Behind the magic
Posted on
December 20, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We thought you might like a wee glimpse into the machinery.
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20 12 14 14:41
Behind the magic - Speymouth
When I bought his book it was printed and bound by Amazon in Germany!
Good stuff!
I could be Chris Cairns. At least I share his emotions and perspectives on indyref. Just two key differences. It has taken me a lot more than a day to recover and I haven’t any creative talent whatsoever. Chris, I enjoy your cartoons very much. It’s nice to wake up on a Saturday morning to a new cartoon. Look forward to your stuff from the coming year.
Excellent video. Thank you.
That was a really interesting insight. Thanks, Chris. And keep up the good work.
thx for the in-sight
all the best 2015
wow! so powerful chris.
i greeted watching your film, coz of the tremendous loss we all have suffered on the 18/19th, as that result came in.
the ‘coin’ was tossed, many knew before it hit the ground that they had voted no in haste, lets not now repent @ leisure, but correct this error.
most scots now know deep down that there were no winners in our world, only losers, on the 18th.
imho, this is the catalyst/spark that has reinvigorated our campaign for scottish social justice and democracy.
we have managed to capture, consolidate and polish to a sparkle the astonishing preref yes alliance political energy, dig deep, and now we run with it.
our heads held high in defiance of all that is now being thrown @ us to block our path to freedom.
Wonderful.
And a well-deserved festive break when it comes to Chris, Greg, Stu and all who’ve made Wings such a great place.
You are a very talented man for sure. You draw all sorts of emotions from me with one picture. Fun, anger, determination, pathos,sadness. Love your work
The wonderfully sad candle drawing reminded me of this one link to debatunisie.com when the Tunisian revolution started with the young guy setting himself on fire. Same impact.
I really enjoyed watching that. Great insight into an amazing talent.
Great wee video, and thank you Chris. Lovely to view the personality behind the talent, keep up the good work. This has really cheered me up after weeks of BBC and Murphy. Onwards and Upwards everyone, remember ours is the righteous cause
I remember saying the candle one should have had a wee Hamish standing at the side with a box of matches in his hand, and Chris said, now she tells me!
Chris, yir a talented, talented man! Two questions, on average, how long does a cartoon take to draw and do you sell prints?
Regards,
I would just like to echo the thoughts expressed by others. I really enjoyed the “conversation” / “thoughts” every bit as much as I have the cartoons. In fact I now have a better understanding of the passion being put into the art – thank you!
O/T
link to newsnetscotland.scot
From someone with not one iota of artistic ability, I found this glimpse into Chris` work absolutely fascinating.
A very talented guy.
Thanks for all you have done so far, Chris. I raise a glass to you and hope you have a very merry Christmas and a thought provokingly brilliant new year.
I really enjoyed that Chris. Very well done!
When the history of IndyRef is written it ought to contain lots of your drawings,
otherwise it will likely be incomplete.
Then again, your own book of Indy cartoons might just be sufficient by themselves.
lots of likes and smiley faces
Wonderful Chris.
Saturdays and your toons on Wings start most of us off with a smile. You are a credit to the YES movement. so often in perfect tune with us. Catching the mood perfectly. you also echo the feelings of all of us after the 19th. No giving up, on to the next battle. A lift for all of us.
I have so many of your cartoons as screensavers and any visitors usually have a wee comment or two to say. But it’s always with a smile.
Amazing talent. More please sir.
Chris
What a brilliant, wonderful & heartening film and what a wonderful talent you have. Just pleased that you are on the right side
Happy Christmas to you & yours.
Chris, even my No voting wife liked the ‘Here’s your new sweeping powers’ recent one. Mind you that’s because she doesn’t think Holyrood needs any new powers. That the ones they have are often incoherent doesn’t bother her one bit. A crippled parliament is fine by her.
Anither wee tear in ma ee efter that, in a year of tears.
Thanks for all the hard work Chris.
Hope nobody minds this re-post of a wee ditty I posted on the 19th. Probably not to everyone’s taste, but hopefully you’ll get the message. Keep on keeping on folks.
The Volunteered Slaves – Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough
link to youtube.com
Brilliant.
Very honoured to have watched this.
Every now and again I am reassured that we are not too stupid.
This is one of those times.
good watch from 07:45
link to bbc.co.uk
We have all enjoyed your work Chris, well done.
Talking of Great Talent – which is in abundance on the yes side
Wee Ginger Dug could do with some support to get into the National
link to change.org
Sadly it looks like the National have been a bit reluctant at giving those who have inspired us all through the referendum a place in their paper
So please sign – we have the right to a say in “The National” – They may wish to make money, we wish to make history
Hero
Excellent – I’ve really enjoyed your work Chris, thanks.
Chris, can we use one of your cartoons for the next edition of “Scottish Workers Republic”, coming out soon? The one with the wheels off?
donald.scotrepublic@ntlworld.com
Great wee video.
Always interesting to see how all the great masters work.
I’ve always enjoyed Chris’s cartoons and as he says in the video he DOES capture the mood perfectly, well in my village idiot experience anyway.
Thank you Chris for all your hard work to keep us all buoyed up during THAT period. I look forward with great anticipation to what you produce in 2015. (Hope that doesn’t put too much pressure on you Chris.
)
It’s comin’
Thanks for all the days of weeping & laughing, Chris. Just inspirational.
Fascinating to watch. Used to run a copy off to use on our Aberdeen Yes stall each weekend. Very useful for engaging those who didn’t have the Internet or who hadn’t till then been aware of WoS.
Many thanks Chris, and all the very best for 2015!
Brilliant video! Thank you for your work Chris
Thanks Chris for all you work and inspiration. Great insight into your process.
In relation to your candle on the 19th it actually did capture the emotional moment of realisation that many of us felt; it was honouring and acknowledging the depth of our sorrow. We needed that acknowledgement then. The symbolism of the candle, for me…was that it can be relit, temporary darkness…and we moved on knowing 1.6 million candles cannot be extinguished, an idea cannot be snuffed out.
Thanks again
Chris, thanks for the insight and your input over the last couple of years. There are a great many talented people that support Independence of which you are undoubtedly one.
It’s hard to make the “nasty cybernats” stick when we have so many thoughtful and creative people on our side. Respect.
Excellent video on so many levels. Chris, you stepped up at the right time to illustrate and interpret the movement and its reaction to the events unfolding daily.
You fulfilled the role completely, with iconic images which will help future generations to understand the road to freedom.
Your insights were wonderful for the non-artists amongst us and the congruence of your personality with your art were agreeably at one. Keep up the good work!
It is stunning satire. So from clever satire that makes you thjnk about Scotland, to hard core Britishness and all their hypocrisy, elitism, greed, red tory boys say be a Britnat or else thuggery such as link to wingsoverscotland.com
That was a fabulous glimpse behind the scenes .. and will make me appreciate your cartoons even the more.
All that lovely hatching and you go and colour over it. You are as bad as Rowlandson’s prints for Tegg!
Really enjoyed watching that!
Chris’s work is clever, perceptive and provokes thought … Not like the crude and nasty BritNat toons which so often appear in the MSM.
My thanks to all for your kind words. *Big riddy*
My thanks also to Alan McMaster of Phantom Films whose idea this was. He cut out all my best lines, made me look ancient and dubbed on the voice of a moronic Glaswegian (I’m actually from Surrey) but apart from that it was fine.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Behind the Magic – a magician!
I really am surprised that The National hasn’t picked up Chris’s cartoons.
OK, the have Gregg Moody but that is a more avant guarde style whilst Chris’s work is classic and more easily thought provoking.
Both our draughtsmen deserve to be seen far and wide
The couterpoint to the snuffed candle was Hamish with the lit match, I didn’t see him and was inordinately sad.
A brilliant artist and proud son of Scotland without doubt. A great insight into how Craig brings it together. An amazing talent. Most enjoyable to watch him on video.
Sorry Chris, it’s me with the big ‘riddy’ I’ve embarrassed myself misnaming you.
Really enjoyed watching and listening to you Chris, well done and I wish you and yours a merry xmas and happy new year
Thank you for that.An absolute joy to watch.Thank you all commentators who have kept me informed and hopeful. Cheers an a’ the best for 2015
Great work Chris and a merry Christmas to you too.
Looking forward to more of those gags in the coming months.
i cannot get over how much the labour party hate freedom.
they fought a vicious campaign against freedom joined @ the hip with the tories and now they claim they want to protect us from the tories.
Lovely video Chris and your story revealed your sadness. How right you are though, 1.6 million of us are not going away. Like you I believe we will be an independent country. In the meantime we need to stand united in the face of GE2015.
Thanks Rev, for uploading this, it was most enjoyable to watch, and thanks to Chris for all his wonderful, and satirical art work, I’ve loved them all.
Merry Xmas, Chris.
Thanks Chris for all the great cartoons. Just keep them coming!
Have a happy Christmas and more cartoons in 2015? Please.
What I love about Chris is that he draws with his pen the essential meaning of events he so perceptively grasps with his mind, while at the same time, he flavours everything with brilliant wit and humour, presenting us as on a plate, the distilled essence and significance of what has passed.
Ladies and gentlemen, the guy is a genius.
With very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
And lang may yir pen creak.
The video is excellent. Really enjoyed listening to and watching Chris at work.
That Chris Cairns is a hell of a guy.
excellent work there mate
Thanks I enjoyed that.
Keep up the good work, Chris.
Merry Christmas Chris.
Thanks for all the fun and looking forward to more in the New Year.
It IS comin’ yet for a’ that.
Agree with so many on here, your work is amazing Chris.
O/T rumour has it that the saviour of the union is off stateside…
Been away for a while, did I miss your book?
@Donald Anderson – sorry just spotted your question in amongst all the gushing (pull yourselves together folks!).
Indeed – use away.
Chris Cairns says:
20 December, 2014 at 8:12 pm
@Donald Anderson – sorry just spotted your question in amongst all the gushing (pull yourselves together folks!).
Indeed – use away.
Tanks. Sorry aboot the Surrey with the fringe on top.
Absolutely fantastic, keeps me mindful of the efforts put in by so many for Scotland.
Brilliant. Looking forward to 2015 and more fun with the pen and ink
Really enjoyed seeing how you work. Also really empathised with your thoughts on things. Keep on inspiring.
Picasso eat your heart out.
Picasso eat your heart out.
I really enjoyed that video. And the cartoons are fantastic. Thanks.
Chris
Thanks.
And a wee contrabution from our other artistic creator Jock Scot.
youtu.be/T0P7-t2k2vY
There is an intelligence, wit and subtlety to Chris’ work that really shone during the indyref and since. I happily bought Greg Moodie’s book and would buy a compilation of Chris’ work if such a thing was available.
His work deserves the widest possible audience so of course he should be in the National along with Greg. Rather than compete I enjoyed how their styles differed. What great contributions.
Wee Hamish turning into the corner was my favourite, for anyone reading this who is unfamiliar, please check it out: link to wingsoverscotland.com
Thanks Chris – keep up the great work.
@ronnie – Excellent stuff again again from Yew Choob, big thanks to Jock, Ninja and all at Yew Choob for all they done in 2014 personal highlight was BBC Blah Blah at PQ. Merry xmas and happy new year to Yew Choob and look forward to 2015 and taking the red tories out one by one.. tick tock…
Thank you, Chris. Really enjoyed the reflections you shared in the video. Your work really captured the Zeitgeist of our campaign. I was particularly moved by your reflection on the result of 19th September….I dearly hope we can see your alternative at some point in the not too distant future!
ronnie huggie lovely man mwah mwah – you too Tam.
From an oil rig in the middle of the stormy North Sea, a merry xmas to all Wingers. I am out here for xmas and New Year but I am still spreading the word of Wings and Independence.
Ronnie Anderson and Co, be good.
By the way, there is “hunners” of oil out here, don’t worry about that.
Media scare stories, AGAIN.
O/T
New Yew Choob piece for Christmas (posted today)
link to youtube.com
@ Croomperstein Yew Choob are like Glesga busses they’s anither wan on its way this week.
Interesting to see how much work goes into the cartoon. I usually have to look twice as there is always something I miss.
@ cazman You have no a place to be at this time of year but I,m sure all the Wingers wish You & the Boys on the rig a very Merry Christmas & a Gid New Year, take care see You in the new year.
@ Paula Rose big huggs tae you an a Very Merry Jingle Bells.
Sunday Herald front page:
link to twitter.com
Enjoyable insight.
Thanks Chris for your thought-provoking humour
Caz-m
Take care of yersel on the rig and keep spreading the word with the other north Sea tigers. I can’t imagine any of them disagreeing with you.
And enjoy Christmas when it comes Caz, Ronnie, Paula and everyone else x
OT: reminder
Scotland’s Talk in ask Jim at 11.am.
I really enjoyed this video and getting to hear from the man himself. What a fascinating insight to the thoughts and art of a passionate advocate of independence. Thanks for your words and images which leave indelible marks in our minds.
As someone mentioned earlier, this is halftime in our march to independence. Merry Christmas Chris, rest up and get ready for the second half, extra time and penalties. Your work will continue to inspire us and keep our spirits high.
O/T,
“Scotland’s top prosecutor says there is no evidence to suggest Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is innocent.”
What do you make of that Morag?
Still need more evidence to prove that the Scottish justice system is rotten to the core and the vast majority of lawyers are the lowest of the low?
To all The WINGERS Old and New
and to the Lurkers whoever you may be
and wherever you come from overland
or over seas.
Lets all work together to make THIS OUR LAND
THE LAND OF THE FREE.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WINGERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THANKS REV STUART AND YOUR LITTLE ELPERS FOR BRINGING A WONDERFUL CROWD OF PEOPLE TOGETHER MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU.
Lollysmum 10:17pm
Thanks for the link to the latest Yew Choob video. Another great talent to have on our side.
Marcia- thanks for the Sunday Herald links,even when your on holiday! Good to see Murphy’s name plastered high on the page, that will be a real stick out on the news stands tomorrow. He really is divisive man, tick tock SLAB.
Brilliant Chris, what a talent, well done. Merry Christmas, Chris. Where’s the book available?
Merry Christmas and a happy New Independent Year. You deserve a medal.
Thanks our hero Stu and our local heroes Alex and Co. Let’s get going on the Campaign trail again. Welcome to another New Year to vote out the Unionst politician. The beginning of the end. The Prize. 7/5/15. A significant date.
No no no…Yes
Your welcome.
So cool.
Great to hear the humanity of the man.
@Rock –
“Scotland’s top prosecutor says there is no evidence to suggest Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is innocent.”
Saw a bit on EBC news as it is 21st Dec. I hope and pray that Jim Swire will get some answers as he has fought so hard for justice for Flora and Al Megrahi
Incredible…but Chris
You’re gonna need a BIGGER wall!
Happy Christmas to all when it comes, just like Indy. ;-D
Great work Chris
link to youtube.com
Did I ever say the Scottish criminal justice system wasn’t rotten to the core? I only pointed out that declaring “the vast majority of lawyers” to be corrupt was way overegging the cake. Save the invective for the Crown Office.
John Ashton tells me he has a piece in the Sunday Herald countering the Linklater article. Shockingly biassed and self-serving behaviour by Mulholland. Blatant assertion of falsehoods as preemptive strike, all obediently channeled by Linklater.
Anyway, read Bob Black’s blog and the Sunday Herald when it comes out.
Sorry for going O/T but there is a wee poll running about something called a Scottish referendum
Some folks might like to put their tuppence worth in. 
link to puknews.co.uk
@Lesley-Anne – We are awake Lesley-Anne that’s the thing they can’t quite understand, we are going to get there. I put my tuppence worth in
Chris Cairns is a class act. That JB is one scary Santa.
On Megrahi ” no evidence of innocence ” – that’s an intersting approach to justifying a miscarriage of justice.
Morag says
“Shockingly biased and self-serving behaviour by Mulholland. Blatant assertion of falsehoods as preemptive strike, all obediently channeled by Linklater.”
Ha, laughingly Mulholland states Megrahi proved himself to be guilty by withdrawing his appeal,
Does he think we’re ALL Daily Record readers?
He was clearly told to withdraw the appeal on condition of his early release you fucking buffoon,
Oh what am I saying, you knew that DIDN’T YOU?
don’t treat us as if we’re all stupid Mulholland!
Mr Cairns,
I won’t ever forget what you did for me and my family over the past year.Our campaign goes on.My heartfelt thanks to you.
Rev Stu,
You must be chuffed to bits to have this on your site.Its an outstanding piece.Mr Cairns has a lot more about him than a knack with a pencil.More of this sort of thing,please.Oh,by the way,your role as a facilitator does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Lesley-Anne @ 1.21am
I hope you noticed the other poll at the side L/A
“Who is you PUK Politician of the Year?”
Have a wild swipe at who tops the poll(by a huge margin)?
Yes indeed
Alex Salmond takes 57% of the vote @ 6,879
out of a list of 10 candidates
and the number of respondents 12.078
Gaun yersel Alex
Lollysmum: at 10:17 pm
Thanks for the link. The vid was an eye opener but the one line that stood out for me was:
The rich and powerful piss on us and the media tells us it’s raining.
.
Jock ,Penguin, Janet
I just listened to the Christmas offering.
You have reminded us why we are here,
All of you at You Choob merry Christmas,
WE LOVE YOU ALL!
I have known Frank Mullholland all of 35 years and bought my first pair of screw in football boots off him.Some of the comments I read on here bear no relation to the man I know who is fair minded ,decent and honest.Bye the way the boots were too tight but I was desperate for my first pair of screw ins.
Chris and Stu, you make us laugh, you make us cry, you make us think and question. But above all you give us hope. Merry Xmas to both of you and my fellow Wingers as well as all you lurkers reading this! Have a good rest over the festive season because you’re going to need it – there’s a GE to win in May!
Megrahi didn’t do it. It was. A Blair Unionist show trial where the evidence was faked. It was nothing but the Scottish justice system which was supposed to be separate for ever under the terms of the Act of Union being subverted to suit the Westminster war illegal war machine. The Westminster illegal war machine is still operating to subvert the wishes of the majority of people in Scotland/Britain. Trident and illegal wars. Westminster foreign/attack policies have Destablised the world. UK/US France policies in the Middle East and causing poverty and mass migration.Then the evil politicians who line their pockets on misery blame the poor immigrants. The twisted, evil corrupt politicians are causing the migration poliicies and then blaming the poor immigrants. Trade and give aid do not (illegally) invade.Corrupt politicians are secretly funding and Supporting ‘terrorism’ as a form of control to illegally surveil the world and illegal cover up
justice.
Megrahi was innocent, the evidence was falsified and the Scottish justice system was Illegally subverted by Unionists. Mulholland (Unionist?) heads the cover up because Westminster refuses to release the relevant documents which would provide the truth. More secrecy and lies
by Westminster politicians to cover up illegal abuse to protect criminal politicians in Westminster.
Scotland is still paying the Bill for Trident and illegal wars. Refugees are still fleeing the Middle
East. 2.5million from Syria. The US, UK and France funded and supported ISIS to cause more
misery. The millions of people who have been illegally killed in the Middle East by UK,US and
France for no reason but support for the illegal apartheid State of Israel (7 million people) and Oil.
The UN funded and controlled by the US/UK has blood on it’s hands. To make corrupt, greedy politician even wealthier while they starve and kill innocent people. The State of the world and the Union. The Westminster used the Megrahi affair in it’s devious dealing with Libya. Libya wanted to come out of the cold and embrace the West. Gadaffi only handed Megrahi over because he knew he was innocent and thought Megrahi would be found ‘guilty’. Not that evidence would be falsified. Megrahi was the paid patsy to cover up the duplicity and lies of the Britush State The ‘evidence’ was nonsense. The shirt was a boy’s shirt nit purchased in Malta, the main witness was bribed with £Millions. There were illegal written additions to the falsified evidence. The proof is there being cover up by the ‘ Official Secrets Act’.
If Scotland was Independent none of this would be happening. Scottish soldiers would no be being used as cannon fodder but only be used to protect Scotland, not corruption at Westminster and the illegal, secret misappropriation of Scottish revenues.
Britain has taken 90 refugees from Syria. Germany has taken in 40% of Syrian refugees. The refugees are migrating all across Europe. The US, UK and EU Politicans are causing the desperate situation by their illegal policies against International Law. Unionist politicians are duplious, greedy corrupt liars, who cause misery in the world.
Brown/Blair and Bush should be on trial at the Hague, for fraudulently breaking International Law.
Where is the Chilcott Verdict? Five years later, being covered up by the evil, warmongering crooks at Westminster. Dr No.
I was also prepared to believe Frank Mulholland was a straight player Kevin, and we cant know what sort of pressure he is under from those on high, but what we do know is what he said and it was ridiculous to say the least,
No one will be given early release for humanitarian reasons if they have a pending appeal, so Megrahi ends his appeal at the request of Kenny McCaskill who then uses his prerogative as justice secretary to release him ,somehow Frank Mulholland sees this as an admission of guilt?
He then states ala Daily Record reader as opposed to the Lord Advocate, “there is no evidence to show he is innocent” that was an unbelievable comment to come from one in his position.
The Sunday Herald means well – but not a good idea to highlight your oppositions name on a front page methinks
What are Mullhollabd politics? Part of the Unionist establishment, cover up? The Legal eagles can’t get enough at the massive cost to the State. Cold, hungry, malnourished people get sick and commit ‘crime’.
The Sheridan Trial cost £5Million. Blair/Unionist show trial. The Scottish police putting innocent people in cells and detaining them for no reason. 71 year olds for saying ‘tink”. 71 year old women for having a private argument about a TV programme. Costing the criminal justice system £Millions. The Police illegally detaining innocent people. Helicopters falling from the Sky at £10,000 an hour.
Mulholland should get his Act sorted out to have any credibility.
Selling too tight boots. Illegal under the trade description Act. Selling unsuitable goods. Get the Polis. Money back? Kerr Ching and Kerr Ching & Associates.
Gaddafi wanted to come in from the cold (illegal Western sanctions) Blair and associates wanted to make themselves wealthy on Oil revenues even if they stole it. Gaddafi handed Megrahi over because he thought he would be found not guilty because he didn’t do it. Megrahi was the paid ‘patsy’. Blair and Associates falsified the evidence for their own purposes. They could get extremely wealthy on fake ‘terrorist’ stories and fake evidence, as an (illegal) means of control to gain support for their devious actions. Actions which are still being covered up by the ‘Official’? Secrets Act, to control the Press and Media, and subvert the Truth. Blair used fabricated evidence, and knew it, to start the Illegal Iraqi War because Saddam complained about the illegal acts of ‘Israel’. Blair and associates got extremely wealthy from (secretly) stolen Oil revenues.
All because Gaddafi and others complained about the illegal criminal actions against International Law of ‘Israel’. Western politicians gain extreme wealth by supporting the illegal actions of Israel.
Blair/Brown, Bush and their associates are the biggest International criminals of them all. If there was any justice they would be in jail. Britain, France and the US have been meddling disastrously in the Middle East the last 100 years, causing misery, poverty and death. Secrecy, lies and cover up. Greed and corruption.
He can hardly be held guilty I said they fitted as a desperate 10 year old wishing to have a pair ,and I can assure you he isn’t a unionist
Labour woman on crossfire is unbelievable. Claims (unchallenged) No won the referendum 2 to 1 amidst a rant criticising Alex Salmond, and before bringing up the usual ‘the snp voted the tories in’ drivel.
Where do they get these cretins? And why are they listened to with reverence instead of the object of ridicule.
Honestly – I’m about to sit down with my toast and this kind of rubbish really gets me angry. Two to one? Why not three to one? Or fifteen to one? If you count all the folk who stayed at home as endorsing a no vote you could just as rationally count them on the Yes side though neither is right.
Kevin Meina says
” said they fitted as a desperate 10 year old wishing to have a pair ”
Count yourself lucky Kevin some people NEVER get a pair,
just look a Henry McCleish.
If Megahi had continued his appeal, he could have been dead before he was released. He gave up his appeal to spend his dying days at home. It was a compassionate release, under Scottish Law, If Megrahi had continued his appeal he would have still had to detained in Scotland. It was the time factor. He wanted to die at home with his family. He had only been given a few months to live. He would have to give the up appeal to get home to die with his family. An appeal could have taken years. He could/would have been found innocent, after he was dead. The evidence he was innocent was still kept secret (still is) by a Westminster Official ‘secrets Act. Westminster still will not release the full evidence. Citing protection of ‘national security’. Ie Protecting the illegal actions of the crooks at Westminster.
There is nothing Mullholland (part of the Unionist establishment?) or the Scottish Gov can do because the Westminster Gov refuses to release the full evidence of the Trial. A judge lead trial. Set up by Blair the devious lawyer. Judges are bound by the ‘Official’ Secrets Act. The Unionists kept part of the trial secret, to cover up their illegal actions and still do. Mulholland just keeps colluding in the cover up because that is all he can do to keep his position. Either that or resign
and speak out which would serve no purpose because Westminster will still not release vital evidence and just keep the facts covered up for 30+ years or hope they will be lost or destroyed.
Blair, the devious lawyer made sure it was a Judge led trial ‘because it was important for national security’. When really it was to cover up Blair’s illegal actions. If it had been jury led Megrahi would have been found innocent and the evidence would have been exposed as false. I.e made public or leaked.
Jock, Janet, Ninja Penguin
Yew Choob vid is yet another triumph… Thanks for giving us all so much over the year. You remind us of our purpose. Thank you.
Libya was supposed to have had one of the most fair and equal political systems in the world. A down up consultant system. Similar to the ‘sans culottes’ (French) committee systemwebere decisions are taken at a local level and passed up to be implemented, Scottish Clan system.
How does the presumption of innocence untill proved guilty fit with
“Scotland’s top prosecutor says there is no evidence to suggest Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is innocent.” ?
This is an insult to all of us.
But Scots law is inferior to English law. Keep them Jocks in their place!
Tam: this kind of rubbish really gets me angry
Part of the England was born to rule Scots theme.
Marr ensured his editor fashioned a snippet of propaganda when he had Salmond say the Referendum was a ‘once in a lifetime’ event.
Two things here:
1. Asked that question Salmond always went on to say (and this is the bit edited out) that that was his personal opinion, NOT the SNPs, and (on a few occasions) not the people of Scotland’s view.
2. What do interviewers expect a politician to say -‘If you are wavering vote No because there will be lots of referenda to vote Yes in coming years’?
Get a grip!
The BBC marches on, stamping on democracy wherever, and whenever, it rears it ugly head.
Loved the video Chris and many thanks for the great cartoons through the year. So encouraging to have talent on the side of the angels.
Onward and upward it is. Merry Christmas to you.
@Ken500
The GSPLAJ.
We made up badges “I’ve been GSPLAJed” whilst we were in Mersa al Brega.
If anyone is interested in the “Jamahirya” the link is
link to mathaba.net
You can still access the “Green Book” there and be really confused.
@Tam Jardine
That labour woman was no less than Helen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke.
I too heard that unchallenged “No won 2 to 1” le she spouted.
What is it with the british establishment that once someone has a title they are then allowed to lie unchallenged?
And BTW only 313 people have signed the petition to get Paul Kavanagh (Wee Ginger Dug) writing a column uin the National. Where are you all Wings readers?
link to change.org
Many plausible theories exist regarding Lockerbie.
Most would accept that it was a revenge attack for Iran Air
Flight 655 shot down by the United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes.
Very few people accept the current “official” story.
I don’t want to open the whole debate again but does anyone really think Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was anything other than a political fall guy?
I think most people would agree that the “trial” was a shameful reflection on Scottish justice.
We may different views on what did happen but I believe very few who have looked into this issue accept the official version of events or believe that a fair trial took place.
@X_Sticks
Couldn’t agree more. Signed on the first day.
We need to see our talent get some more mainstream visibility for all the best reasons. Our meeja needs a shot in the arm and seeing the Likes of Paul raise a smile or deflate a bloated ego in a daily column would be just the ticket.
@x sticks.
Petition for Paul duly signed, I’ve been out of circulation a wee bit recently.
Re the good baroness of Coatdyke.
In the sixties (yes I remember bits of them well)there was a couple of local gangs in Coatbridge, one of them being from Coatdyke – that’s the border between Airdrie and Coatbridge. I used to have to negotiate their patch when going from my girlfriends house in Airdrie to my home in old monkland after I had invariably missed the last bus. Anyhoo, their battlecry was “DYKES”.
Sometimes I couldn’t run fast enough for laughing as they pursued me shouting it at the top of their voices. I don’t know if the good baroness was a member.
re Megrahi
Which country dopes the USA need quietly on their side today?
Iran?
Which country probably caused the shouting down of PanAm 104?
Iran?
Pre-emptive strike against Megrahi from people way up the food chain from Mulholland.
Did the SNP do a wee quid pro quo over Mulholland’s intervention?
I wonder?
The lying devious Unionist Press are at it again. What a bunch of ignorant low life’s. Twisted words. Forked Tongue.
Mulholland is correct technically. ‘There is no evidence to suggest Megrahi is innocent’. Legal double speak. There is no full evidence to suggest Megahi is innocent because Westminster is keeping it secret. To protect corrupt, greedy, lying Westminster politicians. Westminster will not release the evidence so the Scottish Gov can hold an Inquiry. Westminster will not hold an Inquiry or represses and contain any Inquiry, so that the truth does come out. Fraudulently using the ‘Official’ Secrets Act to so the truth does not come out. To protect the lying, corrupt, murdering, greedy, crooked UnionistvWestminster politicians. They hope to surpressed the facts until they are dead so they are not held to account and get away with murder.
The Scottish Gov hands are tied, as usual, by Westminster Governance and lies. The Unionist Press and Westminster politicians maliciously try to discredit the honourable Scottish Gov.
Where is the Chilcott Verdict 5 years later.
Gerry
I am almost certain it was she who became the Baroness who was perpetually skelly-eyed snogging with her boyfriend in the Union bar or the wee study room beyond it on the LHS at Strathclyde.
Ask your brother Jim, he would know.
Something caught my attention a little late to the party:
In your informative video, Chris, you talk of using cross hatching. With respect, I’m not convinced it adds anything.
Unless used in an innovative way, cross-hatching seems to me a little old-fashioned, too much detail, particularly in the craft of creating cartoons. The simpler the image, visually clean, the greater the impact, surely?
For example, there’s a lot of cross hatching in the image of Sturgeon’s legs under her desk clad with tartan shoes, the image most talk of and enjoy.
Alas, the response from a good few women I know was instant – the image is demeaning. (I offer this news in good faith but expect derison in return.) Personally, I find the shoes memorable enough, but a number of women I know and respect think the image misogynistic. Their view? It isn’t her femininity that matters, its her political skill that counts.
‘Just saying, like’ as they append on posts.
That aside, Chris, more power to your pencil. I admire your stance and contribution to the cause.
Grouse Beater
For once, the Mail on Sunday says something sensible, courtesy Peter Hitchens:
link to archive.today
“Forget evil Putin, we are the bloodthirsty warmongers”
The grim reality of the warmongering must be beginning to dawn.
Needless to say, some comments accuse Hitchens of swallowing RT propaganda!
@Gerry
Thanks Gerry, and I just picked up your email regarding the saving Castle Toward for the local community:
“Got this from a Dunoon winger (Dave Mc Ewan Hill.) I know some of you may have reservations about 38 Degrees( I certainly have) but I thought this petition was important.”
Signed the petition.
You can get more info about this here:
link to savecastletoward.com
And the petition here:
link to you.38degrees.org.uk
As any good Lawyer knows ,never ask a leading question unless you can prempt the answer.
What has propmted Mullholland to bring this Al Magrahi case to the fore again.
Nobody will ever know the truth of the case until the Westminster Gov release the secret papers.
The trial from my opinion was a Show Trial.Scots Law being applied external to Scottish Borders.
X-sticks
Petition signed. Re crossfire, I knew it would be someone like Liddle – just couldn’t be arsed finding out. I blame her for the failure of my first batch of macarons this morning, so riled she left me.
Honestly, is there no respite in the struggle of the working proletarian in his fight against oppression?
My next batch won’t fail – I will u simply channel my anger.
Baroness Liddle of Coatdyke. A product of Labour (Scottish branch), the EBC and the WESTMINSTER establishment. Good advert for good mining stock gone bad, and loves every minute of it aye helen jumped the dyke with a load of others. Foukes, Dr. Ried, Murphy, Davidson et Al.
They are from the working class, for the working class, if you believe that pigs can fly.
I can’t for the life of me see how the cartoon of the FMs shoes, legs is misogynist! It does a dis service to all the work of people working against real misogyny.
I speak as someone who knows.
I think we should remember why Lockerbie has come to the fore again today. At three minutes past seven this evening it will be exactly 26 years since the bomb exploded in the luggage hold of Pan Am 103, killing all 259 people on board and another 11 on the ground in Lockerbie. I wore my Lockerbie memorial brooch to church this morning, indeed I’m wearing it now.
Frank Mulholland is simply wrong. Evidence does exist to prove that Megrahi was innocent of the crime he was convicted of. The evidence was there within the Crown productions all along, just not properly analysed by the forensic scientists. Mulholland knows all about this, and I’m not going to presume to guess why he is telling lies in public, aided and abetted by Magnus Linklater and the Times of London.
I’m not going to write anything more here, partly because I spent most of last year writing a huge amount about it and partly because John Ashton has done the job very nicely.
link to megrahiyouaremyjury.net
He even puts in a plug for my book, bless him. For a succinct explanation of the most compelling evidence showing that the crime occurred in the afternoon in London, not in the morning on Malta, see my article in the current issue of iScot magazine (go to page 11).
link to acnmedia.uberflip.com
See also this blog post which Aamer Anwar has just tweeted.
link to glasgow-lawyer.com
The Scottish legal establishment (a subservient establishment to the british establishment) is desperately try to hide its embarrassment over the way it was either coerced or deceived in the trial of the innocent Megrahi.
They can deny only so long, but the truth will eventually come out. I think they would be better owning up now rather than wait until the inevitable day.
Their day of shame will ultimately have to be faced. I doubt there will be any sympathy when that day comes. The rest of us can see the truth, but our ‘justice’ system can’t. Says it all really.
That was a great video, thoroughly enjoyed listening to Chris there.
The detonator was in tack after the crash. It was an impossibility. Tests were done were proved that was impossible. It was planted.
The detonator wasn’t found. What was found was a very small fragment of printed circuit board that appeared to have come from a countdown timer. That was crucial in turning the investigation towards Libya as the probable culprits. It wasn’t imposssible it could have survived the explosion, but tests showed that the composition of the metallic coating on the circuitry was different from that of the timers sold to Libya.
That’s the main reason for believing it was faked. That, and the fact that a countdown timer simply doesn’t belong in any story where that plane blew apart as early as 7 o’clock, given that it was on time when it left Heathrow.
The Crown prosecution knew that the composition of the fragment found at Lockerbie was different from the Libyan timers, but they managed to conceal that at the original trial. Nice.
The cross-hatching is all important and vital.
Season’s greetings and mega thanks to the whole community for your love and support..esp Paula with the loving and stroking..To the rest of you, especially those I have met personally a great New Year from Ninja/Janet/Nod/the Cat/John and myself. x
Croompenstein,
“I hope and pray that Jim Swire will get some answers as he has fought so hard for justice for Flora and Al Megrahi”
He will – after he has been dead for 100 years.
Justice for the ‘plebs’ is not an aim of the Scottish justice system.
Morag,
Did I ever say the Scottish criminal justice system wasn’t rotten to the core?
We are totally agreed on that then part, although in my view the entire justice system is rotten to the core.
How can we possibly have an utter liar as Scotland’s top prosecutor?
I am waiting for one Scottish lawyer to openly and unambiguosly challenge him, but I won’t be holding my breath.
Oh, I thought I’d sent a link to the Aljazeera programme previously (which I am sure you are aware of Morag) but I must have forgotten to hit the send button.
link to youtube.com
Frank Mulholland – whatever prompted him to make such an officially ‘true’ but actually meaningless and cynically deceptive statement would have been better keeping his gob shut tight.
As has been said earlier – whatever happened to the notion that ‘you are innocent until proven guilty’.
Scottish justice should be hanging its head in dire shame for the way it proceeded the Camp Zeist trial and now Mulholland has topped it off by endorsing it. Why?
@Barontorc
“Why?”
For the same reasons as Jack Straw has blocked the release of Westminster documents relating to the case?
It’s an full establishment cover up to hide the state (American and british) collusion to convict an innocent man to further their global interests.
It is yet another thing that would have blown up in their faces had Scotland voted for independence. Now they think they can continue to keep it secret.
Rock’s right in that the Crown Office want to keep kicking this down the road so that when it does blow up, it’ll be someone else’s face it blows up in. If they can do it indefinitely so that it’s never resolved before it’s about as pressing a question as who murdered the princes in the tower, they’ll be happy.
But they’re not invincible. They are subject to the rule of law and there’s only so far they can bend it.
Chic, that video is the second in a series of three. I’m actually in the third one, but sadly the producer who worked on my segment died (exactly a year ago, very sad) and the suitcase evidence wasn’t well presented in the finished article.
I wish they’d back off on the conspiracy theorising for a bit and concentrate on the hard evidence that Megrahi didn’t do it. He didn’t buy the clothes, and he was 1000 miles away when the bomb was put in the baggage container in London. That kills the Crown case without any need to postulate complicated conspiracies.
The conspiracies come later, when you start to look at how it could possibly all have gone so catastrophically wrong. They’re not necessary to prove a miscarriage of justice. The problem is that when journalists put the conspiracies in the shop window, it’s all too easy to dismiss the entire thing.
Barontorc, of course their position is that Megrahi has been proved guilty. Mulholland’s statement isn’t true though. The analysis of the positions of the damaged suitcases proves that the bomb was introduced at Heathrow, which proves Megrahi’s innocence. Mulholland seems merely to be hoping that if he pretends that evidence isn’t there, it will go away.
It’s difficult to reconcile the account of Mulholland as a nice guy selling a lad a pair of football boots, with the appalling conduct of the present Lord Advocate. Well I don’t know him and I’ve never owned a pair of football boots and I have to judge the man by his actions. These actions show him to be a dyed-in-the-wool Crown Office apparatchik, concerned purely to protect the “reputation” of his office against accusations that the case with the highest-ever profile in the history of Scottish criminal justice resulted in a miscarriage. Elish Angiolini was exactly the same.
These people are in a position of power, sadly placed there by the SNP government. They choose to use that position to stone-wall all challenges to the Zeist conviction with “argument by blatant assertion”, as at present. No reasoning, no evidence, just a bland dismissal. Correspondence with Justice for Megrahi also reveals them not to be above a bit of false and misleading suggestion. Of course their tame journalists (Magnus Linklater) afford them free access to broadsheets such as the Times and the Scotsman.
It’s all about saving face. Which will make the eventual climb-down all the worse when it happens, but I think the game plan is to delay that happening until the present players have retired or been promoted out of the firing line.
X-sticks, interestingly it was David Miliband who signed the Public Interest Immunity Certificate denying the defence access to that infamous document.
I don’t know if the Americans are simply in the same mindset as the Scottish Crown Office, concerned to protect the reputation of the inquiry they were prominent in directing and the closure they think they achieved for the relatives, or whether they have a lot more to cover up.
There could be very deep ramifications, but we’ll never get on to that stage until the simple stuff is out of the way. The simple stuff is that Megrahi wasn’t the man who bought the clothes from Tony Gauci, and the bomb was introduced at Heathrow airport in the afternoon, at a time when Megrahi was provably in Tripoli.
These two simple and provable facts destroy not just the conviction but the entire foundation of the Lockerbie inquiry. Until they are acknowledged we’ll get nowhere in finding out whether this horrible debacle was down to pure galactic-class incompetence, or whether there was a lot more going on.
Aye, Morag, I think it’s all about the protection of reputations.
The british government, the American government, the Scottish Crown Office (and various judges), MI5, the CIA
Who knows who else might be implicated. Tony Blair, George Bush, Peter Mandelson, David Milliband?
I hope the relatives get their review (should be an inquiry, I think) and that everyone concerned get their just rewards. It’s only a matter of time.
I think the first goal has to be to get the conviction quashed. Until then, the establishment can just point to that and say, we got the guy who did it. However, that can be done simply on the evidence, without necessarily dragging in a lot of conspiracy theorising.
Unfortunately the Crown Office, for all its fine words about the place to settle this being in a court of law and welcoming the opportunity to defend their position, are going to do their damndest to make sure that appeal does not come to court. That’s the current battle.
After the conviction is overturned, then will it be time for an inquiry and finding out how this appalling debacle happened. It’s not impossible the whole thing is just a consequence of gross incompetence and negligence and then everyone going into cover-your-ass mode. Then the hole gets deeper and the lies get bigger.
On the other hand it’s possible the conspiracy theorists are right and there’s an international scandal of monstrous proportions behind all this. But we don’t have a path to finding that out until there has been a successful appeal.