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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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    • Alf Baird on A Long Hard Think: ““We’ll be honest with you, readers, we’re at something of a loss for words at this point.” In the Manichaean…Sep 11, 19:48
    • Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “As things stand, willie, there appears to be £700,000 unaccounted for. In addition, there appears to be items bought with…Sep 11, 19:14
    • Frank Gillougley on A Long Hard Think: “Reasoning and law are redundant when used against straightforward brazen and ‘unanswerable to anyone’ corruption. Even this is a waste…Sep 11, 18:41
    • Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““They are busy locking up thousands of pensioners with cardboard signs” Naw. They’re not. You’re busy either lying or fantasising.Sep 11, 18:38
    • willie on A Long Hard Think: “Quite honestly can anyone have any faith in the police. As this response shows Police Scotland are absolutely rotten to…Sep 11, 18:34
    • PhilM on A Long Hard Think: “The information may not be held by Police Scotland but is it the kind of information that ought to be…Sep 11, 18:20
    • Morgatron on A Long Hard Think: “Just bamboozled! Who says crime doesn’t pay. Obviously not her.Sep 11, 18:19
    • robertkknight on A Long Hard Think: “Unlike Rev Stu, I am not at a loss for words, namely… Corruption. This sorry excuse for a country, governed…Sep 11, 17:56
    • Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “For many years many people, myself included, have accused Sturgeon and the SNP of being a Cult who’s agenda is…Sep 11, 17:55
    • Spartan 117 on A Long Hard Think: “Anyone surprised? Nope, me neither. This state is rotten.Sep 11, 17:49
    • ALANM on A Long Hard Think: ““We broke the law so we’d like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.” All crooks wanting to obtain a get…Sep 11, 17:44
    • ALANM on A Long Hard Think: “Who got the motorhome?Sep 11, 17:33
    • Ronnie on A Long Hard Think: “Don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot even look at her anymore.Sep 11, 17:29
    • Andy Wiltshire on A Long Hard Think: “Is the image at the top the entirety of what they sent you, Rev? If so it looks like it’s…Sep 11, 17:25
    • Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “From the perspective of a Right wing fascist who knows the whole barrel is rotten one can only quote a…Sep 11, 17:21
    • Ian Smith on A Long Hard Think: “Has any member of the SNP asked the police to track down the items and return them? Can any member…Sep 11, 17:13
    • Colin Hope on A Long Hard Think: “Please dont give up on this. Their replies are are getting weaker. If ever there was a need for a…Sep 11, 17:07
    • Effijy on A Long Hard Think: “Their next letter will simply state “Computer Says No”. Can the police force become any more pathetic? They don’t know…Sep 11, 17:06
    • agentx on A Long Hard Think: ““On Thursday, it emerged that MPs will launch an inquiry into party political funding following the fraud within the SNP.…Sep 11, 17:03
    • 100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Legal hearing on recovering £400k embezzled by Peter Murrell pushed back three months.Sep 11, 17:01
    • 100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “We know Peter Murrell was stealing before 2014. Sturgeon met Theresa May and I believe Sturgeon was given two options…Sep 11, 16:58
    • 100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Nicola is being protected why? Because she saved the union, so what John Swinney’s roll in all of this? He’s…Sep 11, 16:48
    • agentx on A Long Hard Think: ““if she was half way decent she’d want to divest herself of everything possibly tainted by Murrell’s crimes.” ——————————————– I…Sep 11, 16:47
    • gm on A Long Hard Think: “Did the polis recover any of that?Sep 11, 16:44
    • 100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “So in the Swagg bag you’ll find SNP, Crown office, Police Scotland, UKG, SG all working hand in hand. She…Sep 11, 16:38
    • Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““not at all clear whether the laws of Scotland apply to Sturgeon” Don’t tell me you’re losing it, Stu. Seems…Sep 11, 16:38
    • GM on A Long Hard Think: “That still leaves 400k worth of stuff that the police are required by law to recover.Sep 11, 16:35
    • agentx on A Long Hard Think: “When linked to the postponement of Murrell’s proceeds of crime action to December, absolutely everything about this long term investigation…Sep 11, 16:35
    • Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “She must love the Venus razors too. Surely nobody’s believing Murrell bought them for his own use?Sep 11, 16:33
    • MP on A Long Hard Think: “Just re-looked – funny how they have no information as to their own intention to follow the goods up or…Sep 11, 16:33
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