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Budgetary constraints

Posted on February 02, 2019 by

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239 to “Budgetary constraints”

  1. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant!

  2. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    Superb!

  3. Bugger Le Panda
    Ignored
    says:

    One of the best.

  4. LesRoches
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    says:

    As I always suspected, Rennie is enjoying his unionist bondage a little too much.

  5. Davy
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    says:

    You nailed the two amateurs perfectly.

  6. Fergus Green
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    says:

    Enjoying the lifeboat analogy. This makes a great slogan or symbol for the upcoming indyref.

  7. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Love the expressions. Nailed it, Chris.

    That’s what you all classic BritNat posturing. Cowardice, dressed up as false pride. This is exactly the sort of stubborn nonsense that created all this Brexit mess in the first place.

    What can one do – they are determined to go down with their precious ship. They are about to experience pain like never before. My heart bleeds.

    Sigh.

  8. Street Andrew
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    says:

    I’m so glad you’re back, Chris. It makes it worth getting-up on a Saturday morning. 🙂

  9. starlaw
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    says:

    Well done Chris got it to a tee

  10. Les Wilson
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    says:

    You never miss Chris, excellent.

  11. Giving Goose
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    says:

    Those BritNats will be hoping for knighthoods or peerages as a reward for their loyalty to mother England and their London masters.

  12. winifred mccartney
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    says:

    Spot on – how do you manage it week on week. Fantastic – billboard perfect – thank you.

  13. Greannach
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    says:

    I love the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney’s description of Theresa May’s approach to negotiating with the EU:

    “Give me what I want, or I’ll jump out the window.”

  14. Colin Alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice cartoon.

    I hope the lifeboat will be launched in time.

  15. Marie Clark
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    says:

    Great stuff Chris. HMS Brexit sinking and these eejits would rather go down with the ship than take to the lifeboat.

    Sigh, oh well, if that’s what they want, let’s leave them to it.

  16. wull2
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    says:

    Hope the EU says F*** launch the lifeboat now and get rid of it now with us in it.

  17. Colin Alexander
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    says:

    So, if Scotland has indyref result in BEFORE Brexit day: just 55 days from now and Yes won, would the Scot Govt declare Scotland independent?

    According to Mr Peffers, there is no UK from then on. So there is no UK member of the EU either (does Scotland, England, Wales and N.Ireland automatically become members in their own right or what?). There is no SNP Scot Govt, as it is a WM Branch Office. They will be abolished with the UK.

    So, of course it won’t happen like that at all. The Scot Govt will seek protracted negotiations with the UK Govt which the UK Govt would not recognise as the indyref will not have an S30.

    No way will this SNP declare the Union dissolved without their master’s permission. The current SNP don’t do Scottish sovereignty – without permission from London.

    Eck would have.

    So, if Brexit happens, it’s extremely likely Scotland will still be part of the UK on 29 March 2019, Brexit Day.

    Hold on to your lifebelt, the lifeboat won’t be launched in time.

  18. jezza
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    says:

    Will they go down with HMS Brexit???

    Or will they throw all loyalty for their English masters out of the window and stay with an Independent EU member Scotland.

    Will be interesting to watch to see which one of them has the bottle to actually up sticks and move to Brexit England.

  19. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if the OO flute band is playing on deck to comfort Murdo?

  20. Sharny Dubs
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    says:

    Brill, welcome back Chris

  21. manandboy
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    says:

    Just love it! Well done Chris.

  22. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    From one Chris to another, and to another great mind –

    chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/brexiters-are-finally-being-forced-to.html?spref=tw

  23. Bob Mack
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    says:

    With your talent ,it could be nothing more than brilliant.
    I salute you sir.

    The spirits of the Titanic orchestra are alive and well.

  24. Morgatron
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    says:

    Fudo the bigot has a heid like a 2 bob cabbage and a brain to match. Rennie is the same , he has a cheek even to have the word liberal attached to him and his party. These people are the enemy of Scots sovereignty. Reform of the election process is required, as PR is just not working when you see the standard of shit that is appearing at Holyrood on the opposition benches

  25. manandboy
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    says:

    Like Pharaoh’s army, the British Establishment, with its Tory-UDA-DUP Government, and the Brexiteers army, are now in the middle of their ‘Red Sea’.

  26. sassenach
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    says:

    I see Mr coco is getting his anti-SNP rant in early today.

    He’s trying to cause ANOTHER ‘civil war’………..hahahaha!! What a clown.

  27. Morgatron
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    says:

    Oh, sorry Chris another Saturday sizzler. That should be a stake they two clowns are tied too, but Fudo looks like the kinda chap that may enjoy being trust up wee bit tightly whilst sucking on an orange – his favourite fruit. Hope D Mc has brought the gasoline.

  28. Effijy
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    says:

    Of course the 2 Unionists and the BBC will
    Blame SNP for the existence of a sea.

    Looking forward to seeing HMS Brexit being torpedoed

  29. galamcennalath
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    says:

    Very good!

    BritNat politicians will all go down with HMS Brexit because there is no room for them in the lifeboat!

    iScotland has no place for politicians who have spent years doing little else other than oppose independence. How could they possibly be trusted to contribute to the public life of our newly independent nation?

  30. Golfnut
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    says:

    Oh dear Mr Alexander, a wee tad negative this morning.

    You have to ditch the negatives and start to think of the positives and even just how much fun the People of Scotland could have with this.
    Firstly Scotland’s Parliament is the reconvened Parliament of 1707, all powers of State will automatically reside with the Scottish Parliament after the vote.
    The administration is a different matter, so it’s the transfer of administration that has to be negotiated.
    First up though for the Scottish Parliament is to decide whether or not to recognise the legality of Westminster as a government able to negotiate on England’s behalf. They could insist that commissioners are appointed by the Crown as an alternative.

    We both know that the only things really to be negotiated would be debt and assets, trade will probably be off the table because we want in the EU and they want out, so our relationship with England will be determined by EU and WTO terms. There would need to be interim decisions on whether to continue supplying oil and electricity, food, support for sterling to stop it collapsing, but again that that would depend on England’s relationship with the rest of the world.

    We’ve had ring side seat on how the Establishment works, so it won’t be easy no doubt about that.

  31. Golfnut
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    says:

    Brilliant cartoon, as usual.

  32. Bob Mack
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    says:

    Reminds me of the story of HMS Birkenhead which sank whilst the troops were ordered to attention. They obeyed and only left the ship when given orders to do so.

    The Captain of HMS Birkenhead on that fatal voyage was—-
    Wait fir it, Captain Salmond. Funny that.

  33. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Lol, I have thought and said for many years that I believe the brains of unionists are wired up differently from normal people. This cartoon sums that up exactly.

    Chris given the quality and intellect of your work, I for one think you are deserving of the extra day or two holidays you take. Lol. Twitter clappy handy thingy x 2.

  34. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Reading pensioners Daily Hail.
    They really invest in SNP Bad stories. lol

    Big picture of Nicola’s book on sale at Tesco
    Parkhead for 25p.

    Tesco colluding with their Tory friends again.
    They have never sold any book at 25p.

    This of course means that SNP and Nicola are
    Finished and Scots side with embarrassing Tory
    Westminster government that they have never
    Given a majority in 60 years.

    Good old inflated prices Tesco who lied I’m Millions
    To their share holders and who refused to stock Alex
    Salmond’s book even when Scotland’s number one
    Best seller!

    Corrupt, immoral and lying Westminster, Daily Hail, and UK corporations.

    PS the hail have translated the extra money for Scottish Councils as
    £231 Million pound cut. Labour of course who were not against the Tories
    10 years and counting of austerity cuts are outraged?

    Pathetic! I’m a Scot get me out of there!

  35. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    In light of the Vienna Convention on Treaties which was mentioned in the finding of the court that said A50 could be unilaterally revoked, all parts of a former single state signatory of a treaty might be considered as successors of said state.

    One might be seen as the continuation of that state making it more certain that they keep any memberships of treaties held by it. However that in no way bars other successor states from existing and applying to share that membership.

    At all times there’s to be negotiations between all parties as far as how a treaty continues in light of changed circumstances. For instance whilst the continuing state, if any, is normally considered to retain membership there will be instances where another successor should more logically take that place. For instance an international Gaelic cultural organisation might see Scotland as the more logical continuing member.

    So if in 2014 Yes had won then the rUK would have continued in the EU subject to a renegotiation of the terms. Scotland would have also had the right to renegotiate it’s membership of the EU. Scotland wouldn’t have had to do so though and could have opted not to do so without incurring any exit fees and without penalty. However Scotland would have been considered as a continuing member negotiating a change to its membership rather than a fresh applicant so the infamous Spanish Veto never existed according to what the EU now say.

    This discussion risks opening a can of worms that might make mentioning that the UK hasn’t signed all of the relevant conventions worthwhile so it and Scotland’s rights to any continuance of treaties negotiated whilst part of the UK will depend on whether the external party is happy to do so or has signed said conventions.

    A no deal Brexit is a no treaty Brexit and must be fought regardless of the simple fact that it’d be bad for the UK and Scotland. Any deal that involves Scotland would have to be renegotiated if Scotland left.

    Whilst it’s possible every hard Brexiter is a complete idiot some might have realised that any deal with a transition period would also be a treaty that a newly independent Scotland was part of and the first item on any agenda would be an indefinite extension on it till our future relationship with the EU could be determined.

    Ironically there might be a point where the SNP have to make the pragmatic choice to support a deal that involves a transition close enough to full EU membership and long enough that indyref2 can take place and Scotland reverse the direction of said transition.

    No doubt the first thing May will do if she isn’t axed is renege on any agreement to an S30 and go back to “Now is not the time” in order to run down the transition clock. That or some method will be found to terminate it prematurely.

  36. jfngw
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    says:

    They are just the British Alliance parties to me, they only have one policy, no independence. In fact they don’t even try to engage in Scottish politics, it’s hard to think of anything positive they have contributed in the last 12 years (probably 20, unless you consider tuition fees/graduation tax positive).

    Meanwhile as the BBC highlights the poverty in Venezuala (to assist with the UK/US policy objectives, I think it’s called softening up the public) I find this posted on twitter, probably will not be on the BBC.

    https://twitter.com/HailAlba59/status/1091391134490902533

  37. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    Oops Venezeula

  38. manandboy
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    says:

    BBC – The BRITISH BRAINWASHING CORPORATION, and paid for by the brainwashed TV ‘Licence’ payers.

    Smoking leads to bad health, just as watching TV leads to brainwashing.

    There is only one solution. You know it makes sense.

    Give up TV & join the SNP for a whole new life!

  39. jfngw
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    says:

    I assume that now the UK Government in Scotland is using tax payers money to promote British Nationalism using social media and advertising, it is perfectly acceptable for Scottish Government money being spent to promote independence.

    I can’t see how they can object, but of course we value every penny spent in Scotland whilst the British Nationalist will spend our money like water to promote their cause, allocate that spending to us then tell us we are in deficit.

  40. Clydebuilt
    Ignored
    says:

    Chris, bang on, great cartoon.

    Police Scotland are increasing their numbers. To deal with the consequences of Brexit. “Contingency plans are in place based on a “reasonable worst case scenario” the chief constable said this could include public disorder, disruption at ports and airports.

    Disruption at ports , what would that entail, lorry drivers fighting each other to get on ferries?

    Dusruption at airports. Hard to envisage what the police are on about here! Starving crowds fighting to get on the last flight out of Tory Land?

  41. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    Ha, Brilliant as ever!

    On the topic of the Budget: Can anyone confirm the proposed “Workplace Parking Levy” was ‘Green’ amendment? It’s causing an absolute shitstorm around my way and I’m sure elsewhere.
    I’ve learned new sweary words to apply to the Scottish Government and the SNP. “What little pay rise we’re due is to be wiped out with parking charges just to be at work – f*** watch me! The *****! ” (and things of that ilk) It’s true that the proposals are such that business/local authority may choose to suck up potential charges, but as was pointed out, that just removes any increase in budgets as well.
    From what I can gather, it was a Greens amendment and I’ve been suggesting that to peeps – but it isn’t pleasing soft yessers at all! I believe the chances of this flying without a fight are slim to heehaw, it has every chance of being the Scottish Governments Bedroom Tax/ Poll Tax etc moment – I have no doubt about it going by the absolute rage I’ve heard so far!
    A levy, which as ever was born in cities. The brunt to be born by those least able to comply? Not a blinder by the SNP/Greens to f*** over the Unionists at all, a Green assassination more like. Question is: was it deliberate or stupidity by the Greens and the SNP?

  42. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ jfngw – a comment under that picture you linked to says it is in Chicago. But not that different from UK and where the BREXITEERS want to take us.

  43. robertknight
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    says:

    The RMS Tibrexit is about to cast-off… “All ashore who’s going ashore!”

  44. Giving Goose
    Ignored
    says:

    galamcennalath

    If it was up to me then BritNats would, at the least, be banned from public representation in an iScotland.

  45. Josef Ó Luain
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    says:

    Chris, I was wondering why you continually refuse to go and work for The National – your front-door must be seriously damaged by now with the constant knocking of Callum Baird.

  46. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    I see HMS Brexit more as a leaking pedallo.

    That’s right Mr Rennie, close your eyes and think of the empire.

  47. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T I just came across this.

    Ban Alex Salmond and SNP from Britain.

    I had a look in FB and noticed it did not bother looking much further but going by its name is this not racist and inciting hatred against the SNP.I never bothered to see who runs it but could the police not have a look at it.

    Anyone know much about it??

  48. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Meant to say another great one Chris.

  49. Calum McKay
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    says:

    Brilliant!

    Next week’s cartoon could equally be Rennie and Fraser breaking the oars and drilling holes in the bottom of the boat!

    The unionist message is there is no escape for Scotland out of this toxic uk union, no matter how toxic it gets!

    I’d imagine this was the same kind of scenario faced by the Baltic states in their struggle for freedom post break up of USSR.

    We need to show them otherwise!

    Can’t help laughing at the uk’s anger at Gibraltar being referred to as a colony by the EU. Scotland is being treated as a colony! Makes you wonder what planet unionists come from???

  50. Ian Foulds
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    says:

    Should the lifeboat not have been a blue colour and the sinking Brexit rust bucket been red (and white)?

  51. Republicofscotland
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    says:

    A belter Chris, that really just about sums it up. Independence or Davy Jones locker.

  52. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Haha, brilliant toon.

    I think Derek Mackay quite enjoyed himself this year, handled himself well.

    Big splash by Sam Coates in Times today. Leaked documents on Operation Yellowhammer. The whole thing is such a joke, they can’t even cope with a bit of snow!

    Why does the record of this govt not hit home to Unionists, that if we crash out, we need only look at Grenfell, Windrush, poverty, NHS, and a fairly minor snowfall to see just how competent this govt are.

    They do of course specialise in kissing Trump or Saudi arse, or tax dodging, but apart from that, they can’t actually run a country.

  53. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Work place parking was in the proposed budget last year. It’s from a scheme in Nottingham that depending on who you believe either raised £9m since it started or from when it began.

    Those complaining about a loss of free parking will probably be in a minority and might also consider that any price waived or charged might actually be lower than what the tax man considers appropriate as a value for calculating it as a payment in kind.

    Put it this way, cheapest day rate in Glasgow is £5 last time I looked so your looking at a £1200 per year with holidays. That’s a ball park for “payment in kind” parking of your own personal vehicle for income tax and other purposes.

    HMRC aren’t daft so those already getting “free” parking might find they’re already being charged by them. If so then a £400 charge should reduce that liability. If not then making too much of a fuss might result in attention being drawn in their direction.

    At the same time their fellow workers might have something to say if they think their being taken for mugs.

  54. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain Mhor @10.38
    Exactly as you say Iain about the parking levy at work and the reaction to it. It doesn’t matter that the SNP are saying it is a local council decision, or that it was a Green condition to get the budget through. These are the direct impact things that cost you votes, elections and soft yes voters, as you point out.
    People are up in arms about this and I do hope it can be kicked into the long grass until after the referendum and then kicked even further out into the sea.
    Seemingly minor budget detail, but absolutely huge vote loser.

  55. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Just a wee heads-up for those who may have missed Nana’s bumper batch of links this morning, they’re on the previous thread – here’s a wee taster:

    https://www.irishtimes.com/business/brexit-exasperation-turns-to-anger-in-dublin-and-brussels-1.3778919#.XFTMv7_7bOE

    “The offer of cash subsidies to an MP for the benefit of his or her constituents provided the MP votes for the government’s withdrawal agreement is a breach of section 1 of the Bribery Act 2010”
    https://twitter.com/Resjudicatamyft/status/1091518995365277696

    Politicians have lost the plot. But lawyers still grasp Brexit realities
    http://archive.is/N7s05

    MUCH MORE coming out concerning David Cameron (+ Rothchilds + @George_Osborne ) Direct PERSONAL Involvement @RBS GRG along with ‘friends, advisors, officials, political allies”-I have already forewarned @kevinhollinrake as his political party
    https://twitter.com/RNW_MITCHELL/status/1091416777421148161

  56. Thomas Barrowman
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant.

  57. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Spot-on cartoon as usual.

    Noticed in today’s Herald that Tom Gordon in his column had more that a few harsh-ish words for each of the Unionist parties and their non-participation in the budget process. Basically saying what is the point of them.

    Re the workplace parking charge which someone mentioned upthread.
    This was one of the Green’s proposals but it is already being described by MSM etc as being the SNP’s idea.

    If I have understood it correctly then the Councils can levy the tax on employers who may or may not pass it on to their workers.

    But will the Councils actually use it?

  58. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t know if Nana did this one but you will not see it on the BBC

    Talking UP Scotland

    https://news.gov.scot/news/health-and-social-care-staff-satisfaction-remains-high

  59. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Iain mhor
    Madness from people living in a west-end flat in a big city, whose awareness of the great outdoor non-urban Scotland is the pair of eye-blinkers they have to put on taking the train between Glasgow and Edinburgh so they don’t see it and get the heebie-jeebies.

    “Oh, take a bus, there’s a bus stop right outside your door, one should be along in 5 minutes for your 9 to 5 office job, walk or use your pedal-bicycle and carry your 200 Kg weight of tools on your back. What do you mean “generator”?”.

  60. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    The benefit of having such inept opposition is that they present little in the way of credible alternatives. The downside being that democracy works better with intelligent debate.

  61. defo
    Ignored
    says:

    Going on a cruise for your next one CC?
    Harvie looking ace (as a game show host)

  62. ScotsRenewables
    Ignored
    says:

    Parking levy ‘huge vote loser’

    Aye right. Who will you vote for instead then, Sunshine? Scots heads no longer zip up the back when it comes to politics, awa’ an’ bile yours.

    Grown up consensus politics in action.

  63. vlad (not that one)
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T Just came across the EU comission’s list of anti-EU myths. at https://blogs.ec.europa.eu/ECintheUK/euromyths-a-z-index/

    My apologies in case everybody knows about this already.

  64. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain mhor, Totallly agree re workplace parking charges, when this was first talked about twenty years ago, there was a massive shitstorm at my work in Aberdeen. this could be the Snp’s poll tax moment, sometimes I despair.
    and before the usual suspects start on at me for SNP badding Ive been a member of the SNP on and off since the 70’s. Stupid Stupid decision.

  65. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Mmm, if this workplace parking levy is like Nottingham’s

    Those employers that provide 11 or more liable workplace parking places will need to pay a charge for each of those places.

    It does threfore exclude small units and businesses. Cost £415 per year – +VAT of £83 if the employer passes it on to the worker.

    http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/transport-parking-and-streets/parking-and-permits/workplace-parking-levy/wpl-costs-and-payments/

    A lot of exemptions, including parking spaces for vehicles used msotly to deliver and collect goods, fleet vehicles and so on.

    http://documents.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/download/1233

    Anyways, the whole of Scotland is luckily exempt as it does not lie within “Nottingham City Council’s administrative boundary“. Suck on that Sherriff of Nottingham!

  66. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @Scott,

    My wife actually created that system of measuring staff engagement from scratch. It is entirely new and innovative and now rolling out across the whole of Scotland.
    Companies abroad are also very interested in the system ,including Europe and America.

    I’m very proud of her

  67. Alba woman
    Ignored
    says:

    Beautifully drawn…excellent likeness…love to see your ideas on James Kelly Esquire.

  68. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    So WMD, nuclear subs, an alliance with the DUP, Brexit, Fracking, illegal wars, supplying bombs to be used on civilians, Tax give away to higher earners, ATOS, Universal credit etc etc are OK….but parking charge will be a vote looser?

    Have I got that right?

  69. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Colin Alexander says: 2 February, 2019 at 8:49 am:

    ” … According to Mr Peffers, there is no UK from then on. So there is no UK member of the EU either (does Scotland, England, Wales and N.Ireland automatically become members in their own right or what?).”

    It’s or what, Colin, and if you read and comprehended what I actually write you would know the answers to every question you now ask.

    The United Kingdom is legally a bipartite partnership of equally sovereign kingdoms.

    The kingdom of Scotland is a unitary country kingdom.

    The Kingdom of England is a kingdom of three unequal countries of which the country of England is the master and Wales & N.Ireland are English Dominions.

    The kingdom/Country of Scotland is NOT a legal dominion of England and, in any case, there is no actual parliament of either the country or the kingdom of England as Westminster is the United Kingdom Parliament.

    Factually the parliament of the Kingdom of England voted to permanently put itself into recess in April 1707. Thus neither the kingdom or the country of England has had a parliament since 1 May 1707.

    When Winnie Ewing opened the devolved parliament of Scotland she did not convene a new parliament – she reconvened the old Scottish Parliament that was prorogued on 30 April 1707. That means legally Holyrood is the prorogued, on 30 April 1707, old Scottish parliament reconvened.

    Sorry, Colin, but I cannot state the legal fact in any clearer manner. It is not my fault you do not understand plain English.

    Just for you here is a translation of a couple of English language words into English for you.

    bipartite = two partner agreement. N.Ireland & Wales are not United Kingdom partners they were/are integral parts of the Kingdom of England.

    Prorogued = a temporary parliamentary recess that can thus be ended at any time.

    To clarify even further – both Wales and Ireland were part of the English kingdom and thus have ne signatures on the Treaty of Union. So what joined the United Kingdom in 1707 was the three country Kingdom of England and what gets disunited if either signatory kingdom decides the partnership has ended are the Two kingdoms because the United Kingdom is a union of kingdoms – not a union of countries.

    Why must I have to keep repeating these simple truths for you, Colin, What is it about the simple term bipartite United Kingdom you do not understand?

    It’s like this – if you add an apple, an oranges and a bananas together you do not get three apples, or three oranges or even three bananas – you get a fruit salad.

    So when you add two kingdoms together you get a bigger kingdom and it doesn’t matter how many countries they have between then you do not get a bigger country – you get two kingdoms that contain several individual countries between them.

    How the English dominions of Wales and Ireland came to be integral parts of the Kingdom of England is a different argument and not that of the formation of the United Kingdom. A different case and a different concept.

    I believe, and I am not alone, that their annexation by the English crown was illegal. That does not make it the same legal case as that of The Kingdom of Scotland by a Treaty of Union then being treated as an English dominion from 1707 by the Westminster parliament that has always only been an equal union of kingdoms in name only.

    Wales and Ireland were already annexed by The English crown long before the Treaty of Union. I do however support both Wales and ALL Ireland in any case they make against their annexation by the Kingdom of England.

  70. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Bob Mack

    That’s amazing! Please pass my thanks along to Mrs M. Measuring this is so important to the health of our nation.

    It’s a service to Scotland, and to those staff engaged in a challenging field.

  71. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Just heard a warning on the radio just now that areas with snow should be aware that the snow could melt during the day and freeze again at night!

    I guess they don;t get it very often.

  72. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks ScotsRenewables @12.35, haha, my head has no desire to be boiled, but I shall keep it in mind
    If you think that charging workers to park their car at work is a vote winner then I think your head is zipped up the back, as you put it.
    As for asking “who will you vote for instead then?” That is a worry right there. If you think that people will keep voting for a party because the other parties are rubbish, you are sadly mistaken.
    Politics hates a vacuum and if all the parties end up with shit policies over time, then another party will come along and Hoover up those votes.
    And before you ask, I have voted SNP for over 30years. That was at the time in Paisley when SNP councillor Jim Mitchell was walking about the high street with a cardboard cut out tv on his head shouting that the Tories weren’t getting on his tv.
    Can’t remember what it was about, but he worked with us and took pelters for it.
    Sorry, got diverted there, but let’s just say, at that time, being in power was a dream time away.
    Parking charge = vote loser.

  73. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    Lenny Hartley @ 12.49
    Snap, I saw your post after I had posted.
    I remember that time too. I worked with the council and it was a huge thing for the guys who took their work van home.
    Anyhow, no point arguing with others about it, as only time will tell.

  74. ScotsRenewables
    Ignored
    says:

    I ask you again, Sunshine, who will you vote for. Will you vote for one of the Unionist parties to save a few pennies and keep the right to pollute our cities at no cost?

    Will you jeapordise our independence because a few pounds a week to clean up the air in our cities that is killing our children is too much to stomach? Will any of the 45?

    It’s not a big deal, not inherently a bad thing, and was a necessary concession to get the budget passed. Yes, it could be a vote loser for the greens with a small number of people who only give the Greens their second vote because they are pro-Indy, but it is not going to be a vote loser for the SNP because it was not originally their policy.

    Portraying it as a massive vote loser makes you seem like a concern troll, despite your protestations of being a lifelong SNP voter. The budget is passed now, and no-one knows whether councils will even take advantage of this. If they do, then employers should swallow the charges.

    So let’s move on, eh?

  75. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    For those hearing people agitated about the workplace parking charge, read that Nottingham link – presuming the Scottish schemes would be similar, it excludes many who would be complaining. Basically it only affects those working for large companies and large car parks – and I doubt mostly they’d pass that on to employees, charging them nearly £500 each a year including VAT. They’d swallow the cost, possibly depending on public transport accessibility.

    It’ll calm people down until details are known because on the face of it it could be a serious vote loser, and yes the SNP will get the blame, but reality could be way different.

    In theory if it encourages large companies to provide tnansport as many used to in the old days if there’s no suitable public transport, then all to the good. And hey, apart from using a blue bin and the brown one, I’m very much NOT a Green. Oil? Luvly jubly.

  76. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @ScotsRenewables
    It’s not a few pennies, it’s getting on for £500 quid a year.

    Lucky you if you can afford that suddenly to be taken out of your weekly food budget.

  77. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Clootie 1:00pm

    Yes, you have that correct.
    We may concern ourselves with the machinery and vast panorama of political issues – but “I’ll vote for whoever keeps my bus pass” is an actual thing.
    My pension, my meagre tax credit, my tiny pay rise, my rent increase – ad infinitum. Issues around closing the sports centre, community hall, primary school, nursery school, library, state of the town centre – These and many more are very real single issues to people an they lose seats.
    Fingers will be pointed squarely at local authorities, local MSP’s, the Scottish Government and those fingers do not care one iota who is ultimately responsible or which party.

  78. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    Well, ScotsRenewables @ 1.23 I would have moved on but for the usual “makes you seem like a concerned troll” garbage and by extension anyone who agrees with me may also be a concerned troll.
    I feel that there are going to be a lot of regulars on here who are now according to ScotsRenewables, trolls.
    The proposed charge won’t affect me, but out of the nine of us at work yesterday only two of us were holding the line for the SNP.
    Most people are not political, but this will be a direct tax out of their pocket and then they become political against the PARTY who brought it in. Not the Greens, not the council, but the SNP.
    Come on, most people know that it is not nuclear weapons or the house of lords etc that everyday voters bother about it’s things that directly affect them/us.
    I will just keep on voting SNP as I want independence at all costs, but these little costs like the parking charge stick in peoples minds and if they are undecided then we may well lose their vote.
    Can we please stop with the troll stuff everybody, it’s so yesterday

  79. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Wasn’t it Labour who introduced parking charges at work originally when they created the PFI hospitals then organised car parks to charge the nurses doctors and staff who worked in them or am I over simplifying that

    On the face of it car parking charges looks like an awful and stupid move but……
    Because it was the Greens who insisted on this as part of their budget compliance vote I have a sneaky feeling that this may be more to do with big companies who own huge plots of land attached to their buildings they don’t make use of except to allow workers to park their cars in but as part of their future strategies being that the price of land goes up and up

    At a guess I don’t think the Greens mean councils to attack workplaces that have a bit of access space for vehicles and a bit of parking I think this is aimed at bigger fish

    If it ever happens at all that is because if the SNP over time look at this and see it working badly or against them you can bet your boots it’ll get binned or heavily amended giving Patrick something to moan about next time

    Remembering of course that councils don’t have to apply any charges at all, it’s up to them so I guess the SNP councils probably won’t do it except maybe very selectively if I’m correct in my judgement of the Greens strategy on big business land ownership

  80. ScotsRenewables
    Ignored
    says:

    https://indylive.radio

    Need to get this listed on http://vtuner.com/setupapp/guide/asp/help/suggeststation.asp

    So it appears on the list of internet radio stations on Roberts internet radios and others.

    Please click the vtuner link and fill in a request

  81. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    When the National newspaper first came out Britnats everywhere were hiding it under copies of anything on the newstands, then as time went on they gave up doing that and accepted the paper was there and there wasn’t much point in doing that because we all dug them out and placed them back where they were or on top of Britnat papers

    They’re hiding them again

  82. ScotsRenewables
    Ignored
    says:

    Sunshine,

    Would you have preferred no budget and an enforced general election?

    I don’t see what purpose moaning on here about it serves.

  83. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Dr Jim
    You could be right. Looking backwards, if an employer sets up in the leafy suburbs of Big City with a new build spaking HQ or clear industrial complex, it puts in planning and talks to the councils, and one of the things that comes up in planning is access. That’s roads, but also public transport. If that’s inadequate, then it’s up to the company to provide works buses – or the council, bus routes.

    Nottingham apparently are obliged to put every single penny they collect towards public trnasport, green transport. If it encouraged councils to invest in hydrogen buses and depots (like Aberdeen), then perhaps buses could also be made available for private company hire. And if the company signed up to a deal, perhaps its parking charges could be waived for 3 to 5 years to allow the scheme to bed in.

    Then the company, instead of acres of car parking spaces for its 10,000 employees makes that space into a green space, walkways, duck ponds, fountains, chicken coops, reducing stress for lunchtime strolling workers.

    Just like they do in Holland and Germany 🙁

  84. Roughian
    Ignored
    says:

    Just looking at BBC Scotland news page. Article by Elizabeth Quigley about Lumberjacks from Belize coming over here to work during WW2. I wasn’t aware of this but makes sense if our workers were away fighting. However some of the comments are worth a look from a “journalist”.
    “They had to zigzag across the Atlantic because there were U-boats and Nazi submarines. I thought U-boats were submarines and why Nazi ones not German?
    “They had to be wary because they thought they could get bombed at any time.” Bombed from a submarine, new to me!!
    He was sent to a freezing Ullapool to work with a forestry unit cutting mahogany trees. Mahogany from Ullapool!!! Didn’t realise we lived in the tropics.

  85. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    “cleaN industrial”, i.e. not smoky stinky dirty.

  86. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    The Greens proposal was ‘Give authorities with one hand – tax the people with the other..
    Yes it’s a concern is it concern trolling? Yeah yeah troll yeah blah blah. I acknowledged it was a “proposition” a “possibility” not necceasarily to be mandatory if rolled out at all. But, I honestly think some posters have never worked or certainly have no idea how things function nowadays.
    I can tell you right now, that if a local authority gets the faintest whiff of a money making scheme, it will be all over it before the ink is dry.

    I haven’t heard a single word about Brexit, the constitutional state of the United Kingdom, decommissioning oil rigs, the state of WMD’s at Faslane or Catalonian political prisoners – Nope, talk of the steamie is parking charges. Damage done.
    Mitigating the damage is the order of the day. Nobody is concern trolling here. The OP was “The budget” My topic was the budget and how it may affect potential and current Indy voters. So less snash fae detractors and oot fae the keyboard and have a listen to the workies. It was a sair fekn fecht as things were – that parking nonsense is just a pile of shite I could have done without trying to explain. There’s a concept of ‘the straw that broke the camels back’ now I’m just hearing “ach f*** the lot of them, I’m not interested, they’re all the same”
    Remember that phrase? Pretty much had convinced so many people that was not the case. Took a long time and hard work. So yes I’m fukn pissed off I have to start all over again.

  87. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    I want free parking say drivers. Why? Because I am a driver and I’m special.

    What about the rest of us who use buses and trains. Why should we pay for your free perk.

    Anyway the GREENS can defend the decision as well as any council wishing to bring it into play. The option is there. Strange that I supported the SNP – on and off for years should blame the SNP. Parliament voted for it.

    The opposition have no idea on how to raise funds for councils.

  88. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Re: car parking charges nonsense.

    It is easily batted away with “if you want to end parking charges, vote Yes, that way we will have MORE MONEY to spare for EVERYTHING in Scotland”.

    More for Schools.

    More for Policing.

    More for Health services.

    More for Local Services (might even get back to a weekly bin uplift!!)

    More for infrastructure builds.

    More for fire services.

    More for eradicating homelessness.

    More for better public service wage increases.

    More for leisure facilities.

    More for investment in jobs.

    More for investment in Tourism.

    More for investment in a humane social security service, which would help even more than the newly set up system will, stuck in the union.

    More money for fecking everything.

    Or you can vote No, get none of the above, and wait to see what else will be burdened upon Society as WM cuts to the Holyrood budget gets less and less annually.

    No other party will mitigate or even attempt to mitigate WM policies affecting Scotland, so if you think car parking at work is a vote loser, when the ALTERNATIVE is TORY or LABOUR ruling Holyrood, you have rocks in your head.

    I would actually be tempted to threaten to withdraw ALL recent pay offers to public sector workers and state that, “due to hyper inflationary wage demands by labour led trade unions, and continued WM austerity, the Scottish Government can no longer afford the wages demanded by labour and their unions, and the only way these levels of wage demands can possibly be met, are in an independent Scotland, unrestrained by WM and its austerity policy CHOICES”.

    Imagine the spluttering labour and unions response to that !!

    “Car parking at work made me vote unionist parties” Aye, sure it did!!

  89. stewartb
    Ignored
    says:

    On the Workplace Parking Levy (WPS), its important to remember that the SG has agreed to allow Local Authorities to use this form of revenue generation but only if they wish (with certain conditions) – it is ENABLING.

    Its also worth remembering that Scotland is now (simply) catching up with what has been possible for some time in England and Wales. The power for LAs to use a WPL was contained in the UK Labour Government’s ‘Transport Act 2000’. The subsequent Tory/Lib Dem Coalition Government specifically opted NOT to amend Labour’s enabling legislation . It’s also worth recalling that in Wales the 1998 transport White Paper for Wales, published by the Labour Welsh Assembly Government, stated: “We will ensure that local authorities are able to use a substantial proportion of funds raised from road user charging or workplace parking levies to further improve public transport”.

    For more on the background see this:
    House of Commons Library (2012) Roads: Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). Standard Note SN628 https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN00628

    This HoC Library briefing also records that on 16 June 1999 the then Scottish First Minister, Donald Dewar, announced that the Scottish Parliament’s first legislative programme would include a Transport Bill, which would “establish a framework to enable, where sensible, road-user charging and to allow, where appropriate, to introduce a levy on workplace parking”. The provision to introduce parking levies was subsequently removed from the Transport Bill in Committee. According to reports, this was a result of lobbying on the Scottish Executive from business.

    As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Nottingham City is the only LA in England and Wales to opt to use this power: it has been doing so since 2012. I understand it has raised £53.7 million for the city’s coffers to date, all ploughed back into the city’s transport system. Despite (or because of?) introducing a WPL in 2012, Nottingham City Council has been controlled by the Labour Party, and with a comfortable majority, ever since! Indeed Labour won more seats on the City Council in 2015 than it did in 2011, before the introduction of the new Levy! (By the way there have been no Greens on the City Council since 1995.)

    London has the power to use a WPL but has opted so far to tackle its transport problems by using a congestion charge instead. I understand that currently Bristol, Cambridge, Oxfordshire, Reading and in London, Hounslow, Merton and Camden have the introduction of a WPL under active consideration.

  90. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    RE: the status of Gibraltar as a colony.

    Methinks somebody’s tellin’ porkies…

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyYzCG1WsAA9OEG.jpg:large

  91. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    ScotsRenewables @1.58 I’m not the only one who is moaning on here about it, but you seem to have stuck to my arse like a limpet.;-)
    I think it’s only natural to point out things that your “normal” voters, like your work colleagues are on about. In the old days it was Fags and beer taxes, now it is this. I see work places as like a big focus group and the vibe is usually right.
    I’ve made my point, you have made yours, let’s move on as I know that minor spats like this get on everybody else’s nerves and ruin the thread.
    I will say no more about this subject, pinky promise!

  92. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Sunshine @1.46.

    Yet here you are, still pushing the SNP BAD agenda…hmm.

  93. Colin Alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain mhor

    I regularly talk about Scotland’s sovereignty and Brexit etc but, I’m just “Coco” for doing so.

    Instead it’s been days wasted on Wings slagging the Greens and discussing the colonial govt and waste of space MSPs from the Tories, Labour and LibDems.

  94. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow, just wow. More please!

  95. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t worry Sunshine. There will be a consultation. After that, a system will be devised which meets the approval of most voters. After that, Local Authorities may introduce the charge or not. Those who do can use the money raised to improve public transport.

    By that time, parking tax will be so normal that we will forget there ever was a time when we didn’t pay for it. Like banning smoking in the workplace.

    Ditto tourist tax. Switzerland has been taxing tourists for decades and still enjoys a steady trade.

  96. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve made a pinky promise geeo. Don’t make me break my pinky promise or there will be hell to pay.
    I get what you are saying to me and I have admitted before that I moan a lot when I post. I can see how it might read and look, but trust me, you won’t get a bigger independence suporter than me. Well maybe my wife!
    The thing is, if people are suspicious that you are a troll, there is really no way to disprove that. I’m too thick to be a troll. It takes me all my time to think of my next word never mind typing it and being a troll.
    I’m heading out with my dog, his tails always wagging. Let’s get our tails wagging, we are nearly there and no point at having a pop at each other.
    Right where is the bloody lead?

  97. Tam fae somewhere
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Media starting to report Brexit issues now. Exports shipped to Far East take 6 weeks to get there. They will need the “correct” paperwork for post-Brexit in place before the goods start their journey – therefore starting in 2 weeks time.

    Let the chaos start…..

  98. Maria F
    Ignored
    says:

    Wonderful cartoon. I particularly like Rennie’s face. But where is Leonard? Is he already hiding inside the lifeboat?

  99. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    Cracking “Toon” Chris.
    Wee “what’s the point of” Rennie, should be really worried, Dipshit Queens eleven with the ropes! does he have the ability to tie his own shoe laces?
    The amount of brass on the necks of the two colonialists, nothing would keep them afloat.
    Glug, Glug.
    Indy Ref 2? Aye.

  100. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    All three of the Scottish Unionist Party coalition voted against every principle they have regarding Scotland’s finances people and governance just because they don’t like the SNP

    Meaning and showing they don’t give a toss about the country or the people they are supposed to serve but only follow orders by remote control from London who tell them not to co-operate with or on issues pertaining to Scotland

    In my book that means all three of the Scottish Unionist Party should be held in contempt of parliament for refusing to engage in the parliament of the people they were elected to serve

    Engagement in debate is not enough in a parliament where proportional representation creates positions for opposition who were not voted in by the electorate to collect money for themselves

  101. Dave Robb
    Ignored
    says:

    For years Slab and Libdems have bleated about Central Government not allowing Local Government any flexibility in terms of their own funding, imposing a straightjacket on business rates and capping the council tax.

    Guess what PERMITTING a tourist tax, imposing parking charges and raising the council tax ceiling does? It allows councils the ability to pick any, all, or NONE of these levers.

    Scottish Borders Council – Tory run – has already refused to impose a tourist tax. Their choice – but Edinburgh is keen.

    This deal also included more central funding as well. It’s up to your local council whether to do any extra above this, or impose more cuts instead. It’s a political choice, just as Westminster said about the block grant and Scottish income tax.

    Our preferred solution for the latter is independence and control of ALL the levers. Maybe local councils need to consider how to use the extra powers they will now have in a responsible way.

    There is no magic money tree, except the one used to bribe the DUP, and apparently now to bribe selected Labour MPs.

    The proposals are going to focus attention on local priorities, and once the heat dies down , what’s the betting that Tory/Lab coalitions will be harder to build, given that one wants cuts and the other wants services.

  102. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    @sunshine: “I’ve made a pinky promise geeo. Don’t make me break my pinky promise or there will be hell to pay”
    …….

    Comedy gold, what are you going to do exactly ?

    Cry ?

    Shout ?

    Become abusive ?

    People who shout SNP BAD in every other post, then claim to be the “bestest most best indy supporter ever” rarely are.

    Look at coco on here for example….

  103. mr thms
    Ignored
    says:

    Very funny cartoon.

    Reminded me of the movie “Dumb and Dumber”

  104. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe some misconstrued my point, which was never the ideology behind the scheme or how laudable it may or may not be – “Vote Labour/Tory/Libdem to get rid of the SNP’s hated Tax” is already here and Unions will not be far behind calling for exemptions to the SNP’s ‘invidious tax on underpaid employees. Perhaps Labour and the EIS could campaign on the issue for a few months? – Slow handclap.

    Thanks @stewartb for the info above, much appreciated – it is going to be important to use all available arguments to counteract this on the ground and it also helps general constructive dialogue here – especially if I’m pointing the concerned to Wings to convince them, or I’m fending off bees for two days, fighting a rearguard defense with sparse info. People ridiculing this topic and implying it’s not worth a discussion – ‘just move on, the plebs always greet about budgets – fuck them’ just don’t help matters much.

  105. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    On the Workplace Parking Levy (WPS)

    Those bringing up issues on it- please could you pass on your concerns to the following rabids;

    James Kelly- naw a’ll no take an intervention!
    Murdo Fraser- pass
    Wullie Rennie – nae mair independence referendums

    I’m sure they know all about TAXES and how we should levy them!
    well maybe not- just saying like.

    Sunshine + Iain mhor – tranquilo guys, more important things to worry about in future- just saying

  106. Referendum1707
    Ignored
    says:

    o/t
    Very interesting site I found recently, well informed articles and insightful commentary btl.

    https://www.moonofalabama.org

  107. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave Robb @ 3.20pm

    Good post, if British Alliance-controlled councils start complaining about the SNP not giving them the funding they want, the SNP can use the argument which has often been levelled at them: “You have the powers but will not use them.” Ba-boom!!

    Of course, with Independence, everything will change.

  108. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    This is like arguing with a Scottish unionist…

    No wonder England is in trouble.

    https://www.facebook.com/659844274106847/posts/2057421624349098/

  109. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Comment I made on Twitter to a BritNat, Brexit-drooling eejit with UJ in his name-tag:

    “The Butcher’s Apron won’t put food kind your kids’ stomachs or provide them with any meds the might need. Wisen up FFS.”

    To which another BritNat replied:

    “The Scottish nurse with ebola was saved by an English hospital, not a Scottish one.”

    I really effing despair.

  110. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    *in* not *kind*

  111. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    the gers huv hud 4 penalties so far -wtf, but murdo missed his.

  112. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    @geeo 4.31pm

    Half my family are English and exactly like that guy

    Stupid moronic numpties who can’t add up or have ever read a document not printed by the Daily Mail

    A freakin nightmare like Plague of the bloody Zombies

  113. remo
    Ignored
    says:

    clootie @1.00pm
    That is a brilliant comment and says it all. Can I copy it? I could use it as ammunition against idiots. It is Kryptonite for Britnats.

  114. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    @Proud Cybernat

    If they weren’t illogical, blinkered, and fact aversed, they wouldn’t be BritNats, would they? 😉

  115. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    Sitting down to enjoy Ireland v England when the commentator on ITV says “Looking forward to the England team rediscovering its Englishness”

    As Mrs Brown would say “That’s niiiice”

  116. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    C’mon Ireland!!!

  117. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Brexit for Scotland is the same as being dragged kicking and screaming on board the Titanic when we know it’s going to sink.

  118. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    geeo@4.31.
    Time to stock up on ,rose tinted spectacles , spam, corned beef, lard, tripe, spotted dick, jam just like the “good old days”, oh aye and ration books. When merry Engerland realises it’s FKD we can sell it to them at a huge profit.
    Every time you hear one of those proud, “we (Engerland) won the war” (on their own of course) delusional muppets, you picture the soundtrack to the “Battle of Bwitain ” playing in their heads.
    They are in for a mighty shock when reality bites.

  119. Sunshine
    Ignored
    says:

    Geeo @ 3.24
    It was a bit of humour geeo, just a bit of humour to lighten the mood. Going to need the kryptonite humour on you I see. 😉 lighten up man.

  120. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Gibraltar is a naval outpost giving the UK a foothold but not necessarily any rights to territorial waters. Depending on the treaty granting the UK possession the presence of non military personnel might be considered a breech. In other words it’s a colony who’s legality is questionable.

    A similar confusion might exist as far as Berwick goes in that it’s described as not of England but under England’s jurisdiction. Which means that post independence Scotland will have a valid claim on it.

  121. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    “Stupid moronic numpties who can’t add up or have ever read a document not printed by the Daily Mail, A freakin nightmare like Plague of the bloody Zombies” @Dr Jim says at 4:51 pm

    For those in rUK (both the blinkered and the British Nationalists in Scotland), those mushrooms who have been kept in the dark and fed shit via the BBC and printed BritNat Press it’ll be like a dam bursting when Brexit bites

    It’ll be worse for them when Scotland is Independent and our resources aren’t available to service their national debt.

    To say that these people will be less than pleased with the Establishment and their enablers in the Press is an understatement.

  122. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    Non EU English (bastards) are beating our fellow EU member state,Ireland.

  123. Colin Alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers

    I enjoy reading your essays on Scottish political history.

    But, have you no considered that when Winnie Ewing announced the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament, it was political rhetoric?

    The auld Scottish Parliament exercised Scotland’s sovereign power and used that power to overrule The Scottish Crown: they sacked King James VII.

    The current Scottish Parliament was overruled by London lords regarding the Continuity Bill and devolved powers power grab to WM, so is a subservient colonial con.

  124. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    From WoS twitter

    ” Westminster voting intention:

    CON: 41% (+4)
    LAB: 34% (-6)
    LDEM: 8% (+1)
    UKIP: 7% (-)
    GRN: 4% (-)

    via @OpiniumResearch, 30 Jan – 01 Feb “

    Corbyn’s hasn’t exactly impressed over Brexit, but has May really done ‘so well’ as to attract votes!?

  125. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Still slavering, coco ?

    To “reconvene” the Scots Parliament means there must be a parliament being referenced to be able to reconvene it ?

    Which Scottish parliament, apart from the pre 1707 Scottish Parliament, are you suggesting Winnie Ewing was referencing ?

    According to your logic, if i state that my football team (Falkirk, for my sins) won 3-0 today, then i could just be saying Barcelona won 3-0, just because…..!!

    It appears you are under-diluting your ribena, coco.

  126. frogesque
    Ignored
    says:

    @Colin A

    Winnie’s address to the Scottish Parliament was a statement of fact and no one, repeat, no one has ever disproved it.

  127. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    @sunshine.

    I will “lighten up” when you quit the SNP BAD every other post.

    Over to you.

  128. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    I see jezza has moved effortlessly from personal abuse to anti English bigotry.

    Reported.

  129. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    A really love the English,,,I just have a strange way of showing it.

    Oh how we laughed!!!

  130. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    There are some seriously deluded (and dangerous) supporters of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

    “It will all be so easy” …. Aye, where have we heard that before!

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/plan-b-brexiteers-look-for-a-back-door-around-the-backstop-1.3780411

  131. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    Note to self:-

    Ignore the site wankers geeo and Cubby.

  132. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain mhor at 10.38
    Why are you mimicking unionist shite? It is the councils who will decide whether to set in parking charges, not the SNP Government.

  133. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Not to smart,Jezza.

    Reported. Again.

  134. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    Ignored again.

  135. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Express … “A TORY Brextieer has blasted the EU for its “ungrateful” Brexit behaviour and demanded Brussels show the UK respect for its role in liberating Europe during World War Two.”

    …. now that has left me speechless!

  136. Colin Alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    frogesque

    It suited the Unionist agenda to pretend it was the real Scottish Parliament to try and kill off the demand for Scotland’s independence.

    It suited the SNP agenda to demonstrate that their pressure for indy had led to the creation of A Scottish Parliament, even though it’s no the real Scottish Parliament that exercised sovereignty.

    Clever woman, Winnie Ewing.

    Now that bubble has been burst, by the Lords and Supreme Court, by exposing devolution as a unionist sham of democracy, it then shows how we need a real Scottish Parliament that can exercise sovereignty. That the only real solution is the exercising of sovereignty. Devolution is a waste of time.

  137. jezza
    Ignored
    says:

    “Mr Campbell,,,,he said a bad word”

    WHAT A FUCKIN WANKER!!!

  138. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Dave McEwan Hill

    I’ll be sure and remind the voters of that while campaigning.

    “Heh dumbfucks it’s the council not the Scottish Government understand?” The council set the budget? “No the Scottiah Government set it” So the SNP set it? “No the Greens demanded it was included in the Scottish budget but the decision is up to your local council. “What the fuck are you talking about it’s an SNP council and an SNP government what have the Greens got to do with it?”
    Over to you Dave – good luck and thanks for your incisive input there.

  139. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Chickens coming home to roost?

    Nissan has just announced a ‘u-turn’ in Sunderland and may be about to cancel the new vehicle planned to be built there with massive job losses, because of Brexit.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-47102708

    No comment!

  140. Fairliered
    Ignored
    says:

    Galamcennalath:

    It will be interesting to see if there has been an increase in don’t knows. It will also be interesting to see the Scottish subsample.

  141. stewartb
    Ignored
    says:

    Much has been written here today about the SG’s proposed enabling legislation over Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). I don’t know whether it will be prove to be an optimum policy for every (or any) city and town in Scotland but, just as it has been in England and Wales for ages, it seems to me this and other ways to solve local problems and raise revenue locally should be evaluated by Local Authorities themselves who are answerable to their local electorates. Let them take more responsibility: let their residents show responsibility by casting their votes in much greater numbers at the ballot box in local elections.

    If we are to become an independent country we will need to face up to lots of new decisions/new choices: we will need to be open to consideration of very substantial change. That’s also part and parcel of being a ‘progressive’ and not a ‘conservative’, not a ‘reactionary’.

    Not every new idea will turn out to merit implementation after due evaluation or trialing but let’s not make snap judgements after a few days. Personally I welcome the Greens pressing innovative ideas on the SG – whilst we may be focused on independence as the prime, necessary outcome, we can demonstrate now an openness to assessing progressive and innovative public policy in Scotland even before independence. Thankfully, the SG is already open to doing this in many policy areas!

    For those interested in learning more about WPL see this: https://www.centreforcities.org/blog/workplace-parking-levy-answer-cities-transport-congestion-problems/

    ‘Why a Workplace Parking Levy could help solve cities’ transport and congestion problems: the example of Nottingham shows how a Workplace Parking Levy can generate funding for public transport and free up land.’ (Blog post published on 2 January 2018)

  142. Pete Barton
    Ignored
    says:

    @ stewartb: good writing, clarifies the way forward in may ways.

    While we do not want competition between council areas, opportunities lie ahead for co-operation and innovation without central government being blamed for centralisation.

  143. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    anyone on the https://indylive.radio/ facebook page please ask them to sync the song being played to there now playing guide which is all over the place. thanks

  144. Pete
    Ignored
    says:

    I was against work place parking but if it is based on how you get to work ok. I have to drive as a bus takes 3 hours over 45 min drive do you want to be up at 5 am or 7am, but I am 100% yes so will pay as sleep if it’s is needed wings take so long to read, happy ( hopefully new year). From a part time poster.

  145. Scot Finlayson
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done the Scottish Government for passing the Budget,

    as Nicola says,

    conversation not confrontation.

    The Union started with two woman (Mary,Elizabeth) and it will end with two woman(Nicola ,May)

    so says the brahman seer (1759ish).

  146. Liz g
    Ignored
    says:

    Scot Finlayson @ 10.28
    I like to think of it as starting with an
    Elizabeth the First
    and ending with
    Elizabeth (Lizzie) the Last…

  147. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    So basically speaking though the workplace parking charge is a thing, a way of councils getting a bit of extra dosh they’re expected to spend on transport, it’s all a bit arsy about facey. First you need the tech:

    http://www.h2aberdeen.com/home/H2-Aberdeen-hydrogen-bus.aspx

    then a follow-on project like Dundee

    https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/hydrogen-fuelled-buses-set-for-roll-out-to-clean-up-streets-of-dundee/

    Then you get these refuelling electrolysis areas more compact and efficient and stick them in – yes – new build business parks. They can then also cater for increasing private hydrogen fuelled vehicles, hybrid electric.

    THEN you put in the parking charge for non-green private transport, and businesses in the park will have a dirty smelly smoky area and a nice clean area with electric points. Which, by the way, could also be used to power in-vehicle heaters that can be programmed to go on 20 minutes before leaving work on a cold icy day (such as I had when working in Sweden decades ago).

    Then in the clean part you have a manual and a driverless / semi-driverless part (kept separate obviously!).

    Your movement from desk or workshop to carpark is GPS tracked, the car is shuffled out if its automatically valeted tight block and awaits your exit from the covered walkway of your choice, defrosted, demisted and comfortably warm for you.

    There are open walkways though parks and flowers ‘n that (sniff),with a large aviary for those on the other thread, and covered ones for Scottish weather that are pleasant and destressing for your lunch break, and can also take you to a shopping mall in the middle or on one edge of the business park. The business park is connected by fast transit to the / a city centre.

    Scotland makes the 22nd century – early.

  148. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh yeah, and how is the whole park heated? Well, duh!

  149. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    LizG@10.39
    “Brenda the last” has a certain ring to it.

  150. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Previously on-board Cairnstoon ’18 RMS Titanic:
    https://wingsoverscotland.com/ship-of-fools/

    NOW the angle of entry from back then is deepening and all of the deckchairs are gone and in the water. YOU know how the story ends.

    (the above is for new Wings readers of post-October 06, 2018)

    To confirm, the ship has NOW split in the middle, the sea is pouring in.

    Ahm awa tae retrieve ma Barefoot rouge frae ma aquarium.

    It’s February ’19, it’s the first Saturday night Scotland…

    Reality check… HMS Brexit IS A REAL SHIP!!!

    All aboard INDYREF 2.

    Let’s party!

    NB ps keep the below on in the background until eternity…
    https://indylive.radio/

  151. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @sassenach says: 2 February, 2019 at 9:29 am:

    ” … I see Mr coco is getting his anti-SNP rant in early today.
    He’s trying to cause ANOTHER ‘civil war’………..hahahaha!! What a clown.”

    Either he is incredibly dense or he is labouring under the impression he is upsetting me, (He does often mention me in his dispatches). Nothing could be further from the truth. I never get upset at anything political. I’ve been too long a political animal to let anyone bother me.

    So I just take his possibly deliberate failure to understand simple and true concepts at face value. So that leaves only the conclusion that he really doesn’t take the plain truth in and/or doesn’t understand plain standard English Language.

  152. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    I haven’t paid any attention at all to this idea of a “Workplace Parking Levy” that the Greens sought as their price for supporting the SNP budget.

    I’ve had a look now and can see the MSN exploiting it as best they can as an attack on the SNP. Here’s an example:

    Teachers sound alarm over Scotland’s work parking tax

    Plans to introduce a new tax on work parking spaces in Scotland could force teachers to quit the profession by increasing their financial burden, the nation’s largest teaching union has warned.

    What kind of disingenuous rubbish is this?

    Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel, don’t know about you but this over the top reporting is starting to get right on my nerves.

    The reality is this, there will be no charging of anyone unless the council responsible decides to introduce such charges. The charge is to the employer and not the employee. Here’s how the BBC describe it.

    This would see employers pay an annual tax to the council for every parking space they provide for employees.

    Employers could then choose whether to pass on the cost to their staff.

    I’ll be honest in saying that I don’t have a problem with this at all, in the late 70’s when I as serving my apprenticeship in the shipyard there were council buses that took the majority of the workers from their houses to their work.

    Hundreds of men got to and from work on these buses because they were made available. You didn’t need a car and if you were my age wouldn’t have one anyway.

    If public transport was much better few of us would need cars but I doubt public transport will ever get “better” before it is publicly owned as it used to be.

    Something better change 🙂

  153. Liz g
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers @ 10.54
    Quite right… it’s almost impossible to upset someone who loves to debate!!!
    When ye are sure of yer ground,, why.. it’s almost a pleasure to see the decent into insults!
    But only “almost “ because good debate, as I’m sure you will agree informs the argument?
    Ayhoo
    How are ye keeping Robert?

  154. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Tory incompetence worse than we thought possible
    We need to talk about the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement Implementation) Bill.
    Behind the scenes a constitutional outrage is brewing quietly.
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1091734003265224708.html

  155. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Here’s the original tweet re the above so you can read the comments below.

    https://twitter.com/pauldalyesq/status/1091734003265224708

  156. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Would be good if someone could archive this

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6661607/Tories-pencil-June-6-polling-day-delaying-Article-50-securing-Brexit-deal-April.html

    Tories pencilling in June 6th for a GE – That explains all the propaganda videos beginning to be released.

    Trying the same trick to bind Nicola’s hands as 2017!

    The Daily Heil thinks she will extend Art 50 past March, get her deal through in April and call an election on D-Day, June 6th to cement herself in power till 2022.

    If that’s her plan she makes it tricky for Nicola to find a window for Indy ref2. Maybe it will have to be a GE with Independence as the prize.

    Wonder if the WM MP’s can put a spanner in the works on Feb 13th?

    If she has a 6% lead now it would be hard to ignore that, especially if it increases.

    Hmmm!

  157. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Meg merrilees

    “Tories pencilling in June 6th for a GE”

    I wouldn’t believe everything that you read in the papers, especially from the Mail. Anyhow, here’s the article archived 🙂

    http://archive.fo/WTs3F

  158. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    PM’s office denies report of June 6 election plan
    http://archive.vn/7ijHv

  159. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    HMS Brexit is a real ship.

    – Willie is dreaming of all things iEngland (and has sharted himsel)
    – Murdo is tring to undo the undo-able knot (cause of the Rennie fumes)
    – Scottish Finance Secretary (oor Derek) asks YOU in awe and wonderment

    INDYREF 2

    SCO there’s your options.

    The previous Status Quo is no more.

  160. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    Thought I should clarify my earlier post from 10:56pm.

    The council provided buses were almost a door to door service, there were buses starting in every scheme in Dundee that picked you up at the normal bus stop nearest your house.

    They also sat in a long line at the end of work ready to take you home, maybe a dozen or so but that would transport 500 workers easy. It wasn’t just the ship yard that this so to did the likes of the Timex and Levis in Dundee.

    You know what I think, this is common sense. If all people want to do is get from home to work and back then why bother taking a car if there is another means of transport available that is either free or nearly free?

    That’s the way to go in the future, yes we can all have cars but make public transport so readily available that we only need use our own when absolutely necessary and there is no other option.

    Well that’s how I feel, wish it could happen to be honest as it would pay off in more ways than one. I’d get rid of my car for starters and stop paying road tax, insurance, petrol, servicing, new tires ect. ect. ect.

  161. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    Strongly SNP, even stood as a candidate once.

    Car parking charge bad idea. Understand why they are pushing to discourage car use however excellent reliable fast public transport has to be in place before you attack the voting car driver.

    In my own case I can drive to work in 10 minutes cost of about £1 return journey. Thats a total of 20 minutes onto my working day.

    I can of course get the train 2 hours cost of about £8 return journey. Thats a total of 4 hours onto my working day.

    Do the sums, no madness please, only vote winners just now please.

  162. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Thepnr @ 10.56pm

    Of course if the Councils decide to adopt the WLP then they would be levying the charge on themselves because the Councils are employers of such people as teachers.

    Lots of consultations to take place before any Council applies this in any shape or form.

    Taken together with the increase in the cap to the Council Tax the SNP and Greens have, I think, turned the tables on the Councils and the Unionist parties very neatly.

    Now the SG can say you wanted more money well use the powers we have given you to raise the money.

    But we have to keep hammering home at every opportunity that:
    a) The SG had increased the money given to Councils to £11.1 billion. Some news reports before the deal was reached with the greens made it sound as if there was no increase in funding to the Councils in the SG’s budget.

    b) The Councils wanted more money. And more powers.

    c) None of the Unionist parties suggested ways to do this despite the fact that the majority of Councils are lead by Unionist parties in various combinations.

    d) The suggestion for the WPL came from the Greens.

    On the subject of buses for workers I can remember Scottish Amicable at Craigforth near Stirling sending buses all over the county to take their workers to and from Craigforth.

    Going by the number of cars in their car park nowadays I dont think the company that took over Scottish Amicable do it on the same scale if in fact they do it at all.

  163. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Jason Smoothpiece says:
    2 February, 2019 at 11:51 pm
    “”Strongly SNP, even stood as a candidate once.

    Car parking charge bad idea. Understand why they are pushing to discourage car use…””

    The Car Parking charge is not an SNP idea. It is the Greens who promoted the idea as a condition of their support for the SG’s budget.

    A move that was necessary because the Unionist parties sat on the sidelines carping with zero to offer. Even Tom Gordon got that as his column in today’s Herald criticising the Unionist parties made clear.

    If he gets it then so should you and make it abundantly clear to anyone who mentions the policy and SNP in the same sentence.

  164. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Legerwood

    “Taken together with the increase in the cap to the Council Tax the SNP and Greens have, I think, turned the tables on the Councils and the Unionist parties very neatly.”

    Exactly, that’s how I see it too. Let’s hear Labour or the Tories bleating now about “using the powers you have”. This has given councils more powers but will they use them?

    Some might but most don’t even want to use the power they already have to raise council tax. They’d much rather moan SNP Bad SNP cuts and more bullshit.

    As you say now they will be forced to take the difficult decisions and I doubt if they will to be honest because as far as I’ve seen in recent years they’re generally cowards.

    @Jason Smoothpiece

    As always common sense should be applied to every situation, so if it costs you £1 to drive rather than £8 using public transport then that’s a no-brainer,you drive.

    This is not an argument that stands up in every case though.

  165. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    Legerwood

    You are right of course. However how will it be spun?

    Its the SNP anti car tax. You know thats a fact.

    I have been “debating” the issue today not very successfully with a group of folk who clearly see this as an SNP tax.

    Shotgun applied to foot .

    We need to work smarter.

  166. HYUFD
    Ignored
    says:

    LizG Even the SNP have said they would keep the monarchy in the event of an independent Scotland and the first monarch of a United Kingdom was Queen Anne, James VIth of Scotland and 1st of England, Charles 1st, Charles IInd, James 11nd and William IIIrd and Mary were all monarchs of separate nations of England and Scotland

  167. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain mhor says:
    2 February, 2019 at 8:08 pm
    @Dave McEwan Hill

    I’ll be sure and remind the voters of that while campaigning.

    “Heh dumbfucks it’s the council not the Scottish Government understand?” The council set the budget? “No the Scottiah Government set it” So the SNP set it? “No the Greens demanded it was included in the Scottish budget but the decision is up to your local council. “What the fuck are you talking about it’s an SNP council and an SNP government what have the Greens got to do with it?”
    Over to you Dave – good luck and thanks for your incisive input there.

    Nae harm Iain but your campaigning technique needs to be fine tuned.!! What will you say if the local council doesn’t impose a parking levy or for that matter a tourist levy? Well it’s the snp fault for not imposing the tax?

  168. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jason Smoothpiece

    “I have been “debating” the issue today not very successfully with a group of folk who clearly see this as an SNP tax.”

    Who needs enemies with friends like you?

    Seriously, you mentioned earlier “even stood as a candidate once” and I take it you were unsuccessful?

    No matter, and none of my business but I’m gobsmacked to find that a former candidate for election as an SNP member is the first person I’ve heard call this Green proposal that was a requirement to get the budget through an “SNP tax”.

    Clearly it is not an “SNP tax”.

    If it is to be levied at all then it will be decided at Council level and is just another “power” in their armoury, no matter who runs that council.

    It is not an “SNP tax” and you might be best serving the Independence cause by making that clear to your friends, Yes?

  169. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Couple of stats I dug out about Nottimgham. It’s levied on approximately 25,000 spaces across the city (42% of total spaces). So will raise this year £10 million. And for 53% of the spaces covered the cost is passed on to employees. The money raised is used directly to fund the 35% Tram PFI. Which apparently makes it way more acceptable.

    Not sure how applicable that would be to Highland, D&G, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or even Aberdeenshire (not city). A tram running from Stornoway to Barra over Harris and waters might have the odd wee problem, apart from a probable lack of employer staff car parks with more than 10 parking places.

  170. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Everygoodbuddies back aye hehe. 🙂

    Aye dedicate this song to Indy Live Radio:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb_8e7wUipM

    Cause YOU did it for me… you are SO FUCKING cool!

    Shout it out and followed by:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxStpomQgt0

    Ching-ching.

  171. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @orri says: 2 February, 2019 at 10:01 am:

    ” … In light of the Vienna Convention on Treaties which was mentioned in the finding of the court that said A50 could be unilaterally revoked, all parts of a former single state signatory of a treaty might be considered as successors of said state.”

    Yes, orri, I’ve been telling that to anyone who would listen for getting on 70 years now , but here’s the thing. The United Kingdom only has two legal partners being a union of only two kingdoms and the Treaty of Union has them as legally equally sovereign partners. That means they are equally successor states.

    Now all the European Union needs to do to sort everything out without any fuss is give every state involved in this matter exactly what its voters say they want.

    First it must be made plain that the United Kingdom is exactly that – a two member partnership of kingdoms, (and whether Westminster/England likes it or not that is the legal situation). That means, at least for the time being, Wales and N.I. are countries, or at least a part of counties in N.I.s case.

    Neither are party to the 1706/7 Treaty of Union they came in as parts of the Kingdom of England. They are indeed part of the union but only as integral parts of the English Kingdom.
    Treaty of Union articles and state that the United Kingdom membership of the EU is legally that of two kingdom partners and they each have equal right to be the successor member state.

    Bearing in mind that Westminster is not the actual legally elected parliament of either the kingdom or the country of England. It is the parliament of the union and thus it cannot speak only for the Kingdom of England – it quite simple is the union parliament and not the successor parliament of England for no such parliament has existed since 30 April 1707.

    This, though, is exactly how Westminster has always regarded itself. They regard themselves as the Parliament of England and if proof were needed they use EVEL that plainly exposes the lie that Westminster is the United Kingdom parliament.

    Just listen to them and this is obvious. They talk of, “Scotland leaving the United Kingdom and claim Westminster will remain as, “The rUnited Kingdom”, but you cannot have any form of united kingdom remaining as the Treaty of Union that constituted the United Kingdom only has two signatory kingdoms on the treaty.

    Scotland will not be leaving anything. The united Kingdom is disuniting and thus ceases to exist. As far as the EU is concerned the two partner kingdoms are successor members and one wants out while the other wants to stay in. The EU simply recognises Scotland as the successor state that wants to remain and the three country Kingdom of England as the successor state that wants to leave.

    The EU remains with 28 member states and retains Scotland and gets shot of the troublemaker England. England gets out as England wants and Scotland gets to remain as the successor state.

    Everyone, except N.I. gets what they want but N.I. gets the protection of the GFA which is also an international treaty and in all probability Ireland will reunite. What’s not to like?

    “… One might be seen as the continuation of that state making it more certain that they keep any memberships of treaties held by it. However that in no way bars other successor states from existing and applying to share that membership.”

    Indeed but in this instance there are only two kingdoms in the United Kingdom. Much as Westminster wants the United Kingdom to be a country it remains a united kingdom of two equally sovereign kingdoms and that opens the door to N.I. to pull out of the Kingdom of England under the terms of the GFA. Factually N.I. is part of the country of Ireland. Remember that The Irish Free State was never really free. All Ireland was first annexed by the Kingdom of England before the Treaty of Union of 1706/7.

    Then Westminster, not as the parliament of England but as the United Kingdom Parliament, made it a United Kingdom dominion before it declared itself a republic.

    However, when Westminster made the dominion of the Irish Free State it made the whole country of Ireland The Irish Free State but gave Northern Ireland the option of remaining in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland opted to remain in the United Kingdom.

    “To avoid a civil war, the UK government in late 1921 forced nationalist negotiators to accept partition.

    The Irish Free State and Northern Ireland were born.”

    However, The Irish Free State was never free but was a United Kingdom Dominion.

    … At all times there’s to be negotiations between all parties as far as how a treaty continues in light of changed circumstances.”

    Indeed but in this instance there are really only three parties in the mix. The European Union and the two partner kingdoms of the United Kingdom. I’ve been harping on about the actuality since I came to Wings. I foresaw this problem long before a commented on Wings.

    Unfortunately even dyed in the wool Scottish Nationalists have accepted the completely erroneous situation always propagated by the Westminster Establishment that, “Scotland wants to leave the United Kingdom”, and they picture, in their minds, that Westminster will be the rUnited Kingdom and will continue as a united Kingdom.

    It quite simply cannot be so. The United Kingdom is the union of only two kingdoms and the Kingdom of England, in 1707, contained both Wales and Ireland. Westminster is not the Kingdom of England Parliament – it just acts as if it were and you cannot have a united kingdom with only one kingdom. Furthermore, the Kingdom of England is not a country – it is two and a bit countries. Namely England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Ireland is a politically partitioned country. Wales is a country as is England. but there is no official parliament of England. Not a single member has been elected to the Parliament of England since 30 April 1707 and there is no Parliament of the Kingdom of England either.

  172. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    Thepnr

    Read the post old boy.

    I did not say its a SNP tax.

    I asked the question ” how will it be spun? ”

    How do you think it will be spun?

    Ever heard of the britnat media?

    We need to work smarter.

    Yes I was unsuccessful everyone didn’t vote SNP once upon a time. But we tried.

  173. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    “One step at a time,sweet Jesus”

    The monarchy stays till after the Indyref and then, together with another hundred buckaroo subjects we have the sweet democratic choice. Ah but no bloody buts,there are too many distractions and squirrels and one would think these are being inserted by trolling Unionists.

    PLEASE in the name of all that is sane and his brother Charlie focus on the one big prize! INDEPENDENCE!

  174. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland will allow the English monarch to *retain* her position but will not keep the monarchy

    In other words Scotland will not pay for the upkeep of the monarchy post Independence, that’s the position undistorted from the twisted Britnat version, and my guess is even that will be short lived if the branches and conference have anything to do with it…..which they do

  175. Kangaroo
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T for those of you still awake

    Unfortunately google/youtube seem to have started removing links to interesting geopolitical stuff.

    So search for this on google

    youtube anonymous – qanon update feb 1, 2019 deep state plan against trump explained

    Or search for Anonymous on youtube make sure you go to the authentic ‘Anonymous’ links on this search.

    For those of you who don’t know, Trump is trying to take down the ‘New World Order and it’s tentacles which range through the CIA, FBI, DOJ, Federal Reserve and extend across the pond to MI6, the monarchy and the MSM. To name just a few. There are over 70,000 sealed indictments when normally there are around 4,000. Trials for treason are continuing.

    This is an ongoing operation which has massive repercussions for all the people of this planet.

    We All need to be aware of this, so please check it out and continue to do so.

  176. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Jason Smoothpiece

    I jumped the gun and have your post read again.

    Apologies for getting the wrong end of the stick but at least I hope now you can have more success if you happen to debate this “SNP tax” again with any friends.

    Make it clear that it is nothing of the kind, we all should.

  177. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Legerwood
    I’m kind of with you on this, it’s set the cat amongst the pigeons: “You asked, we done what you asked. Next”.

    List of the 32 councils (unitary authorities):

    http://www.cosla.gov.uk/councils/leaders

    What my reading about Nottingham says, why it was a success, is it has tight boundaries. And a stable Labour council. Greater Manchester considered it but since it’s sprawling, hasn’t gone for it (so far).

    I can’t really imagine North Ayrshire Council getting a lot of support from people in Kilwinning or Ardrossan having to pay £500 a year to park at Hunterston for a tram running up Irvine High Street. Apart from which NAC is a NOC with Independents and Tories making the balance, and can switch back just like that from Labour to SNP (or back again). There was enough grief years ago with Strathclyde Regional Council being subsidised by those outside Glasgow.

  178. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Have ye’s a closer look Wingers of ’19.

    https://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/img527.jpg

    CHOOSE the future of iScotland.

  179. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Legerwood
    There is another thing about it of course, but I ain’t going into that 🙂

  180. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    A few cans and a few drams, Wings William Wallace aye…

    If you are not already listening to Indy Live Radio.

    Try both watching and listening to this. DO IT NOOOOOW.

    Here’s something for the next few hours, disco dancers…

    Electric Sheep:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5RdMvgk8b0

    “Budgie smuggler constraints”

    Swally ho!

    Bahhh.

  181. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Row row row yer boat baby…

  182. Liz g
    Ignored
    says:

    HYFUD @
    That’s it?
    That’s all you have to try to engage me in debate?
    Well

    If Elizabeth the First of England named her successor as James ( king of Scotland) this was inarguably the start of any union …
    And then, if Elizabeth (Lizzie) the Last broke her obligations to Scotland, all the while purring! Tis a fair statement that she has ended the possibility of her Dofan Son inheriting the Honours of Scotland.. Aye!
    All I can wish her is that she lives long enough to know it!
    Anhoo..
    I find ye so very dishonourable in debate… I’ll not engage again… Please extend tae me the same courtesy..
    Thanks in advance..

  183. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Liz g
    I think HUFFY (one half of Santa’s dynamic duo the other being HATCH), is just trying to point out that you’re Royal and his distant cousin many times removed.

    See, the thing is back in those profligate days the Royals of both sexes were not beyond sharing their favours around outside the consanguinity of matrinomy, or even within it. Men wouldn’t know they had issues and women could hide them for long times in voluminous layers of clothing “You’re looking very regal today Maj” – “Thank you, have a nighthood”. Or a nightcap, but they didn’t have gel in those days.

    Assuming 100 Royals all over the world back in 1600 who were all related to start with, each one having a total of 4 issues, every 20 years, gives 100 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 or 100 * 4**5 in just 100 years. So in 400 years to 2,000 AD you get 100 * 4**20, or 100 * 2**40. * is multiply, ** is to the power of. It’s all exponential, even back then.

    Now you’re cooking with gas if you remember the only 2 base 10 logs you need to do loads of stuff, the log of 3 being 0.4771 and the log of 2 being 0.3010, the log of that 2**40 is 0.3010 * 40 = 12. I.e. 10**12! Times your original 100 means 10**14, or 100 trillion people – all Royals! So basically the whole of planet earth and the known cosmos are all related and all royals. No, no need to kneel, we’ll be here all day.

    So yeah, in his clumsy way HUFFY is just asking for an invite to the birthday wedding housewarming christening party like the rest of the family. All those toasters will be very useful. We’re gonna need more workplace parking licenses. Aliens are advised to park in orbit and parachute down.

  184. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Prof Curtice would be so proud if he could do maths like that.

  185. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting article in Herald on Sunday with details of Labour membership in every constituency in Scotland. Have lost 5000 members in last year.

  186. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Nana says:
    2 February, 2019 at 11:18 pm
    Here’s the original tweet re the above so you can read the comments below.

    Good catch Nana. Eye on the ball as always.

    No Deal Cliff Edge Brexit now sees three horsemen of the Apocalypse waiting for the forth to arrive.

  187. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    Thepnr

    No problems and I agree we have to keep preaching, it can get tiring when you have the ” media” against you.

  188. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Progressscotland.org
    Angus Robertson’s new site to find out what people in Scotland really want, including polls on the subject.Which may not reflect the English based polls! As this is a Scottish entity.
    Angus was on BBCs this morning explaining it all.

    Of course, after Angus a BBC group of Unionists including one from the Dail Mail(cough). They basically all pointed out that we were beat last time, there is no appetite for Indy, if it does it should be a 60-40 vote to win, yaddy yaddy yah!

    It is taking subscriptions of £2,£5,or £10 a month to mmake it happen. Can’t see that it would not be a good thing to do.So signed up straight after the BBCs “discussion” on it.

  189. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Links

    https://www.gov.scot/news/promoting-scotland-in-north-america/

    Progress Scotland aims to help prepare the case for Scotland to progress towards independence, keeping pace with the views of the people who make their lives here.
    https://www.progressscotland.org/

    Leslie Riddoch podcast
    A tale of two parliaments
    http://rqs.libsyn.com/a-tale-of-two-parliaments

    https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2019/02/02/deeply-pessimistic-former-uk-treasury-worker-and-gers-supporter-predicts-bad-news-for-snp-in-glasgow-herrod/

  190. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    I have posted this before, worth posting again.This is deliberate theft by the UKgov
    https://target59.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/tory-uk-government-treasury-team-oversee-theft-of-scotlands-devolved-tax-take/

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/17405214.no-deal-brexit-disaster-spelled-out-for-scottish-industries

    https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/the-wee-ginger-dugcast-with-james-dornan/

    On the programme this week, Corri Wilson is joined by Ken McDonald of iScot Magazine and by Greg McCarra from the Scottish Independence Foundation. We will be starting the programme with a little announcement, so be sure to tune in for the start.
    https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/full-scottish-03-02-2019/

  191. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    The Brexit dividend
    https://twitter.com/BothanCeol/status/1091768803330007040

    https://ayerightradio.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/aye-right-podcast-31st-january-2019/

    Nissan casts further gloom on car industry with X-Trail blow
    http://archive.is/uyeDb

    What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on their trade relationship post-Brexit?
    thread
    https://twitter.com/CoppetainPU/status/1091739432586227712

  192. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    https://www.farminguk.com/News/New-report-looks-at-Brexit-challenges-across-UK-farming-sectors_51244.html

    https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/02/21/brexit-fool-britannia/

    Fraud in the UK is off the scale and no one is accountable yet taxpayers have to pick up the pieces
    Redundant Patisserie Valerie staff have not been paid, The odds are taxpayer will be picking-up the tab and some employees won’t get all that is due to them. Auditors and directors were asleep on the job and won’t face any clawback
    https://twitter.com/premnsikka/status/1091765700023205888

    Very long article
    https://euanticorruption.com/2019/01/30/a-very-british-coup-british-democracy-up-for-sale/

  193. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s not just the backstop
    http://archive.vn/fc50M

    Warning scary picture
    Brexit has shown the world a British parliament and a political class that resembles a ship of fools without a captain.
    http://archive.vn/z3YGN

    https://bylinetimes.com/2019/02/02/yellow-vest-protesters-run-rampant-in-london-and-attack-police-station

    This clown wants to be PM
    http://archive.vn/xDs2f

  194. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana says:
    3 February, 2019 at 8:52 am
    Links

    Anaw Nana just into 1st link post and ma blood pressure rose dramatically. Reminds me of that turkey Murdo Fraser the other day complaining about us spending money on budget doing our own trade trips the tumshie-
    Whit we’ve got to sit back and rely on that LIAM FOX ? – GEE ME PEACE! that arse will still be trying to kiss trumps behind 20 years from now trying to get a trade deal on – well — feck all.

  195. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting point for the constitutional lawyers among us – a what if?

    UK Prime Minister Theresa May gets to the end of her deal or no deal puzzle and Parliament passes the Act which decides we are leaving the EU. This goes to the Palace for Royal Assent.

    Meanwhile, the FM and the Scottish Parliament decide this is not in Scotland’s interests and reminds the Queen of Scots that, the sovereign people of Scotland by 62% to 38% has said NO. The Parliament of Scotland has said NO. The Scottish MPs at Westminster have – 35 to 24 said NO.

    So the FM instructs the Queen of Scots not to sign the Act but she says she intends to do so just the same.

    The Holyrood Parliament then passes a motion to the effect: the Queen of Scots has not adequately guarded Scotland’s best interests by agreeing to a damaging departure from the EU and should be replaced.

    What happens?

  196. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Going by precedent it’s more probable that ditching QE2, as she titles herself, would increase the chances of a child of hers being offered the throne. Might be Anne given she supports Scotland. Precedent would be James, albeit an infant at the time, replacing his mother.

  197. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Wonderful cartoon Mr Cairns. Willie with his eyes closed is particularly good, showing his closed mind or more likely empty mind.

    @Ian Brotherhood

    Thank you for highlighting links yesterday, my bad forgetting to do it myself.

  198. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Workplace parking levy doesn’t have to be applied evenly. Could be targeted instead at urban centres where pollution is a major concern. Might actually get locals willing to vote for parties with imposing one in their manifesto if that’s the case. In the first instance a rule of thumb might be if it costs to park in the street or elsewhere then some level of charge may be justified.be

  199. Golfnut
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Kangaroo.

    Not many people picking up your comment, early yet I suppose. Your right of course, the recent slip exposing the mindset of the establishment by an MP when he stated that the UK was expected to lead( empire 2). He was talking about the Commonwealth of course, and in particular those countries that have the Queen as head of State, with a Governor General to carry out her executive duties. Australia in the 70’s experienced just how far they were prepared to go.

    Scotland is the oldest surviving Kingdom in Europe, she predates England as a legal entity by 100 years, and I think she should remain as such, though I agree with Liz g that it should be Liz the last as far as the Windsors are concerned. A personal opinion only of course, ultimately it is the collective will of the People of Scotland that will decide the issue.

    I’m concerned about what happens immediately after the vote to dissolve the political union between Scotland and England. Scotland’s Parliament automatically becomes the Sovereign Parliament of Scotland, the executive authority shouldn’t be confused with the administrative apparatus.
    The Scottish Government needs to take immediate steps to take control of all functions within Scotland which would include preventing the appointment of a Governor General and prevent the Crown from acting against the democratic process within Scotland, the Withdrawal Bill and the Supreme Courts shenanigans regarding the Continuity Bill are but 2 examples of the abuse of power.

  200. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Wise words from Mr Malky

    Always be wary of any website calling itself a fact checker
    Always ask: Cui bono?
    And always, always be alert to unionist websites like this nonsense
    https://twitter.com/MrMalky/status/1091984126901739520

    No surprise Gerry Hassan was one of them
    GMS pundits @GerryHassan and the token ‘SNP’ guest Andy Collier both argue that a simple majority for Yes won’t be enough in the event of Indyref2
    https://twitter.com/IndyrefTWO/status/1091985491333992448

    Morning robbo, my own BP is climbing by the minute but this may help cheer you up a wee bit
    http://archive.vn/f3tXg

  201. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Marnin’.

    Here’s a video frae the future HMS Brexit, 29/03/19 tae be precise:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXbLsHRRtn0

    Brexit BEGINS at the end of March (when their ship goes down)

    Independence for Scotland follows thereafter.

    Brexit lasts forever.

    Seth knows.

  202. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    bbc radio scotchland.

    Is it just me when journo Peter Geoghan keeps referring on he radio to “nationalists” in Scotland = Independence supporters but does not refer to tories/ labour as brit nationalists?

  203. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    How long do folks think it will take Andrew Marr to try and belittle/demonise the Irish people and Sein Fein lassie on the Marr show today? All the blame will be put on them for the backstop that MAY insisted was in withdrawal agreement .

    All for the glory of the empire and awe that eh Marr!

  204. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    Socrates @ 9.09

    Path of least resistance might be for Mike Jimmy Tindall to become Pronce Consort of Scots 🙂

  205. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    Freudian slip
    Prince, not ponce

  206. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Here’s one frae Rab in the Community:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW6Ub7h-B54

    Thur’s some political talk 2.

  207. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    yesindyref2
    3 February, 2019 at 12:44 am

    Agree. Councils outwith urban areas are unlikely to use it and even within towns/cities they may be reluctant.

    Councils do not want to take the hit vote-wise for raising levies and taxes on their local populations.

    @ 1.03 am. Cryptic…iword perchance?

  208. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Brexit policing costs in Scotland should be met by Treasury, say SNP
    http://archive.vn/64CH3

    Brexit: the woes of Cassandra
    http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=87136

    Short clip below – Parliament committee meeting
    Nissan, JLR, Toyota, PSA, Airbus….it’s not IF, it’s WHEN they close a plant, two plants, three plants….few falling for the Leave lies understood, but those promoting those lies understood fully…’these things happen’
    https://twitter.com/brexit_sham/status/1091735190865620992

    Deary me, apparently May is “battling for Britain”
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/brexit-may-seeks-pragmatic-solution-to-leave-eu-in-march-1.3780472

  209. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana or anyone who may have any links to the cvil servants being employed by the ‘Scottish office’, I think maybe indycargordon had some information about this but is there another sources for this build up of our colonial masters forces in Scotland?

    I’m discussing stuff like this with people who have no idea about it and so far can’t source much if anything in terms of legitimacy of these manouvres by UK gov.

    Any and all help much appreciated.

  210. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Dave McEwan Hill says:
    3 February, 2019 at 9:20 am
    OMG

    http://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ofocbattlebus?

    Funny enough, I have some sympathy for bad guy there.

    The WTO rules thing isn’t a red herring, but a kinda salmon pink herring. I don’t see the traction in somebody being able or unable to name a single WTO rule when you could expect a similar blank response asking anybody to name a single EU trade rule.

    The Brexiteers logic is that the UK traded with the world before joining the EU Common Market, and that the UK will find its point of neutral buoyancy after leaving the EU. Whatever rules might apply, the Brexiteer is essentially correct… the UK will not not be able to trade with other nations, but the much more poignant question / argument concerns how trade will be different.

    Trade in certain commodities might suffer relatively little disruption, whereas trade in other commodities might become immensely complicated, expensive, or simply stop altogether. That is impossible to predict, because disruption in one commodity might indirectly disrupt another.

    The point about the EU trade is that it’s big, it’s rich, it covers all goods, it’s slick and efficient moving goods and people around, and it’s established after decades of evolution and tailored management. Then add to that what the EU’s muscle to negotiate trade deals collectively.

    The point about a cliff edge Brexit isn’t that the sky will in, but that the “plan B” alternative to being in the EU is having to be made up on the spur of the moment, it leaves too much to do in too short a time to do it, and with too few people doing it. The UK’s alternative to EU Membership is set to arrive on March 30.

    It’s a bit of a euphemism to say it’s going to suffer the proverbial Baptism of Fire, because the UK switches from doing things the easy way, to doing things the hard way, and on its current trajectory, the UK is proposing to manage the switchover “cold turkey” style… no safety nets, no soft landings, no friends, no preparations. All of it is stupid, but that cliff edge changeover is the mind numbingly stupid bit.

    And the overriding greater logic? Why it’s to be free, to then seek out new lucrative and mutually beneficial trade deals with rich international econom… oh. Actually, the whole thing is mind numbingly stupid.

  211. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Radio shortbreads controversial panel of experts trying to keep our YES vote down to a mere peep.

    Aye the 51%+1 vote not nearly enough, how about 60% at least and with Salmond up on charges forget it until well past 2021.

    🙂

  212. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Ha Ha ,

    Marr wis put in his place and his wee digging words weren’t getting anywhere with that lass.She put him straight-well done

  213. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    stuart mctavish

    Some years ago, in the Herald Diary, my old mate Tam Shields suggested handing the crown to Princess Anne, as he, as a Celtic supporter, fancied seeing a Tim as Prince Consort and Lord High Admiral of the Scottish Navy.

  214. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Absolute star Nana, thanks so much 🙂

  215. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    Front page of the Herald “newspaper” Scottish branch of Labour loose 20% of their membership in one year!

    How did they manage to do that?

    Damn shame.

  216. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Jason Smoothpiece, intit!

    Nana , good morning and thank you for the links . I particularly like the observations of Mary Lou.

  217. Brian Powell
    Ignored
    says:

    2,900 civil servants for Mundell’s UK Government in Scotland. Holyrood is shortly to disappear and absolutely no reaction from MSPs.

  218. HYUFD
    Ignored
    says:

    Liz G Elizabeth IInd is related to both Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth 1st and of course England and Scotland were independent nations when James VIth of Scotland also took the throne of England in 1603 and remained so until the Act of Union in 1707. So for over a century England and Scotland were separate countries with separate parliaments but sharing the same monarch.

    Indeed according to a 2015 Panelbase poll 65% of Scots back retaining the monarchy to only 25% of Scots who want to scrap it, so it would seem even a significant minority of Yes to independence voters still want to maintain the monarchy given No to independence got 55% in 2014 but 65% want to keep the monarchy
    https://uk.isidewith.com/poll/804675860/443458700

  219. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill
    [ Funny enough, I have some sympathy for bad guy there. ]

    Dave I have heard this same question from several sources ie James O ‘ Brian LBC . Not being aware as to why your voting or for what is showing your ignorance & thats more compounded when your vote jeopardises other peoples wellbeing , so I have no sympathy for people like that its akin to what we faced ( ah dont like that Alex Salmon or the Nippy Sweety ) nothing to do with the question asked Would U vote for your Independence from Westminster & as we know people listened to the Negative media instead of researching the issues for themselves .

    I would think the guy is blindly following his political parties rhetoric .

  220. Brian Powell
    Ignored
    says:

    What’s with the Sunday National and all the Jeremy Corbon photos and articles? Monica Lennon getting coverage too.

  221. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Morning Dorothy, you are welcome and don’t forget to watch Broadcasting Scotland at noon. Our own Ken iscot will be on.

    Brexit: Care home and hospital caterers stockpiling food
    http://archive.vn/hdVFS

    Do pensioners in the rest of the EU get more cash than the elderly in the UK?
    https://fullfact.org/europe/pensioners-eu-uk/

    Just like in Syria, mainstream media refuses to cover massive rallies against foreign intervention in Venezuela because it doesn’t advance its pro-war, regime change agenda.
    https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1091737948935077888

    If you don’t believe that US sanctions have directly led to the current crisis in Venezuela, do take a read of this eye-opening segment from UN Rapporteur and Human Rights Lawyer, Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, following his UN-backed fact-finding mission to the country:
    https://twitter.com/evolvepolitics/status/1091713894157115392

    I’m taking a wee break folks. You all have a good idea by now where to find links (check back to websites I’ve provided)

    But I’m sure those who can provide links will do so.
    Take care 🙂

  222. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    WE do need to take better care of the planet.

    Was seriously shocked to see the volume of plastic waste washed up on various islands I visited in the Maldives.
    Many miles away from where it was originated from,
    However we don’t want to charge Nurses, Doctors, Teachers, Social Workers who mostly need their cars to carry out their jobs.

    I travel many miles to visit clients where I must be face to face but I do have a parking spot at my HQ, which again I must visit.

    My job is impossible by public transport unless I make one or two calls instead of 6 or 7.

    My figures drop and so does my job.
    If I don’t bring in the work the Engineers are gone and the Admin team lock the front door.

    Be great if we all worked at home, grew our own food and didn’t need heating or hot water, but lets be serious about what can be achieved.

    My car generates fortunes in fuel tax for the government, the very rich oil companies supporting them, the refinery, the tanker driver the petrol station owner his staff, the Insurance company, the mechanics, Car, tyre, parts and battery manufacturers, breakdown companies, car wash companies.

    How many of these jobs go if the Greens try for their utopian society and who supports them without a job?

  223. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    ronnie anderson says:

    I would think the guy is blindly following his political parties rhetoric .

    I suspect he was more likely regurgitating the line of his favoured Fake-Newspaper.

    We’ve all encountered people like that. They spout short one liners like “trading under WTO rules” or “Scotland most taxed part of UK”. These snippets somehow make sense of a complex world for them, so they stick with them.

    My experience is if you try to widen the scope and introduce more information, they just change the subject. Which is precisely what the guy in the video did.

    People like that can’t be lectured into changing their minds. Their world view is not formed for an analysis of facts, figures, and narrative. Their views can only be changed gently by the those close to them and as a result of very personal experiences.

  224. Iain mhor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Hamish 12:18am

    Yeah I’m open to all suggestions on effective campaigning. It’s what Wings ahould be best at. Information, debunking, the most effective ways to bring people to YES, debating techniques and the like. The drive to achieve Independence.
    There is a lot of interesting esoterica around constitutions and legalities and glibal politics, I enjoy them too. But at the core, Indy first, with a defence against the MSM Unionist onslaught. So I get surprised when a grassroots problem gets dismissed with impunity if not invective.

    Campaigning takes many forms, though very seldom is it around a table for a cozy chat. There are usually only seconds to rebutt something or make a positive point. I know and you know what the details are, let us say the ‘less engaged’ do not. As some at least acknowledge, this particular tooic is spun as an SNP tax. But the important thing to remember is before any MSM or political spin, people knew it was a tax (levy, proposal – semantics) and that it came from the Scottish Government. The Scottiah Government is SNP ergo an SNP tax. Agitators against the SNP quickly confirmed it as that.

    The fastest you can get in when accosted, is that it is the Greens baby. If I’m lucky it may get to a conversation about how the Scottish Parliament works. Which Parties withhold support for the budget, why the Greens had the power to impose amendments and how the scheme may work to improve things (if not abused))how much better it would all be if we were independent. But mostly it is a few seconds angry, or at least irate exchange similar to the example I gave upthread to diamond dave. Then that’s it, they’ve moved on.
    Remember it is not me giving it Prof. Farnsworth “Good news everyone!” It’s being accosted, accused if you like, anywhere – shop, on the phone, MM Posts, or passing in the street.
    It is the dead of winter, people are miserable, skint and perhaps had a tiny hope of modest pay rises and trying to see a brighter future for their new year in the teeth of potential ration books and martial law Brexit. The Greens APD is another nonsense. “Would you like to help save the planet and pay more to visit your daughter abroad?
    “No? Whyever not?” I’m never sure whether to add that into things to blacken the Greens name further and turn invective away from SNP. To be honest most have not latched onto that yet and so far it just puts them in an even fouler mood – so probably not. Never ever kick people in the balls when their brave new dawn is barely off the starting blocks, or you’re going to have a bad time.

    As for people lauding or complaining about things which have never occured, that’s just facetious now. It’s bad enough battling false dichotomies in heated ‘debates’ there’s always plenty of the the old “argumentum ad ignoratiam” where something is true because it hasn’t been proven false and vice versa.
    It’s not easy out there and very tiring. I’m allowed to get crabbit about crap which makes it harder.

  225. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    In a word without the indefinite article, it’s a good piece of distraction from other promises which therefore get forgotten about:-)

  226. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Isn’t the British lifeboat holed so badly it won’t float?

    Your essential weekend reading:

    English Nationalism: https://wp.me/p4fd9j-nmG
    The Mule – a review: https://wp.me/p4fd9j-nmx

  227. crazycat
    Ignored
    says:

    Archived link for the article about SLab membership collapse:
    https://archive.is/f3tXg

    (Don’t think it’s been posted already; apologies if it has.)

  228. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    The string-quartet was heard playing this song in the background…

    Dido wae Nae Surrender: 🙂
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fWDrZSiZs
    (avec 105,225,396 maintenant regardings)

    Westminster is in Love with ITSELF.

  229. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    They’re in psycho-love wae themselves, ONLY themselves and nobody else.

    And SO the band played on… both up above and down below:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC_mV1IpjWA
    (avec 120,411,337 maintenant regardings)

    Happy travels.

  230. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Make up yer ain analogy wae this yin…

    Going forward to the future, here’s their Brexit boat party launch:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VsHtn_RSHY

    Mines is… “It’s too late to turn back NOW”.

    NB did you hear the song the lady singer was singing in the bgm?

  231. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Here’s an alternative ‘string-quartet’ doing their White Flag:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbwDZrrj_-0

    Here’s the real thing beautifully played on solo strings:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx-JVeO-58E

    Here’s Johnny:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ABIIZV3vA



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