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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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That’s that one sorted, then 192

Posted on March 10, 2017 by

We joke, of course. The Spanish government has made this position abundantly plain several times over a number of years, and it still doesn’t stop idiot Yoons (and media pundits who should know better) from spouting it.

But this time, in the flesh, it’s really quite hard to spin a way out of.

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The fine print 355

Posted on March 04, 2017 by

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A trivial omission 265

Posted on February 27, 2017 by

Our attention was drawn today to hardcore shrieky Loyalist nutter collective Scotland In Union releasing “new research” on an independent Scotland’s finances, which in fact came out last year but which for unknown reasons they’re touting again now.

standardindy

Commissioned by the loongroup from a London-based thinktank that we’d never heard of by the name of “Europe Economics”, it predictably produces a doom-and-gloom conclusion that independence would have cost over £10bn in the first year.

There are so many gaping chasms in the logic we could hardly stop laughing for long enough to type, but one in particular was worth wiping the tears from our eyes for.

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The centrifuge 487

Posted on February 10, 2017 by

Sometimes the word “spin” just isn’t enough to get the reality across.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you: the Scottish media.

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In the dead of the night 335

Posted on February 01, 2017 by

This is Conservative MP Dominic Raab, a member of the Brexit Select Committee, speaking on the BBC News Channel’s “Hard Talk” programme at 00.45 this morning. Perhaps imagining that nobody would be watching at such an ungodly hour, it seems he felt able to be unusually candid.

We left the last bit on in order to demonstrate that he was still talking about Scotland as well as Ireland. (He went on to recite the usual boilerplate about all leaving together as the UK etc etc, you can watch the whole show for yourself on iPlayer.)

But let’s just get that key early exchange down in writing for the record.

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The funeral pyre 172

Posted on January 31, 2017 by

Readers familiar with our standing advice to newspaper customers that the headline is nearly always a lie might like to consider today’s Press & Journal.

pjeu

The word “pyre” comes from the Greek word “pyra”, meaning “fire”. Surprisingly, it’s NOT the same root as “Pyrrhic”, as in “Pyrrhic victory”, meaning one that’s achieved by metaphorically burning your own city down. (Which in fact is named after the Greek general Pyrrhus of Epirus.)

But why the etymology lesson?

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Not you, Scotland 149

Posted on January 31, 2017 by

The Tories yesterday:

mayroi1

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Time catches up with us all 342

Posted on January 29, 2017 by

Here’s the Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon 10 months ago:

zahawi1

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Call the experts 850

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

Because when you really want people with their finger on the pulse of Scottish politics to analyse the implications of the Supreme Court decision on Brexit, where else would you go but to Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, to hear from um, former rugby league star and haircut pioneer Martin Offiah?

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The simpler version 292

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

Way back in October last year we analysed what now seems to have become the key plank of Unionist argument against independence in the wake of Brexit – the idea that because Scotland does more trade with the rest of the UK than it does with the EU, independence would be economic suicide because Scotland would be sacrificing “the UK single market” (a thing that doesn’t actually exist ) for a much smaller one.

wto

It’s a completely idiotic position, but to be honest we didn’t do a very good job of boiling the counter-argument down to something snappy and quoteable, so let’s have another go and see if we can manage something a little better.

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While the truth gets its boots on 367

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

Here’s Alex Salmond on last night’s Newsnight:

Let’s just quickly fact-check that claim.

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    • Dan on The same old tricks: ““Can a single bawbag unionist actually tells aw us Scottish plebs how we can exercise oor right to self-determination.” Hmm,…Jan 19, 17:34
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “I cannot provide evidence until you tell me the full, official name of the entity you have in mind. Which…Jan 19, 17:33
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: “The revealing thing is that even though you cannot produce a single piece of evidence in support of your view,…Jan 19, 17:17
    • Dan on The same old tricks: “Aye, I have the self awareness to recognise that I am different from more conventional “normal folk” that all too…Jan 19, 17:03
    • James Gardner on Poisoning The Unwell: “Talking about toxic apart from the Betrayer, a friend of mine who lives in Perth W.A sent a photo of…Jan 19, 17:03
    • Young Lochinvar on Poisoning The Unwell: “Hmmm.. White wig, heavy rimmed glasses, purple earrings- lookalikies indeed. You could be onto something there 🙂Jan 19, 16:28
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “Which part of the formal name of that entity you are so furiously peddling back from and why?Jan 19, 16:18
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: “Right, so you claim to have an in-depth and mature understanding of the constitutional structure of the U.K., but apparently…Jan 19, 16:07
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “I am still waiting for the name in full of the entity I am supposed to provide evidence for. I…Jan 19, 16:04
    • Captain Caveman on The same old tricks: “Your efforts make you look like someone very odd, with a chip on their shoulder, shouting gibberish at clouds.Jan 19, 16:03
    • Dan on The same old tricks: “Aye, that’s the issue right there when you think everything is jist fine with taxpayers paying someone good money to…Jan 19, 15:37
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “The formal name of the entity in full, please. The complete name of the entity is part of the evidence.…Jan 19, 15:31
    • Captain Caveman on The same old tricks: “The (unasked for and unwarranted)“contents” of your post in this instance and the last consists of a bunch of bitter…Jan 19, 15:28
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “I totally take your point, Confused. I know that responding to trolls may seem futile, but there might be other…Jan 19, 15:25
    • Dan on The same old tricks: “Wrong again fud! There’s nae chip oan my shoulder but you seem overly exercised about responding to me and not…Jan 19, 15:20
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: ““Beyond all reasonable doubt” – you aren’t on trial here (luckily for you). I’ve also referred to the U.K. several…Jan 19, 15:13
    • James on Poisoning The Unwell: “I heard from a local about 7 years ago that she was buying in Bridge of Allan. That sounds more…Jan 19, 15:07
    • James on Poisoning The Unwell: “I’ve heard Uddingston is lovely at this time of year?Jan 19, 15:05
    • Captain Caveman on The same old tricks: “No mate, you’re the “fud” pal. What’s that chip on your shoulder, you want the rest of us to be…Jan 19, 14:52
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “It stands to the obvious why I am asking the question: I cannot provide evidence of an entity if you…Jan 19, 14:36
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: “Okay – so you have zilch in the way of evidence, as expected. Which begs the question why you so…Jan 19, 14:26
    • Mia on The same old tricks: ““The state of the United Kingdom” And what state is that, exactly? There is no a state with a formal…Jan 19, 14:20
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: “The U.K. is one of the richest countries in the world by GDP and GDP per capita, around 11th (out…Jan 19, 14:15
    • Aidan on The same old tricks: “The state of the United Kingdom – do you not understand what that means, or do you think that could…Jan 19, 14:08
    • Oneliner on Poisoning The Unwell: “Is Val McDermid Peter Murrell in drag?Jan 19, 13:54
    • wally jumblatt on Poisoning The Unwell: “I think there is a tendency in all ‘civilised’ societies -by civilised I mean you aren’t just looking to survive…Jan 19, 13:51
    • Confused on Poisoning The Unwell: “Seeing Sturgeon pouring in the poison made me think of something … – the guards throwing in the zyklon B…Jan 19, 13:41
    • Mia on The same old tricks: “And you continue to deliberately twist words to confuse. What do you mean exactly by “U.K.”? Please state the name…Jan 19, 13:37
    • Confused on The same old tricks: “Dan, Mia – don’t waste time on these GERS discussions, it has been flogged to death; if any of them…Jan 19, 13:36
    • Alf Baird on The same old tricks: “You fail to observe what is a colonial balance sheet. Colonial plunder easily makes one of the richest nations in…Jan 19, 13:32
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