What fake news looks like
The most overused political insult du jour is for people to accuse each other of dealing in “fake news” and “alternative facts”. Normally, of course, they’re referring to dodgy memes on social media or the latest mad yelping from Donald Trump or his minions.
But in Scotland, our fake news is in the real newspapers.
Pretty much every day of every week of every year.
It’s worth noting that after being subjected to the scrutiny of this site, the rhetoric from the Scottish Conservatives about Scotland being the highest-taxed part of the UK – which is then dutifully parroted by the right-wing press – has been subtly toned down of late. Take this example yesterday from idiot Tory MSP Jamie Greene:
Alert readers will observe how the headline claim is now qualified by the graphic, which refers to just a small minority (somewhere around 14%) of Scottish taxpayers, not all of them. Contrast this with countless previous Tory assertions, including from Greene himself, that the whole of Scotland was subject to higher taxes than the rUK:
The papers pull similar weasel-wording tricks – this morning’s Times has a headline screaming “Scots taxpayers pay £400 more than rest of UK”, but in the very first paragraph it concedes that it’s only referring to a small subset, though it tries to make it sound bigger by saying “more than a third of a million” rather than “one in seven”. The Mail also eventually acknowledges that it’s talking about “many” Scots when the headline would lead readers to believe it’s all of them.
(We suppose we should at least be grateful they didn’t get Iain Gray in to round it up to “nearly a million” or something.)
The problem is that even with all of the cowardly, disingenuous phrasing in place the claim is still complete rubbish. Income tax isn’t the only tax people pay, and in other areas Scots pay considerably less than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.
Most significantly, for example, the average council tax in Scotland is hundreds of pounds a year lower than the average in England and Wales. (Northern Ireland has a different system and can’t be directly compared.)
And since council tax is paid by around seven times as many people as higher-rate income tax, there can be almost no credible doubt that overall Scots still pay LESS tax than people in the rest of the UK.
(And they also get more for their money – they don’t pay for prescriptions and they don’t get taxed to pay back university tuition fees, to name just two examples.)
The papers and the Tories cover a lot of this with weasel words, as we point out above. But sometimes they just can’t help themselves from falling over the line from sneaky misleading to outright lying, such as in the tweet at the start of this article from the Times’ Scotland editor Magnus Llewellin referring to a “Scottish tax hike”.
The incontrovertible truth is that NOBODY’S taxes have been “hiked”. The higher rate has stayed exactly the same as it was last year, the threshold is exactly the same as last year, and the personal allowance has increased, which means that absolutely everybody in Scotland will in fact be paying either the same or LESS in income tax as they were last year.
(And most working people, certainly those paying the higher rate of income tax, will likely also have had at least a modest pay rise, so they’ll also be paying less tax as a proportion of their income than they were last year.)
An editorial leader in the Times adds more inexplicable, innumerate drivel:
(1) Taxes haven’t been increased on ANYONE, as we’ve just shown.
(2) But even in so far as it could be said that Scots are paying more of one tax, relative to people elsewhere in the UK, that applies to people on over £150,000 exactly as much as it applies to those on £50,000. They still start paying the 40% rate at the same threshold, whether they then also go on to qualify for the 45% rate or not.
The Scottish media’s coverage of taxation is – like most of what it does – a heady concoction of things which are actual straight-up lies, and things which are merely designed to give a totally false impression but without actually saying anything untrue enough to get sued for.
As we’ve been revealing for over half a decade now, the vast bulk of Scottish political journalism is the fakest of fake news, and we can only salute the chutzpah it takes for them to accuse anyone else of that crime and still keep a straight face.
So if you look at the big picture you are still better off in Scotland, but having lower council tax and free prescriptions, also living in a place people travel the world to see.
Scotland again leading the world. This times it in the development and distribution of Fake News & it our friend in MSM that are carrying the button on this one.
Great summary of how reality differs from the ‘news’
I do wonder if all this smoke and mirrors is deliberate or due to stupidity? Former probably in which case just very dissappointing.
Bring on Wings fundraiser.
Very interesting thanks for breaking it down. A bit off topic but if you need a laugh I really recommend this funny piece on Labour changing its name to ‘None of the above’ to increase support http://www.thesparkmagazine.co.uk/uk/labour-party-to-change-its-name-to-%E2%80%98none-of-the-above%E2%80%99-in-bid-to-increase-support/
Unfortunately, as usual, the truth doesn’t matter. The headlines do the damage.
BUT what about the Squeezed Middle!
What about them…they aren’t affected given Scotlands mean wage isn’t even above 30k
oh…anyways..its a pure liberty so it is!
Fair play to Finance Secretary for putting Sally Magnusson in her place last night on BBC Scotland News…he was ready for everyone one of her traps and even turned her questions into “Thanks, Im glad you brought that up” highlights. Bravo.
Not sure I care anymore about what the media print. It’s all lies and I accept it as such. We won’t change them until after independence, as they are working to maintain the state.
It is time to get off the benches to fight fascism, in all its forms.
You cannot negotiate with fascists, if you let them run society and government they will destroy you.
These Tories smirk about like silly schoolboys who have pitched a firework. They are too dumb to realise it doesn’t go off is because what they actually nicked is a candle.
Wasn’t Jamie Green the Tory who wet himself about 4G phone coverage, attempting to smear the SNP on the matter without realising the matter was reserved by Westminster?
Ruth Harrison better watch out, Jamie Green is showing Tory leadership potential; not terribly bright, and able to lie through his teeth without blinking. And let me guess, he never apologised…
While I agree, this time you’re surprisingly incomplete in your analysis. Showing only one council band and ignoring the increases coming without mentioning these and referencing UK pay rises and not supporting it with Scotland rises makes this article a bit sloppier than usual. You probably did this out of simplicity, but still…
I do totally agree taxes are cheaper here having moved up from ‘exile’ in England where I had to go to find work. But I’ve seen you make better cases.
Isn’t this why PAYE devo was the only tax power they gave up 2014, that Smith Commission farce, after The Vow devo-max historic fraud, to kick the living shit out of SNP Scots.gov.
Stuart, I’m glad I subscribe to Wings. I think you do excellent work exposing fake news.
Splendid Rev. and that’s why….
1. I don’t have a TV licence
2. Buy/Read any MSM publications/newspapers.
Why encourage them (also believe that there are good honest hacks out there who are being undermined by editorial decisions.
#ForFakeSake
Compensated for by any number of things paid down south.
Prescriptions, free higher education etc etc. Quite a list actually that more than compensates for a fairly small tax hike.
In any event, people with good income generally have a way of protecting that income, if not for now, then for their later years.
Really a non story.
“While I agree, this time you’re surprisingly incomplete in your analysis. Showing only one council band and ignoring the increases coming without mentioning these and referencing UK pay rises and not supporting it with Scotland rises makes this article a bit sloppier than usual.”
If you’ve got that data I’ll happily include it, but it’s remarkably difficult to find all-band Council Tax figures broken down by country. It seems unlikely, though, that they’d show a different trend, since all bands in Scotland were frozen.
And nobody has any idea how much, if at all, it’s going to rise after the freeze – that’s a matter for individual councils, few of which are controlled by the SNP – so it’d in fact be pretty sloppy to start using figures based on pure guesswork. And there’s no reason to imagine that English and Welsh councils will increase it by less than Scottish ones anyway, so the differential is likely to stay about the same.
Just annoy the yoons further, the final section of the Queensferry crossing being lifted into place now. Braw big Saltire on top of the crane.
Heh. Rinse and repeat time from both the meeja and their chain tuggers is it?
The Tories and the meeja who brought you austerity UK and Brexit Britain are having a moan that no one else is cleaning up their catastrophic mess. They’ve actually got the brass neck to moan about other folks performance when their own actions and behaviour have resulted in the worst case of societal, economic and political self harm in the UK’s post war history.
They’re not very big on self evaluation or introspection in general are they?
They’ll have to excuse the Scottish Government for not giving a flying … squirrel what they think. I’m sure they’re a bit busy at moment offsetting and mitigating some halfwit’s cackhanded attempts at stewarding an economy and practising politics.
There are many ways to twist something to make it sound/look worse, as we can testify with the slant the MSM puts on any SNP stories, whether good or bad.
However, in addition to all the benefits we Scots receive compared to our English friends across the border, I heard two further examples just this week on This Morning and ITV news which many will not even think about. One was how we in Scotland are screened for bowel cancer at 50, yet it is 60 in England. One English chap who was living in Scotland st the time, owes his life to the policy in Scotland to screen at 50.
The other which I heard an English man ask on the news was could they get air gun ban in England as they do in Scotland. This was as their 2 year old son was shot in the head. (Thankfully he is still alive).
‘If you’ve got that data I’ll happily include it, but it’s remarkably difficult to find all-band Council Tax figures broken down by country. It seems unlikely, though, that they’d show a different trend, since all bands in Scotland were frozen.
And nobody has any idea how much, if at all, it’s going to rise after the freeze – that’s a matter for individual councils, few of which are controlled by the SNP – so it’d in fact be pretty sloppy to start using figures based on pure guesswork.’
I totally believe the data would support your claim. Just thought maybe you’d use your brilliant (serious complement) brain to extrapolate.
Over 100.000 small businesses now pay no tax whatsoever in Scotland so helping the little guy to grow into bigger guys who can afford to pay more tax thus creating long term business sustainability and growing the employment register
I’d say that’s a pretty progressive and intelligent tax idea
Another brilliant filleting of the Fake News Press. WoS is a unique 5 star service. I rarely bother looking at MSM for news now. Other than The National, the “newspapers” are full of empty rhetoric and propaganda. Vehicles for adverts.
Thanks again to Stu for providing the info that we won’t find elsewhere..
You can add water rates to the list of what we pay less for.
I believe in England their water is metered and it costs a lot more.
Another is the bedroom tax. In Scotland the bedroom tax has been mitigated so those affected are not hit so hard.
I suspect the biggest difference between Scotland and England will be young people in England paying back higher education fees.
This has been going on for a while now, so many won’t be quite so young. The cumulative numbers must be considerable.
I believe the repayment system is complex, however in simple terms, a huge number of people in England must now have fees-debt of £27000. That’s a serious millstone when many graduates will be earning enough to have to make repayments but aren’t particularly high earners.
I confess to not really understanding it all, but it should be taking into any comparison of Scotland and England.
The rank hypocrisy of Murdo Fraser and his Tory cohorts were blown out of the park in this morning’s BBC Scotland programme Call Kaye.The capitalist spokesperson, a Tory in disguise as an Independent Coooncillor in Edinburgh, was smothered in common sense by many contributors. There wasn’t one reasoned argument to support the Tory herd’s screams of “we are all doomed with these massive tax rises on the rich”. I hope Fraser and his boss, the Tank Commander, keep that kind of argument going. It will be a doddle come Indy2
I don’t want iScotland to be a low tax country. I want taxes collected progressively and spent sensibly, not on WMDs and illegal wars. I want good services and free health & education for all.
iEngland, I fear, would be on a quite different path.
There’s an paradox in the MSM’s lies that we pay more tax. At the same time they push another fake news agenda that Scotland is sponging of English tax payers.
Why, we might ask – is Scotland a land overflowing with milk and honey if more tax is collected AND we spend some of Englan’d tax too? Not from where I stand.
Trouble is that a significant amount of people live in Barry Town (Suck on MSM and swear by every word).They’re not all dummies of course but they are bombarded with relentless misinformation, propaganda and fake news that they become totally brainwashed…..It’s gonna be tough but we need to somehow reach out to these people and readdress their fears. Currency and pension issues will need to be a priority. It’s real hard for the majority of people/voters out in the real world and a damn sight harder when they’re misinformed.
@George Paterson
Loved Ivan handing Murdo his arse on a plate, Twice yesterday. Fair showed Fraser and indeed modern politicians up for their empty rhetoric ways.
Really liked Derek Mackays response to Sally Magnussion when challenged on folk paying more…”this is the social contract…prescriptions, health care, nhs, tuition fees are taken care off and in turn people will then happily contribute”. We all buy into this, its so sad that folk like Murdo and harpers-on like Kezia refuse to acknowledge it and move us all forward.
Neil McKay of Sunday Herald made the same accusation that social media can’t be trusted as it’s full of fake news.
No, MSM can’t be trusted
This came after the SIC where the original editor of the National was calling for us to respect journalists.
Yesterday Kenny Farq, who I thought was coming round, is punting the great transfer of powers post Brexit.
This is total nonsense, it wont happen.
I was very upset at the SC decision to ignore Scots law and I still don’t know how they got away with it.
With folk like Joanna Cherry, QC, why has it been accepted?
I would love to watch the Queensferry crossing on live cam but I can only find old videos.
Excellent article, exposing yet more lies from the state run, right wing media.
Monica@10.49
Don’t you not pay the same PAYE as the people south of the border?
One thing that isn’t cheaper is the fact that our police and fire services are charged VAT by the UK treasury. VAT on essential services! A bit of a difference due to the fact these services do not pay VAT anywhere else in the UKOK!
Funny I was just thinking when I read this article, how amazing Rev Stu is for gathering this info and putting it together for us. It certainly gives us a better idea of the true facts than any right wing or pretendy left wing rags on the shop shelves, and definitely gives us a better understanding of matters than the bbc could ever manage. Not to mention some of the lying scheming unionists politicians who deliberately deceive people and hope that they won’t notice their lies.
@Monica
if it`s so much better in your native England why don`t you relocate back south,
we in Scotland want/hope immigrants and refugees to come here and play an inclusive and positive contribution to our great nation,
we have more than enough of our own exclusive and negative native Scots to want them topped up by the likes of you,( and by `you` i don`t mean you being English)
so don`t let the door hit you on your bony ass on the way home.
The Yoons demand tax increases and then moan about it when it happens.
@Scot Finlayson,
Bit OTT there mate.
“Why don’t the SNP get back to their day job, stop talking about Independence use their taxation powers to help the poor people.”
SNP, juggle the tax basis, very, very slightly and a chorus, “Scotland the highest taxed area of UK, by SNP”
Jeez playground stuff this.
The unionists in Holyrood are just economic vandals and would rather see Scotland in the shitter than progressing and richer.
There will be day of reckoning and far sooner than they think.
The unionist media are no more than scum, they can print whatever lies they wish about the SNP and Scotland as there is nothing to stop them.
They will only stop once they have no reason to carry on putting Scotland down, and that will only happen if we vote Yes this time.
galamcennalath@11.27am
Actually many are leaving Uni in England owing much more than 27k. My cousin in Newcastle says that her son’s friends are leaving with debts of 40-50k. They have to take loans to live and then tuition fees on top. I heard someone recently who said that her neice said she had no debt, not actually taking into account her student loan! Remember the tories passed on some student loans to debt companies a couple of years ago. Nice eh.
Hey tories your angle would be credible if you had got away with the trap you set in Smith you did not get away with it so now you just look stupid.
As does anybody else shouting about taxation when westminster is cutting budgets left right and center in a tory orgasm of austerity for the poor.
Labour and Tories were bitter together allies yesterday during the budget debate as they vent their spleen on the Greens.
The Lib Dems were irrelevant as usual.
O/T
Just a reminder the last section of the Queensferry crossing going into place as we watch.
AMAZING – and the icing on the cake is the Saltire fluttering in the background.
Proud to be SCOTTISH! X
Live webcam:
http://www.forth-bridges.co.uk/queensferry-crossing/gallery-queens/forth-road-bridge-webcam.html
It’s good that some compromise between the Scottish Gov and the Greens allowed the budget to pass, but beware of the National vote splitting tactics at work. Double page spread for Patrick on how the Greens achieved a Green movement in policy.
It should be kept in mind the Greens aren’t getting votes from Labour or Tories.
Without an SNP majority in Holyrood nothing the Greens want will happen. Labour, Tories and LibDems have no interest in achieving Green objectives. They certainly don’t agree with each, though sometimes difficult to tell with ConLabs.
SNP membership is massive and issues such as land reform are on the agenda at the SNP Conference.
@ Scot Finlayson
Re Monica. If you read her first comment you might find she is perhaps a Scot. We should guard against giving ammo to “the Nats are anti English”. However I do understand your anger.
@ Scot Finlayson
To save you having to go back to Monica’s original post to see what she actually said. I’ll copy it for you:
She was in exile in England – ie she doesn’t come from there originally – because she needed to go there for work. She never at any point said it was better there.
Why did you have such a negative reaction?
Dorothy
http://www.forth-bridges.co.uk/queensferry-crossing/gallery-queens/forth-road-bridge-webcam.html
In reply to those that asked – yes, PAYE has been the same in England and Scotland until now. The taxes that I saw as much higher were council taxes. In band D in Surrey, I think I paid almost £1700.
And I’m certainly not English and have no plans to go back except to visit friends. Scotland is my home and I support indy full on!
@ Scot Finlayson
Think you got the total wrong end of what Monica was saying there.
I thought the Scottish government had capped council tax rises to a maximum of 3% but the English government hadn’t imposed any kind of cap at all, so that some councils down there are talking about 15% rises in council tax for 2017-2018?
Thanks for the support from some of you. I was just trying to point out that I didn’t think the Rev made his strongest argument about taxes. He usually covers all angles. But then again, the article was about false news, not taxes, so I should have taken it as such.
Artyhetty says:
True, but I was differentiating between Scotland and England. Here students also take on loans to live off. But only in England are they saddled with fees (which I simplified to 3x£9000).
Personally I think there should decent grants to students like I benefited from many years ago. Perhaps it should all be wrapped up in a ‘citizen payment’ to everyone.
Ah thought Monica wis jist flirtin’ wi the Rev…successully 😉
Wha disnae like a brilliant brain!
One of the great pleasures of being retired is that for free I can check out half a dozen online papers and compare the same story.
This is why I cancelled my Herald sub and replaced it with the Guardian-excellent value if only for articles by Monbiot
Vegetables are being ‘rationed'(snow joke),let’s just say, we have been on rations for years by the Red/Blue/Orange Tories.
‘Rationing’ of the truth.
O/T but had to share this
Theresa May has offered herself as a bridge between the EU and America
The EU have replied by saying
(paraphrasing)
Naw yer awright we’ve got Twitter anaw!
@Scot Finlayson says: 3 February, 2017 at 11:49 am
“@Monica
if it`s so much better in your native England why don`t you relocate back south,”
What part of, “I do totally agree taxes are cheaper here having moved up from ‘exile’ in England where I had to go to find work.“ is it that you do not understand, Scot Finlayson?
I think an apology is in order.
Personally, I’d much prefer to live in a country with higher taxes and excellent public services.
Obviously I’d prefer to live in a country with lower taxes and excellent public services but unlike most of the UK population I am grown up enough to realise that isn’t generally possible.
Taxes are the price people pay for living in a civilised society. No one could become wealthy from their own efforts outside of society.
I sincerely hope it is true that Scotland is moving towards a higher tax society. We need to start making the case for that.
This is why I cancelled my Herald sub and replaced it with the Guardian-excellent value if only for articles by Monbiot
http://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/salmondbell.jpg
Q. How do you piss off Unionists?
A. Let oor Stu loose on their false Truths!
Boom! Boom!
Just heard that the National Roadshow from Paisley will be live streamed on the National’s Facebook page from 19:30 tonight.
p.s.
Just a wee snippet for those who missed the amazing slap down of oor wee Murdo yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuLlFJiGMIs
Important article thanks Stuart.
I heard that lovely bag of wind Sir Mickie Fallon attacking Russia for propagating Fake News and how they have weopanised information.The irony.
The more the British State and their media acolytes are exposed as liars and purveyors of fake news and spin,the more they will attack those who are exposing them.
Keep up the good work in this war of attrition against these serial liars.
https://caltonjock.com/2014/08/28/300-years-of-westminster-government-of-scotland-is-epitomized-by-greed-gluttony-lust-envy-jealousy-sloth-wrath-and-pride-time-to-cut-the-ties/
@One_Scot says: 3 February, 2017 at 11:54 am:
“They will only stop once they have no reason to carry on putting Scotland down, and that will only happen if we vote Yes this time.”
I do believe that even that will not stop them. What will stop them are the hard facts of business and of supply and demand.
Their customer base is shrinking by the minute and the reason it shrinks is two fold. First of all more people are finding them out as liars and cheats. The other is that as independence support grows unionism shrinks and the people will not buy what they see as enemy lies and propaganda.
@Dr Jim
Unable to archive
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-malta-summit-european-leaders-rebuff-theresa-may-bridge-donald-trump-us-angela-merkel-francois-a7561106.html
http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-malta-for-eu-summit-donald-trump-putin-brexit-valetta-2017-2
Same old, same old!
bbc then repeat the lies in the papers, keeps the pot stirring.
Both red and blue tories appear happy to pay additional taxes to fund trident.
Strange how they don’t want taxes to pay for peoples health and wellbeing?
Meanwhile we have labour voting with tories in both parliaments, first to hurt the poor and vulnerable through brexit and second to hurt the poor and vulnerable through opposing extra money for councils.
Only in Scotland…………..
O/T but then again maybe not
I’ve come to the conclusion that Scotland is just like a woman who is in an abusive relationship.
Her partner is a much larger and stronger person who has complete control over her assets and finances to do with as he wants. This is despite them, supposedly, being in a relationship of equals and someone who is loved and wanted by him and his special friends and relatives.
The partner insists that any income she earns is put into a bank account that is completely controlled by him. He also then diverts some of her income from her assets into his own accounts by subterfuge, a form of theft skillfully hidden and not at all obvious except to a few skilful observers. He also sells off her assets built up over decades to his rich friends, claiming they were wasteful and needed to be got rid off.
He doles out just enough monies to almost keep the basics of life but also insists on a full disclosure of every penny spent.
This is despite the obvious profligacy of his own spending habits. He insists on spending on stupid things she neither wants nor needs.
There is an insistance that his close relatives get priority over her. He often wastes money on vanity items for them they really cannot afford. If she asks for more money for heself or to help her own she is subjected to lies and further abuse and often a cut in her money supply.
He has friends who distribute lies and who cheat and forever tell her friends that she is worthless, too poor and too stupid to be in charge of anything. They spread lies about her abilities, her potential. They hide evidence from her foreign friends and relatives, some who were old, old friends, again hiding by subterfuge and subtle lies.
It has to stop but she is too afraid at the moment having been brainwashed into thinking she is all alone in the world with nobody to help her.
She needs to understand that until she makes the first move they cannot help directly but when she does she will be supported.
Have you heard the latest MSM porkie:
“All stories that we cannot control, filter and manipulate are fake news“.
“Coz we said so, and we tell you what the truth is”. 🙂
I’m curious as to how the Daily Mail spun it for their gullible Scottish readers. Can anyone archive a link?
Absolutely brilliant letter from an L.McGregor of Falkirk in the National today (the long letter). The sort of thing I wish we could put through people’s doors. I’ll save it just in case.
Given the rumours that Trumps Triumph, as in the tribute paid to conquering heroes in the Roman Empire, will not only be moved to Scotland to avoid demonstrations in England but at the same time the policing of it will expect to be paid for and organised by us. A bit like the Lib Dems and their being told their no longer welcome.
Just a wee snippet for those who missed the amazing slap down of oor wee Murdo yesterday.
Mr Speaker Bercow also steps in to save thick as mince tory twits in the Commons, a lot.
I watched ‘Further back in time for dinner’ on EBC last night.
Bearing in mind it’s a contrived programme there were a couple of telling comments made.
Early 1900’s Britain was getting wealthier so started to import more food because we could, to the detriment of our farms. This meant when ” the free market “kicked in and prices went up or shortages happened we had to do without. Current situation with green veggies.
Below stairs staff only getting 1/2 day holiday. Where the Tories would like to take us back to.
Then WW1 and Uboats sinking food supply ships. Rationing.
Could easily happen again if we fall out with our European friends. Not saying we’d go to war they just need to switch us off as a market.
@Monica
sorry for calling you a bony assed English person,
just a bit hair triggered with trolls lately,
had been reading anti Scottish pish from Tomkins, Farquarson and the parliament dunce Murdo and also had a Labour rep at the door looking for my vote which did not help my blood pressure,
so if the rest of Wings think you are legit and not `at it` I will abrogate my earlier comment,
oh look a squirrel.
This latest outburst from the Tories just goes to prove that the Smith “concession” over income tax was little more than a cynical trap intended to snare the SG, and now they and their little friends in the Dead Tree Scrolls are busting a gut to try to spring it. Without success, thanks to people like Stu.
In fact, the Unionists are all over the place on taxation, as galamcennalath rightly pointed out upthread. We’re simultaneously overpayers and shiftless spongers on Broad Shoulder Britain. Figure that one out!
(Oh, and did you catch Neil Findlay MSP’s little spat of frustration on the TV news at failing to scupper the budget? If his co-Unionists the Tories were right, you would think he would be grateful that taxes “went up”!)
O/T
Re the Queensferry Crossing. What a fantastic engineering achievement and makes you so proud to be Scottish.
On the official opening day there should huge Saltires flying proudly from the 3 towers. If nothing else it would be a massive sickener for the unionist mob who decried that there was need for a second bridge.
@Scot Apology accepted. I can certainly understand the issues with trolls, but I’m not one. Been supporting the Rev even when in England! Nice squirrel, BTW.
@ rogerM
Need to get free first though roger and bust this bogey man they have made out of taxation,most people in the UK have no idea what it is meant to do,since it never does what it is meant to do in this basket case of a union and has been turned into a political weapon,while real taxation is hidden in other ways through stealth.
Something I noted on HYS on the BBC last night – the fevered rant at the SNP and Greens comes from two sources and are mutually exclusive. Some are saying the SNP budget is an evil money grab on the poor wealthy and others the SNP budget is austerity to the power of infinity. I thought HYS was particularly deranged last night.
The truth is that the budget is quietly middle of the road making a decent fist of difficult times.
The headlines are bad news for Labour and the Liberals though. It is hard to argue that the SNP are pro-austerity and unprogressive when the Tories and the Press are moaning like hell about tax rises.
I noticed Stu mentioning a documentary on his twitter feed last night. Nazis-A warning from history. A lot of you have probably already seen it but I thoroughly recommend it. A superb series. Yes it’s on the dreaded BBC. BBC four to be precise, but watch it on the Iplayer.
@Alba 46
Even better, the flags of all the nations who had a hand in the construction (and there’s a few). Scottish, German, Spanish, American, Eire, Netherlands and who knows how many more?
Let the world know we still want to get on.
An international opening as befits a new and massive engineering achievement.
H&S,
“The headlines are bad news for Labour and the Liberals though. It is hard to argue that the SNP are pro-austerity and unprogressive when the Tories and the Press are moaning like hell about tax rises.”
But tory BBC gimps most aggressive old pro, shows the how and why he’s the ligger’s Ligger.
Good boy Andrew, Rupert.
Andrew Neil ?@afneil 3h3 hours ago
More
SNP/Green budget deal means 372,000 Scots in 40% tax bracket will pay £400 more than counterparts in rUK. Likely much more than that by 2020
Gerry , thanks for that!
Dr Jim , think it’s more like to be ‘Pffft’
Britain Has No Fake News Industry Because Our Partisan Newspapers Already Do That Job.
I think your claim of a modest salary increase is optimistic, for far too many that only occurs with minimum wage increases. I noticed you didn’t mention Labour’s tax increase proposals.
The biggest fake news of all pushed by the scum msm. ‘England subsidises scotchland.
Scotland has always been the highest part of the UK because of Westminster tax regime. Scotland has always been taxed more and got less back. Since 1928 and before, The Westminster Gov has always taxed Scotland more and tried to hide it by falsifying accounts.
Osborne was taxing the Scottish Oil sector at 60% to 80% when the price had fallen 75%. Costing Scotland £Billions and thousands of jobs. Scotland could have had near full employment and money to relieve poverty, invest in social care and renewables. Over the last 6 years Scotland has lost over £24Billion. Since Jan 2016 the Oil tax has been 40%.
Even without the Oil revenues Scotland still raises more tax than the rest of the UK – £54Billion.
Pro rata the rest of the UK raises £42Billion. Borrows and spends £100Billion more. Scotland has to pay on average £4Billion on loan repayments. On Funds Borrowed and spend in the rest of the UK. Scotland’s Block Grant is cut by Westminster. Westminster cuts NHS/Education. Sanctions and starves vulnerable people. Cause the worst migration crisis in Europe and wastes £200Billion on Trident.
The Tories are trying to take the UK out of the EU destroying the world economy. Against the majority wishes.
To put it in succinctly. Those earning £45K in Scotland who moved South but retained the same top line, would find their real expendable income had become thousands of pounds less.
Most reasons for that have been listed above but I would add things like increased health insurance to cover possible post retirement care requirements.
However the real biggy is the extra 10%+ of income, on average, which people have to pay for property purchase/rent down South.
They simply do not realise just how much better off they really are in Scotland.
Dead Tree Scrolls at it again. Yoon fodder!
The only reason I buy The National is to leave it MacDonald’s or on the train where someone not of my political persuasion might pick it up and have their eyes opened. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t but any newspaper.
Fake news is tricky to scope though, BBC r4 tory new gimps just finished rather joyous Trump’s great BBC style lunchtime reportage with “Trump keeps his election promises!” So rejoice. Its on Trump’s ban on his crew getting lobbyist jobs with the corps lobbying for five years.
And then same BBC dont mention,
http://occupydemocrats.com/2017/02/02/trump-just-removed-white-supremacist-groups-terror-watch-program/
joemcg.
Also on BBC 4 (I watched it at a friends house.)
Biggest History fibs.
“The Glorious revolution” last night.
Somehow they missed out the union of the Parliaments in 1707 though.
Timeline interesting though as Robert Peffers regularly points out.
Mary and William offered the Monarchy if they ceed powers to the (then) English Parliament.
May be available on i player to watch if you have a TV lisence.
I don’t have one but a friend does so I watch it at their place.
😉
@ heedtracker,
Sorry, did not pick up your question till later. ” patience to what”
Patience to endure the needless hardship and bile thrown at us.
Patience to persevere with our vision of an Independent Scotland
Patience to learn and acquire the skills to win.
A great fan of your comments heedtracker.
Oops!
Just received one of those letters addressed to “The Occupier”. 😀
FILED! 😀
Up next, wont be able to tune in but guessing its a n other long hard tory weewee, all over their Scotland region of greater England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vqwym
Inventing Scotland a comedy by Mike Harris
The true story of how one man’s need for cash created a national myth and saved the union.
It is 1822 .
Do you know who this Occupier guy is LA i keep getting his mail,i send them back with Mr Occupier not at this address on them,i think he might be European and i am taking a stab at Belgian,i hope he is okay as he must never get his mail lol
I genuinely believe, given where we are with the state of politics in Scotland right now, with Brexit, and continuous Tory rule for the foreseeable future, if Scotland returns a ‘No’ vote for IndyRef2, then it will have been rigged.
Derek M.
If you send it back saying “Mr Occupier is not at this address, Hugh Jarce is”, you’ll get an interesting letter from them.
🙂
On GMS this morning the BBC portrayed Murdo’s rant at the Greens
as “just banter”, protect your masters eh!
I dunno who he is Derek but he hasnae half moved aroon Scotland that’s fur sure! 😀
Hugh Jarce.
I love it! 😀
I can just imagine their response. 😀
The Tories conveniently forget about the Dividend tax, which came into effect in April 2016. This will be hitting in their tax returns next year.
Under this tax, practically every small business owner will be hit with a 7.5% whammy on their dividends above £5k (or 32.5% if they are higher rate taxpayer). For a director receiving £22k a year dividend, on top of the 10k salary they will take as personal allowance they will be £1275 a year worse off.
Scroll down the link below for some examples.
http://www.rossmartin.co.uk/directors/tax-efficient-remuneration/1591-summer-budget-2015-dividend-tax
@ Gerry
lol i imagine i would Gerry,they were out last week in their wee van sitting outside looking well miserable.
If they had got a tv signal i would be mighty interested to find out how since i have no need for a TV i have the internet and if i want to watch UK shows i will stream them from France or Spain or where ever the stream comes from,its simple anyone can do it even easier now with Kodi on the loose 😉
Arbroath.
The last person they wrote to at this address was Dan Saff.
🙂
Apparently Gerry Mr. N. Oidea lives at my address … or so I’m led to believe anyway. 😀
Yes we must endeavour to perciveir and be patient to hear the truth from the mouths of liars aye right
Re. Telly tax.
I have not had them at the door for years now, last time they came to the door they introduced themselves and told me there was no license registered at this address.
I replied by asking why they thought that was.
He responded by saying “because you do not have one”?
Again i replied why did he think that was…?
His response then was to state that he could see my tv on in the living room…!
I told him it was not a television, it was a large digital photo frame.
His response was “do you think i am stupid, thats a telly”
So i asked him, do you have a warrant to come in and see if that is a telly or a large digital photo frame ?
He replied…after a bit of a stumblebum moment…”No, i don’t.
I then said, “then it’s a ditital photo frame, get tae fuck”…and shut the door.
Never seen them since.
Alan says:
“people enjoy”, “do it better” …. perhaps Charlie Beckett would like to explain why Dead Sea scroll circulation is plummeting!
Then again, he is Professor of Journalism …. a dying trade.
We may have “always had” partisan press, but my memory tells we there used to be more of spread in who and what they supported. Now, particularly where Scotland is concerned, most take exactly the same line! So much so that the only explanations are plagiarism and orchestration.
It’s not just Scotland, though. The media takes on a narrow set of views, almost consensus, about the Middle East, or Russia, or Corbyn, or Brexit.
Caught some of the gms phone-in this morning while driving. Most callers supported new tax points. Also surprising to hear a splendidly knowledgeable lady from Aberdeen being allowed to debate the issue uninterrupted with another caller. Yoon caller exposed as a complete boaby. Also good that Stephen Jardine, replacing Kay(e) showed fairness to all.
Dr Jim;
“Thousands of small businesses in Scotland pay no tax”.
Kindly tell me how. I run a small business, and pay ct on every penny profit.
Got to admit they will have a bit of a job proving my large computer screen is anything other than a large computer screen. I live on the First floor so unless he is willing to drive around with a set of long ladders on his car roof he aint gonna prove anything other than I have a front door on the ground floor! 😀
IndyRef 2 Ballot Paper issued…
http://imgur.com/a/0T7r4
@Monica Worley says: 3 February, 2017 at 1:16 pm:
” … Nice squirrel, BTW.
Yep! Definitely a Scot – no others have that kind of sense of humour.
;-))
Dinna fash yersel loons, Mither Theresa wull soon hae’t changit frae ‘The Occupier’ tae the ‘Occupied’.
Dippy Dug, Truthless Mooth and Wee Willie Stinky.
Three fleas in search of a furry ermine hame.
(sincerest apologies to all fleas)
((((( C’MOAN THE BRIDGE )))))
I can’t help but wonder if TJ’ got his boy at it.
History in the making. Gaun yersel Tam, ya jammy bleep bleep!
🙂
O/T From the TV licensing website (which seems to depend on the BBC’s legal privileges in some mysterious way):
One wonders what it is they’re desperate to hide…
Well that’s nae a problem for us Chick.
All we dae is send their “letters” back with “no one is occupied at this address we be FREE” written across them! Simples! 😀
Les
“On GMS this morning the BBC portrayed Murdo’s rant at the Greens
as “just banter”, protect your masters eh!”
Not just that Les, they kept commenting on how ‘clever’ it was and spelling out their interpretation of the clever message contained with this clever piece of satire.
OT Hootsmon …. “ Brian Wilson: It’s arrogant to pretend indyref2 is what Scots want
The funny thing is, the poll on the page Is should running 2:1 FOR IndyRef2 🙂
Also the most recent poll was 50:50 for a vote.
What the Scots want/wanted was full genuine DevoMax and staying in the EU. (Not quite what I wanted but that was the outcome.)
Wilson and his Tory chums denied both. So how does he suggest getting out of the mess without IndyRef2?
I am Posting this for Andrew McLean who is having some IT problem
————————————————————————
[EDIT BY REV. STU] He’s not having an IT problem, he’s having a hasn’t-bothered-to-read-the-bloody-About-page problem. He’s never had a comment published before so they’re going in the moderation queue until the first one is approved, and because it’s Friday night and I do occasionally have a personal life I haven’t had a chance to get round to it until now, when I’m having to delete about 15 reposts of the same sodding comment, including you doing it.
Macbeda @12.58
Scotland as the abused partner kept in fear is one many of us are familiar with. I believe Joan McAlpine used it in 2012 and was pilloried by the Yoons. Others have suggested ‘Jockholm’ syndrome (from Stockholm syndrome) and more recently I have seen Internalised Oppression used to describe the feelings Yoons have about themselves.
I think Yes each person comes to their own realisation of how dysfunctional our relationship in the UK. Many will not see it that way at all.
Of course when JK Rowling famously used this to argue Scotland was the partner wanting to leave but having all the bargaining power there wasn’t a peep from the Yoons.
Arbroath.
If they come to the door asking to speak to “Hugh Jarce” you can report them for insulting your better half.
Well we do have this information for starters Robert. 😉
http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/bbc-loses-more-than-250m-to-licence-fee-evasion-11364143822694
Chick McGregor says:
They portrayed as, it’s just how we would normally talk, all good fun really.
Devious bastards, the Unionists are always supported with downgrading what they say as being light hearted but then,
they also have fake news to help them too.
The BBC and all the UKOK media can GTF!.
Arbroath1320 says:
Ha Ha Ha, that made me smile. They reap what they sow.
What goes around comes around in my view Les. 😀
@Ken500 says: 3 February, 2017 at 1:41 pm:
“Scotland has always been the highest part of the UK because of Westminster tax regime. Scotland has always been taxed more and got less back.”
The very best proof comes from the already distorted Westminster’s own figures.
The Scottish Per Capita GDP is normally higher than that of either the UK as a whole or of England.
As for the hidden taxes they really are not too well hidden.
The very first cross-border National Grid electricity link carried electric power from the old Portobello Power Station over the border to England in 1946 or thereabouts. Scotland has exported electric power to England ever since.
But the scam does not stop there. Consider how market forces normally work. Those who have a surplus on a commodity usually can demand the best price from those who most need the commodity but not in the so called United Kingdom.
London and the south is the area where the demand for electric power is greatest so market forces should dictate that as Scotland produces surplus power, (over 26% for recent years), and London is the area that needs it most the Scots generators should get premium rates and those in London pay corresponding premier rates.
Under the Westminster rule this supply & demand rule is stood on its head for the further the generators are from London the higher Grid Connection charge per Kilowatt they have to pay. But the theft doesn’t stop therefor Westminster actually also pays the southern generators a subsidy and remember that it is the Westminster Treasury that collects tax from the Scots.
We thus pay more to supply London’s electricity and they use our tax money to subsidies London and the South generators and then taunt us by claiming they subsidise us.
It usually puts their gas at a peep if you enquire if perhaps we Scots do not also pay tax and that English money is in truth UK money.
@galamcennalath
Nothing new. The Freedom of the Press: Orwell’s Proposed Preface to ‘Animal Farm’ (1945).
Aye…
Seems at the moment, we have every Tory and his dog out telling the people of Scotland that they can’t have a Referendum; can’t have an opinion on Brexit; and can’t even get taxation right.
When ….ooops! Yes, we can have a Referendum if we want; yes, we can have an opinion on Brexit, and yes, we can work out what part of the Scottish public may have to pay that little bit more in tax.
What’s bloody annoying on this latest one, is that if no tax rise had happened, then Ruthie and Co would have been bleating on endlessly about an under-funded Scottish NHS. Instead, taxation has been applied, but from their reaction, you would think that we were all being taxed to hell and back.
Aye …they’re beginning to panic now. You can see it. What is terrifying them is that 50% of Scotland won’t ever be fooled again. Not for a generation. A 2nd Referendum …and how they behave in it (as in really trying to frighten us) could now be even more negative for them. They’re caught …and they know it.
Keep patient …the Tories are doing a grand job for us in being the recruitment sergeant for the nationalist cause.
@ bbc tax
If anyone does eventually get the knock on the door ask to see his ID and his warrant to enter the hoose. He won’t have a warrant and as for his ID… well, it’s obviously a fake and if he doesn’t leave immediately you’ll call the polis.
@Arbroath1320
I see that they seem to classify it as evasion, whether the occupiers of the premises watch TV or not.
I do not have much trouble with them as I made it very clear that I do not watch any TV and have not done so for decades.
I occasionally (about every 2 years or so) get correspondence from them and promptly go to my local library to advise them that I still do not watch.
I make a point of telling them that it is in part due to there being nothing worth watching. I include comparisons with grass growing and paint drying.
Seems to do the trick.
I thought I’d listen to Radio Scotland today and take in the comments from the people of Scotland phoning into the show. To my great surprise the majority of callers were all for a tax rise, if it meant better services.
Steven Jardine the host, in my opinion came across as a supporter of tax rises, if it led to better services
@Arbroath1320 says: 3 February, 2017 at 1:51 pm:
“Oops!
Just received one of those letters addressed to “The Occupier”.
FILED! “
I got mine a week or so ago. I’m all ready for them to call and I’m looking forward to it. But they never turn up. When they do they, depending on how things go, may find it is they who end up in court. Perhaps on criminal charges via breaking Scots law or on charges of harassment, coercion, stalking or whatever.
I think we can all remember very well how we talked of these “new powers” as being a poised chalice and a Tory trap. Seems like we were right then.
One half of the Yoons want us to use these new powers to increase taxes, the other half want us to reduce them!
Sticking with the status quo was the only way of avoiding their trap, we’re not interested in being given further “new powers” either after Brexit. We want ALL the powers, only then will we be able to make a real difference in how we raise and spend taxes in Scotland.
New powers mean diddly-squat. Just an opportunity for Yoons to abuse the Scottish Government. We’re having none of it, the sooner we get to tell them to piss off the better.
In the past week we have had 2 items of real news from the Scottish Office of the Westminster Government. One on Scottish Exports and the other on the amount of electricity that is exported to England from Scotland. Two own goals as they prove who needs who. I look forward to seeing more of these.
May continues to unimpress her EU counterparts. May’s [and therefore England’s] only hope of international political companionship comes in the grotesque shape of Donald Trump.
But it’s okay and everything will be rosy because the lying britnat media says it will be.
I was going to put up a comment about a tweet from oor Stu where he pointed to a headline in today’s Express. Apparently oor First Minister has been promoted … no seriously she has … or rather she had! 😉 The dimwit at the Express referred to her as the Prime Minister of Scotland, written by someone called Tom Martin. 😀
Sadly by the time I found the article on line she had been demoted back to First Minister again. 😀
Arbroath1320,
Strictly speaking, there is a difference between evasion (dodging payment for a service being used) and legitimate refusal to subscribe (as is everyone’s right).
I really would like to know how the latter figure has evolved in Scotland over the last few years, even if the BBC are reluctant to let us know. I suppose the only way otherwise would be to have a website dedicated to publicly self-declaring refuseniks (a kind of running protest poll), but even that might be incomplete.
(I say this with some regret, because despite it all, I do still believe in publicly-subscribed TV channels.)
@Andy B says
Yeah but you it that in a manifesto and you’ll soon find yourself out if office.
Never been popular people say a lot but wont vote for it.
Look at the intestinal knot Labour have git themselves into.
Too many enemies at the moment, only possible after Indy with control over economic levers.
Suicide in zunitary
@Andy B says
Yeah but you it that in a manifesto and you’ll soon find yourself out if office.
Never been popular people say a lot but wont vote for it.
Look at the intestinal knot Labour have git themselves into.
Too many enemies at the moment, only possible after Indy with control over economic levers.
Suicide as ‘region’ within Union.
Eg Tories gift – highest taxed part of uk guff.
Assuming that we are “sovereign”, how can we use our “sovereignty”?
Can we start a process to get rid of our monarch? How?
Can we get rid an MP who lied to get elected? How?
Can we demand a legally binding referendum on anything anytime? How?
Can we tell our elected MPs how to vote once they have been elected? How?
Can we ask the Scottish parliament to have a certain immigration policy for Scotland? How?
Can we ask the Scottish parliament to have a certain foreign affairs policy for Scotland? How?
Can we ask the Scottish parliament to get rid of nuclear weapons from Scotland? How?
Can we demand fresh elections if we think our elected MSPs are not acting in our interests but their own? How?
Can we demand a dissolution of the union with England? How?
@Rock
Ask Jack Hargreaves?
I can see the weekend from here so lets have these early tonight:
WOS archive links for the remainder of May 2013 now over on O/T.
And WOS was just a nipper back then. Oh my how it’s grown! 🙂
http://wingsoverscotland.com/unpopular-website-now-more-widely-hated/
I once agreed with some who said that the Saltire was all of Scotland’s flag, but now now I understand that it is, what it actually is and always was, right back long before the Scots And Pict’s fought the English King Athelstan, it’s the flag of Scotland, The Flag of Rebellion, the flag of Scotland’s right to exist.
And this is the truth most won’t like, but you can’t be a unionist and wave the Saltire, life is not like that, neither can you wear the plaid, be involved in anything in Scottish culture, or even call yourself a Scot.
O/T
http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/as-bad-as-it-gets-white-paper-on-brexit.html
Thought some of you would be interested in the House of Lords Constitution committee evidence session from Wednesday
http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/75194d6a-b303-436b-8bd8-e4b1dec58b3f
Like most folks Robert I fall into the latter (legitimate refusal to subscribe on the grounds that I do not believe in supporting an organisation with opposing views to me and my fellow countrymen/women.)
Like you I have no problem in paying for public subscribed channels but they must be producing BALANCED news reports and NOT as they presently do BIASED views on the state of everything THEY think we need to be instructed on.
Until such times as we receive a balanced IMPARTIAL news service from a public subscribed news service no money will pass from, me to them!
@heedtracker says:
3 February, 2017 at 2:06 pm
Up next, wont be able to tune in but guessing its a n other long hard tory weewee, all over their Scotland region of greater England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vqwym
Oh! That’ll just be about how Sir Walter Scott invented the Scottish National dress and got an Honour from the Union for doing it.
And the reason is this, the Westminster unionists are now in agreement that Scotland was extinguished by the act of union, in the English press and Parliament, dangerous vile people rage against the Scots, only because we assert our inalienable rights, those rights that generations of Scots, died to win and protect, we don’t win power like that anymore, what we do is vote, what that anus fallon and arse licker gove say is we will not give you the vote, and that right cannot be taken away, because if you allow that, if you give them that power, then you truly are finished as a nation and as a people!
Thepnr,
Too right about the false promise of “new powers” after Brexit. That would be another cheque written in vanishing ink.
But the London Tories are so arrogant (vide Fallon), they may not even be willing to offer that. Leadsom, for example, seems motivated to create an “all-British” agricultural sector by clawing powers back.
And what they don’t need, they’ll negotiate away. (Watch out, NE fishing suckers…!)
@DerekM says: 3 February, 2017 at 2:09 pm
“Do you know who this Occupier guy is LA i keep getting his mail,”
Just keep them handy DerekM. If the BBC’s debt collectors ever turn up asking for him than just hand then the letters and tell them that when they track him down they can deliver his mail to him.
Either that or complain to the local police that people are attempting to coerce you into buying a TV licence you don’t want. Also that they are stalking you and the bundle of mail is your proof.
On slightly different tax [benifit] take.
I have two close friends in Hampshire and Kent who have recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Both in their early 60’s. Their future does not look too good, in one case it has spread to the liver.
They were picked up by the English NHS screening which starts at the age of 60.
In Scotland it starts 10 years earlier.
As you often comment most folk don’t read beyond the headlines so the the times front page of “Scottish taxpayers £400 worse off” reads just fine
£400 spread over all Scottish taxpayers is not a lot each
Just saying!
cycled out to Port Edgar to see our new bridge,
what a sight the three bridges are,
great to see the Saltire flying above the last section,
no butchers apron to be seen,
noticed three other flags think it was America,Poland and Czech Republic (don`t know significance of these three),
met some Fife Labour type winging about it being late and everything bad is Nicola`s fault,
just laughed and told him to `trust in Nicola` and then cycled of before his yoon head exploded.
So,it’s a shortage now of lettuce broccoli and vegetables . blaming it on Spanish ‘wet weather ‘ i bet the affluent will have no problem with buying them though. there’s going to be a lot of ‘shortages ‘in a Brexit england where only the wealthy will be shielded.
Just incase folks missed what the Tories think about the Scottish Government’s budget you can read it here. 😉
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/02/hundreds-of-thousands-of-scots-now-paying-more-tax/
galamcennalath says:
3 February, 2017 at 3:01 pm
OT Hootsmon …. “ Brian Wilson: It’s arrogant to pretend indyref2 is what Scots want
All of a sudden across social media, there’s bombardments of not quite concern trol stuff but better really, or worse, like the below. Its quite a skillful taster of Project Fear 2 and if I was running that 77th Brigade thing, this how and what I too would be pumping into the web. Nice photo of nice lady comes with this kind of thing, but nothing else. Just because I’m paranoid etc…
I’m a YESer, just like you but,
“I’m quite cautious, though. Scots are very, very referendum-weary now.
I heard it over and over again when campaigning for Remain. So many people said they didn’t care what happened, so long as they never had to go through another referendum.
And even if we have another referendum, 55-45 was a strong victory for No last time, and the unionists tend to feel as passionately about staying in the UK as I now feel about leaving it.
It’s not that I don’t think indyref2 can be won – but there’s a lot of work to be done if that’s to happen.”
Coming to any and every Scots voter, no doubt.
The BBC aka yoon HQ won’t be getting a brass farthing from me either. No danger.
Robert Peffers says:
3 February, 2017 at 4:03 pm
@heedtracker says:
Might try catch up Robert. But its just going to be loads of BBC hams, going its a braw moon licht nicht the nicht Angus, sure as Nic Robertson fights to keep his right arm shooting up every time time he thinks of Heil Mayhem.
Ooops!
Repeating campaign pledges made by Vote Leave leaders in Scotland before the referendum, the leaflet said: “Scotland will regain control over fishing, agriculture and important social and environmental areas – giving Holyrood even more power to deliver for the Scottish people.”
Gove, a co-convenor of Vote Leave whose father once ran a fish processing firm in Aberdeen, admitted he could no longer back up those promises since he was no longer a UK cabinet minister.
Methinks there is a lot of fire starting to build underneath the idea of Scottish independence. 😉
http://archive.is/wkAu4
@heedtracker 4:27pm
I’ve noticed it too. It’s the false seriousness which gives it away.
@ Mike D 4.23pm
Re the shortage of vegetables, we in Scotland have a plethora of vegetables but unfortunately they only come in 3 different hues and they ALL taste the same, there is the sprout heed liberal variety , the cabbage heed that has the crown on it and tastes absolutely rancid , unfortunately it gaes ye the bile and is only available in orange , then there is the tumshie heed which is massively green and it is massively thick making it inedible , these delicacies are available widely in the Scottish parliament shop but are expensive, ,which is puzzling as nobody wants them
“Gove, a co-convenor of Vote Leave whose father once ran a fish processing firm in Aberdeen, admitted he could no longer back up those promises since he was no longer a UK cabinet minister.”
If ONLY Crash Gordon had made us those promises. Dang!!
Dan Huil says:
3 February, 2017 at 4:39 pm
@heedtracker 4:27pm
I’ve noticed it too. It’s the false seriousness which gives it away.
The one I got caught up with was persistent too, very very concerned, no one really wants it, its just so much work, too much work etc, with nice single photo and nothing else.
I’d advise any twerps at the 77th tuning to WoS, try to create actual characterisation behind these oh so bleeding YESer hearts but no doubt its on the way.
Arbroath1320 @ 16:32,
Very timely link there!
It must be hard graft for Mike Russell, the proverbial “getting blood from a stone”, but it’s all grist for the indyref2 mill, I suppose. (Pardon the multiple metaphors.)
But dum-dee-doo-dee-dum. I’m long past a few diddly-squat “extra powers”. Like roadsigns. Jeez.
I want a country that can decide its own foreign policy, and can choose its own friends. Not suicidally propelled over precipices by others practically no-one here voted for.
Hear that, “Yes-Leavers”…?
Your Labour Councillor “friend” was not affected by, or even knew about, the bad weather last year the caused the delay then Scot. 😀
O/T
This e-mail just arrived: Not sure if links will work
Hi Smallaxe,
Does this sound like a dodgy deal or what?
A little-known government body that channels billions of pounds into green projects and renewable power is on the verge of being privatised and sold off — to a firm that backs fracking and coal!
A group of MPs have already spoken out against the government’s sell-off plans. With pressure mounting by the day, a backlash from more MPs could be enough to force a U-turn on the sale.
Can you quickly email your MP and ask them to speak out too?
The government body, known as the Green Investment Bank, is a government-owned bank that’s channelled billions of pounds into green projects and clean energy [1]. Since it was launched five years ago, the bank’s cash has led to more renewable projects getting off the ground — and in turn helped the UK to cut greenhouse gas emissions [2].
But now Theresa May’s government wants the green bank privatised and sold off. And it looks like a company called Macquarie, a firm that supports fracking and coal, and focuses on short-term profit, is set to buy it out.
Macquarie has a track record of ‘asset stripping’ — taking over companies, breaking them apart, then selling off what it can to make a quick buck [3]. If it gets its hands on the Green Investment Bank, projects that are vital for driving innovation and growth in the UK renewables industry could end up being completely scrapped.
Should a company with a track record like this really be allowed to take over such a crucial strand of government-backed green energy work? Please email your MP today and ask them to use their influence to make sure this dodgy deal is ditched.
Since 2012, the Green Investment Bank has funded almost 100 green projects, from super-efficient street lighting in Glasgow to innovation in offshore wind [4, 5]. It’s schemes like these that our government should be championing — particularly right now, with job creation and green growth so urgent as we gear up for Brexit.
The government is already under fire from across the political spectrum. Green MP Caroline Lucas has spoken out against the ‘appalling track record’ of the firm that looks set to buy it. Tory MP Peter Aldous has called for a pause in the sell-off. And Labour MP Clive Lewis called for it to be stopped completely [6, 7].
But with plans afoot to sell off the green bank at any moment, we must urgently ask more MPs to make their views known too. Please click below to send an email to your MP. We’ve prepared some suggested text to help you write a message if you’re not sure what to say.
EMAIL YOUR MP
Thanks for all you do,
Richard
Greenpeace UK
NOTES
1. E3G: Britain needs the Green Investment Bank
2. Green Investment Bank – impact reports
3. Daily Mail: ‘Vampire Kangaroo’ investor who loaded utility firm with £11.4bn of loans to dodge tax seeks to sell stake
4. Green Investment Bank – case studies
5. Selling off the Green Investment Bank could be the final nail for green Conservatism
6. MPs tell Theresa May to halt sale of Green Investment Bank
7. MPs call for a halt to Green Investment Bank sale
@Arbroath1320 says: 3 February, 2017 at 3:05 pm:
“Well we do have this information for starters Robert.
http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/bbc-loses-more-than-250m-to-licence-fee-evasion-11364143822694“
Well actually we don’t have that as information – more like it is, “alternative Information”, Arbroath1320.
I’ll explain that for you. Just as they have no idea of who is living at the address and that is why they send letters to, “The Occupier”.
Their claim to be losing money to, “Licence-fee-evasion is them assuming without evidence, “An Occupier”, is actually living at the address and that it is not an empty house.
Also that, “The occupier”, is watching TV illegally. They just cannot get it through their thick heads that some folks, like myself, wouldn’t watch TV if the BBC were to pay them to watch it.
Not to mention that as an octogenarian I could have a TV licence for free if I wanted one. My sets are all connected to a computer and to other equipment in a home-net that I can stream audio or video from any to any other equipment and I do both videography and photography and computer games and other functions all on my home net.
Here’s another wee hint for you. Ask them which particular occupier is it they want to speak to. If they cannot answer then they have no idea who lives there and thus couldn’t get a warrant issued to investigate the address.
That’s the point I was making about them ending up in court. They are breaking Scottish Law in several respects. In the first place by assuming the occupier is guilty of a criminal act.
They are also invading the occupier’s privacy without due cause and their only legal right in Scotland is to enter the property in order to go by the marked paths to the main entrance in order to contact the Occupier.
Thing is they come mob handed and it really only takes one to contact the occupier. That can be construed to be threatening behaviour. They assume the Occupier is guilty and that is illegal. The occupier need tell them nothing and request they leave – fast – or can call the police to have them removed.
The really big saving that always gets forgotten is that Scotland doesn’t have rip off companies levying exorbitant water charges.
Scott Finlayson 4@21
Watched it on the webcam – looked amazing. The Saltire on the top of the crane was bonny.
OF COURSE, BBC Scotland website, which is now reporting the successful procedure, BUT… there’s still a 50 metre gap – managed to include a photo of the flags on the deck with, of course, the Union Flag centre stage. No picture of the bonny Saltire on top of the whole project, just a smaller one, side by side with the ‘Apron’.
@Robert J Sutherland re: FISHING
From the Great Repeal Biill debate yesterday
Q: Kirsten Oswald
“During the referendum campaign, we were told that all non-reserved powers would return to Scotland. Worryingly, the UK Government have not opened any discussions with the Scottish Government about that. When will the Government discuss with the Scottish Government what additional powers may be devolved to Scotland as a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union?
Mr Lidington
We have said already, including at the Joint Ministerial Committee, that we are going to talk intensively to the Scottish Government about how to address the issue of powers that return to the United Kingdom from the European Union. If we look, for example, at fisheries—an issue that is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, in respect of UK fisheries policy—we see that that also involves third-country agreements negotiated between the EU and other nation states. It involves United Nations conventions. The Scotland Act 1998 says, in terms, that international agreements are a reserved matter. (my bolding) Those are exactly the things that we need to thrash out in detail in the conversations with our colleagues in the Scotland.”
It’s all been a setup from the start.
@bjsalba says: 3 February, 2017 at 3:31 pm:
“I occasionally (about every 2 years or so) get correspondence from them and promptly go to my local library to advise them that I still do not watch.”
Ah! bjsalba – you are letting the side down. If, instead of putting yourself to the bother of informing them you just ignore the letter they will continue, for at least the next two years, to continue sending the Occupier Letters.
Each one cost them time, effort and money and it is that money the idiots are trying to get but by ignoring them, and there is no statutory requirement to notify them of anything, you cost them more money.
Every little helps – as the monkey said when it piddled in the sea.
Never had any debt collectors Robert had some youngsters who looked like they were doing it for the money or maybe they had no choice but only seemed to care that they had delivered a call back reminder,looked like they had just been dropped off in an area and left to get on with it.
I guess after a while getting told to f off might make you just not bother chapping doors,its not like your boss is going to find out unless he is sneaking about watching you lol
Fishing devo without the (reserved) defence of our waters is a no show. Unless Westminster vomit to an Icelandic type cod war protection of Scottish fishing then it will be a free for all regardless of whether control reverts to Scotland.
It is, and always was, a sop.
Vomit should read “commit”
Re-upsurge in social media nawbaggery. I had a Facebook page only for reading the papers it’s easier as you just like the page and it keeps you up to date with hundreds of stories per day quickly and it’s a much easier way than googling each paper. I’ve had 3 real accounts and 4 fake ones in the past 4 weeks unfortunately I get dragged into arguments with yoons as their lies and stupidity is breathtaking. Every account has been disabled and deleted as they cannot handle telling them that what they are saying is pure shite. I’ve not been abusive but the vitriol I get back is astounding. Yet I get booted off even proving my ID with my passport on those three occasions. Sinister? You better believe it.
Does this mean Scotland subsidises England!
Slightly O/T the new bridge over the Forth is now joined together. This snp government has to stop doing things right.
@Arbroath1320 says: 3 February, 2017 at 3:48 pm:
” … The dimwit at the Express referred to her as the Prime Minister of Scotland, written by someone called Tom Martin.
That too is alternative news, Arbroath1320.
You see the actual Prime Minister bit is really shorthand for, “Her Majesty’s prime Minister”, and the title was originally a form of insult. It began at a time when the English Parliamentarians were having their, ” Glorious Revolution.”. The insult the holder of the title was their Majesty’s man and not actually the leader of the rebelling MPs.
And today it is not actually an official title. Sorry but I cannot recall what the official title actually is.
G4jeepers @ 17:00,
Well-quoted, and thanks for that very illuminating exchange.
You’re right. I’m not in the least surprised, but still, I just don’t know how to react. Grimace or howl or whatever.
How any sentient person in Scotland could still be taken in by that bunch of complete chancers in London I just do not understand.
(But it does give pause for thought. As we in fact seeing an attempted re-run of the SC business? International treaties being used as cover for an illegal power-grab by the UKGov? Just a thought… )
Gove extract from the Herald article today.
“What I would like to see is the Scottish Government, whether it is SNP or I suspect after the next election a Ruth Davidson-led government, is to advance the position of the Scottish people within the United Kingdom, which they voted decisively to stay in.”
Mr Gove argued a separate deal for Scotland would not happen because other European countries would block such a deal.
He said “one big problem with trying to stay in the single market while we leave the European Union is that other countries won’t have it”.
——————————————————
Whot! Unlike this morning no mention of extra , additional powers if we keep oor mooths shut! 🙁
PS: You can read all the Herald articles if you use the incognito setting in chrome from your computer (click three dots RH top part of the screen)… can’t archive them though.
Thanks for posting the web site link for the bridge everyone, I send my cousin ‘darn Sarf’ in Sheffield the link he’s OK.
But, still believes in ‘Nick Clegg’ ‘Better together’ ‘Santa Claus’ the ‘Tooth Fairy’ Sheffield Wednesday and Jordan Rhodes their new international signing. Funny old world init!
I blame Nicola Sturgeon, Hamish 100, On time, under budget, toll free. No wonder Scotland is the least taxed nation in the UK.
But I’m sure Murdo the Queen’s Eleven Fraser will write a cheque each month totalling the number of times he crosses the Forth to peddle lies in Edinburgh,equivalent to toll charges in ,say, the Tyne Tunnel.
Remember don’t waist your time reading posts by certain people, don’t be taken in by the post and reply.
FFS The Mint are trolling us noo…
Dear Croomp,
This year marks the 950th anniversary of the most recognisable date in British history – 1066. To mark this milestone, The London Mint Office is proud to offer you the Battle of Hastings 950 th Anniversary Commemorative Medal, FREE (+£2.50 p&p). This stunning piece depicts a scene from the battle, inspired by the intricate Bayeux Tapestry, one of the world’s greatest treasures.
Struck especially for The London Mint Office by Worcestershire Medal Service, holders of a Royal Warrant as Medallists for Her Majesty The Queen. The medal depicts in remarkable detail the Battle of Hastings, and is struck to a collector’s quality finish. This medal is available to you FREE.
Struck in solid bronze, the reverse of this medal features the double dates 1066 – 2016, commemorating 950 years since the battle. These features are surrounded by the beautiful floral designs of the Bayeux Tapestry, crested with twin griffins.
Due to the strict limitation only one FREE medal per household is allowed. Medals are allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Your Benefits are:
FREE Battle of Hastings Medal (+£2.50 p&p)
Struck in solid bronze
Stunning design with exceptional detail
The exclusive medal is struck especially for The London Mint Office by Worcestershire Medal Service, holders of a Royal Warrant as Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen.
Yours sincerely,
Mint Gimp
I see Brian Wilson has torn himself away from the Directors’ Box at Parkhead to tell us all how arrogant we are.
Oh,please, if there is a god, I promise to be a good boy for a week, if Better Together appoint this neo liberal New Labour nuclear loving chancer as their Big Beast next time.
Ah, but look what he did for the weavers, I hear you say.
Oh,please, pretty please.
I’ll give him arrogance.
Nice little earner for him, but. All together now:- “Scotland is shite!”
Peak SNP??
Peek Tories…
http://imgur.com/a/ooXyy
Robert Peffers know they get to stay in the subsisided hoose at 10 Downing St, due to their position as “First Lord of the Treasury” it was a pub quiz question.
Re BBC Licence visits, I had a wee guy at the door last summer asking if I had a licence to watch,Mather unusual to get them down in Arran ,many ways I have a 1 metre satellite dish and a sky satellite dish, have to say nothing is connected to the other end of them anymore. However he was standing looking at the dishes when I said, I don’t need one I don’t watch TV, he said fine no problem, nobody will bother you for two years. Now he must have thought that I had telly but he wasn’t in the slightest bit interested. A wee story about the big dish, I didn’t want to use Sky so installed a moveable dish which picks up about every satellite in the Northern Hemisphere.
Off course when it went in the neighbours were wondering what it did, so I let it slip that I was working for the Social monstering phone calls to see if anybody was still claiming benefit when they were working, had folk at my door begging me not to grass on them. Had a bit of fun for a wee while.
Yay lets all celebrate being put to the sword by William the Bastard.
What £2.50 pp that`s not free lying gits
Ah telt you’s ah wee while ago ah wiz special ah git ma Bbc letters addressed to Mr Ronald Anderson ( the fuckers uasin ma sunday name ) oonyhoo am pee’d aff, the last letter ah goat wiz Jan 2017 ( nae date, ah wid complain but that isnae covered in ah FOI request ).
Ma special investigation must be getting held up wie you’s lot an am no ah happy chappy.
Scottish fishermen are being taken for a ride by the boss of their own federation. He is a Unionist Tory and there is no doubting that. Here’s what he had to say just yesterday FFS when we all know that the UK government will use fishing as a bargaining chip in EU leave negotiations.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said:
“The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation welcomes the Prime Minister’ s stated approach to the Brexit negotiations as one of anticipating success. Delivery of the White Paper vision of a world leading food industry is an ambition fully shared by the fishing sector.
“The goal is clear – to grasp the enormous opportunity that Brexit presents. The figures quoted in the White Paper illuminate the potential with EU vessels catching 683,000 tonnes (£484 million revenue) of fish in UK waters compared with UK vessels catching 111,000 tonnes (£114 million revenue) in EU waters.
“This is a world-class natural resource, for which full rights and responsibilities will transfer to the UK at the point of Brexit. It is a precious national asset that will last into perpetuity and which must not be traded away in the forthcoming negotiations.
“For fishing communities the length and breadth of the UK, Brexit is a golden opportunity – indeed a sea of opportunities – which we must not squander.”
Bertie Armstrong is selling our fishermen out for the sake of his own ego and to keep the likes of Ruth Harrison in Holyrood.
He is a charlatan.
http://www.sff.co.uk/scottish-fishermens-federation-comment-brexit-white-paper/
And that dear mainstream media is why I haven’t bought a newspaper in years, or ever paid the BBC a penny.
I even binned radio Clyde about 10 years ago when they had the nerve to have Tony Blair in the studio with George Bowie.
I’m glad more and more are taking direct action and your lies are being shown in the cold light of day.
If you are reading this and still subsidising this propaganda, please do reconsider. Cancel the TV tax, cancel that newspaper delivery. You can always replace it with the national or iscot if you are worried about your local newsagent.
Peak SNP?
How can something have peaked when it is still growing/maturing.
The SNP will peak when they decide, which will also include an opposition who are worthy of taking hold of the reins, to steer the country on the ever stratospheric path.
As the SNP are the only party worth any credibility in the Disunited Kingdom, I think Scotland is in very safe hands, for the foreseeable future.
Expect “in power for 10 years” blah blah “time for change, it will be good for the country” e.t.c coming daily from Yoon central.
Jack Collatin says:
Yes, excellent choice. Sold his soul for Establishment gold, a long way from West Highland Free Press. I wonder what the young Brian Wilson should think of the present entity inhabiting his body?
New Labour at its very worst, the ideal candidate.
Not forgetting of course that the budget originally was going to raise the higher band by inflation. So the idiot Tories by opposing it caused that updating to be cancelled as Patrick’s price. Ruth and Murdo et al are directly responsible for higher band taxpayers losing up to a temner a month in tax they otherwise weren’t going to pay.
If tax is most important to you then you are better electing an SMP majority. Ruthie just cost you money.
@ Thepnr With the decimation of the Scottish Fishing Fleet over the years you would expect Scottish Fishermen to tell Bertie Armstrong tae Get Tae. They are living in dreamland if they think UK Gov will repatriate any fishing rights to Scotland, they are a bargaining chip for the UK gov.
Gary45% says:
What the Yoons just fail to see is Scottish politics has, for many, risen about base party politics. The SNP has become the political manifestation of the hopes and dreams of half the country.
There will be plenty of time for party politics in iScotland. For now we have more important and fundamental issues to deal with.
Threpnr @1814
Quite 🙂
This crap is laughable.
Fisher people from where I am (and there is many) are voting SNP and will vote Indy. They want control again.
Good old Sally, the bridge is behind schedule the first line of the disreporting Scotland article
https://sports.paddypower.mobi/#sport/33/competition/14741/event/7630252}.
Paddy Power offering odds of 2/5 on for a Yes vote in IndyRef2.
The BBC will always use fake news,
But the bookies never offer fake odds except when heavy strategic betting by Hedge Fund managers is in play to skew voters’ choice as in EURef16.
I wouldn’t trust Paddy Power further than I could throw Paddy’s Milestone.
Comic relieve……
“Nicola Sturgeon would be ‘foolish’ to call second independence referendum”
Wishful thinking, not a scooby, intended for a South British audience, or any combination thereoff.
http://archive.is/2tNWh
Am so disappointed that the SNP have decided to tax higher earners. How will we cope with the brain drain that will undoubtedly occur with political giants such as Ruthie and Murdo being forced to move south to keep their £400 a year – so sad
@Truth
Me too, cancelled the telly tax in 2014 and other than one email shortly after I’ve not heard a peep from then since. Since I don’t watch the lying propagandist state run telly anyway, if they did get in touch I would just tell them to take a hike.
Newspapers, I was an avid reader and bought one everyday. Haven’t read one since the referendum other than the Sunday Herald or the National, stopped reading the Herald too some time ago and only get the National occasionally.
I would rather support our own media as sparse as it may be. So I choose to spend my what used to be newspaper money or the telly tax on more deserving causes like Wings or Indylive.
One thing I have subscribed to from the very start is iScot magazine, no doubt in my mind that this is the most mainstream of all the Independence alternative media.
What I mean is that this is a magazine on the shelves available for those soft No’s and undecided that will help our cause.
Ken McDonald who started iScot is a product of Wings, he managed to beat the Rev in publishing and distributing the WBB using his own money in far fewer quantities of course, but he did it.
He has kept iScot running now on a shoestring and deserves our support. We are close now and money is tight for many but not all, if you can afford something please help iScot to continue at least until we gain our Independence.
Please donate or subscribe, believe me when the dust settles iScot will have done it’s job in convincing many soft No’s.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iscot-magazine-phase-3-the-last-call#/
From April this year, I will be paying hundreds of pounds a year more in council tax. I accept that because I believe the council tax banding has become more and more unfair as house prices in the higher bands have increased disproportionately. The changes this year will make it a tiny bit fairer.
It’s good that my extra tax will make things fairer. How did we get to a place where people are so selfish and greedy that they object to paying, what in relative terms, is a tiny increase in tax to make things a bit fairer for everyone?
call me dave @ 17:20:
Gove:
Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa
The puir wee fella must have become unhinged by the EUref. He is clearly off his meds… or conversely has become over-indulgent in them…
Joemcg says:
3 February, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Re-upsurge in social media nawbaggery.
I think its more than that though. This is the all the comments from that one I cut n pasted earlier. The photo of the commentator was a personable looking, smiling woman in her mid 30’s, nondescript city centre coffee shop pavement, not someone you’d want to get into a tricky debate with.
So in a general 4+ people quick one sentence comment chat, about Scottish polls for ref 2, what they’re like, when the next one’s coming, what it might say, suddenly up pops,
“I’m quite cautious, though. Scots are very, very referendum-weary now. I heard it over and over again when campaigning for Remain. So many people said they didn’t care what happened, so long as they never had to go through another referendum. And even if we have another referendum, 55-45 was a strong victory for No last time, and the unionists tend to feel as passionately about staying in the UK as I now feel about leaving it. It’s not that I don’t think indyref2 can be won – but there’s a lot of work to be done if that’s to happen.”
Puzzled answer from one YESer, then
“Just don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge. There’s a lot of resistance to the idea, both of another referendum and of independence. It’s not that I don’t think we have good arguments in favour of both; we just shouldn’t kid ourselves that everyone in Scotland views it the way we and our friends do. I speak to people on both sides, and both sides are passionate about their position! The worst thing we can do is assume it’s in the bag, or as near as makes no difference. It’s too important to take for granted. There’ll be real work to do to convince people.”
But that’s a lot of assuming asks one YESer,
“I’m not making any assumptions. I’ve been listening to people – and not just the ones who already agree with me 🙂 You don’t need to persuade me of the case for indy. I shall be voting Yes, I may even be helping campaign for it. We have nothing to lose by working really hard to make it happen. But potentially everything to lose by assuming it must.”
But its different where I am, offers another YESer,
“But it’s not just your Scots circles that will be voting There’s nothing to be gained by underestimating the work that’s going to be required to get the right result in indyref2. If I’m wrong, and enough Scots are eager to vote for indy next time without any further need to be convinced, then that’s great – we get indy and all we’ve lost is some effort we could have spared ourselves. If you’re wrong, we don’t get indy and we all end up wishing we’d tried harder. You’re obviously passionately in favour of indy, so I’m not quite sure why you seem so put out by the thought of people working to make it happen. I can’t see any down side to working for it, but I can see a big down side to assuming we don’t need to”
Its all there, including ” your Scots circles,” so 77th Brigade hard at work or just drive by NO? Slips the knife in too.
“You’re obviously passionately in favour of indy, so I’m not quite sure why you seem so put out by the thought of people working to make it happen.”
Skintybroko says:
That is one of those sad aspects of wannabe-South-British types, down there they are just seen as sponging Sweaties like the rest of us.
It’s like the uncool kid in the playground trying to curry favour with the cool kids. No matter how hard they try to impress, they will never be one of the cool set.
Bertie Armstrong? SFF?
Now, i can’t speak for all our fishing industry but i do know Bertie has always got a lot to say, especially if it can be spun pro-Union. May i suggest Mr.Armstrong does a better job of hiding his sash.
Remember the fishing protests not that long ago outside the Scottish Parliament? With the lovely orange smoke canister? With their so called “spokesman” getting coverage by the BBC & ITV?
Well, i just happen to know a few of those participating protesters and i can assure you that the colour of the smoke from the canister was no coincidence.
I will also add that it was no coincidence quite a few of them kept their faces hidden when the tv cameras were about. What i can’t tell you though is what they were hiding their identities from – either Hector and/or The social, possibly both!
Mr Armstrong needs to learn to keep his mouth shut, stop spouting pish driven by an ulterior motive and start fighting for our fishing industry.
Another wee but important fact about those “protests” is that some of those “protesters” were clammers and prawn men who, lets just say, have a deep seated dislike for Aberdeen & Celtic football clubs.
The taxman (Wee Hector) of your beloved Union, Mr.Armstrong, might have a bit of a field day if he were to have a wee snoop around the boats of those i mention, no whit ah mean arsehole!
That is all i have to say on the matter. Your beloved Union is about to take one massive dump over the lot of you and yous can thank dear old Bertie & Co. Bon voyage shipmates!
O/T Spent a morning in the sunshine watching the last bit of decking lifted in to Queensferry Crossing. Mis-Reporting Scotland decide that this non-event is 10 minutes in and third in the running order. SHEESH! 🙁
O/T Spent a morning in the sunshine watching the last bit of decking lifted into Queensferry Crossing. Mis-Reporting Scotland decide that this non-event is 10 minutes in and third in the running order. SHEESH! 🙁
PMSL Amy MacDonald on the Bbc One Show with a Saltire Mike . Well done Amy
@Stoker
“This is a world-class natural resource, for which full rights and responsibilities will transfer to the UK at the point of Brexit. It is a precious national asset that will last into perpetuity and which must not be traded away in the forthcoming negotiations.”
Just mibbee if the full rights and responsibilities would transfer to an Independent Scotland rather thatn the UK then Scottish fishermen would have a better deal. That’s up to them, we need Independence first.
Re: number of licence payers in Scotland.
The EBC’s annual reports contain details on the number of licence being paid each year. If one went back through them and then correlated that information with the number of houses that exist in Scotland each year, one would be able to track the changes. OK, there is not a 1:1 relationship between houses, households and licence payer – think student halls of residence for example, but it will probably be close enough. I compared 2013/14 and 2014/15 which seemed to show the percentage of households with licences declined by one percentage point. It also seemed to show that the percentage of licence fee payers in Scotland is significantly lower than in Englandshire.
O/T .
http://mashable.com/2017/02/03/swiss-spoof-video-trump-viral-video/#tQfFZDVX_iqg
Nicola Sturgeon woukd be crazy to have a second referendum, they tell us–or words to that effect.
Umm–that’ll be why she’s no’ having one this side of 2018. No matter how much 77th, the concern trolls and, of course, our impartial colonial media try to bait and goad her into doing so.
“She’ll no’ do it ’cause she’s scared. She’ll no’ do it ’cause she knows she’ll lose,” scream the collective Yoonitariat.
Yer little ploys are as transparent as a broken windae. Keep deluding yerselves if it helps yae sleep at night. IR2 will be at a time of the First Minister’s choosing and none of your stupid goading and baiting will make one iota of a difference to her plans.
You getting this yet? Oh, and are yae YES yet?
So Scots pay over £300 less than our English Tory controllers in England?
As a Field Sales Rep, I probably save £5 per week due to the SNP Government abolishing Road Tolls and Parking at the Hospitals that I sell to.
We have had a difficult time over the last couple of years with one or more of the family requiring a series of prescriptions, that incidentally are free, thanks to that SNP Government. Is it £8 per prescription in England?
Well I must have saved £10 per week being Scottish.
My wonderful daughter has left University with 2 Degrees, which were FOC thanks to the SNP Government, I must have saved around £36,000 compared to our Colonial Master’s
Kids at University.
My Daughter’s studies landed her a very good job with very good pay, where she pays back in Tax, the cost of her very good Scottish Education.
With Health Challenges covered above, we have had to make use of A & E services, and although we did have to wait for a couple of hours to be treated, we are at least treated a couple of hours before the Luckier patients in England, and I’m so very much Luckier than the English patients who found the doors of their local A & E all locked up.
My dear old Dad, now sadly departed had to have care in a Nursing Home, and my Mum didn’t have to sell their home to pay for his treatment. I believe the English do have to pay
The SNP Government have saved my family a fortune.
Now if I see a figure from the constantly lying UK Media, suggesting that I will be £7 per week worse off than my English counterpart, I say go blow it out of your corrupt English Arse!
God Bless the SNP Government and Scotland and God help the idiots living South of the Border who think England is great.
How about the rich English Tories get the pension money back from “Sir” Philip Green, how about they take the £80 Billion in Banker’s bonuses paid out since the economy crashed.
How about we stop the corrupt Banker’s vast pensions.
How about Starbucks, Google, Amazon, Apple,etc, etc all pay their taxes in full of get 3 months notice to quit the UK.
Are you telling me they would walk away from £Billions in order to save a few £Million in Tax? Don’t think so!
We have enough entrepreneurs to take over a shop selling over priced coffee and cakes. Who needs them?
Tory MSP Douglas Ross yesterday said that ‘Scotland is now the most expensive place in the UK to live and work.
He has clearly never tried to live in the South East of England and work in London.
House prices and rents are through the roof, mortgage repayments are very high.
Travel costs and parking extortionate, congestion charge when you drive into London, simple lunch and coffee prices astronomic, have to pay for prescriptions, tuition fees, elderly care, much higher council tax and separate water rates and you can almost forget health care.
Think he’s got that one well wrong.
The notion that anyone would move and incur all the hassle that entails simply for a small differential in the 40% start rate seems to me to be barking.
sorry for O/T
Mhairi Black currently on at the National road show in Paisley.
https://www.facebook.com/thenationalnewspaperscotland/videos/
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/171928
Sign this petition
1,835,312 signatures
It would be nice to gather 2 Million signatures for the Pres
Unionists
Fake representatives
Effijy, you and your family are living proof that Dugdale, Rennie, and that Harrison woman lie for lying’s sake.
No more Mr and Mrs Nice Guys.
Our Press hacks should be ashamed of themselves.
Interesting phrase from Michael Gove…“the case for independence on sovereignty and economy grounds is a very weak one.”…So they do know about our sovereignty in the Act of Union 1707 and are just ignoring it!
Mooth Harrison, “A giant” what exactly? should fit in well with the “queens fart” in Angerland.
As mentioned on posts re TV tax, I can only thank the wingers who still give us insight to the shite they are still pedalling.
3 years this November since we stopped paying it, I suggest EVERYONE should stop, you will realise how they control what you think, what mood you will be in, what you need (but in reality don’t need) to spend your money on e.t.c.
It’s not until you break free from the Matrix (yes it’s real)you start to understand what the Empire mind control centre does.
Orwell was right.
Assuming the closing of the last section of the Queensferry Crossing road bridge will get the same coverage as Unionists complaining about it and the repair of the Forth Road Bridge.
@Arbroath1320
Thanks for that youtube, Moron Murdo being Laffer laughed.
Makes a change from Fankle Fallon.
Hi mike d at 4:23 pm.
You typed,
“So,it’s a shortage now of lettuce broccoli and vegetables . blaming it on Spanish ‘wet weather ‘…”
The thing is that the “Spanish ‘wet weather ‘” was being reported on the web back in the middle of January but got next to no coverage on UK TV news.
“More than half of Spain’s 50 provinces placed on alert for heavy snow and sleet storms,
Meanwhile the beaches of the south-eastern resort town of Torrevieja was coated in white for the first time in 90 years. Other Spanish resort towns also saw snow.”
That’s from 21st January at:-
http://www.iceagenow.info/first-snowfall-90-years-spanish-town/
Also,
“State of emergency declared in 20 provinces due to strong snowfalls and blizzards.
Snow has fallen in the southern (tourist) cities of Spain for the first time in decades.”
That, from 20th January, is at:-
http://www.iceagenow.info/unprecedented-snowfall-spain/
Must be either “global warming” or the SNP to blame. This last link is on the same subject but shows that it is not only Scotland that is treated to alternative news, also known as ‘media bias’. There’s a short video to watch.
http://www.iceagenow.info/eye-opening-expose-media-bias-video/
—————————————————
Hi Ronnie.
RE: ‘The One Show’.
Did you notice that Tracy Ullman TWICE said that she likes Nicola?
I have come to believe that Scottish Independence will not be a disaster for England.It will be cataclysmic for England
The loss of cheap resources will have massive negative effects on their economy, when they have to pay more for electricity (do they pay for it just now?) fresh water, oil.
They will stop at NOTHING to ensure we do not win indy2
The media and the BBC do not want us to have Independence
Mi 5, Mi 6 and MI 7 will do whatever it takes to ensure the status quo
If you thought 2014 was bad you aint seen nuthing yet
@ Ian m
I have been thinking exactly the same.
Brian Doonthetoon @ 20:12,
Trump says there ain’t no global warming, no way, BDT, so it must be Nicola’s fault.
Stands to reason. Innit.
(Oops, forgot the sarcasm on/off brackets around all that. Drat.)
Tracy Ullman has probably found herself a great meal ticket with her “Nicola” schtick. Brings some good cheer – why not? Only snag is, she has a lot of competition for jokers up here. There’s Gove, “Harrison” (no relation to George), Wee Willie, …
@Ronnie A:
You shamed me into looking for the ‘archive’ link again but all I get is a German IT site.
Can someone please give me a link to wherever I can get the ‘archive’ hingmy?
Cheers amuch in advance.
🙂
Who cares if your Black, White, Pink, Orange, Christian, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Atheist, Agnostic, SNP, BNP, DUP, Lib/Lab/Con, White hair, Ginger hair, Nae hair, Fat, Skinny, Bonny, Ugly?
I don’t, your Imperial Masters do. Vote them out. Vote for Independence.
@Ian M,
Also when you include the amount of livestock and pulses and agricultural products held or grown in Scotland, the loss of which would leave England in food crisis. It becomes easier to understand their reluctance to let us go.
They would have to import everything to make up the quantities. This is why they desperately need trade deals to outsource alternative supplies.
Great pictures of the new bridge across the Forth today. Congratulations to all involved – can’t wait to walk and drive across when it opens. I sincerely hope this wonderful achievement can be opened formally without the need for a Royal presence from our imperial rulers in London.
How about being opened by some children – Scotland’s future – drawn from every part of our country.
Tracy Ullman has probably found herself a great meal ticket with her “Nicola” schtick.
See if BBC gimps ever produce a comedy hag for PM May.
O/T
Great pictures of the new bridge across the Forth today. Congratulations to all involved – can’t wait to walk and drive across when it opens. I sincerely hope this wonderful achievement can be opened formally without the need for a Royal presence from our imperial rulers in London.
How about being opened by some children – Scotland’s future – drawn from every part of our country.
Did you see Sally Magnussun on BBC news introduce the Queensferry bridge item as being late. Not that it was a beautiful engineering achievement, not that it is under budget, not that it is Scottish funded. I fucking hate anti- Scottish BBC. STV are not much better. I’m working on a sensor which can detect Naw bags at 100 metres and prevents them using the new bridge.
Just in my email junk,
Last week, 38 Degrees members Jenny, Robert, Lance and Alex met with David Mundell, the UK government’s Secretary for Scotland. They delivered a petition signed by more than 13,000 people, asking him to give Scotland a say on Brexit. It went straight into the hands of the politician responsible for Scotland. And he had no choice but to take notice!
Are they for real? 13k the SNP have a million and he ignores them! Honestly that is embarrassing 38 degrees! I bet David laughed his head off as soon as you left, is that the plan, kill him with laughter?
Don’t you know how to get his attention, vote SNP, the unionists are pissing their pants with fear and only because of the SNP! Anything else is a distraction.
Here you go Ian
http://archive.is/
The fuckng bridge isn’t late, it’s not supposed to be completed till end of June or July, the BBC are liars.
” Ronnie”@ 0737pm . Amy Macdonald has had her saltire mike
going back years. Check her out on u tube with ” German philharmonic orchestra” ( terrific concert).
Might ask the question why she lately ( since 2014) is rarely on our radio airwaves or EBC . Perhaps her backing for Indy in 2014 had something to do with this??
Anyway our European friends they absolutely love her on the continent.
@davidb
Good argument. I’m using that one.
“If the Scottish Conservatives had given their backing to the Budget Bill, higher rate taxpayers would have been paying less. So the Scottish Conservatives have cost higher rate taxpayers £400 each.”
Normally I would not comment, but to chastise others for fake news whilst then choosing your facts to make a point, comes back to the same thing.
This movement away from the UK tax rate is going to create a real shambles and gives a marginal tax rate impact that the Politicians just don’t understand. Tax is complicated enough and this just makes self-assessment near impossible. MP’s should be obliged to complete their own tax return before they are granted the power to make changes. Will software houses bother to create the different tax software that will be required for the small number of Scottish taxpayers required to file a tax return.
I just can’t get my head around your claim that:
“(And most working people, certainly those paying the higher rate of income tax, will likely also have had at least a modest pay rise, so they’ll also be paying less tax as a proportion of their income than they were last year.)”
Surely more income, having used up the personal allowances and lower tax bands, must meant that the tax as a proportion of income has to be higher, not lower.
This article has just made me rethink my support for your website.
Gordo
@Nana –
Cheers!
Now, a’body, please bear with me as I try this thing, okay?
going O/T here as I don’t think the vids in here
https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/america-first-right/
from Switzerland and The Netherlands can be considered “fake news” as such – but they should raise a smile or two!!
If anyone wants to upload one from Scotland, feel free!
Enjoy
@Andrew Mclean
13,000 is probably the total number of Labour voters (voters not members) still registered in Scotland by the Scottish 38 degrees Labour party. The rest all left the house and switched the lights off.
America furst, America furst. German satire, then the Danes pile on,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sq-VPDtNK4
Right, okay, before I go completely tonto and fling this thing right through the fucking window, someone, please talk me through this…
(Okay, aye, I know this should be O/T but others must be in the same boat…let’s all look on it as a ‘learning experience’, eh?)
I have opened a window with Orwell’s ‘Politics and the English Language’, and I have ‘archive.is’ on my toolbar…
How do I get an ‘archived’ link of the Orwell essay to appear here?
Your Imperial Masters want to Label you so as they can file you into a box. Refuse to wear a label like cybernat. You are no such thing, only a human being that objects to being labelled.
All labels are divisive, the powers that be are expert in pitting one label against the other, it’s what keeps them in power.
Scotland, her people are too big, too rich and too smart to fall for that. Believe me the powers that be are very nervous, we are doing something right and that has them scared. They are losing control of the narrative, the numbers believing their propaganda is falling everyday.
Just remember Mark Twain said:
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
Hi Ian B.
To archive…
Just say you’re on a web page that you want to share – for example, the page here…
http://www.sweetchillisauce.com/nigeria.html
So, you look at the top of your web browser’s window and you see that address. What you do is HIGHLIGHT that address with your cursor and copy it, by typing CONTROL and C together (sometimes easier to hold down CONTROL and then ‘tap’ C). That stores the address on your pasteboard.
You then go to the link that Nana provided above. You’ll see a text box that says,
“My url is alive and I want to archive its content”.
Put your cursor in that text box, then hold down the CONTROL key and tap the V key. Your saved address should appear in the text box. Then click on the “Save the page” button at the right of the text box.
The page, if it’s not been archived already, will then appear, with a NEW address in your browser’s address bar. In the above example, the address that appeared is,
http://archive.is/IjHx5
That’s the address that you copy (CONTROL and C) then paste (CONTROL and V) anywhere you want to.
Important note: If, after clicking the “Save the page” button, you get a message saying something like “this page was archived yonks ago”, accept the page that archive.is is showing from its archive. DO NOT SAVE your attempt. If you do that, you’ll overwrite the older archive, meaning that the older archive will be lost if there have been newer changes to the page.
It’s better to use the ‘Internet Archive’ to archive pages because once a page is in there, the Archive regularly sends out bots to to capture the page again – but it keeps all versions. It doesn’t overwrite.
As well as going to archive.is, you could paste your link into the page below for ‘belt and braces’. Just paste your link into the search box and hit “Go”, then follow the instructions.
https://archive.org/
I said ““If the Scottish Conservatives had given their backing to the Budget Bill, higher rate taxpayers would have been paying less. So the Scottish Conservatives have cost higher rate taxpayers £400 each.””
That’s actually wrong, it should be £1.50 per week, £75 a year. The difference would still have been there on the threshold, just not as much as it would have risen with inflation.
@Ian Brotherhood
If you click the archive.is button on the toolbar a new page will open and begin saving the page you want to archive. Then you have to copy the link created by archive.is here which you will see in the top of your browser window.
That’s it.
Just cut n paste the whole web address of the news thing into the big red box, hit archive, wait til it does archive, 2 secs, cut n paste the new archive web address.
http://archive.is/
@Andrew Mclean says: 3 February, 2017 at 8:38 pm:
The fuckng bridge isn’t late, it’s not supposed to be completed till end of June or July, the BBC are liars.”
You are correct – with the relatively milder weather they projected a new date. However, the statement went along the lines of, “If this weather continues …. Then came the strong winds and gales and the new projected date was put back but it is still well within the original date given.
The TV report is what you might call MSM alternative facts.
@stewartb 8.33
Sorry, the new Queensferry Crossing will be motorway standard. You will not be able to walk over it.
Great idea to have children open it. No royalty or politicians.
…I would trust a Donald Trump tweet for accuracy and truth before a BBC news report.
@ben madigan says: 3 February, 2017 at 8:52 pm:
“If anyone wants to upload one from Scotland, feel free!
Enjoy”
I would but my big desktop used for video editing and production is out of order so no video
But Scotland can be second, fir Nicola, oor FM, haes a short bit o string an a wee photie o the Queen in her desk drawer.
Wull yon dae?
@BDTT –
Cheers min, will try now, with that Orwell piece…
https://archive.org/create/
Test:
http://archive.is/ccCRE
Success Ian
So the UK is getting in a state about rationing green vegetables because of wet weather in Spain.
So bad weather leads to food rationing, but yet Brexit isn’t going to have any effects at all…
Loving these spoof videos of various countries welcoming Trump and America first… kinda hope somebody somewhere is doing a Scottish one.. lol
Good to see The National pushing the actual findings of the Times Panelbase survey, to continually expose the lies of the Times, the Conservative party, Ruth Davidson, the rest of the media, and all who try to say support for an Indy Ref has dropped to 27%. No it hasn’t, it’s risen to 50% for one in or around 2 years.
Article: “Sturgeon hits back at Tory threats to block indyref2”
“A recent poll for Panelbase suggested support for a second referendum before early 2019 stands at 49.4 per cent.”
This needs to be repeated and hammered home, again and again, forcing the rest of the media to tell the truth – for once.
Well done Ian, right everybody links tomorrow morning will be provided by Mr Brotherhood.
Yay I get a long lie!
@Thepnr –
Wasn’t really – didn’t know I’d done it, pure accident.
Trying again…
http://archive.is/
@Breeks says: 3 February, 2017 at 9:40 pm:
” … kinda hope somebody somewhere is doing a Scottish one.. lol”
The whole World will now be ripping the pish out of the US of A and the Trumpet.
Now who was it says the Germans don’t have a sense of humour?
Oh! Wait up! That’ll be the English – won’t it?
This should be Orwell, ‘Why I Write’ –
http://archive.is/
Ach, fuck that.
Sorry a’body, what a waste of time…
O/T There is only one thing worse than Tracy Ullman taking the pish is her not taking the pish.
Eh Ruthie?
Re Tracey Ullman. Only second rate comic’s rely on national stereotypes
Last throw…
Should be ‘Why I Write’, although I’m starting to wonder if Orwell, in our time, might’ve been tempted to pen one entitled ‘I’m Fucked If I Know Why I Bother’ –
http://archive.is/G4SGB
Famous 15 @ 9.56pm
Aye, pair wee Indy, naebudy darn sarf realises she’s supposed to be a politician.
Quite an affectionate skit on Nicola and Mhairi I thought. A good laugh.
And, you notice, nothing on Maggie May. I don’t see Ms Ullman getting an honour any time soon.
Hi Ian B.
You had it correct at 9.32!
I am not entirely sure what the Tracy Ullman thing was about. However, as far as Nicola is concerned, being seen as strong, even in caricature, has never done any other leader much harm.
Heavy week at work and I am bit tired maybe I just wasn’t in the mood but the show could have been a bit funnier though imho.
Kurt Vonnegut, ‘A Requiem For The USA’ –
http://archive.is/qDicM
Och Ian B.
yir jiss showin’ aff now…
8=)
The economic measure of our collective values are so important and reflect the kind of society that we want to be e.g. should we acknowledge the carers who are traditionally not counted in economic terms and therefore invisible in terms of their productivity and not regarded as important in an economically and socially coherent society.
Economic expert advice is vital to inform political decision making and both disciplines should want to communicate their decision making to the electorate so that their lived in economic experience is reflected in the economic system and not for example viewed through the lens of immigration that our economic ‘experts’ Farage, Johnson, Gove et al were happy to channel the electorate grievance through in the run up to Brexit.
Scotland’s government is having a much healthier conversation via its parties of independence about its economic future with its electorate. The economy is not an abstract thing- it shapes our society, reflects our values. Our SNHS, free university tuition, care for the elderly in Scotland are a few examples of economic choices that are contained within a budget and benefit all citizens in Scotland. Who would not want our universal public services adequately funded.
Only the parties who blindly support the WM cabal who in turn prefer their economics to be detached and obscure do not value an educated electorate who want to be engaged in a comprehensive two-way dialogue about what economic choices politicians are making on their behalf .
What is the alternative explanation then for the differences between England and Scotland regarding the provision of state services, why are corrupt financial practices legitimised, why is UKOK aping the US in being one of the most unequal countries in the Western world, where is our sovereign oil wealth fund, why would Scotland believe that is better off as an EU nation, how can WM keep finding money for disastrous wars and conflict? Why would Scotland not be an economically viable independent nation is possibly the biggest headache that WM has in terms of economic explanations. WM remarks that are patronising and threatening in equal measure only increase the determination to achieve Scotland’s autonomy.
The YES movement started that education process, SG, the many independent sites including Wings are continuing to unpick the political mistruths about Scotland’s economic viability that will come back to haunt WM at the ballot box.
This site is also informative
http://www.ecnmy.org/
If everybody turns up for the opening of the Queensferry Crossing with Saltires the BBC won’t film it, otherwise they should be banned from filming it.
Thepnr on 3 February, 2017 at 7:29 pm:
Aye, just got your comment Alex, running around here chasin’ ma tale. I have no idea if the numbers exist but it’d be good to get an idea of how many (percentage possibly?) of the industry actually support the independence cause.
I think those families who have been at it for generations, the ones i class as serious trawlermen, would be more likely to support independence whereas those i mention and refer to as ‘Wave Jockeys’ are in it for a fast buck.
The only thing that truly will save and protect our fishing industry is a government with the industries interests at heart and we all know the only way we’ll get that is via independence.
The media, as we all know, will only ever show the industry in whatever hue suits their agenda. If those figures i speak of exist i think they’d tell a different and truer story.
@sinky says: 3 February, 2017 at 9:59 pm@
“Re Tracey Ullman. Only second rate comic’s rely on national stereotypes.
Aye! and third rate comics are national stereotypes – Like Harry Lauder.
@BDTT, Nana, Heedy, Thepnr –
Thanks for your patience.
If I’ve finally cracked it, it’s thanks to youse, so cheers aplenty.
I will have forgotten it all by tomorrow, but, hey, it was a blast!
Mucho cheers to all, and please excuse me for some time as I have a lot of wee hair-clumps to clean up.
Whether you thought Tracy Ullman was any good or not one thing she nailed spot on
Everybody’s opinion of Jakey Rowling as an unpleasant trolling piece of work
That was me being polite
Wonder if BBC Misreporting North Britain mouthpiece Sally Magnusson was named after ‘Axis Sally’; WWII radio propagandist for the Axis powers.
Be somewhat appropriate…
Well o/t
I have been waiting for some kind of commentary, maybe there has been and I haven’t noticed?, on the fact the Supreme Court was particularly weak in its ruling for the devolved nations, and particularly on the Sewell convention, but at last there is a blog questioning it here:
https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2017/02/03/eugenio-velasco-and-conor-crummey-the-reading-of-section-288-of-the-scotland-act-1998-as-a-political-convention-in-miller/
Okay, it is just by PhD students, but at least it has been mentioned.
Un-O/T I thought the budget was grand, I mean, obviously the SNP are going to laud it as being the best ever, but it seemed sensible and fine, but we are again faced with ravings of alternative-universe media and politicians mixing numbers, obscuring facts, obfuscating reality. I am glad the Scottish government publishes information. Wish the councils did more to keep people informed, and were less corrupt perhaps,,,
Drew attention to these before – and they still remain required reading for those wanting an understanding of the fishing issue.
http://archive.is/QQG5R
http://archive.is/b2nps
The First Minister should open the new bridge and state clearly that the bridge was a necessity for the people of Scotland who had to fight against the Westminster parties to build it.
She should also endorse that fact that the bridge has been built on time and within budget, in spite of the BBC’s years of lying about it.
Go and compare how this project was managed against Labour’s Edinburgh Trams and Holyrood Parliament Building, both of which were years late and a million miles over budget.
Ullman was last funny around 1982. It wasn’t too bad not really funny though and quite affectionate as someone else said. Maybe it was my paranoia but those long tartan flags were reminiscent of Nazi banners until the camera zoomed in. As Dr Jim said Rowling came out the worst. So that was good!
I remember a few weeks ago I think when Derek MacKay first announced his proposals, he was interviewed by Sally Magnusson.
He absolutely destroyed her, being simplistic but forceful, with his answers, and not allowing her to talk over him. She was unquestionably out of her depth faced with a competent minister.
Looks like the French out bid the Scientologists, for a huge new embassy. Why would the French want a big embassy in the Scotland region of greater Brexit England?
http://archive.is/1yPmc
Word is, Edinburgh’s full of embassy buyers in the market right the noo.
heeds@8.57
Surely someone on WOS can do a parody of the America furst videos doing the rounds on yatube.
Scotland furst America 2nd mibes aye mibes naw, with the classic Scottish humour, and mountains and things.
Just a thought.,
@ Ian Brotherhood Dab hand noo Ian , perfection comes later lol.
Nerdy though it is – here’s the transcript of the Murdo Fraser / Ivan McKee exchange during the Budget debate. It’s comedy gold preserved in the minutes of the proceedings (page 37 of the pdf). . The “interruptions” are gales of laughter from everyone but the Tories.
Murdo Fraser: Once upon a time, the SNP used to believe that
it could help grow the economy by cutting taxes. I
think that the finance secretary is far too young to
remember, first time round, the film genre that was
the brat pack movies of the 1980s but, if he has
time, I suggest that he takes a look at the 1986
John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, in
which a young Matthew Broderick sits in a class of
bored teenagers listening to Ben Stein’s
economics teacher trying to explain to them the
principles of the Laffer curve. Has anyone seen
that? Anyone?
Ivan McKee (Glasgow Provan) (SNP): Will the
member take an intervention?
Murdo Fraser: Oh—Mr McKee has seen it. He
can instruct the finance secretary about it.
Ivan McKee: Mr Fraser frequently mentions the
Laffer curve in this place, so I just want to ask him
about that. For a single peak Laffer curve with a
point of inflection where the rate of change of
revenues with respect to rates—dR/dt—equals
zero, can he enlighten us whether he believes that
we are currently in the range where dR/dt is
greater than zero or less than zero and why, or
does his understanding of Laffer curves extend
only to soundbites and does he have no idea what
he is actually talking about? [Interruption.]
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Well, Mr
Fraser—
Murdo Fraser: Unfortunately, I could not hear
Mr McKee’s question, such was the hilarity
generated. [Interruption.]
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Fraser—
Murdo Fraser: But listen—
The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Fraser, sit
down.
I want to hear the debate, and that goes for
those on the front benches, too—not that I am
looking at anybody in particular, Mr Swinney.
Murdo Fraser: Thank you, Presiding Officer
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10768&mode=pdf
It begs the question if things are indeed so bad for the Yoons, why aren’t the Yoons buggering off?
Gary
Aye, given just about every iconic Scottish animal, highland coo, red deer, red squirrel, pheasant, fox etc, are just the right shade to give a Donald hair style too we could make him feel at home…it would be fantastic. 🙂
Wow by the number of comments this has touched hearts lol. Seriously this issue needed airing and clarification and so glad you have covered it here Stu.
Hopefully more of us will challenge fake news in the media now particularly when yoons quote it on social media.
Even some well known msps and MPs at the Tory press fake news games.
Let’s challenge them.
OT Just saw this petition to stop vat on emergency services https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/170495
I echo all who congratulate the boys and girls who’re putting the new Forth Road Bridge together on time and under budget.
What stood out for me on tonight’s STV coverage was the comment:
“Largest construction project in Scotland for a GENERATION*”
Shows what the Tories (Blue, Red and Yellow) actually built.
(* probably different from the generation the Indy Ref was supposed to have been for) 🙂
Big fan o’ the guy STV had on the bridge saying awbody involved had done Scotland proud (also STVs Lead story at 18:00hrs).
John Hughes classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
Only a twit toryboy, could actually spoil Ferris Buellers Day Off.
Have a laugh, here’s Mad Murdo making a complete ass of himself.
Also, note his sheer pompous ignorant disdain for the Speaker and keep an eye on his glaikit boss behind him playing on her phone. She doesn’t even realise everyone is laughing at them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuLlFJiGMIs
Goodnight troops!
Capella says:
3 February, 2017 at 11:40 pm
Nerdy though it is
So Capella, on Scotland’s first independence day parade, down Princes Street, Edinburgh, this will be you:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81ZtmBAA_NE
@ Heedtracker – quite! Is that the Beatles version, which I bought on an EP a long, long, long time ago?
I had to pause my Nicola Benedetti track, Bonnie Banks O’ Loch Lomond, to listen to that clip. But it was worth it. 🙂
Only Murdo could be slapped senseless by his own stupidity.
Aided by the brilliant Ivan McKee of course.
Great stuff.
@indyref2
I only knew the rough figures earlier cos I was on a mobile.
The uprating was to be £429 on the 40% band. That would move 429 from the 20 % band. So the effect of not moving it is 20% of £429. Or £85.80 per annum.
The Tory eejits cost higher band tax payers £85.80 a year in tax.
Not quite a tenner a month, but do those taxpayers want to forgo that so Ruthie can posture? A Pyrrhic result for the Yoons there.
My thoughts on T2 Trainspotting: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-d9k
Thoughts on the damaged Union follow in a few hours…
Murdo Fraser stand-up routine. Here’s the ScottishParliamentTv clip in glorious technicolour. See the Tank Commander in the background smirking and and playing Candy Crush on her phone. At 33 mins 13 secs. Lasts approx 9 mins.
http://tinyurl.com/z2vsosk
What else would one do on a Friday night?
Spoof Recruitment poster for the Royal Navy submarine crew. Designed by Darren Cullen and supported by Veterans for Peace.
These posters have been appearing at London Bus stops!!!
Smallaxe – is this your where you’ve been?
https://www.rt.com/uk/376202-trident-suicide-bomber-posters/
Apparently they have provoked fury in the RN but whistle blower Mc Neilly said they are actually accurate.
Scots should pay less council tax than England. House prices are lower.
@heedtracker
Now that wee clip made me smile 🙂
Times front page headline Saturday :
“china cash link to top Labour mp”
Who ?
Why Scotland Tonight’s Indy bashing favourite yoon
Barry Gardiner !
“Normally I would not comment, but to chastise others for fake news whilst then choosing your facts to make a point, comes back to the same thing.
This movement away from the UK tax rate is going to create a real shambles and gives a marginal tax rate impact that the Politicians just don’t understand. Tax is complicated enough and this just makes self-assessment near impossible. MP’s should be obliged to complete their own tax return before they are granted the power to make changes. Will software houses bother to create the different tax software that will be required for the small number of Scottish taxpayers required to file a tax return.”
What on Earth does that have to do with anything in the article?
“I just can’t get my head around your claim that:
“(And most working people, certainly those paying the higher rate of income tax, will likely also have had at least a modest pay rise, so they’ll also be paying less tax as a proportion of their income than they were last year.)”
Surely more income, having used up the personal allowances and lower tax bands, must meant that the tax as a proportion of income has to be higher, not lower.
This article has just made me rethink my support for your website.”
FFS, it’s not rocket science. If the personal allowance goes up you pay less tax on the same income because more of it is exempt. If you get a wage rise that doesn’t make any difference to the proportion you’re paying in tax. It’s still 20% of whatever the taxable proportion is, or 40% of it, or whatever. But because the allowance is higher, you’re now paying a lower proportion than last year.
@Rev. Stuart Campbell
There will always be people who fail to grasp that which should be simple to grasp.
From Rev’s feed.
Beckham’s pr guy wrote his ‘please stay Scotland’ on the lead up to indyef1 to suck up tae the establishment for the knighthood that he’s been pursuing for years. Good to know the ‘players’ and their motive’s on lead up tae indyref2:
http://archive.is/U99XG
If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.”
George Orwell 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXm5hklbBsA
And while we’re on the subject of taxation…
That bloody Union: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-diq
@K1
Yeah, clocked that and it makes you think.
If true, then how many? How many celebs saw Scotland’s indyref as a means of raising their profile, advancing their career, gaining favourable patronage?
How many had some kind of conviction and how many were… bought?
So, not just politicians and the corporate world who had a self seeking agenda. ‘Right on’ celebs…
Just mere fallible mortals after all. Who knew?
@K1, @Macart
That’s funny 🙂
Might be an idea to spread the URL, or if not allowed, just this bit will do to make it certain people will want to find out who, with the advice to search for it:
“Sports icon was advised that opposing Scottish Independence could help with Knighthood”
Arise Sir David Establishment Condom Beckham.
… done in the Express in article “Michael Gove lambasts ‘FOOLISH’ Sturgeon for ‘VERY WEAK’ independence referendum campaign”.
I cant help noticing a certain Mr Dan Snow`s name is mentioned in the glorified brain dead footballer article.
Thanks for that it kind of ties in the suspicion he was behind the celebrity love bombing at indyref.
K1 3.19
What a beauty!
Wonder if any of that came up in his much touted Desert Island Discs 75th anniversary program.
Oh, and does a “Death Of The British Pound” article appeal?
http://archive.is/49foB
mike cassidy wrote on 4 February, 2017 at 5:25 am:
“K1 3.19 – What a beauty!”
And ditto your post at 10:42pm Mike, especially that 2nd link. Takes a bit of time getting through them due to the links within the links. Thank you!
While the blue bottles like to paddle about in the pooh and spread nasty untruths…
Many many of the people of Scotand have been immunised, educated themselves, learned to read between the lines and question and challenge. Nae flies on us = )
Wonder where we got that from?
Thanks Rev x
HUGE congratulations and thanks to EVERYONE who is giving us our beautiful new Queensferry Crossing = )
Links
https://itisintruthnotforglory.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/dear-people-of-scotland/
http://tarffadvertiser.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/the-bear-and-elephants-big-day-out.html
https://iainmacwhirter.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/the-may-trump-axis-of-ignorance-a-zombie-version-of-the-special-relationship/
http://www.businessforscotland.com/independence-needs-elevate-economics-towards-higher-purpose/
https://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/fratricide/
http://www.alynsmith.eu/scotland_in_europe_update_3rd_february_2017
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/10250/13bn-worth-wind-power-postponed-scottish-engineers-warn-uk-govt-neglect
https://brignews.com/2017/02/03/alex-salmond-predicts-indyref2-in-the-next-18-months/
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/3/14496438/brexit-uk-healtcare-new-drugs-ema-delay
http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2017/02/03/week-in-review-prepare-yourself-for-disaster
Tories have decided to ‘incentivise’ disabled people
http://archive.is/QJzdo
Become a suicide bomber posters appear in London
http://archive.is/EceTE
Exclusive Spies and civil servants who leak secrets face 14 years in jail
http://archive.is/hmlvh
https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0201/849442-northern-ireland-torture/
http://uk.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-ban-travel-ban-2017-1?r=US&IR=T
Archive not available
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-future-idUKKBN15I2WP
Nana: Good morning,
Plenty links today, thank you.
By the way, I thought I’d better explain what I said to you a couple of days ago, I forget at times that people might have taken me literally when I said “putting sugar in petrol tanks”. What I mean by that is putting sweet words (Sugar) into sour ears (Petrol tanks) to try and make a person move in the wrong direction.
Kettle’s on!
Peace Always xx
Wonder whether any msm will run with the Beckham story? I think I know the answer already – so much for all this Brit patriotism, just looks like the pursuit of filthy lucre.
Never mind taxation, there is the additional cost of keeping a roof over your head since the tories deregulated the banking system. Of course labour took over and basically did what trump is doing now with Dodd frank.
So between them the two neoliberal unionist parties allowed the banks to create as much money as they liked. More than 50% of that was ploughed into mortgages creating house price inflation and also rental inflationt. We are back in the rentier economy with a syphining of wealth in an upwards direction.
The tories claim to be the party of business, yet only about 8% of bank credit goes to business. The rentier economy they created destroys disposable income and hence purchasing power.
Murdo is still hanging onto the larger curve, yet it should even be obvious to him that capitalism runs on sales. Less disposable income means less sales.
For more info..
http://positivemoney.org/issues/house-prices/
The Beckham’s made 2/3 profits on their multimillion turnover. How is that possible. Even by offshoring it. That is impossible. E.g. Turnover £400Million. Profit £300Million. The Whisky campaign was disbolical. Major multinational whisky companies. Pay no corp tax in Scotland. Make vast profits worldwide. Use all of Scotland’s resources. barley, water etc. Tax evade. Diageo etc.
Ivan McKee put down of Murdo. The Tories are the only association in the world who ban renewables and support nuclear. Fraser has never held down a job in his life. 3rd rate reject Murdo kids on he knows about business. A pathetic failure.
Along with back stabbing, disgusting Gove. A dispicable creature. A kid on ‘striking’ journalist. His wife is remunerated by the right wing Press. Gove lobbies for them. A conflict of interest. Never has a job in his life but troughed on taxpayers money. A total blood sucking leech. Sanctioning and starving the vulnerable to death. Gov had a total publicly funded education but raised student fees to astronomical levels.
Murdoch’s muppets In his pocket. The tax evading Non Dom. Hacking and bribing public officials and getting away with it. A criminal offence in the US. He should be in jail for crime and corruption. His kids are half Scottish. Their mother Ann was from Glasgow, she had to migrate to Australia to get a job? because of Tory/Unionist unequal and unfair policies. Murdoch’s family are migrants. Chinese.
Westminster depopulated Scotland. Illegally took all the resources that they could. Kept false accounts and hide it under the Official Secrets Act. The McCrone Report. Thatcher secretly and illegally handed the British Press over to the Murdoch criminal. Not a free and balanced Press. No Democracy. Thatcher/Reagan (‘special relationship? Both incompetent) deregulated the Banks, causing the world Banking crash. Thatcher sold off untilities. Now owned by foreign State companies. Demutualised Building Societies owned by their members.
Thatcher illegally and secretly off-shored the Oil & Gas revenues. Spent the revenues building Canary Wharf and Tilbury Docks (26 miles). Cut the Scottish budget. Closed down the regional ports. Scorched earth policy in Scotland. Closed the Docks. Faslane closed industrial activity on the Clyde. Norway builds 100 vessels a year. The Fort William smelter was closed. Vehicle production in Scotland was stopped. The mines were closed creating unemployment black spots. The Falkland war was an uneccessary folly. Costing lives and economic hardship.
The Tories have refused permission for a CCS project at Longannet in Fife. Refused to honour a CCS project at Peterhead joint funded by the oil sector industry. Taxed the Oil sector at 60% to 80% when the price had fallen 75%. They did not bring down the taxation in relationship , to cost of production, in relationship to price. Losing thousands of jobs in Scotland and £Billions of revenues, Scotland could have had near full employment. Like a furnace being wound down. It takes a considerable time to be built up again. The balance of payments and the debt could have been kept down.
UK/US Illegal wars have caused the worst migration crisis in Europe. Other European countries are having to deal with it. Britain has taken 10,000 refugees. Germany (bigger pop – more successful economy) has taken 2million refugees. Other European countries have done more delivering Aid. Trade and give aid do not invade.
Thatcher left over 3million unemployed and interest rates at 15%. Starved the miners fighting for their jobs. Thatcher was backstabbed by her colleagues to get rid of her. So much for the economic laissez faire miracle. Increasing inequality and storing up major problems for the future. Just as the Tories are doing now. Destroying the UK economy. Illegal wars, banking fraud and tax evasion.
The Tory Party are funded by the Bankers with syphoning off public money. Public money handed over and wasted by the Tories in fees, expenses and consultancies. £Billions of public money borrowed and wasted. Hinkley Point, HS2, Heathrow and Trident. All disasters waiting to happen. No credible business case. All with credible alternatives. A total waste of public money putting up the debt.
Branston is supposed to be retired in tax exile on Necker, the private island. Sticking his nose into Scotland’s transport affairs. Complaining about a cut in APT, which will increase direct flights from Scotland and bring in more visitors. Cheaper and more economical. No overnight stays. Or the congestion of Heathrow. The biggest waste of money. Too big and greedy. Heathrow BA slots are subsidised with public money. A total BA terminal subsidised? A private (part Spanish) company, Heathrow expansion is a total waste if money. It will be redundant and obsolete before it is finished. Brexit. I.e, Space travel Development. Space Time travel – 2 hours to Australia.
London transport is subsidised with all taxpayers money. The North/South divide. Thatchers centralised transport system. Totally subsidised with public money. HS2 another total waste of borrowed public money which will do nothing for a balanced economy in the UK. No business case. It will always be subsidised. Duplicating present facilities. Only busy at peak times but with slack capacity. Duplicate subsidised. People only pay more if they are idesperate. Related costs speculate and are passed on in higher business rates.
When Scotland is Independent. It could ensure subsidised peak services to London would be adequately provided by air and improved rail services. The same rail journey takes over one hour more in Scotland, than it does in the south of the UK. London to Birmingham take 1.30hours. Edinburgh/Glasgow takes 2,30hours. Comparable distance – nearly one hour more. HS2 will add on journey times throughout Britain Increase journey times in the North. The North of England want their major cities connection and rail times improved, Not HS2.
Branson should realise that and improve rail times in Scotland. Not complain about competition with air travel. There is more air flights because train journey time are not improved for competitiveness. Direct international flights could improve Virgin Airlines services for greater connectivity and easier travel. Cutting cost and more profitable. Quicker, easier more comfortable journey times. Cutting emission and half empty planes causing unnecessary and more expensive travel. It is £32 (subsidused/return?) to get from Heathrow to central London. More than some off -peak train journey from Glasgow/Edinburgh to London
The trams are under priced and subsidised. £8 return. (40min journey) Running under capacity. The airport bus is £12return. (Bus pass use). (Bus) Passes are not allowed in the trams. (Bus) Passes are only allowed for off peak travel. Subsidised with public money. The Tram (subsidised) price should be comparatively higher after the collosal overspend. To recoup the losses. The wealthiest City in Scotoand has subsided fares and an abundance of oversubscribed travel. Subsidised by rural taxpayers who can’t get an available, reasonable bus service. They have to depend on car travel. A misuse of resources. The park and ride is paid with public money but does no make the necessary stops to pick up more passengers. Duplicating resources. That could be better spent.
@Smallaxe
Good morning. Ach there was me imagining you under cover of darkness getting up to all sorts, a wee bit like the milk tray ad man.
Oh well best I’d best stop dreaming and get back to the real world. I might add chocolates to my shopping list though!
@galamcennalath
===============
Well said. I posted a criticism of that article on the site’s comments but you’ve said what I tried to say more succinctly and effectively.
Nana:
My milk tray days are long past, I just pass on my methods to people who are more capable than me. I may have to take a break for a while so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a while, I’ll be ok. Very tired.
Peace and Love to you and Yours xx
Billy
Ken500
Snatcher Thatcher mob even shut down Scotland’s national airline. There was going to be no Scottish competition for England First tory UK, red and blue tory too, as we were to find out the very hard SLabour way.
Lord King wiped out Scottish air transport industry but is a celebrated tory for the giant British Airways, long dead now, but one of old Thatch’s hardest henchman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8y1CANyq-k
Its easy to speculate what Prestwick airport would be like today, if our chums in the south hadn’t shut it all down.
@
heedtracker says:
3 February, 2017 at 11:14 pm
Looks like the French out bid the Scientologists, for a huge new embassy. Why would the French want a big embassy in the Scotland region of greater Brexit England?
http://archive.is/1yPmc
Word is, Edinburgh’s full of embassy buyers in the market right the noo.
I posted about how I used to deliver newspapers to embassies and consulates when I was a laddie but my memory was a wee bit wrong. I said it was Learmouth Crescent but it wasn’t.
I just checked out the address of the present French Consulate and here is the info : –
12 Randolph Crescent,
Edinburgh EH3 7TT.
Emailecrire@consulfrance-edimbourg.org
Fax[44] (131) 225 89 75
Phone[44] (131) 225 79 54
Websitehttp://www.consulfrance-edimbourg.org/
So the question should actually be –
Why would the French think they were going to require larger and more prominent premises in Edinburgh when they already have a quite prominent consulate already.
The Randolph Crescent one is just a few hundred yards from the West End of Prices Street?
If memory serves the Irish Consulate was also in Randolph Crescent as was the RAF Association.
Why would the French think they were going to require larger and more prominent premises in Edinburgh when they already have a quite prominent consulate already.”
Robert, its maybe because they’re not buying all the tory BBC led bull about how England is about to become a global England super power, that Brexit’s an act of tory economic genius, that Scots are happy to watch England rip up our hard earned EU citizenship under our noses, and that we are all in fact cowed by just another thug tory telling us to “forget it.”
Maybe they just love Edinburgh.
Ken500
That pretty well sums it up.
I get severely pissed off when I remember that just a few years ago Scotland had thriving industries like steel, shipbuilding, cars. When BOAC/BA had services to Nr America out of Prestwick when BBC Scotland had four programs in a week networked across the UK. Now almost all of that is gone and yet there are Scots who still believe that the Union serves us well. I despair.
@Shamur
You are right. My bowel screening kit arrive within the week after my 50th birthday. I knew a doctor who was researching the range and types and treatments of bowel cancer from the institute tearoom. I was working in part on the mouse model of heritable bowel cancer in mice at the time so we had something in common.
So when the kit arrived I was well informed of why 50 is the age they started the screening. Mine was clear, which I found interesting as I’m gluten intolerant with some Crohn’s symptoms too (very mild) so was wondering if that would show. Seems my gut is not as inflamed as I sometimes suspected even though my diet is very well controlled and healthy and I exercise regularly etc. So I got some useful information from the negative result.
Since the lab I was in was handling the blood samples for it I’m a control in the big Tayside Type2 Diabetes pharmacogenetic trial.
These screaming headlines from Bitter Together and their rabid media attack dogs have been a major co-ordinated target for quite a while now.
These pathetic arselickers now use said manipulated rubbish for SNP budget bashing and they seem to be quite unaware that everybody and their dug is on to them.
The uninformed or worse, those informed by MSM,seem to be still their main voting fodder and these headlines are tailored for their misinformation.
It’s sad but they must still be getting results from these groups.
On the upside you can taste the desperation.
Smallaxe@9.30am.
Hope you are doing Ok.