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Wings Over Scotland


Another unfortunate oversight

Posted on January 30, 2019 by

Earlier on today we reported on a case of a Scottish Labour MP being inadvertently unacquainted with some quite pertinent facts regarding a public pronouncement they’d made. While we’d assumed this to be an isolated incident, it’s in fact our sad duty to report another example within the Northern Branch Office.

That’s the pro-Brexit former Labour minister Tom Harris, there, making just the sort of statement that this site like to fact-check. So let’s see the most recent data.

Oh.

We’ve put him right, and will of course publish his correction when it appears.

484 to “Another unfortunate oversight”

  1. Iain says:

    Not that it makes any difference to the gist of the story, but I think Bomber Harris left Labour some time ago. He evidently wants to be out of the EU more than he wants to be in a very vaguely pro EU Labour party (members, voters and most of its mps that is, not the leadership).

    Reply
  2. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Eh, yir on the ball today Rev Stu!

    Reply
  3. handclapping says:

    To be able to publish his correction you will need to be alive when it appears. I think this is one item on your bucket-list that will go unfulfilled.

    Reply
  4. Big Jock says:

    Tom Harris is an absolute clown. A Scotsman who is a little Englander. Man the barricades keep the Europeans out. Even now he can’t see what he has become. Just like all the public school Tories.

    Reply
  5. yesindyref2 says:

    The tweet from Merrick before that:

    SNP’s Joanna Cherry: “Scotland will have to decide whether it wants to be an unequal member of this union or an equal member of the European Union … the answer is a no-brainer.” Am afraid I agree with her.

    shows our people in Westminster ARE making an impact.

    Reply
  6. robertknight says:

    This shower of idiots must’ve life-long membership of the Flat Earth Society.

    Honestly! You could’nt make this s**t up!

    I’m coming round to the idea that being abducted by aliens anytime soon would not be a bad proposition – anything just to get out of the lunatic asylum that is the UK.

    Reply
  7. I’m surprised at this. Tom Harris always struck me as being highly intelligent, with a raper like wit a great recall of facts and figures and a good singer.

    Oh wait, no! I was thinking of Anita Harris. Sorry.

    Meanwhile, OT … Barclays moving £166bn from UK to Dublin.
    link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  8. Cubby says:

    That bampot Harris is one of the go to Britnats for the Britnat media in Scotland – never off Scotland Tonight and other Britnat media shows.

    Britnats lie and they lie all the time about nearly everything. They get away with it because the Britnat media collude with them.

    Reply
  9. Petra says:

    O/T

    To add insult to injury Jackie Bird has reported that Police Scotland has been excluded from receiving additional funding from Westminster to cover the potential Brexit fiasco crisis. Scotland the ONLY part of the UK to be booted up the backside as Westminster seeks to send 400 (of 1000 – 8%?) of our cops elsewhere, such as NIreland. Nicola Sturgeon is now expected to “mitigate” Westminster’s disaster by forking out money for a Brexit that the majority of Scots don’t want. Meanwhile Harvie is still going on about Cooncil cuts with no mention of the latest round of cuts, such as £55 million for our NHS, being deducted by Westminster. Anyone else on here pulling their hair out right now?

    Reply
  10. Den Cairns says:

    I want to be a Rev when I grow up?

    Reply
  11. Den Cairns says:

    That ‘?’ was actually a winky face. Gotta make these corrections ;o)

    Reply
  12. Bob Mack says:

    I have come to the conclusion that Scottish ( laughs to self), Labour are actually the DUP in kilts.

    They are following the Tories into the realms of sectarian politics hoping to steal the votes.

    They are from a bygone age. Out of talent,out of ideas, and past their sell by date. Sweep them from power permanently in this land,

    Reply
  13. jezza says:

    Treeza is bringing out a new book entitled:-

    “The Penny That Never Drops”.

    Reply
  14. Balaaargh says:

    If labour put out a press release that the weather in Scotland was nice and sunny, I would carry an umbrella.

    But that would never happen because they are incapable of saying ‘nice’ and ‘Scotland’ in the same sentence.

    Reply
  15. Marcia says:

    All their lies and empty promises made in 2014 will come back to haunt them quite soon.

    Reply
  16. Iain mhor says:

    @Bob Mack 7:12pm

    One of the more astute and concise explanations about Labour in Scotland. Those of us of who remember them of old know exactly where you’re coming from there. Well said.

    Reply
  17. Hamish100 says:

    If the Chief Constable decides sending Police Officers to Northern Ireland is not appropriate. Who over-rules him? It’s not the First Minister.

    Is Police Scotland under the control of another country should we not be told?

    Reply
  18. Truth says:

    If voting for Scotland’s independence wasn’t simply the right thing to do, I’d still do it just to wind up little shits like Harris.

    Reply
  19. Robert Peffers says:

    @yesindyref2 says: 30 January, 2019 at 6:49 pm:

    ” … shows our people in Westminster ARE making an impact.”

    They always did, yesindyref2, even when they were on their own or they were few in numbers. Thing is that while they worked their socks off the voters back in here in Scotland knew little or nothing about what they did.

    That would require an SMSM that not only had a Scottish mentality and put the interests of the people of Scotland before the interests of what they regarded as their paymasters.

    Their mistake was in failing to recognise who their actual paymasters were. The person(s), who signed their pay checks were not their actual paymasters for their actual paymasters were their readership.

    Now they are, right across the board, suffering from their mistake as the readerships of almost all media providers is dropping like Glasgow Pidgeon’s droppings on hospital roofs.

    Reply
  20. TheBuchanLoony says:

    Surely the United Kingdom ceases to exist immediately there is a no deal Brexit. The Treaty of Union will have been broken by one of its two equal signatories being taken out of the EU against it’s sovereign people’s will. Once a no deal Brexit actually happens and the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the EU, (and actually no longer exists) the EU will be free to recognise and support an automatically re-established independent Scotland wholly created by the actions of the other signatory of the Treaty of Union…Westminster.

    Reply
  21. Petra says:

    O/T

    Surely this can’t be correct? Put on the site by Yesindyref2 – last article.

    ‘British troops back in NIreland.’

    link to mobile.twitter.com

    Reply
  22. Republicofscotland says:

    Harris like SLAB is a laughing stock.

    Reply
  23. Capella says:

    @ Petra – there was a bomb outside a courtroom in Derry last week. All kicking off again as the “dreary spires” of Ulster emerge again out of the fog of BREXIT.

    Ian Blackford’s remark about the Good Friday Agreement fair rattled them.

    Reply
  24. Wee Alex says:

    Am I wrong? Surely a no deal means an end to the Good Friday agreement yet I’ve never heard one commentator talk about it.

    Just watched part of Sky News debate from Sunderland, the blind faith in Corbyn from trade unionists is incredible, equally the blinkered belief that the UK will negotiate good trade deals.

    Fortunately there was a well travelled person who put them right as to other Countries attitude to imperial Britain.

    Reply
  25. ScottishPsyche says:

    The NI stuff is really worrying. Already Ian Blackford’s concerns are being twisted the same way that Nicola Sturgeon’s warnings about EU citizens losing their right to stay.

    By warning it might disrupt the GFA the SNP are being accused of wanting it to happen. We need to be careful how we tread around this.

    Reply
  26. Essexexile says:

    Britnat, Britnat, Britnat, Britnat, Britnat, Britnat, Britnat……

    Reply
  27. Robert Peffers says:

    @jezza says: 30 January, 2019 at 7:15 pm:

    ” … Treeza is bringing out a new book entitled:-
    “The Penny That Never Drops

    Yeah! Jezza, it’s a prequel to her next book, (that being Theresa she is publishing <b<after that sequel), It’s called, “The Pound that Drops”.

    Reply
  28. HandandShrimp says:

    LOL at Tom Harris.

    Scotland’s increasingly pro EU position is an embarrassment to him…or is Tom an embarrassment to Scotland’s EU aspirations?

    Reply
  29. Essexexile says:

    A ‘joke’ emailed to me yesterday by a distant family member with Unionist credentials:
    How many SNP politicians does it take to change a light bulb?
    Nobody knows, they’d rather sit in the dark and blame it on the English.

    Reply
  30. geeo says:

    Oh how we laughed essex missile…not.

    Britnat desperado.

    Reply
  31. O/T

    I see a second hospital in Glasgow ( The Princess Royal Maternity ) is now fighting infection and being accused of poor infection control. Odd?

    We know what they will be discussing tomorrow at FMQ’s.

    —————————————–

    (Sadly two babies have died)

    Reply
  32. Auld Rock says:

    Capella and @Petra. Ask your self this, “Who stands to gain most from blaming IRA?” Simple answer DUP due to over 58% of yoons in N.I. would actually prefer a United Ireland than being out of EU. Just history of sleekit yoons repeating itself again, Parnell and now Salmond, see where they are going and thanks to yoon media they all answer in unison, nasty IRA again but as far as I’ve heard no one has claimed responsibility?

    Reply
  33. yesindyref2 says:

    @ScottishPsyche says: “We need to be careful how we tread around this.

    Indeed.

    Reply
  34. Capella says:

    @ Auld Rock – I agree. We know their methods. The visciousness of their response (Theresa May at PMQs today and Nigel Dodds yesterday) to Ian Blackford’s perfectly reasonable observation about the GFA shows how sensitive an issue this is.

    Re book title how about “Theresa: A Study in Tyranny”

    Reply
  35. jezza says:

    Meg Merilees,9.02pm

    Don’t be surprised if you see a Poll coming out at the weekend.

    Usually after a week of SNP Bad there follows a BritNat Poll by some Yoon outfit.

    Reply
  36. jezza says:

    Robert Peffers 8.37

    And the phrase “parity with the Euro” will become commonplace after Brexit.

    Reply
  37. Petra says:

    @ Capella at 8:18pm …”All kicking off again.”….

    I’m beginning to wonder if it would suit Westminster down to a tee if it all “kicked off” again in NIreland, Capella. And sending in troops right now would do just that (I was also reading that British troops / Intelligence were in NI late last year when they shouldn’t be there). They don’t have to request a Section 30 order in NIreland to hold a referendum. Get them all riled up; referendum, reunification, rid of. Job done.

    ……………………

    I was checking out the BBC NIreland site and see that the “go to the chippy” remark was “edited” somewhat by the BBC. No mention that the comment was aimed at Iain Blackford SNP and the video was cropped to exclude Caroline Lucas’s comments.

    link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  38. Graeme says:

    It seems to politics in the UK has descended so deep into the gutter, there’s no way back, politicians lie, cheat & deceive with impunity and the dirty tricks of today have become the precedences of tomorrow

    Here’s Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness calmly wipe the floor with Coburn & Farage etal in the European parliament and show how the so called mother of parliaments is viewed outside the UK

    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  39. Republicofscotland says:

    Alex Rowley carpeted by Richard Leonard for attempting to agree with the SNP on the Scottish budget.

    link to thenational.scot

    Reply
  40. Legerwood says:

    O/T
    Scotland’s exports increase by 5%. Interesting breakdown of where they are going.
    link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  41. Cubby says:

    How many Britnat Essex men does it take to screw in a lightbulb. None, they always screw in a pool of vomit.

    Reply
  42. twathater says:

    @ Bob Mack 7.12pm Labour in Scotland have always used sectarianism in Scotland to further their ends , it has been part and parcel of their methodology to keep the natives divided and confused whilst pillaging and troughing
    Hopefully most Scots have realised that they are a complete waste of OXYGEN and I For one will CELEBRATE when they are OBLITERATED in Scotland

    ———————————————————–

    Petra 7.03 pm. Petra As a Scottish tax payer I am VEHEMENTLY opposed to sending ANY of our police service to NI ,they should not be put in a position of grave danger due to the imbecilic actions of a shower of self serving greed driven imperialists who deliberately want to renege on an agreement that has helped to maintain peace in NI

    The Scottish police force is there to SERVE AND PROTECT the people of Scotland , if they are posted elsewhere they are not doing that job , the chief constable is the chief constable of Scotland who is also tasked with SERVING AND PROTECTING the people of Scotland not serving and protecting the people of NI

    If we have riots and civil unrest due to shortages of food and medicine I DEMAND that Scotland be protected by the police force that I and others pay for , not by fake uniformed britnat thugs who cannot be identified and who have been protected from prosecution

    Questions must be asked as to whose authority has been given to permit this unjustifiable decision to use our police in this reprehensible uncaring manner

    Reply
  43. Sarah says:

    @Petra and others re police to NI – I think Humza Yousaf is responsible for Scotland police so I’ve emailed to say don’t send our police to get injured/tainted in an avoidable mess created by Westminster.

    Reply
  44. Gary45% says:

    Colonialist Westminster= Never Never land.
    If Alex Rowley “genuinely” wants to work with the SNP for the good of Scotland, the door is open to him.
    Labour are now worse than the Tories, (I never thought I would say that), but Corbyn’s antics are beyond the pale, a total waste of a party/vote, at least you know where the Tories will stab you.
    Indy Aye.
    SNPx2.

    Reply
  45. Glamaig says:

    Legerwood says:
    30 January, 2019 at 9:37 pm

    O/T
    Scotland’s exports increase by 5%. Interesting breakdown of where they are going.
    link to bbc.co.uk

    That is interesting.

    3/5 of our exports go to rUK, 2/5 elsewhere. How much of those exports to rUK are ultimately shipped elsewhere?

    Also, the UK propaganda emphasises ‘4 times the trade’ because that hides the fact that we ‘import’ a disproportionate amount of stuff from England, so they lose out if we buy it elsewhere, which we could. In any case most of that stuff i.e. food and clothing etc is imported into England then repackaged and ‘exported’ to us.

    Im getting fed up with ‘4 times the trade’ shit. They are very good at coming up with these glib memes and they dont stand up to scrutiny but are hard to counter without getting all wordy.

    Reply
  46. Essexexile says:

    Cubby @9.39pm
    You’re happy with that post are you?

    Reply
  47. Robert Peffers says:

    @ScottishPsyche says: 30 January, 2019 at 8:34 pm:

    ” … By warning it might disrupt the GFA the SNP are being accused of wanting it to happen. We need to be careful how we tread around this.”

    Have you learned nothing yet, ScottishPsyche?

    It doesn’t matter a damn what the SNP, or for that matter the people of Scotland say, The Westminster Establishment, (blue, red and orange), and the hostile SMSM, will forge an SNPBAAAD, Story out of it.

    These chancers have always bastardised the meanings of words to mean whatever they say they mean but that doesn’t make the new meanings correct. What makes them seem to be correct is when people accept them as right when they factually are wrong.

    For the most basic of such Westminster Establishment brainwashing propaganda lies we only needs look at Westminster itself and the lies that over 50% of the people of Scotland accept as correct.

    Westminster ceased to be the parliament of both the country and Kingdom of England on 30 April 1707 but how do we know that is true? Because the Records of Westminster held by Hansard tells us that the Parliament of The Kingdom of England in April 1707 passed the English ACT Of Union and permanently dissolved itself. There has not been an actual elected parliament of England since that time.

    On 1 May 1707 the Westminster Parliament became the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland. Thing is that what constituted that United Kingdom was The Treaty of Union that had only two kingdoms as its signatories. Thus the United Kingdom is a bipartite, (two partner), union of kingdoms and thus the resultant United Kingdom is undoubtedly a United Kingdom. It is not a union of two signatory countries and not a union of four countries both of which would have formed a union of countries. It was, and remains a union of only two kingdoms and is thus, as it calls itself, A United Kingdom of equally sovereign kingdoms.

    Yet Westminster and it’s elected person’s and paid civil servants invariably calls it, “The Country”. They also refer to it as Britain but Britain or Great Britain but it is neither. It is only part of Britain for Britain is a group of islands and they are not all under Westminster rule.

    Yet Westminster now runs as the de facto Parliament of the Country of England that assumes itself the sovereign authority over the other three devolved administrations but it still calls itself the parliament of the United Kingdom and it cannot actually be both. If it is The United Kingdom it cannot have the country of England devolving power to three countries.

    Even if it devolved powers equally to the four countries in the United Kingdom it couldn’t be the United Kingdom Government for that would make it a Federal system and would have four equal country parliaments and a separate Federal Parliament. A bit like the USA.

    Westminster is, undoubtedly the de facto parliament of the country of England and illegally claims to be sovereign over all three other United Kingdom countries. EVEL proves that is so.

    Yet, right here on Wings, we have people accepting that Westminster is sovereign as is evident by their usage of terms like, “The rUK”. These people mentally accept that Westminster is sovereign and thus the Kingdom/country of Scotland will be, “Leaving a still remaining, or rump, United Kingdom.

    However, as the United Kingdom is a two partner union of equally sovereign kingdoms there is no remainder or rump United Kingdom when the two kingdoms part company – Scotland cannot leave the United Kingdom behind Scotland can only end the United Kingdom.

    We do not need to tread carefully – we need to assert our legal status and make it stick. No court, outside of the Westminster instigated Supreme Court, wold chance losing its international credibility by ruling that the United Kingdom still existed when one of its only two partner kingdoms left and thus ended the United Kingdom.

    It would be like Texas leaving the USA federation and claiming it was the rUSA.

    Reply
  48. jezza says:

    We need Independent Scotland EU status as fast as we can get it.

    Billions of dollars of inward investment are pouring into the Republic of Ireland as we speak.

    Every minute wasted in this stikin Union with England is costing us Billions.

    It is ballbusting watching Billions pour into the Irish treasury instead of pouring into an Independent Scottish treasury.

    Reply
  49. geeo says:

    @Republicofscotland. 9.37pm

    The link in your post highlights something the media never promote.

    It only needs 2 INDIVIDUAL ‘rebel’ MSP’s from any of the parties to vote for the budget to pass it.

    If those in office (in opposition) fear their cushy number could be threatened by a Holyrood election caused by a budget vote down, which would piss off a lot of the Scottish Electorate, they may decide to vote with the SNP and pass it.

    If their party sh*ts on them for doing so against the whip, all they need do is to threaten to resign from the party and cross the floor to the SNP, creating an SNP majority.

    That threat would make them fireproof, they claim ‘national interest’, and become much more electable in the next Holyrood election, be that as an independant candidate if we vote Yes beforehand, or
    as a principled candidate if we vote No.

    As currently constituted, none of the Scottish branches of British unionist parties, can legally operate in an indy Scotland, so anyone seen to stand up for the best interests of Scotland over Party, will be on a good footing for the/their future.

    Reply
  50. Muscleguy says:

    I will not vote Labour again until either: hell is confirmed to both exist and to have frozen over.

    OR

    Independence is so done and dusted and established that they can be trusted not to start wanting us to reunion with Little Britain and earn the title of tractor (pre self edited).

    Reply
  51. we can only hope that when Scotland as an Independent nation within the EU beds in, this man, a Blair Neo Conservative who is now one of the BBC/STV clique of Brit Nats ,never off the telly or radio,an ‘expert’ on everything from movies to pot holes, fucks off back to his heartland, Merrie England.
    He comes across as an arrogant tosser every time he opens his mouth.
    We Scots are deluded, we should just bow to our Imperial Masters as he has done.
    Aye, right.
    Let’s hope they all fuck off on Indy Day.
    Thet add no value and contribute nothing to the well being of Scotland, which is why they get big bucks and appearance money from the State Propaganda Machine.

    Reply
  52. Robert Louis says:

    It suits the DUP just fine, if their is a hard brexit and a very hard border with N.Ireland and Ireland. The very last thing they want is a nice easy border between N.Ireland and Ireland. Why? because a hard border makes the idea of re-unification of Ireland much harder to achieve.

    Make no mistake the DUP despise Dublin to this day. A hard brexit is EXACTLY what they want, and the backstop is EXACTLY the opposite of what they want.

    And at the root of it all, that is Theresa May’s problem. That and the fact she is a brazen liar, unfit for office.

    Reply
  53. ScottishPsyche says:

    @RobertPeffers

    I am perfectly aware of how the SNP’s role will be distorted.

    I was referring to commentary around the GFA. There are many pitfalls in those outside appearing to interfere in NI politics however well-meaning and apposite the comments of Ian Blackford.

    I don’t see how any of this fits into yet another diatribe about sovereignty.

    Reply
  54. Essexexile says:

    That’s the trouble with you Cubby and the thing, above all else, that I really have a problem with.
    You are one of a number of commenters on WoS who have seen the word Essex in my profile name and lazily assumed I am what you think fits a certain stereotype.
    It’s deeply unpleasant, narrow minded racism and I can assure you with total belief that you are much, much closer in mindset to what you think of as a Britnat than anybody else who comments here. I see and hear plenty of pillocks in this part of the world who sound very like you, they just use different words to insult people.
    We have to eradicate discrimination from the dark recesses of the Scottish psyche.

    Reply
  55. Robert J. Sutherland says:

    jezza @ 21:26,

    Post-Brexit, we’ll be damn lucky if it’s even parity. With no-deal, the pound will likely tank.

    Which does rather have implications for currency options post-indy.

    Reply
  56. K1 says:

    Thanks for that link Graeme, she’s great, I’m going to keep her twitter feed on a permanent tab now, she’s astute, intelligent but far more saliently…very funny and I badly need a laugh right now just to cope wi these utter Tory nutjobs and their utterly compliant obsequious msm, hand in glove destroying every vestige of sanity left on these islands.

    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  57. Dr Jim says:

    Now that the teachers look like settling their pay offer Labour have begun winding up the other professions who didn’t get as much claiming they’re undervalued by the SNP

    There’s no filth quite like Labour filth, they never change

    Reply
  58. Effijy says:

    The EU Brexit negotiators have confirmed that the English no longer understand plain English.

    Maleficent May should save the Air Fare as
    No Means No, A red. white,and blue No, both a Hard and Soft No!

    She has indeed brought the very best deal that she could get and it stinks.

    Love May’s threats not to pay their dues to the EU if there is no deal. Who would then want to set up a new trade deal with a
    corrupt country that reneges on long established deals?

    Do love the idea that Farage, Cochrane and Kinnock wouldn’t
    get their fabulous EU pensions if Westminster defaults. Ha Ha!

    Reply
  59. Petra says:

    Spot on, Auld Rock (9:02pm). They must think that we all came up the Clyde on a bicycle.

    …………………………..

    @ twathater / Sarah ….

    A meeting of the top UK cops was held a few weeks ago (reported in the National) and an agreement was made, say by Police Scotland, that they would provide around 400 cops to NIreland in the event of a Brexit crisis. Then the BBC reported that it only related to the “marching season.” EH!

    We can see that this is a recipe for disaster for the population of NIreland and additionally could escalate to include Scotland. And of course we need OUR Police on OUR streets. One also wonders what big mouth Rennie has to to say about this? Rennie who’s never done by moaning about Police shortages. And Leonard, Harvie and Carlaw? In particular the Unionists who told us all we’d be protected by the broad shoulders of England, basically, if we remained in the Union. Protected by strong and stable, Theresa bl**dy May.

    Now CC Iain Livingstone is telling us (on Reporting Scotland) that Westminster has allocated additional funds around the UK, to deal with a crisis, that is other than Scotland. He wants the SG to ask Westminster for the funds. You honestly couldn’t make this sh*t up. Thank God we’ll be bailing out of this madhouse in the very near future. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t think I can take much more of this, but “more of this” is sure to come.

    Reply
  60. jezza says:

    Robert j Sutherland

    Would you go with the Euro in an Independent Scotland?

    Reply
  61. Cubby says:

    The Britnat parties refusing to support the Scotgov budget unless they agree to become a Britnat party. It looks like the Britnat parties are becoming one policy only parties – stop Scotland becoming a NORMAL independent country.

    Labour the Tories and the Lib dems – just the same Britnat party with different labels.

    Reply
  62. Petra says:

    @Geeo at 10:05pm …. “It only needs two rebels.”…

    And they might just get it as I don’t see any number of them risking their seats if there’s a GE. Even the Tories might be concerned that it would show that support for the SNP is rising. So, who knows?

    Reply
  63. uno mas says:

    link to rt.com

    Here is a very interesting article and video about the damage to the London financial centre re the Bank of England´s handling of the gold it holds deposited by the Venezuelan government.

    Reply
  64. Cubby says:

    The man from Essex posting mince again. Britnats have been making racist jokes about the Scots/Irish/ Welsh for centuries. Any complaints have been met with – no sense of humour Mick/Jock/Taffy. When did Essex become a race? No sense of humour in Essex.

    Essexexile you are just a pratt. You are certainly not a race. Just a pratt talking a lot of mince. You are full of it and I’m not talking about haggis.

    Reply
  65. When we do get Independence should these people,politicians and media, be brought to account for their constant lies and misinformation,

    like the Nuremberg trials or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa),

    would hate to think these people will walk away without some sort of accountability.

    Reply
  66. Liz g says:

    Petra @ 11.02 & geeo @ 10.05
    I can’t see the Tories wanting to go into an election without Ruth the mouth either

    Reply
  67. Sarah says:

    @ Petra 10.47: I am shocked at this whole Police Scotland to N Ireland matter – and the refusal of extra funding to Scottish Police only is beyond belief. Westminster gov is totally out of order.

    Reply
  68. robbo says:

    geeo says:
    30 January, 2019 at 10:05 pm
    @Republicofscotland. 9.37pm

    The link in your post highlights something the media never promote.

    It only needs 2 INDIVIDUAL ‘rebel’ MSP’s from any of the parties to vote for the budget to pass it.

    If they get the independent to vote= +1 then the no party affiliation vote +1. Does that not do it?

    Reply
  69. these are the words of the TaoIseach tonight during a speech to the Irish Farmer’s Union

    “I think the words of the poet Maya Angelou apply perfectly to Brexit: While hoping for the best, we must be ‘prepared for the worst and unsurprised by anything in between’.”

    Good advice for us as well re indy ref2.

    Heard a discussion on Farming today on Monday morning re the effect of WTO tariffs on Welsh lamb.

    Basically it will cause a 45% increase in price !!!!! unless the UK agrees that there should be no tariff on Welsh lamb – problem is, if they agree that, then there cannot be a tariff on any lamb from anywhere in the world and guess who has lots of lamb — New Zealand and Australia.
    Guess who would lose out either way – Wales.

    And that’s just one case…

    Reply
  70. Robert J. Sutherland says:

    jezza @ 22:55.

    On balance, in the bleak event of a no-deal Engexit, I reckon we would probably (have to) transit from tracking sterling to our own currency PDQ. In the event that the pound tanks before indy, I don’t know. The damage would already have been done.

    But I think it could be useful to permit the euro as a voluntary trading currency anyway. (I forget the correct terminology here.) This could be attractive to visitors from the Eurozone, for example. But entirely up to retailers whether they would accept payment in that form or not.

    Reply
  71. Robert Peffers says:

    @Meg merrilees says: 30 January, 2019 at 9:02 pm:

    ” … I see a second hospital in Glasgow ( The Princess Royal Maternity ) is now fighting infection and being accused of poor infection control. Odd?

    It is a prime job of hospitals to fight diseases of all kinds and that means all hospitals are choc a bloc with infectious diseases. Thus hospital acquired infections is something there has always been and always will be.

    Their other prime job is to correct abnormalities and repair injuries – this too has wounds and other operations that leave the patients vulnerable to infections.

    It is like complaining about the litter of rubbish on a council tip.

    ” … (Sadly two babies have died)”,.

    Factually the most vulnerable time of out lives is the first few minutes after our birth.

    What else do these numpties imagine we have in our hospitals, disease free patients? If they were disease free they wouldn’t be there.

    The whole reason the hospitals have such strict rules about cleanliness and personal hygiene is because hospitals are hotbeds of disease..

    Reply
  72. Dr Jim says:

    The opposition have made an issue of demonising other currencies no matter what they are as if the great British £ is the bestest and onliest usable currency on the planet because it’s not bad foreign horrible money that will instantly burst into flames in your hands and make you poor miserable and the laughing stock of the world, and they wouldn’t let you use it anyway whatever it was, and people who have no memory of the days when you changed currency for every country you chose to visit panic at the very thought of different money now

    When folk go on their holidays they think nothing of changing their money into Euros and spending it quite happily throughout Europe or Dollars in America yet if you suggest Scotland might change to another currency they practically explode with terror as though it’s impossible to countenance such a foolhardy thing

    Half a billion people use the Euro, our Irish neighbours use the Euro, stock markets trade the stuff every day, bread and milk are bought with it and I’ve never seen a soul burst into flames yet

    They can call money Spondooliks for all I care and there might even be a currency called Spondooliks somewhere for all I know

    If it’s money and you can spend it what’s wrong with that
    Ordinary people don’t control the value of money only the people who deal in buying and selling it do that and gosh who was it said we couldn’t use the £ and be forced to use the Euro? the people who buy and sell it that’s who

    Reply
  73. cynicalHighlander says:

    Own currency full stop. Nothing else.

    Reply
  74. Davie Oga says:

    Scotland has made real progress in dealing with sectarianism and racism compared to when I was a child but things have been going backwards since the referendum loss. If the Scottish Government has complete control of Police Scotland, it is beyond belief that they would acquiesce to the deployment of Scottish Police to Northern Ireland. What on earth are they thinking? What good can come of it?

    If you are reading these comments and you voted for the union because you thought it was in your interest, I would urge you to reconsider your position.

    If you are a political unionist reading these comments- you fucking disgust me.
    Disgraceful people unfit for public office
    and a parasitic plague upon our nation.

    Reply
  75. Petra says:

    @ Liz at 11:37pm . ….”Without Ruth the Mouth..

    Who’s that, lol? They’d probably just send out “No Surrender” flyers with Dirty Money Davidson sitting on a tank gazing lovingly at wee Finn in his red, white and blue baby gro (with matching dummy). Meanwhile I reckon that she’s looking for another job and / or planning to move to the RoI.

    ……………

    @ Sarah at 11:29pm …. ” Westminster gov is totally out of order.”

    I’ve actually run out of nasty adjectives to describe that cesspit, Sarah, and can’t wait for the day when our MPs march out and let them all get on with it. Oh, happy days …

    ……………………..

    Don’t forget the stinking part that the Labour Party has played in the outcome of Tuesday’s amendments over and above the SNP’s. Yvette Cooper’s own party scuppered hers and 7 Labour politicians and the three so-called Independents pushed the Brady amendment through. Add to that them supporting the Tories austerity measures previously. How I ever voted for the Labour Party I’ll never know. Anyway better late than never.

    link to inews.co.uk

    Reply
  76. Liz g says:

    David it’s @ 12.13
    Well that really depends under which legislation the services of Police Scotland were requested?
    If it’s national/state security,then it’s a reserved matter.
    And it also begs the question …. Who do they take their orders from?
    If it’s as I suspect the MOD,then that’s a whole different ball game.Because then we are talking about a military police force.
    Then there are these troops that are going to be deployed on the streets in the UK mainland…. Who is in charge of them?
    Especially since our own Police Scotland numbers have been reduced..
    And to be completely pedantic…. Is the Scottish Police income tax still to be paid to Holyrood while on secondment to N. Ireland… Sometimes following the money throws up all sorts of other information!

    Reply
  77. Liz g says:

    Petra @ 12.24
    Hey whit can ah say… Spell check hates me…
    But at least now I can 🙂 ha ha
    And anyway mooth or mouth… ye knew fine well who I ment:-)

    Reply
  78. geeo says:

    robbo @11.30pm

    Eh ??

    There are no independent or non affiliated MSP’s in Holyrood.

    Could you clarify what you mean ?

    It seems simple enough the way i put it.

    Folk can also abstain if they do not want to vote against their party.

    Reply
  79. robbo says:

    geeo says:
    31 January, 2019 at 12:43 am
    robbo @11.30pm

    Eh ??

    There are no independent or non affiliated MSP’s in Holyrood.

    Could you clarify what you mean ?

    It seems simple enough the way i put it.

    Folk can also abstain if they do not want to vote against their party.

    Well this thinghy here link to parliament.scot ???

    Reply
  80. yesindyref2 says:

    The police services around the UK help each other out, with information, resources, intelligence – and officers. Nothing unusual or untoward in that, some peak event like a royal wedding means officers from Scotland going down south – and something like the G8 with demos and other things, officers from the Met (and others) come to Scotland.

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    The decision to co-operate or not is that of Police Scotland’s chief constable – Iain Livingstone – a Scot.

    In this case it’s 400 officers, including those needed in Scotland in case of Brexit disturbance. And like a good Scot, Livingstone wants Westminster to bear the cost, and seems to be quite peed off that they haven’t offered so far, whereas funds have been allocated to Wales, NI and some English forces.

    Where there’s a threat of terrorism, the army can be called on – but are under the CONTROL of the police, in our case, Police Scotland – as in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

    Reply
  81. robbo says:

    robbo says:
    31 January, 2019 at 12:46 am
    geeo says:
    31 January, 2019 at 12:43 am
    robbo @11.30pm

    Eh ??

    There are no independent or non affiliated MSP’s in Holyrood.

    Could you clarify what you mean ?

    It seems simple enough the way i put it.

    Folk can also abstain if they do not want to vote against their party.

    Well this thinghy here link to parliament.scot ???

    Right its that Mark MacDonald- former SNP and that Ken MacIntosh – i take it his doesn’t count but what about MacDonald?

    So if that Labour wan mentioned earlier by some one on here -if he defects that is 2

    Reply
  82. robbo says:

    Rowley the labour wan

    Reply
  83. robbo says:

    The other thing is – what if the greens abstain?
    Can the budget be carried then?

    If they do then 3 x Britnats can’t beat SNP ‘s 62 ?

    Reply
  84. robbo says:

    3 x britnat parties that should say

    Reply
  85. geeo says:

    Rowley will not vote with the SNP.

    Reply
  86. robbo says:

    Just asking out loud Geeo ma man/women – I’m no parliamentarian lol

    Reply
  87. geeo says:

    No problem, was just a bit confused by lack of context.

    Mark McDonald will not vote against the budget.

    Anyhoo…try this from a post on facebook, apparently someone tells Ian Blackford to F*ck off at PMQ’s.

    link to facebook.com

    Reply
  88. robbo says:

    Aye well we’ll find out the mora no doubt how it pans oot..

    Reply
  89. Davie Oga says:

    Indyref2

    Whether the chief constable is a Scot or not it is a retrograde step to involve Scottish police in any potential problems England’s brexit causes in Ireland. There is a segment of the population in Northern Ireland who will treat them as an occupying force.

    Reply
  90. robbo says:

    Stu -I’m sure that retweet you done on Digby Jones.

    Am sure that Digby Jones idiot was on telly the day or yest saying he wanted to stay in the EU to a interviewer on BBC or Sky –

    wtf ??
    either that or i’m going aff ma heid wae brexit input!

    Reply
  91. Dr Jim says:

    I don’t know about what’s reserved and what’s devolved regarding police but if I were a cop and they asked or ordered me to police Northern Ireland I’d be saying no thanks and sack me if you like I joined Police Scotland as a job to serve as an officer in Scotland not a puppet soldier replacement for the UK government

    If our government has any say in this I do hope they say it loud and clear because Police Scotland is supposed to be a service by consent of the people of Scotland not a force by order of the UK and as far as I’m aware the Scottish taxpayer (that’s me) doesn’t want my officers policing somewhere else at my expense and putting them at risk for the UKs political purposes and ruining good relations between Northern Ireland and Scotland like they did before

    If any of this is correct my objections to it are legion and I hope too are the Scottish government’s

    Reply
  92. Dr Jim says:

    Boy do I hope none of the opposition back the budget at any stage and force a Scottish GE because the Tories and Labour will be mauled to death by the Scottish electorate and not only will the budget be passed we’ll get Independence out of it too

    So c’mon Tories and Labour make my day punks

    I forgot about the Lib Dems, but then doesn’t everybody

    Reply
  93. Essexexile says:

    Cubby
    I didn’t come to WoS to trade insults but it is all you seem capable of. Nasty, thinly veiled racism.
    We have to eradicate discrimination from the dark recesses of the Scottish psyche.

    Reply
  94. yesindyref2 says:

    @Davie Oga / @Dr Jim
    I think it’s to work at ports and airports, not on the streets. I agree it should be a political decision by the Scottish Government though, as it’s not normal policing needs – and it is our money.

    Reply
  95. Davie Oga says:

    Essex Exile 3:12

    The main abomination in darkest regions of the Scottish psyche is unicorn unionism and British state sanctioned religious bigotry.

    Reply
  96. Iain says:

    Is it not madness to send an unarmed Scottish police force to a reason of England where the police are all armed.

    Reply
  97. Iain says:

    Sorry ment region.

    Reply
  98. Cactus says:

    Did anybuddy hear THAT interview with the American/Canadian weather-person guest on BBCSco earlier on there… sounded like he was in the BBC studio with him.

    No delay, clear voice, no echo and the changeovers flowed too seamlessly.

    Ah thought ah was listening to one of the parody radio stations on Grand Theft Auto V (out in Trevorland) at first there. In fact, the guy reminded me of the outside reporter dude from the Dateline Scotland series.

    Last day of January 2019 y’all.

    Reply
  99. Petra says:

    “Should we be generous?” ……….. NAW

    link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com

    Reply
  100. Robert Louis says:

    I see the same old p*sh regarding independent Scotland and the Euro are being trotted out yet again.

    How many times??

    Noticed Sky’s Kay burley at it the other day, essentially saying ‘everybody knows Scotland would be forced to adopt the Euro if it were independent in the EU’.

    NO IT WOULDN’T. This has been clarified a million times, yet still so-called journalists and unionists trot it out. It is a complete lie.

    For any country to adopt the Euro, it must be within the European exchange rate mechanism (ERM) for two years, and meet a number of fiscal standards, level of budget debt etc. Then and only then can it be approved to APPLY to join the Euro. Membership of the ERM is completely voluntary.

    Denmark is in the EU, and does not use the Euro.

    Sweden is in the EU and does not use the Euro.

    And the most f***ing obvious of them all, THE UK IS CURRENTLY IN THE EU AND DOES NOT USE THE EURO.

    Many countries in the EU do not use the Euro. Independent Scotland would NOT be forced to use the Euro.

    Any so-called journalists who do not know all of this, should be either sacked for stupidity, or called out as the liars they are.

    Reply
  101. call me dave says:

    Jings! Looks at clock …07:28hrs…Huh. 🙁

    Radio shortbread is on..Alan Stubbs..Hibs just lift the phone 🙂

    Willie Rennie.. Independence fully on… No deal on budget.. Yawn!

    More autonomy, more stability local cooncil budgets, meaningful reform says Greens and oh..other parties are posturing.
    It’s all about trust and commitment in the next two years etc etc
    Aye right Andy!

    OMG ‘toodle-oo-the noo’ is also awake. “Andy is quite charming”

    Switch off…cuddle in.. will resurface later. ZZZZZZZZ

    Reply
  102. robbo says:

    robbo says:
    31 January, 2019 at 2:00 am
    Stu -I’m sure that retweet you done on Digby Jones.
    Am sure that Digby Jones idiot was on telly the day or yest saying he wanted to stay in the EU to a interviewer on BBC or Sky –
    wtf ??
    either that or i’m going aff ma heid wae brexit input!

    What a terrible few hours kip i had there-this was in ma brain all nicht!
    Right what i think he said was -” I wanted to be in a reformed EU”or words to that effect before he was a brexiteer- didn’t a lot of folk,but that’s crap he didn’t want immigrants either the fecking liar!
    Can’t remember what outlet it was-think it was outside parliament not in studio.

    Reply
  103. Breeks says:


    Wee Alex says:
    30 January, 2019 at 8:33 pm
    Am I wrong? Surely a no deal means an end to the Good Friday agreement yet I’ve never heard one commentator talk about it.

    It does threaten the Good Friday Agreement, but it is without question the action of the British Government which is responsible for sabotaging an International Peace Treaty, and there will leverage brought to bear upon the United Kingdom to “think again”.

    Not just the removal of carrot, that the UK will not get a trade deal with Europe, but the appliance of stick, that the UK will suffer trade embargos, sanctions, foreign assets frozen, restricted movement, and the permanent seat on the UN Security Council suspended or revoked.

    The problem is, the Treaty, the Good Friday Agreement, upon being breached no longer technically exists, and a new Treaty would be needed to replace it. At the flick of a switch, you open Pandora’s box…

    It seems desperately disappointing, and desperately infuriating, that the UK Government, both May and Corbyn, draw some weird misguided solace from the faulty belief this disastrous course of events can all be blamed on Europe and the UK’s reckless Brexit misadventure thereby excused. This cannot end well. This is a dangerous mindset.

    The UK is in desperate, desperate trouble, but confounded at every turn by its own intrinsic incompetence, and of course the depraved contemptible British media egging the big red bus to drive faster and faster over a cliff like a psychotic Pennywise pied piper.

    Scotland must have no part in this. We cannot let our own Country be complicit. We must not allow our Nation to be Brexited. It doesn’t even matter if you are pro, or anti Europe. Brexit has outgrown that simple choice, and morphed into a grotesque act of indescribably reckless self harm that’s now on course to plough into innocent bystanders at the bus stop.

    Scotland can stop this. Maybe not all of it, but Scotland can at least pull a couple of wheels off the bus.

    Reply
  104. Breeks says:

    …Oh yeah, and take the oil out the engine.

    Reply
  105. Robert Peffers says:

    No we are not happy with that comment. It doesn’t mention that in Scotland the vast majority of light fittings are bayonet cap and not Edison screw. Thus lamp bulbs are generally not screwed in anyway.

    Reply
  106. manandboy says:

    Through Brexit the vile truth about the English Establishment has been revealed, and to an extent that is genuinely shocking. Majestic arrogance alloyed to persistent treachery and dishonesty, and all of it expressed via the Tory Party, but also in a number of Labour MPs.
    This is surely the Union in its death throes.

    The other ‘home’ countries watch in disbelief, as The Tories proceed to kill the Union single-handedly.

    Reply
  107. Legerwood says:

    Apparently the Scotsman is reporting that Ms Sturgeon has told SNP leaders to prepare for an election. Holyrood?

    It is The Scotsman so…?

    Reply
  108. Nana says:

    link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com

    link to barrheadboy.com

    link to itisintruthnotforglory.wordpress.com

    WATCH: Scottish workers have been failed by Westminster and the UK political parties, who have continuously refused to devolve employment law.
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  109. Nana says:

    link to snpdumfries.org

    link to rbs.postach.io

    In the sea of stupid delusional drivel spewing from Westminster this week, it’s worth bearing in mind just how massive our Scottish resources are.
    link to facebook.com

    link to stirlingsnp.com

    Reply
  110. Nana says:

    link to theneweuropean.co.uk

    link to opendemocracy.net

    “British politics is becoming poisoned, the British constitution is in a state of disrepair,” says Greek former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis
    video
    link to twitter.com

    link to thepeoplesnewsonline.co.uk

    Reply
  111. Essexexile says:

    RP@8.04am
    All new builds and refurbs are LED now with 10000+ hrs lifespan so that joke construct is already out of date!

    Reply
  112. Nana says:

    chocks away!
    link to twitter.com

    link to ukandeu.ac.uk

    Barclays prepares to trigger £166bn no-deal Brexit plan
    link to archive.is

    Former European Commissioner Viviane Reding MEP calls out the false claims of the Brexiters. She absolutely nails it.
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  113. Legerwood says:

    Re sending Scottish Police to Northern Ireland.

    If martial law is declared then Westminster will have the deciding say in which police go where under their emergency powers.

    Under normal circumstances Westminster probably would not have those powers.

    Post-no deal Brexit and martial law then ‘normal’ does not apply.

    Probably send officers who have fire-arms training.

    Reply
  114. Petra says:

    Yeah Scottish election, Legerwood.

    Reply
  115. Nana says:

    There’s a video so pointless archiving
    link to theguardian.com

    Will not archive
    link to huffingtonpost.co.uk

    link to rt.com

    link to irishtimes.com

    Reply
  116. Dave McEwan Hill says:

    The fact of the matter is that the UK would actually be far better off now if it had adopted the Euro.

    It started at 67P and is now almost worth a pound.

    The anti Euro sentiment is completely irrational and based on anti EU sentiment and English exceptionalism.

    Reply
  117. admiral says:

    link to theguardian.com

    Labour – bought and sold for Tory gold!

    Reply
  118. Nana says:

    Three lots of links have not appeared. I’m getting ‘duplicate comment’ on second attempts.

    Check back later to see if they do.

    Reply
  119. Nana says:

    Peston says
    link to facebook.com

    Labour are Tory enablers
    link to twitter.com

    link to instituteforgovernment.org.uk

    Jeremy_Hunt tells @BBCr4today UK govt will propose two things to EU
    Read on
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  120. Effijy says:

    How many Westminster MPs over how many years
    Does it take to negotiate the Trade of Light Bulbs
    Between England and the EU?

    Well nobody knows but every MP has had several votes and 3 years
    So far to keep Europe in the dark!

    Essex- the home of Fake Tans on Fake people with Botox injections
    And Polar White Porcelan Teeth!

    Where would we all be without TOWIE and
    JC the ice berg crusher?

    Reply
  121. Dorothy Devine says:

    I just realised that Westminster is like the nasty , big bully at school who has inveigled all others to join in against the ‘victim’ just in case they are the next picked on – from ‘woofing ‘ at an SNP MP, shouting obscenities at SNP MPs , shouting Go Home! at SNP MPs and ‘let them eat chips’ it is a shocking litany of disrespect and gutter behaviour .

    Add to that the drivelling , snivelling snit of MSM so ‘even handed’ in dishing out blame as they did in freedom Square on the 19th or as they did in the HoC when commentating yesterday – Scots and those who call this country home WAKE UP.

    Reply
  122. Nana says:

    No-deal war games as MoD names Brexit its ‘highest priority’
    link to archive.vn

    link to bloomberg.com

    Good question – Where’s all the money gone
    link to twitter.com

    Thug Bradley Wallace admits spitting at Glasgow priest Tom White during Orange Walk
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  123. Cyber-Corroboree says:

    I’m wondering if Scotland unilaterally dissolves the UK, does that mean the signed agreement between the UK and Dublin re: the backstop is no longer valid as effectively one of the signatories e.g. the UK is no longer extant?

    How does that work?

    Reply
  124. yesindyref2 says:

    @Nana (you knew I’d look!)

    The military’s contingency planning is designed to assist the government in case of any disruption – such as blockages with the flow of goods in and out of the country – if the UK leaves the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

    Apparently, they’re going to invade the Low Ccountries and near parts of France and commandeer pigs, cows, sprouts and medicines, taking full control of the tunnel and ports.

    The MOD say that they’re up for it.

    Reply
  125. Bob Mack says:

    I haven’t seen it anywhere else, but the American Congress is just about to add to Mrs May’s problems.

    A resolution has been submitted stating that Congress will insist on the border in Ireland remaining open, as Mr Mitchell at the time had a lot of input on behalf of American Irish interests in the US.

    They feel this obligation must be honoured.

    Interesting

    Reply
  126. Cubby says:

    Essexexile@3.12am

    “I didn’t come to WOS to trade insults…” well why do you start a stream by insulting.

    I know fine well why you are on Wings Mr Britnat from Essex.

    You are full of it and I don’t mean haggis.

    Reply
  127. Nana says:

    Morning yesindyref2, I thought you might

    @Bob Mack

    I posted this yesterday morning

    link to irishtimes.com

    Reply
  128. stu mac says:

    We could do with more discussion on whether the SNP has allowed itself to be conned into a “fiscal trap”. Here’s one view:
    link to thenational.scot

    If he is correct then the SNP should not be so sanguine about pointing this out even if it is a little bit to their detriment. Labour for instance are always demanding income tax to be much higher (though I doubt they’d actually do it themselves) but if what this article claims is correct, that would only lose us much more money.

    I’d like to see this argued out and publicly so the wider SMSM couldn’t ignore it. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  129. euan0709 says:

    Legerwood 8.15am….”probably sending officers who have firearms training”.
    I have been saying this for nearly two years now. ACC Bernie Higgins and London have been planning this scenario for some time. Why the high profile firearms exercise’s near Edinburgh? and Police Scotland Officers being allowed by Higgins and a weak Scottish Government to wear Union Flags? Will those same Officers be wearing the Union Flag on their Police Uniforms in Northern Ireland ? And if they are will they be trusted by Nationalists ? Its all part of London and their sympathisers in North Britain preparing the public for Police Scotland Officers performing “Peacekeeping Duties” in Northern Ireland.
    I do not doubt that the IRA already feel that the GFA is broken , if not in actual fact , then in spirit and are making contingency plans. “Betrayal” as they see it will allow them to return to the “struggle” and resort to violence. Although you will never read this in a British Newspaper or see it on the controversial Government funded BBC.
    Why are the British not making arrangements for Troops to return to NI ? The answer is “face saving”.It would be seen by the British as losing face and will show the World what a bunch of Greedy, Racist, Little Englanders they really are.Sending in the Police instead of the Army is viewed as a face saving device by May and London.
    The British have thrown the good people of Northern Ireland to the wolves because of English nationalism , greed and racism.

    Reply
  130. Cubby says:

    Robert Louis @7.21am

    Re the Euro and an independent Scotland in the EU.

    I think they are just anti independence propagandists. They know fine well the facts – Britnats lie and they lie all the time about nearly everything.

    Reply
  131. I would find the nonsense spouted by the Brit Nat brexiteers would be hilarious, if it didn’t have serious consequences for Scotland and its people.

    As for Theresa May, Corbyn, etc who want to take back control from the EU, and be rule givers not be rule takers.

    I wonder when we will hear them advocate Scotland taking back control from Westminster?

    Reply
  132. Macart says:

    RE: Ms May’s naked threat to Scotland’s population yesterday?

    Other than the obvious idiocy of threatening to cut off trade with the next door neighbour for… reasons?!?!

    She has shown a monumental lack of self awareness. Well. Her and pretty much the majority of that howf. The very reason the UK finds itself in the position it is in? That would be directly attributable to both Conservative and Labour governments practice of politics and handling of the UK’s economy. The reason that the UK’s populations are so polarised and divided are because of central governments’ respective stewardship of the wider society.

    The buck for the health of any state stops with its house of central government. Y’know, the gaff that claims all the power, carries all the responsibility (or fault). It doesn’t get to duck blame if it feels like it. Government, its duties and responsibilities aren’t serving suggestions.

    If the UK (as it stands) is an utter shitshow, (which it is and has been for decades), then there is only one place to look. And reasons to believe the word of serial liars, sociopaths, inept bunglers and outright crooks are what precisely? Reasons to continue handing them your vote and your support at that point are equally sparse on the ground.

    Westminster and particularly the HoC, is a bear pit. The behaviour you see every week in that chamber? It’s three quarters filled with arrogance, ignorance and (so far as anyone can tell) the criminally insane, because they convinced populations to give them the permission to behave that way. They lie, because people allow it. They steal, because people allow it. They place their own populations in harms way, because people allow it. They commit atrocities in our name… because people allow it. Their so called quaint traditions and house propriety is a sham and a nonsense. Theatre for the plebs and a license to treat those same people with utter contempt. Respect really doesn’t come into it.

    It won’t stop on its own account either, because they don’t want it to stop. It’s a house that doesn’t share well with others. Who knew?

    Folk want that to change? Then they know where to place that mark in the box at the very next opportunity. 🙂

    Reply
  133. Tinto Chiel says:

    Nana, I particularly enjoyed barrheadboy’s contribution in your 8.09 parcel of links.

    Of course, the gross disrespect shown to Scotland in the HoC and elsewhere is kept from viewers in Scotland by the VichyVision TV stations. Jock and Jinty Tamson at the bus stop usually look blankly at you if you mention such conduct.

    Merkel was right: WM grudgingly went into Europe (sacrificing our fishing industry) as a consolation prize for losing the empire but quickly found out it couldn’t bully its way around and was accountable to rules and legislation. As a result, we’ve had 40 years of billionaire-owned tabloids drip-feeding anti-EU propaganda about “red tape” (that would be our human and workers’ rights and consumer protections), straight bananas and “Juncker ate my Dartford Warbler”.

    This Brexit fiasco shows the complete failure of “British democracy” and the UK MSM which has completely abdicated its responsibilty to inform the electorate and ask the right questions of our politicians.

    By any standard, the UK has become utterly disfunctional, hijacked by gangsters in suits, who serve only the plutocrats.

    Let’s turn the key to the escape hatch.

    Reply
  134. Nana says:

    Morning Tinto, I’m praying the escape hatch is being opened soon;

    Last links for now

    link to ukandeu.ac.uk

    link to theneweuropean.co.uk

    Brexit: Car investment halves as industry hits ‘red alert’
    link to archive.is

    A fruit and vegetable buyer for a major supermarket told James O’Brien the reality of how food supplies and prices would be affected in a no-deal Brexit – and it’s not good news.

    link to lbc.co.uk

    Hope the missing links appear later.

    Reply
  135. Proud Cybernat says:

    Play the ball, not the man.

    You know who you are.

    Reply
  136. Bob Mack says:

    @Macart,

    Re England cutting off trade. I saw one bright spark stating that Scotland needed England’s ports and airlines to export abroad,and England could cut those off. Sounds like the Darien scheme all over again.

    I reminded him of course that Scotland does actually have several large ports which could quickly be converted to handling sufficient imports and exports.

    They actually think we are a backwater.

    Reply
  137. Iain mhor says:

    @Cyber-Corroboree

    Good question. A starting point depends on your point of view and convincing others of it. Here’s my take on conflicting viewpoints:

    IF the Kingdoms of England & Scotland were “extinguished” then there is no change. Scotland is a ‘Sevco’
    The State of the UK could have called itself what it liked -‘The United Regions of Wibble’, anything. A State’s name does not have to bear the weight of its actual form. By that I mean a United Kingdom does not have to have United Kingdoms within it (I submit various ‘Democratic Republics and the recent Republic of North Macedonia)- so the name ‘United Kingdom remains and as it continues the de-facto single state which was subject to the Agreement – the GFA remains intact. The fact a “Region” of the UK fell off is of no consequence.
    As an international agreement, internationally you must also have carried the argument that the UK continues and Scotland is a ‘Sevco’. Deary me.
    The consequence of that argument, as I mentioned elsewhere, is that following the “extinguished” argument, there could also have been no entities remaining witness to the Treaty of Union, it becomes an historical document and void. As do all references to the Kingdoms in any other subsequent legislation and all the constitutional shenanigans that entails! Such that it actually voids that whole argument in the first place – but lets leave that as a digression.

    What was ‘extinguished’ was the Parliaments not the Kingdoms. Even then the Scottish parliament was put in recess not extinguished. As Mr Peffers often asks ‘what did happen to the English Parliament?’

    The corrolary then, is that neither Kingdom was extinguished. The United Kingdom is dissolved to the KoE and KoS. The entity which was party to the GFA has ceased to exist and therefore it becomes an historical document and non-binding, as there is no longer an entity to bind to it.
    However politics suggests that the GFA would be amended and newly ratified by the two Kingdoms. (Replace “UK” with etc)
    Although of course, perhaps one Kingdom will wish not to ratify the GFA as it currently stands. Curiously that could be England or Scotland. England because…well, perfidy. Scotland may not ratify the GFA for a different reason – being that the KoE now encompasses NI, as such it is not Scotland’s issue.
    There is an argument against this, which is “how much of NI is claimed by Scotland?” A shaky proposition, but the argument is that NI came into existence while Scotland was part of the UK. However historically Englands claim should have precedence. Though there may be a situation similar to Brexit where shares of ‘assets and debts’ are fought over, divorce style – It was partner A’s house, but Partner B contributed subsequently to maintenence and furnishings.

    I await the corrections to my assumptions…

    Reply
  138. Golfnut says:

    @Iain Mohr

    Yep pretty much as you say.
    Wider implications involve the 13 other countries which have the Queen as head of State, i.e. those places that the Queen a points a Governor General to act on her behalf.

    Reply
  139. heraldnomore says:

    Oh my word, over on TalkRadio the very fragrant Ms Hartley-Brewer has finished her shift. On comes Mike Graham, in full No Deal rant mode. Staggering stuff.

    Then there’s his callers – speaking French to us, who do they think we are; never buy a German car again… and on and on

    We have to leave this cesspit behind, but then we all know that. Listening to what is tantamount to a Mail/Express radio broadcast is an eye-opener, a nauseating one. But at least it’s no Kwi’anE.

    Reply
  140. Dr Jim says:

    Look at all the cars we build the EU needs us more than we need them…….. and then I laugh and laugh as I point out Britain doesn’t have a car industry Germany and Japan have car industries Britain just screws the parts together that they don’t need to send here they could screw them together anywhere else and you know what they say

    Naw they couldnae they need us

    Reply
  141. Nana says:

    Back before our indyref I posted a link from the website
    A true independent Scotland which is no longer active.
    They reported a scam involving British politicians.

    This morning I spotted this

    Watch the video
    link to unitynewsnetwork.co.uk

    Gordon Bowden delivered a speech to the International Tribunal for Natural Justice where he exposed that senior MPS including Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair are involved.

    Reply
  142. Jack Murphy says:

    Nana said at 8:14 am
    “chocks away!
    link to twitter.com

    Thanks for that.

    Twelve hours later May will return to London Airport waving a piece of paper…

    Reply
  143. gus1940 says:

    Is it not the case that a Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland was moved to NI some time ago and are still there?

    Reply
  144. geeo says:

    Toodle-ooo the noo announcing with a broken heart that a budget agreement with the Greens is “all but confirmed”.

    If confirmed then shows the need to resist the hysteria we witnessed these last few days.

    Reply
  145. yesindyref2 says:

    @Iain mhor
    As far as I’m concerned the rUK is welcome to use the UK name as the cUK – Continuing UK. Absolutely welcome.

    But it’ll cost them deep in the purse.

    Reply
  146. geeo says:

    Iain Mhor@1036am.

    Scotland was never “part of the Uk”

    Scotland is, and always has been, a legally equal PARTNER of only 2 kingdoms which formed the Uk.

    Reply
  147. Sarah says:

    @Tinto Chiel at 9.58:

    I’m still giggling [probably hysterically] at “Juncker ate my Dartford Warbler”!! Very very droll – off the wall connections and allusions.

    Many thanks – the high spot of my day so far.

    Reply
  148. gus1940 says:

    Does the Maybot think that if England sets up barriers to trade with an Independent Scotland which is a member of The EU that The EU would just sit back without taking action to protect one of its members?

    Reply
  149. Sarah says:

    Tinto – 9.58.

    Reply
  150. Sarah says:

    Doh – mistaken “correction” re time of comment.

    Reply
  151. Socrates MacSporran says:

    Puir Wee Willie Rennie, he used to be the undoubted Head Clown at PMQs. Alas, after today’s pathetic performance, I fear Wee Willie’s role has been usurped by Small Dick Leonard.

    British Labour in Scotland is an embarrassment, but, not I suggest, as big an embarrassment as their leader.

    Reply
  152. euan0709 says:

    Gus 1940………………Just after 2014,The 1st Bn the Royal Regt of Scotland, was moved to Norn Ireland , the 4th Bn the Royal Regt of Scotland was moved to Catterick Camp in Yorkshire and the 3rd Rifles (an English Regt) was moved into Dreghorn Barracks Edinburgh. I wonder why ?

    Reply
  153. Socrates MacSporran says:

    euan0709

    Might this have something to do with the protocol whereby, only a limited number of Scottish soldiers can be based in Scotland at any one time, in case of:

    1. an armed Scottish rebellion breaking out, spearheaded by these soldiers.

    2. inter-regimental warfare breaking out and the consequent threat to the peace of the nation.

    Reply
  154. Legerwood says:

    Jack Murphy says:
    31 January, 2019 at 11:53 am

    “”Twelve hours later May will return to London Airport waving a piece of paper…””

    Her air miles statement perchance?

    Reply
  155. Les Wilson says:

    To send Scottish Police to NI is gerry mandering of the worst and most devious kind. Cenario – If Scottish police are sent they will have to protect the interests of the NI governent and the people of NI.However history tells us they will be selective in those they protect.

    That means that Scottish police,and Scottish troops will become targets. That is I feel, the opposite of what Scots want. It will also sow distrust between the growing ties between Dublin and Edinburgh. Exactly what Westminster wants to create by this.

    We are now going to be under martial law unless a last minute saving happens.
    Or we have Scottish election and the wording is the choice between Brexit and Independence, that the SNP should romp.
    But that would need to be very quick indeed, as a no brexit is looming along with all it’snegatives for Scotland.

    Note also, unlike other parts of the UK, Scotland will get no funds to help with Brexit.

    That is The UK Government folks.

    Reply
  156. Effijy says:

    I had thought of the Scottish Budget being rejected to today and
    our SNP Government taking 14 days to try and find a resolution before a second vote.

    14 Days should be plenty to see the EU kick May’s latest demands
    in to touch and reveal a No Deal Brexit was all that remained.

    May has threatened to leave with No deal and then refuse to pay their £39 Billion commitments to the EU.

    How nice would it be if Scotland could do exactly that with the so called share of the £1.8 Trillion debt that Westminster has run up through mismanagement and filling the pockets of the rich

    We could be close to being the only Debt free Nation on earth and with an Oil Fund to rely on.

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  157. euan0709 says:

    Socrates MacSporran………….
    As I understand it,traditionally Scottish Regiments have always been stationed in Scotland. Just as English “County” Regiments have been based in or near the County concerned so why move the 3rd Rifles?
    The only reason a Scottish Regt was based in England was if it was part of a Battle Group for example or being sent overseas.
    With regards to your other comments, they make sense to me.
    Just don’t mention Maryhill Barracks in 1919 and the confined to Barracks ” Highland Light Infantry !

    Reply
  158. Undeadshaun says:

    Thesa may flies to Brussels in ww2 fighter.

    BBC gaffe
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  159. Petra says:

    “Theresa May returns waving a piece of paper.”

    A piece of brown stained toilet paper?

    Reply
  160. geeo says:

    @Effijy.

    Scotland will not be liable for a single penny of “uk debt”.

    Not unless we also take our share of Uk assets.

    And since uk assets still sit higher than uk debt, we would be OWED billions as a NET GAIN.

    Better than that, fixed assets like the oil and gas within the Maritime borders, does not count as being a shared asset, that would be 98% OURS only, before the asset share.

    Reply
  161. Jim McIntosh says:

    @Macart
    09:56

    ”Other than the obvious idiocy of threatening to cut off trade with the next door neighbour for… reasons?!?!”

    One of these times at PMQs Ian Blackford has to follow up with the question “Is the Prime Minister stating that England will not trade with an independent Scotland?”

    Reply
  162. Cubby says:

    Geeo@1.02pm

    As Scotland is an equal partner in the UK and the treaty of union 1706/7 does not have any provision for splitting assets/ liabilities in the event of termination of the treaty then a case can be made for an equal 50/50 split. Another reason Westminster so so desperately wants to hold on to Scotland.

    Reply
  163. Dr Jim says:

    Patrick Harvie once again electioneering by pretending the somehow sometime in the future Scotland will not have the requirement for a defence strategy and company to supply those needs when he knows perfectly well no properly funded country is totally defenceless

    At the moment the Scottish government funds areas of R&D
    but upon Independence will like every other country deem it a requirement for the defence and protection of Scotland’s wee realm in the form af a defence force including shooty stuff and boaty stuff and airyplaney stuff

    Fortunately the whole of Scotland agrees we don’t want the big WMD stuff and the million mile an hour rockety stuff that kills people from the other side of the world so we’ll be owed a lot of money for that useless stuff that we pay for now to pay for the stuff we can use

    Reply
  164. geeo says:

    @Cubby, absolutely correct.

    As Robert Peffers (aopologies if it was not him) pointed outpreviously, when the Treaty of Union was signed, it was signed as Legal Equals, and not only that, the populations of the 2 kingdoms were very similair in size, and certainly not 12 times larger in England than Scotland in 1707.

    Any split/share today would be predicated on conditions at the time of signing of the Treaty of Union.

    WM really do not want to mess with us when we leave the Treaty behind.

    Reply
  165. Golfnut says:

    It would be an interesting list of items currently coming from England that actually originate from out with UK borders and those which come directly from English manufacturing and farming. Also,is there anything on that list that we could not source from elsewhere.

    Reply
  166. Golfnut says:

    @ Geeo,
    Scotland’s population never accounted for more than a third of Englands, with the figure probably nearer 1 quarter dependent on war and pestilence.

    Reply
  167. Confused says:

    just read a bella tweet – its a sneer and a clutch of the handbag, to be sure …
    – but he claims WOS comments are a bunch of “dick jokes”
    – didnay really see any, maybe didnay look hard enough … thinking

    in order to make the DICK JOKES easier to find, the REV should put up a page and link for that, similar to “THICKOS”

    Reply
  168. Robert Peffers says:

    @ScottishPsyche says: 30 January, 2019 at 10:23 pm:

    ” … I don’t see how any of this fits into yet another diatribe about sovereignty.”

    Eh? You don’t see that everything is dependent upon sovereignty?

    Since humans began to emerge into the World, (and it doesn’t matter whether you believe in evolution or creationism), sovereignty has been with us.

    In the very early days the biggest, strongest or most astute guy took charge of the family group. He was the sovereign.

    Then the biggest, strongest guy in the village took sovereignty as did the strongest guy in the tribe or clan and that is still the natural order throughout mankind.

    Sovereignty does not depend upon the laws made by the current holders of sovereignty it depends upon someone, or some group, taking sovereignty. Ergo sovereignty ultimately must always rest with the people for a sovereign authority only exists by the will of the people.

    That is why there are wars and revolutions, or more peacefully, elections that throw governments out of office and then re-write their constitution. Sovereignty belongs to those who can enforce it and, in the end, that will always ultimately be the people.

    Reply
  169. Cubby says:

    Proud Cybernat@10.23am

    “Play the ball, not the man.” Not a very good approach for rugby.

    “You know who you are.” Please leave Mr Peffers alone.

    Reply
  170. Breeks says:


    Bob Mack says:
    31 January, 2019 at 9:26 am
    I haven’t seen it anywhere else, but the American Congress is just about to add to Mrs May’s problems.

    A resolution has been submitted stating that Congress will insist on the border in Ireland remaining open, as Mr Mitchell at the time had a lot of input on behalf of American Irish interests in the US.

    They feel this obligation must be honoured.

    Interesting

    It is interesting, but not surprising. It is just the start. The unthinkable became the unmentionable, now suddenly the unmentionable needs discussed… the runaway train came over the hill and she blew…

    It’s still a shot across the bows for Theresa May’s great misadventure. If you breach the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, by direct or indirect means, it will constitute a departure from what is considered internationally as acceptable behaviour.

    If she ignores the advice, the advice will turn into warnings.
    If she ignores the warnings, they will turn into threats.
    If she ignores the threats, they will become ultimatums.
    If she ignores the ultimatums, they will become triggers.
    What is triggered? Sanctions, embargos, condemnations, isolation, fines, suspension of privileges, reduction in status, reduced level of trust, higher cost of borrowing, reduced access to borrowing, foreign assets and capital frozen, movements restricted… a Smörgåsbord of shitty things to pick and choose.

    In some respects, Theresa May is beginning to regard Northern Ireland with “ethnic DUP Britishers” in a way that resembles Hitler and the ethnic Germans in the Sudetenland, playing brinkmanship with the International community to see how far they could be pushed before they’d react. It’s not the same, I know, but it’s not so very different either.

    This is getting truly bent-out-of-shape “mental”.

    I just hope Scotland remembers its ringside seat has an ejection handle before we’re all conscripted to invade Poland.

    Reply
  171. Robert J. Sutherland says:

    Golfnut @ 13:40:

    Also, is there anything on that list that we could not source from elsewhere.

    Nothing, probably. Even ur-English HP sauce is made in the Netherlands these days!

    The bigger threat is the implied imposition by England of import tariffs on Scottish goods. (Curiously, the exact same threat as in 1706.) An odd position to take by someone trying to keep us onside by claiming we’re all pals together, but never mind. They just wouldn’t be able to, period, if Scotland remained in the EU. Besides that, not too healthy for us to be so dependent on one country for trade, as Ireland has found out. Don’t know the stats offhand, but I seem to recall that Irish trade in recent years has moved significantly away from the UK in favour of the wider EU. And all the better for it too.

    Reply
  172. Cubby says:

    The Scotgov Budget.

    In the discussions in the Scottish Parliament all parties accept that if they want more spending on a particular area then the choice is to raise taxes ( very limited scope) or take away spending from somewhere else. No MSP suggests borrowing money to meet the extra spending needs. Why – because unlike the majority of Parliaments in the world the Scotgov cannot borrow money.

    Therefore when Britnats state that the Scotgov has run up massive debts or that Scotland has a massive annual deficit you know that it is just more Britnat lies. It is the UK gov that borrows money and it is the UK that has run up a massive debt.

    Britnats lie and they lie all the time about nearly everything.

    Reply
  173. Liz g says:

    Just a random thought, despite having wanted the SNP to walk of of Westminster many a time!!!!

    Some Tory Minisister is apparently admitting that Westminster has so much Legislation to pass through the Commons, that they will almost certainly need more time!
    Soooo….. if we needed more time to organise a vote…. couldn’t the Scottish MPs hold up “said” legislation to create that time?

    Reply
  174. Les Wilson says:

    Robert J. Sutherland says:
    Robert, should they do that with tarrifs, and I doubt it.
    We could do the same with their goods.
    Scotland BUYS much more from England than they buy from us in terms of goods, and much more in “services of all kinds, insurance for one thing, there are loads of other things.

    We can in turn get all we need from Europe if it came to that.
    Again, if that happened then thousands of jobs would be lost for them. Are they really that stupid. But would possibly do it for sheer spite, but would backfire badly on their economy, that will be bad enough without doing it.

    Reply
  175. Golfnut says:

    @ Robert J Sutherland.

    What are they like with their threats, eh. With eight refineries to feed,and a population to keep warm, tariffs on oil, gas and electricity would harm them more than us.

    That aside, finding alternative markets wouldn’t be difficult, especially with the 27 other EU members.

    Reply
  176. Golfnut says:

    @breeks

    The narrative peddled by Westminster and the media that it is all the fault of the EU won’t wash internationally, the developing situation will be monitored closely.

    Reply
  177. call me dave says:

    Murdo Fraser there on the budget debate, implying that the Greens are like the balloons, in that old joke.. 🙂

    You’ve let yourselves down! You’ve let the voters down! etc etc.

    Did the Tories offer a budget…don’t think so.
    But SNP bad.

    Reply
  178. cirsium says:

    @Robert Peffers, 1.58

    Interesting comment about sovereignty, Robert. I have been following the actions of the Gilets Jaunes. The French constitution states that the people are sovereign and that the people can delegate their sovereignty to representatives and they can exercise it directly through referendums. The Gilets Jaunes want a referendum. As part of Acte 10, an open meeting was held. It reminded me of the Yes meetings around Scotland. The following has excerpts from that meeting and interviews with the participants in the Gilets Jaunes march in Toulon –

    link to lemediapourtous.fr

    I particularly liked the comment from a pensioner who was on the protest (around 14.10 into the report). ‘We’re not sure if we will win but we will lose for sure if we don’t fight.”

    Reply
  179. Giving Goose says:

    Undeadshaun

    That was no gaffe.
    It was an unsubtle attempt at subliminal messaging by the Ultra Propaganda BBC.

    Reply
  180. schrodingers cat says:

    Derek Mackay confirms to MSPs he has reached an agreement with the Greens to pass the budget at every stage – although notes that he will have to revisit it in the event of a no deal Brexit

    ——————

    so a he is avoided.

    i cant believe how obtuse the greens, the other smaller indy parties have been. i would include bella amongst them.

    in trying to be relevant, they have succeeded is pissing off the entire yes movement, even those who campaigned to get them elected

    they will get their comeuppance. I recon yessers would vote for cardboard cut outs before any of them.

    Reply
  181. Proud Cybernat says:

    Wasn’t there some report in the last couple of weeks that actually showed Scotland exported 52% of its goods to the EU/RoW?

    Reply
  182. galamcennalath says:

    Looks like mutton is going to be back in fashion!

    After a hard Brexit, there are going to be a lot of surplus sheep needing eaten. Most current get exported.

    Hospitals and schools can expect menus of cabbage soup, turnip pie, and mutton stew.

    Reply
  183. call me dave says:

    Jings! Kelly is dreadful.

    He’s one of ‘Scottish’ Labour’s finest!

    Harvey asks can he explain…..well now Kelly lets hear you think on your feet. Thought not. 🙁 🙁

    Reply
  184. Proud Cybernat says:

    Thought so:

    EU taking more than half of Scotland’s exports

    link to blogs.gov.scot

    Reply
  185. Dr Jim says:

    The trouble is the Union treats us like second class Englishmen and don’t like the idea of us being first class Scotsmen

    Reply
  186. call me dave says:

    Harvey calling out the other opposition parties for not putting in any meaningful work on the budget input.

    I think we see that for ourselves. 🙂

    Wee Wullie is not amused.

    Reply
  187. Tinto Chiel says:

    @Sarah 1214: just back in from the shops with Mrs TC. Bad news is not a Dartford Warbler to be had anywhere. Sorry to spoil your day.

    EU barstewards!

    Reply
  188. Colin Alexander says:

    Cubby

    link to gov.scot

    “Borrowing powers, amounts, institutions and interest rates: FOI release”

    Reply
  189. Dr Jim says:

    Sky news reporting leaked email from the MOD instructing the military to engage in *war games* exercise in preparation for no deal Brexit

    *War games* A strange and tactless expression to pick I would have thought

    Reply
  190. misteralz says:

    Not long back from the shops here in Holland, where the Albert Heijn supermarket appears to be running down its stock of Lamb Weston’s Seasoned Curly Fries. I think that they were pretty much the last ‘British’ product I still bought here, unfestooned with Butcher’s Aprons as they were…
    …speaking of which, the local motor factor’s aren’t restocking Auto Glym. I was in about a year ago looking for glass polish, and that was all they had at the time. I asked if they had anything else, as I wouldn’t buy anything with THAT flag on it. They know I’m Scottish. Their response? Yeah, that’s like the Confederate Flag to you guys, eh?
    They ordered me in some Dutch stuff and I picked it up the next day.

    Reply
  191. boris says:

    Deputy leader Alex Rowley calls for Labour to debate the independence option

    Scottish Labour’s deputy leader wants independence to be included in a new national conversation on Scotland’s future following the Brexit vote and said he would not oppose a second referendum.

    Alex Rowley also said he would continue to support Jeremy Corbyn and revealed he had voted for him in the UK party leadership contest. “The issue is now in the hands of our membership. I voted for Jeremy Corbyn and I will be voting for him again.”

    Rowley, who is at odds with his boss Kezia Dugdale over Corbyn continuing as leader, said he wanted to open up a national discussion about what would be the best way forward for Scotland.

    “The First Minister has made clear that independence is on the table, and if you are going to have an open, informed and honest discussion about the options available, then that must include every option,” said the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP. It’s my intention to have discussion forums across the area I represent but we need to have these discussions across Scotland. The Tories have got us into this mess and the implications of Brexit are massive. It’s about our children’s and our grand-children’s future and we need to consider what is best for Scotland.”

    Rowley also said:

    “I have lost count of the number of people who have asked whether I support a second referendum on independence. My response is that I would not oppose such a referendum. I accept the SNP were clear in their manifesto that the Scottish Parliament would have the right to hold another one if there was a ‘significant and material change’ in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014 – such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will.”

    link to caltonjock.com

    Reply
  192. Robert Peffers says:

    @jezza says: 30 January, 2019 at 10:55 pm:

    ” … Would you go with the Euro in an Independent Scotland?”

    Oh! For the love of Mike – get a grip, jezza.

    The currency question, like the West Lothian Question is a, 28 carat gold plated, con job.

    It doesn’t matter a damn what the hell existing currency, or even one of their own with any name, that Scotland chooses to use.

    There are many countries that use, “The Dollar”, and some of them actually use the USA Dollar and, because the USA Dollar is an international trading currency, no one can prevent them using it. Some of those users even tie their Dollar use to the USA dollar.

    The point is that Scotland, being legally an equally sovereign partner kingdom in the two partner United Kingdom has every bit as much legal right to the Pound Sterling as does the Kingdom of England and when independence is gained we are not, “Leaving the rUnited Kingdom because when two partners disunite the union is over and Westminster is NOT the legal parliament of England because no such parliament exists.

    Scottish Banknotes already are recognisably Scottish and they are face value denominated as the Pound Sterling. However, the Pound Sterling is the United Kingdom’s currency and the United Kingdom will have just disunited into the two, legal Status Quo Ante, kingdoms that existed before the union.

    Westminster, not being the legally elected parliament of England, ceases to exist as the United Kingdom parliament because there will no longer be a United Kingdom. So with no one elected to a parliament of England that kingdom has got only two elected parliaments – one in Cardiff and the other in Belfast.

    There is ne legal parliament of the country of England. No one is elected to a Parliament of England but, legally under English law, someone is legally sovereign in England – Elizabeth Regina.

    She is legally sovereign in English law so is in charge and she has one only one legal parliamentarian. Her Majesty’s Prime Minister.

    Her Majesty, Queen of England, is the person who legally, after a General Election, summons her choice of the person who will be her prime Minister, and commands that person to form Her Majesty’s Government.

    Why do those claim9ng to support independence take whatever the Westminster Establishment tells them to believe as being the truth when it demonstratively is pure and unrefined bullshit?

    Reply
  193. geeo says:

    You clearly never actually read your link, coco, no Scottish government has ever used the extremely limited borrowing powers, because there is no way to pay it back.

    It is a fiscal trap which the SNP Scotsgov are not stupid enough to walk into.

    It also PROVES a so called “£15bn deficit” is LEGALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

    I think the younger folk used to call that an ‘epic fail’.

    Bad luck coco.

    Reply
  194. jfngw says:

    It looks like whilst the unionist unite to become ‘whining together’ the SNP and the Greens move forward with budget proposal, then agreement.

    Can anyone imagine what a dire future we would face if either (or a combination) of these three UK based parties were once again in charge of Scotland. They are a smorgasbord of mediocrity.

    Reply
  195. Robert Peffers says:

    @Cubby says: 30 January, 2019 at 11:02 pm:

    ” … Labour the Tories and the Lib dems – just the same Britnat party with different labels.”

    Cubby, I’ve been telling that to people for at least three decades. I refer to them as the Westminster Establishment.

    The different party thing is just for the voter’s sake. Westminster has always reverted to a cross-party coalition when the United Kingdom came under threat. Sometimes even calling upon hereditary peer members of the Lords to serve in such coalition governments.

    Reply
  196. ronnie anderson says:

    I have it on good authority ( a friend ) traveling north from England crossing over the bridge at Coldstream being stopped by Soldiers on both sides being asked what their carrying & being asked to open their lorry doors , he drove away Fek em .

    BTW he thinks it was the Hussars Reg .

    Reply
  197. call me dave says:

    Jings! Budget:

    Neil Findlay mistakenly sent his speech to Derek Mackay via computer system… I assume the Finance Minister will be well prepared. 🙂

    It seems Kerr’s old calculator inherited by Jackie Baillie never was passed on to James Kelly or jenny Mara . What are they like?

    Reply
  198. frogesque says:

    @boris :3.59

    A crack in the wall, or just another shoot of poison ivy?

    I sincerely hope this is genuine and Scottish Labour will at least seriously give thought to IRef2.

    Reply
  199. Colin Alexander says:

    Cubby says:
    31 January, 2019 at 1:16 pm
    Geeo@1.02pm

    “As Scotland is an equal partner in the UK and the treaty of union 1706/7 does not have any provision for splitting assets/ liabilities in the event of termination of the treaty then a case can be made for an equal 50/50 split. Another reason Westminster so so desperately wants to hold on to Scotland.”

    Interesting assertion.

    Legally do Scotland and England continue to exist within GB / UK or did they effectively “die” and GB was born?

    If Scotland declared indy is it old Scotland with a divorce from England or a new Scotland breaking from seceding rUK?
    Is it then Scotland / England divorced or new state Scotland and rUK?

    The assets / liabilities of the UK after Scotland declares independence?

    Could Scotland do within the UK as Cameron did within the EU? Demand new terms for the Union. Scotland is a founding member of UK union. (UK didn’t found the EC which became the EU).

    No Scots Law court has ever been asked these questions so never answered these questions. Strange the Scottish Govt or MSPs or anyone else has never asked, when they are clearly not shy of court action: Continuity Bill, Brexit / Sewel Convention; Alex Salmond; Named Person Scheme; Art. 50 etc etc etc.

    Constitutional EXPERTS argue about this. Only a court can legally give the definitive answer or decide there are no answers, except by political negotiations.

    Reply
  200. Lenny Hartley says:

    Regarding English exports to Scotland there was a telly program thevother year about how heinz bakd beans was nanf
    200 tonnes of beans a day (imported from the USA)
    X tomatoes from Italy
    Y sugar from South Africa
    The tins were made in Wales
    The only item from England was Water and the Labels
    So even stuff made in Engerland is mainly imported.

    Reply
  201. Dr Jim says:

    The original Scottish part of Labour in Scotland sharpening their knives and aiming at Richard Leonards back
    Now we wonder who’s orchestrating that

    Reply
  202. INDEPENDENT says:

    frogesque 4.24pm

    Boris comment is from Caltonjock

    caltonjock 2016 the clue is Kezia Dugdale was still SLAB leader.

    Scottish and Uk Politics

    Alex Rowley is no Puppet and the Battle is on for the leadership of the Labour party in Scotland – Lets Hope Alex Wins This Tim.

    Wonder where Rowley stands now.

    Hmmmm!

    Reply
  203. Bill Purves says:

    Regarding the national deficit, Scotland would take its share. It would also take its share of Uk assets all over the world. These assets will far exceed the national debt otherwise the Uk would be deemed bankrupt.

    Reply
  204. Dr Jim says:

    I like the idea of the UK not getting beans to keep them regular because 85% of toilet rolls are made elswhere too

    Reply
  205. Cubby says:

    Geeo@4.03pm

    You took the words right out of my mouth. Beginning to think we are the same person. I always thought a Britnat or Britnats would bite the bait. Notice how Mr Alexander who normally likes long winded posts makes no comment on his own link.

    The Scottish parliament is designed by Britnats and is full of traps set by Britnats but not even the Britnats call on the Scotgov to use the powers as per Mr Alexanders link.

    Independence = a proper Scottish parliament with a full range of powers that an independent country will have and that means control over whether a deficit or surplus is necessary and proper borrowing powers when required.

    Reply
  206. Sarah says:

    @TintoChiel 3.33: I’m still chortling despite the devastating shortage of Dartford Warblers on the shelves…

    Reply
  207. K1 says:

    Yes it was reported on this site too Proud Cybernat, Scottish based site set up in 2014:

    ‘Daily Business Ltd, the registered company, was established in September 2014 and the Daily Business news website went live in November 2014.

    Daily Business is designed as the go-to News Website for the modern, mobile generation of readers who want their news and opinion delivered in a convenient and immediate format. It provides breaking news, opinion and interviews 7 days a week and is available via PC, laptop and mobile devices.

    Daily Business aims to achieve the highest editorial standards in accordance with general conduct, ethical practice and journalistic integrity. Comments on articles are monitored and, where necessary, moderated.

    It focuses on a broad range of business, political, economics, sports, consumer, money, arts and lifestyle issues from a Scottish perspective.’

    link to dailybusinessgroup.co.uk

    With bookmarking this site, think Nana first linked to a wee while ago.

    Reply
  208. Cubby says:

    Robert Peffers@4.21pm

    “Cubby, I’ve been telling that to people for at least three decades”

    I’m sure you have and good on you. Hopefully you won’t have too bother for much longer as we will be rid of them in the near future.

    Reply
  209. Cubby says:

    Colin Alexander@4.26pm

    Mr Alexander you have an endless capacity for turning everything into SNP baaaad and then you complain if someone says – who says SNP baaaaaaad all the time – Britnats of course. Mr Alexander says SNP BAAAAD all the time then it is more than likely he is a Britnat. I guess that is another assertion.

    Did the UK die when it joined the EU.

    Reply
  210. geeo says:

    Would you like a Tommy Tippee plastic bib to catch the dribbles running down your chin ?

    Nobody with a functioning brain cell is arguing any of the dribble you posted, it is a 100% constitutional FACT that Scotland is a Legally EQUAL Partner of the Bipartate United Kingdom.

    If we are not, then the Treaty of Union does not exist.

    So which is it you believe in, coco ?

    Feel free to response, your Tomy Tippee bib will catch every word….

    Reply
  211. geeo says:

    Interesting that Alex Rowley was listed to speak then apparently told by the party leader he was not allowed.

    One abstention in the final vote.

    Should the SNP leadership be wooing Rowley over to the SNP, and if he came, would others follow him ?

    One more other than Rowley would create an outright SNP majority.

    Reply
  212. Famous15 says:

    I really do wonder if Colin Alexander is AKA Fluffy Mundell?

    Have you ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

    Reply
  213. Famous15 says:

    It does not matter a jot re exports from Scotland to rUK versus exports to EU! Why? Because that would mean a trade war or embargo to make any sense.

    Would the makers of Quakers,Hovis,Buckfast or Empire Biscuits etc allow this? Naw!

    Reply
  214. defo says:

    Relaxyvoo awbody, les Verts volte face

    Reply
  215. Tinto Chiel says:

    Sarah @ 4.56: it’s not over till…..

    link to m.youtube.com

    I’ll get my filibeg……

    Reply
  216. Legerwood

    re NS and a possible Election:

    I believe Nicola hinted at a possible election IF the budget failed to pass….
    tense down, we’re not on the summons yet – but it won’t be long now.

    Reply
  217. Petra says:

    We’ll be exporting goods to England that are essential for living such as food, water and energy. England will be exporting household goods, etc, to us that should / could be made here. Add to that us sending our foodstuff to them to be packaged and them then sending our goods back to us to be sold. We should be packaging and exporting our own food.

    Then there’s our whisky industry. I read somewhere, previously, that there are 10,000 related jobs in Scotland to 40,000 in England. When we get our Independence that should come to an abrupt end. Make it in Scotland. Export it from Scotland.

    It’s a bit like the “housing” of their nuclear weapons and subs. We have to contend with potential accidents and “risks” whilst they commandeer over 95% of the jobs.

    Anyway I was looking for the article that outlined the 10,000 versus 40,000 jobs which led me to job sites advertising hundreds of whisky related jobs down south, such as the following:-

    link to reed.co.uk

    Reply
  218. Golfnut says:

    Forget all this England and Scotland being extinguished crap, not existing,dead as dodo nonsense.
    England and Scotland exist because of legal jurisdiction, applicable law determines borders and boundaries. 1746 Act of Wales and Berwick, Lockerbie bombing. I believe the UK is also registered at the UN as 2 Countries, England and Scotland. Sorry Wales and NI, 1 Principality and 1 Provence.

    Reply
  219. yesindyref2 says:

    I think the Greens did very well, take it to the brink then pass the budget. Shows up the 3 unionist parties. and Westminster for the clowns they are.

    Reply
  220. call me dave says:

    @Petra

    Exactly I’m peeved that my strawbs and rasps and suchlike are marked packaged in Wimbledon or Leicester and are apparently sent back up to Scotland. 🙁

    It’s either that or Scots produce wie a UJ stamped on their a**e.

    PS:
    Snaw!… darn Sarf lots of Auntie air time and no Brexit news.

    Said to partner why is there no ‘minister’ wie a microphone stuck under his nose answering questions about no ploughs on the road after 4 hrs.

    Oh wait this is England!

    Reply
  221. Golfnut says:

    @ Petra.

    I can’t remember exactly where I got this from, oil industry related jobs. England 300,000. I think it was a report to Parliament( Westminster), or a response to a question. I think they could say farewell to a fair number of them.

    Reply
  222. Petra says:

    @ yesindyref2 …..”I think the Greens did very well.”…

    Eh! No I think that the Greens backed down due to the anti-Green furore on Social Media. They’ve sh*t in their own nest as far as I’m concerned and unless anyone can REALLY convince me as to why I should vote for them in future, I won’t be.

    Reply
  223. Capella says:

    @ Petra 6.58 – well spotted. I suppose the whisky export jobs are in London because we do not have ports capable of dealing with this trade. These will be added to England’s exports and Scotland will be “exporting” to England.

    Reply
  224. Pete Barton says:

    Wee thought:
    It occurred to me that the budget would indeed be passed, as it was last year etc …

    But why not let the other parties show their hand first?

    Good politics from the Independence minded parties…

    Now we see the real face of their contribution.

    Tories? Against the common good.

    Liberals?

    Piggyback.

    Labour?

    Toom Tabards.

    Hollow postulating, no plans,only uncooperation and criticism.

    Apart from Rowley, that is.

    Cracks starting to appear.

    Bodes well.

    Trap set, trap sprung.

    While we can be led to criticize the greens, let’s be under no illusions here…

    The ultimate prize is independence, which both parties want.

    To be seen to be at loggerheads leads to to a feeding frenzy in which the 3 pretend parties
    show themselves up rather badly.

    Reply
  225. Sarah says:

    @Tinto 6.33: that is a lovely piece of film, thank you. Seeing and hearing that spring weather with the beautiful Dartford Warblers was magic!

    I have the perfect habitat for them right by the house here but we are 500 miles too far north, sadly. I lived in Kent for a while, and visited family there every year, but never saw these warblers.

    Talking about these birds is a pleasant diversion from our woes – I hope others are enjoying it too!

    Reply
  226. Petra says:

    @ call me dave at 7:08pm ….. “Packaging.”

    I just don’t get it. Surely some enterprising Scot could set up a packaging company here in Scotland?

    …………………

    @ Golfnut at 7:15pm …..”300,000 oil related jobs in England.”

    Nothing would surprise me Golfnut. And between one thing and another, one product or another, it’s no wonder that they want to stymie our ability to use our ports and Prestwick Airport.

    ………………..

    I also read recently that they’re lying their heads off about how much they make from our whisky, with someone comparing Ireland’s 4% sales to Scotland’s 80 plus %.. Scots being duped big time.

    Reply
  227. Pete Barton says:

    @Indyref2 7:02pm:

    Aha, only just seen your comment.

    You distilled it down succinctly.

    Wish I’d read your comment first.

    Andy Wightman, John Finnie..these are rather clever old experienced hands.

    They weren’t causing trouble, they conspired to make the opposition look worthless.

    Took it to the wire, played perfect poker, left the also rans playing a hand unworthy of our people.

    Reply
  228. Legerwood says:

    Meg merrilees says:
    31 January, 2019 at 6:53 PM

    Did not think she would really consider a Holyrood election now but use it to help concentrate people’s minds.

    Reply
  229. Tinto Chiel says:

    @Sarah: glad you enjoyed that. They are very beautiful birds but rare even in the south of England now.

    For me, I always look forward to hearing just a wee willow warbler in a Scottish wild wood in May. Then I know the wonderful madness of spring has begun.

    A Scottish Spring? Oh, yes please.

    😉

    Reply
  230. Scott says:

    One abstention in the final vote.

    Who was it Murdo Fraser he is stupid enough.

    Reply
  231. Confused says:

    someone should introduce by whatever means – petition, private members – a bill for holyrood

    FPTP voting for the Scottish Parliament

    it would be a hoot. I want to see all the useless yoon list fodder shriek and scream and lament to the TV interviews while simultaneously calling it “an assault on democracy – an attempt by the SNP to create a one party state” but will defend it to the utmost for westminster – “strong and decisive government, a real choice” – watch them try to square the circle …

    “because … reasons … SNP BAD”

    let me be unpopular for moment(?)
    – PR systems, all of them, default to “status quo” – they protect vested interests; they also allow extremist arseholes with one or two votes to exert inordinate power. It happens in westminster too, of course – fucking DUP, the hillbillies with shit on their wellies, arlene with a face resembling the anvil of a blind blacksmith … – but with PR, you get it all the time.

    MSM criticism would be difficult

    – if it is good enough for the MOTHER of all Parliaments … why not?

    – um, … um …
    – just fuck off you fucking jocks … our taxes pay for your free prescriptions and all your buckfast and heroin (leader in the telegraph)

    shout out to all the LIST BROS ‘n BITCHEZ … apply for an uber license …

    Reply
  232. sandy says:

    Pete Barton @ 7,29pm

    Aye, woo the doubters in Holywood, ie the sensible ones, then, on being a sovereign Parliament handling our own affairs 100%, let these unionists stew in their own juice. Doubt if any sensible Scot would ever again contemplate letting them near any position of political responsibility.

    Reply
  233. James F. McIntosh says:

    I have often answered those that say they don’t like being imposed upon by Europe and I always answer i would rather be ruled over by Germany than westminster. You only have to witness what is going on at Westminster to see how much they despise us.

    Reply
  234. geeo says:

    FPTP will never be allowed at Holyrood, if WM can avoid it, not just because 2016 would have returned 104/129 SNP MSP’s, based on actual FPTP results, but it would highlight actual support for the SNP.

    “SNP minority gov” sounds better to the media than 80% of all MSP’s are SNP (Absolute majority of 79 in a 129 seat parly).

    Reply
  235. Iain mhor says:

    @Golfnut 6:58

    Aye, true though, I think Wales had its status as a ‘Principality’ rescinded. Replaced officially as actual ‘Country’ I’m sure I read that somewhere a long time ago. Dunno if that was an Act at WM Parliament/English renunciation thing, or a declaration by the Welsh Parliament. Perhaps @Welsh Sion could clarify that?
    Apologies for my ignorance.

    Reply
  236. Clootie says:

    “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.”
    ? Napoleon Bonaparte

    He had a point!

    Reply
  237. Golfnut says:

    @Iain mhor.
    Hi, I was only referring to the original designation at the UN.
    You are of course correct regarding Wales, the UN has indeed recognised Wales as a Country, it kind of backs up the fact that Scotland and England exist. My apologies for any offence given, it was not intended.

    Reply
  238. HandandShrimp says:

    Had a quick look on the BBC HYS. The budget passing has the usual SiU types crying gnashing their teeth.

    This is good.

    Reply
  239. defo says:

    It’ll take a fair few royal babies to shift this Brexit mess!
    I even doubt a liberal spraying of Novichok would make much of a dent in the wider publics perception of who’s really looking after their interests.

    ‘Sticking with the Devil you Know’ isn’t (and never really was) an option when reality bites.

    Indyref 2 will be an info-war.
    We’ve got most of the ammo, but not so many big guns.

    Which reminds me, Ta for your outstanding, on-going service nana

    Reply
  240. Dave McEwan Hill says:

    Socrates MacSporran at 12.19

    Now if Ruthie had been baptised “Frances” we could have the whole lot. Wee Dick, Small Willie and Big Fanny.

    Reply
  241. Macart says:

    @HandandShrimp

    Anyone would think the poor dears expected they had the SG over a barrel this time round. Wonder whatever gave them that idea? 😎 😉

    Reply
  242. yesindyref2 says:

    @Macart
    I think Andy Wightman might have had something to do with it 🙂

    Confusion to one’s enemies.

    Reply
  243. Petra says:

    WGD: ‘Budgeting for stupid.’

    .. ”In other news, pro-indy blogger Jason McCann has been targeted by the British nationalist media and smeared as an apologist for IRA violence.”..

    ”That same media is now attempting to use the comments made by Jason and taken out of context by the Daily Mail, that bastion of truth and balance, as an excuse with which to beat up the SNP. Calls are now being made for the SNP to “sever links” with Jason. He is not now and never has been a member of the SNP and has never sought to portray himself as a spokesperson for the SNP. There are no “links” to be severed.

    The demonisation of Jason McCann is yet another instance of the desperation of a British nationalism which is threatened like it has never been threatened before.”…

    link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com

    Reply
  244. Cubby says:

    Robert Peffers@3.59pm

    “- get a grip Jezza”

    Good shout. The Britnats like to say things like is your currency going to be the Jock. It can be called the Jezza for all the difference it makes. I think it should be called the oily pound. The only problem Scotland will have is stopping the value of its currency being too high. Our friends from Essex will have to pay a tenner a pint if they come on hol to Scotland.

    Reply
  245. Macart says:

    @yesindyref2

    TBF Greens intentionally or unintentionally cutting it close to the wire, but glad they came to an accommodation with the SG. How and ever, they gave an awful lot of people a nasty fright.

    Yes, it is how politics is done. But it doesn’t do the punter in the street, who doesn’t follow politics all that closely, any favours. It just frightens the bejeebus out of them or makes them angry. Something most folk don’t need right now. They’re worried sick enough about the future.

    Had my own doubts too … for about a day. 😎

    Reply
  246. jezza says:

    British Nationalism in Scotland is becoming a distant memory.

    Being a British Nationalist in our Scottish Parliament just seems strange now.

    India, Canada and Australia must have went through similar stages just before THEY became Independent Nations.

    There is definitely a feeling of change in the air.

    Reply
  247. doug_bryce says:

    re : FPTP vs proportional representation
    I actually like system used at Holyrood.
    We pay politicians to debate and discuss the best thing for nation.

    The Holyrood PR system is way more democratic than ‘first past the post’ used at Westminster. Even if it does mean hung parliaments : unless you can get 50% of vote in which case you deserve a majority.

    Hung parliament not a bad thing if the politicians put difference to one side and work together as the Greens have done to good effect.

    Reply
  248. Pete Barton says:

    Re Andy Wightman;

    He’s no shrinking violet, a man for and of the people.

    Let’s not forget..this summer he will be faced with a slander case I think for £750k from our Impugnates over comments which offended some landowners.

    They see him as an enemy to be taken out by big money.

    It was always so.

    Think Thomas Muir. Think John Maclean..many others.

    Think Salmond.

    On the anniversary of George Square ‘squaring up to the system’ I take my bunnett off to all the brave principled people who showed us change can happen.

    At a price.

    Reply
  249. defo says:

    Dave MH
    I thought she’d had a C section 😉

    Reply
  250. jezza says:

    Cubby

    What have I to get a grip of???

    Is this you starting your troll hunting shite again ya fuckin wanker

    Reply
  251. Pete Barton says:

    Came on tonight, see if I can learn something. .

    J and C are bringing us and themselves down.

    Please forgive my honesty.

    Reply
  252. Colin Alexander says:

    Cubby

    I never commented on the link I provided, as I was waiting to let you read it and work out that your assertion, when you said Scotland cannot borrow money, was an error.

    ——————-

    As for Scotland’s future constitutional relationship with UK if Scotland declares independence.

    SHOUT IT! Put it in great big huge ginormous font or bold. Get Robert Peffers to tell you it is a fact cos Rab the Bruce said so.

    But, legally these assertion are not facts, unless ALL parties accept it’s a fact or a court rules it’s a fact.

    UK Govt asserts indy Scotland would be a seceding new state with no assets, no inherited responsibilities and no liabilities. Many on here, and I expect some constitutional experts, disagree with the UK Govt’s view.

    Therefore, it’s a disputed assertion until a court rules on it and legally establishes the status of Scotland / England / UK, if Scotland declared independence /the Union dissolved.

    So, we are left playing guessing games. A bit like Brexit: what does Brexit mean???

    England voted for “independence” for the UK but, had no idea of what that independence and future relationship with the EU would be.

    Scotland / England / UK will face the same, what comes next whether YES OR NO won.

    When voting for a referendum idea, instead of firm detailed proposals and more importantly, legal certainties that a court has already ruled on, it creates a total F**K up.

    That’s not an anti-indy comment. As part of the UK, because of the EU-Ref, we are already part of a UK total F**K up.

    Can you tell I don’t like referendums as a means of settling matters?

    Reply
  253. ronnie anderson says:

    Petra Jason McCann was met by Special Branch when he got of the Ferry , I did say last night the Scotsman were doing a piece on Jason , we were in the pub after the meeting in Airdrie when the scotsman contacted him , after the Mail piece there is only one way to go & thats to make the story worse which he fully expected .

    Reply
  254. Liz g says:

    Ronnie Anderson @ 10.17
    Pub,Pub!!!
    Why am I just finding out there was a trip to the pub NOW!!!

    Thanks for the biscuits 🙂

    Reply
  255. Nana says:

    @Ronnie

    I am just listening to Jason who was filmed at Yes Kirkaldy earlier today. The video is shaky so would advise just listening or you might get a headache.

    link to m.facebook.com

    Reply
  256. Thepnr says:

    @Jim McIntosh 1.11pm

    “One of these times at PMQs Ian Blackford has to follow up with the question “Is the Prime Minister stating that England will not trade with an independent Scotland?”

    He did and he did it big time in his speech on Tuesday night. Listen and learn or watch and see. Too many not paying attention and that’s why Wings is an asset.

    Beyond any doubt Ian Blackford slays the Tory lie that Scotland is dependent on the UK rather than Europe for prosperity. Every supporter of Independence should be aware of ALL the facts in this couple of minute clip.

    Don’t anyone try and tell me the SNP are not fighting Scotland’s corner in Westminster.

    link to goo.gl

    If anything, it is ignorance of what the SNP are doing that will be our downfall. Right now I see them raising the stakes and quite rightly too.

    This is more than a single battle, get wise and most importantly?

    Stop moaning and maybe start paying more attention so as you aren’t talking shite when we need you to persuade others. If you’re reading wings then you’ve no excuse unless you refuse to read any of the links.

    Hey! some are boring but know this. Knowledge is power and only by using that knowledge with a bit of passion thrown in will we persuade the rest that we need to be sure of Independence.

    Ian Blackford shows a good bit of passion their in that clip.

    Reply
  257. Petra says:

    @ ronnie anderson says at 10:17 pm … ”Petra Jason McCann was met by Special Branch when he got of the Ferry , I did say last night the Scotsman were doing a piece on Jason , we were in the pub after the meeting in Airdrie when the scotsman contacted him , after the Mail piece there is only one way to go & thats to make the story worse which he fully expected.”

    A sure sign that they, BritNats, are really feeling threatened now Ronnie and are upping the ante. Meanwhile the Tories who are hunting him down are getting away with blue murder and nobody is doing a thing about it. More and more signs, as time goes by, that we are heading for something akin to Germany in the 30’s.

    Reply
  258. Cubby says:

    Mr Alexander

    I’ll tell you what is an error – anyone believing anything you post.

    Reply
  259. Cubby says:

    @9.58pm

    What a charmer.

    Reply
  260. msdidi says:

    This came up on my Facebook tonight and I haven’t seen it here on Wings yet so I thought I’d post it. link to change.org

    Reply
  261. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Thpnr, Petra, Ronnie –

    Great stuff all.

    Really quite exciting, feels like we’re about to see them coming over the hill, at last!

    🙂

    Reply
  262. george wood says:

    Lets hope there are no elections before Indyref2.

    Allowing councils to charge workers for parking at their place of work is going to be a vote loser. Green voters will no doubt still vote Green, so it will be the SNP that will be hit hard for this crazy decision.

    In my case, I can get to work by car (Edinburgh to Livingston) in 30-35 minutes. It would be quicker, and less polluting, if there were no bus lanes (aka congestion lanes) or 20mph zones (aka traffic becalming zones) or cyclists slowing traffic on roads that are supposed to be 40mph+.

    Public transport would involve getting a bus into town and then a train out to Livingston. There are no bus services from Livingston station to my place of work, so its 25 minute walk from there. The trains also don’t work for my start time, so I would have to be either early or late for work.

    My commute would be more than double by public transport and I wouldn’t be impressed if I am penalised financially because public transport is not good enough.

    Reply
  263. ronnie anderson says:

    Nana thanks i forgot to say re the Mail story Jason was going to do a venue in Inverness they phoned and cancelled the talk ( their loss ) .

    liz g U had already left the centre no doubt to get home for ah cuppa & get wired intae they biscuits ( yum yum ) I brought the opened ones home ( slaps hand after three ) lol.

    Reply
  264. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @ronnie anderson –

    Can you please put the rest of those bisuits in a big tin, sellotape it, and keep it for March 2nd?

    😉

    Reply
  265. Robert Peffers says:

    @Colin Alexander says: 31 January, 2019 at 4:26 pm:

    ” … Legally do Scotland and England continue to exist within GB / UK or did they effectively “die” and GB was born?”

    Considering that the term, “Great Britain”, refers to the biggest, (a.k.a. greatest in size), island in the archipelago, it has nothing to do with anything whatsoever about the union.

    No matter what happens the island of Great Britain will still be the biggest island in the British Isles.

    ” … If Scotland declared indy is it old Scotland with a divorce from England or a new Scotland breaking from seceding rUK?”

    What claptrap – not if but when Scotland declares independence it will, of course be the Kingdom of Scotland because the United Kingdom is exactly that – a united kingdom with only two partner kingdoms. Further there is only one Scotland and it is, unlike England, both a country and a kingdom. England too is both a country and a kingdom but unlike Scotland the Kingdom of England is not also a country – it is three countries.

    The union is a union of Kingdoms and, only being two kingdoms Scotland is not seceding from anything. The sovereign people of Scotland are simply ending the bipartite union.

    What part of bipartite union is it you don’t understand? There is only two kingdoms in the United Kingdom and it is thus a, (would you believe), a big kingdom composed of two smaller kingdoms so there cannot be an rUnited Kingdom when the two kingdoms separate. You did note that the Yoons call the SNP separatists didn’t you? Then they try to fool Scots by telling them they are leaving the United Kingdom.

    We are not leaving the United Kingdom we are ending the United Kingdom – in effect separating the two kingdoms not leaving behind the remainder/rump United Kingdom but leaving behind the three country KINGDOM of England.

    For heaven’s sake! Scotland is not only one of the oldest countries in Europe but one of the oldest kingdoms of Europe and the Kingdom of England is actually far younger. The name England is derived from Angle Land from when the Germanic tribes were invited to settle in what was then south Britain.

    How many times have I got to state these facts before they sink in? Independence is a two way thing and, as the union is of two kingdoms, the result will be a reversion, (a Status Quo Ante), to two independent kingdoms. While Scotland is both a Kingdom and a country all that changes is that we are no longer in union with the Kingdom of England.

    However, the Kingdom of England is composed of three countries and they will remain together as the Kingdom of England. What they then decide to do will be their problems – not Scotland’s.

    There are no complications – The United Kingdom is a two kingdom partnership. When one partner in a two partner union decides the partnership is over then neither partner is a new anything. They just BOTH revert to, “The Status Quo Ante”. That is the status they were in before they united.

    That status is that The Kingdom of Scotland remains the Kingdom of Scotland and it remained the Kingdom of Scotland when it was united with the Kingdom of England. Likewise the Kingdom of England remained the Kingdom of England within the union and will remain the Kingdom of England when the union disunites.

    It is the union that ends – not the two kingdoms that united.

    There were utterly stupid attempts to claim that The Treaty of Union extinguished the Kingdom of Scotland and renamed the Kingdom of England as the United Kingdom. The Treaty did no such thing and it says so in the Treaty itself.

    Westminster seems to think all Scots are daft. Mind you going by the number of times I’ve had to state the obvious truth of what the Union is to people who claim to support independence but who cannot understand plain English I’m beginning to think many Scots are really daft.

    There really is no argument – the Treaty of Union was not only a forced union, (marriage), and such marriages are illegal but it was/is a union of only two kingdoms. Not of countries – it is thus a united kingdom and it does indeed call itself a United Kingdom but it acts and claims it is a unified country. It isn’t and thus it is indeed a two partner united kingdom. The English kingdom’s three countries remain integral parts of their pre-treaty kingdoms.

    The Treaty of Union only has two kingdoms that signed the Treaty of Union. Wales & N.Ireland are integral parts of the Kingdom of England. The country of Scotland is not.

    There will be no new kingdoms of either Scotland or England and there will be no new countries of Scotland or England. After the divorce they will all just revert to being single again but the countries of Wales and N.Ireland will still be integral parts of the Kingdom of England as they were before the union.

    Reply
  266. tom says:

    BBC Question Tine only seems to represent the views of English Tory voters and English Labour voters.

    Eat your porridge Scotland.

    Reply
  267. Liz g says:

    Ronnie Anderson
    Is there plans for Indy Live to film Jason ?
    A few of my friends that I’d been telling about him were asking

    Reply
  268. call me dave says:

    @Robert Peffers

    Mr Peffers you keep on keeping on because there are always new readers popping in that need this information.

    There are other long time readers who ….just need telt! 🙂

    PS:
    Enjoyed watching the budget on Parliament tv and was frankly shocked at the standard of the opposition unionist parties.

    As Derek Mackay said at the end

    “We expected an omnishambles from labour and they didn’t disappoint” 🙂

    What is J.Kelly like eh! eh!

    Reply
  269. sandy says:

    OT.

    Ceo of Seimens on QT tonight.
    Asked what his plans were. Twat asking doesn’t realise that Seimens is a German company, based in Munich. However, asker being English, may be excused as his “little englander knowledge” may be somewhat restricted..

    Reply
  270. ronnie anderson says:

    link to facebook.com

    And to think they stopped the Black & White Minstrals as being offensive . That guy has had a serious Freezing WINDRUSH tae the heid .

    Reply
  271. Petra says:

    @ Ian Brotherhood says at 10:48 pm …. ”Really quite exciting, feels like we’re about to see them coming over the hill, at last!”

    Nearing crunch time now Ian. The next two / three weeks will be something to behold, imo. Wakey-wakey time.

    …………………

    @ tom says at 11:12 pm …. ”BBC Question Time only seems to represent the views of English Tory voters and English Labour voters. Eat your porridge Scotland.”

    And to add insult to injury Tom, QT is seemingly slotted under the Scottish allocation of dough (the £320m the Scots send to the Treasury) minus the £100 million that mysteriously disappears every year.

    Reply
  272. ronnie anderson says:

    Petra did ah gie you ah lead in tae Billy Cotton OH DO DA DAY lol

    Reply
  273. Tom Busza says:

    Re. QT

    I beleive that next week QT is from Motherwell. Would be interesting to see who panellists will be. Not hedging my bets.

    Reply
  274. ronnie anderson says:

    liz g sorry liz I take it will be up to those that hired the venue fro Jason to video the talk I dont think Kevin ( livestream ) know about it .

    Reply
  275. Gfaetheblock says:

    George wood,

    You are right that there needs to be greater investment in public transport to get drivers off the road. Your complaints about the things that slow you down are priority to buses (Improving public transport speed), speed calming measures (reducing pollution and accidents in urban areas) and a cyclist (zero emissions and active travel reduces the burden on the nhs). These are all good things for society.

    Congratulations to the greens on getting this and the tourism tax into the budget

    Reply
  276. Thepnr says:

    @Petra

    We might get some clarity in two weeks time but I doubt it.

    This looks like going to the wire when you just look at how May and Corbyn are behaving.

    Sure something will have to give but I suspect the EU themselves will put up with anything right up until the last minute and guess what?

    Then they’ll accept an extension of Article 50 or even outright revocation if it prevents a No deal.

    WANT THE TRUTH?

    All they want to do is just keep kicking the can down the road. They fear the outcome that’s why, so avoid making a decision, this can’t last forever though and we all know that.

    There will be a day of reckoning though for May and Corbyn and I suspect those that seek Scottish Independence might do quite well out of their inability to make difficult choices.

    We might have a few weeks yet to wait for the fireworks to go off, we’re OK though as we’re not in the firing line. The ones that will be burnt are those playing with the bangers and and the rockets right now.

    The EU will hand them the matches and then enjoy the show.

    Reply
  277. cynicalHighlander says:

    ronnie anderson some of us are not on facebook for various reasons and any facebook link requires one to log in. Any chance of copying video link and pasteing it,just asking?

    Reply
  278. ronnie anderson says:

    Ian Brotherhood short answer NAW , i’ll pass that ? over to liz g hows about it liz whats your answer lol.

    Reply
  279. Cubby says:

    The BBC is moving further and further to the right. Who needs Fox News when there is the controversial state funded broadcaster controlled from London called the BBC.

    Reply
  280. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @ronnie anderson –

    Ach, ye’re just a big jammie dodger an no mistake…

    😉

    Reply
  281. Thepnr says:

    @Gfaetheblock

    Very happy with a tourism tax, most other countries do it. Also can’t disagree about bus lanes ect, just a shame that the Scottish government block grant has been cut by billions by Westminster.

    We’d all like to do better but the Tories priorities were reductions in corporation tax, increasing the inheritance tax allowance and keeping the highest rate of income tax at 40%.

    What a shame, think of how all that extra revenue could be being spent? I have a good few ideas myself of how it could be done it Scotland.

    Shame we don’t have the power to set our own tax levels then. Damn!

    Reply
  282. ronnie anderson says:

    cynicalHighlander Its not a video link its a photo

    Reply
  283. Labour’s Neil Findlay, who thinks voters should put him in charge of entire Scottish economy, admits to not being good at emails or computers.

    link to bbc.co.uk

    and he’s not the thickest one in the Labour Party!

    Reply
  284. robbo says:

    OMG. Is anyone watching the “this week” programme ? Is ken Livingston related the the idiot Delingpole from last? He’s talking absolute pish.

    BBC theme is now-get idiots on there program that know shit and make a fool of them .

    Try is with Nicola Sturgeon then brilly heid- I dare you ya mince.
    She’ll tear you apart politically .

    Reply
  285. ronnie anderson says:

    cynicalHighlander link to google.com

    Reply
  286. cynicalHighlander says:

    ronnie anderson ok ta

    Reply
  287. cynicalHighlander says:

    ronnie anderson ha ha brainwashed or dead.

    Reply
  288. ronnie anderson says:

    robbo Its magic but not as we know it

    Reply
  289. Dr Jim says:

    Every house should have a wee James Kelly, y’know to bring out at parties and christmas to put on the table, a wee miniature one that keeps saying *I won’t sit down* *I won’t sit down*

    I think I might have hit on something here, novelty politician toys that say things *let me be clear* all that kind of stuff

    Reply
  290. Heart of Galloway says:

    Question Time next week is from Motherwell next week, we are told. Well, let’s see how audience selection goes for that one.
    On paper it’s a home fixture – but with pieces of metal flying out of the disintegrating UKOK engine, prepare for the BBC to have ‘neutrals’ in the audience primed and ready.
    Meanwhile, QT in Lincoln was another gruesome spectacle. In a clever wee turn, an off-message Scotsman in the audience said he has been stockpiling Euros for holidays in Europe. A few clapped but, revealingly, the reaction was mostly hostile.
    As I said after the Derby debate – yes I know it’s an act of self-harm to watch these macabre pantomimes but, as the adage goes, knowledge is power – England, for now, is lost.
    Logic and reason have departed the building, Spitfires fly over the white cliffs to protect brave Theresa and we will fight the EU on the beaches. Or something like that.
    Meanwhile in Scotland, we wait and watch as Ian Blackford and his able troops prepare the ground for our country to claim EU membership in her own right. For make no mistake, that is EXACTLY what they are doing.
    Hopes of staying in the single market and customs union have already been consigned to history. A EuroRef2 is dead in the water. The front of battle is narrowing fast, the fog of Brexit clearing.
    Timing for IndyRef2 could come down to a matter of days and, crucially, I believe a marker will go down before March 29 to alert the EU to our intentions.
    What’s coming up is not going to be pretty. Ukania (copyright Tom Nairn) will be vicious and sly in its attempts to hang on to Scotland. Aux armes, citoyens! Ireland and Europe, we will need you!

    Reply
  291. Jim McIntosh says:

    @Thepnr
    10:28pm

    That’s not PMQs and it’s not the PM in the link you posted. As good as ian’s speech was it’ll only be seen by political anoraks, while PMQs is seen by many more people. You might think it’s unreasonable to suggest the question is asked, and hopefully answered when more people are watching, I don’t.

    Reply
  292. Liz g says:

    Ronnie Anderson
    Ah don’t fancy the chances… nay sellotape… they will need tae be eaten in situ!
    Ah hate waste!
    I am willing to tell Ian how good they were though?

    Reply
  293. robbo says:

    link to twitter.com

    wtf is this man talking about? Delingpoles’s and Livingston on BBC ” this week” one week apart.It’s about time that bawbag had the guts to have an SNP msp or MP on, but he’s too scared and getting it very easy to peddle his right wing points every week.

    Reply
  294. Tom Busza says:

    robbo 1.03 am

    Link provided returns this message:
    Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!

    Reply
  295. robbo says:

    Tom Busza says:
    1 February, 2019 at 1:06 am
    robbo 1.03 am

    Link provided returns this message:
    Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!

    Aye seems twitter has deleted it. I’m sure they’ll be a few knocking about the mora elsewhere- NANA will find a link probably???

    Basically it was Ken Livingston totally out of his depth -brillo heid destroyed him because he was talking mince .Brillo heid got another easy ride this week on his shit program .

    Reply
  296. Sunshine says:

    Heart of Galloway @ 12.31
    I have been wishing that the SNP would call the referendum since October and campaigning up until the vote in about mid to late March. I have been so frustrated, but the nearer we get to Brexit and the more the SNP have been under pressure, but holding their nerve, the more convinced I am that their plan is a far greater and complex plan than just my call it and campaign style. I think that you are onto something in your post and I believe, hope, that the powers that be in Europe are with us, but have asked us to wait until a no deal is imminent before announcing our referendum. Not only will this give us a better chance of winning, but if we are out of Europe on the 30th of March, then I believe that Europe will be free to back us more openly in our quest for independence. No more fence sitting because they don’t want to interfere in a member states affairs. I think that Europe will not abandon us in our time of need, as Mr Smith MEP pleaded and got a standing ovation for. Thus I think that a whole orchestrated power base of many people in powerful positions in Europe are going to effectively campaign with us.
    If I am wrong, then I told you we should have started in October 😉

    Reply
  297. geeo says:

    @jezza.

    jezza says:
    31 January, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    What have I to get a grip of???

    Is this you starting your troll hunting shite again ya fuckin wanker.
    …………..

    Bad move champ.

    Very bad move.

    Reply
  298. Nana says:

    Links

    link to gov.scot

    link to indyref2.scot

    The Attorney General passes the buck back to Chris Grayling as I continue my quest to establish the legal basis for the #Seabornefreight tender
    link to twitter.com

    link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com

    Reply
  299. tom says:

    Yes the BBC completely ignore the views of the people of Scotland Wakes and N Ireland.

    Brexit is England’s baby.

    Reply
  300. Nana says:

    link to peterabell.blog

    In our session with Sarah Taylor (@foreignoffice) yesterday, she told us she didn’t have “absolute confidence” that “every single” EU Association Agreement will be rolled over by 29 March. Watch below – and see the whole session here
    link to twitter.com

    link to indyref2.scot

    UK Civil Servants admit they have so far, only got 100, out of the over 600 EU laws that will return after Brexit, actually ready to be voted on at Westminster.
    link to facebook.com

    Reply
  301. Nana says:

    link to politicshome.com

    Chris Williamson MP discusses the ongoing US-led regime change operation in Venezuela which he says could end in a ‘bloody civil war’ with US boots on the ground.
    link to youtube.com

    Recommended reading
    link to twitter.com

    link to politics.co.uk

    Reply
  302. Nana says:

    link to thecanary.co

    A small hub of active, external hostile disinformation actors has been identified and is working in conjunction with a domestic disinformation operation to advance Yellow Vest and WTO narratives
    link to byline.com

    Have a listen to this 16 second clip of John Bolton revealing the true reason why the Trump administration is pursuing regime change in #Venezuela, and it’s nothing to do with democracy or human rights
    link to twitter.com

    link to newshoundsnewsround.wordpress.com

    Reply
  303. Nana says:

    EU fears short article 50 extension will mean no-deal Brexit in June
    link to archive.is

    link to theconversation.com

    link to blogs.lse.ac.uk

    link to rt.com

    Reply
  304. Nana says:

    I tried to post the A Neil interview with Livingston, same problems I had yesterday with links not appearing. I’m not getting ‘duplicate’ message so I’ve no idea what is wrong.

    I will try again later unless I get a hammering from Rev Stu!

    Reply
  305. Gary45% says:

    Nana@7.41
    “John Bolton-Venezuela”
    I haven’t listened to the clip, but I am pretty sure, OIL is the only reason, or are the Venezuelans paying for the wall??

    Reply
  306. Nana says:

    @robbo

    If you type the following into google

    ken livingstone andrew neil

    there you will see the link to yesterday’s A Neil show

    Reply
  307. Cactus says:

    A hey there new month, Scotland’s February 2019.

    There will be LOTS of things happening this time, next month.

    Be a full and equal citizen of Scotland.

    Get involved.

    Reply
  308. Contrary says:

    On tax and MMT,

    link to taxresearch.org.uk

    Richard Murphy is somewhat obsessive about tax, and he writes notes in the form of colourful flow charts, just follow it along the lines left to right and top to bottom and it makes a consistent narrative. I said deficit was fine the other day, which is not strictly correct, but it is just one of the mechanisms of government. This is a nicely simplified, and progressive tax focused, look at what modern monetary theory is. Useful for keeping yourself educated on possible upcoming discussions, you know, the arguments like how Scotland is uniquely unable to run an economy.

    Reply
  309. Nana says:

    @Gary45% Yep Oil

    I have checked to see if there are any banned words in the links which won’t post, you can find them by googling the following articles

    Trauma packs being stockpiled, Guardian link

    Rte replublic episode 25 podcast with Tony Connelly and guest
    Professor Drew Scott, University of Edinburgh

    English Teachers’ pay should be capped at 2%, says government, bbc link

    Debate re tax evasion which took place in the EU parly earlier this week on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance

    Stewart McDonald says
    My own view is that this could mean a national government to see the independence transition through. There are many ways to go about this, but if we are looking for our fellow Scots to get behind the road ahead then we can’t just say ‘the country has voted’ – see Brexit division
    Link to a podcast here
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  310. Nana says:

    A wave of diplomatic efforts is under way to get senior figures in American politics to weigh in behind Ireland’s position in the Brexit negotiations.
    link to archive.vn

    Brexit: Third of UK businesses considering move abroad – survey
    link to archive.vn

    The Messier Brexit Gets, the Better Europe Looks
    link to archive.vn

    Britain auctions 300 million barrel offshore oil, gas field
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  311. Hamish100 says:

    Remember the lib dems and before that the liberals. They believed in federalism, social liberalism, proportional representation. Now? Sookin up to tory unionism.
    Remember the labour party? Naw i dont either!

    Reply
  312. robbo says:

    Nana says:
    1 February, 2019 at 7:57 am
    @robbo

    If you type the following into google

    ken livingstone andrew neil

    there you will see the link to yesterday’s A Neil show

    Yeah Nana I’ve seen it. Not sure if everyone will see this?
    Not sure why twitter is deleting tweets. I’m not on twitter ,but do read it so no idea how it works.

    link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  313. Abulhaq says:

    BBC Today prog. devoted entirely to Ireland and Brexit, lots and lots of whinge. Might we have one on Scotland and Brexit? Or are we just a petty ‘region’ of surly whingers with no respect for our cultural superiors doing their best for us.

    Reply
  314. robbo says:

    It’s very close to the Delingpole car crash last week.
    Basically he gets it too easy to make duffers of people. God only knows what he would do with James Kelly- i shudder to think!

    Reply
  315. Nana says:

    @robbo

    trying this twitter link again

    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  316. Stewart says:

    In fact, the proportion of registered Scottish voters supporting independence in 2014 (38%) was higher than the proportion of registered BRITISH voters who supported Brexit in 2016 (37.5%).

    Reply
  317. Heart of Galloway says:

    Sunshine@1.52
    Aye,
    Alyn Smith’s speech to the European Parliament was one of the most uplifting moments of my life.
    And that plea ‘Cheres colleagues, Scotland did not let you down. I beg you, DO NOT LET SCOTLAND DOWN.!’ may yet command a significance in our history which only the fullness of time will reveal.
    For in the end, all depends on whether Europe has our backs when we go ‘all in’. If we have a route map for EU membership provisionally on offer, the Ukanians’ main assault weapon against us is crippled from day one.
    Theresa May 1: we want frictionless trade with the EU. Theresa May 2: 60% of Scotland’s trade is with the rest of the UK (implied threat).
    Well, so much for that. Because in trade terms, Scotland when we vote yes will be in the EU – aye, the same EU with which Theresa May seeks frictionless trade.
    May and her odious crew know all this of course and there will be no depths they will not plumb (through their MSM allies) in their attempts to ‘bind Scotland fast’. May – the U.K. PM who ‘lost’ Scotland? She will deploy every weapon at her disposal, both covert and overt, to avoid such a humiliation.

    Reply
  318. Nana says:

    In light of Dale Miller’s article in the Scotsman “newspaper” – in which he insinuates that I am a Holocaust denier – I will now be seeking legal advice. This is a serious and potentially career detailing accusation. It is untrue and I will fight it.
    link to twitter.com

    link to irishnews.com

    link to zerohedge.com

    That’s all for now

    Reply
  319. Dorothy Devine says:

    Just watching Crosstalk on RT on Venezuela – quite interesting to hear other opinions on what the US and UK are doing.

    Reply
  320. gus1940 says:

    As a longstanding fan of Aldi and Lidl it pains me to report an outbreak of Union Jackery.

    While their support of Scottish produce is admirable both companies now have The Butcher’s Apron on their UHT milk and yesterday I used a LIDL bag of sprouts from East Lothian bearing the BA.

    Reply
  321. ScotsRenewables says:

    The EU is now saying a longer than June Art50 extension is needed. Is there no end to this destructive shite?

    Nicola really can’t move radically until the can-kicking stops, so let’s get it over with ffs

    Reply
  322. hackalumpoff says:

    Derek lays into them, more of this please SNP.

    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  323. gus1940

    re Lidl and the UJ

    I guess, if the suppliers are moving en masse over to UJ wrappings then Lidl need to take a chance and take in their stock.

    What about a local farmer’s veg box scheme – apart from the ‘UJ ‘s’ they are mostly plastic free.

    Two ticks and a gold star!

    Reply
  324. galamcennalath says:

    @gus1940

    If it’s got a Jack, put it back!

    If enough of us vote with out wallets and purses, they’ll soon get the message.

    I do wonder if they are so keen on slapping butcher’s aprons on products in Northern Irish supermarkets. Anyone know? I suspect not.

    It’s a highly contentious political move, branding items with a symbol large numbers of people find offensive.

    It would be the equivalent of a supermarket putting EU flags all over products in a strong Leave voting area. Would they do that? I think not!

    Reply
  325. galamcennalath says:

    Just thinking. I have something in common with Farage, Johnston, and Rees-Mogg. …. we all have a deep seated passionate hatred for just one of the two political unions Scotland is currently in!

    Reply
  326. Heard various discussion this a.m on the radio

    One professor saying that T MAY and the EU can press the pause button on article 50 and keep us effectively in transition for three months, 6 months, a year, two years, indefinitely.

    Of course, this saves the cliff face in terms of regulation but the brexiteers would not like being in EU limbo.

    Gave up on the BBC this morning, FFS they went to Dublin and spoke to probably the only politician who doesn’t think the backstop is a good idea and who criticised Varadkar for being dictatorial!!!

    No mention of revoking article 50 EVER!!!

    in desperation ( yes) I turned over to GMS.

    Thet were discussing the latest announcement about the EU trade deal with Japan which took 5 years to finalise.

    Yes, all our trade deals could easily take this long or more and then she asked about Japanese whisky and tariffs.

    Because Japan makes whisky, if they now have a deal with the EU their whisky will be tariff free or levied at the same rate as Scotch Whisky.

    You’ve guessed it! if we leave the EU, Scotch Whisky will be at a disadvantage in Europe under WTO tariffs.

    Just another reason to vote for Indy – maybe Diageo won’t be so smug today. Heard them talking on the radio two days ago and they seemed very complacent about the implications of a no deal and had all their planning in place. Ah so!

    Reply
  327. re the link higher up about the UK auctioning North sea oil licences

    – sorry heading out and don;t have time to find the link

    seems the UK is selling of a lot if not all of the oilfields before Indy to make sure Scotland can’t own any of them.

    If that’s the case, Nicola needs to announce Indy ref 2 before May 2nd auction date – that’ll spook them.

    Reply
  328. ronnie anderson says:

    Nana thanks for the Jeggit twiiter link , looks like we have another crowdfunder coming up for Jason , its getting to the stage where we’re all going to be tagged as antsimmits by the Britnat press , ? is Rab Cs simmit a designer simmit or is it jist full of holes

    Reply
  329. starlaw says:

    As for sticking UJ’s on all meat products I would like to know if its Aberdeen Angus or some auld coo from Cornwall. This morning I bought Irish Beef as it had no UJ I could reasonably assume it was not an Auld Coo from Cornwall.

    Reply
  330. ronnie anderson says:

    Just phoned Jason Mc Cann ( jeggit) 1st call diverted ( britnat spooks ) 2nd call got through Jasons on his way back to Ireland on the ferry , aw but the good news He”LL be back lol.

    Nice to see Jason getting support from the Yessers , false allegations against the Rev/GrouseBeater/Jason McCann. Paul Kavanagh aka ( wee ginger dug) must be dain something wrang lol .

    Reply
  331. Here is the article,
    Britain Auctioning off 300 Million Barrel Offshore Oil, Gas Field
    By Reuters
    Jan. 30, 2019

    ANTWERP, Belgium — Britain’s Oil and Gas Authority has launched an offshore licensing round for a field in the North Sea that is estimated to hold as much as 300 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), it said on Thursday.

    Companies have until May 2 to bid for the Greater Buchan Area, where oil production started in 1981 but where much volume is believed to remain untapped, and which the OGA would like to see exploited by companies partnering up.

    “This is a material opportunity.
    To put this in context, the last discovery made in the UK of this scale was Rosebank in 2004,” said Ross Cassidy, senior research manager for the North Sea at Wood Mackenzie.

    “The… volumes are a mix of redevelopment, undeveloped and yet-to-find volumes…(It) is surrounded with infrastructure at Golden Eagle, Buzzard, Scott, Forties and Kittiwake, making a tie-back to existing infrastructure possible. A minimum of 75 million boe is likely to be required to be commercially viable.”

    The auction starts after Total and partners including China’s CNOOC announced a new gas discovery in the British North Sea’s Glengorm prospect, with recoverable resources estimated at around 250 million barrels boe.

    The British North Sea has been undergoing a revival, attracting a new breed of investors in the form of private equity backed oil companies and majors rejigging their portfolios in the region.

    Reply
  332. Robert Louis says:

    gus 1940 at 0944

    I agree regarding Lidl and Aldi. Their is in my branch a creeping union jackery taking place. I simply refuse to buy anything bearing a ‘union jack’.

    Anytime I ever hear of supermarkets bleating about a tough market and lots of price competition, all I want to say to them, is give people in Scotland what they want and stop plastering all your products in the English colonial flag. Most in Scotland despise the union jack, and certainly don’t want it all over all their shopping.

    Do supermarket bosses actually understand that many Scots actively despise the union jack? It is seen up here as nothing more than a symbol of English imperialism and colonialism. Just like the miserable, racist, dirge of an english national anthem ‘god save the f***ing queen’ – a song which no self respecting Scot would ever sing.

    In most other sane countries, produce is not completely covered in flags everywhere. Of course they may have the flag of origin, but this union jackery, where products are literally covered by union jacks, being pushed by the creeps who inhabit westminster in England, is ridiculous.

    Reply
  333. Dr Jim says:

    Two *British* policies for the Irish border: Keep it open at all costs and close it at the same time, but keep the words ambiguous so we can choose either option and say that was the plan all along and everybody knew that:

    Sky news reports of rising anglophopia, especially within Ireland they say, well how can that be possible they wonder, they should be on *our side*

    So there you have it in two words the very reason for rising anglophobia *our side* because that’s it isn’t it they think everybody SHOULD be on *England’s* side because all the rest of us are second class Englishmen until it comes to needing us then we become anglophobic if we don’t do what they want

    The Irish are demonstrating the fact they’re not second class Englishmen, they’re first class Irishmen defending their country, and that should be all of Scotlands people doing that as well

    Stop being second class Englishmen and be first class Scotsmen by putting Scotland first, because England won’t, they just complain if we don’t support them just like they moan when we don’t support their football team but laugh their heads off at us when we lose

    It’s all just *banter* to them they say, well NAW it’s no and get stuffed

    They change the rules, they rewrite the rules, they go to court to reinterpret the rules, they invent new rules to do all of the above, but always, always it’s them who break all the rules they wrote then claim anglophobia is the reason folk are unhappy

    It couldn’t possibly be all those other reasons could it NAW it’s us that’s at fault we’re just unreasonable morons who don’t like them and don’t know our place

    Reply
  334. mike cassidy says:

    RIP Jeremy Hardy

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  335. James F. McIntosh says:

    Another thing that bugs me, we all know to disregard a lot of the biased? stuff in the MSM but we keep getting this 45% or 47% figure quoted from the POLLS that are in favour of indy and that the POLLS have not moved but do we know how fair these supposed POLLS are and when was the last one done and was it completely neutral.

    Reply
  336. Robert Louis says:

    Gary 45%,

    The USA is doing exactly what it did to other Latin American countries in the late 1970’s and 80’s. Hardly a day went by when one country or another saw its democratically elected president ousted, to be replaced by a USA stooge. Each and every one of those countries was then ‘rescued’ by the IMF, on condition they ended their socialist policies. Bus networks had to be privatised, education had to be privatised, social care had to be privatised and so on. That is how the USA and IMF behaved and still behave. They work as a corrupt cartel on the behest of american bankers.

    What happens, is the USA and IMF, together with some bankers, manipulate financial events, to damage the economy of a country – that is what is being done to Venezuela right now. The CIA then covertly finance and support protestors against the (usually) socialist elected government, to lead to it being overthrown and the USA (non socialist) stooge is put in place.

    This is what the USA does. The economic difficulties in Venezuela are caused by the USA, not the president.

    It is important to remember several things,

    1. The current Venezuelan president is a socialist and won’t do what the USA dictates with its oil reserves

    2. The USA stooge, falsely presenting himself as ‘interim president’ is a supporters of a free market and neoliberal economics.

    3. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves.

    Honestly, the west had the temerity to complain about Putin annexing Crimea, yet we now see the USA deliberately working to undermine the president of an entire foreign country, and have their puppet installed in his place, and countries around the world are offering their support to the USA.

    Imagine if Putin did the same, would that be ok also??? So why is it seen as OK for the USA to do it.

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    Reply
  337. Dr Jim says:

    The Scottish Unionist party SUP have made their declaration clear when they refused to engage in the Budget negotiations unless and until the constitutional issue of Independence was taken off the table

    What has the issue of Independence to do with the financial running of Scotland’s services you might ask, well NUTHIN as it happens, it was an attempt by the SUP to bully and electioneer their loud objections to Independence and send out the signal to their supporters that *Better together Scotland in Union* was back and nothing more

    If you take just the minutist cursory glance at this policy of co-operative denial you will see it’s exactly the same tactics as their masters in Westminster, just keep muddying the waters and play for time but do nothing until your opponent loses the will to live and gives in

    Tory Labour Lib Dem one for all and all for one the three Musketeers the Scottish Unionist party

    Reply
  338. Ken500 says:

    ‘Confessions of an Economic Hitman’ John Perkins

    Reply
  339. galamcennalath says:

    During the American struggle for independence they used the word TORY to describe anyone whose loyalty remained with the UK. It is estimated they respresented about a fifth of the population of the colonies.

    In a Scottish context all BritNats should branded Tories. Events in Holyrood this week highlight that.

    Folks talk about red, yellow, and blue Tories but in Scottish 21stC politics, is there really any meaningful distinction? In what way are the yellow ones different from the blue one? They are all just Tories, i.e. those whose overwhelming loyalty is to the obsolete contruct that is the UK.

    Reply
  340. Dr Jim says:

    The leave campaign and Arron Banks has been found guilty of cheating, misrepresentation of the facts, lying and using the Internet to deceive voters and been fined £120.000

    Well that’ll just break their hearts won’t it

    Reply
  341. Capella says:

    The UK and USA have a long history of sanctioning and destabilising countries which happen to have oil. In 2014 they made a pact with Saudi Arabia to pump out oil and bring the price low. This was aimed at Russia and Venezuela but had the happy side effect of damaging Scotland’s oil industry. An outcome the Westminster government “predicted”.

    I watched the clip of Ken Livngstone being bamboozled by Andrew Neil using his normal method of throwing random “facts” at people and demanding compliance. Reminds me why I never bother to watch BBC output.

    Thanks again for the links Nana. I watched the Jason Michael McCann talk (ignoring the shaky camera). Explains why Special Branch are on his case and the yellow press are launching a smear campaign. Must be a dangerous revolutionary.

    Here’s the link again for anyone who wants to make up their own mind.
    link to m.facebook.com

    Reply
  342. mike cassidy says:

    Check out who has been appointed the Trump administration’s spokesman on Venezuela.

    link to archive.is

    It’s not looking good.

    Reply
  343. schrodingers cat says:

    congrats to James Hough of the University of glasgow on his Knighthood

    He was Resident Fellow at the University from 1970 to 1972. This was followed by a post as Lecturer in Natural Philosophy from 1972 to 1983 and then Senior Lecturer from 1983 to 1986.

    Hough became Professor of Experimental Physics in 1986. Professor Hough has been Director of the University’s Institute for Gravitational Research since 2000. In 2010 he was appointed to the Goverment’s Scottish Science Advisory Council.

    Reply
  344. Capella says:

    @ mike cassidy – Sad to hear that Jeremy Hardy has died. He made The News Quiz genuinely funny.

    Reply
  345. DerekM says:

    Jings did something happen to annoy the yoons they are in full howling rubbish mode lol

    Wee Patrick is cleverer than he looks nice curve ball from him and he was really only doing what any party should be doing and that is working constructively with government and talking together like adults to find a compromise.

    And he really managed to annoy the yoons and not take the flak for it so lol i am impressed.

    Cant really blame him for what he did especially since basically he trolled the crap out the MSM,yoons and some of us more fiery indy supporters who may have jumped into the melee just because there was a melee lol

    Nice one Greens.

    Reply
  346. galamcennalath says:

    Dr Jim says:

    …. fined £120.000

    Well that’ll just break their hearts won’t it

    Indeed. It’s just making it crystal clear that cheating is well worth it. Criminality pays. Steal wins and there will be no significant repercussions.

    Given the kind of money involved, a multimillion fine would have been appropriate.

    And if a conspiracy to subvert the democratic process could be proven, some jail time wouldn’t go amiss!

    The law is there to keep ‘little people’ in check, while ‘big fish’ get to do what they want. It was ever so.

    Reply
  347. galamcennalath says:

    The Greens, I would opine, are the closest thing Holyrood has to an opposition. The various Tory parties contribute nothing and their sole aim is anti Scottish mischief.

    Reply
  348. ronnie anderson says:

    schringers cat i dont think I’ll be doffing ma Mortar board tae MR Hough anytime soon

    Reply
  349. Dr Jim says:

    I’ve got a nighthood I just never wear it

    Reply
  350. Lenny Hartley says:

    So sorry to hear about Jeremy Hardy, a great Comic, saw him at a Comedy Club in London around 1984, (Coming back from a bike race in France) , there was about half a dozen comedians on and he was head and shoulders above the rest, his opening line, “I come from a large family – Mammals”

    Reply
  351. Archie [not Erchie] says:

    @ Robert Peffers and @ Call me Dave:

    Bob, thank you for your interminable patience laced with barely suppressed frustrations. I can hear, see and feel the dunt on my heid as the blackboard duster [with white contrails] zooms across the forum.

    Some time ago, using your knowledge of things historical not allegorical, I asked a few folk the meaning of United Kingdom. Not one of them got it right. On the plus side it opened up a door to plant the seed.

    So I concur with ‘Call Me Dave’ and encourage you to ignore the one-liner grumpy auld b****ts.

    Reply
  352. Socrates MacSporran says:

    I have just been watching a video, on the Guardian website, of Birmingham MP Jess Phillips’ excellent speech earlier this week, in which she defended the immigrants in her constituency, and opposed the Government’s plans, whereby immigrants have to be earning over £30,000 per year.

    I have seen her on TV once or twice and feel she is the sort of down-to-earth, worthy Labour politician we have not had in Scotland for years.

    She sat down at the end of a much-admired and quoted speech, and who was called next? Why oor ain Stephen Kerr.

    In her speech, Phillips mentioned having met: “A smattering of people in here, earning over £30,000 per year, but with no discernible skills.”

    Then, up stood Kerr, talk about life imitating art.

    Reply
  353. Bobp says:

    I see the Brits are getting their knickers in a twist over the EU referring to Gibraltar as a colony.

    Reply
  354. robbo says:

    Socrates MacSporran says:
    1 February, 2019 at 1:31 pm
    I have just been watching a video,

    That Kerr tumshie will signing on the dole next election.

    Reply
  355. Undeadshaun says:

    @Meg merrilees says:
    1 February, 2019 at 10:33 am
    re the link higher up about the UK auctioning North sea oil licences

    Once independent, we can do what Norway did… Up the tax to 80% that’s how they partially nationalised oil.

    Reply
  356. Fireproofjim says:

    Re Scottish budget and Green.
    I suspect it was all agreed behind the scenes several days ago.
    Derek Mackay was in his element, as was Patrick Harvey. No animosity there.
    The multi-coloured Tories were less than pleased. They probably had demands for resignations all ready but Derek cut the feet frae them. Great stuff.

    Reply
  357. Giving Goose says:

    Dr Jim

    It’s more accurate to refer to it as the British Colonial Party.

    Reply
  358. schrodingers cat says:

    I dont particularly like royalist baubles either, but they recognise achievment, in this case, the measurement and proof of gravitational waves.

    along with prof higgs, we now have 2 of the most emminent astrophysists in the world, both scots

    Reply
  359. geeo says:

    @Fireproofjim 1.55pm

    Indeed!

    My post on the subject on the 27th Jan.
    …….

    geeo says:

    27 January, 2019 at 6:05 pm

    It looks like folk forgot to read the first 3 words in sentence one

    “As things stand”.

    SNP throw a bone, possibly pre arranged bone, hey presto, budget passes and 3 unionist parties who were either wetting themselves at the idea of a Holyrood election or thinking they were finally able to stop an indyref for budget support, are dealt a crushing blow ‘at the last minute.

    I will certainly hold off from jumping to judgement until this plays out a wee bit longer.
    ………

    Reply
  360. schrodingers cat says:

    if scotland had its own honours system……..what would you call the awards?

    starter for 10

    OSM

    order of the smart arse 🙂

    Reply
  361. TheBuchanLoony says:

    Reuters yesterday…Scottish fishermen plan to reduce their catches if Britain exits the European Union on March 29 without a transition deal, in order to avoid potential losses, industry officials said. While some businesses are stockpiling to prepare for any disruption, that is not an option with fresh fish. People in the industry are worried about how Scottish mackerel and prawns will get to key markets in France, the Netherlands and Spain if there are transport jams at the border.
    Some firms could go bust, according to Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of processors’ group the Scottish Seafood Association.
    link to archive.is

    Reply
  362. Jack Murphy says:

    Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere.

    Ian Blackford MP in the House of Commons on Tuesday—-Setting the Record Straight re Scotland’s trade with England and the European Union.

    USEFUL FIGURES FOR ANYONE ON BBC QUESTION TIME. 🙂

    Commons VIDEO:
    link to tinyurl.com

    Reply
  363. schrodingers cat says:

    could we pull out some titles from our ancient past?

    eg mormaer

    Reply
  364. call me dave says:

    @schrodingers cat

    O/T: Titles. But no connection to your thoughts.

    ————————————————————-
    When I was young (good animal’s song that) and kicking about the hoose but listening to the parley, my mother in conversation with my father always addressed him as ‘squire’ in a quite ordinary way. It seemed normal between them. 🙂

    I never recall her calling him by his first name James or Jim.
    My aunts to my uncles never used this term.

    Maybe I should have asked?

    Reply
  365. Socrates MacSporran says:

    schrodingers cat

    Re your question about what would we call a Scottish Honours System, knowing how Scots think, I would suggest:OHAKHF – this stands for: Oh Him, Ah Kent His Faither, the normal Scottish response to anyone doing well, or being honoured.

    Reply
  366. Gary45% says:

    Nana@8.20
    I’ll have a wee look at the clip later.(went skiing at Fort Bill)
    It also looks like the “unelected world police” the USA are going after Assad again with some new evidence that he personally killed a journalist.
    I know Assad has issues, but he is the democratically elected leader of a country that unfortunately for him has resources the West want, also he is an enemy of Israel,(who isn’t) because he wont resign.
    Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, it goes on and on. (If the West “establishment club” don’t like the look of you, you’re FKD.
    I know I sound like a broken record most of the time, but the root of all the worlds ills falls at the feet of Zionism, the truth will eventually come out.
    Overthrowing governments to gain world domination seems to be the norm and
    Israel are causing more suffering to a country they have illegally invaded,(but its a good illegal when the west are on your side) and when you criticise them, you know that answer.
    On a cheerier note.
    The Trump red necks in America are trying ban Algebra being taught in schools, because it sounds like promoting terrorism. :))

    Reply
  367. Dr Jim says:

    Gary 45%

    Al Gebraa! a fearsome thing

    Reply
  368. Genwun says:

    @galamcennalath 10:21 re UJ labels.

    Hi, NI resident & long time Lidl worker here – there has been a small increase in UJ branded products in our stores over the last 2 years, although most of these products are of English origin. The majority of our fresh meats have NI branding, but no UJ present, the rest bear the Irish tricolour as they originate in the Republic (our head office is in Kildare and we’re a separate branch of the company from the UK, although it’s not publicised). All the products that were made in Scotland now bear a Saltire, although when they were initially sold they had a UJ – perhaps people’s complaints did work!

    In contrast, walking into the likes of Tesco or Asda here you might as well be in Milton Keynes – wall to wall UJs as far as the eye can see. I don’t believe they’d contemplate carrying any item with a prominent Irish flag, although I must admit I haven’t been in either shop for about 6 years.

    Reply
  369. Gary45% says:

    Dr Jim@3.51
    I knew someone would better it.:)))

    Reply
  370. mike cassidy says:

    I am reliably informed that parts of England have had snow.

    Reliably informed by the first ten minutes of BBC news.

    Reply
  371. Jockanese Wind Talker says:

    @schrodingers cat

    In response to your question about what an Independent Scotlands Honours System:

    Only 2 awards:

    1 for services to Scotland = Good Guys

    1 for denegration to Scotland = Wanks

    Both awards are gender neutral so no Sirs and Dames required.

    😉

    Reply
  372. Fergus Green says:

    Not a fan of honours systems and all the sycophancy involved. Perhaps people of Scotland should all have the same title in future:

    Scottish Citizen

    Reply
  373. Dr Jim says:

    I thought Sir Wank had a certain ring to it

    Reply
  374. Daisy Walker says:

    Re – Scotland trades 4 x as much to England as it does to EU….

    A possible respone….

    ‘Aye, and a great big chunk of what Scotland exports to England is electricity… what you gonna do without it… sit round a candle.’

    Cheerie to all. Keep warm.

    Peace and love.

    Reply
  375. Snow in February, ridiculous!

    Reply
  376. Shinty says:

    Nice one Daisy!

    Reply
  377. Dr Jim says:

    There’s one thing Scotland will reverse post Brexit

    The brain drain trade

    Reply
  378. I would be happy to see the actual English flag included on goods originating in England.
    It’s them adopting the UNion flag that’s the prob.
    And the Welsh flag etc.

    Reply
  379. ronnie anderson says:

    TheBuchanLoony Aw ma hearts pumping buckloads of pish that Jimmy ( britnat ) Buchan will lose money cause he canny reach the european markets for his expensive Posh Prawns .

    Reply
  380. mike cassidy says:

    Fergus Green 4.27

    Just like the French Revolution!

    Bags me a Citizen Mike seat under the guillotine with the rest of the see-you sansculottes!

    Reply
  381. Gary45% says:

    A few years back, was there not information signs placed on EU funded projects around the country?
    I think they were well promoted at the time, then I suppose the Tories started to “macaroni their kecks” at the rise of the racist bigots in their party and removed said signage.(Please correct me if i’m wrong)
    Hence the sorry situation the country is in at the moment.
    Daisy & Ronnie.
    Nice One.

    Reply
  382. It is an honour to be born in Scotland and to fight for its freedom that is honour enough for me

    Reply
  383. Legerwood says:

    Daisy Walker @ 4.34 pm

    And if memory serves me correctly the latest export figures show that Scotland’s exports to Europe are growing 4 times that of our exports to rUK/England.

    Electricity supply: A lot of electricity is imported from France and the Netherlands mainly to supply the South-east. Have they sorted that out for the brave new post-Brexit world?
    …….

    Oil – Chinese State Oil Company is apparently the largest operator in North Sea. The latest find in the Glengorm project is one of their fields.

    Reply
  384. Robert Louis says:

    Schrodingerscat at 210pm,

    I’d argue we have THREE of the most eminent physicists in the world, if you count the daddy of them all, James Clerk Maxwell. From EDINBURGH, btw. 🙂

    Reply
  385. Robert Peffers says:

    @hackalumpoff says: 1 February, 2019 at 10:19 am:

    ” … Derek lays into them, more of this please SNP.”

    link to twitter.com

    Oh! For heaven’s sake, hackalumpoff, use your head. The SNP at Westminster are the hardest working MPs in the Commons and hardest working MSPs in Holyrood.

    As a group they are proportionately the best attenders in the respective debating chambers. You do not see them trooping in to the chamber when the division bell sounds.

    If you watch the two parliaments regularly you will find the SNP do rip into the Yoons all the time. However, the English nationalist controlled BBC and other MSM/SMSM just, “Don’t want you to know that”, so you don’t get to read, view or listen to it unless you actually watch the two parliaments, (and the Lords), to see/hear it for yourself. You can, of course, read Hansard reports but that is a bit more longwinded to follow as it reports also the background rabble. etc.

    Joanne Cherry and Ian Blackford in particular have a go at the Yoons on a regular basis. Ms Cherry is particularly effective. A very astute and effective lady indeed.

    Mhairi Black also, but less frequently, hits them hard and always right on the button with it. Just because they don’t get it reported by the Westminster propaganda wing doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

    Reply
  386. gus1940 says:

    O/T

    According to the Grauniad a a senior HMRC official has bee sacked for multiple instances of sexual assault and harassment.

    Howeve,there is no suggestion in the story that the matter has been referred to the police.

    Reply
  387. defo says:

    Re Venezuela
    What really pissed off the US was them, along with Libya, Iran, Russia, Iraq, NK…seeing a pattern here folks?.. wanted to trade oil in Euros, sidelining the cash cow petro-dollar.
    And that’s just not on!

    Reply
  388. Dan says:

    @ Legerwood

    I always like checking out the dashboard dials on cold days at tea time. Oh, just like now!
    Scroll across to the right to see the French and Dutch interconnects supplying leccy.

    link to gridwatch.templar.co.uk

    Reply
  389. Hamish100 says:

    Englishman to Scotsman- “You can’t survive without us”

    Irishman to Scotsman “The said that to us too”

    Scotsman to Englishman “£%%$^%&&&%&H**”

    Reply
  390. Robert Peffers says:

    @galamcennalath says: 1 February, 2019 at 10:21 am:

    ” … If it’s got a Jack, put it back!”

    Aye! But! Use your head first – or rather your hand – and give it a right good firm squeeze, (just to test it you understand), If it gets damaged it was just that you don’t know your own strength.

    The word will soon get round that stuff with a Butcher’s Apron on it doesn’t keep very well and sales will fall. The retailer just might get the message but the unfortunate customers will certainly gain the impression that that union jack packaged stuff doesn’t keep too well.

    Reply
  391. Hamish100 says:

    English PM to the EU. “You can’t survive without us”

    EU to English PM – Shrugs shoulders in a gallic sense of way and laughs

    English PM – “That showed them whose boss”

    The world – smirks in a knowing way.

    Reply
  392. Effijy says:

    The United Britnat Parties in Holyrood seem to be ignoring that Scotland’s democratically elected government has already voted on holding a second Indy Ref, if our circumstances are significantly changed.
    i.e. The 62% of Scots who voted to remain in the EU are to be dragged out of Europe by Westminster against their will.

    Wee Willie Wet Woodbine, Second Hand Car salesman Carlaw and
    Dickie If I only had a brain Leonard ALL want to ignore these 2 Direct and irrefutable mandates from the people of Scotland??

    What type of person would want to vote in someone who ignores the will of the Scottish people in favouring of what suits the Incompetent and insulting English parliament?

    Reply
  393. galamcennalath says:

    Joe of the Coutts says:

    I would be happy to see the actual English flag included on goods originating in England.

    Absolutely. Certainly with food, the more precise the description of origin, the more it represents a mark of quality. Conversely the wider the geographical description the more the product sounds dodgy.

    Something saying produce of Norfolk with a St George’s is just fine.

    “Hereford Beef”, meaning from Herefordshire, implies to me properly reared, grass fed, beef cattle. Yum.

    “British Beef”, potentially means a byproduct of the dairy industry with cattle fattened too quickly on imported soya meal. Yuk.

    There are so many examples of local cheese. But what does “British Cheese” tell you? Probably some industrial dairy based concoction!

    So in my mind, branding “British” and slapping a butcher’s apron on it is an instant mark of dubious quality.

    THEN of course there’s the politics! Enough has been said about that!

    Reply
  394. Robert Peffers says:

    @Meg merrilees says: 1 February, 2019 at 10:33 am:

    ” … seems the UK is selling of a lot if not all of the oilfields before Indy to make sure Scotland can’t own any of them.”

    I believe the companies know full well that after independence a Scottish Government will not be obliged to honour the illegal selling off of the legally sovereign people of Scotland’s belongings. It is, after all illegal to knowingly buy, or obtain, stolen property. The buyer of such has no legal redress under the law.

    If those companies have complaints they can take it up with the de facto Parliament of England they were daft enough to do deals with. Oh1 Wait! Such a government never actually existed and the United Kingdom Government will no longer exist.

    ;-))

    If that’s the case, Nicola needs to announce Indy ref 2 before May 2nd auction date – that’ll spook them.

    Reply
  395. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi galamcennalath at 5:59 pm.

    You typed,
    “So in my mind, branding “British” and slapping a butcher’s apron on it is an instant mark of dubious quality.”

    Just citing your entire comment. They are good points. Why is filtered semi-skimmed milk, produced by Müller in East Kilbride and sold by Lidl, called “British” on the label, complete with a UJ?

    I can only assume that this milk, produced in Scotland, is destined for the entire UK market and Lidl assume that calling it “British” with a UJ will make it more palatable for everyone in the UK.

    It would be interesting if they branded it as “Scottish”, with a Saltire, and see how sales compare with the UJ version, UK-wide.

    I always feel a tad guilty buying it but with a two week ‘use by’ date, it’s hard to turn down, as a single-person household.

    Reply
  396. Gary45% says:

    Noticed Nigel Fa’lange is starting a new party.
    Looks like the “Simpsons” will be doing their political broadcasts!!!

    Hamish 100@5.57
    Treeza says to EU, Please, please, I beg on my dying Knee, please, I’ll give you a curly wurly (other choc’s available, nom, nom.)
    EU to Treeza. A wave ma parts in eur general dar-ection.
    so FECK OFF.

    Apologies for the crap Monty Python analogy.(those of a certain age will get my drift)

    Reply
  397. Legerwood says:

    schrodingers cat says:
    1 February, 2019 at 2:10 pm
    I dont particularly like royalist baubles either, but they recognise achievment, in this case, the measurement and proof of gravitational waves.

    along with prof higgs, we now have 2 of the most emminent astrophysists in the world, both scots””

    …….
    Professor Higgs was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and brought up and educated in England. He was a Fellow at the University of Edinburgh in the early 1950s before taking up a permanent post at the University of Edinburgh in 1960 and he has lived in Edinburgh ever since.

    Reply
  398. Ian Foulds says:

    Mr. Peffers at 11.05pm 31/1/19

    As usual I enjoyed your input.

    No doubt I shall get pelters for the following but hey ho everyday should be a school day.

    If we dissolve the Treaty of Union (and also the Acts of Union) are we not withdrawing from the United Parliament within the existing United Kingdom of 1603?

    If the actual United Kingdom of 1603 still exists, would that shut the Unionists up until we have a plebiscite on the Hanoverian? Windsors, as to whether we want to continue with them?

    Reply
  399. galamcennalath says:

    Brian Doonthetoon says:

    It would be interesting if they branded it as “Scottish”, with a Saltire, and see how sales compare with the UJ version, UK-wide.

    I don’t know and am just guessing, Saltire branding wouldn’t sell as well as UNion Flag branding in England.

    Two reasons. Firstly at lot of English folks appear to believe the Union Flag is the flag of England. And secondly, xenophobia towards anything non-English is widespread.

    Apparently during the Troubles, Kerrygold butter didn’t sell well in England. Numpties could understand that the Troubles was an issue within the UK, and not in the Republic.

    Reply
  400. call me dave says:

    Union of the crowns 1603
    Separate parliaments in Scotland & England.

    Act of Union and UK parliament 1707 began

    English Parliament ‘ceased’ 1707
    Scottish Parliament ‘prorogued’ 1707

    prorogued: discontinue a session of (a parliament or other legislative assembly) without dissolving it.

    Reply
  401. Dr Jim says:

    Does England have no pride in itself that it resorts to sticking the Union flag (which is a flag of no country) on produce it doesn’t produce, or is it ashamed of itself for the lack of quality that England produces

    Or is it just a big fat political statement of ownership of other countries

    The big fat thing I think

    Reply
  402. @Legerwood,

    in ref to prof Higgs,

    it doesn`t matter where you were born or who your parents were or how long you have been in Scotland or even if you do not intend to stay in Scotland and are just passing through,

    if you close your eyes and click your ruby shoes three times and say, “I want to be Scottish”,

    you will become Scottish 🙂

    Reply
  403. mike cassidy says:

    Is Britain ‘undeveloping’ before our eyes?

    link to archive.is

    Reply
  404. euan0709 says:

    Police Scotland Officers started wearing Union Flags on their uniforms (with the blessing of ACC Bernie Higgins), round about the same month as Brexit.
    Mmmmmmmmmmmm. A suspicious person would say this was when the British began to plan sending Police Scotland officers to Belfast.
    Still I’m positive that this was just a coincidence.
    Well almost a coincidence.
    Well OK they planned it then!

    Reply
  405. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi galamcennalath at 7:12 pm.

    You typed,
    “I don’t know and am just guessing, Saltire branding wouldn’t sell as well as UNion Flag branding in England.

    Two reasons. Firstly at lot of English folks appear to believe the Union Flag is the flag of England. And secondly, xenophobia towards anything non-English is widespread.”

    Yeah, I think you’re right there.
    It’s like the anti-EU propaganda spewed out by the UK establishment over the past 40 years or so. Like the ‘bent bananas’ and…

    link to youtube.com

    And…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  406. jezza says:

    Dr Jim

    England and the English have an inferiority complex.

    They can’t even look at the true size of their country on a map,,,hence the tilting of BBC weather maps.

    They really are that conscious of their size.

    That’s why they like going to wars with the Americans.

    They are the skinny wimps who like to hang about with the big guys.

    Reply
  407. ScottieDog says:

    WRT “U.K. single market”
    How many trading partners can auction off the resources of the other?

    Reply
  408. ScottieDog says:

    “Aye! But! Use your head first – or rather your hand – and give it a right good firm squeeze, (just to test it you understand), If it gets damaged it was just that you don’t know your own strength.”

    Lol
    Hunt The saboteurs!

    Reply
  409. hackalumpoff says:

    @Robert Peffers says: 1 February, 2019 at 5:41 pm
    “Oh! For heaven’s sake, hackalumpoff, use your head.”

    Thank you for your support, much appreciated, who needs pelters when we have Peffers.

    Reply
  410. Capella says:

    I think they use the UJ because the St George flag has become toxic. It has been captured by the EDL and the BNP.

    However, they should make a concerted effort to reclaim it. I would much rather see that on goods than a UJ no matter how much the Westminster government want it plastered on packaging.

    Reply
  411. jezza says:

    France v Wales

    I think I will go for our future fellow EU member state and support France.

    Wales will soon be set adrift with their dominant neighbour England.

    Poor auld Wales,,,you really are going to be in for a vrry hard time of it.

    But that is what your country wanted, to leave the EU.

    Best of luck,,,you’ll need it.

    Reply
  412. David P says:

    In reply to Hamish100:
    1 February, 2019 at 8:49 am

    Remember the lib dems and before that the liberals. They believed in federalism, social liberalism, proportional representation. Now? Sookin up to tory unionism.
    Remember the labour party? Naw i don’t either!

    Hamish! – Why the past tense…?

    The latest leaflet from Councillor Nick Ross in Morningside assures us that the (ahem) ‘Scottish’ Lib Dems “are clear that Home Rule for Scotlnd in a Federal UK gives us the best of both worlds”.

    To use one of the favoured Wings epithets: Total Pish!

    They have been trying to flog this dead horse of federalism for over 100 years without success… Is this the longest-running political failure in history?

    Reply
  413. mike cassidy says:

    Week in, week out: researcher Chris Murphy details ‘staggering’ BBC bias findings

    link to skwawkbox.org

    (not archived so you can see the tables)

    And, yes, I have posted a comment about the lack of papers outside England!

    Reply
  414. galamcennalath says:

    Patience! It won’t be long now until the Union Flag is consigned to history. It will represent nothing, nobody, and nowhere. The world will be a much better place for its passing.

    Reply
  415. Robert Peffers says:

    @DerekM says: 1 February, 2019 at 12:48 pm:

    ” … Cant really blame him for what he did especially since basically he trolled the crap out the MSM,yoons and some of us more fiery indy supporters who may have jumped into the melee just because there was a melee lol
    Nice one Greens.”

    Yes DerekM – and who was it predicted on Wings that Patrick & Nicola were working a flanker before the, “Deal”, was announced?

    I saw it coming even before Patrick made his, “Demands”.

    Reply
  416. yesindyref2 says:

    If I was Warren Gatland and the Welsh team walked into the dressing room, I’d walk out. Total crap, the most mistakes any team I’ve watched make in a half, even to the kick in the last 10 seconds giving away a drop goal 3 points.

    Reply
  417. mike cassidy says:

    Its a Friday night.

    So enjoy some Jeremy Hardy as he sets off on one of his flights of fancy.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  418. yesindyref2 says:

    To put it in context, France are 9th behind Fiji and Wales 3rd in the world rankings above England. Wales would go 4th.

    Reply
  419. Petra says:

    Amazing how the Tories can find money, in austerity ridden UK, when it suits them. A billion for the DUP and now Big T is planning to bribe Labour MPs to back her Brexit deal next time round. From all accounts Mann MP (et al) is prepared to accept. In saying that politicians like him back her anyway, money or not. This is the Tory Government that has never returned the VAT that they “stole” from our emergency services and can’t find a penny to compensate Police Scotland supporting the “loan” of Scottish cops to deal with her potential No deal self-inflicted Brexit crisis.

    Then there’s the homeless, starving, sick, disabled etc etc. No dough for them either.

    link to newstatesman.com

    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    @ Thepnr at 11:54pm ………

    No, I agree with you Thepnr. I reckon that they’ll get an extension too and that this fiasco will drag on beyond the end of March. I was more referring to an unexpected “bombshell” occurring around the 13th / 14th February.

    …………………..

    @ Jack Murphy at 2:14 …… “Iain Blackford’s speech.”

    Great how he got some facts out there and highlighted how much (little) England trades with other countries. However the response to him outlined that we export 62% of our goods etc to England. How can that be when a document (ScotGov?), posted on here recently, showed that we now export 52% of our goods etc to the EU over and above our non-EU exports? I hope I’m right on this as I can’t go back to check.

    Reply
  420. Robert Peffers says:

    @galamcennalath says: 1 February, 2019 at 12:57 pm:

    ” … The various Tory parties contribute nothing and their sole aim is anti Scottish mischief.”

    They are exactly what I have been calling them for decades – “The Westminster Establishment”. However, “The Establishment”, is far bigger than just their political wing in the, so called, United Kingdom’s Parliament.

    The point to understand is who & what are the heads of, “The Establishment”? Who or what is it that directs their various departments?

    For some reason there are the names of some very old banking/financier families running through my head ATM, (And no I’m not a conspiracy theorist).

    Names like Rothschild, Baring and Rockefeller for example:-

    “The Rothschild family is a wealthy Jewish family descending from Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire, who established his banking business in the 1760s.

    Unlike most previous court factors, Rothschild managed to bequeath his wealth and established an international banking family through his five sons, who established themselves in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Naples. The family was elevated to noble rank in the Holy Roman Empire and the United Kingdom.”

    Baring:-

    “The Baring family is a German and British family of merchants and bankers. In Germany the family belongs to the Bildungsbürgertum, whereas in England it belongs to the high aristocracy.”

    You will find a very long list of such families here:-

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    Reply
  421. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Can anyone who is definitely coming to the Yessers gathering in Sammy Dow’s, Glasgow on March 2nd *please* go to off-topic and let me know?

    link to wingsoverscotland.com

    We have over 30 names confirmed but it’s still a month away so I need to maintain a list of definites in case there’s an upper limit for that function room. If there is, fair enough, we take over the main bar, but it would still be nice to have a rough idea. Cheers!

    Reply
  422. Sarah says:

    @Meg merrilees at 10.21: talking about veg direct from farmers, I’ve just had a really tasty dinner with 5 roasted veg – onion, beetroot, carrot, swede, parsnip + potatoes and a little beef – all from Scotland and no Union Jacks as bought from a farmshop or grown at home. We really do not need to be eating imported vegetables – I like Mediterranean food i.e. tomatoes and peppers but it is silly to buy them in winter. That is the silver lining to Brexit – we won’t be able to afford out-of-season veg with all their food-miles! Austerity will Save the Planet – would that look good on the side of a bus?

    I did tell Lidls Dingwall that I don’t like the rash of UJs with the message “Honest British produce”. Next step is an email to their chief exec. It may be as successful [not] as the one to Tesco’s chief exec.

    @Tinto chiel yesterday 7.30 p.m.: only spotted your willow warbler comment late today. Fraser Darling said “a willow warbler in every bush” – that’s about right! April and May are wonderful months – not long now. In Kent I heard nightingales for the first time – extraordinary sound but for beauty of song it is hard to beat a blackbird IMHO, and a robin is sweet too.

    Reply
  423. Robert Peffers says:

    @Archie [not Erchie] says: 1 February, 2019 at 1:23 pm:

    ” … I can hear, see and feel the dunt on my heid as the blackboard duster [with white contrails] zooms across the forum.”

    Ah! Archie, Sounds like you went to the same school as I did.

    ” … Some time ago, using your knowledge of things historical not allegorical, I asked a few folk the meaning of United Kingdom. Not one of them got it right.”

    Yes indeed – it is the outward signs of Westminster brainwashing. There are a vast number of words and phrases that have been implanted in everyone’s head by that systematic brainwashing. It takes a conscious effort to shake it off. Fortunately, in most people’s case, once aware of it they begin, often subconsciously, to begin to see through the Westminster flim-flam. Westminster has been re-writing history for as long as there has been a Westminster. The biggest re-write of all is, of course, that Westminster is, “The United Kingdom Parliament”.

    It was the Parliament of the Kingdom of England until 1 May 1707. It then continued to be the Kingdom of England Parliament until it introduced devolution.

    After which it became the Parliament of the country of England until the present day.

    However, it continued to call itself the United Kingdom Parliament but has never acted as if it were.

    The thing is that you have to listen to the words and understand what they really mean.

    Reply
  424. jezza says:

    Bastards,,,non EU member Wales just best our fellow EU member state France.

    Well we can only hope our fellow EU member state Ireland beats non EU member Engurland.

    Reply
  425. Shinty says:

    “If the actual United Kingdom of 1603 still exists,”

    There was NO united kingdom in 1603, the crown of the Kingdom of Scotland inherited the crown of the Kingdom of England.
    To this day 2 crowns one head.

    ie Since 1320 the Queen/King is Queen/King of Scots, NOT Queen/King of SCOTLAND, sovereignty lies with the people of Scotland.(we can sack her if we wish) England, cannot sack their monarch, the people of England are subjects (not Sovereign citizens)

    This so called ‘Union of the Crowns’ is like a very bad history lesson, as to this day it is still 2 crowns on one head.

    Reply
  426. robbo says:

    Petra says:
    1 February, 2019 at 9:00 pm
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    Jack Murphy at 2:14 …… “Iain Blackford’s speech.”

    Great how he got some facts out there and highlighted how much (little) England trades with other countries. However the response to him outlined that we export 62% of our goods etc to England. How can that be when a document (ScotGov?), posted on here recently, showed that we now export 52% of our goods etc to the EU over and above our non-EU exports? I hope I’m right on this as I can’t go back to check.

    Petra

    It’s all in the numbers game.

    What it means i think is the 62% of goods we trade of 100 % is with rUK . the other 48% is exported(outside uk) goods.

    Now the exported figure is 48% , so you needs to split that down between EU and Non EU
    So our exports to EU were up last to approx £14.9 Bil
    The exports to the other non EU were approx = £13.9 Bil
    Total exports approx £28.8 BIL( seen that quoted elsewhere at £31.5 Bil??? Now that figure is debatable on who produces the figures.This is where the big arguments come in about GERS and where does UK get there billions allocated to them and not us where oil/gas are concerned etc etc.

    So total trade is rUK(62)+ EXTERNAL EXPORTS(48) = approx £80 odd Bil .

    Remember that’s a trading figures for goods and not to be confused with figures for GDP OR GNI !!!.They are different figures.

    Hope it helps a little .Sure some one can maybe explain it a bit better with links to graphs and stuff

    I hope I’m not making an arse of myself here- where are awe the mathematicians when you need them!!

    Reply
  427. geeo says:

    @Robert Peffers says: and who was it predicted on Wings that Patrick & Nicola were working a flanker before the, “Deal”, was announced?
    ………..

    Me ?
    ……

    geeo says:

    27 January, 2019 at 6:05 pm

    It looks like folk forgot to read the first 3 words in sentence one

    “As things stand”.

    SNP throw a bone, possibly pre arranged bone, hey presto, budget passes and 3 unionist parties who were either wetting themselves at the idea of a Holyrood election or thinking they were finally able to stop an indyref for budget support, are dealt a crushing blow ‘at the last minute.

    I will certainly hold off from jumping to judgement until this plays out a wee bit longer”.
    ……….

    Reply
  428. sandy says:

    The UJ should be compulsory in every home in the UK, stamped on each sheet of one of the most used commodities in every household & workplace.

    Reply
  429. TheItalianJob says:

    Regarding branding. I remember, in my late teens in the late 70’s, the director of a Glenrothes shirt making factory coming to my fathers shop on a regular basis. His company supplied shirts to brand named shops and department stores including Harrods in London.

    Anyhow he would invite us to come to his factory and buy his shirts for around a 1/5th of what they would normally be retailed at. So more or less the cost of the material and labour to make them.

    So I had a stock of lovely cotton Harrods shirts which I wore for many years.

    But here’s the thing. Although the shirts were made in a Scottish factory the label on the shirt collar read wait for it.

    Made in England.

    Make what you think of that.

    I presume all the other shop and department store shirts carried the same label.

    Never did find out as I always went for the Harrods shirts.

    Reply
  430. robbo says:

    Petra

    So whether its 52% or 48% exports who knows.

    Reply
  431. call me dave says:

    Radio shortbread just announced the BBC licence is going up on the 1st April by £4 to £154? to view any programme on tv.

    Not been paying mine since June 2012…lots of letters no visits.

    Reply
  432. Dave McEwan Hill says:

    sandy at 10.12

    Available online. We have some in The YES Forward Shop in Dunoon.

    Reply
  433. jezza says:

    Being a British nationalist in Scotland is like being a smoker in Scotland. The two of them are becoming rarer and more isolated by the day.

    We will never eradicate them entirely but we will reduce them so their numbers are an insignificant minority.

    Reply
  434. yesindyref2 says:

    @geeo
    Well, I did say:

    Makes you wonder (and hope) if there’s some choreography at work, with Harvie’s question at FMQs last week.

    though I wondered if some Labuor might support it so the Greens could vote against.

    Reply
  435. cynicalHighlander says:

    Sarah

    I have a Blackie singing his heart out but cannot find it at the momement but one of his ospring at the startof life.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  436. robbo says:

    Ah

    Here’s the link i was trying to find.

    link to www2.gov.scot

    So make adjustments accordingly to above post estimates i wrote .

    So with ref to Ian Blackfords point what he was trying to say was that now the uk gov are trying to say they won’t trade with us lol -why not -where are they going to get those products they need if they don’t? EU nope! That’s why this whole brexit thing is nonsense. As it seems ruk need more of our goods as that figure is up and growing- they never tell you that do they! They always try to skew the figures in their favour.

    Now it’s not always easy getting a figure of what we import across the border from ruk is it as i’m sure they’ll say its more than we export to them.

    What we need to do is get exports up further . We’re making progress,but if our case for indy to be stronger we need to keep growing exports. More exports means better balance of trade so better economy .

    Reply
  437. robbo says:

    petra

    Ah

    Here’s the link i was trying to find.

    link to www2.gov.scot

    So make adjustments accordingly to above post estimates i wrote .

    So with ref to Ian Blackfords point what he was trying to say was that now the uk gov are trying to say they won’t trade with us lol -why not -where are they going to get those products they need if they don’t? EU nope! That’s why this whole brexit thing is nonsense. As it seems ruk need more of our goods as that figure is up and growing- they never tell you that do they! They always try to skew the figures in their favour.

    Now it’s not always easy getting a figure of what we import across the border from ruk is it as i’m sure they’ll say its more than we export to them.

    What we need to do is get exports up further . We’re making progress,but if our case for indy to be stronger we need to keep growing exports. More exports means better balance of trade so better economy .

    Reply
  438. Legerwood says:

    Scot Finlayson @ 7:20

    Yes it is always nice when someone chooses Scotland as the place to live but it may matter to Professor Higgs that the place he was born is acknowledged since that is likely to be the country of his parents as well.

    Good manners towards the Prof I would say to acknowledge that.

    Accuracy is also important.

    Reply
  439. Footsoldier says:

    How many converted to Yes on here today?

    Reply
  440. Robert Peffers says:

    @Robert Louis says:1 February, 2019 at 5:35 pm:

    ” … I’d argue we have THREE of the most eminent physicists in the world, if you count the daddy of them all, James Clerk Maxwell. From EDINBURGH, btw. ?”

    Not forgetting, William Thomson, (Lord Kelvin).

    Where would this old World be without the Scots?

    Think on such as RADAR- Watson Watt: Logarithms – John Napier: James Hutton – Geology: Norman Dott – Brain Surgery.

    It is an endless list of Great Scots. So if you want a name for Scottish Honours System – “Great Scot”, would be my choice.

    It’s past my bedtime – Good morning all.

    Reply
  441. Hamish100 says:

    robbo the brexiters will say they will trade with Ireland but not Scotland.

    Warped minds

    Reply
  442. Big Phil says:

    Mr Robert Peffers = Great Scot.
    first nominee. 😉

    Reply
  443. I saw Mary Queen of Scots,

    thought about Nicola and May,

    so many similarities,

    the beginning of the Union,

    and now the end of the Union.

    Reply
  444. Hamish100 says:

    Mundell?

    I think I’m running a high temperature– is delirium a side effect?

    Reply
  445. Peffers, sorry Maxwell was the man. Nae Maxwell, nae Einstein.

    Reply
  446. A. Bruce says:

    @jezza 10:34pm

    The social pariah comparison between britnats and smokers is quite good, but give me a smoker anyday- they’re at least acceptable outdoors.

    Reply
  447. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, or so.
    James Bowman Lindsay was mentioned by Sheldon Cooper in an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” in November 2017. The inventor of electric light, 40 years before Edison.

    link to leisureandculturedundee.com

    Reply
  448. Breeks says:


    galamcennalath says:
    1 February, 2019 at 7:12 pm
    Brian Doonthetoon says:

    It would be interesting if they branded it as “Scottish”, with a Saltire, and see how sales compare with the UJ version, UK-wide.

    I don’t know and am just guessing, Saltire branding wouldn’t sell as well as UNion Flag branding in England.

    Guessing too, but UJ branding is interpreted as a sign to the English that all is well in the Union, but in Scotland, it increasingly means the very opposite.

    As an expression, “All is well in the Union” however is also skewed. “All is well in the Union” is reassuring to the BritNats if the predominance of Scotland can be suppressed and Anglicised.

    For me, it has to be a saltire, not just for the smiley wee face of our flag, but because the saltire on packaged food is evidence of GM free produce.

    When England leaves Europe and deregulates to accommodate grossly inferior US food handling and methodology, that wee Scottish saltire, (provided we stay in Europe and maintain EU standards), will do just fine south of the Border. All the forced meat, stuffed full of chemicals, hormones and genetic modification will be fed to the poor. Don’t forget, Scotland only has the rail network it does to get Scottish produce to London. That’s London, England, where animals aren’t officially recognised as sentient beings, but merely product or vermin. And that’s before deregulation arrives properly….

    55 days.

    Unlike others, I am firmly convinced there will not be an extension to Article 50. I think the chances are remote, and we should be deeply suspicious of any strategy which presumes it’s going to happen.

    55 days. Tick tock.

    Reply
  449. ScottieDog says:

    @jezza
    “Bastards,,,non EU member Wales just best our fellow EU member state France.”

    Anyone hear Jonathan Davies shouting “oh noo “ as France made a break in the last 5 mins.?
    The guy is a disgrace.

    Give me Brian Moore any day. He’s brilliant.

    Reply
  450. Shinty says:

    R.I.P Andrew Fairlie
    Condolences to his wife and family.

    Reply
  451. Nana says:

    Links

    link to gov.scot

    link to alynsmith.eu

    link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com

    link to thenational.scot

    Reply
  452. Nana says:

    link to centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk

    link to msn.com

    link to change.org

    link to fedtrust.co.uk

    Reply
  453. Nana says:

    link to politics.co.uk

    England’s NHS
    link to archive.is

    Tufton street again!
    link to lbc.co.uk

    Link I posted a while ago
    link to realmedia.press

    Reply
  454. Nana says:

    1/ EU Member States’ representatives today agreed that UK citizens can travel without a visa to the EU post-Brexit.
    link to threadreaderapp.com

    link to rt.com

    Officials warn of ‘putrefying’ rubbish after no-deal Brexit
    link to archive.is

    link to chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com

    Reply
  455. Nana says:

    link to theneweuropean.co.uk

    I didn’t think it was possible, but a #NoDealBrexit sounds an even dumber idea when you listen to American TV reporting it.
    link to twitter.com

    What to do when a politician tells lies after lies, after lies… Fact-checking Boris Johnson.
    link to byline.com

    Trump has made a dangerous announcement
    video
    link to cnduk.org

    Reply
  456. Nana says:

    link to irishtimes.com

    “The offer of cash subsidies to an MP for the benefit of his or her constituents provided the MP votes for the government’s withdrawal agreement is a breach of section 1 of the Bribery Act 2010”
    link to twitter.com

    Politicians have lost the plot. But lawyers still grasp Brexit realities
    link to archive.is

    MUCH MORE coming out concerning David Cameron (+ Rothchilds + @George_Osborne ) Direct PERSONAL Involvement @RBS GRG along with ‘friends, advisors, officials, political allies”-I have already forewarned @kevinhollinrake as his political party
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  457. Tinto Chiel says:

    @Sarah 9.31: Fraser Darling, a real blast from the past. My bruvva lived near Sevenoaks latterly but I never managed to hear a nightingale in the flesh yet when visiting.

    A blackbird or the frail flutings of the robin (peotry) will do me just fine.

    Or a wood warbler in Stronachlachar, for that matter: an amazing sound.

    Reply
  458. Nana says:

    Just over ONE WEEK to raise funds to purchase two High Street buildings. Let’s fight back against this cycle of outside property speculation that has blighted our town for decades!
    crowdfunder here
    link to twitter.com

    link to independence957939949.wordpress.com

    Brexit Britain is now the only argument on Earth for rising sea levels
    link to archive.vn

    Whitehall officials have begun “serious work” on the UK staying in a permanent EU customs union
    link to archive.vn

    Reply
  459. Nana says:

    @ Ronnie Anderson

    Jeggit says

    After the weekend I will launch a crowdfund to sue both the Scotsman ‘newspaper’ and Tory MSP Edward Mountain for slander/defamation. Antisemitism is a serious charge that will damage my life if I do not defend myself. We must tober these people.
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  460. gus1940 says:

    Wales – 3 tries – 1 good one and 2 gifts from France and it will be shouted from the rooftops as a triumph.

    Reply
  461. Nana says:

    37 page “Operation Yellowhammer” no deal planning pack for staff leaks. Marked “official sensitive”
    link to twitter.com

    link to bloomberg.com

    INF nuclear treaty: Russia follows US in suspending pact
    link to archive.vn

    Colony of Gibraltar
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  462. Nana says:

    link to thenational.scot

    These propaganda videos are coming thick and fast from a British government that is adamant there won’t be an Independence referendum any time soon.
    link to twitter.com

    Will not archive
    link to stv.tv

    Revealed today that UKGov is refusing to fund the deployment of up to 400 Scottish police officers to deal with the consequences of Brexit, despite funding similar emergency deployment in England and the north of Ireland.
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  463. Nana says:

    link to irishtimes.com

    link to rte.ie

    link to irishcentral.com

    Appalling
    link to twitter.com

    Reply
  464. Sarah says:

    @ Nana: thank you for all the links and especially for the fundraiser ones for Jason and Dumfries. I look forward to donating to the one against Edward Mountain, one of my list MSPs and never knowingly truthful or active for those who really need help.

    @ Cynical Highlander 10.38 p.m.: that film of your blackbird nest was a real restorative break. Thank you. The nest is incredible – how do birds manage it with only their beaks to wind and bind the grass and moss? Amazing. I once had a goldfinch nestful in a honeysuckle outside my bedroom window so you could peep down into it. Such a privilege. And in the hedge across the road was a longtailed tit nest. Both of those were in rural Kent.

    @Tinto 9.27: you are much better than me at telling a bird by its song! I have to see them sitting still in good light for at least 5 minutes!! Except for the nightingale, that is – an amazing sound in the dark couldn’t be anything else. Especially when you then play your BTO birdsong tape… I was living in rural East Kent, on the edge of drained marshland with some small thorn trees so was very surprised as otherwise their habitat was chestnut coppice wood. Sevenoaks would be possible for them I would think as it is well wooded.

    Reply
  465. Ian Foulds says:

    Shinty at 10.02pm on 1/2/19

    So, if we have no United Kingdom but have two Crowns, with which I agree and Mr Peffers says we never had a UK Parliament but a Parliament of England; why don’t our MPs come back from Westminster and we can as two separate countries get on with our own business?

    Reply
  466. Tinto Chiel says:

    Off to the fitba’ but you may like this, Sarah:

    link to m.youtube.com

    Reply
  467. Sarah says:

    @Tinto: gorgeous film again! I think I’d identify by sight now, at least. It is clever they manage to film and sound-record the right bird – you’d think the woods would have so many other warblers around that it would be very difficult to be sure.

    Good luck with the fitba result – unless your team is playing Ross County…

    Reply
  468. Tinto Chiel says:

    No worries: my diddy team have already succumbed to Ross County in the SC, and they fully deserved it. Good luck against ICT.

    Re the wood warbler and since there’s nobody else here now: the first one I ever heard was in early May in the botanical gardens in the West End of Glasgow about twenty years ago. I had escaped from a stupid seminar in the Grosvenor Hotel when I heard a male doing its rattling coin schtick on a beautiful sunny day. I’d never heard anything like it before. They are good skulkers but have a lovely yellow breast if you can glimpse them.

    I was discussing this with an RSPB warden a little later and he said the gardens would just be a staging post for further migration into rural Scotland. I think Stronachlachar (“point of the stonemason”) has oak woods of which they seem rather fond.

    Reply
  469. Petra says:

    @ robbo says at 10:51 pm ….”petra – Ah. Here’s the link i was trying to find. So make adjustments accordingly to above post estimates i wrote.”

    link to www2.gov.scot

    …………………………..

    Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post Robbo. I know Big T’s threats amount to nothing, however I like to be clear on the latest stats and the data in a couple of articles posted recently seemed to be at odds with each other … so thanks for the informative link.

    Reply
  470. Sarah says:

    @ Tinto: Ross is diddy too! I don’t really know how they have managed to stay there or thereabouts.

    I had begun to wonder if we should be Off topic but as you say there’s no-one else here now so.. I’ve just looked at the Lochbroom field club guide to birds around here and find that wood warblers have been heard near Ullapool from time to time but we are at the northern end of the range. There’s a clump of oak trees a couple of miles from me so when I go there in summer I will keep an ear and eye out. The guide says sedge and grasshopper warblers come here too – I had no idea!

    Reply
  471. Tinto Chiel says:

    Looking furrit to the spring too. I’m at the northern limit of the lesser whitethroat. I’ve only heard it once in the local reserve in Murrawell.

    I see we’ve successfully killed off the thread, hee, hee.

    Happy binocularing!

    Reply
  472. Sarah says:

    Tinto – smiley thing!

    Reply
  473. Cactus says:

    🙂

    Reply
  474. Cactus says:

    Where are YOU on your journey next door NOW?!

    Reply
  475. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Tinto Chiel and Sarah.

    On the subject of burds…

    Dundee High Street has a number of trees. See Streetview below.

    link to goo.gl

    The past couple of summers, I have noticed flocks of greeny/yellow wee burds chattering in these trees. I’ve no’ got a clue what they are. I’ll try for a video this summer to let you experts hae a skeck. They’re definitely no’ spyuggies or tits.

    Onnyhoo…
    A year or three years ago, one teatime after work, I was climbing the many steps up to my hovelhold and paused at the third half landing to look out the window. And I observed, on the roof of the mews building behind my tenement, what looked like a pied wagtail (have seen them before) but it had a yellow patch on its ‘hips’.

    When I checked my wee book at work the next day, it turned out it was a grey wagtail and I shouldn’t really have seen it in Dundee.

    Onnyhoo second lastly…

    I have three trees outside my closie. Back in 2011, a pair of wood pigeons set up home in one of them. (The only time I’ve seen that in 36 years here.) You can see the short video here:-

    link to youtube.com

    Onnyhoo lastly…

    A video I uploaded to YouTube years ago, of sea eagles being released ‘somewhere in Fife’.

    link to youtube.com

    A PS lastly…
    I usually limit links in a comment to three but I found this when I was finding the sea eagles video. I shot this video in Hastings, where they have an interesting method of deterring feral rock doves, or ‘toon pigeons’. Maybe this last link will kill the whole comment. If so, I’ll do it again later and split it into two comments.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  476. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Ah, success!

    “Time for bed”, said Zebedee.

    Reply
  477. Cactus says:

    Time is NOW.. not the Tories.

    Success indeed bdtt 😉 see ye in Glasgow March ’19 bro.

    Reply
  478. Cactus says:

    NOW is the time for Scotland, tis cool, ah’ve learnt, aye understand and NOW aye know.

    Aye choose to remain here.

    Reply
  479. Tinto Chiel says:

    @BDTT: good morning from a snow-dusted Where I Am. Candidates for your green/yellow burds could be greenfinches or siskins I suppose but you’d have to check your wee bookie.

    I think I heard the greater spotted reversing bin lorry in your wood pigeon clip.

    Nice BBC lady in the studio said the sea eagles were released “near Fife”. Think she imagines Fife is a town or summink.

    Mention of Hastings reminds me of a strange incident while staying at a B&B in Skye. At breakfast we were talking to a lady tourist from that town. There were only three of us in the breakfast room at the time. The door opened and a man came in and took a good look around the room. “Sorry, I was looking for my wife,” says he and starts to go back out.

    Woman at our table says, “I’m here, dear.”

    “Oh,” says he in an off-hand manner and then sits away from her at the head of the table.

    Guy was a total plank, as became clear from the kwality of his conversation.

    Poor woman…..

    Reply
  480. robbo says:

    Petra says:
    2 February, 2019 at 8:56 pm
    @ robbo says at 10:51 pm

    No probs-hope i wasn’t being a bit cheeky-you most likely may know more than me – lol

    Link below has lots of info too. You hear the rabble at Holyrood talking awe the time about. Whether it puts us in a good light at times is debatable as you can never directly link anything to UK economy when comparing anything with Scottish economy when you click that -funny that.. or maybe i ‘m missing summit

    link to fraserofallander.org

    Reply
  481. Sarah says:

    @BDTT: my dog “enjoyed” the Hastings pigeon deterrent, thank you! She rushed to the door to go and deal with this intruder – much more fun than the helicopter she usually sees off. Nice pigeon on nest too – looking forward to seeing your greeny-yellow birds.

    We see a sea-eagle very very occasionally here. If we went further out in Loch Broom we’d see them often as they have bred here for a few years. They fly very slowly which is helpful for identification.

    Reply
  482. yesindyref2 says:

    @Tinto Chiel
    A bit over the top, but it’s one of the reasons I prefer staying in a hostel to a B&B – you can socialise or not depending on mood.

    I’m not really fit for the outside world to have to face me until two cups of tea and 3 roll-ups first thing in the morning (or when i get up if up overnight). Finally after all these years my wife accepts I’m not up for a conversation for an hour or two 🙂

    Even the cat ignores me at times.

    Reply
  483. Tinto Chiel says:

    @yesindyref2: it’s usually fun at a B@B, never knowing who you’ll be meeting in the morning. Fortunately, Hastings Man, as we came to call him, was a rarity: most folk are interesting and on their best behaviour.

    Reply


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