We are the 99.982%
Posted on
March 25, 2015 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
An alert reader pointed us to this edition of Newsnight we’d missed earlier this month, featuring the renowned Conservative Party chairman and liar Grant Shapps MP.
The population of the UK, according to the 2011 census, is 63,128,000. Shapps just told us he only cares about 11,200 of them (or 0.018%), because apparently those are all the votes the Tories need to turn round to secure an absolute majority in May’s general election. We very much doubt that any of the 23 target constituences he mentions, across which the required 11,200 votes are spread, are in Scotland.
And that, readers, is what the Tories (and, for that matter, Labour) really think of “the democratic will of the British people”. You may want to keep it in mind when you vote.
Shameful
I watched the first half of this programme after someone posted the link in the previous thread. What was striking to someone who hasn’t watched Newsnight for years, was the central map of “Britain” with the top of Scotland cut off and England framed largely as the background to the discussion. I think that summarises the attitude in London.
Listen up, Jocks!
Democracy is our ball. So, it’s our game and you ain’t allowed to play. Get it?
The Rev wrote:
” renowned Conservative Party chairman and liar Grant Shapps MP.”
And that, folks, says all you need to know.
sorry OT but Murphy spurting on LBC!!!!
First, get elected.
Consequences of treating 99.982% as unimportant? Worry about that later.
FFS!
We voted for this?
So that arrogant, condescending pricks like this can dictate what democracy means? So that they can call us barbarians at the gate?
WAKE UP!
That is Westminster reality right there.
For every opinion there is an equal and opposite opinion.
I feel the same about the Tories – red, blue or yellow
Thee feeling is mutual.
If I thought the Tory party had any designs on me or my vote, I would shoot myself.
Is he actually not considering the Torys may lose some seats in the process? Either way it just shows you how extremely undemocratic FPP is. The U.k has brass baws to go around lecturing any other state on democratic will, that’s for sure.
Not so much a prick as an entire cactus.
“The population of the UK, according to the 2011 census, is 63,128,000. Shapps just told us he only cares about 11,200 of them (or 0.018%), because apparently those are all the votes the Tories need to turn round to secure an absolute majority in May’s general election. We very much doubt that any of the 23 target constituencies he mentions, across which the required 11,200 votes are spread, are in Scotland.”
And that is the ultimate salami slicing of the political firmament of the UK. Something that Thatcher started several decades ago by abandoning Scotland and concentrating on the SE of England only.
Tony Blair inherited that and moved Labour across the political line to inherit Thatcher’s fiefdom thus forcing the Tories this way and that to identify their Unique Selling Point.
It took the Tories several attempts to come to the conclusion that they had to had to abandon their one nation meme, helped of course by the appearance of the loony EDL, BNP and UKIP.
Enter Ed the Policy Wonk without a clue how to connect with the base politic of the Labour Party. Has the man actually been on a bus or an Easyjet flight?
Shapps and the imported Yank just drilled down and defined how to win but they have no clue how to govern, except by analysing and throwing scraps of lucre to people whose votes matter, election by election.
All smoke and mirrors.
They must be shitting bricks now as the SNP has become their Black Swan.
I am pissing myself laughing,
Labour were solely focused on a very similar number of voters and “marginal” constituencies (mainly in the English Midlands). Their policies were, and still are, designed to reassure and win over those voters. As for the rest of the electorate, they were expected to vote as in 2010.
It’s great to upset their applecart.
So you get a liar spouting crap on one screen and and incomplete map on the right.
Western Isles, North Skye, Sutherland, Wester Ross, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland all missing. It’s strange how they do that but never miss out Kent.
Is it piss poor graphic design or attitudinal?
Well you should be careful when you chase new voters.
Labour has won middle England and lost Scotland (and their soul!)
I don’t like that man.
O/T
The link from here to Bella Caledonia seems to have disappeared.
Twat.
I hate to be the reasonable person here but his wording didn’t seem all that damming.
Such is the sophistication of party machines these days they could quite possibly name 30-odd thousand folk across those 23 constituencies and go to their doors offering whatever blandishments they could get away with. It would be worth it to them just to get their hands on the levers of the gate that opens the trough.
Strange how these guys are never described in headlines as attempting to “sabotage the will of the British people”. I expect Alex & Nicola to be branded with that and much over the next 6 weeks.
The unofficial English NationalIST Party at its finest.
What hurts them is they believe they can win rUK, but then us Jocks might get in the way and screw it all up for them.
Welcome to the UK with Scotland still in it, suckers. You shouldn’t have lied and cheated your way to winning our referendum!
The Rev Stu gets to ask Jim Murphy directly the BIG question live on air. 22mins 30secs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88F7Iyh-eY
@ Mealer
Yeah I noticed that too, thought it was my browsers fault. Did Bella fall out with his site?
The medium has become the message.
@ Rev Alexander M is on LBC & raised the question ,what would Labour do if they werent the largest party.Ian Dale has asked her to phone again during the election campain, she done good that woman.
@ Macart – I chuckled at that barbed remark.
@ Dr Ew – Perhaps a bean to coffee maker would be appropriate, then I could be the the same as FM Nicola?
On my return from hotter climes last week I had a 2 day stay in London and I ventured into the lion’s den to see where the tartan seat covers would be in the HOC. Visitors gallery was interesting and as Russel Brown [D and G] spoke I was almost sick and careful not to swear. However the word TOSH escaped while those around me nodded in agreement.
On the steps of the Great Hall was an inset brass plaque denoting the place where Sir William Wallace stood in August 1309 at his trial. I smiled and just said a wee prayer…We will be here soon William, rest assured.
He didn’t seem to twig who ‘Stuart from Bath’ was, which is pretty astonishing in itself
Mealer, GM_Dundonian, it would appear so, or perhaps this site fell out with Bella
why does he remind me of Tony Blair ???
Listened to Murphy on the LBC interview; still campaigning for WM on matters devolved to Holyrood – has he given up on WM and started his 2016 campaign, or does he assume that we are still he gullible bunch who followed the red rosetted monkeys all these years?
Well swipe me! After posting yesterday that I had not seen any labour materials or reps. Two labour foot soldiers at my door urging me to vote for labour in tomorrows by-election for Kinglassie & Glenrothes West.
We had words!! SNP not bad..etc etc you know the story. They looked startled but resigned.. I was polite.
Just as I was bidding them both farewell my next door neighbour walks up his path and tells them ‘ditto’. 🙂
They looked like it was a message they had been getting already on their travels. Strange days for labour in Fife.
Fingers crossed for that vacant seat.
PS:
Footie link later Scotland: if it’s not on BBC or ITV
http://crichd.tv/index.php or
http://myp2p.ec/
Ed Miliband is Alex Salmond’s poodle.
There’s a wee sketch in there somewhere.
woof woof!
Watched the LBC clip from Rev Stu’s question onward (watch the rest later).
Murphy refused to answer and is still pushing the “largest party’ guff. And “expoititive zero hours contracts”, which he must have mentioned at least three times.
We’re on our way…
@ call me Dave.
The only communication I have had for the Glenrothes/Kinglasie council bye election has been from the SNP. Might have something to do with the poster in the window though.
Well past time the Kirkcaldy Kremlin compost was turned over!
@ Brian Doonthetoon
From misery to happiness… ? 😉
@ Archie
Saving it up for just the right occasion.
Spot on, GM_Dundonian.
BTW: there’s gonna be a microbiologist from Ninewells on the minibus from Dundee on 1st May.
Two scientists in one Wings gathering? What would the English media think, we’re all supposed to be unemployed anarchists living on a oil cheque through our doors every Friday. :p
Hi GM_Dundonian.
If you haven’t been to Wings get-together before, you’ll be surprised at the number of doctors (of all sorts) and so on, who sup from Rev Stu’s quaich.
Brian Doonthetoon says:
25 March, 2015 at 6:55 pm
Spot on, GM_Dundonian.
BTW: there’s gonna be a microbiologist from Ninewells on the minibus from Dundee on 1st May.
Dr Who?
@ Brian Doonthetoon
It really sounds like quite the gathering 😉 thanks for letting me know about it.
Also @ frogesque, I wish all involved in that by election the best, indeed it will be a pleasure to hear this Kirkcaldy Kremlin has fallen. Fingers crossed.
Nope BtP – a platoon of cybernats.
11,200 ? A dawdle for MI5…
And, 23 isn’t enough.
Grant Shapps. The name of a fancy bevy, or a painful medical condition ?
Are interviewers/presenters on the telly becoming weaker and weaker in the art & craft of interviewing? (discuss)
Day in day out I’m seeing/hearing interviewers being rode roughshod over by politicians who cannot and will not definitively answer a question posed to them with. They just plough on regardless with what ever ‘soundbite’ ‘lie’ or ‘message’ their Director of Communications has demanded that be pushed out.
Is this new strategy? Just talk incessantly about nothing relating to a question posed, and hope the interviewer gets fed up and gives up?
It’s worse than a Two Ronnies sketch but at least they answered the questions correctly – just in a set order, leading to some good comedy.
Interviews like the Grant Shapps one above are comedic, but for alllll the wrong reasons.. well that and they are clowns (not the funny bunch of flower, big shoes kind)
I love you, Rev Stu x
Has Shapps (alias Green) not resigned yet? He made someone put up an apology for calling Shapps out for using an alias for a second job. Threatened them with legal action. The person, who was telling the truth, is now sueing Shapps. Tory Hypocrite.
Hi Brian W.
“It’s worse than a Two Ronnies sketch but at least they answered the questions correctly – just in a set order, leading to some good comedy.”
FUNEX?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apdkigbtNwQ
Again, this is only true based on who is already voting Conservative. I think it’s OK to be picky with the truth even when it doesn’t serve your argument? Better, even.
@ Brian Doonthetoon..
haha @ the Two Ronnies video.. think we could use the T.T for a few Labour pics..
Full of T.T’s