A tale of little interest
Update: the big pensions story of the day has now made it as far as the BBC. The Herald has also made its online version a bit more visible. No other media outlet, as far as we’ve spotted, has picked it up. It’ll be fascinating to see whether it gets covered on Reporting Scotland and Scotland Tonight in the next hour. [EDIT: No.]
Meanwhile, we thought you might like some more footage from the hearing.
1m 06s – UK pensions minister Steve Webb MP:
“You don’t have to be a UK citizen to get a UK pension. So we will obviously, for the people who have put National Insurance into our system, we would pay them a pension wherever they lived. So separation wouldn’t affect that… You could retire to France and we’d just pay you a pension, so where you end up isn’t material, because you’ve paid into the system.”
2m 40s – Committee chair Ian Davidson MP:
“People in Scotland will be anxious about whether or not their pensions are secure in the event of separation. I think that you are saying to us that their pensions WILL be secure because, if they have paid in then they will get out… the individual can be secure in the knowledge that they will get their money.”
Seriously, we’re pretty sure this is news.
The Hootsman had a small bit online this morning.
Nah, it’s not news because the DWP has been saying the same thing for at least a year.
So a story that blows apart one of the main arguments of the No campaign gets this kind of billing on the BBC.
link to i.imgur.com
It is the 11th story on the page, you actually have to scroll down to see it. Compare this to the top billing Gordon Brown got a few weeks ago.
Excuse me Mr Davidson but is that a wee bit of egg I see on your face there?
We can expect no truth from the MSM, that is all we REALLY need to know. There are no scruples from them in this campaign,history will judge them.
Year past January was when my mate got the letter from DWP confirming that pensions would continue for those already on a pension and those who had paid 35 years NIC.
What is news is the UK Govt making an agreement with the Isle of Man to introduce NIC for pensioners, this surely means that the same will happen in the UK?
Just how far are the Unionists actually behind in all of the issues in the referendum?
It appears that the YES side are quite some years ahead in all of these issues. If the Unionists are only NOW just getting to grips with the basics, then with just over 4 months to go, then they really are not up to this ‘Governance’ thing.
It appears that the ‘too wee, too stupid’ country of only 5 million odd folk is completely and utterly embarrassing the ‘world powerhouse’ of Westminster and making them look more foolish by the day.
Its’ like watching Real Madrid against Albion Rovers… No offence to Rovers fans.
Nothing about the pensions on STV pm News!
‘then’ delete
Not a mention on Reporting Scotland. What a surprise. Features on Ukuleles are way more important anyway.
Doesn’t look like Reporting Scotland (Ya Mugs) appears to have anything on pensions but I guess the story fell by the wayside because of the the big news that the ukulele is more popular than ever- What ho.
@Robert: Haha – Snap!
Still with the ‘separation’ schtick. They are so juvenile.
Nothing about pensions on SBBC 6.30pm News!
SMOTHERED!
Currency union deal still possible link to bbc.co.uk
Is there no end to the good news today?
I missed the Reporting Scotland piece.
Was it a U-KOKulele ?
Not entirely off-topic – more softening on the currency union this evening:
link to bbc.co.uk
Going a bit more OT, very interested to see John Swinney’s SFC proposal today, ostensibly being a Scottish OBR. In reality, I suspect during the summer they are more likely to be blowing massive holes in UK gov economic scare stories.
Gordon Brown must feel a real fuckwit with this revelation
How many articles a week does the BBC political Editor, Scotland write? 1st May “Team Salmond” article re Putin still there.
Seems to be lack of resource, effort, and/or willingness.
BBC Scotland. Patronising bastards.
Jeez, considering the amount of times this has been raised as a big scare story, and even appears right now even today on ‘better together’ billboards, it is disgraceful that the ‘scottish’ media is not giving this wall to wall coverage.
Are there ANY real journalists left anywhere in Scotland. Jeez, how do some of these corrupt media people sleep at night knowing how they are lying and deceiving their own people, day in day out. Have they know self respect???
As for the BBC, why is this not their main item in Scotland?? look it really is this simple, if I walk down my street, there is a big billboard telling me in no uncertain terms that my pension is at risk with independence. We now know this is untrue. How freaking simple does a story have to be??
Oh, but of course, the blatant anti independence bias of the BBC is not deliberate, it’s just ooops! accidental. Aye, right.
I’m surprised they didn’t shoehorn some anti SNP stuff into the Ukulele feature:
‘Is this the future for Scottish guitars after a yes vote, shrunken to a third of the size and with 33% fewer strings.’
Hi guys, and O/T Rev. Not posted for a long time.
Anyone else see Eleanor Bradford on the BBC Scottish news just there,
Her subject was the new SG funding model for public sector building, PPI.
The one our SG introduced when they killed off PFI. In her estimation, quite a good system, however Unite, the union thought it was a bad idea. Possibly because their Slab pals don’t get rewarded any more. Maybe
What was missing in the piece was just who had killed PFI and introduced PPI. The words Scottish Government did not pass her lips.
Lying by omission.
Let’s see where it looks like we are now …
The BBC are officially part of the NO Campaign.
The CBI are ‘strictly impartial’, but have NO Campaign pages on their website.
The NO grass-roots campaign that ‘surfaced’ last week was AstroTurf.
The NO-Pensions PI$H is revealed as … PI$H.
Look! …. a Ukulele !!!
(Tags: George Formby, Hovis, Who-do-you-think-you-are-kidding-Mr-Darling? )
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Having only just this minute viewed the Slap-down of New Labour`s Ian Davidson M.P. by the Pensions Minister, we Scots ( and over 8,000 Civilian Cypriots) are assured of our State Pensions no matter where we live.
Let`s turn the full blast on Whether Scots Taxes bought any part of U.K.Assets.?
If not, why not.
The tax Rebates for overpayment covering countless generations will run to hundreds of billions.
Universal Taxation applies equally across England, Ulster, Wales and Scotland but somehow r.U.K. BOUGHT AND OWNS ALL THE ASSETS.
That being the case, we must have overpaid and Rebates are due (plus Accrued Compound Interest) over many Generations.
Can any contributor supply an approx. number of the Pensioners currently resident in Scotland.?
To see how much it Cuts into the London Treasury.
There will be cuts.
On my journey to work this morning there was a bill board at Cameron Toll in Edinburgh with the BT Pensions poster, you know the one, happy smiley faces with Granny, Grandad and a wee bairn.
Sickening behaviour from BT, knowing that their advertising campaign is based on outright lies!
Their cause is crumbling and they know it, I will sit back and enjoy the view thanks to the Rev and those of his ilk for their insightful journalism and in depth analysis of the referendum.
It has opened my eyes to the huge economic potential that Scotland has with independence, but best of all, the wonderful people that inhabit this country and especially this site.
I felt quite sad this morning when I saw that poster, I’ve been watching for a Wings poster for weeks :0)
devious as devious can be that is the bullshit broadcasting corporation (jock region) for you.
move along now nothing to see.
“I’ll climb this blinkin’ ladder till I get right to the top…”
Aye, we know TC, we know.
link to youtube.com
By my estimation, if we see any more ‘project fear’ scary stories completely busted within the next few weeks, all they will have left will be the freaking panda nonsense
link to mirror.co.uk
link to wingsoverscotland.com
I have been banished from the tv in my partner’s house regarding remarks I made about what passes for BBC news.
“Calm down dear” ,or similar words, were spoken as she pointed to the kitchen and the dishes piled up from tea time, which I cooked I might add.
Well all shipshape now and dishes stowed away, but still simmering under the collar, three squirrel stories and some puff about the turner prize.
Mr Bateman, your a nice man and your blog is great too but FGS! Both the Pensions and Currency stories managed to sneak past the greatest and most trusted news broadcaster in the world today.
They are pissing on us from a great height and not even bothering to tell us it’s not raining.
Is there any way to simply bombard BBC Scotland with our views? Their whole contact process seens designed to discourage and is very slow.
I know 80295 texts get through but that is programme specific.
Just a thought. They have effectively officialy stated that all pensioners already in receipt of a pension will be paid by the UK Treasury and indeed that all accumulated rights up until March 2016 will also be paid by the UK treasury. Surely this must be a massive boost to Scotlands finances going forward until everyone who has made any NI contribution up until March 2016 actually dies. So if for example Scotland continues with 35 contributing years it would be 2051 before the first Scottish Pensioner would actually be funded 100% by the Scottish Government and even then that would not actually be many people as the retirement age is as lot higher than start of working age plus 35.
Am I m
How this has not been highlighted as a leading story by BBC Scotland tonight, is beyond contempt.
I’m too polite to use any stronger words, but we just can’t hold them accountable unless there is a Yes vote in September.
Oops battery just failed on keyboard. To finish last sentence. Am I missing something and if not would it not make more sense to make Independ,ence day the start of the tax year in 2016.
Its just staggering that BBC in Scotland tv didn’t report the UK pension guarantee, not. Plus I didn’t even have it on, Big Bang Theory’s cycled back to the very first episode again. No doubt Sweaty Brewer will thrash it all out on newsnicht tonight, also not.
Anyone know if you can complain to the Advertising Standards Authority about the Better Togther billboards on pensions?
O/T
Free streaming footie & tennis links on off-topic
Murray game on.
Seriously, we’re pretty sure this is news.
What would you know?
Reporting Scotland: anything about pensions? Naw, we’ll be looking at an astonishing item about Ukeleles in Dumfries… and talking about whining irritating noises, here’s ‘Fanlight Fanny’ Bradshaw dissing the new SG public funded scheme ‘cos Cosla ‘don’t like’ oh well it must be true then…
G H Graham
“BBC Scotland. Patronising bastards”.
Took the words out of my mouth.
Patronising
Smug
Arrogant
And that’s just Jackie Burd.
I can’t bring myself to look at their eyes. They just disgust me so much.
And when they try to crack a joke, we are all meant to laugh, when just seconds before that, they were ripping my Country to bits.
Does anyone know if Flipper’s debate will be getting live streamed tomorrow night not that I want to sound like a Roman throwing Christians to the lions but it could be good..Plz be on livestream
Croompenstein
Darling answering the “Pensions Question” tomorrow night.
That’ll be worth watching.
That will be the game changer, as they say.
I would think Livestream would be filming it.
I’ve got the popcorn in for that one.
Hope wee Torcuil is there taking notes for that comic he writes for.
@Croompenstein
Flipper will definitively be under observation tomorrow night.
Just say in’
A game-changing statement on pension after independence,and what is the BBC doing?
Oh look a ukelele….oh wait, it’s a squirrel….ah wait, it’s a squirrel playing a ukelele!
link to alturl.com
aim of Chairchoob is clear. Say that people are entitled to the same level of pension. But nuance is that the Scottish Government will b obliged to pay this level.
Later they will have experts to say we cannot afford to pay that level (in the long term.
Report conclusion (and headline) will be that pensioners in iScotalnd haved a right to same level of pension, but must expect a smaller pension after independence,due to the demographics of age profile in Scotland. Same old, same old.
This narrative fits in well and disarms with the DWP letters, which do no say who pays, just your pension is safe.
Gordon Broon has just been officially ‘dropped right in it’ with the pensions story being confirmed by chairchoob Ian Davidson.
Do you think this is Lab S branch rearranging positions – what with Anas Sarwar smiling gaily holding a LFI flag despite previously saying they were an SNP front.
I wouldn’t be surprised if LFI have been working behind the scenes to get a current Lab MP on board.
This would work alongside the demonising of AS so in event of a Yes they would be pushing to be the main party.
In a bunker far far away, (George Square)the sound of wailing resounds through the walls, and in the distance if you listen very carefully you can hear the shout, ‘pensions for fucks sake that was our banker after the currency union’noooooo not PENSIONSSssssss.
Is it one voice or three the dirge continues as yet another brick/lie falls out of the wall.
As I’ve said before, Independent Scotland will need Ian Davidson to get to the truth of the matter by dogged and persistent questioning, and not accepting any evasion.
Just needs someone else to write the report of proceedings.
If Newsnight Scotland doesn’t cover it tonight, we really should organise a demonstration outside PQ on the sole subject of pensions and how we want them to broadcast the truth.
Ladies and gentlemen, please check out these three snapshots of the BBC Scotland news homepage over the past few months.
February 3rd 2014
link to i.imgur.com
The “No clear plan” article is the second most important story of the day according to the BBC.
22nd April 2014
link to i.imgur.com
Gordon Brown’s pension speech gets top billing.
And now today
link to i.imgur.com
Despite the importance of the DWP clarification on the pensions question the article is way down on the list of stories for that day.
Proof once more that the BBC promotes stories that are perceived to be damaging to the independence cause and hides those which are positive.
What we’re witnessing here lads n lasses is the demise of
the Labour Party, Lib Dems,every time they say something
( lies ) against the Independance debate, it is then
reveiled as such by the same political parties who said it,
I,ve said it before Camerons playing a blinder, & the Libs
Labour will be left to pay the PIPER.
Nice tune that Highland Cathedal, da ra da da.
Kinda kills Broon’s doom n’ gloom tour stone dead doesn’t it?
ALEX WALKER says …’can any contributor supply an approximate number of pensioners currently resident in Scotland.’ I happened to be wondering about that myself earlier today, and found some figures on the SG website, but they are based on 2012 statistics, although there won’t be significant difference. At June 2012 the estimate pop. of Scotland was 5,313,600 of which 17% were 65 or over, so around 903300, but needs to be adjusted up slightly for female pensioners in the 60/62 – 65 bracket.
Interestingly, for those thinking we all die young in Scotland there were 800 centenarians in 2012, and if I’m reading the graphs right, over 45,000 90 – 99 year olds. Thank goodness. By all accounts I should be long gone by now!!! But I don’t believe everything I hear and read anyway
My dear old Mum made to 100 and beyond.
What has happened to Brown and Darling? The much vaunted re-launch seems to have died a death. The BT mob seem to be relying on very weak hatchet jobs based on next to nothing. Anybody who reads the GQ interview will wonder what the fuss was about and Tarquin’s piece is just nonsense.
Is this a new strategy? Hide in Johann’s bunker and hope people forget how crap the campaign has been.
@Davy
I think that despairing wail might be an echo from Pacific Quay. A collective nappie change in the unionist camp tonight as they rummage in that stinking barrel to find another whizzbang distractor to throw in front of the voters.
Too late for the BBC it’s going down with HMS Union to a watery grave.
Are you feart yet… Aye right!
I’ve noticed Unionist posters in the Herald getting increasingly strident and aggressive, without having anything to say of relevance. Schade, as they say in Germany, “what a pity”.
What was comment 200,000?!
Sorry O/T
Aye Inspired in need of help from WoSsers 34% Raised of £3000 and 7 days to go.
“Aye Inspired is guerrilla art exhibition in Scotland inspired by the Scottish independence campaign.
Over 30 artists have submitted artwork including fine art, graphic art, sculptures and mixed media, all inspired by the drive to make Scotland an independent country.
Initially Aye Inspired was going to exhibit in Aberdeen and we already have an amazing city centre venue there but so many people have expressed a wish to see the exhibition travel further afield in Scotland, including our artists who come from all over the country (and abroad!), that we need funding to make this a reality.”
link to indiegogo.com
Like many others today, I believe the The BBC need challenged at every opportunity. Newsnetscotland have their link to report “Questionable BBC Broadcasts:
link to newsnetscotland.com
To assist fellow readers here are the BBC’s referendum editorial guidelines:
link to downloads.bbc.co.uk
Interesting document, 28 pages of detail. Some highlights:
The SNP are NOT to be referred to as the Scottish NATIONALIST party. I counted at least three references to this.
Various versions of devolution are mentioned, unfortunately DEVO NANO is not there. However, there a “Devo-minus – a reduction in the Scottish Parliament’s powers, although there is little support for this.” Perhaps this is what Ruth’s Tories will produce later this month!
Margo gets a paragraph all to herself!
There are numerous contact details of all the main players, including politicians and journos. Ric Bailey is the BBC’s Chief Political Adviser and he is interviewed about the referendum here:
link to bbc.co.uk
You may remember he was the one that banned AS from commentating at the Rugby international.
Finally, there is also a Braveheart movie reference- you probably won’t see that anytime soon on the BBC.
Crikey, watching this is cringeworthy. Surely, it is not rocket science to have this all worked out already. I know of retired Scottish people who have not lived in the uk for years and they get their pension and cold weather payments (that one is strange cos they lived in a very hot country for a while) perfectly fine. In a way it seems that the fact that this is a huge issue is perhaps indicative of the westminster lot thinking a no vote was in the bag, now they are having to deal with a few details they thought they would not need to think about.
O/T
If anyone is able to get to the RSA gallery in Edinburgh before the 8th of June, have a look at the ‘cinema’ downstairs. We saw a fab film by Rachel Mclean today called, ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’.
It was made in 2012 and is really good, but not available online in full.
Here’s an extract though…take a look it is very good.
link to rachelmaclean.com.
Gordon Smith
The DWP letters whilst not mentioning Ruk by name continuing to pay the pension do say they will continue as
is now, therefore they are saying that Ruk will pay them
OT: Alexa site rankings data
Yes
210,512 global
13,670 uk
BT
488,072 global
22,630 uk
@HandandShrimp says:
7 May, 2014 at 8:53 pm
“What has happened to Brown and Darling? ”
I didn’t have my specs on and misread it, “Darling is in the brown stuff. ” He is and so is the campaign.
Better Together have never had anything to offer the
Scottish people. That is why they didn’t want Devo Max on the ballot paper.
They have been conning the people with fear and smear stories. Look at the early Sarwar debates, he just screamed over the top of his opponent without actually telling us anything.
Lamont and Co have just continued with that theme.
BBC Scotland and MSM will spread fear but will tell you nothing positive. I think they will keep this strategy right up to 18th Sept.
Further to my earlier posts about the Manx Government hitting pensioners for Nic, searched everywhere but could not find a link, finally found one. As I said previously the Manx will not be doing this unilaterally , its due to an agreement with UK Government, therefore they must be looking at introducing it here, nice of them to tell us…
link to manxradio.com
O/T – Rev dear, why is a ‘wilderness of peace’ not linked in above? I have to wait until Taranaich comments before I can get there.
@X_Sticks
Contribution made.
Looking forward to the exhibitions!
Bugger just listened to the link on manx radio its saying that we have to get uk govt to agree to the changes, looks like they are doing it unilaterally.. Must have been half asleep when I heard it this morning, sorry
Thanks Garry,
I know they already have exhibitions arranged in Aberdeen and Meldrum. The funding is for paying for other locations and transport. If any of you know of any friendly (or free) locations you can contact Gillian Martin here:
link to ayeinspired.blogspot.co.uk
Brilliant, Rev. Well done!
Got this posted on Facebook.
I’m curious.
How many times does Ian “I’ll gie ye a doin” Davidson have to be told that pensioners in an INDEPENDENT Scotland will receive a State pension before it permeates his thick skull and he figures out that a pensioner in Scotland does not have any worries about their pension in an independent Scotland?
More over, can someone please tell Ian “I’ll gie ye a doin” Davidson that it makes NO difference how many times he says “if you are saying what I think you are saying” the speaker will NOT be changing his evidence to please your petty little mindset!
Apologies if already posted but thought you might like this.
link to scotsman.com
@goldenayr
Nice to see VNB is foundering. However the Scotsman completely fails to point out what VNB actually is and who has paid for it. All the report does is blame ‘extreme nationalists’ ….. Hmmm …. I think London is the place to look for ‘extreme nats’.
galamcennalath
Would you expect anything else from The Hootsmon?
I see their sites under attack again,the spammers screwing all the time clocks and threads.You can post on one story and it will appear in another with a different time.
o/t Sorry Stu but think it might be on interest. Just filled an online YouGov poll on Indy.
“Just filled an online YouGov poll on Indy.”
Aye, I’ve seen it. Wonder if it’ll get published?
Bill Cruickshank
Can anyone contribute?
Just flicked over to STV to catch Rona going on about a dinosaur in Edinburgh, jeez.
Indy_Scot
Does the Dinosaur play the banjo Ukulele, the harp Ukulele or just the standard Ukulele?
O/T mostly
Hope the upcoming Edinburgh Flipper debate is as enjoyable as some of those posting are expecting – for those of you who can attend.
Continuing the theme of trying to work out where he might be slurking, I’d like to alert you to what might be an even juicer appearance of the chap himself.
Mr Darling is expected to appear solo ‘in conversation’ – probably with the strenuously neutral Torrance – on 22nd May at one of Dundee University’s 5 Million Questions sessions.
Hard to say, but in his general level of detachment from reality he may not have noticed that Dundee/Angus is Indy-central. The local SNP vote is known well enough, but we’re also proud to have given birth to LFI, equally proud of our exceptional group of local RICs and there are no shortage of un-aligned Yessers.
These 5MQs solo sessions allow for a lot more audience ‘interaction’ than we get with debates. With all these great questions, sources and quotes available via Wings, I’m sure we can be well prepared to give him the warmest of welcomes.
And pensions sounds like just the place to start. His own must be on his mind a lot of late – I’m sure we can settle his fears.
Do come along if you can.
You’ll find details by googling “5 Million Questions” to their website. 5MQ events are free and open to the public – but you’re supposed to pre-book online. (Never seen anyone bother check the e-tickets at previous sessions).
Similar event at Dundee Uni this week also, another ‘solo’ session – some bloke called Douglas Alexander. Often confused with Danny I hear. That’s understandable though – figuring out which Tory is which isn’t the easiest of things – and it doesn’t help that they all sound the same.
@goldenayr – you have to be on their panel of members which anyone can join. First time in a couple of years they have asked me anything political. Thought they were steering clear of because of my politics.
Wow… 23.20 on newsnight Scotland in the And Finally slot and we finally get a flash of the Newsnet Scotland article and about 10 seconds of Gordon Brewer mentioning the pension reassurance. Pisspoor from the BBC.
Nothing whatsoever from Scotland Today apart from some interesting stuff on dinosaurs. Talking of which… Scottish Questions at QM now on.
Just done the yougov poll. I thought the question on trust a bit oddly worded. Basically you were asked if you “trusted” Nicola Sturgeon or
you trusted Alistair Darling.
Or you trusted Nicola Sturgeon and Alistair Darling
or distrusted Nicola Sturgeon and Alistair Darling,
very strange.
This is incredible really. This completely destroys the “will my pensions be safe?” question, because the answer is now CATEGORICALLY “yes, because you have been paying national insurance all your life, so you will get your pension just like if you had moved to France or Spain.”
If this was something the Yes campaign had been trumpeting for the past two years which was now being demolished, it’d be front page news for a week at least. But because we are not served properly by our media, we have to wait until Sunday to stand even a chance of seeing the story given the weight it deserves, and only in one paper, for one day.
FMQs is going to be interesting, anyway.
Wait a second…the UK government will continue to pay pensions for anyone who’s paid into the system for long enough? So after Independence Day, my mum’s state pension will still be paid by the rUK DWP? That would be inconceivably awesome. No pensions to pay AT ALL in Scotland for existing pensioners? We’re free and clear!
Not sure if anyone caught Scottish Questions. I feel physically sick. Pure bile and bullshit, in their bloated echo chamber. I always felt that there was something seriously unconstitutional about a cabinet minister whose remit is purely and simply to use his post as a platform to attack the independence movement and the Scottish Government.
Having read Wings posts and comments since early in the year, the debate in the house of commons seems hopeless, ill informed, lazy, disingenuous and vindictive. Scottish Questions rises above the Scotsman comments page but far below your average boozed up discussion to be found in pubs the length and breadth of our country.
No wonder this is aired late at night (along with the vast majority of Scottish politics on TV. I defy anyone to watch this and vote No. What a retrograde step it would be to give these sanctimonious, braying herd of parasites the endorsement: “carry on as before”.
O/T re badges – have been trying to get SNP to post out the wee lapel pins to all members. Peter Murrell tells me they have given out 50k of their own Yes pins so had no plans to send out more to all members so I will change tack. He did kindly send me a fair number of Yes pins (the gold and silver SNP ones) so if anyone can use some or wants some to pass on, leave me a message in quarantine.
The BBC are as despicable as Goebbels naxi propaganda machine. After independence, can I volunteer for the duty of lining up Boothman and his cohorts and shooting them for treason? Who else would like to join the firing squad?
MAID-IN-SCOTLAND
Many thanks for the Pensioner info.
If I assume 903,300 current Pensioners Plus (?) 47,000 (?) females in the 60/62 to 65 range we will probably under-estimate @ 950,000 x current Pensioners resident in Scotland.
950,000 x £10,000 per annum = £95 million cut from London.
As said by ROLAND SMITH earlier, it will be 2051. before Holyrood fully funds state Pensions after :-
£95 million x 35years x Cuts to the London Treasury.
However, the Pensions Minister was not questioned about annual incremental increases.?
Anyone who sees “freebies” from Tories needs new eye-glasses.
Hmm. It’s too quiet, they’re up to something, I reckon.
Fairliered
That’s fairly irresponsible talk – thats the kind of comment that gets quoted in order to attack us. I trust it is a joke in poor taste.
The BBC will be broken up and a new broadcaster built to suit Scotland. Will there be significant changes in the way it is run, and safeguards from the editorial and institutional bias? Aye. Will there be changes in personnel? Aye. Will there be blood? Don’t be daft. I trust it’s a 1 am thing. Take it easy – but just think about who is watching this site.
Tam, the problem with the pins the SNP gave out is that the “Yes” is black on yellow. I don’t wear mine. It screams “Yes Scotland is the SNP!” (I wear a white-on-blue one given to me by John Finnie.)
I want to get hold of some of the gold and silver ones to give out. I was thinking of buying some but they’re not cheap in bulk and I only see the gold ones on the SNP web site. I’ll leave a message later in off-topic.
Yes Scotland should be giving the pins out like sweeties. The tin badges are all very well but they’re not appropriate for a lot of occasions. I only wear one when actively campaigning. I wear a pin badge all the time.
You know, never mind the “like” buttons people keep whining for, we need a “report” button. Referring to what Fairliered just posted.
BBC pension article not been updated for 4 months
link to bbc.co.uk
Morag
As wings gets more powerful and influential we are going to see the attempted rise of the agent provocateur trawling for folk to bite – they’re going to be pretty disappointed as the majority are perfectly pleasant folk it seems. It is tricky to distinguish who is just going a bit too far and something more sinister. I just get pissed off when I take time over my wee bit comment and it is immediately followed by a call to kill everyone at the beeb.
50k of the yellow snp yes badges – I’ve yet to see one of them worn. The SNP guy sent me about 50 of the nice wee silver and gold yes pins – if you can shift half of them that would be great. Aye – let me know how you want me to get them to you. Use tamjardine followed by @ gmail dot com if you want to avoid posting address.