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Gander dislikes sauce 174

Posted on November 22, 2014 by

There’s a glorious piece in today’s Daily Mail from BritNat arch-troll Simon Heffer, in which he fumes and splutters about the outrageous idea of finding himself, thanks to the huge surge in support for the SNP since the referendum, ruled next year by a government that only a small minority in England would have voted for”.

We’re sure that Scots everywhere will empathise with the unfortunate Mr Heffer’s intolerable plight, having many decades of experience of that very scenario. We’d also be interested to know, however, if he sent a submission to the Smith Commission detailing his radical solution to the whole devolution issue, as outlined in the Mail on 6 September this year:

“Far better than offering ‘devo max’, a post-referendum non-independent Scotland should be forced into a fresh start with a reduction in the amount of English taxpayer-funded subsidies.”

We very much hope that he did.

Conflicting accounts 157

Posted on November 21, 2014 by

From an editorial in today’s Daily Record:

“The debate in the House of Commons yesterday proved once and for all that The Vow is doing its job.

David Cameron had to stick to his word under pressure from misguided backbenchers who demanded an end to the way Scotland is funded through the Barnett formula.

The Prime Minister insisted no review is ‘on the horizon’, saving valuable funds for Holyrood.”

But that isn’t a very accurate report of events, for several reasons. Not least of them is the fact that David Cameron wasn’t even there.

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A serious matter 257

Posted on November 20, 2014 by

Packed Labour benches for the devolution debate in the Commons today.

labdevocommons

We’re sure Gordon Brown’s just nipped out for a Snickers or something.

Not quite getting it 367

Posted on November 19, 2014 by

Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale today marked the historic nomination of Scotland’s first female First Minister with a Daily Record column in characteristically sour style, which waited until the second paragraph before sticking in a Margaret Thatcher comparison.

keziadugdale1

It wasn’t until later that it got confusing.

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Did we miss a meeting? 254

Posted on November 16, 2014 by

Here’s Neil Findlay MSP on this morning’s Andrew Marr Show:

Wait, what?

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Leopard’s spots resprayed 165

Posted on November 15, 2014 by

We noted with interest this morning an uncredited story in the Herald, suggesting that Scottish Labour leadership candidate Jim Murphy would stand as an unlikely champion of the poor and downtrodden and the heroic defender of universal benefits.

Murphy rejects Lamont stance on benefit cuts

Jim Murphy has signalled a major shift in Scottish Labour policy if he wins the leadership, saying he would not seek to axe popular benefits and entitlements.”

On investigation, the truth was somewhat at odds with the headline.

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How to speak Weasel 223

Posted on November 13, 2014 by

We’re sure our ever-alert readers don’t need telling, but it never hurts to put up a little refresher course for those who might have joined recently.

weaselpoke

As it becomes clear to everyone in Scotland that the No camp’s promises of the UK being the guarantor of survival for the Govan shipyards was the cynical lie those of us on the Yes side always said it was, it’s been interesting to watch the panicked response from the Westminster government.

Let’s take a quick look at how it works.

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Lest we forget 61

Posted on November 13, 2014 by

Just a year and six days ago:

sunkyards

Now, maybe not so much.

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Winning back hearts and minds 154

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

Our favourite Scottish Labour activist and media starlet reacts to the news that the promises of a No vote saving the Clyde shipyards have turned out to be lies.

hothersallbae

Let’s just be clear – that’s unequivocal, unambiguous support for condemning the Govan shipyards to certain death, losing thousands of Scottish jobs, going back on promises just months old, so long as it might save the UK Treasury a few quid which the current government would probably spend on more tax cuts for billionaires.

Well, if that doesn’t save a party currently languishing on an average of about 24% in the Scottish opinion polls and help to win back the trust and support of Scottish voters, we simply don’t know what will. Solidarity, brothers and sisters.

Barely worth the words 175

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

This:

noshipyards

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Busy doing nothing 120

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

There’s so little happening in Scottish politics today, readers, that the Scottish Sun has been reduced to interviewing a brick. And no, that’s not rhyming slang.

nicbrick

Frankly, folks, at that point we may as well have the day off.

Behind the mask 348

Posted on November 11, 2014 by

On last night’s Scotland Tonight, prospective Scottish Labour deputy “leader” Katy Clark MP told the nation that “it could be Scotland that lets us down”.

It wasn’t a slip of the tongue. By “us” she meant the Labour Party, and she went on to elaborate, telling the old Labour story about how UK general elections are about an Old Firm-style showdown betweeen two parties and how it was in essence the duty of Scots to vote Labour to keep the Tories out at Westminster, seemingly unaware that just as with the Old Firm, most people despise both of them pretty much equally.

(And conveniently overlooking the fact that Scots voted overwhelmingly Labour in 2010 and got the Tories anyway, as Labour obstinately refused to consider a “rainbow coalition” because they hated the SNP too much. What Scots learned that year was that Labour would rather let Tories rule Scotland than be civil to left-wing nationalists.)

The comments followed just a couple of days after Holyrood Magazine editor Mandy Rhodes had penned an article about the Scottish branch’s current woes that had a very telling first paragraph.

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    • willie on Anything But That: “Water was hived into East , West and North before it it was fettled up to become Scottish Water. A…Sep 4, 23:05
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    • willie on Anything But That: “Water was hived into East , West and North before it it was fettled up to become Scottish Water. A…Sep 4, 22:47
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    • Aidan on Anything But That: “So if you reject the authority of the courts, are you proposing for your ideas to lead to a violent…Sep 4, 21:24
    • Chas on Anything But That: “I fail to see the detailed analysis. I do see the usual mince. Figures plucked out of thin air yet…Sep 4, 21:19
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: ““No person or institution that took part in negotiating, agreeing, signing, or ratifying the 1707 Treaty of Union ever held…Sep 4, 21:01
    • Xaracen on Anything But That: “@Aidan; The question of lawful authority in 1707 is not a matter for judicial discretion. It is a matter of…Sep 4, 20:58
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    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: ““places a liberated Scotland above Norway” Wow, fifty years of Scotland’s oil wealth being “plundered by England”. Fifty years of…Sep 4, 20:42
    • Aidan on Anything But That: “If it’s irrefutable Xaracen – then why not argue it in court where these matters are properly determined?Sep 4, 20:06
    • Chas on Anything But That: “The usual mince from the supposedly learned professor. Figures plucked from thin air and a conclusion that does not stand…Sep 4, 19:51
    • Xaracen on Anything But That: “@Aidan; “Ultimately – those proposing independence are those proposing to change the status quo.” And so they absolutely should! The…Sep 4, 19:48
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