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The unionist case for independence 149

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

The unionist case for Scots voting No in the independence referendum is encapsulated in the following quote from the website of “Better Together”, the official No campaign:

“Devolution offers us the best of both worlds: we have a strong Scottish Parliament taking important decisions about schools, hospitals and jobs AND we benefit from the strength, security and opportunities we can take advantage of being part of a bigger United Kingdom.”

The main problem with this argument is that there’s an alternative Union which would provide the Scottish Parliament with more powers to “take important decisions about” things and allow Scotland to “benefit from” and “take advantage of’” the “strength, security and opportunities” of being part of something far bigger than the UK itself.

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Automatic pilot 74

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

Judging by the latest leak from our “Better Together” mole, we’re not sure anyone’s actually driving the No campaign any more. It seems to be set on an infinite loop.

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The invisible army 154

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

We’ve been wiping tears of laughter from our eyes most of this morning, after reading one of the most magnificently bare-faced and audacious pieces of black-is-white lying we think we might ever have seen printed with a straight face in a British newspaper.

It appears in the Telegraph, which seems to have positioned itself latterly as the Daily Sport for people with a reading age above seven, and makes the mindboggling claim that “Contrary to its media image, the campaign to save the United Kingdom says it has more boots on the ground than its nationalist opponents”.

boots

In fairness, it doesn’t actually say whether these boots have any feet in them.

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Apocalypse worsens 131

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

Monday:

“On the basis of independent analysis, the UK Government has estimated that an average annual mortgage payment in Scotland could increase by £1,700.”

(UK government “factsheet” issued by the Scotland Office.)

Wednesday:

“For the average mortgage in Scotland, there would be £5,400 more [in] mortgage payments a year.”

(George Osborne to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.)

Yikes! What the hell happened on Tuesday?

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The dangers of the kneejerk 162

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

We’re so used to reading doom-and-gloom predictions about the apocalyptic future that would await an independent Scotland, readers, that to our shame we occasionally fall foul of a trap we never stop warning you about – reading the headline of a story and not paying attention to the words below.

eenystannit

The one above is a case in point.

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Quoted for LOLs 65

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

Mark Wallace in Conservative Home, 14 May 2014:

“Darling might not have been the most dynamic campaigner in the world, but at least he isn’t a complete and utter Jonah. Replacing him with Alexander is the equivalent of replacing your single-bar heater with a bonfire in your lounge because you weren’t warm enough, substituting your Morris Minor with a North Korean missile in the hope of getting to work faster or deciding to shave with a lawnmower because your disposable Bic was a bit blunt.“

Because it actually did make us laugh.

Grassroots concreted over 153

Posted on May 14, 2014 by

Well, that was odd. No sooner had we posted a rather lightweight little piece this morning, revealing that the fake-grassroots “Vote No Borders” campaign had been in development since June 2012, than the story got a whole lot more interesting.

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FOR COMMON SENSE 279

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

Because some of you won’t have seen it yet. This is NOT a spoof.

jean

That’s what they think will persuade people to vote No, readers.

The poster isn’t the problem 114

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

Labour’s Douglas Alexander got himself in a right old pickle this weekend, at first claiming that the party’s new campaign around a poster about VAT referred to an annual bill of £450 for the average family, but then trying to backtrack in a panic and claim the sum was calculated over the entire period of the coalition government when it was pointed out to him that the figure was ludicrous.

vatposter

Wings Over Scotland is of course dedicated above all to keeping the record straight, so our sinister network of shadowy cyber-agents got straight onto the case.

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Yet another warning from history 87

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

The Scotsman, 24 March 2007:

“Brown: I will save the union

Gordon Brown last night revealed he was placing himself at the heart of Labour’s Holyrood election campaign, declaring it was his ‘duty’ to save the Union from the SNP.

In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, Brown pledged to spend the six weeks before polling day ‘explaining and exposing’ the Nationalists’ ‘disastrous’ plans.

The Chancellor ruled out any plans to give more power to the Scottish Parliament saying it was not necessary.”

How (some) things change, eh readers?

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The Brain Of North Britain 130

Posted on May 13, 2014 by

This morning’s Daily Mail reports that Alistair Darling has been “sidelined” by the No campaign, with Douglas Alexander drafted into his place. We’ve remarked previously on this site about our bemusement over the reverence with which Mr Alexander’s intellect is regarded by the Scottish media, and we’re none the wiser after this:

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The head and the heart 316

Posted on May 12, 2014 by

The deeply dodgy fake-grassroots “Vote No Borders” group of wealthy London-based PR people has been rolling out its “unpolished” voters (their term, not ours) again, this time in a series of what must have been fairly pricey adverts in the Daily Record.

The simplistic, often dreadfully-misinformed quotes in the ads have been causing some irritation and anger among Yes supporters on social media, which is understandable but not constructive. After all, many of us have relied on the press for our information about one thing or another in the past too, and learned a bitter lesson.

So let’s see if we can’t actually be polite and helpful instead.

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    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “it always baffles me that the maddest of the mad yoons are batshit zio nutters as well https://archive.ph/v1Zno – lest…” Nov 6, 22:00
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “laffing at you www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7CkA0H75oo www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVICfWS-d5M – not with you fast track this lad for the GDP growth and theconomy https://x.com/RMXnews/status/2118617949325906250…” Nov 6, 21:59
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “this is fucking mental – skip to 1 minute 20 seconds www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJgkEHzkLck – but I prefer the brahan seer myself…” Nov 6, 21:59
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “evenin’ all (busy week), some random morsels for all the good people and fuck these yoon arseholes who keep stodging…” Nov 6, 21:58
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I wished Rev would get rid of this annoying idiot and barr him. People come on here to have a…” Nov 6, 21:10
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Independence is the only hope to remove the colonial constraints. Scotland is house bond by house Westminster. With Independence and…” Nov 6, 21:02
    • Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “Aye you, Hatey. There’s quite a few insults I could launch at you ‘n’ a’, but nae need. You show…” Nov 6, 20:20
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Vibecoding A Better World: “‘The Debate: What’s the best route to Scottish independence?’ (5 Nov 2026) « Robin McAlpine of Common Weal and Professor…” Nov 6, 20:03
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “How odd, Spartan! Your posts get longer and longer as you care less and less.” Nov 6, 18:37
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““think outside the box constructed for us” As I recall, constructed by no less a personage than the late, great…” Nov 6, 18:31
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Michty! Friday comes aroond quick. James hame all alane again. Hope yer maw’s left ye a puckle o’ denners in…” Nov 6, 18:04
    • Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks James – really interesting comment.” Nov 6, 17:52
    • Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “I watched the debate on the National You Tube channel between Alf Baird and Robin MacAlpine and I was enraged…” Nov 6, 17:33
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: “But Adrian, as anyone above the age of 6 reading ony of your posts can tell – you lack ony…” Nov 6, 15:40
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Prick”.” Nov 6, 15:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Well Sam, we can look at several factors. The insistence on alignment with the myriad of EU rules, despite being…” Nov 6, 14:41
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Robin is behaving according to Alf’s thesis, as part of the middle class political class who, like the SNP, are…” Nov 6, 14:34
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Ah, so you’re retired then. Or semi? That explains the amount of time you waste on here and why you’re…” Nov 6, 14:24
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agentx, May I refer you to The Law Society of Scotland of ratification of the 1707 treaty of union being…” Nov 6, 14:03
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I’ve said for a long time that their are individuals within the YES/Independence movement more interested in Money than the…” Nov 6, 13:47
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““he’s not daft” Crivens! Where could this possibly lead us if we but had the courage to follow? “it doesn’t…” Nov 6, 13:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Very wise, MH. Too much risk of encountering a muckle, bearded loon self-identifying as a spoon. I’d be a bit…” Nov 6, 12:49
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Cheers Spartan. My lowly spirits are always uplifted when somebody as important and busy as you takes time out of…” Nov 6, 12:40
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “So true, Mary. Robin needs to extend the olive branch to Lavrov. Maybe praise him as a peacemaker? Perhaps that…” Nov 6, 12:32
    • sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks for the heads-up, MaryB. Robin’s attitude is inexplicable – he’s not daft and he is pro-independence so why criticise…” Nov 6, 12:25
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Indeed, Spartan, we are agreed once again. Like you no doubt, if there’s one thing I cannot stand, it is…” Nov 6, 11:40
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Now on Salvo and Liberation Scotland Facebook.” Nov 6, 11:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Don’t forget Stormont, which has the full 5 Bananas rating on the Banana Republic scale. While we’re at it, the…” Nov 6, 11:26
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agreed CC. The Dutch model is the most workable and with the best outcomes. The US is great if you…” Nov 6, 11:23
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “No Hatey, I’m not in a strop thanks. Much more important things to worry about than what some random on…” Nov 6, 11:18
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