Towards a better, kinder 2016
The Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter has had some wise words to say on the subject of social media in the past few weeks, most recently on New Year’s Day:
The month before, though, he’d been even more to the point.
These passages are from a column on 6 December:
That last line is key, because the fact of the matter is that Macwhirter’s first wish is never going to come true. It’s simply far too profitable for both crybaby politicians and scandal-hungry hacks to blow Twitter and Facebook comments vastly out of proportion, knowing full well that doing so makes the problem worse.
(Because the “victims” get to stoke up their fake outrage in the belief it’ll bring them political gain – which invariably fails to materialise, making them angrier still – and the “culprits” are resentful of the distortions and one-sided coverage, leaving both sides more bitterly polarised than they were before.)
The only thing that will foil the media’s goal of filling easy column inches with lurid tales of vile cybernats and Corbynites is to reduce the supply at source. And the only way of achieving that is if intelligent people stop arguing with morons.
Everyone on this site who uses social media will be well aware of a slew of figures on the opposing side with whom there is no point whatsoever in attempting to have a debate, so we won’t dignify them here by listing them. No amount of persuasion or evidence will change their minds – inconvenient facts are ignored, arguments are bodyswerved with semantic hairsplitting, hours and hours are wasted with nothing to show for it but more anger and bitterness.
We all know how it works. So why not stop?
As by far the most popular and successful non-party pro-independence voice on the internet, Wings Over Scotland is a bullet magnet for Unionists. We’re on Twitter all day every day, and if there’s a raging Yoon zoomer anywhere you can guarantee that at some point they’ve sent abuse in our direction.
Because we’re busy and we’d never get anything done if we got drawn into slanging matches with every numpty in the land, we have a hair-trigger blocking policy, and the main criterion is stupidity. Nobody is blocked for being a Unionist, only for being an idiot (and plenty of Yes supporters have also fallen into the category) or a troll.
Our blocklist is about 2500 strong, and it massively streamlines and enhances the Twitter experience, not to mention our general quality of life. And if that sounds like a good thing, it can enhance yours too.
We call it The Official Wings Over Scotland Universal Twitter Enhancer.
If you click the above link, it’ll download a file containing the blocklist. You can then “merge” that list into your own Twitter account using the simple steps below, and suddenly you’ll be blocking all the people we block.
They won’t be able to see your tweets, and if they tweet at you you won’t see theirs either. They’ll all be screaming at a soundproof brick wall, you won’t be tempted into pointless fights with them, and you can do something more productive and enjoyable instead, whether it’s going out canvassing for whichever party you support or staying in watching old episodes of Doctor Who on Dave from before it went rubbish.
Blocking isn’t irreversible. You can unblock someone again in a single click any time you like. And there’s just a glimmer of a chance that if people who are never going to change their mind (on either side) stop yelling pointlessly and furiously at each other, the entire online discourse of Scottish politics could become a bit less poisonous.
It’d upset all the lazy hacks who just go looking for abusive tweets to blow up into “news” stories, of course, but we suspect most of you could probably live with that.
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INSTRUCTIONS
1. Download the file “wingsblocklist.csv” and save it somewhere on your computer.
2. Go to your Twitter homepage, click your avatar at the top-right corner and click on “Settings” in the drop-down menu. (Some people’s accounts may go straight to Step 3 as soon as they click on the avatar.)
3. From the Settings page, choose the “Blocked accounts” option in the left-hand column, then click on “Advanced Options” near the top right and “Import a list” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click “Attach a file to upload” on the box that pops up.
5. Select the blocklist file from wherever you saved it to in Step 1 and click “Open“.
6. This will take you back to the picture in Step 4, from where you can click on the “Preview” button. Twitter will now let you look over the list to see if there are any accounts you DON’T want to block, or you can just import the whole thing at once.
(Twitter automatically deselects accounts you’re following and puts them at the top of the list, so importing the Wings list will NOT block anyone you currently follow unless you actively tell it to. As we say in the article, we pretty much have a zero-tolerance policy out of necessity, and you might be more forgiving than we are.)
When you’re happy with your choices, click “Block“, and you’re done.
I don’t use Twitter, but I can see the sense in this.
If they can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Sticks and stones. Any politician who acts to imprison people with mental health issues for empty threats, deserves no sympathy. Especially when politicians break the Law with impunity. Tom Watson was trying to gerrymandering the candidate selection in Falkirk.
Thanks Rev Stu,
I have recently taken up a block on sight policy as there is absolutely no point in arguing with a #loonyyoony!
I recently had a spat with a well know Scottish Labour blogger and all his retweets were all from Tory yoons which I found very interesting and revealing.
So the only supporters of the Labour Party now appear to be right wing Tories which I blocked. Strange world indeed.
I will use your list and block all the rest of these nutters. We do not need their votes to win Holyrood or our independence.
I do have better things to do with my time and 2016 will see the start of the SNP campaign to win SE16. Time to hit the streets and convince some of the 20% undecided to switch to SNP and Indy parties.
Onwards and upwards.
People make such a big deal about blocking, getting on their high horse about never blocking folk etc, but it’s true – blocking idiots greatly enhances Twitter. I get so much more enjoyment now I don’t spend time engaging in circular arguments with closed-minded idiots. I don’t even wait for folk to spout nonsense at me particularly – if I see someone having a stupid argument with someone else, they’re getting blocked.
If I was in the pub Iain refers to and some random idiot kept trying to argue with me, I’d walk away from them rather than let them continue to rant at me. This is the same thing.
(Whereas muting them is like putting earphones in so they keep ranting at you, but don’t realise you can’t hear them… Some folk find that more satisfying, but I like folk to know I have no interest in their views.)
Smashing stuff Rev. I long ago have up on social media, mainly because I honestly don’t see the point, but I can appreciate what you have likely had to deal with. I remember a particular clown called something like pissflaps who would have outstubborned a dead mule.
Hope you have a smashing 2016! 2015 was a horrible year but optimism must win! Clara has gone, so Doctor who may even pick up. I liked the one where he was trapped in the confession dial, so here’s hoping!
Sherlock was pretty good too.
And there’s an election in May with all the hilarity SLab bring to these nowadays.
I’m not actually a ‘Twite’ ? but perhaps when sigining up for any online instant message type thingy there should be a compulsory question that asks ‘ have you grown a pair?’.
No one should be surprised that, if they are an idiot, then they will get called out on it and the calling out may well include some industrial anglosaxon.
Happy 2016 to one and all!
Not that anyone ever posts to me on Twitter, but I’d never block anyone. I don’t mind having an argument with ‘Unatics’ or anyone else for that matter. But that’s me.
Nah : Its much easier just watching the twitter traffic your involved with Rev. Too much guff and nonsense running ones own twitter account. 🙂 (Personal opinion)
Saved as wings twatblock.
Just joined Twitter myself. (@Itchybiscuits)
I won’t be tolerating any abusive numpties either – as soon as they show themselves to be abusive numpties.
I’ve been using the name ‘Itchybiscuit’ on all my photography and film related websites since 2007 but some git nicked it for Twitter! Who’d a thunk it?
Gave up on twitter long ago way too many ‘Britain Forever’ nutters with inflated opinions dropping in with almost always nasty comments about Alex Salmond / Nicola Sturgeon.
ProudScotButs usually and almost always Extreme end of Rangers/ Loyalist affiliates [sadly].
Plenty sensible Rangers fans in real life of course, but those on twitter in particular are complete dregs of this country.
In the end just gave up and started following site like WoS; much easier and less grief; or temptation to respond in like.
Well done.
I prefer to mute trolls because they can’t see they’ve been silenced. Blocking just encourages them to create another account.
On second reading it is very a decent point yourself and Mr McWhirter raise.
Sadly, can bet your bottom dollar you get pilloried in the press for this piece Rev.
They’ll find a way; but then again who gives a monkey’s ??
Like many others I do not have a Twitter account, but I would definitely recommend checking the Revs twitter feed every so often to keep up with what is going on in a sort of ‘real time’ sense.
Not actually on Twitter and have no intention of doing so. (I spend a lot of my time as it is on many other forums arguing with folks). But good to know that the Rev has taken good positive steps to remove the Twatteratti from the Twitteratti. Nice one, Rev.
Oh and SE2016 2 x SNP.
@ michael nelson 1.21
twatblock. Love it!
We need a wingology of new terms and who first used what on wings
Anybody got odds on whether ‘Herald Giant’ David Torrance will have a response to this soon ? He simply won’t be able to resist.
(Sorry forgot to insert ‘quiff’ after giant)
Thanks for this gift. I LOVE blocking. I know some folk get arsey about it and I used to see it at a bit of a cop out but having wasted time arguing with absolute zoomers (yes & no) and realised that you can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into, I became a block fiend and my time on Twitter is all the better for it.
Thanks Stu for that list. I have imported it and now working my way though them for any I recognise.
Horstall, OK, I already bumpted him
Grumpy Hat Lady, more disembalanced than a Troll.
Nothing more so far.
I always block what I consider are bots by looking at their time line, where they are in the World and why. I am supposed to be good to them
The obvious nymphette from Akron Ohio is easy also to spot and ofte when mentioning something in a tweet I get a bot sweep reply; e.g. mentioning a vitamin to someone results in vitamin suppliers following me.
As a rule I walk away from tweetstorms with unionists and RFC types. Waste of time.
So, basically, this:
https://xkcd.com/386/
Could you stick a link to the instructions on the sidebar?
I tried twitter for a week or so a few months back, realised it wasn’t for me…so just continue to follow Rev’s twitter feed, which is actually really good ‘viewing’. Can quite literally keep up with the news via Wings and Wings twitter and don’t have to ever click on BBC or any other news outlet.
Wings is the news…where we are. 🙂
Well Whirter might wish for it but it isn’t going to happen, it wont happen with the Brit Nats. To say nothing of the daily stream of abuse that will vomit in profuse quantities from the Brit Nat Press and Media.
I bet the BBC couldn’t help themselves on the lunch time news today. I don’t even need to switch it on to know that there would have been at least one SNP BAD dig! Britannic TV Aberdeen is just as bad.
Oh and I personally don’t use Twitter! I did laugh at the idea of a twat blocker though.
I’m now more likely to block due to neverending “conversations” which are only instigated by those with zero intention to “debate”.
Having been told that I would end up “…talking to yourself…”, au contraire, there are more seriously nice, funny and intelligent folk out there than loony/yoons!
😀 😀
‘Towards a better, kinder 2016’
Of course, in the LoonYoonist lexicon this is to be read as, ‘Towards a bitter, blinder 2016’.
O/T
Just read First Minister’s SNP SE2016 launch speech. Brilliant stuff. Read it and weep Loonyoonists.
After blocking the Wings list,what happens with Wings future blocks?
Do they block automatically?
Or is there a refresh thing?
The only thing that will foil the media’s goal of filling easy column inches with lurid tales of vile cybernats and Corbynites is to reduce the supply at source.
It wont stop them cooking up fake cybernat zoomer accounts though. Facebook’s the same but you can “like” something and then they can block you commenting. I got that from Historic Scotland, after they did a big thing for JK Rowling’s grot in Scotland, I commented that she’d paid a million quid to stop Scotland actually existing, why are you giving her free advertising? or something like that, then instant block, which shut me up:D
A few months ago I stopped staring into the abyss and I’m a more relaxed person as a result. What’s the point in engaging with people who will always be pro-Britain, anti-Scottish independence because it’s woven deeply in their identity? What’s the point in engaging with bigots? The same value as kicking a broken washing machine over and over in the hope it’ll start working and stop hurting your foot.
Happy New year everyone. One thing that won’t change in my new year is working towards Scottish independence. Keep up the fight in 2016 rev Stu and everyone else.
Just because they are bams does not grant them immunity.
Glad that I never took to Twitter, believing that reading the outpourings from the yoons would send my blood pressure sky high. But also glad that for those on the Wings side who are “twitterers” there is a way to avoid the “Daily Crap”. More good guidance from the Rev.—what would we do without him?
I’ve been on twitter for quite a while and started out being fairly block averse. Now, I’m a blocker without a care. After years of nasty abuse and ignorant comments from über yoons and Rfc fans I delight in laughing like a drain to see them so angry and then clickety click ye old block button. It’s cathartic and leaves me free to talk to reasonable folks with differing opinions. I suspect our block list will look over similar!
It is quite annoying for journalists arguing for civility, when it is their reports which create hostility.
There are protests in Poland because of a new Bill introduced in Parliament to appoint a Head of News. It is considered to be anti democratic and against EU rules. Westminster has been doing it for years. A Tory and a corrupt banker, cronies of Cameron now head the BBC. A Tory non impartial Royal Head of State, who participate in illegal wars and tax fraud.
I can almost see the next article in the MSM … However I’m not 100% certain whether they’d go for a “CyberNats told to avoid debate with unionists” or “CyberNat site advocates censorship of Twitter”!?! 😀
Please dont block red and blue hard core unionists like kevrage though. Good laugh is our Kev, with an amazing CV too, which he did not embellish at all, for his jolly UKOK followers.
eg, toryboy Kev unionist tweets on tunnocks no longer from his Scotland region, or something, are quite fun
Kevin Hague ?@kevverage 7m7 minutes ago
“Dumped”?
British branding in rUK is hardly earth-shattering given Scottish now has negative grievomax connotations
Twatblock is cool but I like ‘The Silence of the Bams’
Just gone from one blocked to thoosan’s.
Strangely though I was following one person on your block list and I have *absolutely* no idea who she is or why I was following her. I don’t remember ever seeing any tweets from her either.
Still… I’m now looking forward to a more pleasant twitter experience.
Thank you for that.
If the First Minister has blocked any of the same people as you Stuart will the Yoons not see this as definite evidence that you are indeed “The Master Propagandist” of the SNP mind controlling brain cell diverting machine put 2 and 9 together and come up with the absolute truth that SNP policy emanates from within the bowels of the Wings over Scotland Bath House
I’ve just blown it haven’t I
David Torrance will print this (guaranteed)
Like others, I don’t do Twitter but I can see the advantage of having a twatblock. One can ignore posters that bore and derail on message boards but to have one’s own feed infested would be tedious indeed.
Life is too short to waste on fules 😉
Thanks Stu-very helpful. Surprised just how many on your list I’d already blocked myself 🙂 Don’t suffer fools gladly!
I joined Twitter a few months ago just so that I can follow Wings and like!
I don’t tweet, you don’t have to and you don’t have to follow anyone you don’t want to. I am quite relaxed about it.
Yoons don’t like it because folk can speak back quickly and they’re not used to that!
I’ve tried once or twice to get into world of twitter, but it just wasn’t for me. Wee sound bites of 25 words really doesn’t appeal. I still have an account, but nah …I really don’t bother with it.
As to abuse. My view is this. I have no problems in analysing the actions of thinking of someone, and thinking ‘nope, you got this wrong’. I will happily point out the problem, and even take it to the point of saying that someone is ‘foolish’, ‘deluded’ or at worst ….’an idiot’.
But I refrain from calling someone ‘an effin’ soan-so’ or worse, simply because, we all know that they come here, and it can be hurtful to read something nasty about one’s self. As psychologists have always said; insults hurt people greater than praise. They lie on the person’s soul longer. Therefore, bitter insults should be kept to one side. After all, I wouldn’t call it to their face if I was standing in front of them, so I won’t do it hiding behind the safety of a monitor and keyboard.
Plus, there is always the factor that you could go too far, or worse, defame them in such a manner, that it could be deemed as libel (this is something I’ve been trying to hammer into the head of my 16 year old stepdaughter when she decides to wander around chatrooms / forums / websites / facebook …you know…). As I say to her, keep it clean, no abuse, and no insinuations.
Sure I’ve shaken my head and given derisive opinions over these last three years at Jim Murphy, Kezia, Blair McDougall, Alistair Darling, Brown …but they have always been ‘opinions’. No one really takes offence at being called an idiot, but they do if you call them an ‘an effin’ soan-so’. Shoot down their argument, but never should the attack just be on the person itself. A posting that is just 100% insulting the person is no argument. That is what hurts our cause.
However …as the Rev says …Mr MacWhirter’s attempts to try and tidy up journalistic politics is a worthy effort, but sadly, will fall on deaf ears. When the other side have nothing but lies, fears, innuendos and even false accusations (as we saw from one Liberal MP who got away with it not that long ago) …then I also, am not holding my breath either…
I do not do twitter, but do understand this is a valid way to annoy the hell out of the loons, they will end up slagging off each other when they cannot reach their target.
Wonderful idea.
I still think Twitter is for twits.
Hold on – “Doctor Who… from before it went rubbish” ?!?!?!
WTF!?!? Capaldi is brilliant and the last series had some of the very best episodes since the relaunch.
If Wings had a subscription I’d be cancelling mine!!!
A lot of people aren’t on twitter, or just look at it occasionally from a link.
How about a simple guide for new users, maybe with a similar list of various pro-Scottish or useful accounts to get started ?
British branding might backfire. Not country of origin as required by EU directive. Britishness is not popular in many overseas markets, including the Middle East. The 40Million diaspora, potential customers, and the Asian market who embrace all things Scottish, might not be too enamoured. Scotland is renowned for quality products and can sell at a premium.
Like many others I do not tweet I do lurk at Wings Twitter account and that is enough for me. I would agree though that if I did I would block, and use Wings Blocker.
I enjoy twitter.
It’s a very quick way to get to the truth, eg by asking the person who was supposed to have said such and such to clarify.
Twitter give people a white tick in a blue circle to verify ‘famous’ people.
NS very quickly dissed the Telegraphs memo gate before it gained legs.
As for IMcW, he is another sensitive journalist, he has blocked me, and many others, for questioning some of the points in his articles and I am never abusive.
Managed to get Paul Mason to make enquiries into pension lies told during the indy ref.
I usually block folk who talk rubbish and ignore evidence provided.
How long before one of the usual lunatics claims ‘SNP site blocks freedom of speech’?
nope…..never got into Twitter.
I find enough frustration and enjoyment slapping down trolls like Del Rashid on Facebook.
Even that pales when you realise that they have a level of cognitive disonance towards facts that beggars belief.
Arguing with idiots is like mud wrestling with a pig.
After a while you realise the pig enjoys it and you are never going to win.
I want independence for Scotland, so I’ll be voting SNP constituency and list next May.
I’m not going to bother at all with people who say they support Scottish independence yet want to split the vote.
There are reasons why I’m not on any social media. So this advice is of no use to me but I see the utility of it and agree with Stu.
British branding might backfire
I agree. Seems an odd thing to do given that Scottish is a very positive brand and possibly as well known world-wide as UK.
In marketing terms surely Scotland punches well above its weight (to use a horrible cliche beloved of Cameron) and is overwhelmingly positive, whereas the UK brand is shall we say, somewhat tainted in some peoples eyes.
But.. the only way this move could make sense is if their main market is England, and they have evidence that Scottish is now a negative brand in England (possibly as a result of GE15 campaigns and media vilification of SNP).
If that is the case, it doesnt bode well for other Scottish products, and might be a marketing explanation for increasing numbers of Union Jacks and decreasing numbers of Saltires.
Downloaded this and install it and found I’d blocked myself!! Wait. What?
Many ‘news’paper articles are just clickbait to uphold advertising revenues. It doesn’t work. People are wise to it. All Press readership is down. People have to access ‘foreign’ Press or the Internet to find out what’s going on. Their revenues are up.
Never tweeted, never will.
But the matter of how to deal with trolls or those who will never change their view regardless is just as relevant with the other social media outlets.
Where I partially differ with the Rev’s view is that I don’t believe to be entirely pointless to engage and continue to engage with those whose opinion will never be changed, because my input is not aimed at them, but at others following the debates who may well be undecided on issues being discussed. In a sense, they are the jury, and the diehard opposites are advocates. I see it as my duty to rebutt with sources and evidence and counterarguments, with as little invective and as impersonally as possible.
Of course, there does come a time when you just have to tell the trolls to go fuck themselves under the nearest bridge.
But business before pleasure, always 🙂
I see James Forrest is on your list. Does he not write the occasional article on this site?
Have been a twitter user for a couple of years, think it’s great.
Would echo what a lot of other people are saying, why waste your key strokes arguing with an idiot. It’s just the same as wasting your breath in a pointless argument with someone.
I’m a big block advocate, so what if folk take offence? I block people and organisations if they don’t share my perspective. Life’s too short.
I was following some person down south who was tweeting some really good anti media stuff. But then a tweet appears slating the SNP for something both lab and cons were to blame for. Blocked.
Do not even tolerate minor infractions, whiff of unionism – blocked, re-tweeting bbc articles – blocked.
Twitter is great for following various stuff that interests you. Some of the links to content on the Web are fantastic. It can take you on a marvellous journey of discovery once you have built up a good follower / following base.
Personally I’ve had a shit couple of years, have stopped criticising some of the motivational stuff you get on twitter, quotes etc -reading some of that stuff helped me pull myself together and get on with my life. A lot of that stuff is not shit.
There is mountains of dross sometimes though. Then there are the ‘bots’ you get following you – some are down right creepy.
I resisted social media for a long time, yes it’s got its problems – but where would we be now without it?
“A lot of people aren’t on twitter, or just look at it occasionally from a link.”
That’s me.
Is that narrow minded? Probably but I don’t need to see and read some of those mentioned,on various sites,spewing their bile
Boyd Tunnock C.B.E no longer wants a Scottish lion on his biscuits but is he cringing for a UKOK Lordship?
Hope so
eg
Finally and after a hell of a lot of UKOK donations n BBC style UKOK attack propaganda
http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-bamford/4305
savaged the living day lights out of YES Scotland
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-secret-society/
via
http://scottishresearchsociety.com/
donorised at least five million quid to the blue tories, Lord vote NO or else sweaties, now wants out of the EU
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32775396
Just one more example of UKOK red and blue unionists/separatist rich nutcases, at the Lords trough, where we can never vote.
Wonder why very rich Britnat tories hate the EU.
Sadly, far more attention that he deserves – ‘Torrance the Terrible’: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-2WO
I don’t use Twitter and generally avoid conflicts with unionists on Facebook. This came about as I used to be on The Scotsmans comments page arguing with unionists as well as on Blether with Brian on the BBC site before that was pulled (probably as it was a hotbed of nationalist activity and pretty much won the argument all the time). Anyway after a while you realize you get nothing practical done as your spending all your time arguing with idiots. If you want to do something get off Facebook and do something useful, go out and campaign. NO REST TILL INDY !!
Well. That’s a very thorough and carefully-chosen list of antisocial characters. I’ve applied it to my Twitter account cheerfully.
It’s striking that, in amongst the anonymous nutters, xenophobes, racists and WATP-peddlers, there are so many obnoxious ‘public’ figures.
Journalists, the son of a former MP, a peer’s wife, two famous purveyors of home-made graphs…
I won’t miss the contributions of any of them.
This is a good idea. I was surprised to I was following about 45 on your block list though, including the below which is surely a mistake!
@holyroodmandy
@bravemany
Haven’t blocked anyone yet, but I would if I felt I had to.
Tweeted to Lord Foulkes once (I think it was about the ‘biggest party wins’ nonsense) & the myopic, arrogant reply was enough for me to know never to bother with him again.
There are others (like Mr Hothersall)who I wouldn’t tweet to if my life depended on it; as mentioned in this article some people will not enter into a ‘debate/discussion’ when they refuse to see.
Wings probably has to follow certain accounts to keep up with what is going on & I appreciate that he does it meaning I don’t have to. The only time I see anything about the appalling BBC is on social media too as I wouldn’t open the curtains if they were broadcasting from my garden. So, THANK YOU Wings & readers.
Pub analogy up thread is spot on.
Walk away.
They’re not worth it and it starves those with ulterior motives of the fuel they require. Doesn’t matter whether its social media, or online threads. Soon as some zoomer appears, dropping their inevitable stinker into a conversation, don’t even draw attention to them. Walk on by and enjoy your engagement with the subject matter.
Intelligent comment, informative comment, humorous comment, empathy and insight will stand out to the reader and they’ll make their own minds up accordingly.
IMO if we move on from pointless argument and reaction to quite deliberate baiting, we deny such folk the means to spread yet more senseless harm.
For anybody who hasn’r yet read them don’t forget to read the latest brilliant articles by Derek Bateman & WGD.
IMO if we move on from pointless argument and reaction to quite deliberate baiting, we deny such folk the means to spread yet more senseless harm.
I dont know. Most people arent wilting tulips. Who can forget hard core red tories yoon like Dr UKOK Bonkers here, roaring “disgrace” at anyone YES, from the centre of the NOT picked BBC tv audience at any BBC Scotland tv ref debate?
Before the ref, rancid The Graun CiF for example as diligently manned by rather dim red tory activists, who’d instantly explode with self righteous fury at anything doubting their red tory right to reign over their Scotland region, for ever and ever.
T’was all good fun/made themselves look UKOK horrendous.
https://twitter.com/DrScottThinks
I stopped commenting BLT in all papers a long time ago.
Two reasons, one as already explained by Stu, it’s futile. Two, I don’t want to contribute as a click bait catch.
Twitter on the other hand is a different approach. I don’t actually block all of them. Sometimes I’m unbearably polite to them, no swearing, just facts. I imagine that’s just downright annoying to some of them.
Continue this till they block you. Try not to bite. Never reply to Yoon whilst pissed.
Not sure about McWhirter, sitting on the fence types. And radical? depends on your interpretation of radical. If you are pro independence, pro SNP and anti trident, austerity etc, the ‘establishment’ see all of those views as ‘radical’.
This de-normalises anyone who refuses to condone and go along with their britnat tactics and immoral policies.
Twitter, a bit all over the place but useful at times. Facebook, very annoying as it’s so controlled by gchq. I do though sometimes take to lengthy responses at the pretendy Indy supporters, who attempt to instill doubt in the people reading their posts, just so that they do not get away with trying to divide the vote while putting down the SNP.
People who use Twitter ignore the pap from the idiots, and the ones who don’t use it just are not interested in the tittle tattle idiocy from those who cry boo hoo, like liebour troughers.
Think we’ve all been dragged in to arguments on these zoomer threads. They won’t listen to you so it’s a pointless exercise. Dyed in the wool yoons. What is almost guaranteed though is that virtually every single one of them either lives south of the border is a Glasgow Rangers supporter or has some connection to the British army or all of the above!
@Heedtracker
Yup, remember it well, but they’ll stand out regardless Heed. Its in their nature. From the egotists to those working an angle to provoke or derail. Folk aren’t daft and they’ll spot them soon enough. 😉
Correction! It wasn’t Historic Scotland what blocked my commenting on facebook at them, it was
http://www.visitscotland.com/
and their giant boost for JK Rowling in her Scotland region, what cost her a £1,000,000.
Its a lot of bettertogether mullah from JK Rowling and you wouldnt actual Scots being critical in front of prospective tourists etc Its probably about lifetimes tax from Scottish working stiffs like me, so fair enough UKOK.
Here’s some of their Rowling boost
http://www.visitscotland.com/about/arts-culture/literature/writers/jk-rowling
Social meejah can be a pain, but it worries the troughers that the plebs can now answer them back.
Airheads like Jim Murphy has the meejah at his feet. They don’t want to know him now, as he is just as useless to them. No one likes a stoolpigeon, not even the witness protection programme. They haven’t even set up a home yet for needy, greedy North Brit ex Westminsterites.
I tend to block when a tweet starts by referring to Nats pricks-instant block. Not worth my time. I also have a photo I use when I can be bothered of someone walking away & the words ‘you aren’t worth my time’.
I don’t use Facebook & I only moved to twitter because posts took so long to appear here whereas twitter is immediate so you can at least have a conversation with someone.
Thankfully Wings is better now 🙂
I do enjoy when the press blame this blog for the SNP’s popularity and determining who the next First Minister will be. As if Stuart Campbell is Rupert Murdoch. The Scotsman has a higher budget, and the BBC is a multi-billion pound organisation.
done
should this list not include the 2 toe rags who fell out with paula yesterday?
“Haven’t blocked anyone yet, but would if I had to.”
Only reason to do that, in my opinion, is if people are abusive, intimidate by threat, or bombard in order to shut out other voices. Otherwise we’re as bad as newspapers that shut down on independence discourse.
In any event,
http://wp.me/p4fd9j-2WO
I can already see tomorrow’s record front page;
‘Vile cybernat controller censors internet’. 🙂
@schrodingers cat – no they’ve already had their knuckles rapped, one has apologised.
Used your blocklist although I recognised very few apart from Kenny Fark and Daisley and I’d already blocked them. A very worthwhile list all the same and you should put out a fresh one periodically. Ta.
See, I told you:
https://twitter.com/BritainUnited1/status/683654375294779393
So, no rising to the bait of Euan McColm, Chris Deerin or any of the other reporters in the employ of the British establishment? Hmmmm…
Paula-Rose
“@schrodingers cat – no they’ve already had their knuckles rapped, one has apologised.”
What did you do to them to cause them to accuse you of whatever (forgotten)? I was watching that spat.
Twitter is sometimes difficult to follow.
all these complaints remind me of Mary Whitehouse who used to complain about tv programmes,there was a switch on the telly you could always switch it off, same with twitter if you’re not happy don’t read it. masochists?
I posted a couple of letters, one from Malcolm Rifkind and one from George Younger on the quiz thread which explicitly confirmed that the Scottish block grant had been subject to “invisible” cuts throughout the 1980s totalling hundreds of millions of pounds.
George Younger when Secretary of State for Scotland had also refused Barnett consequentials for 86/87, 87/88 and 88/89 worth an estimated £100 million each year as part of a cuts package that seriously impacted growth and meant that overall spending in Scotland flatlined at a time when the UK public expenditure increased by 10.8%.
In the December 2014 archive release there is an document I think Wingers will find interesting- it explains the genesis of these secret cuts. It is from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Peter Rees to the Prime Minister written in August 1985.
I have not included the Annex as I don’t think it adds too much. I’m not really sure where to start commenting on it except to say that I was not aware the Barnett formula had effectively been suspended for Scotland for a period in the 1980s. Get ready for that ‘Better Together’ feeling…
“From Chief Secretary to the Treasury
22nd August 1985
To the Prime Minister
1985 SURVEY: SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND
I have been considering what could be done in the current Survey to tackle over-provision in the Scottish and Norther Ireland blocks.
You will recall that I last year identified, on the strength of internal work in the Treasury, over-provision roughly of the order of £900m in the Scottish block, and of £200m in the NI block. (I discounted a further £200m of over-provision in Northern Ireland, attributable to law and order).
The decision reached was that I should pursue only “invisible” savings on the Scottish block: these have so far yielded savings of £5-£20m per annum, with something similar in prospect this year.
Potentially, though, Scotland and NI have an important contribution to make to solving our wider problem on public expenditure.
The inequity of Scottish over-provision in particular is attracting growing notice: Keith Joseph drew attention to its consequences for education at the Chequers Cabinet, and there has been critical comment in both Parliament and the press.
George Younger has never denied that over-provision exists. You were yourself, struck by the ease with which he found offsets from his block for rates relief this spring; he has told us that he is ready to do so again in the future. This seems to me to undermine his earlier claim that the political and presentational problems of restraining his block totals were insuperable.
NI for its part now has the prospect of additional US funds as an “extra” to the deal we are negotiating with the Irish Republic, on top of the over-provision that already exists.
In all this we have to bear in mind that over-provision, in both territories, is enshrined in a purely automatic block budgeting system, involving no Treasury scrutiny whatever, which we have inherited from the Labour Administration. Even our predecessors never saw it as any more than a stopgap arrangement on the road to political devolution, certainly not as the permanency it has now become.
Be that as it may, the block system is now publicly construed, in the territories, as a political entitlement to public expenditure. The longer we let it run, the harder it becomes to challenge that perception, and the greater the risk of political repercussions when we do.
In the context of this year’s difficult Survey I concluded that I could not disregard the possibility of savings from this quarter. I therefore wrote to George Younger and Douglas Hurd asking for reductions in the Scottish and Northern Irish provision for all years of the Survey. I thought however it might be helpful if I told you, before the bilateral discussions begin in Spetember how I intend to tackle the problem.
I have asked initially for reductions in the three Survey years, of £100m, £150m and £200m for Scotland, and £25m, £50m and £75m for NI. The outcome I am aiming for, which I think has some presentational advantage, is to secure reductions equivalent in effect to suspending the operation of the formula on block programmes (other than local authority current – this is explained in more detail in Annex A).
Our best estimate is that this would mean asking for something of the order of £100m a year from the two territories together. The key presentational advantage is that while this would mean denying the Scottish and NI programmes the increases implied by the operation of the formula there would not be cash cuts in the block.
Inevitably, George Younger and Douglas Hurd will be concerned about my proposals and are likely to oppose them strongly. I thought I should therefore let you know how I am proceeding before the September bilaterals. I would of course be very ready to discuss if you wish.
As background, Annex B sets out some examples you have seen before of high standards of provision in Scotland and NI; and Annex C reminds you of the relatively prosperous state of the Scottish economy.
Peter Rees
(approved by the Chief Secretary)”
Schrodingers cat- read one of your posts from September 2014 the George square riot story. It’s number 2 in wings top 100. You should look at it! You’re powers as a soothsayer are absolutely amazing. Predicting 50 odd seats for the SNP amongst other crystal ball tips! Hats off sir/madam!
“Twitter”?,
I’m just getting used to a 1st class stamp!.
@Paula Rose John Kings no the only wan wanting tae know what you did, common spill.
ronnie anderson Honey – you’ll have to follow me on twitter first.
@ Tam Jardine
More revelations! I wonder what Peter Rees means by “over provison” in Scotland’s block grant?
re Twitter, I did start using my account, egged on by Paula Rose. But I spend so much time reading the WoS posts, the comments, and most of the links from comments, that there’s no time let for twitter.
Will keep checking in though I haven’t really posted much, assuming most twitterati will already have read it.
Don’t we risk living in an echo chamber where we only surround ourselves with people who agree with us? Open debate is vital, especially if we’re to convince others in our cause too
Tam Jardine says:
Thanks Tam, good to see that even the money they claim they spend is subject to invisible ‘cuts’. Whats not to trust in the UK Treasury.
…Twitter free 😀 I’ll keep the pub model alive
Wait…that would block me and I’ve never abused anyone…including you Wings…which you know.
A kind of New Year detox = )
You also don’t like being called on making a sexist comment and yes I still say your comment was sexist. I can live with being blocked by you. ;D
That’s Tunnocks off my shopping list,
Got this after sharing you blocklist on Facebook Rev
“Zoe Venditozzi · 2 mutual friends
He blocked me because I had the temerity to question something he said which was sexist. I’m pro independence.”
And you still can hear me singin’ to the people who don’t listen to the things that I am sayin’, prayin’someone”s gonna hear, and I guess I’ll die explaining how the things that they complain about are things they could be changin’,hoping someones gonna care. Kris Kristofferson, ‘To beat the Devil’.
Everyone – no blocking Bravemany she is one of our heroines and a wonderful artist.
I tend to follow Mark Twain,s advice—
‘Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.’
Whats your gripes its the Rev,s site ,you,s must have upset him.
Mark Twain’s: ‘Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.’
And he was right.
Bickering on social cites invariably has a third party intervene to post “Get a room you two”, or, “You two are bring down the site”, both as bloody irritating as the bastard who started the dispute and won’t come halfway!
Whits gon oan wie this site The Loggins back
Thanks for that Tam Jardine
To keep it in context of the ‘over provision’. The Oil revenues from Scotland were the equivalent of £25Billon+ a year. This was left totally out of the equation. Google (or whatever) the McCrone Report which was kept secret under the Official Secrets Act. There should have been absolutely no cuts to the Scottish Block Grant. It should have been increased. Scotland was depopulated by Westminster centralist, economic policies. The North/South divide.
The Scottish population and economy has only grown since Devolution 2000, because Westminster can be held to account. The Tories are once again trying to destroy the Scottish economy. Inmposing policies for which the majority in Scotland did not vote.
FYI folks @JOjojosiejay is also one of ours – The Rev can be a bit block happy at times, worth checking profiles or ask on here, some are very good people worth following.
It’s like canvassing.
You mark down those doors where you will be haranged by a professionally angry Blue/Red/Yellow Tory so the next time we don’t have to waste 45 minutes getting away from the door.
This makes more time for real people
Watching the STV programme on Nova Scotia in Canada.
Wow wonderful to listen to those of Scottish ancestry who have no taint of cringe.Their Scottish culture is celebrated. How very refreshing!
Ken500
Just to put the £100 million in context- the modern day equivalent would be about £270 million- so cancelling the Barnett formula alone for those 3 years must have cost Scotland £300million (modern day equivalent of £810million)
On top of that you have the various other measures detailed by George Younger. Ken- we got pumped £720 million quid in the 3 years George Younger details. which in todays money is £2billion.
And this was conceived by the Chief Secretary of the Treasury at a time when the oil and gas tax revenues had never been higher!
At a time when Scotland had all kinds of problems with health and educational attainment.
at a time when English Local Authority spending was completely out of control (one year English LA spending was £750 million over budget). Spending across the UK was increasing by 10.8%!
Its a fucking scandal mate.
It would be great fun if you could insert that Block list into the yooner-zoomers own accounts. Imagine their surprise when suddenly all their self-supporting tweets disappear…
O/T BBC rep off Scotland being examined in Parliament on Tuesday.
Rev Stu being trashed by Scotsman UKOK online crazies
https://archive.is/2dL8T
This is another good guy who is on the Rev’s list for a minor indiscretion –
LordoftheDANCE!! ?@AKMacG
tx Joemcg
predicting actual seats in a fptp election is less easy, give or take 4 each way but % of over all vote is dead easy
eg,
13-15% tory, it has been like this for 18 years now,
4-7% lib dem, since 2011, libdems have flat lined at this level since 2011 uk wide
labour 25-31%, 31% in 2011, the referendum damaged them which is why may2015 was always going to be lower.
you don’t need to be the seer of gourdie hill to predict such results. over all voting patterns move slowly but their direction of travel is very predictable
I predicted for 2015
lab 25%
tory 15%
lib 5%
ukip 5%
actual
lab 24.9, tory 14.9, lib 7, ukip 3
this is why I argued for snp1, ssp/sg/solidarity 2
perhaps not in every region but certainly in fife and mid Scotland
the figures don’t lie, snp will win all 9 constituencies, the sgp will win 1 list, the unionists the remaining 6
there is little doubt, the question isn’t if this will happen, the question seems to be are these other parties worth it, in truth, they haven’t ever taken my advice, except solidarity, so I don’t blame other snp/yes supporters for not wanting to support ssp/sgp. those in mundells seat a case in point.
we will revisit this issue closer to the time, when we see the polls but also with a closer view of each region
I don’t agree with this. For one thing it’s mixing up twitter with the website Wings, they should be kept separate.
But for another thing Wings has the media running for cover, defending itself (it should be questioning itself), and now is not the time to let it off the hook by ignoring any part of it. The media knows much of Scotland “doesn’t trust it”, and blames US for that, rather than looking in the mirror and finding itself. But perhaps in time the media assholes will look in the mirror and see it’s them, not us.
Wings got another mention, in the Herald, an article titled “Angela Haggerty: ‘The downside of the hashtag bandwagon is that it discounts thoughtful analysis in favour of soundbites'”
Keep up the pressure.
Mmmm, on that note:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGPhUr-T6UM
Tam,
‘…so cancelling the Barnett formula alone for those 3 years must have cost Scotland £300million (modern day equivalent of £810million)’
Was it only those three years that the formula was cancelled?
Is there any indication that is was reinstated after those 3 years.
And yer right it is a ‘fucking scandal’. Bastards.
There’s no ‘fiscal’ reasoning behind any of this at that time, quite the opposite, with the 10.8% increase across the rUK, the rationale seems to be that there is this ‘over provision’ in Scotland. But where is the proof of this?
The consequences of what took place are hugely significant, whilst the rise of unemployment and our heavy industries being decimated, these secret cuts where underway plus they were actively withdrawing the block grant over this three year period…and I want to know if this went on for more than those three years…
Has this ever been corrected, ever!
Also, that Rees sounds like a rich brown noser…whit’s the word am looking for…obsequious…aye that’s the word.
BBC are reporting “Islamic State militants have released a video, featuring a spokesman and young boy speaking with British accents”
I’ve never heard of a, Glaswegian, Brummy or Liverpudlian described as having a “British” accent.
Seriously what is a “British” accent, what does it sound like?
Cadogan Enright 10.23
I enjoy a bit of sport with the diehard unionist whilst out canvassing.It adds to the fun.I always give them a parting smile and wish them well.
Or even Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh Almannysbunnet…there’s nay such thing as a ‘british’ accent…but I’d put money on it that it’s a English accent?
Such is the tendency to interchange british/english/UK.
“Wait…that would block me and I’ve never abused anyone…including you Wings…which you know.”
No, you posted a dick tweet that broke my Twitter client, something I’ve warned people about a thousand times. I even tweeted to tell you:
https://twitter.com/WingsScotland/status/654383143043137536
But you did nothing about the offending tweet, which is fine and up to you, but it meant if I didn’t block you I couldn’t use Twitter at all any more. You left me no choice whatsoever, and now you’re bleating about it all over the place. Tough.
Rev – please in this particular case can you remove BraveMany from the list – it would make a lot of us much happier.
not really understanding this rev, soz for being so dense
Their agenda for the early months of 2016 includes, in order, the following speakers:
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie and, finally, the recently confirmed SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Their topic? “My vision of Scotland for the next five years.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35131438
(Won’t archive 🙁 )
I’m on twitter and hardly use it other than to follow Wings and occasionally post on HIS twitter feed.
I find that when I have it on my own timeline I am deluged with Twits, even though I only have a few dozen followers. Doubt very much I could cope with 100 never mind 45,000 followers.
I’ve never blocked anyone yet, and don’t really intend to, the Rev I feel, at times, has no choice even if it is just for somehow “breaking” the thing working for him and not abuse.
Somethings working, guess he knows best. Glad I don’t need to go there.
Almannysbunnet @12.04
You were spot on to suggest that the successor to Jihadi John would have an English accent. The following was reported in today’s Independent:
A video purporting to show the execution of five alleged British spies orchestrated by a masked man with an English accent who threatens David Cameron over air strikes in Syria has been released by the Isis terror group.
The ten-minute film appeared to be an attempt by Isis’s propaganda arm to unveil a new media figurehead copying the style of Mohammed Emwazi, the British graduate who conducted the beheadings of at least six hostages on camera and became notorious as “Jihadi John”.
The new video shows five Arabic-speaking men supposedly confessing to having been recruited by British intelligence before switching to the unidentified man speaking with a distinct English accent as he delivers a lecture attacking Mr Cameron and threatening Britain as he waves a black pistol at the camera.
The EBC are up to their dirty tricks again
Rev – please in this particular case can you remove BraveMany from the list – it would make a lot of us much happier.
Not me, particularly. I followed that account because others were rhapsodising about how wonderful it was. I found a petulant whine who loved being the centre of attention and sycophancy, but who threw a strop and blocked at even a questioning of her position on something.
She dishes it out, but seems not to be able to take it.
I’d have thought anyone who knows Stu at all would realise that the best way to ensure they’re never unblocked this side of hell freezing over would be to throw a drama queen fit of the vapours and leave twitter over it.
“Twitter”?,
I’m just getting used to a 1st class stamp!.
I’ve got your vittels ready Mr Albaman
now lets see, a sack of flour sack of salt, bolt of cotton,(for Mrs Albaman)and 20lbs of beef jerky, now how many beaver pelts do you have for me this year?
Winter’ll be a bad un this year, best head on back to your cabin afore it sets in I reckons (hawk spit ting)
____________________________________________________
BJ
“That’s Tunnocks off my shopping list,”
WHAT?
Where the hell have you been?
living with Albaman?
whadja mean “off my shopping list”, I haven’t bought Tunnocks products for 3 years, mans an arse.
_______________________________________________________
Major Bloodnok
“Downloaded this and install it and found I’d blocked myself!! Wait. What?”
SNIGGER,
What?
what?
I’m, on the list arent I?
I’m on the list
OH MY GOD IM ON THE LIST!
I wasn’t on the list was I Rev?
but I’m on it now aren’t I?
OH MY GOD IM ON THE LIST NOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsbYx6hevoQ
__________________________________________________
Morning John, you’re on good form today!
Hiya cearc
Full of the joys 🙂
naw forget it, I’m scunnered,
I’ve got a problem with my car (possibly wheel bearings) but it will almost certainly scupper our wee sojourn up to Aiberdeen at the end of the month, dammit.
That’s bad news, hope you will be able to make it.
Aye I was looking forward to it as well but it really is looking unlikely at the moment.
K1
Was it only those three years that the formula was cancelled?
Is there any indication that is was reinstated after those 3 years?
The letters suggest this was a new initiative so I think we can be confident that the formula was stuck to beforehand. As for after 88/89? No idea. I have put an FOI request in asking the question.
Douglas , I suspect the video release of the chap with the
” british” accent is to bury the Saudi’s 47 head choppings off the agenda.
I further suspect the BIG announcement of Saudi breaking diplomatic relations with Iran is another fudge up – “nice Saudi , bad Iran “.
In my book , every decent country should have /be breaking diplomatic relations with Saudi – but hypocrisy wins and the oil greedy West will continue to turn a blind eye,a deaf ear and a mute mouth to beheadings , stonings and the plight of women. Not to mention the destruction of Yemen and the innocents.
@Tam
Not sure if the formula was stuck to before, it’s a case of whatever is meant by “non-formula reductions”. That bit I quoted before from Page 27:
“6. …………..would be likely to intensify public and expert scrutiny of the non-formula reductions which have already been made since 1980. The effect of these secret reductions has been to reduce the Scottish block baseline by about £70m in each of the next 3 years ie by percentage amounts greater than the precentage fall in Scotland’s population, although less than the change in relative population would indicate. If, as seems not unlikely, this comes to light it would be extremely difficult to explain not only why the earlier changes had not been announced but also why Scotland was being penalised for its fall in population twice over. We have been unable to identify convincing arguments which could be used publicly to justify the earlier cuts.”
Perhaps it means the Barnett consequentials which were refused, but it does say “reduce the Scottish block baseline”.
@Dorothy
One of the worst things anyone ever said was George Bush with his “Axis of Evil” to describe Iraq, Iran and North Korea, with additions at times of Syria, Libya and Cuba.
Disgusting man.
yesindyref2
Yes- you are right. It’s early. They successfully applied non-formula reductions to the grant since 79/80. It was only in 1985 they decided to suspend the formula altogether.
yesindyref2
… even after they had effectively suspended the formula, the non-formula reductions were still applied every year. They had an accumulative effect and we’re applied every year throughout the 80’s from what I have read.
@Joemcg says: 3 January, 2016 at 5:05 pm:
” … Think we’ve all been dragged in to arguments on these zoomer threads. They won’t listen to you so it’s a pointless exercise.”
The reason some of us, “get dragged into”, arguments is often quite deliberate, Joemcg. We know the zoomer will not be listening and will be patting her/himself on the back in the mistaken belief she/he has been very clever.
The point is that while the zoomers are totally deaf there are others, perhaps just lurkers, who are listening very carefully.
So if you work on the basis that you are posting to those people, while seemingly replying to the idiots, you are spreading the truth to the actual people we need to pull towards the ideas of an independent Scotland.
Which, of course, is why you should not be abusive and you won’t if you realise NOT actually replying to the zoomer.
That is because you are not angry with those you are actually aiming your reply at and are really ignoring the zoomer.
I don’t really understand how twitter works, but good on you lot who can use it to good affect.
Seems like herding cats to me who sneaks occasionally onto WoS twitter for a look see. 🙂
PS: Another one of these articles…”what are you doing since you were gubbed at the election”?
Ousted Lib Dem: Scotland must find a way to heel its indyref divisions
https://archive.is/KJ6mW#selection-531.0-531.70
Westminster is still at it. Scotland has to pay £4Billion debt repayments on money it doesn’t borrow or spend. Pay £1/2Billion a year for Trident. More for illegal wars. Scotland is losing £Billions (Westminster 75% take of Oil sector), losing jobs etc., Scotland can’t put a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink save £1Billion? a year. Companies in Scotland are tax evading through the City of London, including Whisky companies. £3Billion. Add it up it comes to £10Billion+, which could be better spent. CCS for coal, renewables etc. Less fuel and energy having to be imported in the UK putting up the balance of payments deficit and the debt.
Scotland raises £54Billion+ rest of the UK raises £461Billion Divide £461 by 11 = £42Billion. (pro rata) The rest of the UK borrows and spends £90Billion? more. Scotland has to pay £4Billion debt repayments on that. Scotland gets £30Block Grant £16Billion (UK) pensions/benefit. £4Billion goes to (UK) Defence. £4Billion debt repayments on money it doesn’t borrow or spend. Scotland can’t control it’s own spending, so money could be better spent. Westminster decides how much of Scotland’s revenues are spent.
The disgraceful sanctions on the vulnerable and food banks etc. The worst migration crisis since 11WW because of Westminster policies. The evasion of tax by multinationals and banks making vast profits. HMRC not fit for purpose.
Peffers: “while the zoomers are totally deaf there are others, perhaps just lurkers, who are listening very carefully.”
A few days ago I was fooled some minutes by a zoomer – Belford Art Gallery on his masthead yet claiming ‘arty types’ were all whinging and welfare – but I persisted with rebuffing his absurdities. And exactly as you say, once he disappeared it transpired others were reading the spat and dropped in to thank me for posting common sense. Mind you, I don’t normally engage loonies, but that particular one was part of History Woman’s storm troopers.
This weeks essay: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-2WO
@Bob Sinclair says: 3 January, 2016 at 7:07 pm:
“See, I told you:
https://twitter.com/BritainUnited1/status/683654375294779393
Aye, Bob, so ye did —
but :-
Let’s get things right, shall we?
The Lion Rampant is NOT the flag of Scotland. It is the Banner of the Scottish Monarchy.
This from Wikipedia:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Standard_of_Scotland
Sae noo ye aa ken.
The Saltire is Scotland’s flag and the Lion Rampant is the banner of Queen Elizabeth II and in fact the wrong usage of the Lion Rampant can be prevented by the Court of the Lord Lyon :-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_the_Lord_Lyon
Which may very well be the true reason the Lion Rampant has been removed from the said Teacakes.
You didn’t expect the Scottish media to tell you the truth – did you?
Good overview of where we stand from Gerry Hassan. A positive optimistic view, I felt.
http://www.gerryhassan.com/blog/scotland-isnt-really-this-divided-nation-detail-dissent-and-our-deeds-connecting-to-our-rhetoric/
@Smallaxe says: 3 January, 2016 at 9:34 pm:
“And you still can hear me singin’ to the people who don’t listen to the things that I am sayin’, prayin’someone”s gonna hear, and I guess I’ll die explaining how the things that they complain about are things they could be changin’,hoping someones gonna care.”
Kris Kristofferson, ‘To beat the Devil’.
Sheesh!
Could someone, (anyone), translate that into basic English for us? It looks English – but?
Noticed over on Twitter a lot of needless ‘controversy’ over the list. Rev Stu can block whoever he chooses to and people who want to use this list can. Those who don’t want to (and I’m one of them, because it just suits me not to) don’t have to. It’s a free country, whatever approach you take. At least, I think it is.
@Ken500 says: 3 January, 2016 at 10:08 pm:
” … To keep it in context of the ‘over provision’. The Oil revenues from Scotland were the equivalent of £25Billon+ a year. This was left totally out of the equation.”
Indeed they are kept out of the equation, as I keep reminding those who seem to think Scotland gets an 8.4% share of the oil & gas revenues.
Scotland’s internationally recognised territorial waters yield around 95% of the oil & gas revenues, (the percentage depends upon how many rigs are out of service for maintenance).
The Westminster Establishment thieves the entire 95% of the Scottish contribution to the Treasury by classing the entire 100% as earned from, “Extra-regio Territory”, and that extra-Regio Territory all belongs to the United Kingdom.
Not one penny of oil & gas revenue has ever come directly to Scotland. That 8.4% is a figure, based upon population percentage, only used to extract mythical statistic figures for fiddling the books.
Johnny says:
“Noticed over on Twitter a lot of needless ‘controversy’ over the list.”
Indeed. Complete freedom to use the list, or not. You’d think it was somehow compulsory, by the ranting.
Well, I suppose if they are moaning about the Rev Stu then they aren’t moaning at the SNP/SG ! 🙂
@ call me dave Swinsons fogusing on a exciting new career , ur they bringing Clippies back
Cumoan get Aff lol.
“where we stand from Gerry Hassan”
Sadly, his conclusion pushes the current phony Labour line that there isn’t enough dissent, especially among SNP members, which, frankly, is bloody baloney!
The disreputable insinuation is, the SNP hierarchy has an authoritarian grip on the minds of its members.
All we are witnessing is another divide and rule attack, the same one that ‘gifts’ useless powers to Scotland and then demands they are distributed among local councils.
Duff ex Lib Dem Mp Jo Swinson is moaning about Scotland needing to heal it’s divisions
This is the woman who went around telling old folks if they voted Yes they’d be more likely to get Cancer because the SNP would run down the Health Service
This is the woman who went around telling anybody who’d listen Potholes were the fault of the SNP
This is the same woman who when I was canvassing for Yes was (Allegedly) filling in Postal votes for the poor old pensioners to save them any bother (In every care home in East Dumbarton)”Allegedly”
This is also the woman who only set foot in her constituency if she absolutely had to and even then it was only for Photo Opportunities
It’s probably fair to say “I did not care for her”
Mr Angry of Bishopbriggs
Anyway, divisions! There are divisions in the HOC every day the Tories heal them by winning so they’re happy
In Scotland the SNP are winning so we’re happy, what’s the problem,
When Labour were winning in Scotland I don’t remember anybody going out of their way to heal me
If the Yoons are going to have a chance they must improve their loser talk and put on better loser faces and go for the sympathy vote (Only Kidding) They’re Toast
@K1 says: 4 January, 2016 at 12:16 am:
” … there’s nay such thing as a ‘british’ accent…but I’d put money on it that it’s a English accent?”
That’s because there is no such thing as a country called Britain and no such thing as a unified Government of Britain. Furthermore, Great Britain is smaller than Britain as it is just the biggest, (greatest), island in the British Isles and it contains only three, of the eight, British countries.
Mind you all but one of those eight countries is part of the Royal Realm but not all part of the United Kingdom Government’s territory. The three Crown Protectorates are not part of the UK Government but are part of Her Majesty’s realm.
The manny Tunnock sounds a bit confused to me, or is it just shrewd? I mean he only has a CBE this will surely buy him a bit more. From a corp media rag near you:-
Tunnocks launched an advertising campaign in England last month promoting the “Tunnock’s Great British Teacake” with a slightly altered logo.
“We could have said Scottish but you’re then promoting Scotland. We’re British.”
The 82-year-old added: “The vote said we’re British. We’re Scottish, however we’re still in Britain.” The biscuit magnate, who campaigned for a No vote in the independence referendum, said there were no plans to call the teacakes British in Scotland.
Robert Peffers – enjoy your posts immensely and learn a lot from them. Would it not be better to report that the Lion Rampant is the flag of the Monarch of Scotland rather than “Queen Elizabeth II”?. Boyd Tunnock has said that he is only replacing the Lion Rampart on produce for “south of the Border”. If so, and at present, could the equivalent to Lord Lyon in England have it removed from produce sent “south of the border”?
My own theory is that Tunnocks are getting a wee reward from HMRC for supporting “hypocrites together” in the referendum campaign! Apparently HMRC allowed Snowballs to be reclassified as a “cake” rather than a “biscuit” meaning that they are now zero rated for VAT!
BJ and other boycoters, according the National today, you are ‘the crazed loons on the fringes of social media’!
Hmm, on Tunnocks, if there is no plan to call the teacakes British in Scotland these should surely be called English in England, unless England is Britain!
Not much coffee time teamGEnglandB news read around today, usual endless SNP v v bad, rancid The Graun says stop criticiserising us, its not fair, we’re British.
So from the archives
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2015/12/the-prime-minister-should-say-it-more-often-the-people-of-the-uk-are-better-together/
Every Scots says make students pay for the uni etc, because we’re British. The Vow’s been buried at the bottom of Buck Palace garden and
” Most Scots support the welfare cap that the SNP abhors and they are, if anything, more likely to believe that ‘people on the dole are fiddling in one way or another’. Since devolution, there has been a sharp rise in Scots agreeing with the splendidly patriotic notion that the world would ‘be a better place if people from other countries were more like the British’.
Our great country certainly has its internal differences.”
Horatio Nelson’s not mad, he’s British, hick.
Jehadi new guy with the “British Accent”
It’s nice of Davie Cameron to try and make us all inclusive in his new terror campaign by once again taking ownership of the term British to mean something it doesn’t
I’ll be interested to hear his explanation of,say a French or German accent for example, will that be a Jehadi fella with a European Union accent
What we need to see is when the Jehadi new guy is on the Telly they should have the Union Flag Fluttering in the breeze beside him so that we all know he’s the British accent one as opposed to any other Jehadi guy from somewhere else
On hearing his accent he sounds like he’s from the “North of Britain” which is the North of England, the Brits get that bit confused a lot, they tend not to know their Britain from their Arshole or their England
Do you think if he had a Scottish, Welsh, or Irish accent he’d still be labled as having the British one which of course doesn’t exist it’s made up Twaddle
@jdman says: 4 January, 2016 at 6:22 am:
” … “Downloaded this and install it and found I’d blocked myself!! Wait. What?”
SNIGGER,
What?
what?
I’m, on the list arent I?
I’m on the list
OH MY GOD IM ON THE LIST!
Ah! Yes! That Little List :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NLV24qTnlg
Call me Dave: Ousted Lib Dem: “Scotland must find a way to heel its indyref divisions”
Or put another way, we can add to the insult, ‘too small, too broke and too thick’, another insult: too immature to handle political debate or progress.
Almannysbunnet says :
“We could have said Scottish but you’re then promoting Scotland. We’re British.” (Boyd Tunnock’s comment )
Yes , really really strange , considering they were only too happy to be promoted as “Scottish Icons” in the opening ceremony of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games and get FREE publicity , feckin hypocrites surely ? Didnae mind being promoted as ‘Scottish’ then….. did they.
Ya can stick yir Tunnocks Teacakes up yir arse !!!!…might taste better.
ONCE AGAIN REMIND ME WHO FECKIN WON REFERENDUM VOTE !!! Confused.com I be.
British whisky…British Porridge Oats…..British Tartan….British bagpipes….#SCOTLANDBAD ..
“Journalists” Now comparing themselves to Shakespeare and Adele and other performing artists and literary figures and shouldn’t be criticised or Boo’d
Presumably not praised either then
These folk are a pathetic bunch of (insert own word)
Happy New Year!
Is this the new insult….’don’t be a tunnock’……nice ring to it.
Biscuit based insults do not always work well though (Oreo),best not to.
Nok Cnuts
K1 sayid at 12:16 am:
“Or even Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh Almannysbunnet…there’s nay such thing as a ‘british’ accent…but I’d put money on it that it’s a English accent?
Such is the tendency to interchange british/english/UK.”
This morning Frank Gardner the BBC Security Correspondent stated on the Radio 4 Today Programme the masked man has,”a London accent”.[8.21am approximately].
The BBC must be receiving drip-feed info from the Security Services I guess.
Just a wee mention that Boyd Tunnock,for I’d be the last guy sticking up for a Unionist,saved the St.Abbs lifeboat funder by giving them £265,000 to the project.
The new boat is to be called after his dad Thomas Tunnock I think.
After reading that I decided he can’t be all bad.
Just saying like.
No matter what paper I may have read, or what television programmes I viewed ,or indeed, what political party I supported in the past, I have set my goal on independence for Scotland.
That is all that matters. The only party offering that hope is the SNP.
I have never set myself deliberately against anyone or anything ,but have only responded to their determination to see my aims thwarted.
Until the Media or supporters of other Parties respect my views, I can offer no respect for theirs.It is as simple and basic as that.
After reading that I decided he can’t be all bad.
Just saying like.
Money to burn UKOK Britnat types are like that though, great givers, as in billionaire JK Rowling gave £10m to MS research and £1m to Bettertogether. Super rich philanthropist are above criticism then.
Tom Hunter’s a £1bn philanthropist, so it is tricky out there. Horatio Nelson says Scots think if you’re on the dole you’re fiddling, which makes more sense if there are actually some unemployed fiddlers around, living the life.
Its a UKOK homonym nightmare.
Buying a lifeboat is tax deductable
Buying a lifeboat is tax deductable
and great PR.
Rowling thinks she silenced any critics of her vote NO, too poor, stupid, small Scots, by stating over and over, “I gave MS £10m, so I am nice, shadap. vote NO”
Great UKOK politics, tax deductible, £10m of your £1bn is 1%, cheap at half the price.
Some predictions for the year ahead. On the basis that some of the ex-MPs won’t have been interviewed by the Herald, we’ll be getting up to 2 ex-MPs, by a strange coincidence none of then SNP, giving their story in the Herald each week about how they’ve moved on from hating the SNP who are really BAD, BAD, with perhaps the big beast making an appearance in the week before the election vowing to give us all the Powers of Levitation, courtesy of JK Rowling. Michelle Mone is to move to England. Again.
We’ll have every journalist telling us that it’s our fault and the SNP’s fault that the SNP are BAD, and the hashtag #SNPBad is really really stupid because nobody is saying the SNP is Bad apart from all the media saying the SNP are Bad and it’s our fault because it’s not the media’s fault and … (repeat ad nauseam).
Forth Road Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.
NHS to be renamed NUHS as in National Un-Health Service.
Police are totally out of control, they’re running around with guns ‘n
rosesthat.Edukashun is crap which is why jurnalists can’t smell or right. They’re being marginaliZed, sob.
The SNP now support the Union and all SNP supporters are divisive and hate the English and it’s all Westminster’s fault.
In a surprise move Labour have promised all people who’ve voted for them a special edition pack of Tunnocks teacakes with Hamish on it, but renamed St. George.
Margaret Thatcher has been found to be a saint in disguise and the Labour party want her anointed (I think that’s what they said).
@call me dave
Yeah, clocked that piece from Ms Swinson. Perhaps if the Libdems hadn’t joined in so wholeheartedly in the demonisation process of the independence movement, or mibbies if during the normal course of government hadn’t reneged on pledges? Perhaps if their ministers hadn’t used high office to subvert democratic process (both referendum and GE), or acted as enablers for one of the most right wing and reactionary governments in the UKs recent political history? Perhaps if they hadn’t lied their faces off in order to preserve their tenuous grip on career and established order…. perhaps, perhaps, perhaps?
Then there is the claim that self determination and independence is a ‘narrow constitutional issue’. Disingenuous doesn’t begin to describe the claim, so we’ll leave it at that.
If Scotland is divided, its along societal lines and Ms Swinson, her party and their bedfellows in Labour and the Conservative party are wholly to blame for both their referendum and General Election campaigns, no one else. Or perhaps she would like to review the press releases of the UK press and sound bites of EVERY leader in both campaigns as proof?
The Lib dems are in exactly the spot they have earned for themselves.
But no its all the fault of those dratted separatists.
@ Dr Jim
Another G&S ditty clears up the confusion:
“He is an English man” complete with Union Jack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2r9t6l_eE8
Could be David Cameron’s theme tune.
“He is an English man” complete with Union Jack:
That’s nothing. What I got from my English chums last year, youre all British now…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61AAwNDwU4U
That accent is officially English according to radio Scotland news at 11’o’clock time.
That lifeboat thing…I raised an eyebrow at the time and considered the gesture to be a good thing but it’s small beer in the round and have given up on the biscuit/cake thing entirely.
However I have to be strong when I’m in the beetroot / soup aisle
as the alternatives to Baxter’s produce is not he same.
PS:
Two of labour in Scotland’s finest jostle for space in the Herald.
MSP Kelly and offensive behaviour in the same headline caught my attention, but it’s SNP bad again. 🙂
James Kelly, Labour MSP for Rutherglen, said the act was a PR exercise by the Scottish Government and he said he will draft a bill to abolish it if he is re-elected to Holyrood in May
https://archive.is/1Rckj
Bungling Baillie tried to set up taskforce twice as minister
https://archive.is/UZL7r#selection-507.0-507.60
@Bill McLean says: 4 January, 2016 at 10:55 am:
“” … Would it not be better to report that the Lion Rampant is the flag of the Monarch of Scotland rather than “Queen Elizabeth II”?
Well no, Bill. I was having a wee backhanded punt at the fact there has never been a, “Queen Elizabeth I”, of The United Kingdom.
So that, “Queen Elizabeth II”, can only be monarch of the three country Kingdom of England.
I’m still waiting, (since 1952/3), for the new monarch of the whole United Kingdom to be crowned. Such a moarch would be properly titled, “Queen Elizabeth I of the United Kingdom”. To the best of my Knowledge she has not yet arrived.
I sincerely hope to live long enough to see Scotland again an independent Kingdom and never then be insulted by the English crowning a King Charles by a title with the wrong number.
@Robert Peffer: “by the English crowning a King Charles by a title with the wrong number.”
What’s wrong with Corgis?
call e dave at 12.15
As regards avoiding Baxter’s overproced products most of the big supermarfkets now sell bundles of fresh beetroot for cooking – far better than the bottled stuff.
For canned soups Lidl have 2 great ranges at 39p and 49p with the Cream of Tomato and Cream of Chicken atv 39p especially good – the tomato one is virtually indistinguishable from the Heinz one at 95p a go. Aldi also have a good range of canned soups again at a fraction of the cost of the offerings from Baxters, Heinz et al.
SNPx2
Bless, as toryboy hacks like to say.
Kevin Hague ?@kevverage 12 hrs12 hours ago
I like Wings’ block list
I’d rather not interact with anyone so closed-minded & passive they’d censor dissenting voices based on his advice
Also usual unionist sneaky creepy, as Kevrage’s been chuntering too poor, stupid, small btl on WoS too.
You’re bigger than this kevrage. You’re really not though.
Does anyone actually pay £1.10+ for a tin of Baxter’s soup? I certainly don’t!
I like the Cock-a-leekie, Scotch Broth and Chicken Broth. I buy them in Poundstretcher @ 49p, or B&M Bargains or Home Bargains @ 59p or 69p, or in Tesco, when they have them priced at either 3 for £2 or 60p a can.
I agree with Lidl’s Cream of Chicken. Lidl used to do a decent tinned Cream of Mushroom at around the 40p mark but they seem to have banned mushroom soups, both tinned and ‘cup-a-soup’ varieties from their shelves.
I don’t have an issue with Tunnocks dropping the lion.
These symbols of our country are better in the hands of those that care about them. It is another example of how shallow the nawbag “proud scottery” cant (I said cant) really is.
🙂
O/T
We haven’t had to wait very long for the first TV series of 2016 with ‘Britain’, ‘Great Britain’ or ‘Great British’in the title.
Starting tonight on ITV at 8pm – ‘Griff’s Great Britain’ and he’s a bloody Welshman.
And so the brainwashing continues.
Tunnock’s Great British Teacake contains Palm Oil and Shea Butter.
Not Scottish or British in my book.
That is why I buy only at my local bakery. Saves me money too as I am not tempted into buying more than I need.
@Robert Peffers,
I do not think we will see a King Charles III ( unless you count the one in the Vatican – Bonnie Prince Charlie is buried there under that title.)
Charles is planning to change his name to George VII on his coronation.
Perhaps Charles is a bit too controversial and Scottish?
All good for the future Scotttish Republic.
This thing about Tunnocks, calling the teacake ‘British’ in England. really, really irks me. The company is only too happy to play on its Scottish roots, and manufacturing, when it suits, and to a Scottish market, but down in England, Tunnocks is the epitome of the cringing Scots. Feart to mention Scotland, when in England. Shame on them.
Meanwhile similar produce, which many argue is much, much better, is manufactured by Lees, a genuinely SCOTTISH company manufacturing in Coatbridge. They also make the world famous macaroon bars.
http://www.leesfoods.co.uk/teacakes/
Buy Scottish, reject ALL products with any union jackery – and especially those Scots who deny their nation whilst in England.
In other news, I’m still trying to figure out what a ‘British’ accent is.
Just wait till some of the Harris Tweed makers start being asked by Davie Cameron to change their brand to British Tweed for a Wee Gong
Do we change Haggis to Hoggie for the Brits
How about Oberon Angus cows from North Britain
Irene Brew for Brits Mmm Tasty
Mack Gowns Toffee Ideal for weddings
How many more Scottish producers are going to become British I wonder
Bad enough we’ve got Morrisons supermarket on our tellys advertising Norwegian Salmon in a country who’s Salmon is famous throughout the world, not only that they’re dearer than the corner shop for Fags by 16pence a packet, not that I shop there, I only go in to put the National on top of the Daily Records
I’m a scamp
On the Tunnocks English market re-branding:
Surely it makes perfect sense to have different branding for different market territories. I had a brief look at the story on the Hootsman and, if you ignore the usual “we hate fat Eck, we voted No” bawbags, there were a few who were insisting that Tunnocks already uses different designs for some foreign markets.
That said, and given that they are keeping Lion Rampant branding for us Jocks, are Tunnocks accepting a divergence, an inevitable split, and planning accordingly?
Some of the bawbags implied that our southern cousins now find Scottish produce a turnoff, with the vanilla Brit packaging an attempt to assuage their growing anti-Scot feelings. Hmmm.
Quite why, when their profits are reportedly healthy and growing above expectations, they need to change anything at all should be a question. Is the de-Scotifying of the product intended to result in a larger market down south, followed by a production move?
Great British Teacake anyone?
http://steffhelfgerdt.com/portfolio/tunnocks-teacakes
I wonder if Tunnock will run a series of ads similar to the ones shown in the above link only from a British perspective.
Any suggestions what they could say?
At least our cakes are more British than
More real than
Lighter than
Are better than
Some suggestions
More British than
Dick Van Dyke
Meryl Streep who played Margaret Thatcher
Renee Zellwegger who played Bridget Jones’ Diary
Robert Downey Jr. who played Sherlock Holmes
More real than
Jack O’Kent
Beast of Bodmin
Lighter than the feet of
Our Morris Dancers
Better than our BBC/Living Wage
I bet they would never run a campaign like that in England however they think it perfectly OK to do it in Scotland.
Tunnock take the biscuit!
Tunnock teacakes are bloody awful! I’m glad they have become British.
@ Brian, make yer ain mushroom soup, dead simple. Makin yer ain teacakes isnae easy which is why I’m still eatin them. Ah need them and that’s that!
Since many are talking soup, there is a really good Minestrone and Bacon soup available in Aldi, by a firm called Duncan’s. On the front label it proudly states Produced in Scotland, and even has a wee thistle.
It is actually a very good soup – and cheap too.
@gus1940
@Brian Doonthetoon
I’ve had a go at the fresh beetroot and I’ll take your advice on the soup and try some although I do my own in the summertime.
@Capella and @Heedtracker
Thanks for that 🙂
Never seen that Star Trek one before, very funny.
Well Tunnocks will be waiting for a cold day in hell before I buy their products and as for Baxter’s well not bought any of their stuff for longer. The man in Schiphol Duty Free snorted when I said to my Husband that thon bottle of Whisky being advertised by David Beckham can lie on the shelf, pity he did not ask why. I will support Scottish Producers who work for Scotland not for those who only work for themselves. Whisky is a problem because so much of it is in foreign hands. As for Barrhead Travel, been using Ramsay for holidays for years and will continue to do so. No time for those who either talk down or work against their country.
@ Capella 12.03 Its bad enough you posted that Vidio ,but posting the E l o n g a t e d version of a E n g l i s h m a n its to much tae bear lol.
Robert Louis says:
In other news, I’m still trying to figure out what a ‘British’ accent is.
Ruby replies
You can find out at ‘London Voice Lessons’
Having a British accent helps you fit in better in the UK and you can
‘use your sultry new voice to get all the girlfriends you ever wanted, or to ensnare that hot British guy next door’
http://tinyurl.com/jq285ct
A British accent is the accent used in the very south of England.
Soup for 6 persons: Wae good Scottish Produce
1 Leek
4 good sized carrots
Half a Turnip
2 medium onions
3to4 Litres Watter depending on thickness preference
Method: Chop leek intae bits,Grate two carrots, chop the ither twa, grate half the Turnip chop the rest, chop up the onions any way you want
Bring tae the bile, then simmer for twa hours add 2 Chicken stock cubes and 1 ham cube 1 extra of each may depend on amount of watter
keep simmering for aboot half an hour, DONE Nae grease and it comes oot lovely
The odd cut up Tattie is optional as is salt and pepper
It’s about time we had a cookery corner on Wings
Jimella signing off
Toby Perkins Labour MP wants ‘English National Anthem’
Bit feckin greedy since they already have one. Purr Purr.
English Votes for English Laws….English Anthem for English Fans.
Get wae the program Toby….da computer says BRITISH….by the by Toby…. is everything sooooooo politically good that ya have nothing better tae dae than create such a piss Bill to be passed in Parliament ?
Labour….opposition party my erse.
Ewan Crawford: Great misconception of SNP politics 🙁
https://archive.is/Zr27m
Yer tea cakes oot then!
@ Robert Peffer, it is American Robert,listen to it on you tube and I am sure you will understand.
PS: I am too thick to put a link.Sorry!
@ Jimella, better still, get a lump of “ninehole” & a bone fae the butcher and make your own stock. Gives you a dinner as well! 🙂
Whit Kelly drafting a bill,haw shut that door as Larry wid say if he wiz a Scot.
A new year. Just read another comment elsewhere with “time to move on”.
Another well abused phrase!
In a Scottish constitutional sense “time to move on” is always used to, in reality, mean “can’t we just all get back to the way things were?”!
Answer, NO. Everything has in fact moved on away from that cosy Unionist past. I understand people, particularly those feeling British or who were doing well under the status quo, not wanting change. Tough! It’s happening.
It’s those who are independent minded who are keen to “move on” and make progress to the better Scotland we know we can build. Those with a dependant mindset, particularly in media, are those who just won’t accept the past is no longer with us.
@ ronnie so soz, ah didnae ken.
BTW the cookery section is excellent. I’ll give that a try Dr Jim.
Stu better get another post up before the site becomes a rich source of alternative recipes. Anyone got a recipe for tea cakes?
Always make double the quantity of soup and freeze the leftovers in portion sized lumps. Then you have instant soup.
Just as handy as a can and without the bother of having to open the can and recycle it afterwards!
Tunnock is a quizzer pure and simple. The problem is how do we get back at him without hurting the poor barely above minimum wage folks that work for the company.
Oh and Abergeldie was once owned by the Woyals according to the wiki on it. BBC TV cameras will no doubt be on it 24/7 waiting for the Dee to claim it to howls’ of SNP BAD no doubt. I will say no more.
The Bird creature was pretty bad today. The Tunnocks are plastering the walls!
@ capella.
Don’t know aboot teacakes but I c’n make tablet tae die for!
Cream, butter ‘n’ sugar, nane o’ yer condensed milk rubbish.
@ call me dave, that Ewan Crawford is a right feckin eejit. I see that the political commentators have been discussing it amongst themselves. Explains a lot really, doesn’t it.
Hey guys, great to see the offerings of the soup recipes. I’ve aye had tae make soup, a’ ma merrit life. My beloved feels he’s no been fed if he didnae get his soup at dennertime. Noo he’s retired, he likes tae make some for himself, he’s still learnin, but he’s gettin there.
Oanywies, back tae the original subject. I don’t do either twitter or facebook. Cannae be arsed wi whit goes oan when you read the Rev’s twitter. I reckon it’s better fur the blood pressure tae, ye hiv tae be careful as ye get oan a bit ye know.
Dr Jim says:
It’s about time we had a cookery corner on Wings
Ruby Replies
Your recipe sounds like a lot of work. I specialise in the hassle free home made soups.
Pressure cooker & stick blender required:
Put some oil in pressure cooker and fry up some frozen onions (available in packs from most supermarkets)
Add packet of frozen casserole veg a stock cube & some salt & pepper + water.
Cook in pressure cooker for 10 mins when ready whizz up with your blender. Sprinkle on some parsley before serving. Enjoy.
You can vary this recipe by using other frozen veg & adding herbs, spices etc.
Frozen carrots with bunch of fresh coriander
Casserole Veg, Frozen peppers, tomato puree & bunch of fresh basil
Frozen peas, garlic & fresh mint.
Stir Fry frozen veg with sweet & sour sauce/black bean sauce.
I’m always experimenting I have a packet of Coq au Vin casserole mix in my cupboard and I thought I would trying adding that to a packet of frozen onions to see if that makes a tasty soup.
I don’t like mushroom soup so I never make it but I suppose you could make a decent enough mushroom soup with a packet of frozen mushrooms and add some fresh cream before serving.
To be fair I should perhaps have added
This post is about cooking
to my earlier posts.
Re topic I think blocking trolls is an excellent idea.
This post is about cooking
I forgot to mention Chili powder! A wee half teaspoon in with your packet of frozen casserole mix fair warms you up on a cold day & is very tasty.
@Ruby – why don’t you use fresh veg?
Now that I have washed the Tunnocks of the living room walls I have to say that he is obviously chasing a coat of deid stoat because sticking a butchers pinny will do nothing but damage the sales of his product and thus far more damage to the poor saps that work for UKOK Tunnock.
Mind you that is the UKOK mentality because Ingerland exports virtually nothing except weapons, look at its shocking BoT deficit for one and it makes nothing that I want either.
Oh well as long as we can sell weapons to the Saudis etc eh!
Do you think the Tunnocks decision could snowball out of control?
@Ruby
It must be gae cauld in your hoose wae aw that frozen stuff
Tomorrows recipe cheap quick Spanish Tortilla wae aw things fowlk huv got in thur hoose
Cheerio the Noo
@ frogesque – I thought condensed milk (Swiss Milk) was traditional!
re teacakes
I suppose you could do a tray bake style with a layer of shortie, a layer of marshmallow then top with a layer of chocolate. Cut into squares.
Book yourself into to the clinic for a blood sugar test.
Scotland – the Land O’ Cakes, obesity and diabetes!
recipe for marshmallow from BBC – see they are useful for some things:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/homemade_marshmallows_33473
Archive.is hasn’t been able to archive BBC pages lately for some reason.
”Our blocklist is about 2500 strong, and it massively streamlines and enhances the Twitter experience, not to mention our general quality of life. And if that sounds like a good thing, it can enhance yours too. We call it The Official Wings Over Scotland Universal Twitter Enhancer. If you click the above link, it’ll download a file containing the blocklist. You can then “merge” that list into your own Twitter account using the simple steps below, and suddenly you’ll be blocking all the people we block.”
Don’t you think this smacks of all we’ve accused of being such as people who can’t think for themselves, ‘sheeples’, a ‘cult’ or as per Kezia Dugdale “robots that are given a chip and told what to think (or do)” etc etc?
Surely if people use twitter they are capable of deciding for themselves who they want to block or not.
Additionally blocking some of these people could be counter-productive. Why not let them spout their tommyrot … better still if they are showing themselves up as being sweary, illiterate and vulgar morons …. and answer them, conversely, in a polite and educated fashion.
Dr Jim, agree with you about the Spanish Tortilla. Great way to use up leftover tatties and peppers or whatever. Cheap and very tasty.
I better stop now, your all beginning to make me feel hungry. But definetely nae teacakes o the Tunnocks variety. Haven’t bought them since during the referendum.
Whit aboot thae Caramel Logs?
# Ah’m a LumberNat an Ah’m okay…# [Reprise reprise]
Can anybody imagine an Italian wine company of any size and reputation, (say Bratsani, for this example) Italy-based, leaping up to state they don’t have much faith in their own country’s name helping to sell their wine so they’re changing it to ‘Bratsani Wine Europe’ because they feel more European than Italian?
Or Ferrari deciding to mask its heritage and Modena home Modena by renaming itself “Ferrari Gibraltar – home of great sports cars”, because somehow they think their cars will appeal to a wider clientele?
Now, that’s one serious national cringe.
The sooner we regain our country, the sooner we will take pride in being part of it rather than half-detached.
So many of us were saying just yesterday that what Wings needs is more about cooking and recipes!
Ur You,s lot gonae stop with the receipe,s, am piling oan the lbs jist reading yer posts, naebody’s gonny be fit fur leafleting , its ah Unionist Plot ah telt ye’s. lol.
So, yer man, Tunnock, says the following, eh:
“We could have said Scottish but you’re then promoting Scotland. We’re British.”
Zat right, now, ‘Lord’…? ‘kin arsewipe…
Do yourselves a favour, both financially and health-wise, by not buying any of Tunnock’s junkfood. Aye, for those with a sweet-tooth they go well with a cup of tea or coffee. And a little indulgence occasionally won’t do you much harm, of course. But, they are loaded with sugar and saturated fat and are unhealthy. Cut them out of your diet and you’ll thank yourselves for it.
Think of it like stopping smoking. If you’re a smoker, a cigarette goes well with a cup of tea or coffee. Then, one day, you decide to quit. The next time you have a tea or coffee is brutal because you crave the nicotine from that cigarette so much. However, as you persist, you start to lose that craving. Eventually, the craving is gone. You don’t ‘need’ that cigarette anymore. Soon, you start to feel healthier and you’ve got a wee bit more money in your pocket. You’re glad to have stopped and wished you’d done it sooner!
Substitute the words ‘cigarette’ with ‘Tunnock’s teacake’, and ‘nicotine’ with ‘sugar and saturated fat’ in the above paragraph and there’s a version of how it’s done right there!
Give it go. You know you want to!
And decreasing the profits of those who contributed to Scotland still being in the hideous and corrupt UK, and still doing the country down while continuing to live there now, is always a good thing.
@ Grousebeater
They could rename Garibaldis as Churchills?
“Do you think the Tunnocks decision could snowball out of control?”
😀
I like Lees and Tunnocks, but prefer Tunnocks mostly. Not going to give them up! Baxters, used to go for royal game and cock a leekie but they’re expensive and I learnt to make my own soups when single (easy) – and my wife makes great soup now. Favourite leek and potato.
I used to have a “winter warmer”, started in a big (huge) pot in September, added to and not finished until about Easter. Just add leftover veg, even meat, whatever, fresh frozen who cares, frozen was always cheaper. Any pasta, even rice.
To start it off I’d throw in a packet of soup to give it body, whatever veg, chopped, some tatties for longer term thickening and flour / cornflour to thicken to start with, lentils and split peas, usual pepper and salt, dried herbs for health. After a few days curry powder to help preserve it. Top up every so often also with dried herbs. Tin of tomatoes to change the flavour occasionally.
Most people are horrified by that idea “three month old soup”, but I never got ill on it, quite the contrary. But I would heat up to the boil every time, over 75 degrees C kills stuff dead.
Days.
@briandoonthetoon
“..Tesco….have them priced at either 3 for £2 or 60p a can…”
Hope your arithmetic is better than Tesco’s, Brian!
😀
Capella: They could rename Garibaldis, Churchills. 🙂
Just a short jump from Teacakes to Oil. 🙂
TODAY. “The industry’s commitment to the UKCS [United Kingdom’s Continental Shelf] – which still holds great promise for the future and is vital for the country’s security of supply.
Ms Michie [Oil and Gas UK] said: “Government data for the first ten months of 2015 shows that the total volume of oil and gas produced on the UK continental shelf (UKCS) was up 8.6% compared with 2014, with the production of liquids up 10.6% and gas up 6.1%.
“Output in November and December tends historically to be more stable, but even so, Oil & Gas UK now expects year end production for the full year of 2015 to be seven to eight per cent higher than last year.
“Given the difficulties being faced by the industry this is welcome news.
She added: “The upturn underlines the industry’s commitment to the UKCS – which still holds great promise for the future and is vital for the country’s security of supply.
“For example, only last week, oil company Taqa announced first production from the Cladhan field north-east of Shetland, estimated to produce 10,000 barrels of oil a day from the UK’s waters.” 🙂
From the BBC Scotland Business Section.
Edited down by me.
Top Whitehall mandarin ( and now ‘Order of the Bath’) at centre of independence referendum row to step down from Treasury
As Ed China often says on wheeler dealers…Job done!
https://archive.is/BHonv
Hi Harry Shanks.
The last offer Tesco did was mid December and it was 60p a can. Previously, they either did 4 cans for £3 (which I ignored), or 3 cans for £2, at which time I bought.
Being a small margin older than most people on this site I can remember when eggs were stamped with a Lion to prove they were British. How come taking a Lion off Tunnock’s products proves they are British. Methinks the ice is getting wafer thin!!
Tunnocks employ 500 people, I believe. Employers have responsibility to those they employ. It would seem Tunnocks’ heed yins put cheap politicking above the livelihoods of their workers.
They should have stuck to food production and kept out of the constitutional debate.
If they had wanted to join the campaign for UKOK, they should have stepped aside from their business interests. As it is, they are using their business as a political tool. Their employees deserve much better than that.
@ Skooshcase, “Any commands for the next world,” Burns.
Heard a nice wee rumour that the Ballater flooding is not unconnected to Balmoral estate’s neglect of the dykes?
@nodrog
I remember the little lion… the great British egg eaten by the English!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq_8zSI2FQ8
Like Tony too!
@ nodrog – different lion, not rampant.
@nodrog
“Perfidious Albumen” [Reprise reprise]
Just had a quick look and Tunnocks make very few items.
Mr Kipling makes a lot more and there’s no doubt he’d support staying in the EU too. Just look at his French Fancies and the Mountbatten sorry Battenberg cake.
Seriously though this is nothing but a storm in a teacup from an irrelevant old man.
He’ll be forgotten soon enough.
Mr Tunnock; is he one of those callers to GMS who are ” embarrassed to be Scotch”?
If he feels British, he should relocate to where Britain starts, ie, Penrith.
Notice all the recent docu-series about “The British” and “history of Britain”. Nothing actually happened north of the wall until a skirmish in 1314, then our salvation in 1707.
@ call me dave 3.44 re Sir Nicholas – we knew he was a mendacious bastard anyway.
“in such an “extreme” case as the independence referendum, in which “people are seeking to destroy the fabric of the state”, the normal rules of civil service impartiality did not apply.”
We are the state. Not Sir Nicholas Macpherson! He is opposed to democracy.
The Order of the Bath is probably apt and it can be revoked (see Nicolae Caeusescu, Robert Mugabe and Vicky Pryce)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Bath#Revocation
John McTernan in the Telegraph… on the revenge reshuffle!
https://archive.is/Sj54y
@yesindyref2
Cookery and medical advice in one, love it
This place is great innit
Paula Rose says:
4 January, 2016 at 4:10 pm
@ nodrog – different lion, not rampant.
OK, OK, no need to spoil my day by being too accurate. Gi’s a smile!
Dr Jim @ 1.38 pm
Will have a go at making your soup later in the week, cheers.
My ex used to get me to help her with soup making, always had the job of ‘chopper’. They butternut squashes are a bastard, see the amount of times I nearly took a finger aff….
Jack Murphy @ 3.40 pm
Aye, North Sea basin is still viable even with low margins. UKOK bullshit keeps coming though. Help spread the truth.
Need to stop them exporting directly i.e. Quad 204 oil going straight to European market. Doesn’t touch Scottish infrastructure.
Read somewhere about BP bid for Apache, think they are trying to reinforce their defenses at the minute to prevent such.
DO NOT want those boys getting taken over by a major, they are still squeezing oil out of Forties – BP walked away and kept the unity hub so Apache would do the hard work but they would still profit.
Capella says:
“We are the state. Not Sir Nicholas Macpherson! He is opposed to democracy.”
Indeed. To my mind, his blatant undermining of the democratic process amounted to sedition.
No matter. WM has declared the result null and void by not delivering on the promises they made in order to swing it their way. 😉
We all know of the McCrone Report. But has anyone stopped to think of the other McCrone Reports that must be out there?
Do you really think that the McCrone Report is the whole iceberg? And that 100% of the information hidden from Scots (by the “better together” UKOK) has been brought out into the open?
On product boycotts.
I declined a free teacake at a function before xmas – attended by the man himself. And I was sat next to a Labour cooncilor whom I see is on the Glasgow Holyrood list as well. Nice wifie, but not one of ours alas.
Anyway, I discovered recently that Fray Bentos pies are made by Baxters too. Princes bought a portfolio from Premier foods and had to divest itself of the line which is apparently up in North Britain now. So there’s another to add to the list.
I do my damnedest to not buy anything with the apron on it. I have no issue with a St George flag on an English cheese, but there has been a clear upsurge in Union flag labelling since just before the referendum. Both the Co-Op and Morrisons are very guilty ( I know they are on the boycott list, but I do boycott Asda ).
I suggest we must be having some impact, as it is routine to see Baxters soups at 50 pence nowadays.
Inverclyder
Mr Kipling makes a lot more and there’s no doubt he’d support staying in the EU too.
one thing’s for sure, mr kipling does make exceedingly, large amounts of money
This is how a labour supporter tried to explain an underspend by the SG on the labour facebook pages.
He was claiming earlier that because the SG had an underspend they could not complain ever again about WM not giving the SG enough money !
Good luck!
…………
Simon Whitehurst said….
“William Dunlop it is a difference of opinion. To make it easy for you, if I give you £100 a week to spend on shopping but you only spend £80 and keep the £20 underspend for next weeks shopping, complaign that £100 a week is not enough, you now have £120 to spend but you only spend £85 and keep £15 left over from the £100 each time increasing the amount however keeping the money that is left over is only worth keeping if it is reinvested if it is not being reinvested then it is also worth remembering that wales is only getting £50 a week for shopping so is it fair for Scotland to keep the underspend if it is not reivesting the money it has kept. That is an opinion just like my comment above, you don’t have to agree with it”.
……….
@nodrog – big smile and a stroke.
There is definitely an upsurge of Butcher’s Apron labelling. I regularly pointedly refuse to buy UKOK marked goods in the Co-op or Morrisons (it’s our local supermarket) if they have the apron on it. I ask where are the Scottish branded goods. BTW I have no problem with St George’s flag on English produce.
I have not bought Baxters for years, nor will I. As for Tunnocks – don’t get me started!
I think that a consistent boycott of all firms who promoted a NO vote and particularly where they threatened price increases, is both justified, moral and effective. If even 10% of those who voted yes do this even 90% of the time, then this will continue to have an impact on those firms.
We need to keep on with this, and keep on telling people about it. No more M & S, no more John Lewis, no more ASDA, no more Tesco (especially no more Tesco!)
@ Wuffing Dug 4:49
If BP are after Apache, it will be nothing to do with their North Sea assets. From memory Apache have some really good licenses around the world (perhaps Africa and Australia). Their assets in the UK are some of those which are way past their best.
Apache made the success of the Forties by aggressively using the latest 4D seismic technology to monitor the field (they survey the geology in both 3D and time scales so they can moniter the resovoir levels etc). The also introduced submersible pumps in all heir wells for a 25% boost in production. From a field which BP had all but given up on after drilling duds for many years Apache went after the smaller pockets that BP either did not know about or considered too small to go for. BP held on to Unity solely because it is the gathering hub for the Forties pipeline system. BP last time I was on the Forties were making a risk free few $ per barrel from every barrel that passed through Unity.
Shell de-pressurised the Brent field to sell the gas in the 1990’s when the price of oil was at it;s lowes ebb. The net result was that there was no longer enough pressure in the wells to lift the oil. Typical, short sighted fast buck economics from them.
Contrast that to Norway where BP recently spent about $3Billion on the Valhall replacement topsides. A field which has been producing for 25 years, and is expected to produce for another 40 years.
What really grinds my gears is the way that the UK government allowed all of the oil companies to rape the oil in its early, most productive years at the cost of reducing the field’s total recoverable oil in the long term. Contrast that to Norway where 25 years or more is often considered the norm for a new platform’s lifespan.
Finally on product bans – I literally have just finished a Land Mine (AKA Fray Bentos) and it was lovely. Found it whilst unpacking in my new accommodation. Going to be the last I guess, consigning them to the same fate as Tunnocks.
Just counting the days till my lovely wife gets back to the desert loaded down with steak lorne, Haggis and a plain loaf in 3 weeks time ! Some Stornoway black pudding would be a step too far in the porcine direction unfortunately for the Arabs.
I thought the wee lion was to go to work (obviously there would have been problems riding an egg).
Dan Huil, just brilliant!
Personally speaking, I couldn’t give a monkey’s about Tunnock’s. They are terrible and full of crap. However, for those saying it will damage their business I have to disagree. If they attract customers based on claiming to be Scottish or British then the British market is significantly larger ergo capturing that market makes sound business sense.
The whole boring and inane focus on it serves only to plug their product to the market they are after. the few who won’t buy their product based on the whole british/Scottish thing are very few in number and I imagine, won’t be missed if they are succesful in this most obvious attempt to widen the appeal of a downmarket, unhealthy and frankly disgusting product.
Also, if I am not mistaken, ever since the referendum there has been an increase in TV adverts using the words ‘British’ or ‘Britain’.
And more and more programmes are using ‘British’ or ‘Britain’ in their title, along with displaying the Union Flag at every opportunity.
Coincidence, I think not.
And right on cue… Ta-daaaa!… the pathetic Guardian posts not one, but two articles on Tunnock’s rebranding for its English market! And giving it ‘those nasty Scottish nationalists’, of course.
They’ve even based one around Twitter comments, including one from The Great Lardarse himself, Blair McDougall who is blabbering some shit about supporting Tunnock’s against the nasty cybernats… or something.
The English-based media: like something produced from the bowels of someone who has just eaten two-dozen Tunnock’s teacakes laced with laxative.
The definition of irony-Boyd Tunnock attempting to purchase one of his products in London with a Scottish note and being refused! “But we’re all British mr storekeeper!!!”
@davidb
I’ll be sticking to the Fray Bentos pies. Get a stack of them occasionally when they’re less than half price at £1. Mmm, steak and kidney. Great for hostels. Baked tattie and / or beans, dawdle.
“Additionally blocking some of these people could be counter-productive. Why not let them spout their tommyrot … better still if they are showing themselves up as being sweary, illiterate and vulgar morons …. and answer them, conversely, in a polite and educated fashion.”
Get back to me when you’re me and let me know if you still feel that way.
So basically I think what I’ll do is rebrand my products as British so I get great free publicity for them including in the Grudian, but have a Scottish version with a saltire and tip you all the wink so you buy them.
Every one a winner!
Christ on a bike, the Great Lardarse, McDougall, has set up a Support Tunnocks [sic] twibbon on Twitter! It reads: Support the great Scottish and British institution…
Laugh Out Loud! Ha-ha-fucking-ha!
Regarding the Tunncoks thing…so what? Supermarkets have been doing it for years! They say British produce in England and Scottish produce in Scotland. I’m more annoyed that Tunnocks donates to the Tory party myself.
I also buzzed are pushing this new Unionist party that is going to win one MSP in the 2016 elections…Wonder how much free coverage they will get. They complain that the three big parties are splitting the vote and defence of the Union so to solve it they…erm…create another party to split the vote and the defence of the Union…
It was fine when giant teacakes were burling around at the Commonwealth games, eh? Aye, they were Scottish then.
I would hazard a guess, that the boycott must be taking a bite out of profits, and Mr Tunnock is going for a last ditch rebrand.
Do yourselves a huge favour, and start listening to all the warnings about sugar intake, they are going to get louder.
Don’t you want to live to see your country independent?
Hope you get hit with a sugar tax, Tunnocks.
And right on cue… Ta-daaaa!… the pathetic Guardian posts not one, but two articles
Britnat attack propaganda at its peak in its Scotland region, rancid The Graun style. This is the same crew of tory UKOK liars that didn’t report either EVEL or the Scotland Bill/The Vow shyste last year. But a cake maker gets brick bats for ditching Scotland in its marketing and rancid’s all over it.
Well I like Aldi, they use local firms, they have many more Scottish Products and they give work to smaller companies too. Had a great black pudding made with apples at Christmas made in Ayrshire with my ahem, Japanese Scallops, I know I bought frozen and I should have checked. I hang my head in shame.
@heedtracker
At the Guardian:
“What about, you know, the Scotland Bill…?”
“Shhhh! That’s Omerta, that is.”
“Okay, then, I know… let’s belch out some articles about that Scottish biscuit maker selling stuff in England! We’ll use Twitter, quote some, you know, ‘angry’ cybernats, and, of course, quote Unionists – using the nicer comments as we always do – and, as usual, get some SNPBAD quotes from the likes of Jackson Carlaw. What do you think… yeah?”
“Excellent! Good work! Let’s get to it right away…!”
The Unionist media – producing more Scottish look-squirrels than the reproductive organs of all Scottish red squirrels ever have. No wonder they’re endangered!
TwatBlocker! Hahahaha … lovely idea. It’ll get slated in the meeja, of course, but they slate anything they can’t cope with. Same with politicians. Their poor fragile egos, bashed by someone pointing out their failings as politicians. In case they forget, they are in the House of Commons. They are commoners, like you and me, and they get the privilege of representing other commoners. It’s not a case of “knowing one’s place” – more that they are there thanks to the electorate.
Me, I like to argue politics. I love politics. I tend not to block unless someone someone is consistently rude and obnoxious to me, or a spammer, or some racist redneck arsehole carrying a gun and planning on holing up in a federal building given half a chance.
As for Tunnocks, they should have stayed neutral. I expect a certain someone is busy measuring himself for an ermine-trimmed dressing gown in case next year anyone happens to ask if he fancies three hundred quid a day and as much Champagne as he can drink.
Re the teacake thing,just wondering why they need to change the packaging.
I make an effort to buy Scottish goods and reject anything with a union flag plastered over items – they have been appearing more and more and I have been irritated more and more.
I now tend to use Lidl and my local butcher.
I buy only a few cans of soup on a yearly basis because I prefer to make my own – of those few cans none are Baxters.
I support Scottish producers who support Scotland – not undermine her.
I have a reliable source who advises that Tunnocks are worried about the impact on Scottish sales of their biscuits.
So much so that they have taken out insurance-
“collision damage wafer”.
TeaCake it, or leave it?
Must Log off now before things Snowball.
OT:
https://archive.is/gbTUg
@heedtracker
At the Guardian:
The Graun’s moved from actual Scottish news to mere trolling any YES vote they can reach and click bait. Such is toryboy unionist media in their Scotland region. Still pretty ghastly though.
annie says:
4 January, 2016 at 2:40 pm
@Ruby – why don’t you use fresh veg?
Ruby replies
This is about cooking & labour saving devices
Too much hassle! You’ve got to wash them, peel them, chop them! The last time I bought a fresh turnip I had to boil it whole because I didn’t have an ax handy to chop it up.
On top of that frozen veg are healthier than fresh veg.
I do use fresh veg for my crudites & salads. I’m ok slicing up a sweet pointed pepper a cucumber & celery.
Salads I buy in bags all ready prepared and with the aid of my Magimix Mini I do make a excellent coleslaw.
Anyone want to compare notes on robot cleaners. I love my irobot scooba & my irobot roomba.
Have to agree with Helena Brown , Aldi is number 1 for value and for Scottish products.
`Fray Bentos is/are part of Baxters`
I have a steak and kidney pie in cupboard my options are,
chuck it,
put it into food bank basket at local supermarket,
eat it as my last ever,
Decisions, Decisions.
On topic
I am 100% in agreement with banning trolls.
Some people like to engage with trolls and spend the entire evening batting comments back & forward.
It might be fun for the troll and the troll feeder but it is total turn off for other readers.
I would say if you want people to read your blog/twitter/newspaper etc then it is vital to get shot of the trolls.
Im crap a blogs and don’t have the time, however –
https://blacklistscotland.wordpress.com/
Shock news just in from the Engerlish FA…
To back up the whole #Tunnocksgate* scandal they will be removing the three lions from all Engerlish football merchandise as the three lions may offend any butchers apron waving knuckle dragging true blue brit and will be replacing the lions with three pigs heads instead.
In another sensational revelation the Engerlish FA will finally admit that the ball didn’t cross the line 50 years ago.
Other related news… The Lions in Trafalgar Square (London, UK) will be replaced with bouncy castles in the shape of giant UKOK Tunnocks Teacakes and Nelson’s Column will become a giant vertical caramel log with real working chocolate fountain (may contain nuts).
* Copyright WOS 2016
Tunnocks teacakes etc are popular in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern Countries
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/absolutely-scrumptious-the-scottish-sweet-factory-loved-by-the-middle-east/
Ruby,
I don’t have and scooba floors but roomba, oh, yea.
My wee pair are my best friends, one upstairs and one downstairs. Magic.
Keeping meaning to reprogramme the music/sounds but am not very often that bored.
I used to know someone who had programmed his to clean in a waltz motion whilst playing Strauss. Great fun.
This is “Towards a better, kinder 2016”
In the spirit of that I’m reposting Kendomacaroonbar’s posts from 24/25th Dec on Off Topic:
kendomacaroobar says:
24 December, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Wishing me old wings muckers a very happy christmas and peaceful and prosperous new year.
I wonder if I may take the liberty of asking you to spread the word about a fellow winger who is going through a bit of a tough time at the moment and is currently living in an old caravan without power, heat or toilet facilities.
Fiona looks after rescue dogs and recently came home to Scotland from France with the dogs having had digs already sorted. Suffice to say that that plan fell through and she is now living in cold damp conditions which she is putting a brave face on.
If you can help with her fundraiser that would be brilliant, if you can promote it – even better. Thank you. Fiona is in Forgue near Huntly.
Here’s the link : https://www.generosity.com/animal-pet-fundraising/people-with-pet-dogs-who-become-homeless
kendomacaroonbar says:
25 December, 2015 at 11:23 am
@X_Sticks Thank you for your help. Fiona deserves a break, she never complains and is always upbeat – but nobody should have to settle for these conditions and having the responsibility for the dogs meant that her options for accomodation were severely curtailed.
@Ronnie, if you’re organising a WoS ‘Hale & Hearty’ in Aberdeen, you’re not a million miles away from our Fiona. She is digging out holes for fence posts to create a secure area for the animals at the same time trying to keep body and soul together. Invite her to the doo, she’d be delighted to meet with you guys. One small snag is that she’s no e mail access unless she gets to the library. She’s one of us – we look after our own. Apologies for the emotional blackmail but I need to help the lassie any way I can.
———–
I went to visit Fiona today and Ken isn’t kidding about the conditions. She’s surviving, but not much more. Similar conditions to some of the refugee camps in Calais & Dover. She’s now at least got a gas heater and a camping stove so she can boil water. No running water or electricity at her caravan.
Some of you will know Fiona’s work from the iScot magazine, the one about bees comes to mind. She has a plan to get herself out of her predicament, but is really in need of help to get her over this current hump.
Anything you can contribute will be gratefully recieved.
Fiona fully intends to get to the Aberdeen soiree on 30th, she can’t wait to meet Paula Rose..
I love soup!
@brian Doonthetoon
You bought 3 cans of soup in Tesco for £2 when they were 60p singly?
3 x 60p = only £1.80
That was the point I was making!
😀
Once income tax is devolved, there could be more demand to buy Scottish products as more of the money will stay in Scotland.
If Scottish companies do well that means more jobs and more tax directly going towards our schools and hospitals and roads etc
Personally, I am far more inclined to buy local anyway, but the tax situation could make a big difference in many people’s shopping habits and loyalties.
It would be good to see a ‘Buy Scottish’ campaign at that point.
What a non-story this Tunnocks thing is. Pretty dismal trolling- I can’t remember the Guardian taking an interest when folk were trying to shut that restaurant in Stockbridge down by posting mendacious bullshit on Tripadviser last year.
There are a whole host of products out there I avoid- I am not religious about it and occasionally the bairns have got a caramel log but I don’t buy Mackie’s crisps or ice cream, baxters soup and obviously there are only 2 newspapers I can now buy.
Is that controversial in the slightest? It is my freedom of choice to buy what I want. If I choose to subsist on products starting with a vowels and boycott products starting with consonents that would be my choice. Or subsist entirely on cheese from the Auvergne it would be my decision.
And if people club together to agree a boycott- so what? That is their choice. What is the alternative- you must buy products? Tunnock was making a political point using his brand to do so as is his right. I disagree with him- in fact it turns my stomach and I think it is pretty daft but he can do what he wants.
The whole story tells us nothing new about the National movement, nothing new about Boyd Tunnock and nothing we didn’t already know about the Guardian.
At the weekend I found out that the Barnett formula was secretly suspended in the 80’s, and this is the dross that is considered news? Funny old world we live in.
One thing the Guardian didn’t print- that the approx 50% of folk in Scotland who may or may not boycott Tunnocks- there won’t be many Guardian readers in the ranks now. I reckon that boycott has been extremely successful.
The
Don’t buy anything that has that turgid union flag plastered all over it.
Tunnocks?
Who gives a toss?
Where are we at with the media’s faux victimhood? What’s happening with the fiscal framework for the Scotland Bill? What’s the latest on the EU referendum?
If Tunnocks want to wrap their product in a tinfoil union flag that’s his choice, one in poor if not catastrophic taste, but his choice.
Check out x_sticks post upthread and if you have anything to spare, and I know its a big ask right now, but if you do helping folks in dire need strikes me as a better job than giving an already rich fella, yet more publicity.
X_sticks
Tried to make donation to Fiona but would not take paypal will make my donation
In person in aberdeen
Xsticks
“Fiona fully intends to get to the Aberdeen soiree on 30th, she can’t wait to meet Paula Rose..”
That should be interesting. 🙂
Please no more on Tunnocks, had my fill of that story. Another deflection, we should all be more animated about the deviousness of the Tories under Thatcher in the 80’s and recently revealed.
Tam Jardine brought us an excellent series of posts over the last few days but I’ve heard more about a biscuit maker than I have of this treachery against Scottish interests.
Tunnocks are an irrelevance, what we are fed daily from the media is not. I’m all for a wee bit of winding up and a joke, not to the detriment of the more serious messages this site is capable of bringing to those less informed.
All the best.
The jocks are possibly on their way to war once more.
http://caltonjock.com/2016/01/04/the-thin-red-line-to-be-painted-in-the-sands-of-libya-once-again-but-at-what-cost-how-many-more-of-our-young-men-and-women-are-to-be-sacrificed-on-the-alter-of-oil-worship-for-a-pittance-of-a-wage/
Thepnr
Thanks mate- I am finding it a bit surreal. FOI request lodged with the Scotland Office on Friday (before I came across the evidence the Chief Sec to the treasury decided to suspend the Barnett formula in its entirety. Will see what they come back with. In the meantime- we’ll see if anyone picks up on it. Have mailed the Rev to see what his thoughts are. Here is what I sent them:
I was alarmed to read a letter written by former Secretary of State for Scotland George Younger dated 6th January 1986 released from the National Archive on 30th December 2015. Two serious issues, hitherto unknown to the people of Scotland have been revealed. Firstly, that during the tax years 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89 Barnett Consequentials of capital overspending by English local authorities was refused by George Younger and therefore money that would have contributed to the Scottish block grant and helped fund Scottish public services was not available.
The figures for each of these 3 years was estimated by George Younger to be £100 million per year.
This information was listed in his Annex under the heading ‘Concessions Made in 1985 PES’ (Public Expenditure Survey).
He describes this saving to the block grant thus:
“The Secretary of State has accepted this year that he will not receive additions to the Scottish block in respect of excessive capital spending by English local authorities. Such formula additions were received last year. It is difficult to quantify this concession with any precision but it could well amount to about £100 million in each survey year.”
Also listed in the same Annex were the Cumulative effect of “invisible” reductions made since 1980 giving a figure of £46million for 1986-87, £56million for 1987-88 and £29million for 1988-89.
He describes the invisible reductions to the block grant in the following terms:
“During the 1985 survey, the following invisible reductions to the block, additional to those conceded in earlier years, were given up:
£5m (in 1986-87)
£10m (in 1987-88)
£10m (in 1988-89)
These figures are the most that can be conceded without incurring an unacceptably high risk of detection. By the end of the present Survey period the aggregated effect of invisible reductions to the Scottish block since 1980 will be £342M. By 1978 the baseline will be nearly £70M lower than it would have been if no invisible reductions had been made. This is about 1% of the baseline.”
We can safely assume that where his letter reads 1978 he must be talking about the future so 1988 is more likely and the 1978 figure is a typo.
The information I request is as follows:
1. The value of Barnet Consequentials refused by the Secretary of State for Scotland in tax year 1986-1987
2. The value of Barnet Consequentials refused by the Secretary of State for Scotland in tax year 1987-1988
3. The value of Barnet Consequentials refused by the Secretary of State for Scotland in tax year 1988-1989
4. The value of Barnet Consequentials refused by the Secretary of State for Scotland in each subsequent tax year until the present day.
5. The value of “Invisible reductions” to the Scottish Block Grant in addition to those already made in each tax year from 1989-1990 to the present day.
6. The aggregated effect in monetary terms of these invisible reductions from their inception during tax year 1979-1980 to the present day.
Many thanks
Thepnr 21;22
Spot on. This is just an Establishment sleight of hand distraction, rather like trolling in a way.
Hi Harry Shanks.
You wrongly inferred from what I typed –
I buy them… [snip] in Tesco, when they have them priced at either 3 for £2 or 60p a can
that I was implying that the cost of ‘3 for £2’ meant that each can was 60p. The important words are ‘either’ and ‘or’. If I had typed, instead of “or”, the phrase “which means”, then, indeed, my arithmetic would be questionable.
However, I was pointing out that Tesco have various periodic deals and provided examples of two of them.
either 3 for £2 or 60p a can.
My arithmetic is still sound!
8=)
O/T, I guess.
I see the Telegraph has broken the news that The Sunday Herald has altered its political stance. It no longer is a newspaper that supports, solely, Scottish Independence.
“Writing an opinion piece in the Nationalist-supporting Sunday Herald, Ms Sturgeon said that the SNP “as Scotland’s largest party” has a special duty to make the case for independence.”
https://archive.is/Od45b
@Tam Jardine
Well done for trolling through all that crap in order to find a nugget or two. Good luck with your FOI request and look forward to the response being published here on WOS.
Can’t help but think though that these figures really are the tip of the iceberg. If they were “at it” then I can only guess that it would have wen’t on until at least Blair took over in 1996 but even then why would it stop?
I well remember those mid eighties years, industry and manufacturing was destroyed in Dundee, it’s not just the well known like Ravenscraig or Linwood that disappeared in Scotland.
Just here we lost the shipyard Robb Caledon, Timex, Levi’s all the Jute mills, even Kiellers that marmalade factory.
Yes, so much for the City of Dundee with Jute, Jam and Journalism. Jute and Jam well gone, Journalism well on the road.
We have that bitch Thatcher to thank for that, I want change and power in the hands of the Scottish people through Independence before history repeats itself during another 10 or 15 years of despicable Tory rule.
Believe me, we are very low on Tory lists of priorities and always will be. As for the current Labour party in Scotland?
FRO.
Sorry I have not read all the posts, “My bad Stu”
Why not rename the Tunnocks tea cake.
The Big Pishy Spineless Shitey Biscuit.( It gives me wind anyway)
Ah Ha, Tunnocks Teacakes give you wind, now there is a good advertising slogan .(what the Fucks a Rennie?)
I haven’t bought one since the referendum. they can go and Royally Fuck themselves.
I found the Lees snowball a very good replacement,(unless they sold out also), Somebody please tell me this is not the case. Num Num Num ( extra Num , very nice mmmmmm)
No surprise The Sunday herald has gone down this road, they can take The National with them.
The followers of this site KNOW where to get the real journalism regarding Independence.
Count Down May 2016
Tick Tock.
All this talking about chocolate biscuits (cakes?)has me thinking. Do I like coconut in a chocolate coating?
Bound tae
Hi Gary45%.
That’s how the Telegraph described The Sunday Herald, not how they described themselves.
I’ve seen nothing in The Sunday Herald that has indicated it is a “Nationalist-supporting” newspaper. You just have to look at the stick it gets when it publishes pieces by unionists…
jdman says:
Xsticks
“Fiona fully intends to get to the Aberdeen soiree on 30th, she can’t wait to meet Paula Rose
maybe they can compare high heels 🙂
Macart says:
Tunnocks?
so a box of tunnocks is defo out as a first foot pressy for Fiona?
🙂
Thepnr
I had no idea the Chief Sec to the Treasury was so powerful. A guy 99% of people in Scotland have never heard of comes up with the plan to reduce the baseline of Scotland’s block grant by 13% to negate Barnett – a formula created based on relative need.
I want to get an idea of the time line of all the heavy industries closing and see how this economic vandalism fits in. I need someone smarter than me to look at it- someone mentioned the Cuthberts.
We shall see.
Methinks that two hostelries in Aberdecadent is a good idea – we can send you boys over the road and have a sophisticated girls night out!
@Tam Jardine
Great work, don’t become discouraged. It’s soon after New Year, and this might be a few weeks even before it takes root.
It us possible though that it’s too hot a potato for the SG / SNP to take up before the Holyrood Elections, as it would be “it’s all Westminster’s faulr, wheenging nats”.
@BDTT
Marked difference this Sunday in the SH, perhaps it got the message. It’s on probation! Personally I’d prefer the whole Herald to become as neutral as can possibly be, with more diligence researching articles than just cutting and pasting from the DT, DM, Scotsman or even the establishment biased Reuters.
cearc says:
4 January, 2016 at 7:26 pm
Ruby,
I don’t have and scooba floors but roomba, oh, yea.
My wee pair are my best friends, one upstairs and one downstairs. Magic.
Keeping meaning to reprogramme the music/sounds but am not very often that bored.
I used to know someone who had programmed his to clean in a waltz motion whilst playing Strauss. Great fun.
Ruby Replies
This post is about labour saving devices
I love the idea of the roomba playing Strauss. I have no idea if mine can do that. I never RTFM.
The Scooba is brilliant! Washes & vacuums kitchen & bathroom floors while I read Wings.
PS I hate Tunnock teacakes & snowballs.
I’m quite happy with a simple gingernut. For a special treat I have a big dolup of cream cheese on my ginger nut.
Recipe for 2 minute Cheese cake.
Spread digestive biscuit with Bonne Mamam strawberry jam add big dolup of cream cheese.
Tuck in and enjoy!
This is brilliant. just what we need, another Unionist party. Is that five or six now? It’s hard to keep count!
https://archive.is/TU5jg
“… beginning with this year’s Scottish Parliamentary elections. We will contest a small number of regional list seats, since these are elected using a proportional representation system and therefore will avoid concerns about splitting the unionist vote. ”
Thank heavens we are opposed by idiots!
Thepnr says:
4 January, 2016 at 9:22 pm
Please no more on Tunnocks, had my fill of that story.
Tam Jardine brought us an excellent series of posts over the last few days but I’ve heard more about a biscuit maker than I have of this treachery against Scottish interests.
Ruby replies
Yes Tam Jardine has done some excellent investigative work but I can’t say that finding out that Scotland has been well and truly shafted for the past 300 years comes as a surprise.
What would you like people to say?
‘Oh that is shocking I’m surprised Westminster politicians could stoop so low?’
o/t
Looks like the next smear story is ready
More fiddling the books, lying about the figures, getting away with it, it seems nothing we can do about it – and like Ruby says, Not really a surprise.
We’ve sussed them though. Keep revealing and disseminating guys.
I don’t see the Tunnocks thing as a distraction. The pessimist in me sees business, marketing, expansion, acquisition, production relocation. To the detriment of our nation. Maybe I need to chill.
Love or hate their bloody biscuit, cake or whatever the f*** it is, they’re a part of being Scottish, we grew up with them. Made in Britain or Made in Scotland?
I’m sure the Unionists I assume monitor here will just dismiss me as a “blood & soil Nationalist” tin foil hat wearer or similar. Easy put-downs.
@ Tam Jardine at 9:40pm
Once again many thanks for dedicating so much of your, I’m sure very precious, time to this Tam. Let’s hope that a member of the Corrupt Unionist Media goes doolally, has a brain storm or experiences some kind of spiritual epiphany which will ‘force’ them to take this information on board and publicise what most Scots don’t have a clue about at all: And for those who did suspect publicise absolute proof to that effect. Printing such data would no doubt convert some of the no voters to voting yes in future as would knowledge of the McCrone Report and Stolen Seas saga. Patiently waiting to hear from a journalist, just ONE, with a modicum of journalistic integrity. No Pilgers working in Scotland?
@ thepnr at 10:44pm
Thanks for the excellent post thepnr. The data that Tam has unearthed is probably just the tip of the ‘Westminster’s concerted ongoing effort to decimate Scotland’ iceberg right enough. I reckon we’ll never know the half of what was / is going on. Not even a miniscule sign of the level of deceit (and real detestation of the Scots) as it’s all been done behind closed doors for centuries now.
I doubt it ended with Tory Thatcher either as we all know that Labourites Blair and Dewar conspired to ‘steal’ 6000 sq mls of Scottish Seas and 7 of our oil fields and hand them over to the (subsidising) English: a dirty deed carried out behind our backs the night before the Scottish Parliament reconvened. If this had been done to any other country on the planet it would have led to all out War and yet not one Scottish journalist has had anything to say about this either. Our journalists are an absolute disgrace to say the least (noted the World over) and Blair is just one of many Scotsmen (and women) who have, historically, sold the Scots out to line their own pockets. Parcel of rogues indeed.
There are some people who voted Yes without reading the McCrone report. My youngest son is one. Some, like my second son, is more interested in democracy.
I have believed in Scottish Independence since November 1967.
Most of you will know why.
Schrodinger’s cat
“maybe they can compare high heels :)”
I remember walking up the steps outside the Counting house in George Square with BtP and I pointed through the glass partition at a person inside and said “that’s Paula-Rose”(he had never met her up to that point)
He nearly fell down the stairs in surprise,…at her ravishing beauty. 🙂
@ Still Positive
I have always been a supporter of independence since I was young and never knew of the Crone report then. I was ridiculed and basically put down, just like most of those on Wings have been through the years. The SNP were known in my family as The Scottish Nose Pickers. As you can tell, my up bringing was not of the independent mind!
I’m not a member of that party, as I don’t believe in all their policies but I have voted for them for the last 20yrs without exception because they are the main force in the drive towards our rightful place.
Call Me Dave
“However I have to be strong when I’m in the beetroot / soup aisle
as the alternatives to Baxter’s produce is not he same.”
My wife’s practically living on beetroot at the moment,
have you any idea how HARD it is to get a jar of beetroot that DOESNT have a bloody union flag on it?
___________________________________________________________
Talking of soup
the soup dragon
aka Irene (shhhh)
makes the best carrot and coriander soup in the world
carrots+
coriander+
chicken stock= soup
swirl of cream=heaven
________________________________________________________
Captain Caveman (hiya CC we dont seee you nearly enough on here)
“Do you think the Tunnocks decision could snowball out of control?”
It could certainly break the LOG jam
Ah’ll jist get ma coat…ing of toasted coconut. 🙁
______________________________________________________
Paula-Rose
“@ nodrog – different lion, not rampant.”
What’s the step down from “Rampant Lion”
A bit miffed Lion?
Ah’ll eh get ma mane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhNMHcRSNdo
______________________________________________________
Ruby’s comment about cooking a turnip whole because she didnt have an axe gets my vote for the funniest comment on this thread
try this Ruby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5-NXKDOU3A
_______________________________________________________
BBC’s Jon Sopol at an American gun fair, asks gun salesman what the automatic weapon he’s holding is for, salesman says your shittin me right?
Anyone here still paying for these idiots to ask idiotic questions while getting a free weekend in the good ol US of A?
The revelations about Thatcher illegally and secretly defrauding Scotland out of the equivalent of £Billions, which should be headline ‘news’ in Scotland. Not a peep.
The headline ‘news’ an SNP MP allegedly doesn’t declare an Interest, along with 649 others.
The Tories et al are taking backhanders from the Saudis to destroy the Middle East.
The Guardian are losing £40Million a year. Johnstone Press are up to their eyes in debt. Newsquest are subsidised by printing private sector literature. The tax evading Non Dom owners are supporting personal interest. No wonder no one believes a word. The BBC is an insult.
@ tam jardine.
Have not commented before on your analysis but have read every word. Bastards have been at it for years but now you are getting the real info out there.
Research is a long and sometimes painful business but this stuff is real dynamite. Put it on a long fuse with a slow burn. I doubt SCUM will take it up so we will probably have to do their job for them.
Hope all the info you have obtained can be written up, with references, so that twitter, fb and the like can be bombed with it. It’s hot stuff and more power to you.
Mike.
@ Tam Jardine You,ve done some sterling work Tam . I would suggest you send your findings to the Rev,& as someone mentioned Jim & Janet Cuthbert the Rev is the man to get them on board, if this is as you indicate very deceitful he maybe able to put it to print in some form ( a appendixs to the Wee Blue Book)or leaflet dependant on the volume.
Crowdfunder anyone.
Many thanks Tam.
Sigh/yawn…
..bbc Scotland at it again.
Manipulating ‘non-news’ and presenting it as if uncovering a unique scandal.
Phil Boswell set to be the next SNP MP target for smears.
Parliamentary Standards looking into declarations of directorships. No info given by EBC Scoch region, just SNP baaadd.
No one gets elected to a community council. Community councils have few statutory powers. They can make recommendations. It is just a forum. People put their names forward and get selected. There are not enough people to mantain Community Councils. If Community Councils do not want a member they should not have agreed to them or they can de-select them. Vote for them to go. Or just outvote them.
@schrodingers cat
Mibbies stick wi the shortie n’ black bun. 😀
Warning this post is about cooking
Soup du jour
Broccoli & Stilton
Step one as usual.
Put some oil in pan & heat (I use extra virgin olive oil) shove in a handful of frozen onions stir about now & again
Boil kettle
Melt stock cube (chicken, veg, miso or whatever you fancy) in cup of boiling water & add to onions when they look kinda cooked
Add packet of frozen broccoli & *water.
Cook until tender.
Probably about 10 mins. I do 5 mins in pressure cooker.
When ready add a chunk of stilton and whizz up with stick blender
Taste it and add more stilton if required.
*Don’t go mad with the water just add enough to cover Broccoli. If soup is too thick you can dilute with water or milk later.
The nice bowl of Broccoli & Stilton soup with a brown sauce sandwich makes a delicious, nutritious lunch.
ronnie anderson et al
Thanks for your kind words. I have emailed the rev to get his thoughts and will send something off the Cuthberts later today.
This stuff has been hidden for 30 years so a few days won’t make a difference- and I am quite glad the unionist press have not taken it up. Can you imagine the kind of ‘balanced piece’ Gardham would put together?
The tone of the chief Sec to the treasury’s article is interesting- its all very sensible once you start in the mindset of Scotland being over-provisioned and England being ripped off, he puts his case together on that basis.
There is a weird culture that emerges- the pressure on Department heads to save money is intense. At some discussions its Scotland and the MOD that are ripe for cutting budgets, at others its Scotland and Northern Ireland… always Scotland though. I think the ministers with UK responsibility stick together and the SoS Scotland is isolated.
You get to the annex of the Chief Sec’s letter and its like something better together put out- selective stats used to suggest Scotland is ‘pampered’ then a piece on how strong the Scottish economy is. That is his evidence that the Scottish block grant is too high.
George Younger then Malcolm Rifkind and the 2 Chief Secretary’s to the Treasury (Macgregor takes over towards the end of 1985) have an ongoing written arguement about the point of ‘over provision’ and it falls apart on examination.
What I can say with absolute certainty from the documents I have read is that
1. the Scottish block grant was subject to invisible cuts throughout the 1980s cutting the baseline by hundreds of millions of pounds.
2. The treasury came up with a plan to effectively suspend the Barnett formula on spending increases in England for 86/87, 87/88 and 88/89 cutting an estimated £100 million per year in increases. The Treasury wanted £100 million per year, went in higher then negotiated down to the figure they wanted with George Younger.
3. The result of the “invisible” cuts, various other efficiency savings and the £100 million of Barnett consquentials ‘refused’ was to offset planned spending increases almost completely for Scotland (0.027% spending increase against a 10.8% increase for the UK as a whole). £719.50million was cut from the Scottish Block planned expenditure in 3 years.
4. George Younger expected these cuts to have a serious effect on growth in Scotland.
Paul McGarry LibDem (liars) behind the latest smear. The LibDems that cost Scotland £Billions in Oil sector revenues. The useless liars that backed up the Tories and paid the price for it. Liar Clegg who called the SNP ‘Nazi Facists’. Liar Carmichael. They are an insult.
The ‘revelations’ have been covered for years but never in the MSM. Various sources, including Cuthberts, Rev and ex Treasury Scottish Office officials. Ivan McKee – Business for Scotland. McCrone Report etc. Many people know about it through education, economic courses. Economic History.
The release of the Official documents (30 years on) and still no Press/’news’ reports.
Tam I came across this on Bellacaledonia. No real financial details of course. Apologies if it’s been posted before.
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2015/12/31/discos-and-drugs/
You mentioned contacting the Cuthberts which makes sense. If they take a look at the data and clarify / verify the situation maybe you should then think of passing it on to RT News and give the Corrupt Unionist Media / BBC / STV a right showing up.
I was also wondering if they would release, via FOI, the communications re. Blair and Dewar / the Stolen Seas?
A few videos worth watching. Don’t be put off by the title as they actually just cover the Scottish political dynamic of the 1970s with some familiar faces such as the lovely Margo MacDonald.
Scotland’s Conspiracy Files – Part 1/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSLN4xGNilI
Part 2/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9NwrhWlPM
Part 3/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdAJrWkR03w
Part 4/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VSceKh_nTA
Part 5/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d7tW_5SGXY
Part 6/6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZpiYq0ixPo
Be afraid. New Better Together Unionist Party claim they will contest Holyrood elections.
https://archive.is/RbAfY
Bring it on but suggest they concentrate on winning promotion.
Tam,
Glad you’re pointing this out to the Cuthberts.
You have been doing stalwart work on this but it would be great to have people digging who are practiced with goverment papers and so know where to look etc.
I also suggested Pete Wishart. As chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee I think it is in his area and he has paid research staff.
David Willetts argued Scots were ‘juicy target’ for 1980s spending cuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwms1CSCQp4
Called a Nazi by Wings over Scotland on Twitter: ex-MP Anne Begg on social media bullying.
https://archive.is/nEzo6
It’s going to be one of those days again. 🙁
@ call me dave says at 9:24am
‘Called a Nazi by Wings over Scotland on Twitter: ex-MP Anne Begg on social media bullying.’
David Leask of the Herald dredging up a story that was reported months ago. How many ‘repeats’ are we going to get between now and May?
WoS must be really getting to them. Sad sacks!
Campaigned with Nazis=I was called a Nazi?? Aye? Nae wonder you lost you’re seat Begg.
cearc
Yeah- thanks for that. I emailed the Cuthberts this morning- will forward to Pete Wishart later.
@Anne Begg – you won, get over it, move on.
How desperate is this getting, when this ancient business is getting dredged up?
However, Dame Begg has again reminded everyone of Labour antics.
Remember, folks, even though you pay their wages, and expenses, you have no right to comment on their activities, unless it’s unquestioning fawning.
During the Forth Road Bridge ‘controversy’..some asked why other infrastructure projects never got off the ground.
These MEMOS..(and also the sentiments) being deciphered..
.. EXPOSES SCOTLAND- AS MERELY A DEPARTMENT OF THE UK.
cearc
While I await a response on the hundreds of millions taken off the block grant, I have been briefing my daughter.
Her theory (tenuous though it may be) is that Westminster may have buried it in the park (Victoria Park) and that we should start digging.
If only that were the case.
Well it would be as good a place as any to bury a can of worms.
That way they can say that they gave it to Scotland whilst making sure that Scotland wouldn’t benefit from it!
@ jdman, Walter Black’s “Gold Star” Beetroot, established 1901 in Glasgow’s east end when Baxters were unheard of, nae Union Jackery either! Mind too much beetroot makes ye pee ruby! (Sorry Ruby)
“Trolling, just trolling by the light of the moon above!”
During the Referendum, I was personally called a Nazi, by Bitter together supporters.( I did remove my small moustache, and changed my side parting)
Did it bother me NO, it just made me stronger.
Anyone any ideas how the Yoonies are going to blame the SNP for the flooding?
A New Year, same shit.
Bring it on Yoonies.
Yoonies ,yoony,yoony GLUM, GLUM
“Don’t we risk living in an echo chamber where we only surround ourselves with people who agree with us?”
As the article says, disagreement is not the criterion for blocking, nor is agreement protection against it.
Sorry for being late to the party but this isn’t working for me.
Panic over. I tried it this morning & it worked perfectly. Great list Stu, thanks.