’s really like to be out of work.
But that’ll only be till the HE and he’ll get in on the lists unless people vote pro indy as 1st choice and pro indy as 2nd choice, keeping unionists out by blocking the back door route.
Onelessday @ 10.52.
Thank you for the link.
Excellent article. Damning ,but humorous,indictment of liar Murphy.
Another site worthy of a donation!