Barrel, meet fish
So, we suppose we have to point out the obvious.
The conduct and result of a Holyrood by-election isn’t strictly within this site’s remit, but the astonishing audacity with which Labour are prepared to flat-out lie to the Scottish public is, because it reflects on everything they say about independence.
So let’s step through the breathtaking piece of literature above.
Even if elected, Cara Hilton can’t do a damn thing about the cost of living. Her party isn’t in power on either side of the border, and anything she could possibly achieve as a local MSP could already be achieved in her position as a Fife councillor.
(Indeed, becoming an MSP would probably leave her with LESS influence on political events in Dunfermline rather than more.)
1. Labour did indeed introduce free bus travel for the elderly. The word “supports” is altogether less true. The programme is currently under review by the party, alongside all other universal services in Scotland.
2. Again, it’s true that Labour “supported” the abolition of prescription charges. When the SNP brought the policy in in April 2011, Labour voted with them (having repeatedly raised the price during its eight years in power at Holyrood). However, as with bus travel, the policy is now under review, so the claim that Labour “wants to keep them free” are at the very least misleading, if not a direct falsehood.
(In the case of both bus passes and prescriptions, the party leadership has regularly attacked the idea of better-off people continuing to receive the benefits.)
3. Labour did help to scrap a bridge toll in Scotland – that on the Skye Bridge, vastly benefiting the, er, thousands of people who commute daily from Dunfermline to the Hebrides. (Google Maps suggests 5 hours and 13 minutes each way by road.)
It was in fact a policy of their coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, however.
Labour did NOT scrap the toll on the bridge which is pictured in the leaflet – the Forth Road Bridge, which DOES serve Dunfermline. Indeed, in 2007 the party’s then-leader Jack McConnell opposed the SNP move, saying he was “concerned that removing tolls completely on the Forth Bridge could lead to increased traffic congestion”.
It is, once more, technically true that a Labour council was the first to freeze council tax. But the SNP made the policy nationwide, against Labour opposition. In the run-up to the 2011 Holyrood election the party was against the move, only to perform a late U-turn weeks before the vote, promising to maintain the freeze for two years.
Within months of the election, however, Labour were backtracking on support for the freeze, labelling it “regressive”, only to then have a third change of heart and promise to continue it at the 2012 local elections, this time for five years – or two years if you believe Jackie Baillie, which we don’t ever recommend.
Labour’s policy on Council Tax over the last six years has ranged from freezing it to capping it, increasing it or cutting it – often all three at once, depending which part of the country you lived in. (The party spent years investigating alternative methods of local funding, and then just gave up.) It would be a brave voter indeed who marked their X beside a Labour candidate’s name on the basis of Council Tax policy promises.
Once more, there’s no faulting the literal technical details. Labour led the government which implemented the policy. But as with bridge tolls, free personal care was actually a Liberal Democrat policy and condition of the coalition agreement, which Labour had to be pushed into accepting by the other parties.
Don’t take our word for that – here’s a BBC report from 2001:
“Labour has been accused of ‘conning’ the Liberal Democrats over free personal care for the elderly.
And in 2002, the Telegraph was still reporting doubt:
So, if we’re bending over backwards to be fair, we can say that the first part of the leaflet deals in – well, let’s generously call them “partial truths”. It’s not until the second page that it abandons any figleaf of even a pretence at honesty.
We can answer that one for them – energy production policy is an area reserved to Westminster, over which the Scottish Government (whichever party controls it) has no influence whatsoever. We can only assume this question is in fact either a call for Scottish independence, or for the SNP to form the government of the UK.
Um, they’ve pledged to do precisely that within the next year.
Even though the circulation figures of the Scotsman are admittedly plunging fast, we have to assume that someone on the Labour front bench still reads it, so the implication in this question can only be a knowing lie.
The SNP has of course promised to scrap the bedroom tax on independence since before it was introduced. (Welfare being another reserved power, outwith the devolved Scottish Government’s control.) Labour, conversely, prevaricated for months on end before finally making the same pledge at its party conference in September – perhaps out of embarrassment at being the party who’d pioneered the tax in the first place.
Again, it seems somewhat unlikely that Labour are unaware of the SNP’s policy, so once more the leaflet appears to be unequivocally lying by implication.
We’re not sure what the alternatives to “voting local” in a by-election are. But if we were voters in the constituency, we’d be double-checking that date just to be safe.
The bedroom tax candidate in Govan did well, so labour had to suggest they were for it now, but to state the SNP were not after the last 6 months is a bare faced lie and an attempt to avoid a slide away from labour as happened in Govan to the fringe anti Bedroom candidate.
If there was not a fringe candidate in Dunfermline they might go the whole way to the SNP, so lying became a necessary option. Simple.
Its all perfectly easily explained.
Basically its… no, no that’s not it. Well its just that…. no, no that either. Right… the printers (sigh).
Feck it, caught mooning the electorate again. 🙂
The Labour group in Fife Council also rejected a motion put forward by the SNP councilors to promise no evictions over Bedroom Tax arrears. They had the chance to make a stance against this unfair tax and chose not to, so anyone that votes for them on the basis of scrapping the bedroom tax is severely deluded.
Is there ANY depth to which Labour will not sink?
Maybe their local polling is telling them something rather different from what they expected.
God is this the quality stuff the SLAb lot come up with ? – (mirrors the Aberdeen schools B/T pamphlets for accuracy).
Surely this has to get some coverage in MSM, come on; it is full of holes.
Follows the same impressive professional format of Cara Hiltons TVinterviews.
If the people of Dunfermline vote in this numpty then they will surely deserve everything thing they will get.
This is so sloppy, but follows the same old complacent taking for granted attitude SLAB has been dishing out to voters for years.
Come on Dunfermline steer clear of these muppets. Look foward and be ambitious.
The day to day reporting by the MSM adds truth to the labour lies. The Scottish people are being made fulls off.
There is more:
This leaflet claims Labour will provide more buses if they win this Holyrood seat, yet in the council where they are in administration and already have the power they have actually voted through a budget which cuts funding for bus services (SNP alternative budget which was defeated protected these).
On the “bedroom tax” Labour have first refused to even debate then voted down SNP motions in council to adopt a proper no evictions policy. One distressed tenant walked into a council office recently and slashed his wrists in front of staff because of this issue.
Well we will know just how well informed the guid people of Dunfermline are. As For labour they are beneath contempt, morally and political bankrupt and shameless. I hear a death rattle.
Why won’t the SNP scrap bedroom tax?
BECAUSE WE’RE NOT INDEPENDENT AND IT’S A SODDING RESERVED ISSUE!
Does Labour now favour devolving welfare entirely to Holyrood then? That’s good, perhaps they should come out and fight for it.
Yes says
As in Glenrothes, the problem the SNP or any other party has is that the MSM / BBC accepts the Labour version of events iis gospel and voters never get the truth of the matter despite what an SNP leaflet / newsletter may say.
Seriously can you imagine the likes of Keir Hardie, Maxton, Jimmy Reid, Dennis Canavan etc being a party (pun intended) to this barefaced lying and deceit from present day SLAB? What a disgraceful bunch of charlatans and unprincipled careerists that ‘control’ Scottish Labour at the moment. Self respect tossed out of the window, and not even an attempt to disguise their duplicity and mendacious trolling. It truly is the party of Johann Lamont, Jackie Baillie, Duncan Hothersall, John Ruddy, Michael McMahon, Jim Murphy, Iain Davidson etc. The shameless lie of the SNP not opposing the Bedroom Tax is straight out of the modus operandi of Jackie Baillie and co. SLAB have somehow been reduced to this shitty, dire level of outright stupidity and deceit. Will the MSM ever hold Unionist SLAB to account for their ongoing attempts at coning the Scottish electorate? No need to answer that rhetorical question…Present day SLAB is completely rotten to the core.
Is anyone actually surprised that Labour politicians lie consistently and repeatedly? They get their examples from their MPs and MSPs on an almost daily basis – Iain Davidson, Mags Curran, Anas Sarwar, Alistair Darling, George Foulkes, Johann Lamont, Jackie Baillie, Michael McMahon, etc. need I go on? Outwith politicians, how about Magnus Gardham, Torquil Crichton, and of course the SNP-hating, Salmond-obsessed Blair McDougall?
This leaflet shows what a mess Labour really are in. Locally their canvassing figures must be ridiculously poor to mislead and lie to the electorate like this. First they resorted to a new low by playing the Bill Walker card which, to their astonishment, didn’t work. Their continual reference to this case simply made the voters angry but not at the SNP but at those who choose to keep it in the news and in the spotlight.
Next they publish a leaflet with the sole purpose of misleading and duping the electorate. Again they treat their voters with contempt by playing them for fools assuming they will be so gullible as to believe the crap they print. The truth of course is that Johann Lamont is quaking in her boots and desperate times call for desperate measures. Losing Dunfermline will surely cost her position as Scottish Labour leader and Scottish labour will surely go into meltdown.
So people of Dunfermline on Thursday please vote with your hearts and your heads, the SNP are doing a really credible job of running the country in difficult times. Boot this lot into touch and send a clear message that Fifers are not to be messed with.
“Losing Dunfermline will surely cost her position as Scottish Labour leader and Scottish labour will surely go into meltdown. So people of Dunfermline on Thursday please vote with your hearts and your heads”
…for Labour. We can’t afford to lose Johann at this point.
Sorry O/T
But did anyone catch the excellent headline coverage of Blair Jenkins speech on the front cover of the Metro today.
Brilliant stuff well written by Kirsteen Patterson. Probably the only headline coverage of the clossing day at Perth anywhere in Scotland today.
(Editor will likely be fired tomorrow though – shame)
“But did anyone catch the excellent headline coverage of Blair Jenkins speech on the front cover of the Metro today.”
No. So you better have kept a copy so you can scan or photograph it for us, or there’s NO PUDDING FOR YOU.
@cath
Why won’t the SNP scrap bedroom tax?
BECAUSE WE’RE NOT INDEPENDENT AND IT’S A SODDING RESERVED ISSUE!
Does Labour now favour devolving welfare entirely to Holyrood then? That’s good, perhaps they should come out and fight for it.
The shameful aspect to this all is that they know full well that Westminster is causing chaos with the Bedroom Tax. This has all the hallmarks of Jackie Baillie and/or Jim Murphy. This is the type of squalid political act that desperate political careerists do when they are trying to save their careers and status. They did it last year with the alliance with the Orange Order to help retain control over Glasgow City Council. This once great party has been reduced to abject trolling and shameless lying. They do not care any more about even attempting to pretend that they serve the wider electorate in Scotland.
We all know it’s a crock of nonsense, but who is actually pointing this out the folks in Dunfermline?
I’m surprised Cara Hilton has forgotten Scottish Labour’s commitment to buying its bridges from a now largely non-existent Lanarkshire steel industry, decimated by the Tories despite Scots returning a majority of Labour MPs to Westminster for the last 30 years.
References –
Lamonts Lamentable Speech
Auld Acquantance blog
03 Mar 2012
link to auldacquaintance.wordpress.com
Labour’s brass neck over steel contracts
SNP Media Centre
04 Mar 2012
link to snp.org
Bill Dunblane says ‘Is there ANY depth to which Labour will not sink’?
C’mon Bill that’s got to be a rhetorical question surely?
Labour will say absolutely anything to get elected, they tried this in my area before the last election and got a good drubbing.
Current top vid on google for Cara Hilton, would be good to keep it there methinks.
link to news.stv.tv
The SNP should have been and will have been ready for the usual opposition final leaflet, but even by labour’s own treacherous behaviour this is spectacularly awful.
They must be putting the mortgage on winning this one. If they win they wont care what folk think but if they lose it what a boost for the SG and the ‘YES’.
Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. ????
By the way, could some of you brainy folk tell me if there isn’t any rules or laws about deliberately attempting to mislead, okay, lie to voters?
“could some of you brainy folk tell me if there isn’t any rules or laws about deliberately attempting to mislead, okay, lie to voters?”
No, there aren’t.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
MSM/BBC are complicit in this massive deceit and propaganda trick on the people of Scotland. They are treating us like mushrooms: keep us in the dark feed us shit! They have no scruples or principals And they don’t even get a red face, true professionals.
@Hazel Lewry
We all know it’s a crock of nonsense, but who is actually pointing this out the folks in Dunfermline?
It will not be the MSM in Scotland anyway…
“We all know it’s a crock of nonsense, but who is actually pointing this out the folks in Dunfermline?”
Newsnicht were tweeting earlier for people to send in questions for an on-air debate tonight. Let’s see if it comes up.
Liar Liar Bum on fire, it amazes me that the fire brigade are never away from SLAB HQ
@muttley 79
Hardie, Maxton, Reid and Canavan.
The problem with todays Labour parliamentarians? They’ve forgotten just why they exist. They are not fit to clean the shoes of the four named above.
Sad to say there are swathes of Scots voters who will be taken in by this because they are so detached from the realities of what goes on in politics in Scotland.
I was sitting in my hairdressers chair this morning when the subject of whats going on at Grangemouth came up. I said that it would be terrible for Grangemouth and Scotland if it were to close down completely. He commiserated and said “Aye and they’ll be closing the mines down next”. I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him right but sure enough a few minutes later he said it again. I had to point out to him that all the mines in Scotland closed down many years ago. To say he was surprised at this news is an understatement.
I regret to say I have come across many more Scots like him who are either deliberately not interested in politics “because it won’t affect me” or are completely turned off listening to politicians “because they are all the same”.
Its clear from the actions of Project Fear that they are well aware of this and are deliberately feeding and playing on it.
Not sure what can be done about this given the failure of the BBC and MSM in Scotland to comprehensively and truthfully communicate what goes on in Scots politics to the people of Scotland.
Pretty much all I see when I look at that leaflet is ‘SNP SNP SNP SNP’
Wasn’t it Labour who effectively provided toll-free access to the Erskine Bridge because they were so damned incompetent as an ‘Executive Government’ that they forgot to renew the license to charge tolls. So yes, Labour will now claim they abolished the tolls on the Erskine Bridge but will, of course, omit to inform anyone that this merely resulted from their sheer, utter incompetence when in ‘government’. And neither, of course, will they inform the good people of Dunfermline that they rushed an Act through the Scottish Parliament to re-instate the bridge toll.
YES Scotland.
@ Macart
The problem with todays Labour parliamentarians? They’ve forgotten just why they exist.
I think they know exactly why they exist…
Which is why there must be no place for labour in an independent Scotland. An evil party full of evil people.
Genuine evil. Millions homeless, starving or dead in Iraq. Vote labour because we’re not nasty like the Tories. Scum now and scum always.
40% rule, dead voting, postal vote fraud, the Feeble 50. Scotland exterminated in 1707, teaching Scottish history in Scottish schools is racist, teachers strike by labour unions putting their wallets ahead of my life. I don’t know why so many people still say they are worth saving.
You miss that Labour were reluctant to introduce free personal care for the elderly. It wasn’t a Labour policy, it was a Liberal Democrat demand to enter into a coalition.
link to news.bbc.co.uk
“You miss that Labour were reluctant to introduce free personal care for the elderly. It wasn’t a Labour policy, it was a Liberal Democrat demand to enter into a coalition.”
Whoops, I managed to miss that box on the leaflet entirely, in fact. (Washing machine flooded the kitchen this morning, been a bit distracted.) Nice catch on the BBC story too, will edit in.
It’s all really easy when it comes to the Labour party, they tell lies, day in, day out.
Yup. I’ve learnt that when Labour says or writes something, assume it’s a lie until you discover otherwise.
It is deeply depressing but I think they might get away with it with some people.
I’ve no idea how you counteract the lies – I only found out about Mags Curren lying about the 93 yr old war veteren who backed her but was actually 63 and had never faught in any war by reading WOS.
And there is problem the MSM treat all the people in this country and I include England, Wales and NI as well – as complete fools.
My eyes are wide open now and no matter what happens next year they will never close. I am gob- smacked at how little control we have.
The SLAB lot are disgraceful and disgusting and we can only hope more folk like those in Clydebank waken up to this fact.
LFI need to make some impact soon.
Cue Better Together leaflet drop the night before the polls open to tell the people of Dunfermline that their blood will turn to piss and they will all die of gonorrhea if they vote for SNP.
My eyes are wide open now and no matter what happens next year they will never close. I am gob- smacked at how little control we have.
same here
Ok, what can we do about it ?
Are there any readers of Wings in this constituency ?
Who can we complain to ? Who oversees the running of Local elections ?
It seems to me that this tactic of Labour’s to run these lies is only going to get worse as we get nearer to the referendum so maybe this is an opportunity for us to discuss some practical issues which we as a group can put into force.
The first step appears to be keep every single piece of literature you come across, whether that be in newspapers or campaign leaflets. Evidence is key here.
So who do we complain to ? We have to come together here and start making complaints to relevant authorities.
we complain to the media who expose it to the public
Problem is MSM /BBC accept Labour press releases as gospel and do not have the resources / willingness to find out the truth and inform Scottish voters of the reality.
We can answer that one – energy production policy is an area reserved to Westminster, over which the Scottish Government (whichever party controls it) has no influence whatsoever. We can only assume this question is in fact either a call for Scottish independence, or for the SNP to form the government of the UK.
Classic, Rev. Stu! 😀
The Labour party in the UK now only has one policy and purpose: to win power in Westmister at any cost. The Labour party in Scotland have an additional policy: to keep the SNP out at any cost.
Really, these people are so morally bankrupt (and apparently financially, too. The party, not the MPs, who’re doing just fine for themselves). They twist and turn, have no vision, no guiding principle (except power at any cost), they’ll say and do anything to get their grubby little hands on a Westmister/Holyrood/council seat.
The sad thing is, they get away with it because the MSM isn’t calling them up on it. I hope enough good people of Dumferline read WoS and other sites.
To end on a positive note: There’s a glimmer of hope. The Labour for Indy grouping shows that not all SLAB people are like the scum promoted by the party. Any bets on how soon they’ll be booted out of the party?
What to do about it? Read up on propaganda and counter propaganda techniques! It all becomes clear, very clear!
Any person who votes or is thinking of voting, no surely doesnt reaslise, that SLAB want to raise council tax, limit free bus passes, stop free personal health care,introduce tuitions fees and increase, the austerity cuts, that Ed Miliband has said must be done.
I can understand SLABs quasi-fabrications, to gain power, but for the life of me I cant understand why after doing some research youd actually believe they have the common man/woman’s interest at heart.
I am told the SNP fully expect a BT leaflet going out on election day. The legality of which is highly questionable…..they don’t think it made much difference in govan however.
I put several corrected bits of information, giving what Labour was saying on the pamphlet then the real information, on the comments in the Herald.
Probably not many Herald comments readers in Dunfermline but we’ve got to try.
Herald put it in OK. That was earlier today.
SNP SHOULD GET MORE STREETWISE AGAINST LABOUR TACTICS, WE SHOULD HAVE A LEAFLET GOING OUT TOO !
God help us with postal votes!
Pity I tore up the one my daughter received today:-
It read:-
1. Labour Candidate ,Cara Hilton, lives and works in Dunfermline / Supports freezing energy prices / Will always put people first.
2. SNP Candidate, no name. Does not live here. Works for Yes Scotland / Against Labour Energy prices freeze / Will always put breaking up Britain first.
End up with Please put the poster on the reverse in your window to show your support. NAE CHANCE. Shirley’s is up along with the YES poster.
Miss Hilton seems to forget that a very famous Fife Councillor / Provost happens to live outside fife.
@ Rev 5:57pm – So you better have kept a copy so you can scan or photograph it for us, or there’s NO PUDDING FOR YOU.
Bags the pudding and please send it through the post. Thai Sticky Rice and Sliced Mango will do fine. Oooops sorry you will have to wait till tomorrow for the email and attachment but feel free to send the tasties. Something for nothing is not in my vocabulary.
Metro.
Got a copy but no scanner to hand.
“Blair’s Battle Cry.
He tells faithful at SNP conference ‘Independance will allow Scotland to be rid of the UK warmongers, job cutters, asset-strippers, mortgage flippers, welfare bashers and bedroom taxers’
“
@ gerry parker – Its my pudding, so behave. Good that you have a copy though.
if one does not have the intelligence to win an argument and one is determined not to give way regardless of this, then lying is the only option. I have always thought scottish labour politicians were intewectually chawenged. especially wendy alexander.
That was nice to read on the bus this morning 🙂
Metro – cotd.
“The head of the Scottish Independence campaign has slammed Westminster as ‘corrosive, cynical and remote’ and the Lords as ‘ridiculous’.
Yes Scotland chief Blair Jenkins(pictured) was speaking on the final day of the SNP conference in Perth. And he touted prime minister David Cameron as a medal contender at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games for the speed with which he ‘ran away’ from a televised debate with first minister Alex Salmond.
He said ‘If you are sick and fed up of the corrosive and cynical world of Westminster, then next year we can be rid of all that’
‘Vote Yes and we can say enough to the remote House of Commons and the ridiculus House of Lords’
‘Enough of the war mongers and the job cutters, enough of the asset strippers and the house flippers, enough of the welfare bashers and the bedroom taxers’
‘Let’s be done with them, Let’s make our own decisions and live by our own values.
It’s time to speak up for Scotland. It’s time to stand up for Scotland. It’s time to vote Yes.
‘What a contrast we present to Better Together. For the No campaign the day is never bright. It is only ever dark, very dark.
Their emotional range is strictly limited – anger and aggression, or fear and anxiety. And that’s on a good day.'”
oops sorry Archie, you have the pudding though
wee smiley thing.
good article on page 4 too.
Fancy scanning that?
Was astonished to pick up a METRO on a bus and see Blair Jenkins and SNP conference splashed all over the front page. I think Metro is owned by the Daily Mail Group so someone WILL get the sack.
With the UK government lying to us, Scottish Unionist politicians lying to their own people and with the MSM solidly behind them, Oh I hope there isn’t a Scottish version of Jack Bauer out there, he would be a very busy man !
@Daughter of Evil Reindeer
Good link. This hasn’t disappeared they’ve just learned to clean up the mess better. I don’t believe for heartbeat these thieving scumbags have turned over a new leaf. People starving on our streets and these ****ers fleecing the public purse.
It’s all about power for power’s sake. I actually find this sinister as it’s moved well beyond acceptable boundaries. It really makes me wonder what Labour are capable of. This is potentially a lose/lose situation for descent people. Let me explain.
If Labour win, then they will see these tactics as perfectly permissible. There will then be no boundaries in the referendum campaign. I can well imagine that there are extreme elements within Scottish Labour who will see a win as carte blanche to try all sorts of dirty and potentially dangerous methods to achieve a No vote.
If Labour lose, then equally they may see it as carte blanche to try all sorts of dirty and potentially dangerous methods to achieve a No vote. This is a watershed moment and not for polling geeks.
Anyone got any anecdotal news on hopes for Dunfermline?
“Anyone got any anecdotal news on hopes for Dunfermline?”
No. But it’d be one of the shocks of all time if Labour didn’t win it. A sitting government defending a seat with a 500-ish majority that it never expected to win in the first place (the SNP was 3rd in 2007), after the unseemly ejection of an MSP who’s now in the pokey for knocking women about, and Labour throwing everything it’s got at it?
I think even a candidate as hapless as Cara Hilton is an absolute shoo-in, and all we should really be looking at is the turnout and margin of victory. If it’s even close (say under 3000), Labour is truly a busted flush.
These leaflets show that Labour are not confident in winning this by election in Dunfermline.
@ Gerry Parker – ok I concede and I just knew I was on a loser as soon as Rev Stu mentioned pudding. Great read in the Metro mind you and will have a look at Page 4.
Labour mentioned 11 times in this leaflet – SNP – 6 times (including 1 “Salmond” reference). They are obsessed with the SNP and will tell any amount of lies to slate them. The people of Dunfermline are never so stupid as to believe any of their rubbish and any possible legal proceedings should be taken for their slanderous lies.
These leaflets show that Labour are not confident in winning this by election in Dunfermline.
Yes, the desperation is obvious. However, if they couldn’t win it, it would be a massive PR blow in terms of them trying to portray to the public they’re winning when they’re not.
In many ways, it’s probably good if they do take it, if just to breed complacency.
It’s like with Y/N polls. If you really want to, you can try to convince yourself N is well out in front and nothing has changed. If you are honest and really dig in, N is ahead but has halved it’s lead since the beginning of the year.
As the Rev says, anything but a huge swing to Labour in Dunfermline would just confirm they’re a busted flush.
O/T, but I see the Standards Commitee at Westminster has been busy rejecting a plan to cut MPs expenses. I see Fiona O’Donnell is a member. Fiona must like her tea and biscuits.
Actually Stu the real interest is in the LibDem vote. This is the Kelty coal-carrier’s patch that gave him his 15 minutes of fame so it will be really interesting to see how their vote goes and where.
I’m told Cara is not allowed out except with two minders and is only allowed to say “Hello, I’m Cara Hilton, your Labour candidate.”. Anything else is fielded by the minders. Some people will be impressed by that, unfortunately
Here a wee thought, If I go about telling lies but don’t gain from it I can’t be busted by the law however, If I did the same thing but gained cash out of it then that is fraud and I will be busted for it.
So if a Unionist lies and gains an mp’s job out of it which brings cash, then surely that is fraud, can we not test this somehow ? After all there are plenty of lying Unionists about.
Archie – sorry about that, I’d already typed it all out before seeing your comment, just managed a quick edit. Will a white pudding supper do as a consolation. With salt and sauce of course.
Big smiley thing.
Utterly disgraceful tactics once again by labour, assuming again that the electorate are completely ignorant of the facts, I just hope the good folks in Dunfermline can see them for the desperate liars that they are..
The message here that would be very effective is “Panic. Labour facing defeat turn to desperate lies in Dunfermline”
Rev, I posted a wee comment but it didn’t appear, Am I blocked 🙁
Nope. Will check spam filter.
EDIT: restored.
Nice one, Cheers Stu 🙂
To negative rev snp win, positive energy and all that
“To negative rev snp win, positive energy and all that”
I will fall off my chair in amazement if the SNP win the seat. As I say, I think it’s a matter of how close it is.
@ Thanks Macart
I went into a Tesco supermarket not long after the horse-gate thing and got surveyed by a marketing lady. The questions were not about the sub standard burgers but things like how clean and spacious did the store seem? Of course being astute business people, instead of addressing the profit raking policies and shoddy standards that led to the dead horse, they had gone for the big cleanup of the outward appearance gig. Just like Labour really!
@gerry parker
‘Enough of the war mongers and the job cutters, enough of the asset strippers and the house flippers, enough of the welfare bashers and the bedroom taxers.’
Did Blair Jenkins really say “house flippers?”
@Daughter of Evil Reindeer
Know what you mean. If I hear one more time ‘we need to have a meaningful conversation’ or ‘we need to debate on a conversation’ … there may be harsh language involved in the response. 🙂
Meaningless nonsense a coat of paint covering a rotten shed. People know what they want and they know what needs to be done. God knows how many decades Labour’s had the run of the country. The result has been destitution, devastation, third world levels of poverty, graft, theft and corruption. They had their chance, they had our trust and then some. They didn’t just fail, failure implies they tried. No, they let us down and betrayed our trust.
Time for some much needed house cleaning.
Absolutely hilarious to see SNP supporters having a go at somebody else for negative campaigning! Presumably none of the aforementioned have spent 30 seconds in Dunfermline! The negativity coming from the SNP is quite funny really. Oh and with the bedroom tax – if it’s as big a priority as the SNP claim it is then they can find 0.15% of the Scot Gov budget to mitigate all the affects and ban evictions caused by bedroom tax- from council houses and housing associations. Why aren’t they? Because, to quote Swinney, they don’t want to ‘let Westminster off the hook.’ Not very positive is it? #natswithblinkersloveagoodmoanontheinternet
“Absolutely hilarious to see SNP supporters having a go at somebody else for negative campaigning!”
Not negative – epically dishonest.
This just makes a mockery of democracy (demockeracy?).
I’ve searched through election guidance for some means of challenging this but can’t find anything at all. Unfairly attacking an opponent on a personal basis can be challenged to some degree but outright lies and false claims are aceptable as long as they are not directed at the candidate. Presumably the voters are supposed to be smart enough to make up their own minds, taking account of all that critical analysis by the press and media. This is not democracy and none of us should let this drop until it’s plastered all over the press and someone takes responsibility for wilfully misleading the electorate. Too much to expect a response from Johann Lamont I guess?
Seems we may find a misogynist replaced by a stone-faced liar. It’s shameful.
The only thing that could make this epic dishonesty more shameful is someone like J McPhilemy at 9.25 deliberately missing the point and seeking to justify these blatant lies and this premeditated corruption of democracy.
Can you not see what this kind of behaviour means for our society and culture?
Absolutely hilarious to see SNP supporters having a go at somebody else for negative campaigning!…The negativity coming from the SNP is quite funny really.
Putting aside any arguments over which party may or may not be using ‘negative campaigning’, the fact that you might find such democracy-damaging tactics ‘hilarious/funny’ says a lot about you.
Is there any truth in the rumour that the Labour candidate in Dunfermline is to join Labour’s Truth Team? Come to think of it whatever happened to Labour’s Truth Team?
Come to think of it whatever happened to Labour’s Truth Team?
I wondered if they helped put together the leaflet in question.
Rev :
Metro Fornt page scanned but wont upload to WoS damn – any ideas ?
“Metro Fornt page scanned but wont upload to WoS damn – any ideas ?”
Shoot me a line via the Contact page for an email address.
J McPhilemy – nice weirdo comments you’ll def end up in humour section bud -did you organise the Dunfermline leaflet for Labour ?
Could you also leave the address of your home planet ? Not that we’ll be in touch like
Just catching up!
What muttley79 said at 5:37pm. dide it for me but with a small addition.
What real Labour people need to do is to vote Yes in 2014 and completely wipe the slate clean of these putrid liers, not just some of them the whole stinking bunch. Then they can start over again with a clean sheet. If not and any of these parasites retains political office then they will forever be tainted by the stink of this type of corruption. Come on you know it makes sense.
I watched the video posted by DoER and would like to say “Go on Bernard Son!”
@J McPhilemy says: Oh and with the bedroom tax – if it’s as big a priority as the SNP claim it is then they can find 0.15% of the Scot Gov budget to mitigate all the affects and ban evictions caused by bedroom tax- from council houses and housing associations. Why aren’t they? Because, to quote Swinney, they don’t want to ‘let Westminster off the hook.’
Well the Labour Party clearly didn’t think the bedroom ‘tax’ was such a big priority when they abstained (twice) on the vote when the Bill went through Westminster (as well as inventing the thing in the first place).
What was the thinking there? Labour not wanting to look weak and lefty in front of Daily Mail readers perhaps, or trying to woo UKIP voters, or maybe it was just to see how it turned out so they could claim credit for it if went ‘well’ or keep the Tories ‘on the hook’ (using the suffering of the victims of this benefit cut as cannon fodder) if it didn’t.
One solution of course would be if the Scottish Parliament actually had the power to abolish this benefit cut (it’s not a tax) altogether – but of course it doesn’t as it would require Independence to do that.
A bit much though to expect the Scottish Parliament to pay out of its meagre budget to rectify something which is not a devolved matter and which the Labour Party didn’t even resist at source when it had the chance. And by the way, the £30m that the Scottish Government had to divert from other devolved responsibilities is a lot better than nothing.
McPhilemy – Firstly not everyone who reads or posts here is a SNP supporter but that’s just typical of your tribal dislike of any party that challenges labour’s sense of self entitlement Secondly let’s talk about your lies , let’s talk about ATOS, the bedroom tax, bank regulation, tax loopholes, illegal wars, social immobility, housing crisis, drug abuse in labour authorites, corruption in labour authorities, flipping houses, working as the tory foot soldiers, never reversing any anti trade union legislation, fucking up legal aid, selling off the gold reserves at the bottom of the market, radiation poisoning in Dalegty Bay. Anytime you want to challenge these real things drop us a line.
Rejoined the SNP on Saturday. Went to a ceilidh in the Salutation Hotel. Had a great time. Met Bill Smith who used to sing with the Corrie Folk Trio and Paddy Bell.
You’re looking great Bill. Can’t believe it’s 50 years since I last met you. I’ll order that book of yours: ‘A Mickle, A Muckle, A Malt, and the Moon’.
The unofficial ceilidh in the hotel front lounge was a blast. Everybody was in a great mood. Don’t worry friends if we don’t get Dunfermline; Wallace and Bruce didn’t win every single battle either…they just battled on.
I was out today putting the Yes newspaper through doors in Perth. Some very good stuff in that paper.
sneddon
Don’t hold back, just go for it!
Good list for starters.
Both candidates on telly in a wee while. Maybe there will be a game changer.
22:30hrs.
Listen if Dunfermline return Ms Hilton as their MSP then they deserve any fate that befalls them.
Seriously think about it folks – just listen to her on the STV clips.
The SNP can only give 15% to mitigate the the ‘Bedroom Tax’, voted that through – Labour/Unionists.
80% of those affected by the ‘Bedroom Tax’ are disabled, the rest are low income and vulnerable. The ‘Bedroom Tax’ will cost more. Many SNP led council are making sure those affect are not evicted. councils have been given extra funding from the Scottish gov to cut the misery of this completely unnecessary tax in Scotland. If any council tries to evict these victims,they will be in serious trouble. Housing benefit has gone up 15% over ten years in Scotland – less than inflation.
Local authorities already find suitable accommodation to meet people’s changing needs, where available. There are already transfer register or press adverts, where people can arrange their own exchange.
O/T Grangemouth .. Another example of Labour mathematics .. 665/1350 is more than half ?!?
I watched the STV video gasping in disbelief. A Scottish media reporter who actually asked questions which put a Labour candidate on the spot. She looked like a rabbit in the headlights when quizzed about the schools issue. I particularly appreciated the eye roll of desperation!
if I was a floating Dunfermline voter there is no way I would want this person representing me at Holyrood.
Ah .. clarification on the other channel .. more than half of the Unite members .. fairy nuff
Debate started on BB2 about Dunfermline by-election.
Newsnight Scotland Dunfermline byelection special just started on BBC2,only 5 mins in and the labour candidate already sniping at the SNP..
Watching the Newsnicht debate, it’s plain that you only have to let the Labour candidate open her mouth to see that she can only talk for so long before the script runs out and they have to pull her string and she starts all over again. She also seems incapable of addressing issues which arise unless they happen to hit on her script. Very impressed with Shirley.
Who the hell is the guy with the eyebrows. Green candidate pretty good too.
Jesus, UKIP.
To the gentleman who asked,,,,,For telling untruths ….you could look through
The Misrepresentation Act 1967 part of what constitutes an infringement to the act is (this is not the act but guidance on the act
Term: misrepresentations
1.
Misrepresentations may be classified as fraudulent, negligent or innocent. Misrepresentations are essentially false statements. They are sometimes referred to as misstatements.
Fraudulent Misrepresentation
A fraudulent misrepresentation is a statement of fact made without belief in its truth either recklessly, knowingly or without caring whether it is true or false with the intention that it should be acted on and it is in fact acted upon. Male fides are not a prerequisite for a fraudulent misrepresentation to be proved. Where a contract has been entered into by reason of fraudulent misrepresentation, the person induced may rescind the contract, claim damages or both. The Misrepresentation Act 1967 allows a claimant to base their claim on negligence or on the fraud. Furthermore, when a misrepresentation claim is based in negligence, the Act allows creates a reverse onus on the defendant to disprove negligence – that is, that they had a reasonable ground to believe and they did believe that the facts represented were true.
Shirley Anne was the clear winner on the Newsnight debate. I scored Cara Hilton 5th, slightly above the UKIP candidate who obviously had a problem with wind turbines. To be fair Cara just should not be operating at that level. Bowling green committee might be more appropriate.
Ian Smart’s blog re by election
link to ianssmart.blogspot.co.uk
OMG Cara Hilton on Newsnicht was truly awful. She makes Anas Sarwar sound erudite and intellectual. If the good people of Dunfermline vote for this Labour candidate then God help them.
I give Cara Hilton a consolation point for being the best looking crumpet running for election in Dunfermline.
Her acumen however is a problem so I scored her negatively for rambling, incoherent answers to questions a teenager could have answered properly.
It’s always annoying to have my predictions proven accurate by a bimbo.
“And we will address the SNP’s failure to provide access to vital, lifesaving cancer drugs”
Lifesaving? Have they found a cure for cancer and forgotten to tell us?
@JMcPhilemy
Absolutely hilarious to see SNP supporters having a go at somebody else for negative campaigning!
Oh aye, we’re laughing all the way to the nearest food bank. None of the criticisms levelled at Labour above are false. This is Scotland as it is right now. This is the Scotland which the past forty years of Westminster politics created. Foodbanks and one in five children born into crushing poverty, hilarious right enough. That’s not scaremongering, that’s the reality.
Just a question for the Labour guy. If the SG were able to find the money, what happens when George Osbourne implements his next wheeze? Have you seriously thought this through?
Ian Smart couldn’t see East End Park or the Sherrif Court to get his bearings.
Jeez. One is on Carnegie Drive, the main traffic route through the city centre right next to the police station and the other is at the end of Appin Crescent along to Halbeath Road which are the main arteries along to the motorway.
Just shows is absolute ignorance of the town and the surrounding area.
Just saw this on Twitter:
“@man_labour: Can @scottishgreens ask @ZaraKitson if her brother Thomas has links to UDA or any loyalist organisations?link to img855.imageshack.us.
Obviously an attempt to smear the Green candidate. Of course, if this really is a photo of her brother posing with the red hand of ulster flag and he is involved in what’s being alleged then quite possibly that’s the end for Ms Kitson. Politicians simply cannot have family links to organisations of this nature.
Perhaps its over to Ms Kitson or the Greens to explain this.
Actual link here.
link to img855.imageshack.us
Newsnight Debate
“Cara Hilton, isnt it a bit disengenious to show the Forth Road Bridge on this leaflet when you didnt remove Tolls on that?”
“No its not and I’ll tell you this. Im sick of SNP manipulating whats been said!”
Unbelievable!
Just saw this on Twitter:
“@man_labour: Can @scottishgreens ask @ZaraKitson if her brother Thomas has links to UDA or any loyalist organisations?
link to img855.imageshack.us
Obviously an attempt to smear the Green candidate. Of course, if this really is a photo of her brother posing with the red hand of ulster flag and he is involved in what’s being alleged then quite possibly that’s the end for Ms Kitson. Politicians simply cannot have family links to organisations of this nature.
Perhaps its over to Ms Kitson or the Greens to explain this.
Desimond, what planet are you on? Of course its disingenuous. If it was an advert selling something the advertising standards would have banned it. Your labour chums are clearly trying to mislead voters into believing it was they who scrapped the tolls on the forth road bridge. It was not, it was the snp. Your lying, deceitful, low lifes and not to be trusted.
Anyone got a link to the Newsnight debate please?
“Anyone got a link to the Newsnight debate please?”
link to bbc.co.uk
Fun time. Guess which scenario took place on Good Morning Scotland this morning? Was it:
a) an excoriating interview with the Labour candidate picking up on the falsehoods in her election literature?
or
b) A man baking a cake to celebrate the Great British bake off, preceded by a business item on ‘Brand Britain’?
If you were Derek Bateman you might get the answer wrong 😉
Er, B?
Stuart G
I think at worst its the Ulster loyalist flag – not a paramilitary one although it is close to other such flags.
Not the best association for a Green candidate to have though as its inflammatory and opens the door for vile politics.
Guilt by association so to speak.
“I think at worst its the Ulster loyalist flag”
It’s the Ulster Banner, the former flag (until 1972) of the Northern Irish Government, and while it’s been appropriated by Loyalists it’s still used in some official sporting capacities, including for the Northern Ireland football team.
link to en.wikipedia.org
So all we can say with confidence that we actually have there is a football fan in front of a football flag.
@Frank McDermott
Err?
‘Your labour chums’ …. thats the funniest thing I have ever read on here!
Oh wait, You’re kidding right?
If not, I would have thought the word Unbelievable! would have conveyed my sadness at Labours latest games and Caras sick of SNP manipulation rant was just icing on the cake
Desimond: see, this is why formatting matters. Put that quote in italics, isolated with proper line breaks, and nobody gets confused…
Suddenly I can see why most people dont bother posting comments. If anyone needed italics to fully understand that wasnt a PRO Labour posting then Ive clearly over estimated the intelligence of readers here.
Now, wheres they worms?
The Unionists Parties are destroying Democracy. Unionist Partes/Better Together are destroying Democracy with their lies, fraudulent behaviour, and manipulation. People are being so turned off Politics, often less than half of the Electorate are even bothering to vote.
The Postal vote scams, collecting votes at the door step are illegal. Gerrymandering Electoral fraud which carries a prison sentence. Any candidate elected this way is liable to be prosecuted and if convicted along with the door step manipulated. Ignorance is not an excuse.
Parties calling other elected representatives dishonest when an impartial investigation of the facts and figures show the accusers are dishonest trying tongain political advantage.
Leaflets containing downrights lies on a Party’s committed Policies, anything to get elected. It is an affront to Democracy. Unionist Parties lack of principles is destroying Democracy in the UK.
Only Independece for Scotland will change democracy for Scotland, holding Parties to account.
Unionist Parties have acted dishonourably and engaged in disreputably manipulation of the Political system for far too long. The electorate has become totally cynical and will not turn out to vote. Destroying the democratic process.
.
Even Greens, are not their Brother’s keepers, leave the Lassie alone. Just more Unionist bullying from the nasty Party.
The Red Hand of Ulster flag is officially used in sports. For example, when Rory Mcllroy plays in the golf majors, it has the Red Hand of Ulster flag next to his name. The photo has the Northern Ireland FA flag. I can’t see anything wrong with what he has done. The Green candidate has nothing to answer for in regards to that photo.
IanSSmart Column. No guesses for what the S stands for, no wonder they are in trouble.
Include the legislation about electoral fraud might help the canvassers out.
@muttley79
True.
I thought the “shame” was the Rangers piece showing in bottom right hand corner.
🙂
@ Stu
Many thanks for the link. I had initially tried iPlayer but it didn’t work. It does now.
As regards thon Zara lassie – even if it turned out her brother is a fascist perhaps it might have been that which turned her politics in the direction she has chosen. Would that not be a good thing?
Just wanted to say as a SNP Supporter in Dunfermline who received this leaflet on Sunday, the word spitting comes to mind. We had guests and were unable to take time out to engage with the activist who obviously wanted to talk, he returned twice. We think the previous incumbents may have been supporters.
If the SNP lose this seat because the people are stupid enough to believe this leaflet, so be it, but surely they realise that they were still building new toll booths on the bridge right up to the time the SNP removed them 31st December 2007.
@Stuart G
Politicians simply cannot have family links to organisations of this nature.
Why should someone be judged on the basis of a sibling’s alleged behaviour, in any circumstances? Would people on this site turn up their noses at Citizen Smart because he has a brother Ian? No civilised country would jail someone because a close relative has committed a crime, so why should we reject someone for public office because of what a close relative may have done?
Even if Ms Kitson’s brother is a rabid sectarian bigot (which he may well not be), to assume that Ms Kitson shares her brother’s views is in itself a form of bigotry.
Labour motion passed by Fife council on the bedroom tax
That for any tenant facing financial difficulties as a direct result of the bedroom tax provided they have contacted the council to discuss their financial position , are doing all they reasonably can to avoid falling into escalating arrears and where applicable have entered into a financial agreement, Fife council will use all legitimate means of supporting tenants to ensure collection of rent BUT WILL NOT PURSUE EVICTION MEASURES.
In other words, Fife has passed a no eviction policy.
@Desimond. 9. 09am.
You have my sympathy Desimond. Frank McDermott grabbed the wrong end of the stick and I don’t understand why or how.
It was perfectly obvious from your comment that you are not a Labour supporter.
Please stay with us and don’t wander off.
@The Rough Bounds
Ah cheers TRB..you had me at hello!
Take more than that to chase me away from my cyber-fix!
ploo320
Exactly – which is what the SNP councils have done (first) and “will use all legitimate means of supporting tenants to ensure collection of rent” which is exactly what the SNP councils have done inside legislation brought in by Labour but Labour is dishonestly demanding that the SNP government does what it is not allowed to do because of this legislation as Labour tries to smear the SNP with a Tax that has nothing to do with the SNP but every thing to do with the fact that we are not independent.