Becoming the squirrel
I went to the dentist this morning, and boy was I ever in for a shock when I got back.
So I guess we’d better talk about this for a minute.
Because as you can see from the clip above, the absolutely extraordinary truth is that Kezia Dugdale, the leader of the North British branch office of the Labour Party, spent the entirety of her allotted time at First Minister’s Questions asking not about the NHS, or the economy, or education, or policing, or the colour of municipal flagpoles, but raging about a mean thing I – some idiot with a website who doesn’t even live in Scotland – said about a Tory MSP on Twitter more than two months ago.
No, honestly. This was it:
It had caused a bit of a kerfuffle at the time, as disastrously stupid people who don’t understand even the most rudimentary operation of the English language pretended to think it was “homophobic”, most of them (one would presume) in an cynical attempt at a smear against myself and this site – something which has happened on a pretty regular basis ever since it appeared – aimed at reducing its readership and influence.
And one might presume that because it’s plainly impossible to construct any rational English interpretation of those words which is fearful of, or prejudiced against, gay people. It’s a satirical criticism of Oliver Mundell’s public speaking skills, made in the context of my live-tweeting the Scottish Conservative conference, where I was saying similar things about almost everyone else on the stage. To the best of my knowledge Oliver Mundell is not gay.
(In essence it’s identical to this joke on the premise of “I dislike you and I wish your father had never caused you to come into being” which had been made at the expense of Katie Hopkins a few months earlier, and which was retweeted and liked 147,000 times and lauded across socia media and the internet.)
In so far as it references his father, Tory MP David Mundell – who did come out as gay in 2016 – it’s plainly not using his homosexuality in a derogatory manner. Indeed, the opposite is true – it expresses a wish that he’d embraced and accepted his gay self sooner, rather than living a painful lie with a wife and family and causing them and himself great and unnecessary trauma as a result.
Interestingly, David Mundell’s own reaction to the tweet was to immediately try to turn it to his political advantage against Nicola Sturgeon, who is in no way responsible for my actions. He carefully avoided actually directly alleging that I was a homophobe.
And Oliver Mundell himself was even more circumspect – making no reference of any kind to sexuality and merely suggesting that the tweet was unkind, which it was:
Dugdale, however, lacked the two Tory politicians’ basic cunning. She used the tweet in an attack in her Daily Record column a few days later, claiming (quite rightly) that “it is utterly unacceptable for someone to face abuse because of their sexuality”. But nobody had done that. I’d been rude about – not even to – Oliver Mundell for being a terrible public speaker, not for his sexuality.
(I also make no secret of, and no apology for, my contempt for the party that both of the Mundells represent, or the reasons for it. But their sexualities are of no interest to me whatsoever. I care about what they do in their offices, not their bedrooms.)
The reason alleging otherwise is so offensive is that I’ve been a lifelong advocate of equal rights for gay people. Wings Over Scotland has only rarely addressed the issue because it’s not really within our Scottish-politics remit, but on the occasions we’ve done so we’ve been unequivocally supportive of, for example, equal marriage.
Dugdale’s dragging up a stale, months-old slur was nothing other than a transparent attempt to distract voters from the spectacular trainwreck Scottish Labour is currently undergoing over its councillors. She threw a dead cat on the floor of the Holyrood chamber so that nobody would talk about the mess her party is in.
Also, of course, it was a desperate shot at trying to discredit a website that’s been a thorn in the side of Scottish Labour for five years. Dugdale has long been furious that people trust Wings Over Scotland’s forensic and fully sourced journalism, and that we regularly catch her out telling lies.
And obviously it was also an attempt to tar the SNP with the brush of my sometimes abrasive online persona, despite my having never been a member of, or even voted for, the SNP. Bizarrely, Dugdale referred to me as a “colleague” of the First Minister, who I’ve never met or had a conversation with, while frantically trying to draw attention away from the gigantic beams in her own eye.
It seems that today she finally lost all control of her hatred. We will be pursuing her in court over the defamation she repeated in Parliament today. And that’s all we have to say on the subject for now.
Felt kinda proud watching it today Stu! Proves that “Le Resistance” is working! Have a drink for me tonight!
I feel her pain.
Dugdale is desperate. She might even be ill. Pressure can do that.
Wings continues to be the best pro-indy site on the planet.
About time Wings cleared its name. Good luck.
I did not think Mundane was particularly gay. He seemed gey dreicht tae me.
I don’t think she lost control at all; it was indeed a (calculated) dead cat for distraction reasons.
Still a total diddy
For Kezia Dugdale to bring this up in the Scottish parliament is beyond belief. She really has lost the post. Absolutely living in a fantasy world.
Joking aside, I believe she is not mentally stable.
Nice to know your are rattling a cage or two Stu.
Becoming the squirrel.
Silence of the lambs, more like
“encouraged him along” 🙂
She has lost the plot! Really lost the plot! And Nicola has, again, opened a can of woop-ass on her. When will she learn?
Kezia Dugdale is the sort of public speaker that makes me wish I’d not bothered to click the white triangle on the video.
[Note I am not, and have never been, against triangles or other ‘conventional’ 2D geometric shapes.]
The establishment has for years now been doing it’s best to discredit Wings Over Scotland. This effort today though from Kezia Dugadale takes thing to an altogether different level.
The blogger from Bath has made fools of them and doesn’t it show.
Good man.
Desperate stuff, from a desperate branch manager.
Shows how desperate Kezia Dugdale and her Labour colleagues must be. Good luck with the court case. Her attempts at public smear of the most popular blogger for the Indy cause are going to spectacularly backfire.
Will be interesting to see the readership figures this month.
What is it that they say about “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” ?
She really needs to get away from the politics stuff, (clearly not for her), too easily riled.
Hopefully today’s events perhaps pushed some more disenfranchised Labour voters towards the Wings site.
Other than that Rev I sincerely hope that you and your solicitors destroy the North British Branch in the courts soon enough.(insert smiley thingy here).
Homophobe ?
Nah.
Ollie Mundellphobe ?
Who isn’t !
I see Duncan Hothersall now think he’s the only gay in the village.
@Duncan Hothersall
I suggest you climb down of your high-horse as you are about to damage the LGBT community. You need to appreciate that as with nationality, sexuality is both a private and public domain. I also suggest you need to develop some self-awareness before continuing further in politics. You’re a total embarrassment at present.
Yes indeed, go for compensation for her intended, and very public slur against you Stu, and trying to blacken the name of Wings too.
Add in her attempted to somehow indicate that you and Nicola are friends and she fires with a shotgun in order to hum, hit
something in the spread.
Still, free advertising Stu.
Listened to the whole think on FMQs. I was flabbergasted at it.
FM had it right Kezia was using it as a smoke screen to cover up her rebel councillors who will nit be suspended.
I can see no homophobia issue.
Most folk I know think it was a misuse of her position taking the issue to FMQs.
Basically Stu you do too good a job of exposing lies deceit and spin of SLab and Tory Leaders in Scotland.
Keep doing what you do.
Breaking news – Next weeks FMQ’s, Kezia Dugdale leads with, ‘Someone chapped my door and ran away, what is Nicola Sturgeon going to do about it’.
She plans to round of with, ‘Mummy promised I would be a princess, why won’t Nicola sort this out’.
Kez, seriously, I know your reading this, get a life and get on with the day job. Oh, wait, that is your day job.
You forgot to include this charmer, Rev:
link to twitter.com
OK so the most probable reason Mundell is nicknamed “Fluffy” is due to his hair but after he came out was it bad that I wondered if it didn’t have something to do with this link to en.wikipedia.org ?
I never realised dead cats came with such expensive price tags attached. 🙂
To be fair I think the colleagues she was referring to were SNP MP’s & MSP’s who have the gall to follow you etc.
But then it’s very difficult to pick through her ramblings sometimes.
I note she said she had a list of all SNP MPs, MPs, etc who have retweeted or recommended WoS. Given their previous attempt at exposing ‘cybernats’, complete with examples of their tweets, this would seem to suggest that they are still compiling little lists of ‘offenders’, aka people who say things they don’t like. Should we be expecting another expose any day now?
As a gay Transsexual I am totally embarrassed, NOT by my sexual orientation but by knowing that someone who is also gay has the temerity to attack this site without having the slightest idea what the **** she is talking about.
It is perfectly obvious to even the most dunderhedied of dunderheids, except of course Dugdale obviously, EXACTLY what was intended in the tweet mentioned by her. She really has become the clown of all clowns now.
Has it now reached the point in FMQ’s that Dugdale operates as Unlawful sex form filling Davidson’s Fourth Division attack these days?
I think the FM called it right though. Dugdale used her questions today to deflect from the disgraceful behaviour of her Labour councillors in Aberdeen … and beyond!
p.s. hope you win your case against her Stu. I guess she has no idea about your current record in lawsuits. 😀
Labour leader supporting Tory MSP. What a surprise. Doubt she’d criticise Tory councillors who have made blatant racist, misogynist and homophobic comments. At least Nicola pointed that out.
I suspect she is desperate to leave politics and will try to use this to slip away out of public life.
I posted yesterday that it really was quite something that Dugdale’s stupidity stood out against the very stiff competition provided by a field of Rennies, Frasers etc.
She finds new ways to surprise all the time. Although she clearly thought this was a smart tactic to deflect attention from the death throes of her Branch.
It won’t work.
I’ll wager even Striesand can feel the effects of Dugdales demolition efforts.
Baddest guy in town.
Even badderer than SNP Bad !
I don’t know about less fragile commentee’s, but my Schaeden is just about totally freuded out already, and there’s 3 weeks of fun and games still to come.
Will she make it to June though? Tune in again next week…
Where is she going to get £10k? She will be out of a job by June. Might have to apply for benefits…..oops May is going to cut welfare!
When Kez finds out that her father follows Wings on Twitter, she’ll probably explode.
On a serious note, is there no limit to how personal and trivial a matter raised by a leader of a political party in Scotland has to be, before the Presiding Officer calls it out for the nonsense that it is, and states that it is not a matter for the parliament of Scotland?
O/T Concerning public service purdah period, today and yesterday a military transport aircraft flew low over Lochbroom, as it often does, but with a difference – its tailplane had a Union Jack painted on it. Normally the aircraft is plain green with the tailplane undecorated.
Am I paranoid or is this an attempt to make the voters feel we’re better and safer together so we don’t vote SNP?
The only thing close to abuse that I can see is the fact you have inadvertently encouraged Kezia to make a complete arse of herself in public … You should be ashamed of yourself 😉
I don’t think it really matters much now whether the Rev wins or does not win his case for defamation against Kezia Dugdale. He has her rattled and that is plain to see.
She tries to use a single tweet from Wings over Scotland as an attck on the FM. She has failed to land a blow over Education or Health despite media collusion. Her parties support continues to fall which is no surprise when they keep making the same mistakes.
Bringing this topic up at FMQ’s is just another blunder in a long line of Foo Pahs that Kezia has made, Labour will pay for this in the loss of even more support. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
I wonder who will sleep the more soundly tonight.
It will be interesting to see the Wings readership figures over this week.
Whit ah moarnin/early efturrnin. Furst aff Wee Wullie Rennie, waving eez airms aboot in quicksaun – ‘Guid Moarnin Scoattlin’.
Haun-cut, ma wee bit ah back gress, in feenisht jist richt fur ‘Furst Meenisturr’s Questions’. Kezia Dugdale wiz lik wan ah thae stray, 5th November rockets, oot ah mulk-boattull.
Soartit yurrsell [ah mess, ah yurr ain makin], sid Nicholas Sturgeon. Adding, uv huddit munnae tums, oan ah personal basis. Recawin Ian Smart’s rant, amang ithurrs.
Kezia Dugdale & Wullie Rennie hud thurr oappurtunity this week, live oan yoan wireless, in blew it. Nicholas Sturgeon tain it wae baith hauns, agin thoan Gary Robertson, wae ah 5-0 score oan toapics discusst.
Let’s just say peeps that £10,000 is OLD news. 😉
He added that he was now likely to seek a “higher figure” than £10,000 as Ms Dugdale had “compounded the offence” by repeating her statements on national television.
link to inews.co.uk
p.s. as another wee bit of tittle tattle STV have a piece about this on their web page but have not had the guts, back bone or courage to actually speak to Stu. I wonder why!
link to stv.tv
Sarah says:
It isn’t called the butcher’s apron for nothing. For three quarters of the time the UK has existed it has been at war with someone somewhere. For many worldwide that flag represents colonialism, aggression and interference. Millions have died because of UK imperialism. In particular, behaviour in India was utterly disgraceful.
So, should we be impressed to see it being flown more? Suspicious and threatened, more like. 😉
It’s actually very considerate of Kezia Dugdale to provide Wings with the opportunity to prove in court that it isn’t all the nasty things she and her mendacious ilk cynically claim it is.
Yet another spectacular SLab own goal.
Cheers, Kez!
aitchbee says: at 4:20 pm
“I note she said she had a list of all SNP MPs, MPs, etc who have retweeted or recommended WoS.”
Read all about it in to-morrow’s Daily Mail courtesy of Alan Roden and Ian Murray.
You’d have thought she’d be going on about the labour manifesto. I got bored listening to her so I had a look at the SNP website at the same time since it’s now their 10 year anniversary. They have a 10 year ‘results’ page on their website and pretty damn impressive it is, especially considering the limited real powers they’ve had in that time.
So I thought that I’d have a look at the Labour website ‘results’ page to see what they claim their achievements have been and which surely Kez would be repeating at every opportunity. Here’s a link to it …..
BBC Radio Scotland just repeated that is was a homophobic tweet at 4.48 pm
‘Where is she going to get £10k?’
Has the Rowntree Trust got any cash left in it?
Hi
If you are reading Wings Over Scotland for the first time today as a result of Kezia’s plug, welcome to the forum.
Well done Stuart. you have really got under Kezia’s skin this time and she took the bait. She’s actually quite easy to wind up and I speak from personal experience of exchanges with her alter-egos on the Scotsman and Courier websites.
Enjoy this thread Kezia – you are reading, aren’t you?
Oh for God’s sake. As a long-time LGBT activist and an out and proud poof, I’m angered by this and my opinion of her now is even lower than it was yesterday (it was low yesterday). There are times when I disagree with some LGBT people’s take on homophobia, but it usually comes from a meaningful place. It’s very rare to see a gay person use homophobia as a tool to smear people with, but this is a disgusting example of it and it only serves to make the general population question the real thing. After all, if Kezia invents it when it suits her, mightn’t other people do that too?
Homophobia is usually a lot more complicated than, ‘THAT PERSON SAID HOMOSEXUALITY, THAT’S HOMOPHOBIC’.
Whatever next? Will Labour roll out a high-profile person of colour to call the SNP racist? Oh…that was last month wasn’t it?
Sinky @ 4,49.
To clarify, this was the BBC presenter saying it was a homophobic tweet NOT Kezia’s quote in Parliament.
Suggest Rev Stu listens to the clip.
Just caught up with FMQ’s. Nicola was and is outstanding.
For the rest, Ruthie is an enforcer for May and how it shows in her misplaced arrogance and loud mouth. Should be working for Capita chasing TV Licences.
Kezia continues to bring the Parliament into disrepute – but she’s not alone.
Won’t Kezia have to ban herself from reading Wings as part of her cross party condemnation against Wings!
It’s ridiculous that she would pull this stunt during FMQS.
If anything, Wings over Scotland will see a spike in unique readers for May due to this televised advertisement.
Wow. Had read about the stooshie on Twitter but listening to the performance is even more embarrassing.
She’s like a child,totally pathetic
If there is any sense left in her head, she will urgently consult a lawyer who I’m sure will patiently explain the law of defamation and advise her to offer Stu a sum in settlement and a full apology. Just don’t expect her lawyer’s letter to arrive in Bath before Friday 9th June.
Even the FM said that Dugdale was in meltdown. I feel for her parents who must worry about her emotional state.
Sarah, ain’t seen that one, but yesterday a very low flying Airbus A400 flies low over Sannox Arran heading North, and Later 2 x C130 Hercules flues over Brodick heading west again at very low level. today I saw another Airbus a400 at low level over Shiskine Golf Club. None had UJ’s on tail. However something is brewing!!
Sarah
I don’t think even Yoon desperation would justify the cost to benefit ratio of such a project but what do I know? 🙂
[…] Wings Over Scotland Becoming the squirrel I went to the dentist this morning, and boy was I ever in for a shock when I got back. […]
You have them rattled Stuart. Keep up the good work.
Flabbergasted but not surprised.
Kezia clearly never heard of the ‘Streisand Effect’ then?
The mainstream media are completely ‘owned’ by Pro-Unionists with the BBC even being paid for by people still foolish enough to pay their licence fee; but they are terrified of Wings’ forensic investigations and climbing readership.
Kezia did a fantastic speech a few weeks back on the Rape Clause which lifted her to heights of admiration I never thought possible. Today, she seemed to crawl out from under a rock in a truly pathetic attempt at misdirection, misinterpretion, and downright smearing.
She deserves all of what she will get at the polls soon.
Noticed Monica Lennon in full faux outrage mode sitting behind Dugdale. Did a bit of digging and found Ms Lennon follows none other than Ian Smart, he of many vile tweets including the famous one implying that Alex Salmond was a racist during the Commonwealth Games.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Nic mentioned him today too. Lennon also follows notorious unionist trolls like James Docherty @jamesdocherty4 as well as the likes of Andrew Skinner and loony actress Frances Barber (both well known to Wings readers). Fake gasp!
This is pure Fifi Le Bon Bon….it is exactly the way that character behaved on the Scotsman forum.
I wonder why that is?
When this is covered by the media, I’m sure it will be, will they give WoS the right of reply or will the slur be allowed to go unchallenged. Somehow I expect it to go unchallenged as the media in Scotland probably also have a dislike for WoS.
Of course maybe this will be part of her defence, it was raised in the scottish Parliament, as the compensation claim is a bit embarrassing if she loses. Imagine Dugdale being forced to apologise to WoS, you would have to laugh.
John H says:
18 May, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Even the FM said that Dugdale was in meltdown. I feel for her parents who must worry about her emotional state.
I think they do John which is why they both vote SNP! 😀
@ Sarah
The air in my wee bit of Money continues to be polluted by raf noise and jet fuel fumes.
Its a funny thing, i know people who say lots of strange things about other people, but i have never yet asked anyone to condemn them for saying these things, right or wrong as people may be, we are not their keepers, they are responsible for their own actions, if anyone asked me to apologise for america dropping atomic bombs on Japan, i would say, why should i apologise, it was not me, and anyway i was not even born at that time, Miss Dugdale should not waste scottish parliaments time with this kind of stuff, and apart from that, she is only making a fool of herself and the parliament she sits in, so please give the public a break from your wafflings Miss D
Oh dear, oh dear. Kez is really losing it now. A toxic dose of party mutiny combined with advanced Indyphobia, I fear. No fact rebuttal, just a miserable reprise of the pathetic self-victimhood of the indyref.
How this pans out time will tell, but that wise old saying is insistent in my head: “whom the gods wish to destroy… “.
It doesn’t look like it’s going to end well for Kez’s political career.
Or for that matter, for “~~~~” Labour (fill the blanks as appropriate).
“Money”?! Moray! I’m cracking up! Move over Kez…
What Kez was trying to hide today…
link to imgur.com
Oh! and a by the way. That is one tweet from 263,187 as of now 🙂
My initial reaction to reading it was it was nasty and homophobic. Even after studying your explanation hasn’t totally convinced me. It certainly doesn’t reflect your strapline ‘Soaring above…’. More in the gutter really.
“My initial reaction to reading it was it was nasty and homophobic. Even after studying your explanation hasn’t totally convinced me.”
Then you’re an idiot.
First of all let me say I’m a huge fan of your work Stu.I think it’s top notch, I donate to the site and you seem like an alright fella in my book. However, I do wish you’d stop with some of the more “contorversial” tweets and such. I know, I know, they twist things out of context and blow them out of proportion, but the sad fact is it’s just handing them free ammo. The number of times I’ve had someone dismiss out of hand a salient, in depth and well sourced bit of analysis you’ve done because of something controversial you’ve said, accurate or not, is incredible. That goes for Yoons and elements of the Indy camp too.
Some people can’t seem to separate the carefully constructed image of you as a right nasty piece of work, skulking in Bath, too scared to put your money where your mouth is and live in Scotland (!), abusing people on social media and generally being a thoroughly unpleasant chap and the person I think we all know you really are. A journo who’s actually doing some journalism, bit of a robust character on twitter and someone who’s probably seen enough nutty Yoons in his time it’s remarkable he’s still sane at all, but deep down a pretty decent fella who I suspect I’d happily go for a pint with. But incidents like this make it too easy to perpetuate the image they want to push. I guarantee there’ll be people at home tonight hearing about this tutting away and swallowing it hook, line and sinker.
I get what you’re saying in the article, I really do. I just wish you’d take the time sometimes to think “is this tweet really worth the trouble it’s going to cause”? To me a tweet basically saying “I wish you’d not been born because your father embraced his homosexuality earlier in life” was always going to cause trouble. Because it’s the wish he’d not been born part that’s the hurtful part. Even tories have feelings I presume and it might have hurt them, and if it didn’t it’s always easy to feign that it has. Sure, Dugdales going after the homophobic angle, but that’s because I suspect she’s too inept to nail down what would probably make most people shift in their seat and think “ooft, that’s a bit strong”.
While it’s certainly not my place to police what you say I do wish you’d maybe hang fire at times, simply cause it gives them an open goal and the independence fight is too important, and you’re too important an asset to it, for easy points to be given away like that.
Anyway,that’s my two cents, feel free to disregard them now as I’m certain you will anyway! 😉
Not mentioned yet is the sheer tastelessness she showed in comparing this to the murder of Joe Cox. The absolute lack of class in making that comparison is nauseous, she is a complete joke.
She threw a dead cat on the floor of the Holyrood chamber
how do i go about pursuing the Dug in court for defamation?
pure and simple deadcatophobia, i’ve had enough! time to take a stand
🙂
The hypocrisy of this woman is astounding.
Yesterday she met with brendan Cox widow of jo Cox.
Labour’s communications director alan rodin is former political editor for the Scottish daily mail – a racist right wing fanzine who’s articles certainly contributed to the death of Cox.
Why did kezia employ him? ??
Oh good grief!
You’d have thought a low profile was the order of the day for Labour. The Conservative manifesto was an open goal.
Their choice.
The Labour party want to silence a media outlet that exposes their lies, they also have a list of others they also want to silence. I wonder if they also know where their families live. All these unionist parties seem to turning a bit fascist.
But but people read it and MPs and MSPs too and it’s no fair
Because the people Kezia pays to Tweet are pretty rubbish at it and mostly because they’re not in the least funny they’re just nasty and the FMs Twitter is full of the creepy so and so’s making vile remarks and twisted comments and many of them pretty violent as well
Funnily enough quite like the bile they print on the front pages of the Daily Mail
Wings over Scotland is funny informative forensic and to the point and that’s why it’s so damn popular and nothing to do with Miss Dugdales accusatory made up faux outrage at some humour over the lack of a Tory members speaking ability
and asking the First Minister of Scotland to involve herself in what’s basically a gripe because there are people who don’t agree with you on something or they take a swipe at someone is nursery school pique and an embarrassment to the dignity of our parliament
Aye, our Parliament which is no longer the Labour parties fiefdom
So I would suggest to “the leader” of the autonomous branch of whatever the Labour party calls itself at the moment to grow up and get on with her day job of rubbishing her own party leader, or was that last week and this week he’s great until he’s not again, or sort out her own dismal performance and stop blaming it on everyone else
Labour Party, nothing but grievance politics
That had to be the most bizarre and self destructive contribution I’ve ever seen in any assembly. Grow up Kezia. Enjoy the court action.
And as we all know she has ensured that more people than ever will now turn over to wings, thanks Kez.
So what if some people don’t like what is exposed on Wings Over Scotland articles. It’s about time that someone stopped forelock tugging and faced their lies head on.
Contributors here get to say pretty much what they like, it is not sanitised and it is on most other blogs so you hear all kinds of opinions and arguments. That is healthy and is called free speech.
Big deal that the Labour party, the Tory party and the Lib Dems don’t like what they read here, well that is democracy in action.
You won’t shut me up and you certainly won’t shut the Rev up so do yourself a favour Kezia and start attacking the party doing the most damage to Scotland’s society. Yes you know who I mean.
CameronB Brodie @ 17:15:
Youngest daughter would add in typical Glaswegian put-down fashion “Is the air not too thin up there on your high horse?” =laugh=
(NB: To avoid any possible misunderstanding, this statement should not be construed as casting any aspersion whatever on the horse species. This commenter is entirely supportive of the horse community.)
Wonder how TheRev’s other case(s) are progressing?
There was that run in with the Express woman. Never heard anymore about that.
Perhaps it’s just the wheels of justice turn slowly.
I listened to this rant this afternoon.
She is clearly needing head space and time to reflect on all that has come to pass over the past few days. I believe she has reached her ‘limit’. It is now time to apologise as there has clearly been people slighted here. She needs to step down and move on.
As a Wings reader of a good few years, I also feel pissed at this – this rant made Wings out to be something very negative – and it’s not. I’m proud of who I am and what I stand for and Wings was very negatively portrayed in this instance.
Sometimes people just don’t like the truth and will spin it anyway that suits them. Today, it was to divert attention.
Let’s face it, Dugdale’s time is up as SLabour leader. Unless they can get back some seats, June 9 is the end of the road for Kez.
Today’s display is just another reason why.
Robert J. Sutherland
Covering your back there Robert. Most wise in the current political climate. 😉
As a red blooded homosexual I couldn’t be less offended, what does greatly offend me is the blatant shallow attempts at manipulation by the leader of the British Labour Party in Scotland.
If, ten years ago, someone had told me “In 2017, a blogger in Bath who you sometimes exchange tweets with will have a legal dispute with the Labour leader” I would’ve laughed.
Then I would’ve asked “What are ‘tweets’ anyway? Or ‘a blogger’?”
Scotland isn’t the country it was in 2007. 95% of the time this is entirely a good thing. We’ve made a lot of progress.
The other 5% of the time, the hide-bound, blinkered and thrawn unionist political establishment is to blame. They haven’t progressed at all.
Vide Kezia Dugdale…
Just seen this on Stu’s twitter. Anybody know what the Greens are up to?
link to twitter.com
The Rev vs. The Dug – Coming soon at a courtroom near you.
Waiting patiently to know how much cash Labour will have to fork out.
Double whammy, it’ll pay for Wings and more Jelly Babies for Stu.
I’m Spartacus!
I’m also Mrs. Spartacus!
I’m also Ms. Spartacus!
And his wife!
And his brother in law!
Regarding the company that Monica Lennon keeps, raised earlier…
I have a saved photo of her posing with THE worse facebook troll, Del Rashid, with ‘team monica’ placards during the 2016 Holyrood election campaign.
When I challenged her about Del Rashid, I was instantly blocked, and later threatened by one of her ‘team monica’ followers.
He kinda shat it when I offered him out at a place of his choice mind you. (Good call as I am a 2 discipline martial arts black belt)
Monica Lennon was Labour in Scotland online activity co-ordinator at that time.
The presiding officer should clearly have told ms Dugdale that as there was a possible court case – involving her! she should deal with the issue as a private matter.
Seems the Tories PO and labour are disgusted together
I thought Wee Ginger Dug summed up Fluffie Mundell, as a gay man and politician, how he stayed in the closet throughout all the political and legal struggles that he was more than capable of at least getting involved in, as an MP. But not a peep out of him, personal or political, until now.
He’s been a tory MSP and MP since 1997, yet came out nearly 20 years later. I dont know how much the world has changed for gay people in the last 20 years but it seems to have changed a lot. Fluffy the tory MP did nothing but watch, from the closet.
shiregirl @ 17:29,
As an attempt to discredit WoS and by implication the SNP, Kez’s tactic today is plainly maladroit. It must surely draw more people to visit the website to see what exactly is going on. Which is precisely Stu’s motivation for his sometimes provocative tweets!
And when they visit here, what do they find? Well-researched articles with properly-referenced sources. Unvarnished truth, not the kind of weaselly distortions and half-truths we are so used to getting from the MSM.
Inconvenient truths given a fair outing are what Unionists hate about this site most of all. But truths are truths, and facts are facts, for all that.
And they liberate honest enquirers. So a hearty welcome to you all, new visitors!
Kezia Dugdale has totally lost the plot.
I think she is no weel.
STV running scared… ‘On line abuse?” pathetic!
I’d have been proud of that tweet.
Well done!
Dugdale is an embarrassment to this country.
Her childish reactions to being under pressure are getting wearisome.
Her number will soon be up and she knows it.
Yeah, would just like to second what a few others have already said, regarding anyone visiting the site for the first time due to Kezia Dugdales promoting of Wings over Scotland at FMQ’s.
I hope you will see that the unionist media, TV and print are deceitful and agenda driven when it comes to covering Scottish politics, and that it is sites like this and others, that shine a light on the lies they spread against Scotland and supporters of Independence.
Stu, your outing of KD’s media lies has her so rattled, the utter amadan has put her dress on back to front.
She’s am embarrassment to herself, her party (British Labour) and the Scottish Parliament.
Come back Johann Lamont, all is forgiven.
Corbyn must be having a huge laugh at this imbecilic rant.
But today when May launched her Tory manifesto hammering the old and kids, and everyone in between, instead of attacking the Tories, Dugdale uses her three questions to dredge up a 2 month old tweet by someone who has never been an SNP member and never voted SNP in his life!
As Stu said, he always voted Libdem for 20 years. Dugdale should really be addressing this to Willie Rennie!
Further, the son of David Mundell who is an MSP, has never raised it in the Chamber.
She must resign and if JC does well in England (better than her which won’t be hard) she’ll be out on her ear.
Dugdale reduced our parliament to the level of a playground tiff. The woman is an absolute lightweight. Get rid of her Jezza!
Anyone else think we’re witnessing
a breakdown in public?
Wow, what a joke KD is. Just a disgrace and Nicola Sturgeon I thought handled it very well, and called Dugdale out in her attempts to distract from the real issues for the Labour party branch office in Scotland.
To colllude with the tories in any circumstances, will finish off the Labour branch in Scotland, and by using the councils to keep control of the purse strings, and even hide whatever has been going on for the past god knows how long, is just beyond contempt.
You can imagine the conversation in the tory/red tory war rooms, you scratch my back and…
Each day brings more disgusting tactics by them and their masters, hell mend em.
Who is advising Kezia Dugdale? Roden? Sarwar? Ian Smart?
At first I was outraged at this completely unfounded attack on the one true source of balanced information that I can access, and then I thought about a fund raiser for lawyers to take her one, but on reflection, she really is just a daft wee lassie who is drowning in waters way out of her depth.
She will be unemployed this time next month, but I’m sure, as with all Tory aides, she can get a wee seat in the house of lords or a £50K part time job making the tea for one of the Banks.
Let her go, and let’s hope she finds some kind of a life worthwhile out of politics.
Sorry Anus, it looks like you are next in line to pretend to have powers beyond Westminster’s control, and a social conscience.
May be time to start those fake computer generated letters again that pretend to be from happy SLab constituents?
I use this site Every day and I’m fully satisfied that it persecutes no one, and works to benefit everyone!
The stupidity of it. To defame someone in print, in a public newspaper (where were the Record’s lawyers?) THEN to go under parliamentary privilege to repeat it.
Done the other way around and she would be facing much smaller damages as the Rev pointed out on twitter earlier.
It’s an object lesson in how NOT to defame someone whilst a parliamentary member. IF Kezia had done it at FMQ’s and left it at that the Rev would have had to dare her to repeat it outside the floor of Holyrood.
I cannot believe she has been this stupid and careless. I always thought she was probably a better person in reality than her affected political persona suggested, but it seems I was wrong. I wish to apologise to her unreservedly for that.
Go for it Stu
Funny how the Tory,Labour and Libs with connections don’t get asked to disassociate themselves from racist,homophobic right wing associations.
Don’t see why Nicola should have to waste her time just reterrating what she said two months ago about homophobic abuse etc.
All Nicola has to say us that the SNP and Wings are in no way connected. End if.
The Hootsmon appear to have closed the comments on their article about this. Such was the level of Yoon zoomery on display today.
Their reaction to any Wings news is almost pavlovian in their conditioning. The mere mention is enough to set them drooling uncontrollably.
Robert J Sutherland
In Banockburn we used to say:
‘I’ll give ye the bus fare so ye can go an scratch yer heid’ similar to high horses and thin air and with no malicious intent to buses.
——–
Re Kezia today – i notice the BBC website quotes Nicola as saying that she receives abusive twitter from labour supporters but the BBC left out her mentioning receiving it from Conservative supporters – no surprise there then.
Wonder if you’ll get the hat-trick and be mentioned in dispatches on QT tonight?
If there is a court case pending then perhaps none of us should be discussing it – but anyway there aremore important things going on in the oust side world i.e.
Retirement of Enda Kenny; death of Rhodri Morgan.
Two hugely important and influential leaders of their countries who fought for right and justice and for the good of their people. Will we see their like again?
None of the current leaders of opposition parties in Scotland could hold a candle to either of them.
——-
TM’s manifesto – where she tries to pour cold water on indy ref 2. What does she mean ‘public consent’. Short of marching on London i’m not sure she’ll ever get the message. Oh well, we’ll just have to wait and see what Nicola comes out with after June 9th!
Well said Stu! totally agree with the sentiment you offer in this post. Dugdale has lost all control of her party, and she knows it. To try and distract from the real issues facing Scotland, her obsession with the constitution, and the shit-storm enveloping Aberdeen council, she really is on a one-way collision course…don’t see her making past the GE tbh.
What has the leader of the Labour Party (Scottish Branch) had to say about the English tory MP who reportedly told a Scottish schoolgirl to “fuck of back to Scotland” during a school debate? Not a jot as far as I can see. Anyone truly concerned about abuse never has to look far to find it – there’s no need to concoct it where it doesn’t exist.
I get the feeling that Kezia Dugdale can’t wait for June 9th so that she can resign as leader. Poor lassie looks as though she could do with a wee holiday.
Lol, Reporting Scotland’s Brian Taylor’s in depth analysis, ‘Kezia went with social media’, moves swiftly on…
Is this because Aberdeen won at Ibrox last night? 😀
Do you know something, I’m thoroughly sick and fed up with the utter rubbish pretending to be politics and news in Scotland, ever since the SNP came to power.
Day after day, the media and the red and blue tories (is their a difference?) smear and lie about the SNP, independence, and run down Scotland.
What happened to the positive case for the union? Oh, that’s right, it never existed.
Indeed red and blue unionists can hardly speak without making some derogatory comment about how awful Scotland is. They mock Scotland’s NHS, Scotland’s Education system, Scotland’s Universities, Scotland’s renewable industry, Scotland’s legal system, Scotland’s farming industry and Scotland’s oil industry which has for the past forty years provided oil to England free of charge, and with ZERO benefit to Scotland.
I am sick of it. We better have a referendum soon, or I am b*ggering off to another country. I’m just sick of hearing so-called Scots, and an England controlled media rubbishing Scotland, the country I love, day in, day out.
Now we have Labour going into coalition with the Tory party, which is currently destroying the lives of millions across the UK – just seemingly to spite the SNP. They care NOTHING for those who voted them into the councils. Nothing at all. They are filthy, lying, greasy pole climbing sc*m.
I’m just sick of it. Get us a freaking referendum soon, Nicola, or I am out of here. Done with it.
What an insult to the institution that is the Scottish Parliament, its members and the people of Scotland.
I have just watched that clip of FMQs. Kezia Dugdale disgraced herself and the parliament with such a childish attempt to play grown-up politics. Even her own members around her were struggling to pretend that they were supporting her.
There really is no way to adequately describe her contribution other than to say it was infantile and the action of someone who clearly hasn’t a clue as to how to engage in mature, sensible politics. It was embarrassing.
Both STV news and misreporting Scotland heavily editing clips of FMQ’s
to spare Dugdale the total embarrassment of bringing a personal spat with Stuart Campbell
onto the floor of our Holyrood parliament.What an absolute farce of a ” political branch party ” Labour in Scotland has become with its supposed ” circus act” leader ” standing on her head ” over policies on a daily basis, and being reduced to ” mudslinging” at the most well informed and respected political blog in Scotland by a country mile.
Donald Dewar will be ” turning in his grave” today over the pitiful state of “Labour in Scotland “.
The tweet was – reductio ad facto – homophilic, not homophobic.
I hope sense prevails for you, Rev.
Seriously, can you imagine what Bercow would have said if a leader of one of the main parties at Westminster tried this on.
Wow, that was something else.
I don’t think she agrees with the Kezia gaff list.
Free publicity for wings.
Labour have been keeping that In the drawer for difficult times. But if that’s all they’ve got they’re over.
More wings visitors. More Indy supporters. Great result.
@ Robert J Sutherland at 6.03
Absolutely. I first came to Wings more than 3 years ago, after a commenter on another (UK-wide) site moaned about the reaction below the line to something he’d posted here. I wanted to see if it was as daft as the stuff he came out with on that other site.
I never did find his post, but I’ve been here every day since.
You know what they say – “All publicity is good publicity!”
A warm welcome to all new readers 🙂 Make yourselves a cuppie, have a choccie biscuit, put your feet up and enjoy reading the truth – you’ll be amazed at what you find out on here!
“Dugdale’s dragging up a stale, months-old slur was nothing other than a transparent attempt to distract voters from the spectacular trainwreck Scottish Labour is currently undergoing over its councillors. She threw a dead cat on the floor of the Holyrood chamber so that nobody would talk about the mess her party is in.”
Some posters might write her off as a fool and an idiot.
But she is neither.
She is a complete liar and hypocrite out there to fool gullible people into voting for Labour.
Unfortunately, more than 20% of the voting public in Scotland remains stupid enough to vote for Labour.
I did laugh at the notorious tweet when it first surfaced as it was a rather excellent double entendre and worthy of public airing, but Dugdale’s exasperation, I have to say, elicited a higher register of mirth to the extent that I have had an extra laundry load today as a result!
Sturgeon might rephrase her response in hindsight, but she was completely ambushed and I thought she did well to see through the shite and identify the underlying motive. Woooosh.
I’d love to see this lying excuse for a politician get her comeuppance in court . go get her rev.
O/t,
Having watched media coverage of Tory manifesto
think we’ll be inundated with folk from over the border
coming here to live and receive all the care benefits .
That’s fine but will they still vote for the union?
The Rev seems to think she could qualify as a “galatic-scale idiot”, personally I’d agree with that given her actions since becoming leader of Labour in Scotland and particularly with regard to her huffy strop today.
Not exactly the behaviour of an accomplished statesperson is it.
link to twitter.com
Ms Dugdale should be careful about highlighting abuse via social media because it may open a can of worms that exposes the LESS polite side of unionism……the term Cybernat was created by a unionist politician to promote the false message that all followers of Scottish nationalism were but Trolls, Nazis, cult members and aggressive abusive bullies…whilst conveniently IGNORING those UNIONIST supporters on social media who were regularly committing abuse against SNP and their supporters.
I browse various Twitter accounts and I am very aware, like many on here, that there is a hatred that is expressed on social media from those who support unionist parties that is unbelievably abusive , bigoted and intolerant to both SNP and it’s supporters.It is hypocritical of Ms Dugdale to take the high moral ground when she herself must be aware of the abuse generated from these same individuals , and yet she herself fails to be accountable for them though expects the FM to be responsible for SUPPOSED abuse from those supportive of independence……in all honesty the most aggression/abuse I have seen via social media has been instigated/generated by unionists .
Perhaps it is not only a deflection tactic today from Ms Dugdale in raising this false flag but also a desperate and pathetic attempt to suppress someone , such as Stu Campbell, who regularly exposes the double standards , hypocrisy , lies, misinformation and unionist propaganda that is communicated by certain individuals online who support unionist political parties, also certain unionist politicians too are guilty of abuse online towards SNP and their supporters and last but not least let’s not forget also the largely pro union/anti SNP biased media.
It is telling is it not that Ms Dugdale chose to attack the FM however chose NOT to also mention those abusive Tory unionists, that is the recently newly elected and now suspended Tory Councillors and also a particular nasty Unionist Tory Troll whose bile was exposed via WOS by Stu Campbell and was highlighted in The National newspaper too. The fact that her target was only the FM and SNP politicians only reinforces once again the message that Better Together is alive and well and the union comes before everything to Ms Dugdale and her unionist contemporaries.
If you are trying to once again pull the wool over voter’s eyes Ms Dugdale then you better be confident that the skeletons within your own unionist closet are not forced out thus exposing your own hypocrisy in your argument and in turn giving less credibility to that very argument that you champion………perhaps Ms Dugdale is indeed seeking to protect those very people supportive to her and her unionist stance whilst bearing false witness against the FM and SNP…….once again .
I would have thought if Ms Dugdale chose to play politics she would at least try to play well and not fall , once more, into the infantile trap of simply regurgitating the same fake Cybernat baddie mantra when really there is surely more important topical issues to be discussed within parliament. Perhaps indeed she is not up to the grown up job of being the leader of one of the opposition parties thus mirroring the pathetic performance from her colleagues at WM who also seem to pander to their Tory BT partners . In fact HQ Labour regularly vote WITH the Tories or ABSTAIN thus giving a free ride to the Tory government and in turn failing to provide effective opposition and holding the real villains to account.
Glass houses come to mind Ms Dugdale……indeed.
Just thought I should mention I think Labour in Scotland will be lucky if they get 15% of the vote in this GE. Hopefully less.
I suspect a large out of court settlement will be on its way Stuart. I cannot see Dugdale being allowed by the party hierarchy to risk having this tested in open court.
I just wish the BBC in Scotland and the Scottish themed corporate media would simply adhere to standards adopted by much of the developing world in the mid-20th century.
Anti-Scottish prejudice and racism are becoming the norm in Scottish public discourse.
link to businesstopia.net
P.S It goes without saying that the Yoon parties oppose social responsibility theory.
i suppose if the wee barb was directed at her personally i might have had some sympathy but mundel and off spring i draw the line.
i consider all tories nothing short of evil .
they are perfectly portrayed in the twitter feed of the tory jesus
finally she has a f/kn cheek when you consider spanner and co and some of the unionist bile on u/tube and the tory press , never condemned by her infact she denied all knowledge of him the last time she pulled this trick.
Clearly a concerted effort by Dugdale and the Scottish media, including the BBC, given how quickly all their articles have appeared, to once again attempt a massive smearing campaign against Wings over Scotland.
They are so transparent. It’s astoundingly clear they know we are winning the hearts and minds of thousands of Scots a month and in the lead up to the GE they think they can smear the SNP by association. It’s a ‘two for one’ tactic, that will backfire spectacularly.
As for Kezia Dugdale’s role in this, she would have been ‘advised’ beforehand, so the risk of further damages that she may have to cough up as a result of defaming on live television has been assessed as the price they are willing to pay in an attempt to ‘shore up’ their falling vote base. it is clearly not looking good for them if this is how low they are prepared to go to avoid the catastrophic demise they are about to suffer at the GE, in their Scotland region.
These councillors aligning with the Tories in councils up and down the country, in an attempt to block what the voters in those areas specifically voted for will cost them dearly in those areas too, ah would expect some by-election’s will follow and am pretty sure Labour’s fortunes will then further slide on the back of their ill judged tribally motivated opportunism.
Anyone now voting Labour in Scotland after this week’s shenanigans at various councils and the response at our parliament’s FMQ’s, from the so called ‘leader’ of the branch Kezia Dugdale. Whose spectacular meltdown and diversionary ploy of attacking a member of the public on unrelated grounds, has to ask themselves serious questions about the intelligence and emotional ‘stability’ of such an individual holding any position of responsibility in public office.
The SNP are the only political party in Scotland representing the people in this country.
The Labour Party have aligned themselves with the Tory party, who are in the process of stripping back all social security provision for the whole of the UK’s population, removing the triple lock on pensions and turning the NHS into a private company to be split and shared amongst their wealthy backers. The Tory party are expected to achieve a ‘landslide’ victory and on the 9th June, the crushing austerity measures will continue at a pace. The Tories guns will then be aimed at reducing the power of the Scottish parliament as they pursue the biggest grab for power on these islands that we have ever witnessed in our lifetimes, on the back of Brexit.
Make no mistake, Labour are on board with this, For any Labour councils in Scotland to have aligned with the Tories in the face of our current situation in Scotland, wherein our government has been placed in the stressed position of mitigating all incoming policies from Westminster including the R-Clause, bedroom tax etc. Shows that Labour have no problem at all with the application of these polices on the ground, they will happily enable these Tory ‘austerity’ measures to be carried out against our population.
Meanwhile we have to put up wi the likes of Kezia Dugdale in our parliament moaning aboot a manny she disnae like on the interwebby thingy. She’s a joke, and a bad yin at that. The Labour Party care about the Labour Party, that’s it. The sooner we are rid of the lot of them the better Scotland can get on wi the serious business of running our own country in a manner befitting this nation.
Does Dugdale know just how much postit pads cost?
that another slab leaders name they have to put on the Slab leaders door!
I used to feel a little sorry for Kezia, but she does not do herself any favours. Hope she gets a rude awakening from this.
Re my previous comment I inadvertently forgot to state that I for one did NOT interpret Stu’s tweet re Oliver M, in any way as being homophobic , however those that did must obviously have minds that only seem to see the worst in EVERYTHING………or have an axe to grind.
“Also, of course, it was a desperate shot at trying to discredit a website that’s been a thorn in the side of Scottish Labour for five years.”
“And of course it was also an attempt to tar the SNP with the brush of my sometimes abrasive online persona, despite my having never been a member of, or even voted for, the SNP.”
“Bizarrely, Dugdale referred to me as a “colleague” of the First Minister, who I’ve never met or had a conversation with, while frantically trying to draw attention away from the gigantic beams in her own eye.”
I don’t have any pity for the liar and hypocrite.
She is a nasty person misleading lots and lots of people to keep Scotland a colony of England.
She is doing it deliberately.
She is neither a fool nor an idiot in my view.
If anyone is looking for the right word to describe her, “tractor” would be a good one I think.
@One_Scot says: 18 May, 2017 at 6:52 pm:
“Seriously, can you imagine what Bercow would have said if a leader of one of the main parties at Westminster tried this on.”
Yes I very much could. The little anti-Scottish, “patriotic”, Englander would have banged his gavel, shouted, “Ordah! Ordah!”, to silence the outraged protest of the third largest party in the chamber and said, “I want to hear what the honourable member has to say”.
Kezia seems incapable of avoiding the trap of “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt”.
As others have alluded – even up against such a thoughtful debater as Nicola Sturgeon – if this the best Labour in Scotland can come up with – they have nothing.
Win,win for ‘BathGate’.
Clapper57, you are bang on the money with the axe to grind.
It was just a funny comment, nothing more, nothing less.
Lol, maybe I should have said, can you imagine if the SNP had tried this on at Westminster.
link to bbc.co.uk
When bbc Scotland run a comments section as above, you can be sure it will be put together like a Question Time audience. It’s a wheeze designed to make yes voters think they’re out numbered and so become dispirited.
This is just the latest battle in the propaganda war being waged by the British Establishment, the nastiest and most treacherous group of people you’ll ever come across. They are like sewage in M&S packaging.
Sarah, asked a relly in the know what’s happening with the low flying aircraft movements over the past we while , this is what I was told !
A400s working up out of Prestwick almost daily now for over 2 months . Also Airbus tankers.
Hercs and A400s also on exercise in Scotland and flying to Finland.
USAF KC135 tanker has been forward deployed from Mildenhall to Prestwick for over a fortnight supporting deployments of F 22, F 35 and F 15 movements en route to Lithuania, Estonia etc.
Average 2 to 3 USAF C17, C 130 and C5 flights through Prestwick daily.
About 7-8 C17 over flights over Arran every day.
GLA and EDI have been getting US Marine Corps regularly .
Unquote
So looks like build up to a proper Global Conflict with Russia, suppose that will divert people’s attention away from a hard Brexit!
@Rock says: 18 May, 2017 at 7:19 pm:
“Some posters might write her off as a fool and an idiot.
But she is neither.
She is a complete liar and hypocrite out there to fool gullible people into voting for Labour.”
Only a numptie would believe the Dug is other than a fool.
“Unfortunately, more than 20% of the voting public in Scotland remains stupid enough to vote for Labour”
And only a bloody numptie hasn’t realised that those 20% ARE Labour. They may be much reduced in numbers but are still a significant party in Scotland. Just count up the actual number of MPs, MSPs, MEPs and Councillors holding office at present. Multiply that number by around 3, (they will all have at least election agents, family and hingers-oan), and that is a considerable number of Scots with votes for Labour.
Did you imagine that the Labour Party+Co-op people do not exist?
Nicola is on leaders debate stv
For her to stand up there and talk about that says alot. They are totally rattled, in a corner, striking out. Why not talk about how they have failed in the Councils with the coalitions with the Tories in Aberdeen? Mirrors and failed dirty tricks.
@Lenny Hartley
I knew a Winger would find the answer – thank you! Now I know I’m not paranoid – instead I’m scared.
So Kezia has her Kevin Keegan moment!
link to youtube.com
And I’ll bet the Rev doesn’t even have a hairdryer.
link to caltonjock.com
Nicola clearly getting the loudest claps.
Ooh Stuart, you are awful but I like you 🙂
There is no doubt that you’ve got under the skin of all union parties. They’ve tried everything to discredit you but you keep coming out on top. Can’t argue with your articles when they are backed up with the evidence.
New people might come here & lurk for a while just as I did so I could make up my own mind about you & your character. That way you can see for yourself that essentially Stuart is a good man. He shows where he found every piece of evidence needed to create a Wings article.
Does any member of the press you read do that? No. What about Bothersall? No. Murdo? No.
To be clear no one else gives you the facts that allow you to make up your own mind about what is happening in the piece. If it isn’t factual he would have been found out long before now & by us who would have deserted in droves.
Wings is the most effective antidote to the seamier side of Scottish politics. He shines a light exactly where it’s needed & if folks don’t like it then tough, there’s the door. We need Wings to fight the battles that SNP or anyone else can.
You only have to watch the speed of his annual crowdfunder to see what people really think of him.
He calls a spade a spade-if it needs saying he will find a way to do it. Can’t criticise that as I’m exactly the same & sometimes it is good to be a critical ‘friend’ as there’s far too many yesmen in this world-I do not include Yessers here!
Other commenters who have been here longer than my 3 years confirm my view that he doesn’t set out to offend but he will give as good as he gets so if someone is stupid enough to try then they deserve what happens-usually the block list 🙂
If there’s one failing it is that Stuart treats Wings as his day job & Twitter as play time but most people don’t understand that separation because both are a product of Wings.
Stuart-keep up the good work, you’ve got them on the run now. Try not to give them more ammo. They are rattled & everyone knows it so thanks for a memorable FMQ’s. I can’t stop laughing so time to get back to twitter for some fun.
@thepnr -happy now?
Lol, Julie Etchingham clearly being told in her earpiece, ‘Shut Nicola down, they like what she’s saying too much’.
Flying butchers apron just went over Campbeltown.. Seen it a few times now..
In context the text was part of a thread that, if I remember, had the Rev forcing himself to watch a Conservative party Conference and moaning that Mundell Jr had all stimulation effect of a Mogadon overdose and wishing that history had been different enough that he needn’t.
Now the truth of the matter is that there’s a fairly high incidence of people changing their sexual preference after becoming parents. Something to do with the reproductive urge being satisfied. So an off chance that Mundell Snr wasn’t gay until he was a dad.
On a more serious note. Dugdale specifically mentioned an ongoing election. She also set out to not only portray Students as a homophobe or a writer of homophobic material. She then set out a case that hinged on the misconception that following someone on Twitter necessarily means you agree or endorse what they say. She made, or at least tried to, a case that the specific members of the SNP she mentioned and those unmentioned are all complicit in verbal abuse whether homophobic or not.
Given she has done so acknowledging that there’s an election in progress she has deliberately set out to traduce the character of all SNP candidates, amongst others, currently standing for election. That’s, at a stretch, a contravention of Electoral Law and not something protected by the more restrictive version of Parliamentary Privilege enjoyed by MSPs while on Holyrood business.
Denounce homophobia…?
Homophobia – fear of homosexuals?
Can’t take Kezia or any other politically correct numptie seriously.
Let’s just enjoy the fact that Dugdale is ecouraging and inviting more readers to the WoS lol. She is just putting out there more attention to this wonderful website
Careful, Stu. What you’ve written could be construed as an explanation. NEVER apologize and NEVER explain. These are things you direct to normal people, not to people who use sounds like “homophobe”.
Brilliant Stu. Her grasp of understanding English is about the same as the grasp she has on her party.
@Lollysmum
Thank you, great post and welcome back. Hope you’ll stick around 🙂
Rev Stu
As a gay man recently married to my partner of 9 years you have my full support.
This disgrace to the LGBT community is using and twisting legitimate concerns faced by gay people every day to Grandstand.
She should be ashamed of herself, I honestly hope that she is being mislead (if the snarling hyenas behind her in the chamber are anything to go by) and that she wakes up soon.
On your best behaviour tonight all, yer being watched and you will go on the list, I wonder where I have came across that wee threat before, ” on a list ” she’s good at lists Kezia is I seem to remember her compiling a list some time back but can’t remember why and who . it wouldn’t have something to do with the SNP would it ? . Just a thought . .
It is clear that they are out to get W O S and its author, by any means possible.
Numpties and dinosaurs might think they are fools and idiots, but they most certainly are not.
As a certain poster says above:
“Clearly a concerted effort by Dugdale and the Scottish media, including the BBC, given how quickly all their articles have appeared, to once again attempt a massive smearing campaign against Wings over Scotland.”
I repeat my previous advice to the Rev. Stuart Campbell:
“You are worth your weight in gold as far as the struggle for Scottish independence is concerned.
You are also a dangerous enemy to the establishment.
Use some of the money to move to a safe secret location out of reach of the black arts brigade of the British Establishment before it strikes.”
As I have said before, I honestly and seriously believe that if Yes wins, it will be WOS and its author that has tipped the balance in favour of Yes.
Can’t wait for the end of the debate tonight to see Nicola Leanne and Caroline doing the group hug thingy that was done at the end of the last Leader’s debate in 2015! 🙂
Here in North Carolina, we’re five hours behind, so I’m just catching up. Did I mishear? Did she really accuse WoS of distorting political debate? Surely she didn’t, did she? I’ve played it again and it seems she did. Ah, well. I suppose one man’s distortion is another man’s major intervention.
“I hear you’re a homophobe now Reverand”
Robert Graham says:
18 May, 2017 at 8:49 pm
On your best behaviour tonight all, yer being watched and you will go on the list,
Not a problem for me RG. I already have the requisite T-shirt! 😀
o/t radio shortbread news as I was driving home from work said this ‘Labour have formed administration at North Lanarkshire council, even though they are not the largest party, SNP are the largest party.’
I listened in vain for some explanation of this strange state of affairs. Got home – BBC website – nothing.
Revs twitter feed – ah it seems they have teamed up with the Tories.
The BBC output is actually getting quite surreal and worrying.
I’m still shaking my head at all this. I still can’t believe Kezia used up her questions to attack The Rev and try the cybernat smear on the FM. I thought NS swatted her brilliantly.
Two things I have learned today: Kezia is both stupid and desperate and The Yoons are absolutely, pant-poopingly terrified of Wings.
I’m sure I speak for many when I say, if you unexpectedly need a crowd-fund for any reason over the next few weeks, Rev, let us know.
Rock
Sook. 😉
Robert Peffers,
“@Rock says: 18 May, 2017 at 7:19 pm:
“Unfortunately, more than 20% of the voting public in Scotland remains stupid enough to vote for Labour”
And only a bloody numptie hasn’t realised that those 20% ARE Labour. They may be much reduced in numbers but are still a significant party in Scotland. Just count up the actual number of MPs, MSPs, MEPs and Councillors holding office at present. Multiply that number by around 3, (they will all have at least election agents, family and hingers-oan), and that is a considerable number of Scots with votes for Labour.
No-one in his/her right mind would claim that the 20% or so that votes for Labour are all members of Labour and their family and friends.
Robert Peffers,
“@Rock says: 18 May, 2017 at 7:19 pm:
“Unfortunately, more than 20% of the voting public in Scotland remains stupid enough to vote for Labour”
“And only a bloody numptie hasn’t realised that those 20% ARE Labour. They may be much reduced in numbers but are still a significant party in Scotland. Just count up the actual number of MPs, MSPs, MEPs and Councillors holding office at present. Multiply that number by around 3, (they will all have at least election agents, family and hingers-oan), and that is a considerable number of Scots with votes for Labour.”
No-one in his/her right mind would claim that the 20% or so that votes for Labour are all members of Labour and their family and friends.
This TV debate. Why is that numpty Farron looking into a camera all the time when he replies to question? It’s the height of bad manners not to address and look at your audience. Farron no one is interested in your mince so stop staring me out and address your audience.
@Arbroath1320
I’m all for group hugs. 🙂
Rev
Was looking at some case law, a colleague asked me what I was doing, don’t waste your time, your looking at this from the wrong angle he said. Think higher, what you have is a classic case of the state abusing its power to sanction someone and abusing due process.
You were not attacked by Kezia, you were attacked by the state in the form of the Government of Scotland.
The human rights act 1988
You have been discriminated against my old friend.
Is it raining where you are? Not here either but I see blind worms poking their wrinkly little heads out of the earth.
Worms eat manure as well as eating dirt if I’m not mistaken, they can be useful though in producing fertiliser.
@Rock says: 18 May, 2017 at 9:05 pm:
” … No-one in his/her right mind would claim that the 20% or so that votes for Labour are all members of Labour and their family and friends.”
Then, Rock, is it not fortunate that I never claimed they were.
Perhaps you should have taken the advice I gave you a considerable time ago – take remedial English Comprehension classes.
The joke is the sort of people left voting for the Unionist parties are those most likely to be both homophobic and racist.
They’ll be wondering why she’s complaining.
Macart says:
18 May, 2017 at 9:09 pm
@Arbroath1320
I’m all for group hugs. ?
I seem to remember we had this discussion once before and you came to the same conclusion Macart. 😀
One thing that is so glaringly obvious about tonight’s leaders debate ….is the missing two leaders…..open goal they have given…..well at least we won’t have to listen to that sheeite . ‘strong and stable’ and ‘for the many not the few’ as an answer to EVERY piggin question…..from the two amigos…..missing in (in)action but not missed at all….pity Nuttall made it… was hoping he might have got lost in transit whilst travelling back in time via his time machine…..straight from the Victorian age in his duty as Mr Bumble the beadle….position recently vacated by his colleague David Coburn…another fantasist.
@Arbroath1320
(cough) Ah’ll get ma coat. 😀
Mindin’ the store for the dug just now so I’ve not spent much time on other threads LA.
Hope you’re keeping well kiddo. 🙂
What? Not that Oliver line again. I found it rather witty. Absolutely nothing homophobic in it. The opposite in fact. I’ve read pretty much all WOS tweets and articles since day dot and never found any homophobic stuff at all. TYRAN approved.
@Clapper57 says: 18 May, 2017 at 9:21 pm:
“One thing that is so glaringly obvious about tonight’s leaders debate ….is the missing two leaders…..open goal they have given … “
One thing for sure is that without the un-dynamic duo there is a lot more sense being spoken in the debate than is usual in such debates.
Just jogging along Macart.
Hope you and Mrs Macart are coping throughout this period of “Strong and Stable” shitfest! 😉
Have been going through a political withdrawal recently, totally pissed off with the RED and BLUE Tories and never ending lies so I’ve taken up a wee “hobby” to take my mind off politics.
I’m now starting to get into philat … phil … ph … of feck it Stamp collecting! 😀
@Arbroath1320
Same as yersel’ LA. Jogging along and Mrs M says Hi.
Working my way through my third stress ball right now. Cannae afford a hobby. 🙄
Re: low flying military aircraft heading North.
I wouldn’t put it past the MOD to increase the Electoral Roll in Morayshire by bringing in Military Personnel to Kinloss & Lossiemouth to vote Tory to try and oust Angus Robertson.
It is end game so “Protect the Union at all cost”.
Ach philat … phil … ph … feck it stamp collecting aint that expensive …well not yet anyway. 😀
Hope your stress ball holds out … got a few weeks to go yet. 😉
*waves back to Mrs. M.* 😛
Tinto Chiel
Quite agree.
I am more than happy to put my hand in my pocket to aid the Rev in suing this woman.
Wow Good luck Stuart ,
unbelievable kez meltdown…. And free publicity for Wings .
You said 2017 would be a boring year Ha ha .. 🙂
Over the past few months i feel we are living in some twilight zone UK. Brexit has totally screwed everything and the politicians do their best to argue over pish to distract whats coming .
Threats to refuse us another referendum even though we passed this through our parliment.
OO infested councils and Tories getting more seats in Scotland because Labour are useless.
If i woke finding troops out on the streets it wouldnt surprise me now. I dont recognise this UK . In honesty it frightens me and we must break away soon or we are fecked.
George Orwell warned us . Imagine if he was alive today and saw this .
I dont give a hoot about this GE . We need a date for a referendum soon we have work to do and we cannot fail this time.
Scotland can decide Tory UK or Indi . The rest have no say .
For new readers. WELCOME to the place where we talk the truth . Be prepared because once the scales fall from your eyes you cannot go back .. ( Just saying cos i read somewhere that if we found out we lived in a real MATRIX , like the movie , some would want to stay in the imaginary place regardless ). 🙂
Group hug for the 3 women at the end of the debate. Polite handshakes for Farron. Nobody even looked at Nuttall.
Also Re: low flying military aircraft heading North.
’tis the season of Military Exercises (War Games) normally hosting Foreign Allied Military Units.
As Number Six says … “I am NOT a number … I am a FREE (wo)man” 😀
ITV are giving Labour and the Tory’s an opportunity to respond to tonights Leaders Debate… here was me thinking that the Red and Blue Tory’s forewent their right to respond to the debate by not turning up for it.
To be fair to Dugdale, she presided over a clusterfuck yesterday, but has changed the agenda and got us all talking about this today.
Is it wings or stu that is hiring lawyers and looking for damages, interesting to know who pays for and who benefits from any win, or picks up the tab if they lose?
Having read Stuart’s tweet, while it is arguably anti Oliver Mundell, and I think in a political context being anti a politician’s views is still just about allowed in the UK, I cannot see how it can be adjudged homophobic.
Neither can it be adjudged as breaking the news of David Mundell’s homosexuality since he himself openly came out on that fact last year.
It may be considered a tad cruel by some, but the fact is, an element of cruelty is part and parcel of satirical comment and always has been.
Indeed, we hear, week in week out, comments of a similarly barbed nature on the likes of Mock The Week or Have I Got News For You etc.
I should imagine that if such a quip were made on one of those shows, it would have initiated audience applause as one of the better barbs of the evening.
You cannot have one rule for one and another for someone else.
The particular license for use of such jibes for elected representatives I have seen recognized in ECHR reports. IIRCC, paraphrasing somewhat, “politicians need to recognize negative comments are mainly for reasons other than personal ones and should develop a thicker skin.’.
A lot of common sense those Europeans.
@Gfaetheblock
I guess your not yet fully clued up on what Wings is about. Who cares who picks up any tab, the tab is OURS as it should be.
Jockanese Wind Talker that (exercise) season is past it was held April when they hold purple Warrior which is a multi service exercise, at moment it’s only Aircraft both Uk and USA. The A400,s are working up out of Prestwick, they are not on ops but operational readiness training, why they are paying to use Prestwick and not the under-utilised Lossiemouth is anybodies guess. The other aircraft are using Prestwick to support NATO operations in former Soviet satellite countries like Estonia and Lithuania , this has been ongoing for sometime , you will recall Putin quaking in his boots when Fallon announced that 800 British Troops and 300 Vehicles would be based in Estonia to deter Russian aggression. So nothing to get excited about, I thought that the frequent A400 flights were a sign of something ahead but if there working up as I have been told by a very good source then that conspiracy theory goes out of the window 🙂
Flying union jack just flew buy again .. That’s twice tonight Campbeltown has been buzzed.. Aren’t we lucky!
Pretty sure there was/is some training going on West Coast about now @Lenny Hartley says at 10:17 pm
Also as is oft quoted on WoS “Just ‘cos you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you” 🙂
Once again Kez focuses on the wrong issues. The Tory Party manifesto was issued today, Dementia Tax and all. An open goal was presented and once again Labour decided to side with the Tories by not going after the real enemy of Scotland.
Her party are helping the Tories to power in Aberdeen and no doubt elsewhere in Scotland. Labour continue to behave in a thoroughly illogical way and look destined for oblivion.
Tory manifesto released today and KD can only ask 3 questions about a tweet that happened 2 months ago. It would not take any brains at all to find much much worse from Ian Smart or Lord Foulkes twitter feed and twitter is not wings over scotland.
This was just a great big smoke screen – labour running very scared and so they should be. The debating chamber and FMQ’s is not the place to raise personal likes/dislikes, twitter etc. Have labour nothing else to ask questions on. It would appear not and all the people slapping desks behind her support Foulkes and Smart and many other ‘labour’ twitterers who are well out of order and to my knowledge have never been reprimanded by labour.
Can’t believe the Tories and Labour did not even turn up tonight, but they want a right of reply. UK politics is corrupt to the core.
The sooner Scotland gets out and moves on from this dictatorship cesspit type politics, the better.
I once had the misfortune to meet Oliver Mundell when he was out campaigning. So I asked him how he felt about the Tories cutting benefits, especially for sick and disabled people.
He denied that was the case. He said his party are doing more to help the sick and disabled into work and not cutting benefits at all.
There were children present, so I didn’t think it appropriate to tell him what I really thought of his answer. I just made a look of disgust and said goodbye.
A week later or so IDS the ex-Work and Pensions Secretary admitted the Tories were cutting benefits for sick and disabled to give tax cuts to the richest as it’s the Tory ideology.
Do a Crowdfunder. It will succeed. Anything left over, food bank of your choice.
Labour rep on ITV news says tonight’s debate was a “sideshow”. Obviously explaining policy to plebs like you or I is beneath the People’s Party these days. And Corbyn was supposed to be the Great Motivator. What a laugh. (Except the joke’s on us.)
As for the Tory position, that legal requirement had to be satisfied by having a TV presenter skimming through today’s manifesto release.
These two parties are both so arrogant now they no longer even feel the need to explain what they stand for. One may conclude it’s because they have much to hide. Not least that they both share the same egotistical exceptionalism.
@Jockanese Wind Talker says:
18 May, 2017 at 9:42 pm
Re: low flying military aircraft heading North.
I wouldn’t put it past the MOD to increase the Electoral Roll in Morayshire by bringing in Military Personnel to Kinloss & Lossiemouth to vote Tory to try and oust Angus Robertson.
There is no county called Morayshire as it is Moray,confirmed by my polling card, and Kinloss is closed by the way.
First time I watched Mundell Jnr was during a FMQ session and my immediate thought was his parents should seriously consider legal action against Durex – but that was before I knew of his father’s sexuality. Struggle to see any difference between the two, no doubt I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong.
I’m pretty sure I said at the time I saw the ‘tweeted joke’, that it was possibly in bad taste but not exclusionary. That’s still my position but I’m a hetero non-expert.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Critical Discourse Analysis, An overview
link to ojs.ub.gu.se
The similarities between this faux tantrum and Murphy’s egg are telling. Kezia wholly demeaned her position and as such will lose any vestiges of pity that are left at the bottom of the electorate’s barrel.
Jockanese Wind Talker says:
18 May, 2017 at 10:26 pm
Pretty sure there was/is some training going on West Coast about now @Lenny Hartley says at 10:17 pm
Regarding a/c movements Prestwick. As well as the size and type(which is required) of airfield it is I’m sure your aware that Prestwick is home to Scottish Air Traffic Control and home of the Shanwick Automated Air Traffic System (SAATS). Military need this facility and military movements by US and foreign air forces for years have used Prestwick as a stop over for other destinations in Europe and Middle East. Widnae worry much aboot it, we’ll be the last to know if anything major is aboot to kick off.
Have to say I’ll be going to bed quite contented.
Today has been a good day, firstly Willie Rennie gets shown up by having a policy for a second referendum in which he didn’t agree with the result but insists that there can’t be another referendum where he did agree with the result.
Those two views are diametrically opposed and he knows it and he was given a showing up for having such views.
Next up we have the leader of the Labour party in Scotland wasting all her time at FMQ’s to whinge that Wings Over Scotland should be criticised by the FM even though to my knowledge Nicola Sturgeon has never contributed to this blog or even posted here.
So what’s going on? Fear that’s what, total and absolute fear of losing their status. You’ve just got laugh at that, I mean Wings is a blog right so why is is being brought up at FMQ’s?
Another disaster for both Lib Dems and Labour, will they ever learn do you think? Probably not and that suits me just fine.
It was interesting to hear how many snp politicians follow wings. – they do so come s with ta fast and good. First port of call for info.
Actual homophobia, in action. ITV have given the same tory gimps that refused to debate tonight, a whole show to reply. BBC 2 Newsnight gimps hard at fluffing tories too. Mayhem is left of Thatcher, honk beeb gimps.
Has vote tory UK media propaganda reached its apotheosis yet? NO.
link to uk.businessinsider.com
“But a chaotic series of events has made the seat look suddenly promising for the Greens:
The sitting Conservative MP dropped out of the race in April after he told teenagers at a local school that he thought “homosexuality is ‘wrong’ and ‘dangerous to society’,” according to a girl who wrote a Facebook post about her meeting with him. The post went viral and Andrew Turner quit in embarrassment.”
Rev
I think you should up the amount your suing Dugdale for , its a abuse of Holyroods privilege to attack a member of the public who has given prior notification of intent to sue her personally .
@Robert J. Sutherland says: 18 May, 2017 at 10:41 pm:
“These two parties are both so arrogant now they no longer even feel the need to explain what they stand for. One may conclude it’s because they have much to hide. Not least that they both share the same egotistical exceptionalism.”
There is one thing very sure. The electorate will make their minds up whether the Tory & Labour leadership snub them or not.
If leader debates on TV prove anything it is that a good performance does indeed influence the viewers. Which was proven by the Lib Dem leader’s wee surge after the two other unionist parties said, “I agree with Nick”.
So their failure to debate may cost them dear as at least a proportion of viewers will see their failure to debate as them being frightened to debate and thus unworthy of a vote but as the electorate do not choose party leaders it is the other party candidates who will suffer.
How can the leader of a political party refuse to debate and thus prove to the electorate their lack of statesmanship to deal on the World stage? You do not win elections by running away from the electorate – just ask Iain Grey about that.
Me thinks Kezia does protest too much!
I see posts on sites that go over the top.
Going back10 years, I ‘d say Independence supporters could at times go close to abuse, I saw it as nationalists having more passion than their unionist opponents, but counter productive and something we could do with out.
Five / six years ago, abuse reached equality, both sides were at it in equal measures.
Two / three years ago, unionist abuse increased strikingly in volumes and nastiness.
Up to today, unionist abuse far exceeds nationalist abuse. I put this down to SNP success at the ballot box and unionists feeling under threat.
As for the specific case in question regards the Mundells, I took this comment to be humour, based on stating the bleedin obvious. To his credit Mundell is out, I wonder what he makes of it?
Was Kezia’s condemnation of wings more to do with wings shining a light on her politcal confusion, lack of ladership and being economical with the truth, rather than poking fun at the timing sequence of a man coming out?
Today was Kezia dead cat moment, she threw on the table, but made an arse of it, making an arse of things is what Kezia majors in, long may she reign over labour!
Here’s an interesting little website for people to play with…
https://www.tactical2017.com
Tells you which party to vote for to keep the tories out!!!
Passed the test for Stirling and Dundee east as it said to vote SNP.
Have fun.
Mundell snr. on Scotland Tonight just now indicating that the Tory requirement for popular support for a new referendum “will depend on a number of factors”, which seems to basically depend on someone unspecified – the Oracle of Delphi perhaps – having extra-sensory perception.
When challenged on that by Rona Dougall, this wonderful gallimaufry of his simply collapses into a straight negotiation between the SG and UKGov as before.
Oh, and BTW vote Tory if you don’t want that to happen. Which reveals just how sincere that shower of devious wretches really are.
Without wanting to intrude on anyone else’s dispute, one might regret that the highest purpose in life Toom Tabard himself ever seems destined to achieve, sadly, is to be no more than a mealy-mouthed puppet for UKGov in Scotland.
I am a gay man.
I am a few years older than Mundell the MP. I have been open about who and what I am for considerably longer than Mundell.
I know what a homophobic remark reads like and sounds like when shouted in your face. The tweet at the centre of this article is not a homophobic remark, slight or insult.
To me it appears that Ms. Dugdale has simply used – or should that be “abused” – her privileged position as a prominent MSP and the platform in our parliament that gives her to try garner support in the face of being legally challenged about her own conduct.
Totally shameful.
It was surreal watching Kez act out her meltdown today. I put FMQs on out of a sense of duty, because I have stepped back for a bit.
I was on my feet, doing chores, and suddenly did that – wait, Wtf????!!!
I can understand Rev feeling angry about Kez using her platform in the DR to accuse him. It’s hurtful when it’s a subject you support, and she is smearing.
There is no question it was a smokescreen. My MSP tweeted North Lanarkshire looks like a Labour Tory coalition as well.
It’s disgusting. These two groups love position, power and gold chains to cavort about in, and sod local people.
It’s being exposed now, but it’s been going on for the last 5 years.
Nicola was brilliant tonight. Her husband just tweeted ‘Proud?’ Lovely.
Those of us who have followed her, know she didn’t even break a sweat tonight.
Could hardly believe that Tory and Labour were being allowed to give their opinion on leaders debate on ITV news. Effectively this is a free comment without the others being allowed to rebut any points. I gave them reciprocity by not tuning into their comments, if they wanted to voice an opinion they should have turned up.
Fluffys coat is a tight fit Robert. Made to measure.
@Robert J. Sutherland
I’m hoping that the SNP can get the vote out and get Mundell out.
There has to be an outside chance of winning there, I hope the people of Scotland take it and get out and vote.
Should our ex-Labour Presiding Officer not have pulled up Dugdale and ruled her line of questioning out of order?
Charles Moore on QT tonight.
What is it with The BBC and The Spectator?
Those connected with that awful publication’s management – Brillo and Nelson of the strangulated voice – together with assorted staff journalists and contributors are never off BBC political programs.
A message, not only for politicians but also media-‘czars’, TV news-‘editors’, ‘journalists’ and plain-old amateurish well-connected ‘liars’-
The easily-recognisable patterns of collusion,
exposed and dissected on Wings Over Scotland,
are evidence of YOUR SHORTCOMINGS as
guardians of our honest hopes and efforts.
As would be seen in any future case of;
THE PEOPLE (Scotland)
Versus
THE BUBBLE (Westminster)
There is more fact-checking on the YES side, that is a fact.
The unionist parties can fool almost ALL of their people almost ALL of the time, thanks to our media whitewash.
Dear Kezia, if you’re in a hole, stop digging.
I reckon you’re wee speech today probably added another few thousand to your bill.
@ meg merrilees
Thanks for that website link – it failed for Edinburgh West and Glasgow East, though. It’s treating them both as “To Be Confirmed” – SNP versus Lab/LD respectively! I don’t see that the MPs having become Independents is relevant at all.
I’ve e-mailed them (it’s the right time of night for a strop).
Listening to QT on R5 Live
Audience member says the only way Scottish universities can survive not charging fees is by having fewer places.
Charles Moore leaps on the point and pontificates about Scottish universities saying to be world class we need more money and the universities are too scared to say that they need more money.
Vince Cable says that we only have free tuition in Scotland because we pinch the money from our colleges and other education sources.
Why are they allowed to debate Scotland when we have no right of reply?
———————–
Reading a twitter feed about the Leaders debate and it seems Nicola has gone done a storm.
If England could vote for Nicola Sturgeon I’d say she would have a good chance of walking into No.10 on the 8th June
Biggest applause of the night so far for @NicolaSturgeon as she speaks passionately about the benefits of immigration.
Nicola Sturgeon is a class act. Easy to understand why Teresa May refused to take part tonight.
I’m not a nationalist (or a scot) but @NicolaSturgeon is one of the best leaders in uk
politics
But the BEST one: –
Peter Murrell?Verified account @PeterMurrell 2h2 hours ago
Proud. ??
@ me
I have of course got the Lab/LD order the wrong way round! (It’s also the time to go to bed.)
The leader of Labour in Scotland today spent all her time at FMQ’s talking about Wings Over Scotland. Just think about that. Hahaha.
Crazycat;
Oh dear – sorry the website is confused but glad that you’ve spotted it. let’s hope they get across that one PDQ.
The’ ??’ sign after Pete Murrell’s tweet above is actually an emoji of a big Heart…. Aw!
@ meg merrilees
I just had a quick look at the seats I feel nervous about. In most cases they had described it as a “safe SNP seat”, in a few they just recorded that the SNP hold it (they seem to be recommending a vote for the incumbent everywhere that is non-Tory, apart from the two I mentioned above; I didn’t bother looking outwith Scotland but I imagine there are many more TBCs).
The Tories and the will of the people
So Mundell defines poll ratings in Scotland as the way to gauge Independence support as opposed to political representation and the voting and passing of the bill in the Scottish Parliament as constituted to represent the will of the Scottish people
And bypass Holyrood, We have been warned
I will not stand for that behaviour from this little man or his party
That statement will go on to haunt the Tories if they even think about following through with this
Over the last few days, WoS supporters have added around
1,000 more names to a petition against BBC Bias.
Its coming up to the 92,800 mark now.
I wonder if the Beeb have asked their Slab friends for some help to blacken the good name of WoS and try to stop the petition against them from reaching 100,000 signatures?
link to you.38degrees.org.uk
Is Viceroy Fluffy really suggesting we follow non-parliamentary procedure to determine public policy? Do you think he might prefer it if Scotland were governed by some rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force, i.e. a tyranny? Oh, wait…
It’s not ‘new’ Toryism, it’s a cynical attempt tae get Labour voters on board for the ride of their life’s tae the hell that is a Tory government for the next 10 tae twenty years, and if they fall for it down south they deserve everything they get. I hope tae hell we get aff this train before the Brexit crash.
It’s comin’ fur aw that.
Deputy Dugdale made a big mistake raising a personal issue in the chamber especially when there was so much else she could have selected.
Tory manifesto was a glaring opportunity. She let her party down and let Davidson off the hook. Very poor advice given if any ever was.
Even the usual SNP bad on………(take your pick) should have been a chance to boost any labour workers & supporters for the GE.
Bad leadership all round, it’s not easy for any politician getting knock-backs on the social media, ask Sturgeon or Salmond or even Davidson. She has to go.
Anyhoo! Vote SNP at the GE.
PS:
Switched on late to radio:
Social care, four of the five leaders comments on Big Auntie’s 5 live radio talk back prog but no Scottish leader’s perspective on Scottish rules. Shurley schome mishtake!
Also English person, living in Argyll, complaining about folk having to sell their home to cover costs. Expert in the studio says but this is England only measure not happening in Scotland as other arrangements in place and aren’t you lucky.
“SNP bad” says the man, hates them. 🙂
BBC says they are working out who won the debate…(I know 🙂 )
Holding on until I hear the verdict. Still waiting.
Oh well nobody won… The news just come on as they have run out of time. Aye right! Let me guess SNP.
Cunning plan evolves in la Dugdale’s mind: divert attention from Aberdeen fiasco AND take Wings out for the duration of the election debate. Any further mentions of Wings and lawyers countered by references to Fluffy.
Double whammy. Good thinking, batman. Or batshit or any other bat terminology you care to imagine.
As an American friend put it, many years ago:
Batshit will keep your garden green.
Batshit will keep your fingers clean.
Batshit, not cat or ratshit,
The only clean shit there’s been.
There’s even a tune to go with it.
After going round all the houses and humffing & hawing “Theresa May won the debate” says radio 5 BBC pundit the mealy mouthed twat. FFS! Good old Auntie
The ‘nationalist’ leaders were speaking to other countries! 🙂
That was brilliant.
Kezia is beelin at maybe havin’ to cough up 10k to you Stu.
Great free publicity.
Get the 10 grand aff her.
Might come in handy for your dental bill by the sound of it.
All that acidic ‘bile’ you spew must be takin’ its toll on your gnashers.
Keep spewin the bile.They know you’re exposing them.
sorry for going way O/T here peeps but just come across this live poll. Apparently the results show Scotland, as Scruffy Fluffy demands, does NOT want EVER to be independent ever! 😀
link to ge2017.gritdigital.co.uk
Go on you know you want to get stuck in! 😀
@Arbroath1320
Voted Fife: Glenrothes. 90.9% SNP V 9.1% LAB
Fife Council arrangement:
link to archive.is
Jings! Wide awake… counting squirrels now. Twiddles thumbs!
Just this.
link to thenational.scot
We voted for the SNP as our government in Scotland, last year. Our government placed a motion for a second referendum to take place in Scotland on the back of their manifesto pledge that should a material change of circumstance take place, citing specifically Scotland being dragged out of the EU against our will, that we should have recourse to decide whether we want to stay in the Union again. Our parliament gained a majority by a democratic vote in our parliament for Scotref in late March of this year.
It is simply beyond outrage for the Tories to now suggest or even hint let alone place it as a manifesto pledge, that some other means of ascertaining ‘public consent’ should be considered as a means of establishing whether Scotland should be an independent country, it completely undermines our government, it totally disempowers our parliament and effectively destroys devolution as we understand it.
I can only assume that the Tories are acting on behalf of the Queen as proxy rulers of the UK. How else can it even be possible for this to be suggested in a so called democracy? This is feudal rule from on high and it is now asserting its authority and giving us the first taste of what the post Brexit political landscape will look like. They mean to usurp our government’s legitimate authority on the constitutional question. With an emboldened expected Tory majority after 8th June, they are now testing the waters.
Alex is right to be alarmed by this as we all should be, public consent was given to our government when we elected them last year. They act in accordance with their manifesto pledges and commitments to protect the people of this country from the excessive ideologically driven austerity measures that are harming our communities. Part of that remit is to ensure that we get a choice when it comes to the terms and conditions of Brexit and how those terms affect the people of this country. Permission from the ‘public’ is intrinsic in voting our representatives into public office.
Therefore the parliament voted for Scotref. How is it even possible to suggest that there is another way apart from a referendum to decide whether we want to be independent?
There isn’t unless as is being suggested they mean to include England in our vote. Which we all know goes to the heart of the democratic deficit. What England wants Scotland gets. This surely is the step too far?
Any insight in terms of the legalities of such a move will now, no doubt be getting looked at by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Governmet. This is seriously deranged as part of a Tory manifesto and shows utter contempt for the people of Scotland.
@gus1940 says:18 May, 2017 at 11:34 pm:
“Should our ex-Labour Presiding Officer not have pulled up Dugdale and ruled her line of questioning out of order?”
Of course he should have. but like his colleagues in Aberdeen City who are suspended by their party, he remains 100% NuLabour and 200% Unionist through and through.
You can take the party out of the MSP but you can’t take the Scots but unionist out of the Scots but unionist. Ken regularly allows the unionists to interrupt the SNP and Greens while they are on their feet. Ken disgraces the office he holds.
““Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner””
I remember at the time this coming up in the Herald either in an article or more likely below the line, and posting that it was clearly not homophobic, bit not the sort of comment I like – “Wish he hadn’t been born” – denying someone his life. But it’s common, not illegal, and most people wouldn’t agree with me.
However, the Record article is defamatory against the unspecified “man who tweets as Wings Over Scotland”, but Dugdale in FMQs made it 100% clear that she knows the tweeter (and owner of the website) is “Stuart Campbell”, and though I think parliamentary proceedings are not actionable in themselves, perhaps that can be used to show that Dugdale knowingly defamed Stuart Campbell, the “owner” of Wings Over Scotland, and the tweeter mentioned in the Record article.
I’d go through with the defamation case if neccessary, and though funds are severely limited chip in a fiver for a crowdfunder, defamation cases can apaprently be expensive. Politicians can not be allowed to use their positions of “poer” and influence to defame members of the public.
You were specifucally mentioned by name in FMQs in a parliamentary session, and though I think there might be an immunity for that (not sure), it still comes under Parliamentary Standards, and should be reported to them, for disciplinary action against Dugdale. I’d say retraction by her in a full televised session of Parliament, plus suspension for a period.
“power”, not “poer” 🙂
Perhaps it will be time to bring back TM quotes about show the SNP that Scotland does not want a referendum
When we trample the tories into the dust at the GE
How many times do we have to beat the Tories before they get the message
Theresa May is going “Right best of 3…..shit”
“Okay how about best of 5……crap”
How about best of a hunner”
What are the odds on TM dissolving the Scottish Parliament or maybe just suspending it ?
Dear rev Stu
As someone who has benefited enormously from your efforts to showcase the parlous state of much of the mainstream UK news media, I imagine it can’t be pleasant to be so constantly under attack by the wilfully ignorant, so I hope you get some relief from the attacks, and take some time for yourself to keep in good health, even if it’s just a bear-spotting walk with a delicious ice lolly.
All the best.
Kezia, this might interest you.
Just heard that B&Q are doing a 2 for 1 deal on spades.
That one you have must be down to the shaft by now.
Go on, grab a bargain.
Links
link to commonspace.scot
link to randompublicjournal.com
link to ericjoyce.co.uk
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
link to autonomyscotland.org
link to thecanary.co
Exclusive – EU looks to build alternative to London for capital market: document
link to archive.is
link to cityam.com
Corruption Expert David Whyte discusses the General Election 2017, Corruption in Britain and the Violence of Austerity.
link to youtube.com
link to lbc.co.uk
link to infacts.org
Protesters halt a Tory battle bus as it departs from the party’s manifesto launch in Yorkshire
link to twitter.com
link to thecanary.co
link to independent.co.uk
link to eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk
Regarding the tweet about Oliver Mundell personally I thought it was hillarious and anyone with a half a brain cell could see that although it wasn’t particularly complimentary to Oliver there was nothing homophobic about it.
Deep down I don’t think she thinks it’s homophobic either Kezia’s problem wasn’t so the much the tweet as much as the man who tweeted it and she’s allowed her hatred of him and this website to get herself into a bit of trouble and it’s no more than she deserves.
She’s acting like a silly little teenager that’s not getting her own way she needs to grow up, she needs to lighten up and she needs to smarten up, but more importantly she needs to get a sense of humour
If you’re reading this Kezia here’s some sound advice for you
“Moreover, having a good sense of humor helps you to stay healthy emotionally. Humor helps you to release stress and to keep an optimistic attitude. When you feel anxious or sad, good laughter can lighten your mood. The positive feelings you get when laughing will increase energy for your brain and your body. Thus, you will be able to stay more focus and look at the problems in your life from less frightening perspectives. Life always brings challenges that make you feel overwhelmed. In those cases, a good laughter can help you to overcome all those obstacles and makes your life more enjoyable.”
Graeme
Brexit’s Great Repeal Bill will axe the right to health
link to bmj.com
Dr Lauren Gavaghan explains how NHS is being sold to private companies that dont pay tax.
Video here
link to twitter.com
JCB chief Bamford digs deep with £1m for Tory election warchest
link to archive.is
link to mediamatters.org
The Tories want ‘public opinion’ to decide if we Scots may hold another Referendum. Does that include English public opinion? If so, we are not in an equal Union, we are being occupied by a malevolent power, opposed to the democratic wishes of its people.
Apparently 18 September 2014 wasn’t just a ‘chance in a generation’, it was our one and only chance, forever and ever, amen!
And what exactly do the Tories mean by ‘public opinion’? Their manifesto doesn’t say.
Is the right to hold a 2nd Indyref going to be decided by an audience clapometer at a Question Time broadcast from Dundee?
We took it for granted that we could always decide later. After all Quebec had two bites at the cherry for independence. But Quebec did not have to ask the rest of canada’s permission. It is an equal EState in an alliance of equal states.
Scotland is clearly not an equal state. So if we are unequal what are we? WE are a subjugated country which must abide by what our conquerors tell us to do.
Holyrood is a sham. A panacea. A wee toy to keep the children out of sight and out of mind. How dare the children tell the grown ups how to behave. WE are to be seen and not heard.
Anyone who votes Tory on 8th JUne 2017 is not voting Tory to keep out the SNP. Don’t kid yourself. You are simply voting Tory because you are a Tory.
You are voting for the dismantlement of Holyrood, for English votes for English laws, for a hard Brexit, for a return to the 1950’s, for an end to the NHS, an end to our farming, and end to 80,000 Scottish jobs, possibly your own and for your children and grand children to be held prisoner in the poorest country in Western Europe bar none.
You decide.
Nana, thanks for the links.
I have just read the Canary so far and found a link to this lovely Conservative poster , which I am delighted to share with you all!
link to i.imgur.com
@Dorothy
The Tory poster boy. There are many pictures of that creature with Thatcher and other upstanding members of the establishment. He was certainly a ‘fixer’ for many.
A few more links for you
Money for guns, but no money for infant meals.
Tories vow to raise defence spending by 0.5% above inflation every year
link to archive.is
link to skwawkbox.org
Amazing clip on @LBC of another ex-Tory absolutely repulsed by Theresa May
Video here link to twitter.com
What shame looks like and the reason for Dugdale’s attempt at deflection
link to twitter.com
ScotRef. I just don’t get all this Unionist talk of ‘should there be’.
We’ve had the debate. The matter is settled…..
– 2016 two parties included provision in their manifestos
– voters gave the two parties collectively a majority in Parliament
– voters rejected Unionist views that ScotRef shouldn’t happen
– ScotRef would be triggered by a material change
– EURef delivered those changes making ScotRef necessary
– ScotGov offered compromise solutions which were rejected
– Parliament democratically authorised for ScotRef
… now it’s just a matter of when the Scottish Government choose.
An Article 30 from Westminster would be helpful, but IMO unnecessary. A nation becomes independent when other nations recognise its new status. If Scotland delivers a YES vote, and given the likely breakdown in Brexit negotiations, I have little doubt our European neighbours would quickly recognise Scotland as an independent nation.
Dorothy
This should carry a health warning
Keep away from any Tory whether in the NHS, Secure mental health units, the BBC and mobile homes.
Good advice I think
Thanks Nana
Morning reading sorted. 🙂
If Dugdale had only known about the buzzword about to be unleashed upon us to promote the Tory manifesto she could have been a bit more subtle and stuck the boot in where it really belongs.
When Labour go on about being for the many and not the few you get the reference to old fashioned sod the “rich” class war vibe.
When May goes on about mainstream you should pause a moment to think about that word and what it can mean. When I was at school in reference to education it was what most of us got. PC or not you knew that it mainly distinguished it from special needs.
There are other applications the most relevant in this thread being sexuality. Especially when your lifestyle wanders further from the norm even though it stays within the bounds of human decency. Not the law because given the whole confess you broke a law that was contrary to human rights obligations before we’ll pardon you, fuck the SNP, bullshit the law isn’t the be all an end all.
There’s disabilities too, mental and physical.
Not to mention religion.
So the Labour motto can be explained away by defining Many to include everyone.
May’s use of the word mainstream is a whole different kettle of fish. If you are disabled, can’t fit in or won’t fit and would rather be fabulous instead then that manifesto isn’t for you. Nor do you get to choose what mainstream is.
SKy lying again about Scotland
Unsubscribe from SKy and the Sun. Murdoch is a crook.
Lying about Education, NHS, the Tories etc.
Will the Aberdeen crooks be censored.
call me dave says:
19 May, 2017 at 1:05 am
“Deputy Dugdale made a big mistake raising a personal issue in the chamber especially when there was so much else she could have selected.
Tory manifesto was a glaring opportunity. She let her party down and let Davidson off the hook. Very poor advice given if any ever was”.
Spot on Call me dave, AND to defend a TORY the DAY AFTER members of her political party go into coalition with the Tories is unbelievably stupid. Was advice given by someone with initials AR perchance ? Triple Doh !!!
Desperate times for Kez. Head up Stuart, you are better than these mendacious propagandists. I don’t know what I would do without Wings.
You keep going stu
You are a quality site and well worth the regular donation
I for one will not buy another unionist paper again
You opened my eyes
Dugdale will be destroyed by her own team in due course
No such a thing as bad publicity!
Quite right – take her to the cleaners. Stupid bitch. Apart from anything else, how DARE she waste our valuable government time with her utter garbage. Geezo, if Nicola Sturgeon had to bring up all the abuse that SHE and her supporters are subjected to – and I mean genuine abuse – at FMQs, they’d never get a chance to talk about anything else.
Nana, that radio telephone in as a keeper!
Hamish , my apologies- you are absolutely correct- so for all who may click on the link ,HEALTH WARNING!
I noticed that the Herald today does not have its usual FMQ sketch. It wouldn’t be that it is trying to save a certain lady’s blushes would it? And at the same time reduce to almost zero any mention of the SNP.
Orri
I noticed that ‘mainstream’ has been added to the ‘strong and stable’ vocabulary of Mrs May. Ominous the way it peppered her whole presentation yesterday. Wonder what other words are going to be added to the list as the election progresses.
I guess ‘mainstream’ are all those who are not saboteurs or seperatists.
I leave you with one more link. I’m off to sharpen my claymore.
Theresa May Wants To Regulate The Internet
link to archive.is
So Theresa May has decided that a referendum can only be held when she believes it is the will of the people. Parliamentary democracy is therefore to be abandoned to the whims of the Leader who is to forge a new united Britain. I wonder if she also believes it will last one thousand years.
full scot poll
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
SNP 42% (+1)
Conservatives 29% (+1)
Labour 19% (+1)
Liberal Democrats 6% (-1)
“Which leads me on to the big nagging worry – differential turnout. If the SNP’s real lead on the ground is somewhere between 10% and 15%, there’s a risk that will translate into a sub-10 lead on polling day (exactly as happened in the local elections), due to the party’s main opponents being strongest among the demographic groups that are most likely to turn out to vote. We’re going to need a Rolls Royce get-out-the-vote effort simply to achieve a result that properly reflects the state of public opinion. But the more positive way of looking at it is that it’s all in our own hands – the prize of 45 seats or more (an overwhelming landslide by any standards) is there for the grabbing.”
once again, GOTV
GE – FPTP not STV.
STV isn’t working very well. The largest Party numbers being locked out of administration by coalition of Parties who are supposed to be opposed. Labour now have SNP policies. Change to FPTP.
No pension inflation pension increase. Fuel allowances cut. No funded social care. The Tories are coming for the pensioners. The larger majority of voters. That should concentrate a few minds. Influence a few voters. Good to see the changes in Glasgow.
I note one of the Tories’ slogan is “A Prosperous Future”.
I suppose prosperity is relative. It would seem certain that with Brexit looming, the UK cannot possibly be as prosperous as it has been, not in the lifetime of the next parliament anyway. The EU have made as much clear, the UK cannot be seen to benefit from Brexit.
Also, the plan to have cut the annual deficit to zero by 2025. Given the economy will undoubtedly take a Brexit driven nosedive, this seems highly unlikely. If they couldn’t reduce it in the recent past, the definitely won’t sort it out during the impending recession.
OK, we know Tories lie, it’s their modus operandi.
Can you hear the defiant death rattle of the Bexiters as they in their wisdom voted to take us out of the undemocratic EU in into the arms of the democratic Tories who if you get sick will sell your house out from under you to pay for your care and stop you voting if you don’t have a passport or can’t drive
Funny, I don’t remember the undemocratic EU doing any of those sorts of things
@Ken500
Couldn’t agree more, local elections voting system needs reviewed.
Too much of a lottery, majority didn’t want Tory run councils.
Majority Parties should run councils end of backed up independents; or independents (be forced to declare for a side in advance) so they cant get in on a masquerade ticket.
Labour seats in Aberdeen should be forced to re run election.
The Brexiting numpties still don’t seem to understand geography when they put their faith in the Tory machine
If they had looked at a map to see how poverty under the Tories travels they might have noticed Scotland got poor first then The North east of England then the North west of England and on it goes ever southwards till it stops at the English south east
Where they seem to be doing fine
But hey It’s all the fault of the EU, that’s like really clear eh
MajorBloodnok said:
18 May, 2017 at 4:09 pm
[blockquote][Note I am not, and have never been, against triangles or other ‘conventional’ 2D geometric shapes.][/blockquote]
Including, I’m sure. The pink triangle reclaimed as a symbol of ‘Gay Lib’ (as it was known in my youth) worn by gay victims of the Nazis.
Its made it to STV
link to stv.tv
New make up for Aberdeenshire Council
link to m.facebook.com
23 CON councillors, 7 positions
21 SNP councillors, ONE POSITION
14 LIBDEM councillors, 5 positions
LIBDEM Provost and Deputy leader
Totally unbalanced representation of what the people of Aberdeenshire voted for.
Sorry, but NONE of the voting systems bar first past the post work.
They are all a bag of shit.
We get lumped with useless unelected arseholes like Mungo Frazer and Anus Arswar.
FPTP is not perfect but it works.
This is not Scandinavia and until it starts to get like Scandinavia then we should have a system in place that suits this country as it currently is.
The constitutional division warps all of these other systems.
The Scottish Parliament is deadlocked all of the time because of the split between Yoons and patriots.
Simple for simple people.
There are many things that tweet was not – it wasn’t clever, it wasn’t nice and it wasn’t funny either.
But was it abusive? I guess my English isn’t good enough to answer it. But they key point is that there is a huge difference between, for example, calling someone an arse and saying they should be attacked or something. This one clearly fell into the former category. (Also, it was clearly meant to be funny – as a German I know a bit about bad humour that goes wrong…)
And was it homophobic? Obviously not – worse, to call this homophobic means putting really nasty homophobic comments (and there quite a few around) on the same level as a silly and unfunny joke – you are indirectly excusing it.
O/T
Following the announcement of the Tory Manifesto I think we can expect to see a massive increase in cases of greedy unscrupulous children ‘accelerating’ the demise of their parents before the Tories can grab their anticipated inheritance.
Might not be appealing to Euro Humour.
I thought it was really funny.
Westie – We are now at the stage of the unionists blocking democracy. This is the last stage in a countries struggle for self determination. It’s happened all over the world where dictators prevent the people form having the elected representatives they voted for.
We are now a colony. The difference I suppose is that we have 50% of the colonists who are from the colony itself blocking their own nation. This is not a good look and it is not a winning strategy.
When you say no to a nation or set limits on what it can decide. Then you are effectively holding the nation against the peoples will.
Who knows where this is going to end up. I suspect The Scottish courts, Supreme Court European Court, Geneva, UN and then UDI.
I think the next 3 years are going to bring this to a head. Brexit will happen suddenly not 2-3 years. We could be out on our ear by September. May doesn’t negotiate she bullies and dictates. She is ruthless but also shallow and toothless. She is overplaying her assumed authority.
Thing about dictators is that they never last very long. Their vanity and lust for power are what ultimately destroys them.
The phoney war is over , this is now a fight for democracy and freedom from an oppressive state.
Christian Schmidt I beg to differ, I thought it was funny and so did countless others, it certainly in not Homophobic.
‘The phoney war is over’. Agreed.
I think Scotland is now fighting for its very right to even be a pretend country.
“This one clearly fell into the former category. (Also, it was clearly meant to be funny – as a German I know a bit about bad humour that goes wrong…)”
The nonsense people say. German’s are no different from anyone else Christian. Its odd to see the old unfunny German trope’s still around.
The reason the gag worked, is because Fluffie and son are both ridiculous. The whole point of political satire is to exploit everything and anything that is ridiculous, or what the satirist considers ridiculous, about politicians and exploit all of it, to try and weaken said politicians.
There is a line in all of this satirical politics and everyone knows where that line is and we can all see it because its so big.
Dugdale and co decided to move that giant line and stick the WoS blogger on the wrong side of it. Hopefully they will be found guilty in a court of law.
“Enoch Powell wants to give us £1,000 to go home. Which is great coz it’s only 50p on the bus to Dudley” is the great Lenny Henry showing how its done.
these election look like a watershed for us, james kelly predicting we will do well to lose only 11,
while support for yes is now linked to how bad brexit will be, we cannot pretend that nicola can protect everyone in scotland for what is about to happen.
perhaps the majority of the older generation continue to oppose YES because nicola has protected them from the worse excess of tory austerity, ie. are we being hoisted by our own petard?
academic though, since cuts will have to be made. i would always chose the lesser of 2 evils, ie, NO re introduction of school or university fees.
that only leaves the choice of abolishing free care for the elderly and free prescriptions, completely
@gus
snap
Photo ID to vote. How does that work if you ask fir a postal vote? If it turns out you don’t need photo ID when applying for a postal vote then is this a sneaky way to get mote people to use postal votes? We all know how secure that method is…not.
Also seems to be a way of introducing ID cards by the back door.
Yup, the general election is looking more and more by the day, a go head to give the power to Theresa May to do what ever she wants, with the blessing of a compliant media.
Dark days ahead indeed.
The SNP outmaneuvered the Yoon vote at the last GE.
This time it’s much more tactical.
We will lose seats but I seriously doubt the vote percentage will drop.
It’s that percentage and the additional EU residents and the young who can vote in a referendum that count.
This will be as good as it gets for the Yoons.
let’s take it on the chin then sit back and watch the Brexit bonfire that’s coming.
schrodingers cat says:
19 May, 2017 at 11:31 am
these election look like a watershed for us, james kelly predicting we will do well to lose only 11,
45 Westminster SNP MP’s June 9 would be amazing. It will also mean we’ll have a lot more actual elected Fluffie grade tory gits, rammed down our BBC throats for the seeable too. That’s always fun.
Graun, another no SNP day but,
General election 2017
Leanne Wood corrects Paul Nuttall: ‘I’m not Natalie’ – video
I trust that between now and 8/6 May will be required to define unambiguously (unlikely given her penchant for not answering questions)just what does she mean by ‘public consent’ as regards Indyref2 e.g what constitutes in her mind ‘The Public’ – is it The Scottish Public or more likely The UK Public will it include 16 & 17 year olds and UK resident EU Citizens..
Surely she can’t be allowed to go into a GE without clarifying the basis of how the WinterFuel Allowance will be means tested and what the break point will be.
The real problem in Scotland is that we are a nation of fearties. On the one hand we are terrified of what May is going to do outside the EU. On the other hand we are terrified of going it alone.
I exclude the 45 from that. A common symptom of an abuse victim is that they are sometimes terrified of their abuser, but the abuser is so much in their head that they can’t break free.
We are held to the UK by fear. That’s why the no side ultimately won. It takes years of therapy to disentangle a victim from this perceived fear and threat. How you tackle half a nation is beyond doubt impossible.
Holding a nation by fear is very unhealthy for that nation. Therefore we are a sick nation, as the abuser has achieved their purpose. When we are close to the door as we now are. The abuser tightens the cord and limits our freedom further. The abuser is outraged that we dare to think we don’t belong to them, or can act without their consent.
So we are effectively on lockdown now. Our fingers are on the door but the abuser is pulling us back the way by threats and fear and intimidation.
This is our last chance and we must act to open the door.
Christian, I’m pretty sure your English is terrific.
As someone who lived in and about Erlangen for a number of years, I was always amazed that many of the Germans that I knew could utilise English as a second language better than many who had it as their only language.
Also, I found the Germans on the whole to be very funny and I also know a lot of my German friends would have found Stuart’s joke a bit naughty but also funny.
I’ll be heading back to Erlangen in a few weeks to participate in the oldest beer festival in Germany where I’m absolutely positive I will have a great time.
P.S.
I also meant to say not homophobic in the leas.
Surely she can’t be allowed to go into a GE without clarifying the basis of how the WinterFuel Allowance will be means tested and what the break point will be.”
Its all in the spin. Tory Beeb gimps hard at vote tory work here,
link to bbc.co.uk
A government source suggested that the combination of these policies and the plan to means-test the winter fuel payments could save a total of around £2bn.
Winter fuel allowance currently costs £3bn a year. We do not know on what basis it will be means-tested, but it is not unreasonable to think half the money could be saved by means-testing, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested.
Reading this link link to stv.tv posted earlier I think I can now understand what has happened. Still going to contribute financially to this site and support it, Dugdale is way out of order and this type of behaviour by her must be challenged. I think Dugdale is under incredible pressure, but she has chosen this path.
Many thanks to Bill Glen (Better Together ?? NO!! its time to free Scotland .
I had posted Wings articles on that site for weeks & some Admin kept deleting my posts , having contacted Bill he’s informed the Admins not to remove Wings articles .
The YES sites should be working more closely together .
O/T.
I read some items this morning:-
link to bbc.co.uk
link to home.cableone.net
link to oilprice.com
these state that China has made a major breakthrough in the use of Methane Hydrates, also known as, “Fire Ice”.
So why is this good news for Scotland?
There are very large deposits of Methane Hydrates in Scottish Territorial Waters west of Shetlands. The actual methane content of, “Fire Ice”, a future fuel source far in excess of the known reserves of oil & gas in Scottish waters.
Even the pro brexit supporting fishing organisation have lost faith in Mayhem link to ffl.org.uk
FFL are incredulous over 4 specific words in the Conservative manifesto which indicate the government will only take back a tiny slice of UK water out to 12 miles!
Analysis and scrutiny of every word is key in any legal or political document. One of the “acid tests” of Brexit is to take back sovereign control from the EU of all UK waters and resources within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) out to 200 miles or the mid-line under international law.
This would allow Britain to reclaim a £6.3bn pound industry, worth tens of thousands of jobs, to rejuvenate coastal communities but the manifesto wilts on this key issue when scrutinised properly.
Many of the commitments in the manifesto are welcome. The government has committed to “work with the industry…to introduce a new regime… that will preserve and increase stocks… to ensure prosperity for a new generation” and FFL looks forward to fully engaging to do so.
However, without sovereign control of ALL waters and resources inside the EEZ all other commitments are worthless without the raw materials and the most important ingredient – regaining our waters.
The manifesto states that the UK “will be fully responsible for the access and management of the waters where we have historically exercised sovereign control”.
The choice of the last 4 words are the key. They are ambiguous and a delusory play on words.
They don’t trip off the tongue and this peculiar yet deliberate choice of words are of dire concern and ring alarm bells for a total backslide and fudged deal.
Why hasn’t the natural wording of “all UK waters” or perhaps “all our EEZ” been used??
Why? Because the UK has never been able to exercise sovereign control over our EEZ in the waters between 12 and 200 miles from our shores! The UK has only ever been able to exercised sovereign control out to 12 miles before joining the EU!
Britain was already an EU member and bound by the CFP when international fishing limits were extended to 200 miles.
The UK recognised her sovereignty over the EEZ out to 200miles, with the Fishery Limits Act of 1976, but these waters were automatically subverted to the EU which exercised sovereign control instead of the UK as per the terms of the CFP foundation Regulation 2141/1970, the terms of which, in Article 2, Section 3, said the EU would control
“the maritime waters…. which are so described by the laws in force in each Member State”.
Therefore, although the UK recognised her sovereignty over the EEZ, the UK has never been able to historically exercised control between 12 and 200 miles because it was automatically subverted by the EU!
Before the UK joined the EU, Britain’s controlled fisheries upto 12 miles. This was reduced to 6 miles when the UK signed the London Fisheries Convention of 1964.
The EU adopted the terms of the London Convention and the UK Accession Treaty, Article 100 only authorised member states
“to restrict fishing in waters under their sovereignty or jurisdiction, situated within a limit of six nautical miles”
Although we welcome the manifesto commitment of finally committing to scrapping the 1964 London Fisheries Convention, that FFL alone successfully campaigned for, that only regains exclusive control back up to 12 miles once the UK leaves the CFP.
Therefore, the manifestos choice of 4 words are deliberate and indicate, as FFL has continually warned, that the government has no intention of taking back control of all our waters.
Is only this to avoid being contentious to the EU as they look to build a “deep and special relationship” with their “EU friends and partners”?
For the last 40 years the Conservatives flatter to deceive when the small print is scrutinized.
FFL sincerely hope we are proved wrong. We will now tenaciously press for answers to what’s defined as “waters where we have historically exercised sovereign control”
The Conservatives have got it absolutely right, that “When we leave the EU and CFP we will be fully responsible”. Responsibility will revert to Westminster for what is chosen for our waters and what areas of them, the buck stops entirely with MPs and the government.
The Conservatives better mean all UK waters within our EEZ out to 200 miles, otherwise Brexit, the nation and the opportunity to reclaim all waters, for all fishermen and for all communities has been betrayed.
Without all our waters and resources the rest of the fantastic wording of “a new regime….for prosperity for a new generation of fishermen” is meaningless and they have failed on this “acid test”.
one Scot
Agree.
If independence isn’t achieved soon it will be too late and Scotland will be absorbed into greater England. We will be as the American Indians in the US.
Seriously …just ….wow.
Of all the things going on in the UK, Kezia decides to ask the FM to condemn a website that she, nor any of the SNP party members, have any association with.
She might as well have asked Nicola to condemn both God and Satan for the state of the world that we live in. No wonder Nicola looked rather bemused. This wee spat between Kezia and Stuart has got hee-haw to do with SNP, let alone the FM.
You know …I, like many others, keep believing that Kezia can’t trip up any further as she descends the spiral staircase to oblivion, but hey, God bless her …she still has that surprising ability to prove us all wrong.
The Tory strategy for Scotland
Will be, If you vote for Ruth Davidson you won’t be subjected to the cuts in Scotland
But if you vote for the SNP the Tories in Westminster will penalise Scotland for doing it
Ahr precious Union will be maintained by subjugated Scotland once again and denying Holyroods authority as a legitimate parliament unless you vote Tory then we’ll let you keep it
There are many of us who have seen this kind of stuff before and remember it well
Unfortunately our younger folk have no knowledge of such behaviour in the past so it tends not to mean much to them
and many of our older folk won’t even realise it’s happening because they live in a world of blind acceptance and blame the nearest entity which will be the SNP because that’s easier to do than take the responsibility for not stopping the Tories when they had the chance to do so
Of course we have the pull up the ladder brigade who couldn’t give a monkeys what happens as long as they’re alright, those people of course are the scumbags of humanity but we still have them and they’re generally heartless UKIPPERS or dyed in the wool Facist Tories
Even if the Tories only get enough MPs you can count on one hand they will claim stupendous vIctory over the SNP and the Media will endorse their claim with hour upon hour rolling victorious news coverage spelling out the demise of all things Separatist and different in Scotland
I’m writing this in an appeal to lurking readers to evaluate and take serious heed of the nature of this Tory assault on Scotland, for make no mistake a huge chunk of this election is solely about power and control of Scotland and all we possess
Your natural political home may be Labour or Green or other but in this election your natural home should be the protection of Scotland and the way to secure it is by voting SNP
Voting any other way is giving the Tories the right to remove your citizenship of Scotland to be replaced with being a number in a North British County
Dugdale
I foresee problems ahead for Theresa with her pronouncement that claim that a second Scottish independence can’t be held without public consent.
@Robert Peffers
Yes indeedy! Good spot.
Read some articles about this about 2 years ago raised by a Wings poster. Lots of new opportunities coming along.
‘Public opinion’ will decide 🙂
PS:
Theresa’s popularity takes a nosedive as I chat to a few older Daily Mail and Express believers in the cafe this morning.
Future pension rises.
Social care costs outrageous ….(darn Sarf!) but I said nowt!
Also told them their existing pensions were safe if independence comes as WM will still cough up the amount etc etc.
They didn’t know that… Geez!
Gus1940
You Wrote “Surely she can’t be allowed to go into a GE without clarifying the basis of how the WinterFuel Allowance will be means tested and what the break point will be.”
… I agree there is not much detail there is there. Hopefully there will be clarification over the next few weeks. More broadly though, I am generally against universal benefits of this type. They are the opposite of “progressive” and in these difficult times we need to to look after the many rather than also give presents to the few – to coin a phrase.
tories getting pelters for ditching the pensioners
thing is, elderly care is one of the biggest expensis in the nhs in scotland and the rest of the uk
treeza just privatised it. after june 8th, you will need to take out an insurance policy on your home, when you die your home will be sold to cover the costs of your care. this will potentially raise huge sums of money in england and wales where the government budget for elderly health care could shrink to zero. scotlands share of that budget will be 10% of zero. ie, zero.
there is no way that the SG can cover that gap in funding, no way at all.
on june the 9th, scotlands health care for the elderly will be privatised
boom
They seek her here, they seek her there, they seek her bleedin’ everywhere.
I understand that Gloriana May is paying another visit to her Scottish Colony today but we haven’t (as happened the other week with her famous Children’s Party)been told where she will be.
However, all the media will be there to shout whatever crap she excretes from the rooftops.
Why are the media prepared to comply with the requirements that May and her henchmen enforce that the locations of her propaganda rallies in front of invited audiences with strict control of questions be kept secret – nothing to do with the manifesto committment to cancel Leveson Inquiry2.
My guess is Perth for today’s attempt to pull the wool over our eyes.
Knock knock, McFly…
link to imgur.com
Dugdale was completely stupid bringing up the subject of the tweet in Holyrood and demanding Nicola Sturgeon condemn and take action against Stuart Campbell.
Will we see Dugdale from now on in Holyrood condemning and taking action against any unionists who make abusive or offensive tweets on twitter against SNP politicians and independence supporting websites.
As for Theresa May’s pronouncement that a second independence referendum can only take place with
public consent, how do you judge and define what
public consent is?
Where was the public consent for Cameron’s Government to hold the EU referendum?
And if a majority at Holyrood doesn’t intimate public consent, then surely the same should apply to Unionist parties at Westminster in regard to their policy manifestoes.
heedtracker says:
19 May, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Surely she can’t be allowed to go into a GE without clarifying the basis of how the WinterFuel Allowance will be means tested and what the break point will be.”
Well Labour was heavily condemned by the Tory party and press for suggesting that there should be tax rises for those on over £82,000 p.a. The Tory party and press told us at great length that £82,000 p.a. is by no stretch of the imagination “wealthy”, so I would assume that pensioners on less than £82,000 p.a. are safe from having their benefits, because Saint Theresa, that good Christian woman, would surely not target those considered to be not wealthy.
Surely not?
Sorry my Post @19 May, 2017 at 12:40 pm
accidently sent before I had completed
composing it.
@gus1940
Some on twitter are saying she is in the reptile house at Edinburgh zoo, others say the Sheraton.
Is it not the case that unionist parties in Scotland should not have manifestos due to them being branch offices?
Apparently Davidson has been spouting from her ‘manifesto’ this morning.
see here
link to twitter.com
Why debate when you can smear. Her mentor taught her well. She has nothing constructive to say so she reverts to gutter tactics.
Why is she so blind to the simple observation that by continuing to do what she does the more voters will reject her….long may it continue. The sad fact that those voters are turning to the Tories is a different problem!!!
You can follow what the reptile is saying here
link to twitter.com
I wonder how many houses are going to fall in price in England until they stabilise at £99,999 with extra costs for windows, light switches, internal doors carpets etc.. to be negotiated with the buyer.
How many WASPI women who won’t have their pension (me) by 2020 are now watching it slip even lower as the triple lock will stop in 2020 and as we’ve recently found out, the new state pension also penalises you if you were (un)knowingly contracted out.
All factors that would have resulted in me making hugely different decisions had i known then what i know now… Ah! Hindsight…
Love the fact that she was boo-ed out of Halifax. Supposed to be somewhere in Perth today.
Can’t believe she’s still doing the hide and seek bit. What an absolute coward!
Christian Schmidt
Completely agree. This is what I meant by Dunc potentially damaging the LGBT community.
Late again, but compelled to comment.
This absolutely beggars belief.
What complete and utter nonsense, she’s aff her heid.
What a total embarrassment, to herself, her party, her country and her family.
Seriously galamcennalath @10.13 am, I read your first sentence as “A Preposterous Future”, for that surely ‘is’ a more apt description of their manifesto.
P.S. It’s like standing up in a cinema and shouting “FIRE”. Wholly irresponsible and dangerous.
BBC r4 lunchtime news, another day of SNP total blackout. They’re in Inverurie, beef farmers say vote Tory, with usual Big Ruth D and Kez boosts, The Guardian’s also ongoing with their SNP general election black out too. Might work, pretending SNP just do not exist by UKOK hackdom
“Let’s bring the SNP down to size” blows hard beeb gimp on behalf of Ruth Davidson.
“Scottish politics
Scottish Greens urge tactical voting to block Conservatives
Leader Patrick Harvie hints that supporters should postpone push for independence and focus on stopping Tory landslide
Patrick Harvie addresses activists and supporters outside Glasgow University.
Patrick Harvie addresses activists and supporters outside Glasgow University. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian
View more sharing options
Severin Carrell Scotland editor
Scottish Tory Party’s only General Election Policy…
link to imgur.com
Good afternoon Sensibledave,
Should Scotland be an independent country?
Are you going to dodge that question yet again?
Are you here on a Scottish political website because you don’t care what Scotland thinks?
Are you still a charlatan?
Spectacular BBC monstering of SNP and indy by BBC r4 lunchtime news in Moray. Worth a listen just to hear how its done by the pros, total annihilation of SNP vote, reasons to NOT vote SNP, all vox pop, no oil left, says English pub owner, Brexits great, says local ex fisherman, SNP vote crashing says beeb gimp, ex SNP big shot in Moray, now voting “someone else,” no name given etc.
And here’s Prof Curtice to deliver the vote anyone but SNP coupe de gras.
“Everyone is switching to the tories” says Prof C, problem for the SNP, vote levels have gone down, support for indy in Scotland is “dissipating.”
Cheque’s in the post Prof. BBC corruption gets worse by the day, which is probably a good sign really.
Means testing always leads to a more expensive bureaucracy…I’ve never understood those who advocate means testing of a social security benefit citing ‘cost saving’ as the ‘benefit’ of doing so.
It’s like ‘thick in’, ‘thick out’ stupid.
@sensibledave says: 19 May, 2017 at 12:48 pm:
” … More broadly though, I am generally against universal benefits of this type. They are the opposite of “progressive” and in these difficult times we need to to look after the many rather than also give presents to the few – to coin a phrase.”
When are you going to learn, sensibledave, that you are no more than a laughingstock on this blog?
You simply do not know enough of what you comment upon to be thought of otherwise. Your present claim is, as usual, utter mince.
Here’s a wee fact about such a, “Universal benefit”, that you state you are generally against.
In Scotland everyone is entitled to free prescriptions that in England the English residents must pay for. Now here’s the facts. The SG study on prescription charges proved that to instigate a system of means testing, and the means to police it for abuses, cost a good deal more than just scrapping prescription charges altogether.
Factually it costs less to have free prescriptions as a universal benefit than to means test and police the system for abuses of the system.
Yet the Westminster Establishment, simply as a right-wing mantra, of all the unionist parties continue to introduce more and more means tested benefits.
Stuart, I never thought it was homophobic but I did think the unionists would dig it out on many a rainy day and would declare it homophobic and grossly offensive. Rainy day number one has now happened and you need to keep your umbrella handy for the next ones. I genuinely and honestly appreciate and fund the hard work that you do but, even if I’m out on a limb as regards the majority of your support, I am still of the opinion that you should not have tweeted this one. I know your web site stats are very high and I hope the popularity continues to grow but while actions, such as that tweet, may grow the numbers visiting WOS I doubt it will get many more popping in who actually still need to change their minds on Scottish Independence.
Maybe you should move your operation to Bathgate. I’m more than happy to help fund that and I think it would be healthier if you were seen to be among all your supporters and not just your Twitter trigger family who do seem to fall over themselves to pedantically defend and excuse your worst.
I’m finding it difficult to understand Scots who are now quite willing to be subjugated and be totally controlled by another nation. If the Tories have their way the country of Scotland may soon be history, maybe that’s what Scotland deserves if the inhabitants have such a low opinion of themselves.
Proud Scots, you have to say it is more like feart Scots. After all the lies by the unionist parties any drop in SNP support can only described as depressing.
Please ,please Stu as part of the settlement make her say a public apology at FMQs
So the majority of ordinary class working people want a Tory Government that will go with whatever kind of Hard Brexit that suits their rich supporters.
The UK will have no trade deals with anyone inside 2 years.
The UK will lose several hundred thousand jobs.
Imported Foods will cost 10-15 % more.
Each UK worker will be £thousands worse off each year.
Workers rights will become what ever the rich Tories want them to be-Nil.
The Pension age must go up to 70 years.
Triple lock pension promise to be broken even though the UK has the 4th worst pension in the E.U.
If you require extended elderly care, you house belongs to the government.
The NHS will be sold to Rich Tories.
The Elite can go to Grammar School and the rest to Hell.
University Tuition fees are to be increased.
Major infrastructure spending to continue in London and the South East, while everyone in North pays for it, while being Referred to as the power house?
Tories to own all newspapers, TV and Radio Stations, and Social Media.
Winter Fuel allowance to be awarded to any pensioner who can prove that they have already frozen to death.
Both Income and National Insurance Taxes to be increased for all
Disability benefits to be cut all together as they could all become Olympic Athletes and get their own sponsorship deals.
Kezia to become Lady Dippity Dug and pal about with Lady Moanandgroan.
Anyone making satirical comments about Tory MPs will be black listed and Tagged.
What do Tory, Liberal, and Labour voters have where their brains should be?
Aberdeenshire council are a disgrace. Totally non representative. Most of the positions are taken by men. They are not representational. The LibDems should hang their head in shame. They would have got 3rd votes from SNP supporters. Never again. The sooner the electoral system is changed the better.
@ Effigy,
Rather appealing it seems to those unionist voters for whom forward thinking consists of—-“should I have a cup of tea or coffee ?”
I am becoming increasingly concerned about the attitude of some people regarding the GE. Most of the folk I know have been voting SNP for some years now. A woman I spoke to this morning is however thinking of voting Labour this time because “Voting SNP for Westminster isn’t so important”
I tried to point out that any SNP losses will be used to undermine the Scottish parliament, to take away powers or maybe even close it down eventually. That would be extreme she says.
Sometimes I wonder if Scottish people really want or deserve independence. The BBC etc. and over three hundred years of pro- British propaganda seem to have knocked the heart out of some of them. Or maybe they really are just too stupid.
A few lunchtime links
link to ericjoyce.co.uk
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attacks universal credit roll-out during visit to Inverness
link to archive.is
link to commonspace.scot
EU insists trade deals must meet its labour and competition standards
link to archive.is
link to independent.co.uk
Dictatorships are created bit by bit gradually and without most people even noticing until it’s too late! Unusual for a western democracy to choose this path but not impossible.
Robert @ 1.47 – It is also highly likely that with free prescriptions many more people are going to the Doctors when ill, we get early intervention and there will be a distinct reduction in hospital admissions for the already overstretched NHS. Am quite convinced that if free prescriptions hadn’t been introduced our NHS would be in a significantly worse position than it is – probably in meltdown like its counterpart in England.
K1
“Means testing” fits the ideologically utilitarian core of social Darwinist philosophy. Drawing distinction between ‘mainstream’ society and an ‘underclass’ provides ‘logical’. ‘scientific’ justification for an intensification of social segregation.
We are now on a very slippery slope, IMHO.
Theresa May told “journalists” don’t tell anybody where I am or you don’t get to come to my next hiding place speech
And do you know what, they all said “Yes my Queen”
Freedom of the press don’t you know or is it because the next phase of Levison is cancelled
Mmn? Remember when Alan Roden was not invited to Alex Salmonds speech the press went nuts at the injustice of it all
Now some people say there are good “journalists” out there
No there’s not!
It’ll be very late in this thread, but I think it’s worth pointing out brendan cox has has had to move about his well paid qaungo jobs for a hands on approach to the female staff and his dead wife supported the white helmets, who approve of the execution of their foes.
A difficult time for Slab, not only have they lost Glasgow but Donald Dewar’s statue in Buchanan Street now sports the duke of Wellington’s traffic cone.
The alleged defamation was repeated in parliament.
An MSP cannot be sued for defamation if they say something in the Scottish Parliament during the course of parliamentary business due to parliamentary privilege under the Scotland Act 1998 Section 41.
I won’t make any judgements online as to whether KD defamed Stu or not, as that is for the court to decide if it goes to trial.
I do wish Stu good luck and may justice be done.
The Other Projectionist’s
“It is the tendency of the contemporary English(wo)man to displace society’s ‘undesirable’ qualities of barbarism,treachery,jealousy and libidinousness onto those who are considered ‘other’…”
In Scotland we are all Jock Tamson’s bairns and despite the best efforts of the Tories and MSM there will be no ‘othering’ ‘ of the citizens of Scotland,except by those who wish to ‘other’ themselves.
#ToriesGetTae
That article in the guardian with the family from the east end of Glasgow torn between voting Labour, Tory and Libdem is just a brain aching set up. Half of Scotland votes for the SNP and this is who they find for their ‘typical’ family in the east end, who incidentally merely regurgitate sound bites and oft repeated tropes of ‘SNP’ don’t have any impact at Westminster and Scotland doesn’t want another indyref, it’s like Ruth is in the room wi them. Talk about brainwashed. Sigh…
Heard a rumour TM is at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh today. Don’t know if true or not.
@Dorothy Devine says:
19 May, 2017 at 7:45 am
link to i.imgur.com
=========================
You should get that printed and plastered all over on election day.
Ah contend England is half way down that slope already Cameron, May’s just greasing the bottom half of the shute incorporating the us and them in her manifesto. They clearly have succeeded in segregating their own population along those lines, Brexit merely revealed the results for all tae see. The population passed the test, they are now ready for the main course: reduce to 10’s of thousands of ‘immigrants’, those pesky furriners will be shown the door. Therein lies the backlash coming there way…watch the hate crimes flourish…post Brexit: Survival of the ‘British’ fittest.
If the Tories manage to win this election on a manifesto that attacks much of their core vote (pensioners), I truly fear that Labour in England will NEVER win an election across the UK for at least 20 years–if ever.
A question for SLab voters or potential SLab voters. What exactly is the point in sending SLabour MPs to WM when, once they get there, they will simply do as all SLabour MPs have done in the past–sit on their hands, keep their mouths shut, trouser their salary and huge expenses and do precisely what their London masters tell them. What exactly is the point of that?
Now, more than ever before in Scotland’s history, we need people in WM who will actively speak up for the people of Scotland and who will not simply be muzzled. In this GE each and every one of us MUST back the SNP to the absolute hilt. The SNP are the ONLY party who will send MPs to WM who will NOT be silenced by English party bosses for, unlike Yoon parties in Scotland, the SNP have no English bosses to please. They will work for and please their only boss–the people of Scotland.
P.S. Utilitarianism is intrinsically associated with Anglican theology.
K1 says:
19 May, 2017 at 2:25 pm
That article in the guardian with the family from the east end of Glasgow.
You mean this one with this stuff in it? One things for sure our imperial masters are terrified of and determined to stop Scotland’s indyref2. Graun’s so desperate to get this para in, that’s their spelling error not mine, for a change.
“Their mother angily accuses Nicola Sturgeon of conflating Scotland’s majority remain vote in the Brexit referendum with a desire for independence. “Just because I voted remain doesn’t mean I support a second [EU] referendum,” Karen senior says. “I don’t. She doesn’t speak for me. I’m not really opposed to Scottish independence either, but can you imagine us trying to force ourselves back in Europe? I think it’s the wrong time, I think we need to settle. I don’t think we should have another referendum.
“I think we have overstretched on referenda, they are divisive, there’s no unity, I’m fed up seeing people pitted against each other. It’s like a demon has been unleashed. Everyone is so busy taking lumps out of each other, they are not talking about policies.”
Maybe “angily” is a Graun UKOK attack propaganda term.
TGIF.
Not buying these anecdotes of SNP voters now switching to Labour.
WTF would they do that?
Suddenly vote for a party that has next to no chance of getting in against the SNP or the Tories (if you believe all the poll pish).
they are at it.
Tucked away on the back page of this Tory manifesto ” the internet ” we believe the internet should be controlled, there you have it , all dissent will be crushed, Including this Website, that’s why it was so bloody disgusting for Davidson to have the cheek and the brass neck to deliver a speech to the Orwell society, now how bloody Creepy is that .
@colin alexander says: 19 May, 2017 at 2:18 pm:
“The alleged defamation was repeated in parliament.
An MSP cannot be sued for defamation if they say something in the Scottish Parliament during the course of parliamentary business due to parliamentary privilege under the Scotland Act 1998 Section 41.”
Except, of course, that what occurred was not actually, “Parliamentary Business”. In fact it should have resulted in a call for a Point of Order as it most certainly was nothing whatsoever to do with the Business of Parliament in the first place and was an obvious filibuster in the second place.
The point was made by Eric Joyce in an article linked to by Nana up thread:-
link to ericjoyce.co.uk
The Presiding Officer should have done his job properly and stopped the abuse of FMQ’s by the leader of the London Labour Party in Scotland.
Her total time spent upon that issue was not parliamentary business and the PO should have ruled it as such. I’m sorry to say but Ken Macintosh is not up to the job.
Robert Graham says:
“Subversive sites and blogs,” will blocked from the internet with a simple court order.
Who do we know that they’ll target first?
Is the EU Convention Human Rights part of Brexit and will it be scrapped too?
Graun’s says Glasgow East: ‘This election is negative and full of hate’ but we all know where its BBC, Slab, tory etc stemming from.
Graun, SUN, Express, Heil . com and so on won’t be touched, freedom of the press in the yew kay is one of the corner stones etc etc.
May and the Tories are playing a very dangerous game. We already have public consent for a referendum as voted for by the democratically elected Scottish Parliament.
As usual the Tories are going to severely overreach themselves which will eventually cause a backlash against them in England.
In Scotland we can escape the coming car crash by voting for independence. That may be in a referendum or we may have to choose another democratic option but it will be our choice and not that of a Tory government we have not voted into power.
K1 @ 14:25:
Ach, it’s the same with “vox-pops” on radio or TV. You have no idea whatsoever how representative these “ordinary people” really are, what kind of sampling (if any) has been done to find them, and worst of all, what selection of quotes has been made to “prove” whatever agenda is being touted. I think they should be banned.
As for Sevvy, that man long ago abandoned any pretence to objectivity – he’s a shameless southern Labour toady, and the chances that this east end family is representative of anything other than Sevvy’s dearest wishes are close to zero.
(Oh, and whatever happened to wee Libby? She struck me as having at least a glimmer of objectivity. Was even that just too much for the corporates of the once-radical Guardian?)
Just a wee reminder folks about a live poll link I put up in the early hours of the morning.
You all know what to do by now. 😉
link to ge2017.gritdigital.co.uk
Last nights Question Time had at the end, a discussion by the panel and including the audience on Scottish education, with no counter argument or any informed information being provided, every comment was just that, a comment or an opinion, this on national TV , aye fair and balanced .
Regarding the Dugdale antics yesterday, when is this Labour presiding officer going to do his job ? , I believe Kezia Dugdale abused her position yesterday and strayed seriously from the intended purpose of First Ministers Questions . (i.e.) Questions to and of the Scottish Government and their policies.
If the Tories win this election, there is no telling what will happen in England as the chickens come home to roost.
When Brexit fails to provide the land of milk and honey, What are the Tories going to do to placate the people.
I’ve just been reading a BBC report that Theresa May & tRuthless Davidson have made a pledge to stand up to the SNP in the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party manifesto. tRuthless Davidson told the gathering, ” … that the election on 8 June was about bringing the SNP down to size”.
Now that’s just fine by me for the SNP had 56 of the 59 seats at Westminster at the recession of Westminster. So a return to that 56 will do me fine as that’s the size the SNP was before the recession and I’m all for democracy.
However I’m worried because I got my voting card this very morning and it says on it that it is for me to vote to elect a Member of Parliament for the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Constituency.
Anyone know when they will send me a voting card for the, “Size of the SNP election”? The SNP are bigger than just the MPs at Westminster as they are the biggest party at Holyrood and have the most councillors in Scottish Local Authorities and the voting card for the election I have is just for the Westminster election in only one constituency.
Mind you, perhaps tRuthless & May, (sounds like a Musichall act), are, as we say in Scotland, “aff thir bliddy heids”.
@Arbroath1320 says: 19 May, 2017 at 3:24 pm:
“You all know what to do by now. ?
link to ge2017.gritdigital.co.uk.”
Well no we don’t, Arbroath1320, for some of us you are wasting our time as that poll is only for Facebook signed up people and some folks will never use Facebook, Twitter or other such like sites.
Sorry I can’t get my archive thingy to work but here’s a link to a wee doody of a video about Feartie McFeartie’s plans for the internet.
Be afraid … be VERY afraid folks.
The days of free speech and free condemnation of politicians and their policies is coming to and end… June 12th ACTUALLY!
link to independent.co.uk
(sounds like a Musichall act)
More like criminally deranged and anti-social deviants. Fixed. 😉
When Brexit fails to provide the land of milk and honey, What are the Tories going to do to placate the people.
Tories have ditched their ivory import ban to the benight tory zone of the UK.
That’s not fake news, but it should be. Poor on the brink of extinction elephants.
Can you hate tory fcukers even harde and is that what tory Guardian means by their ‘This election is negative and full of hate’ stuff.
Oh wait, here comes toryboy Severin to crush vile seps again
Scottish politics
Theresa May: Tories will invest heavily in Scotland after Brexit
PM appeals to unionist, pro-Brexit and Labour voters, saying Conservatives will help Scotland ‘grow and flourish’
Theresa May
Theresa May speaks at the launch of the Scottish manifesto by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in Edinburgh on Friday. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/AFP/Getty Images
Severin Carrell Scotland editor
Friday 19 May 2017 15.43 BST
If Scots do fall for this Graun style historic shyste…California’s not tory and after Trump’s mob too.
@Robert Graham says: 19 May, 2017 at 3:35 pm:
” … Regarding the Dugdale antics yesterday, when is this Labour presiding officer going to do his job?
Maybe someone could begin a petition to the Holyrood Public petitions thingy:-
link to parliament.scot
Sorry Robert … my partner passed it over. I’ll rephrase my comment then I think.
Everyone who is on Facebook … you know what to do.
There fixed it. Sorry for the inconvenience Robert. 😉
It’s been a trying day, with a powercut here in my part of Edinburgh, and other crap, but going to the shops didn’t help. I see the yoons rags are positively wetting their knickers about Mayhem’s, ‘you pathetic little Scots, are not getting your referendum until 2022 you subversive sweaty jocks!’
Oh aye, the peepil have to consent to it, anyone think that this GE is in fact largely to oust some SNP MPs so the extremists in Westminster can deny Scotland a referendum. They are desperate to keep the oil and gas money and whisky tax, etc etc, flowing nice and smoothly down to london, to the UK treasury, while Scotland is kept shackled and begging. Pilfering our wealth, telling folks to shut up, removing powers from Holyrood, removing human rights, internet freedom will go as well, as we see today.
Now, as we have pointed out until blue in the freaking face, why would our neighbour keep giving us ‘free money’ and ‘subsidising’ Scotland, poor little pathetic Scotland, if they were not taking what they wanted from Scotland, ie land, fishing and farming revenues, etc, not to mention the oil, (oh the oil, not that useless stuff again) and lots of it.
Too stupid alright, some, far too many in fact, to see who is robbing who in absolute broad daylight.
DrJim@12.38
Great comment, have copied if thats ok, just to save for posterity! 🙂
Proudcybernat, ah echo your sentiments entirely re anyone voting for Labour, in Scotland at this GE. This was exactly what I was just spouting to myself in the car, how can anyone seriously think sending a Labour or 2 MP down to Westminster from Scotland will make a blind bit of difference to an emboldened Tory government?
Labour have abstained and allowed the Tories a free pass in passing some of the most devastating ‘welfare’ policies resulting in increased poverty and foodbank use, removal of tax credits from the some of the poorest ‘in work’ households, allowed the bedroom tax to assault those in social housing whilst removing housing benefit from those under the age of 25, to name just a few of those regressive polices. Labour in Westminster are not able to oppose the Tories, they refuse to join with the SNP in standing against anything the Tories are throwing at our population.
Meanwhile as you say the SNP are only answerable to the people of Scotland and have subsequently mitigated the worst effects for our population, they have removed the sanctions regime in our social security job centres, they have mitigated the bedroom tax, they have utterly rejected the family cap and the R Clause and our Scottish based welfare organisations have refused to act on behalf of these draconian and utterly repugnant Tories.
To vote for any other party other than the SNP in Scotland in this GE, is to vote for the continued onslaught of the Tories. It’s quite literally a ‘no brainier’. Labour are not in opposition in Westminster, they are in collusion. Extra ‘Scottish’ MP’s from Labour merely aids the Tories and gives us one lest hard working MP from the SNP, who have proved beyond a doubt that they are working for the people of Scotland, whereas Labour are working against us.
It’s hard to believe anyone one will vote for the Tories, it’s even harder still to imagine how anyone can vote for Labour, in Scotland at this time. Hopefully enough people realise this before, but a genuinely hae ma doots.
I generally don’t like to be cruel or derogatory to people, and as a parent I like to be patient when referring to other people’s children , but I genuinely feel conflicted when I have to consider what Kezia’s parents are feeling like at the moment, like all parents we worry that our children are being influenced and used by people who don’t have their best interests at heart , they take advice and instructions from people whose only intention is to use them and discard them ,I advise Mr and Mrs Dugdale to sit Kezia down and explain how she is being used and will be discarded ,she is fodder for the establishment.
But on the other hand my sympathy turns to anger when I consider the wilful intentional damage and degradation that Kezia and her cohorts are inflicting on the children , adults , and senior citizens of this wonderful Scotland , all in the name of entitlement and self serving greed .
To ally themselves with their proven and timeless enemy in their quest for power , rather than fight endlessly for their previous socialist principles shows just how corrupt the liebour party has become
I as a previous labour voter will celebrate the death and annihilation of the labour party and its corrupt rotten fetid representatives
I read the article in todays National that the Dug was to be sued by the “controversial” pro Indy blogger etc.
This is part of what really annoys me about the National. It is the use of Yoon pejoratives to describe anything that is Pro Indy or an SNP policy whether they agree with it or not.
It annoys me intensely when I read that in the so called Independence supporting National. In my view Greg Russell for one needs face palmed with a deid fish!
Re;Heedtracker@3.59
I didn’t know they, the rabidly extremists, the tories, had removed protection for elephants and are now allowing ivory imports.
With every fibre of my being I hope that those tories and anyone else, making that disgusting, backward decision, suffer immense pain, and that they rot in hell, very very soon. 🙁
They are the lowest of the low, these tory gits.
Just read part of the Tory manifesto so I must be a Tory. Nevermind, the start and end of the bit about Scotland are telling.
May claims none of the powers devolved to Holyrood will be devolved without any apparent knowledge that one of them is the one to hold referenda.
She then ends with dropping the hint about who will be in charge of fishing and farming. Ending with a ludicrous? reference about using the UK’s muscle to promote Scottish. Exports.
Think about the mentality of that when during the Empire there were instances of using force in trade. Is that a hint to us in Scotland or a reveal of how the trade negotiations post Brexit will be handled. Perhaps Davidson’s burly bloke brigade will be seconded.
Iain More says:
19 May, 2017 at 4:18 pm
I read the article in todays National that the Dug was to be sued by the “controversial” pro Indy blogger etc.
Its owned by the Glasgow Herald Ian and its only a business trying to make money. They probably all share the same Herald canteen, loos etc.
Mind the savagery of Herald’s destruction of indy ref1?
They have a columnist who was on BBC 24 all day, Sept 18 2014, playing the part of the frightened Scottish women, her voice shaking with fear, over and over, “Mr Salmond can’t even tell us what money I’ll have in my poor wee Scottish purse tomorrow.” Ooh that’s terrible, simpered beeb gimp after beeb gimp.
Cant mind her name. She was one of Flipper Darlings politics advisors too, and her son got a very tasty Treasury job out of it.
Watching that on BBC 24 all day, Sept 18, it was pretty clear NO were going to win. Great actress too by the way.
She maybe a hootsman ligger but I think its Herald.
Anyway be grateful for small mercies, from our imperial masters of the Herald:D
Davidson bringing the snp down to size? She’s even heightist.When her scrawny little party is defeated on 3 weeks will she keep her mouth shut until 2022?
@K1
“It’s hard to believe anyone one will vote for the Tories, it’s even harder still to imagine how anyone can vote for Labour, in Scotland at this time. Hopefully enough people realise this before, but a genuinely hae ma doots.”
I have my doots as well. Look at combined Yoon votes at the Cooncil Elections and also consider those that voted for Tory Independents. That is a lot of votes by folk voting to slash the very services on which they depend. Idiocy and stupidity doesn’t come close to describing such behaviour. I call it suicidal.
As long as Kezia is tilting at windmills she is irrelevant to the GE. She has just wasted one of the last 3 FMQ on a topic most people will not even remember by the weekend.
Just as it was a mistake for Corbyn to dip our on the STV debate so it was a mistake for Kezia to go chasing squirrels.
I noticed that the Tory and Labour press offices wanted to talk about the debate after it was over. Tough! You were too feart so feck off.
Please stop with the “too stupid” line of argument. It is insulting and demeaning to a large portion of our society, who are woefully under-educated. Scottish culture has been systematically sublimated into a hybridised form of English nationalim i.e. British nationalism. It is unfair to expect the average Joe to be able to comprehend and combat the historical forces which have colonised Scotland and which continue to act against the people of Scotland’s best interests.
@John H says:
19 May, 2017 at 2:05 pm
===================
It is easy to get disheartened but remember if many of us Scots are feart or simplistic in our political thinking, just look at what folk down in England are voting for: UKIP, BREXIT, the worst Tory party in history (and that’s saying something). At least close to half vote SNP, some Green and a few for the obscure socialist parties (I don’t include Labour and not because they aren’t obscure – yet).
Hammer of the Tories…
link to imgur.com
heedtracker/Iain Moore was asking who the female was whose son got a fancy job with the Treasury. It was Catherine Macleod a former Herald Politics Editor !
That Guardian article is embarrassing; trying to present their voting promiscuity as emblematic of some sort of family-wide political antennae, these folk reveal themselves as nothing more than intellectual lightweights who see the GE as a glorified X-Factor.
The council election was supposed to be the notoindy vote, the Tories lost. Now the claim the GE is the notoindy vote, but they have lowered the bar for themselves as apparently any increase in the number of Tory seats in Scotland is now a mandate. So 5 Tory MP’s from Scotland is now a majority in their eyes.
Just waiting for ‘it is a UK vote’ therefore a majority at WM is a majority in Scotland. What next, the Scottish Parliament to be non elected but MSP’s selected by WM, sounds ludicrous but I would put nothing beyond the three main parties. After all Davidson has already said that we (she) has refused a second referendum.
At what point does the UK become formally recognised as a failing state?
Facist patriotism and flag waving? Check.
Disdain for Human Rights. Check. Already condemned by UN.
Makes us of scapegoats; immigrants, the poor, “separatists”. Check. Crush the saboteurs!
Military Spending. Check. And not just Trident either.
Controlled mass Media. MAJOR CHECK. Even now seeking to control the internet.
Obsession with National Security. Check. From Terrorists under the bed to war with Spain.
Religion and government are intertwined. I think that’s a Check. Use of sectarianism? Definitely.
Disdain for intellectuals. Remember Prof Robertson in front of BBC? Check.
Obsession with crime and punishment. Little check for now, but wait until the rioting starts. A country is only ever 3 meals away from revolution.
Corporate Power Protected. Another BIG check. It’s also very, very, wealthy.
Workers Power Supressed. Check. The “workers” party has been destroyed.
Rampant Cronyism and corruption. Another BIG Etonian check.
Fraudulent Elections. Check. Not just fraud, but fraud they can literally get away with.
Then we focus on Scotland.
Arbitrarily take back devolved powers. Check. Already done it for Renewables.
Ignore the democratic integrity of the Scottish Parliament. Check.
Move to obstruct Referendums or free Elections. Check.
Control the media. Check.
Agitate civil unrest. I’m giving that a check for the sectarianism they’re trying to stoke.
Vilify our elected Leaders. Check.
The UK is a Nuclear state, with a permanent seat on the UN Security Counicil, with a Prime Minister demanding Henry VIII Absolute power to make its own laws. It is virtually bankrupt with a desperate balance of Trade, struggling to service massive debts at very low rates of interest at a time when Brexit factors are about to push up inflation, which will require to be controlled by a rise in Interest Rates.
It also has First Strike Nuclear launch capacity, although the last missile test was a failure.
Last of all, with a virtual SNP majority at Holyrood, 56 out of 59 Nationalist MP’s at Westminster, and not forgetting Scotland’s popular civic sovereignty, what ACTUAL mandate does Westminster or Theresa May have to do anything here in Scotland?
I’ll ask my question again. At what point does the UK become recognised as a failing State? And for the bonus point, at what stage does the International community say “Well, if we act now, I think we can at least save Scotland?
I honestly don’t know the answer. But I would bet that Military War Gamers and strategists both friendly and potentially hostile, have thought about various scenarios for a Fascist UK State going rogue.
Personally, I maybe should not say this is the calm before the storm, but we are currently living in the stage “before things change”. I hope above everything else, our change when it comes is Independence. Yup, that’s fine. Not just fine, it’s my preferred “safe” option. Because if we do not take back our Independence, then we will remain bound to the fate of a failing UK, but without the comfort of the UK’s delusional madness.
Apologies if this has already ben discussed but I see from the BBC website that the Labour leader raised this in FMQs following receipt of a letter from SC’s solicitors. I’ve missed what that was about, if it has already been aired, but I assume it might have something to do with libel/slander? If so, her questions in Parliament, should be carefully considered by the Presiding Officer as it could be construed as an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Following in Trump’s footsteps is probably not the most sagacious of moves by Dugdale.
Apologies if this has already been discussed but I see from the BBC website that the Labour leader raised this in FMQs following receipt of a letter from SC’s solicitors. I’ve missed what that was about, if it has already been aired, but I assume it might have something to do with libel/slander? If so, her questions in Parliament, should be carefully considered by the Presiding Officer as it could be construed as an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Following in Trump’s footsteps is probably not the most sagacious of moves by Dugdale.
Couple of britnat shills are out in force under that ‘public consent’ article in the National. They are so obviously paid for trolls. Desperate doesn’t do justice to the batshit madness spewing out in their posts. Repeat and rinse…over and over then insult. Seriously the security services need tae up their game. These twats are not from around here…and it shows.
On the matter of libel, I hope that Stuart will not go so far as to commence any actual legal proceedings.
He is right and Kezia is wrong – the joke is not homophobic – BUT defamation cases are notoriously expensive and even if successful there’s a chance of being awarded just a penny in damages if the judge is really unsympathetic.
It is not sensible to get into a situation where all Rev’s energy is expended on a legal case and the potentially huge cost of that – I and others will help [a bit] if it comes to crowdfunding but that may not be enough and would be diverting funds from the independence cause.
I know I am being cautious, but remember the Orkney Four – the expense, the worry, the time etc. All Stuart’s time is needed for the cause.
“I know I am being cautious, but remember the Orkney Four – the expense, the worry, the time etc.”
The two cases aren’t remotely comparable.
Sorry, I don’t do twitter. Re. how to raise the legal fees. I think a separate fund.
Has anyone read today’s Guardian ? There’s an interview with a family in Shettleston, Glasgow on their voting intentions. Between them, Mum, Dad and three daughters they are voting , Labour, Tory & liberals. One of the daughters said that that there has been protest against labour & SNP people are being urged to vote Tory by rangers football club. I imagine she meant that clubs supporters. Has Fat Boab Un gone full 1690?
The great Teresa May hunt continues.
At least we now know that her previous secret destination today in Scotland was Edinburgh.
However, after perusing the on-line EEN, Scotsman, Herald, Record and BBC not one of them sees fit to tell us where in Edinburgh she addressed the invited gathering of the faithful plus media.
Her terror of having to face any members of the public who might just ask the odd awkward question is becoming ridiculous.
Re. my post @4:42pm. It could do with being re-worked but…
sublimated into a hybridised for of English culture, British culture, which is expressed through British nationalism (a hybridised form of English nationalism).
Rev Stuart:
It is a pity you are not a bare-faced liar. If you were, your support for the Lib-Dems over a number of years just might have persuaded the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Trust – or whatever they are called – to fund your case.
“Subversive sites and blogs,” will blocked from the internet with a simple court order.
Who do we know that they’ll target first?
scary, we should have asked julian assange to stand for the snp as an mp
This “public consent” business is a two-edged sword for supposed parliamentarians such as May and Davidson. What can be used against the SG can be used against them too. By the Tories’ own yardstick – whatever that may be, and Toom Tabard was characteristically vague about that yesterday when pressed about it by Rona Dougall – they themselves would fail to have a mandate for government of the UK, for instigating a referendum over Brexit, or for traducing the Fixed Term Parliament Act. Just f’r instance.
But one gets the increasing feeling that both May and Davidson are not actually very keen parliamentarians at heart, especially when faced with the prospect of losing a fair contest.
No, they are despicable cowards and bullies, and sadly given an essentially free ride by a collaborationist media.
Sorry Stu. Dont do twitter . But seperate fund for me please.
It really is disgusting when you see the likes of STV News pushing the Tory agenda to try and increase the Tory vote in key Scottish seats.
Just hope the Scottish public are not taken in by the clear bias the media now has towards the Tories.
Just occasonally, once in a blue moon, Sarah Smith remembers she is from a Labour back-ground and ha a go at the Tories rther than the SNP.
Such an occasion just happened on the BBC Six-o-clock News, when she had a go at Mother Theresa.
I nearly scaled my coffee in shock.
gcford @ 17:08,
Catherine Macleod is also a diehard Labour Unionist zoomer who (unsurprisingly enough) has been a frequent guest on BBC politics programmes. When she does, she always manages to look insufferably smug. A wonderful advert for self-righteous Labour exceptionalism.
Scottish Tories launch a meaningless manifesto. They lie that they will retain the winter fuel allowance in Scotland. Even if we return 59 Tory MP’s in Scotland they cannot do this as it is would require to be passed in Holyrood. So unless they intend to have better benefits in Scotland than the rest of the UK paid by WM, how likely is that, it is just nonsense to fool the gullible.
Is there no lie this party will not sink to.
Well that’s it. I stopped watching BBC NEWS some time ago,and switched to STV, but astonished that tonight’s STV report about SNP losing Angus/Perthshire showed only Conservative people giving their opinions, with one getting away with a diatribe on SNP.
F O STV you’ve lost many watchers with that programme, me especially.
gcford says:
19 May, 2017 at 5:08 pm
heedtracker/Iain Moore was asking who the female was whose son got a fancy job with the Treasury. It was Catherine Macleod a former Herald Politics Editor !
Thanks very much. What a reminder, the staggering dishonesty of all it BBC 24 attack propaganda wise.
She was on all the giant monitors at my work entrance and hallways, all ref day. She was never introduced as a full on SLab NO campaigner and Lord Flipper advisor, absolutely nothing by beeb gimps. Yet there she was, Oscar winning performance of nice, respectable, “ordinary Scottish woman,” frightened out of her wits, because no money in her poor wee Scottish purse,if Alex Salmond succeeds today.
And yes, her son also enjoyed that lovely UKOK nepotism at the Treasury.
Parcel of rogues doesn’t come close…
@ Breeks 5.31
Great post, a chilling exposition of where this ‘precious union’ is headed.
@ One_Scot
Aye, STV have promised a ‘series’ of items on ‘ runners and riders’ for 8 June, which will essentially consist, as it did tonight, of a thinly veiled guide to tactical voting against the SNP, complete with Brexiteer fisherman, nobs at ladies day at Perth racecourse, and elderly English settlers telling us unchallenged how shite education, health, transport and police are – by an astonishing coincidence all devolved areas.
There is a palpable sense that levels of government control of the media are growing exponentially by the day. The scariest thing is that the broadcasters appear long past giving a shit that they are now vicious state functionaries to a man and woman, gleefully colluding in the crushing of dissent and democracy.
Is it not the Purdah period? STV led with a party political broadcast on behalf of the Tories. They will go the same way as the BBC and SKy.
Tories getting it from ITV. Or are they just stirring it up.
schrodingers cat says:
Does that mean we can make a case to have BBC News, Express, Mail, and Telegraph blocked?
I guess not. 😉
@Walter Scott says: 19 May, 2017 at 5:59 pm:
” … One of the daughters said that that there has been protest against labour & SNP people are being urged to vote Tory by rangers football club. I imagine she meant that clubs supporters. Has Fat Boab Un gone full 1690?”
Maybe something like this clip of the many, many versions on YouTube of a wee ditty called, “Dedicated Follower of Rangers”:-
link to youtube.com“
There were so many different versions of the video, same tune, though, I just picked one at random. However have some fun with finding out the best of the many versions.
BBC leading with the Tories are divided; there is division in the tory party because TM wants to means test extra money for pensioners’ heating allowance and tRuthless doesn’t want to introduce that in Scotland.
(She’s no daft -she knows that the average age of her voter in Scotlandshire is 80- 126).
as already mentioned above, I don’t trust her one bit.
She’ll backtrack on it by midsummer.
Dear God, supporting fracking, controlling the internet, means testing pensioners heating allowance, removing triple lock, raising the pension age,(that’s gone quiet, supposed to be announced by May7th) WASPI issues, only protecting the uK waters up to 12 miles out, removing free school lunches for bairns to try and save money…
BUT
DEFENCE spending will receive 0.5% above inflation EVERY year.
BAIRNS NOT BOMBS.
Yup, it has become pretty clear to me that the Scottish media News programmes, Reporting Scotland and STV News have a clear and unapologetic agenda to take seats away from the SNP at the General Election.
If the SNP do lose a few seats, you can bet your bottom dollar we will have Ruth Davidson and Theresa May screaming at the top of there voices that there is no appetite in Scotland for another referendum.
The only way we will avoid this outcome is if we make sure we get as much of the SNP vote out as possible, because if we don’t, we may come to regret it.
For the love of God Scotland, stand up on the 8th of May, and don’t let them push you down.
galamcennalath says:
19 May, 2017 at 6:37 pm
schrodingers cat says:
Think that was my 2 cents. This is what its all about though. You can get shut down quite easily too. Just little quiet changes in law’s, slipped out by the Lords usually, that’s what that horror is really for, Libel especially or even interpretations of laws. Look at the CPS letting the tories away with mass election expenses rule breaking.
STV election coverage this evening was very biased against the SNP it was so bad it made BBC look impartial apart the usual collapse of oil industry and never any mention of recent West coast finds
@gus1940 says: 19 May, 2017 at 6:02 pm:
” … However, after perusing the on-line EEN, Scotsman, Herald, Record and BBC not one of them sees fit to tell us where in Edinburgh she addressed the invited gathering of the faithful plus media.”
O.k. gus1940 – here’s another, different, version of the many examples of, “Dedicated Follower of Rangers”, just for you:-
link to youtube.com
They are all hilarious but some a wee bit near the bone.
How can you cover up the largest oil fields on earth!
We are the richest people on the planet, what would possess people to vote tory and be poorer.
Iain
Three centuries of cultural domination from London, simples.
Watched that stv shite and luckily my good lady was in or my telly was getting punted oot the windae.
Is there seriously no-one in our European family who can help us with this blatant affront to our democracy. Its getting beyond a joke.
By the way watched it on android box,No-way will I pay to be lied to.
This is just to prove I can spell my name correctly. 🙂
Well whoever posted Theresa would wear Black Watch tartan on her visit to Scotland got it right.
Think she was in a Turkey shed near Drem East Lothian
How is England going to get by, without Scotland to bleed dry.
Maybe they will have to stand on their own two feet for a change .
The nation of Scotland needs better, be part of it.
It’s up to you.
If you were in to conspiracy theories you might be forgiven for thinking that the collapse of RFC was engineered to remove them and their fans from mainstream football in Scotland or at least discourage traveling fans more interested in fighting.
Convenient how that happened in the run up to the referendum. A less controversial opinion that might be closer to the truth is the pursuit of them by HMRC was as an object lesson to other teams including those in the Premiership. An example was made of an expendable team in an diddy league.
Now they’re back, allegedly, the same stunt can’t really be pulled twice so Davidson has opted to embrace the no surrender brigade.
Just noticed this on twitter, a new website launched by the SNP for the General Election.
link to twitter.com
http://www.vote.scot
Not sure how effective it will be when you have the whole of the UK media against you.
Big Phil says:
19 May, 2017 at 7:12 pm
Watched that stv shite and luckily my good lady was in or my telly was getting punted oot the windae.
Dont watch it. You know how hard they are going to hit this time, again, and its not aimed at you. Its all aimed directly at undecided floating voters. They’re votes with the power and they can swing it to YES winning. They’re not even that interested in their GE in Scotland, all they want to do is terrify the floating vote away from indyref2.
This is how British “democracy” works in the yew kay 2017, not 1917. The rest of us are irrelevant, in the great British newsrooms around Scotland.
They couldn’t care less what you or anyone else thinks of them. So just let the whole show of BBC Scotland led liars and crooks, chancer and spivs, get on with it.
Robert Peffers,
“@Rock says: 18 May, 2017 at 9:05 pm:
” … No-one in his/her right mind would claim that the 20% or so that votes for Labour are all members of Labour and their family and friends.”
Then, Rock, is it not fortunate that I never claimed they were.”
Robert Peffers,
“And only a bloody numptie hasn’t realised that those 20% ARE Labour. They may be much reduced in numbers but are still a significant party in Scotland. Just count up the actual number of MPs, MSPs, MEPs and Councillors holding office at present. Multiply that number by around 3, (they will all have at least election agents, family and hingers-oan), and that is a considerable number of Scots with votes for Labour.”
Trying to wriggle out of what you did claim?
Stop calling other posters “bloody numpties”, you aggressive verbal bully.
@CameornB Brodie says: 19 May, 2017 at 7:11 pm:
“Three centuries of cultural domination from London, simples.”
Och! CameronB, they have been at that caper a lot longer than three centuries.
Here’s just one historic example and that was by no means the earliest example.
The answer to not getting provoked by the Yoon media,
Is don’t subscribe, don’t believe, and don’t pay.
Robert Peffers
True Robert but the colonial nature of where power rests in Britain became constitutionally legal and binding in 1707.
Rock,
“Unfortunately, more than 20% of the voting public in Scotland remains stupid enough to vote for Labour.”
Thepnr,
“Just thought I should mention I think Labour in Scotland will be lucky if they get 15% of the vote in this GE. Hopefully less.”
schrodingers cat,
“full scot poll
SNP 42% (+1)
Conservatives 29% (+1)
Labour 19% (+1)
Liberal Democrats 6% (-1)”
I hope Thepnr is right and the poll is wrong.
Big Jock,
“The phoney war is over , this is now a fight for democracy and freedom from an oppressive state.”
I think the phoney war is just starting.
As I predicted a while ago, Saint Theresa of England and Wales will soon refuse permission to hold an independence referendum before Brexit has been completed.
Nicola calling a referendum without Westminster’s permission will be nothing less than the start of UDI.
Do “sovereign” Scots have the spine for it?
I don’t think so.
Despite everything, there is hardly 50% support for independence.
If we can’t have a Yes vote before Brexit has been completed, we are looking to a further 310 years at least as a colony of England.
Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
It is the British Establishment we are dealing with.
The likes of May and Dugdale are neither fools nor idiots.
Even fools and idiots would have a bit of shame and care for their country. Dugdale has neither.
Big Jock,
“The real problem in Scotland is that we are a nation of fearties.”
Exactly what I have been saying.
Big mouthed “sovereign” Scots incapable of putting their money where their mouths are.
“Economic case for independence”.
Do we really have any pride in our country if we are frightened we might be poorer after independence?
If we don’t grow a spine soon, we are looking at another 310 years as a colony of England.
Rock 7-58pm
“We are looking towards another 310 years at least as a colony of England”
Thing is Rock…there exists a sizable portion of the Scottish electorate who are totally unfazed by that….that’s were we are now.
oNE sCOT … 7-23PM
Its actually part of the SNP website One Scot.
The Tory manifesto should and indeed I believe would guarantee 59 SNP MPs returned from Scotland if we had a truly honest media.
You are all going to love this. Apparently Ruth Davidson has launched the Scottish Tory manifesto. In it is the guarantee that cold weather payments in Scotland will be maintained because it’s colder here.
The cynics among us might think she is worried about annoying pensioners and their vote. Similarly it is illegal for one party to have two different manifestos.
Am I just cynical ?
Well it’s all hell for leather now. Full no mandate for Indyref. Says who. TM the great dictator abley supported by her Scottish fiddler and mouthpiece Ruthless Davidson. Star supporting act the MSM including the Scottish branch.
We will have to wait and see how all this pans out UK GE, BREXIT and then our democratic right to decide our self determination.
Time will tell but surely the tide is turning in our favour.
Here’s to our gallant people who will prevail.
Iain More,
“I read the article in todays National that the Dug was to be sued by the “controversial” pro Indy blogger etc.”
Did the “independence supporting” The National really call W O S and its author “controversial”?
The National has near ZERO positive effect to the cause of independence.
Its only purpose is to milk gullible independence supporters. Fortunately, there are only about 8,000 of them.
But as I have said before, I honestly and seriously believe that if Yes wins, it will be WOS and its author that has tipped the balance in favour of Yes.
Tam the Bam,
“Thing is Rock…there exists a sizable portion of the Scottish electorate who are totally unfazed by that….that’s were we are now.”
Yes, and I can tell you which portion:
The selfish middle classes, the British nationalist elderly, the thugs and the English.
Unfortunately, many independence supporting posters here seem hell bent on wasting valuable resources on trying to convince these diehard No voters to vote Yes.
To stand any chance, the official Yes campaign next time has to be robust and targeted at those who can actually be convinced: the ignored underclass.
A treasury minister has admitted that Scotland has been subsidising the UK to the tune of around 27 to 31 billion per year since 1997 and apparently it’s in the Herald and it’s all over facebook being shared by thousands as we speak
If anybody has seen this article or knows of it could they please put it up and cheer up the throat slitters on here tonight who seem to have forgotten the United Nations charter and what’s contained therein as to the freedom of any country to choose its own version of self determination
It’s International law folks and Theresa May can huff and puff and put stuff off and bluster all she likes but International law is very clear on the subject
Plus the fact that already it should be remembered that Theresa May and her government have already been denounced by the UN as being “Inhumane” over their human rights violations in regards to the disabled in the UK
Just because our news media doesn’t report a thing does not mean it isn’t happening and certainly does not mean our government don’t know International law
Why else do you think The Tories are in such a desperate state to convince everybody they’ll crush anybody who stands against them
How many times a day does Theresa May talk about Scotland, it’s endless, well that’s what fearties usually do when they’re feart
Talk talk talk
I would love Dugdale to be humiliated in a court.
But the Scottish justice system is rotten to the core and the vast majority of lawyers, especially judges, are the lowest of the low.
Carmichael libeled Nicola Sturgeon before the last Westminster election and got away with it.
Rev,
My vote is “Neither – let it go”. Your time, mental health and money are too important to independence and truth, to be diverted.
I sympathise with the wish to not let Miss Dugdale get away with it but look at what it was like for the Orkney Four.
We Scottish pensioners shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief too soon Theresa May said in an interview a few months ago ‘we (presumably Westminster) devolved and forgot’. It is clear that not all powers returned through Brexit will be returned to Scotland and some existing ones will be clawed back.
Good old Tories first priority is to stop Scots taking control of their own destiny.
What else would they prioritise when 25% of Scottish Children live in poverty, and qualified Nurses are having to use Food Banks?
Labour wants to hug Tory Party Officials who are Gay and attack the SNP for not wanting to spending £100 Billion on
nuclear weapons?
Hamish100,
“Davidson bringing the snp down to size? She’s even heightist.When her scrawny little party is defeated on 3 weeks will she keep her mouth shut until 2022?”
Even an increase to 2 MPs and an increase in the percentage of the vote, which looks highly likely, will be claimed as a major victory by the enemy of the Scottish people led by the BBC.
The chances of the most disgusting and dishonest politician in Scotland keeping her mouth shut are as low as the English keeping their mouth shut about the 1966 World Cup win.
@Dr Jim
I think this is it
Figures explode subsidy myth Scotland gave #27bn more than was received
link to archive.is
If you don’t proceed against Dugdale she will claim victory in parliament and claim her article was factual all along since you have withdrawn the action. Massive distraction but politicians should not be using their position to try and publicly intimidate people.
@ Sarah The Rev’s reputation & the reputation of this site need to be defended to the max , you might be feart of going to court but its not you who was slandered .
There is no comparison with the Orkney Four.
Rock
I think I appreciate where you’re coming from and I’m not meaning to have a go or be condescending.
It isn’t really a good idea to use the term “underclass” as “underclass theory” is cod-science. Even employing it in anything other than mocking terms lends credibility to it’s usefullness as a way of describing society. It is a linguistic weapon of Thatcherite social Darwinism, IMHO.
Don’t watch STV. Watch this instead. Craig Murray interview on Livestream.
BREXIT, Assange, Colonial UK, media bias, GE 2017 all covered.
link to craigmurray.org.uk
@Tam the Bam. says: 19 May, 2017 at 8:08 pm:
“Thing is Rock…there exists a sizable portion of the Scottish electorate who are totally unfazed by that….that’s were we are now.”
Aye! Tam, but Rock’s problem is that he is the biggest feartie o thaim aa. He tends to judge everyone by his own standards of feartiness.
It never enters his wee feartie skull that when numpties like him were attempting to further the cause way back when we indy supporters were regarded as dangerous terrorists with such as the SLA and siol-nan-gaidheal doing crazy stuff we were going backwards.
Not until we got people with real good legal and economist minds like Willie McRae, Winnie Ewing, Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond did the movement begin to achieve acceptance in mainstream politics by the general public in Scotland.
There would be a mass exodus of members from the party if the party accepted the UDI preaching of numpties like Rock.
To gain independence we must have a majority of the sovereign people of Scotland democratically demanding the union is over. Only then can the law of Scotland and the law of England face each other across an international court of law as equal Kingdoms. For no one can legally deny that the United Kingdom is factually a bipartite union of two kingdoms.
That is why the Yoons are shitting themselves and attempting to do such desperate contortions to stave of what everyone else, including our friends in the EU and Council of Europe cans now clearly see.
This whole crazy mess, including Brexit, is all about Westminster’s desperation – they can see what is heading their way much better than the likes of Rock.
Ignore the silly bugger for nothing you can say will make a tiny dent in his thick skull. The SNP and SG are doing just fine the way they are going. No one with any savvy expects the Yoons to just give up and go away. It doesn’t work like that.
History tells us that when a country wins back its freedom from Westminster the darkest days are just before independence arrives.
It is either that or all out war that will bring freedom and Scotland doesn’t have either the equipment, troops or the will for armed conflict. It isn’t that long ago they brought the troops in either.
I stood on the picket line outside Rosyth Dockyard looking at a young guy wearing a police uniform. I knew his whole family. He was a serving soldier in a crack UK battalion. Every day at knocking off time the real policemen on duty lined up and marched off to board police busses and were replaced with busloads of these soldiers in police uniforms. The Miners strike saw the same things happening during their strikes.
That’s what Rock is attempting to stir up on Wings. We may eventually need to legally declare the Union over but that is not the same thing as declaring UDI from a unified country and the very name United Kingdom stands as proof the UK is not a unified country.
On Watching Ourselves – Episode 1. A reference was made to a documentary and a clip shown. Anyone remember what this documentary was called and when it was broadcast, I believe it was the 80’s or 90’s. The text below is from the Watching Ourselves, the italics are from the docu clip.
OK, so 18 years of Thatcherism might have had something
to do with it, but so did programmes like this.
The notion that Scotland gets more than it’s fair share
of public spending in fact is nothing but a myth,
but it’s one that is widely held particularly in
the south of England. What this programme sets out to explode that
myth by revealing that when it comes to guzzling the taxpayers’ cash,
no-one does it better than London and the South East.
The public reaction was one of amazement.
The political reaction was almost like a battle charge
back across the border to say, “See!
“It’s not the way you said it was.”
This fixation with London produces some absurd situations.
The Department for Energy, for example, supervises Britain’s
vital North Sea oil industries, but 856 of its 1,036 civil servants
are based in the West End of London. There are only 23 in Aberdeen…
the oil capital of Europe.
The programme is as resonant today as it was all those years ago.
We’re still getting the same arguments, aren’t we?
Do the Tories really want to WIN this General Election
@ Robert Peffers – re Fire Ice, looks like the Chinese are mining it too:
Chinese miners have managed to extract ‘combustible ice’ from the seafloor of the South China Sea, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources.
link to on.rt.com
I see on Unison Lanarkshires facebook that NLC has already made a movery to slash teaching assistant post, breakfast clubs etc. For this to happen so soon after their Tory love in this week it must have been planned before the break up for the elections.
Also most of the committee convenor & vice convener posts have so far been left unfilled. So they are afrail to name their Tory chums ahead of June 8th for fear of a voters backlash.
link to m.facebook.com
Rock says: 19 May, 2017 at 8:46 pm:
” … To stand any chance, the official Yes campaign next time has to be robust and targeted at those who can actually be convinced: the ignored underclass.”
And there you can see the real truth behind Rock, (this is NOT directed at you Rock but at those reading your bullshit).
Rock has just attempted a classic Yoon style, “divide and conquer”, manoeuvre.
Separating Scottish voters into several different classes. The SNP SG has always fought for those that Westminster ignored – the poor, the homeless, the out of work, the disabled, the sick, the old, the immigrants and the in-work poor.
They discriminate against no one – not even the, sometimes ungrateful, English retirees who sell up expensive southern homes and buy into Scotland to benefit from the universal benefits the SNP SG have instigated here in Scotland.
However, I’ve met enough of every group of these people of Scotland and personally know even English immigrants who are staunch indy supporters.
Rock, like the Yoons, is doing Scottish independence no good whatsoever by attempting to separate the people of Scotland into disparate factions. Best to just ignore him.
One of the things I seem to remember from the Carmichael farago was that it is illegal to deliberately besmirch the reputation of an candidate during an election.
Not only did Dugdale ignore a warning that the tweet about Mundell wasn’t intended to be homophobic and discussion about it and repeat the allegation but she then went ahead and made it about the character of SNP politicians some of whom are standing.
To cap it all she acknowledged that her cunning plan due to there being an ongoing election. Thing is whilst Parliamentary Privilege might protect you from being sued for your defamation it doesn’t protect you from being tried for any other laws you might inadvertently break along the way.
There’s galactic class stupidity and there’s going above and beyond.
Robert Peffers,
“And there you can see the real truth behind Rock, (this is NOT directed at you Rock but at those reading your bullshit).”
So you do read my posts despite claiming that you don’t.
No-one posts a fraction of the bullshit you do.
Accompanied with either patronising posters or hurling insults at them if you cannot counter their points.
As when you were caught out claiming that Labour’s 20% voters were all from Labour members, their family and friends.
With your band of sycophants cheering you on.
If you are the greatest expert of all time on all Scottish legal and historic matters, why haven’t you written a book on the subject?
Why don’t you write one now?
Too afraid of being taken to court for plagiarism?
Always run away from difficult questions.
Answer this one if you are so clever:
Which class of previous No voters do you think are most likely to be convinced of voting Yes next time:
The middle classes?
The elderly?
The thugs?
The English?
The underclass?
@Dr Jim & Nana
It’s been reported here as well.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
CameronB Brodie,
“Rock
I think I appreciate where you’re coming from and I’m not meaning to have a go or be condescending.
It isn’t really a good idea to use the term “underclass” as “underclass theory” is cod-science.”
I am in no way mocking the class which is most likely to help us win next time and which is often excluded by the mainstream political parties.
I am just pointing out in strong terms that there are many “bloody numpties” posting here who are hell bent on wasting scarce resources on persuading those highly unlikely to vote Yes.
These armchair pundits are the ones who will guarantee our loss again next time.
The vast majority of the selfish middle classes, the British nationalist elderly, the thugs and the English are not going to vote Yes.
The minority of them who are will have convinced themselves and don’t need any convincing.
If we want a Yes majority, we have to carry on from where the RIC left last time.
Crockadoodle…doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Ahh….that’s better.
Brexit will do the job for us.
Just sit back and watch it.
Mr Audi/BMW with an interest only mortgage and maxed out credit cards will shite himself soon enough.
There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I cannot believe that Ms Dugdale has stooped so low as to opportunistically bring this spat, which is nothing but a personal matter (the lawsuit), into Holyrood.
I think this is utterly ridiculous and belittles Holyrood. Holyrood is the Parliament of Scotland and certainly not the place where Ms Dugdale can have has a spat because she is being sued for damages.
I do find it insulting that Ms Dugdale attempted to belittle FMQ and transform it into some kind of reality show on gossip. This misuse of the Parliament is giving ammunition to those extreme tories that are desperate to close Holyrood down because “it is too parochial”, therefore I find it unacceptable.
I disagree with the First Minister though. I do not think this was simply a smoke screen to deflect from the labour councilors jumping with the Tories. I think this is far more pathetic than that and the FM has been very generous by attempting to shut her down and deflect attention to protect her. The impression I got from the recording is that Ms Dugdale was abusing her position of power in the Parliament to intimidate Stu by publicly mentioning his name and make him drop the lawsuit. There was absolutely no need for her to mention his name like she did. My interpretation of her performance is that she attempted to paint herself as the victim in an attempt to cajole the whole chamber into unfairly discredit Wings over Scotland because she, like everybody else in that chamber, knows that Stu and Wings are a huge asset to the independence movement and a huge thorn on the side of unionist propaganda and poor unionist speakers.
I must admit I found in appallingly bad taste that she mentioned Ms Cox and her husband in her rant. In my opinion, attempting to compare what Ms Cox family has gone through due to their tragic and unfair loss with what ‘she’ has to endure due to a lawsuit caused by her alleged defamation of somebody else is petty.
While I think Stu’s tweet about Mr Mundell was undiplomatic and in bad taste, I do not see anything homophobic on it. Stuart Campbell is not attacking Mr Mundell’s sexuality at all nor is he referring to Mr Mundell Junior’s sexuality either. The only thing I see Stu mocking in that tweet is the oratory skills of the latter.
It seems to me that Ms Dugdale is very selective in condemning abuse. She seems totally unmoved by the abuse that independence supporters suffer daily in the comments sections of newspapers and tweeter at the hands of unionist labour and tory supporters. Some of the comments make Stu’s tweet look innocuous. For instance, when is Ms Dugdale going to demand condemnation from not only Holyrood but also Westminster of the bullies in the form of senior Labour, tory and LibDem politicians that took the liberty to like independence supporters to racists, extremists, guilty of fratricidal conflict and bigots?
Orris says —- “Not only did Dugdale ignore a warning that the tweet about Mundell wasn’t intended to be homophobic”
Yes, but that tweet came across as homophobic. To many pro-independence, pro Wings, people, like myself
“Yes, but that tweet came across as homophobic. To many pro-independence, pro Wings, people, like myself”
I can’t help if people are too dim to read English properly.
Rock
You’d have know about it if I thought you were mocking the less-fortunate. 😉
I’m not meaning to be complacent but the previous indyref managed to enthuse a reasonable level of voter participation, despite the most intense efforts by Better Together to poison the debate. Circumstances will be completely different next time and I think you might be pleasantly surprised by impact of the political realighnment that is underway at present. For example, did you spot the tone of what Ian McWhirter is saying on twitter? Yah beauty. 🙂
Robert Peffers,
“They discriminate against no one – not even the, sometimes ungrateful, English retirees who sell up expensive southern homes and buy into Scotland to benefit from the universal benefits the SNP SG have instigated here in Scotland.”
Robert Peffers (18th February “Here comes a surprise”)
“The fact is that a little common sense will show that the immigrants mainly come to find work. Elderly English cadgers excepted, these who sell up expensive city homes for cheaper, or better, Scottish accommodation, free bus passes and the benefits of such as free prescriptions, care at home and cheaper Council Tax. These are often the ones most prone to call scots subsidy junkies.”
Those are your true anti-English views, Robert Peffers.
Contrast them with mine:
“The vast majority of the English living here have their loyalty to England, which I have no problem with.
But it is not fair for Scotland that they are allowed a vote on Scotland’s independence from England.
As I have said before, after independence all would have equal status under a written constitution.”
Excuse me asking – just a bit confused.
Why is there a separate Scottish Tory Manifesto when we are approaching a WM election?
How can these proposals be relevant?
tRuthless Davidson represents the Scottish branch of T May’s WM party. Scottish Conservatives is NOT a separate, Scottish party, like the SNP – it is a branch of a London based party and follows their London based ideas.
This so called Scottish Conservative manifesto should have been brought out for a Holyrood election or possibly for the local council elections but it is meaningless for a WM election isn’t it?
Or am I missing something?
link to bbc.co.uk
Seems to me that most of the proposals concern matters that are devolved and even the BBC points that out in it’s article.
It’s all rubbish, deliberately meant to mislead.
The two areas that are not devolved, Fishing and energy are completely vacuous and NO mention of TRIDENT!!!
Fishing industry
Pledge to support Scotland’s fishermen after leaving the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy
Energy
Support for the shale gas industry in Scotland as part of a “diverse energy mix” which will include more offshore wind projects, but fewer onshore large-scale wind projects
Thanks for that Nana I hope some folks had a wee read of some useful information there
You’re a gem for finding stuff
CameronB Brodie,
“Rock
You’d have know about it if I thought you were mocking the less-fortunate. ?
I’m not meaning to be complacent but the previous indyref managed to enthuse a reasonable level of voter participation, despite the most intense efforts by Better Together to poison the debate. Circumstances will be completely different next time and I think you might be pleasantly surprised by impact of the political realighnment that is underway at present. For example, did you spot the tone of what Ian McWhirter is saying on twitter? Yah beauty”
I wouldn’t trust the likes of Ian McWhirter one bit. He is a total chameleon.
The enthusiasm where it matters was generated more by the RIC and Tommy Sheridan than the official Yes campaign, which don’t forget, disassociated itself from WOS over some true comments exposing the lies of a Tory scum.
In the same way as the “independence supporting” The National called WOS “controversial” today.
Believe me, the circumstances will be no different.
I can guarantee that we will lose again if we waste resources on trying to convert the selfish middle classes, the British nationalist elderly, the thugs and the English instead of the downtrodden folks in the schemes.
The unionists have already moved in there while our armchair pundits here have been stupidly trying to embrace Tories to our cause.
Meg merrilees,
“Excuse me asking – just a bit confused.
Why is there a separate Scottish Tory Manifesto when we are approaching a WM election?”
“It’s all rubbish, deliberately meant to mislead.”
Why do you ask when you know the answer?
That is such a misuse of question time – still, it shows that fear of IndyRef2 is growing by the day…
Why try so hard to keep Scotland tethered to the UK when we’re clearly too wee, too poor, too stupid?…. oh, hang on, it’s because we’re not!
Good luck with any action 😀
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Ruth Davidson is coming across as a little thug. Like a lot of vertically challenged bullies they try to make up for their lack of presence by shouting. She’s all Bluff and bluster, an empty vessel “intoxicated by the exuberance of her own verbosity” Benjamin Disraeli
She should never forget she is only there because of the voters and she’ll have her gas put at a peep by them hopefully sooner rather than later.
Disgusting little woman
Rock
The circumstances are already different – Article 50 has been activated. I’m not suggesting the British state will not bend every rule in the book to keep hold of Scotland. I don’t think the state is in the same position of power over Scotland though. I might well be mistaken.
Anyone else having a problem logging on to twitter accounts. I can’t seem to find the usual ones -Joanna Cherry, Alex Salmond, The National…
They seem to have disappeared, same yesterday too…
Rock
Why do you have to be so abrasive and confrontational?
Robert Peffers,
“There would be a mass exodus of members from the party if the party accepted the UDI preaching of numpties like Rock.”
Quote me one post where I have preaced UDI. If not, I will have to sue you for libel, (you “bloody numptie”, in your favourite words).
Let us see who actually has preached UDI:
Robert Peffers, (14th March “Fury Of The Phantoms”)
“All we need do is to go ahead and do what we wish and let them attempt to stop or prevent our exercise of what, under Scots law, is our legal sovereignty and let them take legal action.”
Rock,
“Another mighty boast from your armchair.
The Scottish parliament and First Minister are bound to operate within their limited non-sovereign powers and that is why they will seek permission from Westminster.
Anything else would be UDI.”
CameronB Brodie,
“Why do you have to be so abrasive and confrontational?”
I am trying to start a cult to rival that of Robert Peffers.
Did you find anything untrue in what I posted?
Not on Facebook or twitter. Separate fundraiser please.
Studying the Tory manifesto it seems that pensioners voting Tory are the equivalent of German Jews voting for the Nazis in the 1930s.
The Daily Mail supported them as well.
Rock as usual has no idea of how to convert those who are not that interested in politics.
Yes we must encourage more disaffected residents to register to vote and get out to vote that means knocking on EVERY door not just those on the electoral roll with the appropriate registration forms.
But to win independence we must also win over the middle classes who have been indoctrinated by the constant drip drip anti SNP bile in the Daily Mail and Daily Express the London TV channels.
The National is not Pravda but the fact that Yoons hide it in all supermarkets proves that it is effective.
I’m not on Twitter either (one day I’ll get round to it) but I think you should do a new fund raiser for the courtroom battle of the year, no decade…the Rev V the Dug. You can pay us all back when you rake in the royalties from the books and the Film. (Who to play you? Well it can’t be you cause you’ll always be bunking off for dentist appointments 🙂 )
If it goes over budget ( the fees, not the film) then draw on the regular fundraiser monies.
Mind you someone said earlier that they were worried it might distract you from your day job (that sounds familiar, haha) of keeping us all informed and also be pretty stressful and we need you strong and concentrated. It may be a good point although I guess you have to now it’s been reported.
Anyway that’s my tuppence worth. Or not.
Thankyou Cameron – I’m trying to ignore Rock – you know, like you do when Midgies are out in the evening…
As Michelle Obama said, “..when they go low, you go higher”
Rock
Cults are goooood. I can’t say for definite if you were being truthful as you were expressing opinion, not stating facts. There certainly wasn’t any evidence provided for analysis of you ‘theory’. I’m not saying you are wrong though and I’m not trying to claim the intellectual high-ground. Simply stating facts.
@Capella says: 19 May, 2017 at 9:43 pm:
“Chinese miners have managed to extract ‘combustible ice’ from the seafloor of the South China Sea, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources.
link to on.rt.com
I believe the problem is not with the extraction of the Methane Hydride nor the usage of it but with the storage of it. I may be wrong as it is rather a long time since I researched the subject and information was rather scant back then.
The stuff is methane that is locked into frozen water, (ice), but was frozen under extreme pressure. The problem being that the ice melts and releases the methane and as it was under extreme pressure it expands rather a lot.
The stuff looks like a bit of ice but if you applying a match to it makes it burn. I would assume there would thus be water as one bi-product.
There is apparently some reserves on the edges of part of the Scottish continental shelf. The Chinese article I came across recently was quite scant in details and I’ve not had a chance to search out more information. However, if there is some in Scots waters our natural engineering and chemistry is sure to see an independent Scotland be right at the cutting edge of a new industry.
Mind you I’m not also so sure that burning alternative fossil fuels is really too bright an idea either.
CameronB Brodie,
“Rock
The circumstances are already different – Article 50 has been activated. I’m not suggesting the British state will not bend every rule in the book to keep hold of Scotland. I don’t think the state is in the same position of power over Scotland though. I might well be mistaken.”
For the sake of Scotland, I would hope you are right and I am mistaken.
But I think the British state is still as strong as it was and will be stronger after the election.
Otherwise, we would be looking at more than 60% Yes support right now.
I think it will be at least another 310 years as a colony before big-mouthed “sovereign” Scots grow a spine.
There is no excuse except self interest and British nationalism left.
All promises given before the last referendum have been broken.
People only don’t know if they deliberately don’t want to know. The internet has changed everything.
It will be an extremely difficult fight and I am very much afraid that we will repeat the mistakes of last time and waste resources on hopeless causes.
I don’t like the idea of the Greens standing in even three seats. They should stand aside completely.
Now is not the time to stand against the SNP by an “independence supporting” party.
Meg merrilees
I wasn’t sure if it was proper etiquette. Glad you approved. 🙂
Greetings from Tasmania
To all WOS friends. I know not living in Scotland I have no right to any say in what happens in dear Scotland but all my hopes are for Scotland finally winning independence as I have done since I was very young living in Scotland. I read Stuart’s blog regularly and have grown very fond of all of you in your fight for independence. The point to remember is that at this moment the fight is really on for Scotland’s future.
God bless you all and I will always be wishing you success from over here in Australia.
Thank you for being so strong Stuart. The future prosperity of Scotland and its people is with people like you fighting for it and hopefully being successful.
I will try and come over and cheer on the outcome of another referendum.
I hope it finally gets through to all in Scotland just how serious the situation is at present and they fight tooth and nail to win.
Very best wishes to all.
Interesting section of BBC timeline of how today’s electioneering went.
Think tRuthless has caused quite a stir by wanting Scottish pensioners to keep the winter fuel allowance.
However T May scuppers her with the last line of this article
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron labelled Scottish Secretary David Mundell “a fourth rate Michael Fish” for suggesting that a colder climate was a factor in a policy difference between the Scottish and UK Conservatives over the winter fuel allowance.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says that if he were “a fifth rate Michael Fish” he would say that in some parts of the west of Scotland it tends to be warmer in winter than in the south east of England.
Iain adds that the striking aspect of this story is that, in effect, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson is appealing to SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon “not to introduce a policy favoured by her own prime minister, Theresa May”.
He tells the BBC News Channel that there has been “quite a bit of incoming attack on the Conservative policy announced yesterday” – both overtly and behind the scenes.
However, Theresa May has argued that it is “not about how cold you are but about how wealthy you are” and well-off pensioners should not receive winter fuel allowance as a universal benefit.
So that’ll be a NO then!
Meg merrilees @ 23:03:
You and me both, Meg. We seem to be heading back into Jim Murphy la-la-land, where proud Scottish initiatives are cheques on the Bank of Vainhope that will never be honoured by the head office in London.
How exactly eg. is this wonderful exemption from means-tested winter fuel payments for the Scots (inconveniently omitted from the main Tory manifesto) going to be achieved? Is this just another of Rude Gal’s expectations to be passively forwarded to the SG for actual implementation? (More an IOU than an actual promise, then.) Or a wheeze to be cynically abandoned as soon as the election is over and the oldie votes are all safely “in the bag” again?
Ruthless is really the one who desperately deserves a humility check. Stand up the first real journalist to deliver it!
Rock
Agreed. Now is not the time for party politics that might undermine the efforts towards independence. I don’t think the Greens are standing against any other indy supporting party, so more power to their arm. Again, I could be mistaken.
Mary Miles
You have every right to express your opinion, though no right to expect it to be respected. 🙂
Thank you and hugs.
CameronB Brodie,
“I’m not saying you are wrong though and I’m not trying to claim the intellectual high-ground. Simply stating facts.”
I know your record here.
Unlike the usual suspects, you don’t hurl insults at anyone who has different views from you.
If you re-read the particular post I had referred to, you will notice that the poster is trying to ask an “innocent” question to which she has already decided on a firm answer!
CameronB Brodie,
“Rock
Agreed. Now is not the time for party politics that might undermine the efforts towards independence. I don’t think the Greens are standing against any other indy supporting party, so more power to their arm. Again, I could be mistaken.”
In this case you are mistaken.
The Greens are standing against the SNP in three constituencies.
Patrick Harvey is going for a high profile campaign in Glasgow North to unseat the SNP MP.
His ego is far bigger than his desire for independence.
Accept a lot of media support for him.
Rock
I think it was perhaps a rhetorical question.
Btw, I have thrown a few insults but cheers.
@Mary Miles says: 19 May, 2017 at 11:51 pm:
“Greetings from Tasmania.”
Thank you for that, Mary. Always nice to know the outside World is watching.
“To all WOS friends. I know not living in Scotland I have no right to any say in what happens in dear Scotland but all my hopes are for Scotland finally winning independence as I have done since I was very young living in Scotland.
Of course you have every right to comment, Mary. After all we put up with some right numpties here on Wings. It is good to know what others think of what is going on. Sometimes it take someone standing not too close to the action to see things we miss. That old saying, “not being able to see the wood for the trees”, sort of thing.
As we say in Scotland, “Come on in and bide a wee”.
Actually Rock, you assumed wrongly!
I was asking a rhetorical question, hoping that it might open a discussion around the points raised.
See for comparison Robert J Sutherland’s reply @ 11.54 – to which my reply is:
Will it have to come out of Barnett consequentials?
I didn’t expect an abrupt rude, one sentence answer that effectively shut down the possibility of any discourse.
So you’ve achieved your objective and I am, in fact, going to bed as I have to work tomorrow and can’t be bothered with petty behaviour.
@Meg merrilees says: 19 May, 2017 at 11:53 pm.:
“However, Theresa May has argued that it is “not about how cold you are but about how wealthy you are” and well-off pensioners should not receive winter fuel allowance as a universal benefit.”
Thing is, Meg, that what all May’s waffle disguises is the simple fact that the truth is the Tory Government has presided over a long period of Tory induced fantasy austerity for the poor while the statistics show the very rich have more than doubled their wealth.
If you stand back a bit and examine those facts the truth can be seen to be that what the Tory Party is calling austerity is actually the transfer of wealth from the pockets and purses of the poor, old and most vulnerable into the off-shore bank accounts of the very rich.
You cannot be suffering, (all in it together), austerity while more than doubling your wealth.
Mary Miles @ 23:51 (BST) / 08:51 (AEST),
And a fine good morning to you, Mary!
Sometimes it feels we here are not only all on our own, we’re also beset by ill-wishers from among us and nearby who are becoming increasingly desperate to prevent us achieving our rightful place in the world. So it’s very refreshing to get some moral support from elsewhere around the globe. It means a lot.
@Robert Peffers
Thanks for the response to my comment. Very interesting.
However, I’ve mixed feelings on whether the Presiding Officer should’ve stopped it or not.
Agreed it was self-indulgent nonsense and a filibuster to try and avoid Labour’s love-in with the Tories being mentioned.
But it was interesting to watch her almost destroy her career and diminish any political respect people may still have had for her. She also appears to have done more damage to her reputation, amongst her peers, than any external critiques could achieve. Maybe she should step down ASAP, as the pressures seem to be too much for her to cope with.
Sinky,
“But to win independence we must also win over the middle classes who have been indoctrinated by the constant drip drip anti SNP bile in the Daily Mail and Daily Express the London TV channels.”
Although it might take another 310 years before we could win over enough of them to tilt the balance in our favour.
For heaven’s sake, the selfish middle classes are smart and stubborn people who don’t need anyone else to convince them.
They act in their own self interest and convince themselves.
Can we really win over readers of the Daily Mail, Daily Express and Scotsman?
In contrast there are lots and lots of downtrodden people who don’t even bother to vote.
They are far more likely to be won over.
That is a proven fact from the last referendum.
While the selfish middle classes in the then “SNP heartlands” voted No in stunning numbers, the less well off voted Yes in Glasgow, Dundee and North Lanarkshire.
If we had spent more time and resources on the people in the schemes, we would have won.
Instead the official Yes campaign was a very middle class affair and it failed quite badly.
It is mainly due to the efforts of the RIC and Tommy Sheridan that we mangaged to reach 45%.