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If it hits you in the eye 301

Posted on March 24, 2017 by

There’s a new hot buzz-phrase in the Yoonstream: “GERS deniers”.

It’s actually been around for quite a few months – coincidentally since this site started exposing the true nature of the figures – but has become a constant mantra recently, in particular since the intervention of an actual proper expert who doesn’t sell cat litter for a living, Professor Richard Murphy.

Ever since he set tongues and tails wagging by writing a series of hard-hitting articles for his widely-renowned Tax Research UK blog last week, rubbishing the quality of the data, Unionists have been in an increasingly shrill flap about it.

And it’s not hard to see why.

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How the times do change 314

Posted on March 23, 2017 by

Unreliable sources 235

Posted on March 21, 2017 by

It seems counter-intuitive – given Rupert Murdoch’s often-overstated (despite endless and fevered speculation, the Scottish Sun didn’t back a Yes vote) but still seemingly real support for Scottish independence – that Sky News should be seen as the most hostile of the nation’s broadcasters to the Yes movement.

Yet such it is.

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Stitched up like kippers 261

Posted on March 20, 2017 by

Panelbase have released data tables for their recent Sunday Times poll. And wow.

That’s quite something.

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To keep links with the world 84

Posted on March 19, 2017 by

No 9: Mark, until recently from London.

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How soon isn’t now? 524

Posted on March 16, 2017 by

Sigh.

None of the tweets below are true.

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A unique opportunity to escape 76

Posted on March 15, 2017 by

No 8: Elizabeth, from Bonnybridge.

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Some things are simple 428

Posted on March 14, 2017 by

Judging by the first 24 hours, we’re in for a two-year festival of utter horror from the UK and Scottish media. Yesterday saw a never-ending parade of metrosplaining idiots dragged willingly in front of cameras and microphones to pontificate their clueless and mind-numbingly ignorant drivel about Scotland.

It wasn’t possible to keep track of it all, because it was frequently happening on five channels at once, and it was harder still to watch it for any extended period of time without hurling a brick through the screen in frustration at the offensive stupidity of it.

Feeding into that was a stream of Scottish politicians who actually did know better, but who are too catastrophically dim to adapt to changing circumstances and had no strategy other than to endlessly repeat the same cretinous soundbites over and over.

(Adam Tomkins in particular was ubiquitous, spending what felt like several hours on various airwaves reciting the same brainless 10-second schtick forever.)

The constitutional politics of the UK and Scotland are in flux, and many aspects of the situation are complicated. But quite a lot of them aren’t, and if we’re all going to make it through the next two years without stabbing each other in the throat, it’d be a lot better if everyone accepted the things that are definite, empirical, indisputable facts.

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Great news, Mrs Hudson 325

Posted on March 13, 2017 by

We’re going to need to print more books.

The incredible persistence of stupidity 88

Posted on March 12, 2017 by

We saw this exchange on Twitter this morning, involving left-wing Labour activist Eoin Clarke, a reader, and Scottish Labour list MSP Elaine Smith.

idiotsmith

Smith professed to find it “unbelievable” and “scary” that the reader thought he’d had Tory governments for most of his lifetime. (We asked him how old he was and he said 34, which means he’s had Tory governments for 62% of his life, so that checks out.)

But it’s a standard Scottish Labour line that there’s no real difference between Scottish and English voters in terms of favouring left-wing politics, so we thought we’d just quickly check the arithmetic on that. The results are unlikely to shock you.

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If you thought Willie Rennie was funny 182

Posted on March 11, 2017 by

…on Good Morning Scotland yesterday, then we suspect you’re going to love the Lib Dems’ heroically glaikit MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton on the same show today.

(Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland, 11 March 2017)
.

Our favourite line is probably “the SNP didn’t win an election”, although it’s run quite close by “If you listen to Christine Jardine”.

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The lion’s share 63

Posted on March 11, 2017 by

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    • Ian on Pandora’s Campervan: “Incidentally, when those figures for ‘audio visual’ came out, I remember trying to compile a realistic invoice for a conference…Jun 2, 15:30
    • agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “Murrell was CEO of SNP from 2001. Murrell married Sturgeon in July 2010 The offences started 12 August 2010. ———————————————–…Jun 2, 15:25
    • Alf Baird on Pandora’s Campervan: ““The Brits are past masters in dirty trickery, subversion, great gaming” Indeed, and especially so in the ‘strategic’ colonies where…Jun 2, 15:25
    • Ian on Pandora’s Campervan: “Given that the motor home was never used, and stuffed full of ‘luxury’ goods, you can’t help thinking that Murrell…Jun 2, 15:23
    • 100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “What ever surplus money the SNP got he or them just spent it on what ever they wanted, wither it…Jun 2, 14:53
    • Cynicus on Pandora’s Campervan: ““Begs the question, why did the Crown feel they had to agree to a deal? Could they not have proved…Jun 2, 14:44
    • 100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Sturgeon forced to answer for herself on national TV, with crocodile tears, only to turn round and say what have…Jun 2, 14:37
    • Rogueslr on Pandora’s Campervan: “With only 4 miles on the camper van it should make a good price at auction. But, I am left…Jun 2, 14:34
    • BigJay on Pandora’s Campervan: “There was an interesting article in the Sunday Times, part of which outlined the Swinney/Murrell connection from their schooldays, church…Jun 2, 14:23
    • Cynicus on Pandora’s Campervan: “absolutely!Jun 2, 14:22
    • agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “PUBLIC FUNDS £8,143,658.37 in Short Money from the House of Commons £2,437,821.47 in policy development grants from the Electoral Commission…Jun 2, 14:21
    • Iain Ross on The View From Row Z: “The van should be shown in the Balance Sheet at cost price (ex VAT) less accumulated depreciation. Not sure what…Jun 2, 14:19
    • Andy Wiltshire on Pandora’s Campervan: “Exactly! Come on Wingers, there must be a lawyer here who can address this vital point.Jun 2, 14:13
    • RobertG on Pandora’s Campervan: “I also wonder if the deliberate own goal decision to go to the Supreme Court over indyref2 was part of…Jun 2, 14:12
    • Rocky on Pandora’s Campervan: “Who were the Sloggi knickers for?Jun 2, 14:09
    • Jim Anderson on Pandora’s Campervan: “Getting interesting as the extent and timing of the control failures by Beattie and Sturgeon that favoured Murrell’s criminality are…Jun 2, 14:05
    • barelybare on Pandora’s Campervan: ““I’ve been through the 107 pages of items bought by Peter Murrell” Keep in mind that BBC list excludes all…Jun 2, 13:59
    • Al-Stuart on Pandora’s Campervan: “. Hi Stuart. Thanks for your excellent Pandora’s Box article. I’ve been through the 107 pages of items bought by…Jun 2, 13:49
    • LES HALLES on Pandora’s Campervan: “Out of all this, one thing everyone should be thankful for are your unrelenting efforts to shine a light into…Jun 2, 13:48
    • TURABDIN on Pandora’s Campervan: “It is of course not beyond reason to suspect the entire SNP «staff» of being British intelligence spooks, both knowing…Jun 2, 13:36
    • 100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Its should be no public inquiry then return the money that was donated to the SNP. Is it possible to…Jun 2, 13:26
    • 100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Jester or just a complete and utter idiot Colin Beattie with 1mb of ram for brain power. Who says one…Jun 2, 13:20
    • Antoine Roquentin on Pandora’s Campervan: “Excellent, as always, Stuart!Jun 2, 13:09
    • Ian Smith on Pandora’s Campervan: “They couldn’t have known because Murrell covered his tracks with a sophisticated fraud. Like coding a robotic lawnmower from a…Jun 2, 13:00
    • Douglas on Pandora’s Campervan: “Surely a question for COPFS who, in my opinion, have been way too tight with government during Ms Sturgeon’s reign.Jun 2, 12:58
    • I. Despair on Pandora’s Campervan: “Exactly.Jun 2, 12:58
    • Frank Waring on Pandora’s Campervan: “Everyone now understands that the SNP solicited funds to be ‘ringfenced for a future Referendum campaign’, and then used this…Jun 2, 12:56
    • Achnababan on Pandora’s Campervan: “Probably true … but Sturgeon is naturally vindictive and ruthless … she disna need an excuse!Jun 2, 12:53
    • barelybare on Pandora’s Campervan: “Thanks for your fantastic work Stuart. Your August 2021 challenge about the supposed SNP expenses has often been on my…Jun 2, 12:52
    • robertkknight on Pandora’s Campervan: “The loan repayment to the Weirs allegedly using Indyref2 ring fenced funds is what I want to hear more about,…Jun 2, 12:41
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