Browser-tab round-up
Readers, you can’t begin to imagine how much stuff happens. Seriously, it’s going on EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. You’d think there’d be lulls now and again, but people just keep doing things. It’s annoying.
Throughout the day, we’ll see or be sent roughly a billion links, and because otherwise you’d never keep up with Twitter alone, what you do is click any that sound interesting to open them in a tab, then go and actually read them later when you’ve got the time.
Unfortunately there are always more things than time (like, WAY more), so you end up having a huge backlog of tabs that you either haven’t read, or have read but haven’t got round to writing something about yet.
We’ve just had a brutal pruning of Firefox and we’ve still got 76 open, so to let us get a few more closed we’re just going to stick some of the ones we HAVE read here and you can go through any you like the sound of for yourselves. They’re all good.
Ken McIntosh doesn’t want Labour to devolve income tax to Scotland
Brian Monteith on the Scotsman loses his last marble
Not unrelatedly, half of Tory activists want a pact with UKIP
A brilliant non-cartoon feature by Greg Moodie that nearly slipped past us
Thing that’s been happening for 60 years might happen, says Welsh guy
“Better Together” to employ teams of English people to tell Scots to vote No
“The festival of self-congratulation will be the British at their worst”
We like this:
“An independent Scotland could become the richest country on Earth”
“An independent Scotland would be bankrupt within weeks”
The London elite are the real cybernats, says Gerry Hassan
Next time Alistair Darling’s on telly, read this first
“Sharing a currency makes unambiguous sense”
Full video recording of the Cabinet’s meeting in Bathgate
(Start at 1h 09m 22s if you’re in a hurry.)
Everyone’s suspicions about Gordon Brown’s finances are true
There’s 15 to be going on with. We’re having the rest of the night off.
And just as you settle down to your cocoa and final fix of smack…..
YouGov produces the latest poll….
YES 33% (+2)
NO 52% (-3)
It’s ok I’m sure Scottish skier can walk us thru the tables 🙂
Whoops !!!
Tables for the Skier…
link to d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net
Think you need to expand on the Gordon Brown lining his pockets story…
He has, after all set up an Anti-Independence organisation
United for Labour, I see they were claiming on their launch that they were going to deliver 500000 leaflets, there’s that number again, anyway I digress, could some of the missing charity money be going to “United for Labour” or is he just lining his own pockets, we need to find out where the funding for United for Labour is coming from….
link to express.co.uk
I realise you might have a good compelling reason for Firefox, but you might be interested to know that Chrome has a thing that identifies which tab is playing audio if you’ve got some hidden cacophony.
Rev
I hope your not reading this tonight as it’d be a good idea to get a good nights kip before your head explodes.
I can only handle this part time, how you cope is beyond me.
GET SOME GOOD SLEEP. Please.
Jingly jangly,could be Mr Ian Taylor, he of VITOL, is pushing some fund,s Broon,s way, another version of Scotland being sold, bought by Scotland,s Gold ( black gold )OIL.
I find the noise is invariably coming from Huffington Post pages, way down at the bottom – videos on autoplay.
The Malcolm Bruce article in the Liberal Democrat Voice reads like an interview with a drug addict desperately saying anything to get another fix.
If Malcolm really believes “By going into government we have transformed ourselves to a party of government with competence and experience”, he may be in for a shock.
I read the excellent Greg Moodie non-cartoon piece after to get grounded back into reality.
@jingly jangly
Hilarious article.
“Today’s “United for Labour” launch event will be co-ordinated by Labour’s Scottish deputy leader Anas Sarwar, and will feature a speech from party leader Johann Lamont.”
A winner for Yes in anyones books.
Debby Harry puts me in mind of Saffron Dixon in that pic above.
Anyway, this is all good stuff. Not many posts now until WoS hits the big 2000. ‘Tis a good time to do a wee bit of navel-gazing and celebrate – the Great and Good in the Scottish MSM are, no doubt, composing paeans to Rev even as we speak.
Any ideas for something special? Must be loads of stuff related to the Millenium etc…
Here’s another you might add courtesy of Call Me Dave.
link to heraldscotland.com
Oops… by the way, the ‘me’ is not me… its Greg Moodie in one of Stu’s links above.
@Alba4Eva –
‘NO CAMPAIGNER: WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT? WHO WOULD DEEM US?’
Classic. You can almost imagine the smoke spiralling out of his ears.
Thats a real shocker about Gordon Brown’s charidy work costing over £2 million out of the £3 million raised so far.
” Gordon and Sarah enjoy jet-set premier life-style of first class flights and five star hotels” and he puts his $100k lecture fees through same set up to dodge tax?
@Ian Brotherhood
Well I remember in Y2K all we heard about was the disaster that would befall us because all the computers would breakdown. You know planes might fall out the sky, lifts plummet to the ground, nobody would get any cash from the cash machines.
Was BT it charge of that?
@thepnr –
Aye, you’re right. Too much doom and gloom, The Dome and all that shite.
But we should do something for 1999:
Thepnr
The United for Labour launch was a while back, I only used that story to illustrate Broons role in it.
Re y2k bug
It was a good bug for me, I got to visit 19 different countries, including USA, Europe, Middle East, Far East, Australia, NZ, South America and a stop over in Tahiti
for R+R making sure the companies computers were compliant.
8 Months of business class flights,and posh hotels, I felt like Gordon Broon doing his charity work!!!!
Stuart, that Brian Monteith/Scotsman article is astounding. His marbles have truly left the building. A call for lib dems and labour supporters to vote for UKIP just to put SNP gas at a peep?!
TheGreatBaldo
I think Scottish Skier will be disappointed as what Yougov have published is a summary and not any data tables as to how they arrive at the recent numbers.
Surely the No Better Together item can’t be serious. Surely?
o/t on stv,Did George just say we had 71 mps? Looks like the voters were right at the last elections.Twice,unless I’m mistaken.
The Brian Monteith/Scotsman advice to vote for UKIP in order to thwart the SNP in the Euro elections could dramatically backfire. If it is starting to look like UKIP are making inroads in Scotland then it could increase the Yes vote.
Hey, maybe we should all vote UKIP in May?
Galloway is a crackpot. That interview was… (someone help me with a word here, cos i’m lost for them at the mo).
@squarego –
Just read that Monteith piece after seeing your comment.
Astonishing rubbish.
There’s a prominent banner above the article asking ‘What do you think of the new website?’ You can win a prize for your feedback…
‘Aye, Scotsman, it’s nice, smart, and user-friendly, but it might be a good idea not to fill it with shite?’
Oh Rev is gonna enjoy fisking what can only be described as a contradictory shambolic interview from Gorgeous George there on STV.
He contradicted his position in almost every sentence.
Shame he’s a greatest orator in the past few generations but he’s just completely lost it in recent years….a bizarre cartoon of what he once was….I actually feel a bit sad rather than angry when I see him now.
Just watched Sky News Review with the usual Tory and Labour reviwers who have savaged independence based on FTheadline report on Insurance companies and still under miapprehensive that Carney’s remarks killed independence stone deal.
Almost as ignorant of the facts as Dominic Lawson in yestrerday’s Sunday Times.
They want you to vote ukip,George Galloway wants you to stay under the tories,but hates the Union Jack and its wavers and ditto Saltire wavers,whats a voter to do?
lol.Vote yes.
Galloway was pulled up on the fact that Scottish votes have only influenced UK elections in about 2 out of the last 70 years… and all he could say was; “but, but the Tory’s would get 71 of a head start.”, totally missing the point of the question… or just ignoring it!
Not to mention the fact Scotland actually only has 59 and not 72 MP’s in the first place.
Absolutely Baldo.
Moodie is the dog’s rear-wheels…superb.
Be afraid …very afraid. Coming to you (maybe) in an Independent Scotland. 🙂
link to archive.is
Galloway is about 8 or 9 years out of touch with Scottish Politics…
link to news.bbc.co.uk
Im sure, like msean, he said 71… although to be fair to him, he was probably deducting himself as Scottish MP for Bradford West.
Talking about numbers, compare the bollocks Councillor Terry Kelly was spouting about the betting on the referendum just 12 weeks ago:
link to councillorterrykelly.blogspot.co.uk
To the reality of the betting today:
link to councillorterrykelly.blogspot.co.uk
Note that the popularity of betting is running at 60 – 40 percent in favour of Yes. Get in at 7/2 now folks, it will not last.
Hello ! Here,s Ian Gray , making out on Newsnight that the money for the bedroom tax that the SNP Gov found money was their idea ! Gary Robertson trying to stir it , giving Gray plenty of time to ramble ! Banging my head off the wall !!
If those south of the border continue to vote tory,then that is their democratic choice,it is not ours.71 of a start lol.
Newsnight now, Scottish Government waiting on dwp saying yes,good luck with that.With a yes vote,a democratically elected independent Scottish Government won’t be held to ransom by a privatised uk gov department ffs.
Sorry – betting today –
link to oddschecker.com
Both Gray and Baillie claiming the credit. I know they have done nothing for years but I suppose the desperation to claim credit means they will at least back this rather than opposing although have they cleared this with Just Say No Bain?.
Things is shrimp come 2016 if either Gray or Baillie try that in the election campaign the SNP can show them up as hypocrites…..for a start voting down the £20M they are now claiming credit for.
I think the SNP know to play this long and look like the statemen as at Grangemouth, where they did what they could to sort it out and then avoided putting the boot into Labour or Unite with the Tories & Lib Dems….I suspect a lot of YES and SNP votes where won in the Falkirk area over that week.
The Mirror says tomorrow that Ian D Smith has plans to means test or scrap free bus passes , tv licenses , winter fuel allowances for the pensioners ! Again hitting the most vulnerable in society !
Vote Yes and let’s leave them to it !
Galloway’s interview was hilarious. I was desperate for his ramblings to be subtitled in real time by the Rev. Every few seconds there would be a ping! “Lie”. And then a pause in the action while it was explained why what he was saying was utter cobblers.
A hypothetical, aimed at no-one in particular:
Jackie Baillie has just farted in your mooth.
Who’s to blame?
The Daily Pravda Record keeps removing my posts because I pointed out to them that the bedroom tax has not been scrapped as they are claiming and that it would have been if the 47 Labour MP’S especially Sarwar had actually turned up to vote then it would have been history they didn’t seem to like that. I have informed them that they are denying free speech and that I will go on every media that I can to let people know. The Daily Record the paper printed in England sent up by train but claims to be the voice of Scotland but censors and bare face lies.
Mr George Galloway, I have a story about him that I’m sure I told before but here it is again anyway for all our new readers!
OK as a young naive 21 year old round about 1982 I decided to join the Labour Party. Ah why you might ask? but at that time we really were fighting the Tories and I wanted to do my bit.
Anyways, I’d be lucky enough to get a job offshore on the rigs after the shipyard had closed but was earning about 3 times more than I’d ever had. So on my two weeks off was more than likely to be pissing it up against the wall.
Decided I needed a “hobby” something to keep me occupied when I was home and out of the pub. So I went along to join the Labour Party.
It was gorgeous George who was the secretary at that time, I never knew him or had heard of him but he was known then as the youngest Labour party secretary in Scotland, ever I believe.
So George and his buddy are the only two in the room, I fill in the form thinking perfect credentials, member of the Boilermakers Union etc and truly expected to be welcomed.
I handed over the forms with my £5 membership and George turns to hos his buddy and says “there’s our beer money for dinnertime”.
I said “that’s not funny” only kiddin wee man it’s just a joke. I wasn’t laughing, that’s for sure.
I know George claims now to be teetotal and I also know many may doubt my tale. However I was there and there should be no doubt. I never renewed my membership
Thepnr
Good story and I believe it. I also have a story involving that duplicitous git but I’ll save it for another time. Let’s say he played an important role in forming my political views today. I have a long memory George.
The pnr
As George is still (technically at least) an MP.
Any money made from his ‘Just say Naw’ Tour will have to be declared.
Would be interesting to see what, if anything he has disclosed to date.
Anyone know what the venue in Edinburgh tonight holds….he charges £10 a skull and as far as I’m aware the money is nae going to charity.
Now if only we knew a journalist with investigative skills and (given George’s love of the libel court) a fastidious attention to detail 🙂
Regarding shall we say ‘colourful tales of George’s past.
Worth pointing out that he has made a habit of going to the libel courts.
I’m sure he and the MSM would love it if he could hit WoS with a libel suit on the back of a post on here.
Come on George. Dare dare double dare.
@Stan Drews
That would be… Pings Over Scotland!
link to nationalcollective.com
@TheGreatBaldo
Threats of libel are a good way to throttle free speech.
However making true statements cannot in any way be construed as libel. Truth is truth. Why fear it?
Only 76 tabs open?!
Amateur! 😉
Re the number of Scottish MPs at Westminster..
From 2015 the number reduces to 50
Re the bedroom tax
Only Westminster can drop the cap
Only the Secretary of State can give Local Authorities power to write off the debt.
Only independence can scrap it
Sorta OT but further to Gorgeous Georges, leadership hopes, I see that Ian Davidson is now saying that if the Labour Party scraps its present method of chosing the leader/deputy leader in Scotland, then Johann and Anas should be removed from there positions and another vote taken for these positions!
I mentioned in another thread yesterday that I thought that Ken McIntosh may have released an article as part of his own leadership drive, but this new article by Davidson in todays Herald is a clincher.
They are completely divided and a lot of them are getting very worried about Johann and Anas’s performances and as the polls are closing in on No, it is set to get even more desperate.
Ian Davidson is the one to watch…the big knucklehead will start blurting out all kinds of things in any TV interview if he feels his privileged position is being threatened by JL and Anas.
I have uploaded the Alex Salmond speech.
from 1:09:38 – 01:15:10
“I have uploaded the Alex Salmond speech.
from 1:09:38 – 01:15:10”
That’s brilliant, cheers. One wee thing – can you change the title? It should be “could HAVE been”, not “could OF been”, and it’ll kill me to have to embed it with that mistake in it.
Getting an Error 404 on “Festival of britishness…”
Sorry – “Festival of self-congratulation…”
GMS BBC Scotland reading out the headlines in the newspapers today told us pensions will rise in the UK according to the Lib/Dems, (you always believe a Lib/Dem)
And another story was about an independent Scotland couldn’t afford pensions. (yawn).
But there was no mention of the story in the Daily Mirror that Ian Duncan Smith’s latest plans for pensioners. He wants to cut things like the winter fuel allowance among other things.
So he is giving with one hand and taking away with another.
link to mirror.co.uk
Typical BBC Scotland cherry picking their stories again.
Just because they can.
Sorry O/T
I’m trying to find a post from wings from ages ago ( a year and a half maybe).
Can’t remember what it was called, but it included a drawing of a ship with a life boat nearby.
Can anyone help?
@Patrick Roden
Again no mention of the Ken McIntosh story on BBC Scotland GMS this morning. I think there is a lot more internal fighting within Scottish Labour than we are being told about.
We need an insider to us what is really going on in there.
When you get a major figure like Ken McIntosh going on national television last night and explaining he has completely different plans for Scotland after a NO vote to that of Johann Lamont, then your party has big problems.
Yet BBC Scotland don’t seem to think that it is worth telling anyone about.
BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour, joined at the hip.
Nothing to see here, move along.
It’s up to people like Patrick Roden and fellow Wingers to uncover and inform the rest of Scotland the truth behind Scottish Labour.
The Daily Mail is having a go at Alex for daring to ask Westminster for Scotland to repeal the bedroom tax he is being called the usual names in the comments section. I wonder if these people will get a visit from their reporters in the interest of fairness?
I would like to point out Alex Salmond has set up a tax free foundation as well, just like all the other polititions, you see its legal we could all do it if only we knew how, but then how would the goverment run without being able to raise taxes.
Come on, scaredy cat, you’re not even trying 😀
Search “lifeboat” and the first page of results will get you this:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@caz-m
Not to mention that under this union Westminster has put up the retirement age 1, 2 and 3 years respectively, thus a huge cut of hundreds of billions.
Again no mention of the Ken McIntosh story on BBC Scotland GMS this morning. I think there is a lot more internal fighting within Scottish Labour than we are being told about.
link to archive.is
Rift over Lamont’s proposals to devolve income tax widens
LABOUR MPs have claimed Johann Lamont’s income tax plans “will never happen” as the internal party row over the proposals escalates…
…They also say it could lead to a cut in the number of Scottish MPs, making it harder to form a Labour government at Westminster.
One [MP] told the Herald: “What Johann does not seem to recognise is that this is not her decision, it is (Labour leader) Ed Miliband’s.”….
And it all comes tumbling down.
Every political party in Scotland is run by the New World Order, the only one they couldent conqure was the socialist party under Tommy Sheridan and we know what happened to him, yes thats right he won his setup trial with a jury so they had to charge him with an offence that wasent jury trial so they could win. They destroyed the socialist party handing it over to NWO puppet Fox, knowing Tommy would start his own party and dividing the socialist list vote, of course it back fired on them with more votes going to the SNP.
just wondering rev UFK is your site a tax free foundation? i just think you should be as you are trying to inform the public about the truth, surley thats who should be entitled to this sort of thing not corrupt lying polititions.
on the subject of links and tiaras i put an absolute peach on from laurel and hardy’s Take Two from about 9m 50 secs in i was in tears him wearing his tiara and taking all his money of him.
Ooh sorry Rev.
I did, but I put a space between ‘life’ and ‘boat’.
Rookie mistake.
Thank you! 😀
This is slightly o/t but my blood’s up. In the recent Uni survey concerning media bias did they take omission of stories into account? I’m of course referring to yesterday’s shameful lack of coverage of the FT feature re. an independent Scotland’ s wealth as compared with the fUK. I’m going to assume it didn’t. Obviously there’s no measurable bias in a report that never happened but the fact that it didn’t happen is a clear demonstration of bias is it not?
I’m seething about this.
Alfresco
Also, did the report take into account tone of voice and sneering attitudes?
@scottish_skier
This link is part of the Scottish Labour Party Devolution Commission and Johann Lamont repeating this fixation of a By-Pass of funds to Holyrood and directly to local government.
Where Mrs Lamont’s husband would be in charge of a huge amount of money and power that would be granted to Glasgow City Council.
This is all planned so you gradually reduce the importance of a Scottish Parliament and eventual closure.
link to scottishlabour.org.uk
Is there a pattern emerging on Project Fear? It seems to me that the same scare stories keep popping up almost like some sort of poor crop rotation that is slowly exhausting the goodness of the soil.
EU, Currency, Pensions, Defence, Borders. Have I missed any? Round and round they come often on the flimsiest of excuses. There is absolutely nothing new in the ICAS brief and their actual concern is that the UK Government and the Scottish Government are not talking…whose fault is that I wonder? There is nothing new in the EU story with Spain either. The Spanish position, “we will not interfere in a legal internal Brirish matter” is exactly the same as the position they took at the outset. Have No to Scotland run out of ideas? Their campaign isn’t winning votes it is losing votes and yet they still bang on with it. What are they going to do in the last three months when their pals at the BBC will have to observe election rules? From June on we are going to have an opportunity to clear this muck out of the minds of the electorate and engage them with a positive “let’s do this thing” campaign while No wail we are all doomed like demented Private Frasers in the background.
They’re on a monthly cycle Handandshrimp.
@alexicon –
A spin cycle?
What they’re going to do is make an offer of DevoMax. On DevoMax, since the No Scotland side are continually bleating that this referendum isn’t a party political issue (which it isn’t) are they not then obliged to present a single DevoMax proposal rather than each of those parties coming up with a smorgasbord of various wee powers (responsibilities) with the express intention of befuddling the electorate?
I know, these points are irrelevant as long as the BBC is allowed to get away with its current approach. And by the way, in my opinion if we don’t tackle this now and instead wait until the period where they HAVE to be impartial in the run-up the damage will be done. And that obligation to impartiality won’t prevent what happened yesterday re. FT happening again.
Well first up is the lib/dems with their jam tomorrow. The rest of the unionists will be bringing theirs along soon.
They seem to have forgotten two things…
1. Demo jam is not on the ballot paper
2. Cameron had the chance to put it on the ballot but
refused to have it. “It is a straight YES or NO” he said
link to archive.is
@Alfresco Dent
John Robertson’s reply to BBC Scotland made it cleare that his study did not include omissions or tone of voice/ eyebrow position. He did make it clear that the various people who had contacted him by email had told him that, from their observations, there was definite bias by omission but that it was too subjective to be measured.
If Scottish Labour have their way with funding and it does start going to directly to the Lamont bank account, will there be enough money in the kitty to finish of Johann’s make-over.
O/T A unionist commentator warned that Scotland would be thrown out of the Great Britain Davis Cup tennis team if we voted for Independence. Think about it. Who has the most to lose.
even “loose”
Rev linked to this via Twitter – Lamont in Penilee taking pelters about the ATOS sponsorship of the Commonwealth Games. (Don’t know when it was filmed):
link to youtube.com
REV, The fairyfaetheheeth 8.46 might have something there,
re Charity registration, I,ve had a quik look at the
O.S.C.R. site. there are several, things there that I think
Wings would quailify as,A public information body, not in
the Control of a political party,not promoting a political
body. You may get the run around but there is a appeal
I have dealt with O.S.C.R. for over 10yrs, Under promoting
Community, hiv a go.
I feel I can post this on this thread: I have been noticing amongst friends and ‘Facebook friends’ a real shift in the last few weeks. Seeing conversions on a weekly basis. January has been a good month and if Feb has the sae momentum I don’t think this thing will be for turning.
YEEEHHHAAAAAA
I have long thought that all the four countries making up team GB in the Olympics and flying under the Union jack are in fact having their tea cake and eating it. It is a bit of a cheat really and a disadvantage to other countries.
Let’s represent just the country you are born/or have residency in. Scotland will do fine, if not tough.
ps:
Sorry about demo jam in last post ‘devo jam’ of course.
The story of the day must be that Labour are backtracking on promises of new powers for the Scottish parliament. Comments from both Ian Davidson and Ken MacIntosh show that Johann Lamont’s commission is dead in the water.
“Getting an Error 404 on “Festival of britishness…””
Fixed, ta.
Lamont herself is a ‘dead parrot’ and talk of more powers to Scotland lies with Westminster.
1. If there is a No
2. Labour get elected down South
3. If Milliband decides to be generous.
A YES will solve all of the problems.
alexicon says: They’re on a monthly cycle Handandshrimp.
Except that they’re bad tempered and irrational all month so you can’t tell.
Ian Davidson could be trying to slot in.
even “loose”
You were right the first time, dammit!!!
@ caz-m
Naw, “lose” is right (verb); “loose” is adjective, as in “Galloway is a loose cannon” (a loser too). 🙂
@call me dave,
Aye, I’ve thought about this before as well. I suppose in terms of overall medal count it is an unfair advantage, but for individual athletes it’s probably a poor set-up.
They have to compete with a far larger pool of hopefuls to try to qualify for Team GB. An independent Scottish (and Welsh and NI) team would most certainly have more athletes than the contingents they provide to Team GB.
Even an English team would benefit as they would most likely send the sort of same size of team they do at present, but would be selecting purely from English athletes.
“Loose” can be a verb, in the right context. Like in undoing a knot. It’s an unusual construction though. You’d usually say “loosen the knot” or “turn the horses loose”.
@Morag
Loose an arrow, rather than shoot one or, worse, fire one.
@HandandShrimp
What are they going to do in the last three months when their pals at the BBC will have to observe election rules?
I think that is why the stories keep coming around now, as they will be constrained shortly. The strategy is to get these ideas and tag lines so embedded in viewers, listeners and readers phyche that with use of a key phrase will jog a memory of what was said before (reapeatedly – “so it must have been true”).
So this makes it simple to demonstrate “balance” during the 3 months if there is equal coverage. But does not sit on top of an equally prepared foundation for each sides position on these topics.
“John Robertson’s reply to BBC Scotland made it clear that his study did not include omissions or tone of voice/ eyebrow position. He did make it clear that the various people who had contacted him by email had told him that, from their observations, there was definite bias by omission but that it was too subjective to be measured.”
Apologies again if someone has already done this but, talking about omissions, I think Morag’s very fine post on Derek Bateman makes it very clear, and should be required reading for everyone, here it is:
“This is quite outrageous. The BBC frequently broadcasts reports on all sorts of research, some of which is quite obviously dodgy, without making the slightest effort to investigate the validity of even the most risible claims. Would that it subjected some of the nonsense health stories it promotes to even a tenth as much scrutiny as this.
However, this is the bit that really resonated with me.
“By contrast, there are no BBC headlines in this period that promote positive claims about Scottish Independence. You will look in vain for headlines that say “Yes campaign says independent Scotland will be eighth richest country in the world” or “Official GERS report shows Scotland’s public finances much healthier than those of the UK”. Such headlines just do not exist. Reporting Scotland or Newsnight Scotland has never, never been led by a positive story about independence. It has been led on dozens of occasions by the negative.”
This is why I can’t watch BBC news any more. I’m stuck on BBC4 and my DVD collection. It’s soul-destroying.
All the negativity and gloom they present would be bearable, indeed justifiable, if it was balanced by an equal amount of hope and optimism. Just one story about the transformative power independence may have for the country. Just one story acknowledging that the price of oil may rise! Just one story showing us even a glimpse of the potential and possibilities we’re being asked to decide on.
It would lift my heart beyond measure to see a story like that. Even once. I’ve given up hope. I can’t bear this unleavened diet of warning and accusation and doom-mongering. I don’t watch any more.
And then there’s the lies. Nobody attacked Susan Calman on a blog, as she claimed. Nobody attacked her on twitter. Nobody called her the c-word. This is fact. But one of the BBC anchormen not only claimed it as fact, he said the abuse was too vile to read out on-air. Now it has become accepted fact that she was attacked.
Meantime another Scottish comedian, pro-Yes, was viciously attacked by union supporters, with his home address published and exhortations to “pay him a visit”. Did the BBC report that? A thing that actually happened? No it didn’t.
Alex Salmond is subjected to a constant barrage of filthy hate-speech online. Has that ever been reported on? No. But the BBC had certainly broadcast stories claiming that independence supporters are abusive.
I used to love the BBC. Now I’m close to hating it. It is working its little socks off to prevent something that is the dearest wish of my life – self-determination for my own country. And it’s not doing it honestly, it’s adopting the tactics of Pravda and Isvestia. Doctor Who can never atone for this and I don’t care if I never see it again. There will be other shows. Maybe we can even make our own, with our own revenues.”
The outrage – and sadness – is palpable and heartfelt, great post Morag.
@Morag.
I tried to suggest to some of the posters here that they ought perhaps to avail themselves of an English dictionary and maybe even a Scots dictionary.
I got criticised for being so bold as to suggest that their standard of English and Scots was nothing short of crap.
Best of luck with ‘loose’ and ‘lose’. Have a go with trying to explain the differences between ‘their’ ‘there’ and ‘they’re’, but have a stiff dram ready.
You tell them Morag. 🙂 Here’s me a pot no telling any kettles anything.
Enjoying your book read the first part twice to get my head round all the baggage loading evidence. Excellent!
Hate using tablet for posting. But here goes.
Loose an arrow, rather than shoot one or, worse, fire one.
Great example, hadn’t thought of that one.
My pet hate is “free reign”. Horses don’t have reigns, they have reins. Free rein is what you give them when you let them do what they like. (In the case of my pony, that would actually be eating grass, not galloping at Mach 2.)
The trouble is, people regard a correction intended to be informative as some sort of insult, and the result is you end up being held up as the bogeyman who will come and complain about any little typo.
I welcome a correction because it means I’ll do it right next time, hopefully. But that’s not a prevailing attitude these days.