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The invisible army 154

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

We’ve been wiping tears of laughter from our eyes most of this morning, after reading one of the most magnificently bare-faced and audacious pieces of black-is-white lying we think we might ever have seen printed with a straight face in a British newspaper.

It appears in the Telegraph, which seems to have positioned itself latterly as the Daily Sport for people with a reading age above seven, and makes the mindboggling claim that “Contrary to its media image, the campaign to save the United Kingdom says it has more boots on the ground than its nationalist opponents”.

boots

In fairness, it doesn’t actually say whether these boots have any feet in them.

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Apocalypse worsens 131

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

Monday:

“On the basis of independent analysis, the UK Government has estimated that an average annual mortgage payment in Scotland could increase by £1,700.”

(UK government “factsheet” issued by the Scotland Office.)

Wednesday:

“For the average mortgage in Scotland, there would be £5,400 more [in] mortgage payments a year.”

(George Osborne to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.)

Yikes! What the hell happened on Tuesday?

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The dangers of the kneejerk 162

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

We’re so used to reading doom-and-gloom predictions about the apocalyptic future that would await an independent Scotland, readers, that to our shame we occasionally fall foul of a trap we never stop warning you about – reading the headline of a story and not paying attention to the words below.

eenystannit

The one above is a case in point.

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Quoted for LOLs 65

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

Mark Wallace in Conservative Home, 14 May 2014:

“Darling might not have been the most dynamic campaigner in the world, but at least he isn’t a complete and utter Jonah. Replacing him with Alexander is the equivalent of replacing your single-bar heater with a bonfire in your lounge because you weren’t warm enough, substituting your Morris Minor with a North Korean missile in the hope of getting to work faster or deciding to shave with a lawnmower because your disposable Bic was a bit blunt.

Because it actually did make us laugh.

Grassroots concreted over 153

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

Well, that was odd. No sooner had we posted a rather lightweight little piece this morning, revealing that the fake-grassroots “Vote No Borders” campaign had been in development since June 2012, than the story got a whole lot more interesting.

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A long time in the making 78

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

The fact that the millionaire-backed fake-grassroots “Vote No Borders” group arrived on the referendum scene with so little warning got a bit stranger yesterday with the news that the “unpolished voters” campaign has been gestating for almost two years.

acanchi2

Alert readers will recall that Acanchi is the London PR company run by Malcolm Offord and Fiona Gilmore, the directors of VNB. And it seems they’ve been busy.

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What you’re Better Together with 158

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

Some more people who want you to vote No so we can all be One Nation.

Although like Scottish Labour, they don’t seem to be very keen on foreigners.

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FOR COMMON SENSE 279

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

Because some of you won’t have seen it yet. This is NOT a spoof.

jean

That’s what they think will persuade people to vote No, readers.

The poster isn’t the problem 114

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

Labour’s Douglas Alexander got himself in a right old pickle this weekend, at first claiming that the party’s new campaign around a poster about VAT referred to an annual bill of £450 for the average family, but then trying to backtrack in a panic and claim the sum was calculated over the entire period of the coalition government when it was pointed out to him that the figure was ludicrous.

vatposter

Wings Over Scotland is of course dedicated above all to keeping the record straight, so our sinister network of shadowy cyber-agents got straight onto the case.

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Yet another warning from history 87

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

The Scotsman, 24 March 2007:

Brown: I will save the union

Gordon Brown last night revealed he was placing himself at the heart of Labour’s Holyrood election campaign, declaring it was his ‘duty’ to save the Union from the SNP.

In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, Brown pledged to spend the six weeks before polling day ‘explaining and exposing’ the Nationalists’ ‘disastrous’ plans.

The Chancellor ruled out any plans to give more power to the Scottish Parliament saying it was not necessary.”

How (some) things change, eh readers?

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The Brain Of North Britain 130

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

This morning’s Daily Mail reports that Alistair Darling has been “sidelined” by the No campaign, with Douglas Alexander drafted into his place. We’ve remarked previously on this site about our bemusement over the reverence with which Mr Alexander’s intellect is regarded by the Scottish media, and we’re none the wiser after this:

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The head and the heart 316

Posted on May 12, 2014 by

The deeply dodgy fake-grassroots “Vote No Borders” group of wealthy London-based PR people has been rolling out its “unpolished” voters (their term, not ours) again, this time in a series of what must have been fairly pricey adverts in the Daily Record.

The simplistic, often dreadfully-misinformed quotes in the ads have been causing some irritation and anger among Yes supporters on social media, which is understandable but not constructive. After all, many of us have relied on the press for our information about one thing or another in the past too, and learned a bitter lesson.

So let’s see if we can’t actually be polite and helpful instead.

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    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Nope – but then of course the status quo would prevail and Scotland would be further and further away from…May 1, 16:44
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “@CC – do you get the sense that Northcode is moving from charming simpleton to banal troll? I used to…May 1, 16:43
    • Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “JCD If you can’t bring yourself to vote for Tommy then just sharpie in large letters across the ballot “end…May 1, 16:25
    • Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun @ 4.09 They wouldn’t have to hold their nose if they voted for the alliance and similar and…May 1, 16:20
    • Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: “Yes, your life must be pretty dull indeed, Northcode. I imagine you must reminisce frequently upon your halcyon days back…May 1, 16:16
    • Oneliner on Seven Days Too Long: “We need to find a pejorative for ‘English based unionist’ ‘County Lines’ or just simply ‘Colonial’May 1, 16:13
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yes and that’s perfectly sensible YL, but the Alliance isn’t going to hold the SNP to account when it comes…May 1, 16:09
    • JCD on Seven Days Too Long: “Could someone advise me on the most constructive way to spoil a ballot? What I’m looking for is the nearest…May 1, 16:01
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    • Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun @ 2.30 PS: Sinn Fein I believe take their seats at Stormont (not Westminster). It’s the Unionists now…May 1, 15:41
    • Mark Beggan on Seven Days Too Long: “One would have thought the Lady boys and the attempted brain washing of children would have been enough for most…May 1, 15:40
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    • Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun & 4.02 Somebody has to unambiguously hold the SNPs feet to the fire about actually striving for independence…May 1, 15:18
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    • Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: ““All parties start small, that’s life.” Well, the word on the street is you know all about “being small”, Rambo.…May 1, 14:48
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “I’m aware YL that all parties start small, but think also how many countless political parties have been started and…May 1, 14:30
    • Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun and Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone All parties start small, that’s life. I believe I made that pretty clear…May 1, 14:02
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Your tiny deluded mind cannot possibly think that your life would be in anyway better if a war started with…May 1, 13:31
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “That is absolutely true Alf, but that’s a different proposition from dispossessing people of property they now already lawfully owned…May 1, 13:28
    • Del G on Seven Days Too Long: “As each day passes, Reform UK manage to flush themselves further down the pan. Their % rating in polls is…May 1, 13:26
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Sorry fat stinker are you telling me where I am and am not welcome? You don’t have authority over your…May 1, 13:25
    • TimePilot on Push The Button: “This is a common misconception. Whilst it may be of interest, you DO NOT need to PROVE anyone’s motivation in…May 1, 13:16
    • Frank Gillougley on Seven Days Too Long: “I know that I’m a slow learner, but the obvious answer to this d’hondt groundhog day is staring everyone in…May 1, 13:11
    • Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: “The resulting affspring produced whin the seed o the Scots and that o the English is mixt thegither is an…May 1, 13:04
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