It’s been brought to my attention that you recently shared a quote attributed to the TV presenter and Westminster political commentator Andrew Neil, and that in response Mr Neil has strongly denied making the statement in the quote, namely:
“Devolution, the Calman Commission, the Scotland Bill, the Edinburgh Agreement – all of this and more you have is because Westminster parties are scared of the SNP. If you vote ‘No’ you massively change the balance of power and they will not only give you nothing, but will probably take powers away from the Scottish Parliament”.
I find it very strange that he denies making that statement.
There’s an extraordinary article in the Daily Record today. Here’s a bit of it:
Alert readers might feel that a few lines have gone missing somewhere between paragraphs four and five. And the fact that they have has nothing to do with dead football clubs, and everything to do with the dying Scottish media.
Alert readers who follow our Twitter account, like all sensible people do, may have noticed we’ve had a few exchanges with the BBC presenter Andrew Neil since we published a couple of articles about his interview with the SNP’s Angus Robertson on The Sunday Politics last week.
The debate centred around a claim Neil put to Robertson:
“You go on and on, your party, about ‘austerity, austerity’ – how much has the Scottish Government budget been cut in the past five or six years? […] In real terms there’s been no cut.“
It seems fair to say the matter’s been in some dispute since then.
We don’t follow many Unionists on social media, because you end up wasting your day arguing pointlessly with a lot of people who are never going to change their minds and getting in a bad mood. But we’re told they were all very excited about an article in yesterday’s Daily Record.
Penned by the paper’s political editor Davie Clegg, it’s a long diatribe about how the fall in oil revenues has created a black hole which now means Scotland is – stand by for a surprise! – too wee and too poor to be independent.
So far so meh – it’s not like it’s the first time we’ve heard that record played, after all. But as you can see from the image above, there’s also quite an interesting challenge printed in giant capitals at the foot of the page. We’re not in the Scottish Government, but it’s a rainy Saturday so we thought we might have a go.
The reaction of the Scottish media and political opposition to Audit Scotland’s annual report on the NHS today has been nothing if not predictable. But we thought you might like an instructive and enlightening look at the two very different types of approach they’ve taken to trying to mislead the Scottish people about it.
First up is the non-specific Scottish Labour apparatchik (as far as we’re aware he has no official role in the party since Jim Murphy quit – indeed we don’t know what he does for a living at all any more) Blair McDougall:
This is what we in the writing trade call a “flat-out lie”.
This month we’ve been noting a sudden avalanche of factually-questionable articles in the media attacking the SNP’s record in government. At the weekend and yesterday we also picked apart a highly misleading and disingenuous claim by Andrew Neil on the BBC’s Sunday Politics that there had been no cuts to the Scottish Government budget since the Conservatives came to power in 2010.
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “James HMcH is either: 1. Flexing his +60% fat brain percentage inspired imagination Or 2. Projecting YET AGAIN..” Feb 21, 21:30
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Now, now, James, tell the truth. You’re here for a few days because you’ve rubbed it red raw. As soon…” Feb 21, 21:09
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “CA As a point of order; that’s hardly an even handed source – over a year old – and, making…” Feb 21, 20:54
Iain More on When the law breaks the law: “And the Quislings and Treacherous Wokists crawl out from under their rocks.” Feb 21, 20:22
Cynicus on When the law breaks the law: “Wonderful. There are faux-Scots poets who compose English verse and, with the aid of dictionaries, translate material they pass off…” Feb 21, 20:20
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “GP at 2.26 “That’s not how it works (HMcH) as you are in a position to know”.. Please do share…” Feb 21, 20:09
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “A general political rule of thumb that seems to be accurate most of the time: With left wing parties, it’s…” Feb 21, 20:08
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: ““you will well know from your own sponsors” Sure. I asked them about your old department. They tell me they…” Feb 21, 20:03
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “Has LGBTQI etc etc etc killed the SNP and Alba? Certainly disproportionately over represented per capita.. Can’t keep hands out…” Feb 21, 20:01
Colin Alexander on When the law breaks the law: ““Leaked emails show Kenny MacAskill’s concerns of Alex Salmond’s Alba”. At least Kenny MacAskill had the sense to distance himself…” Feb 21, 19:58
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Fanon and Memmi, Jonesy too, predicted this would happen.” Feb 21, 19:55
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Good to see you back, James People were worrying you’d gone blind.” Feb 21, 19:52
Colin Alexander on When the law breaks the law: “It was under Kenny MacAskill as Justice Secretary that ALEX SALMOND’S woke colonial administration changed Scottish Prison Service policy to…” Feb 21, 19:37
Cynicus on When the law breaks the law: ““ Alba Party quits Holyrood election with questions over ‘viability’” ========= https://tinyurl.com/NOT-Murrel” Feb 21, 19:12
Dan on When the law breaks the law: “Aye, totes poundshop politics here in Scotlandshire. Lacklustre and spineless politicians, and divisive self-serving egotistic narcissism turned up to eleven…” Feb 21, 18:33
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “HMcH Oi Vey Y’all! Oh dear! Hebe geno side happy clapper and self professed coloured people hating “Oath Keeper” HMcH.…” Feb 21, 18:19
GM on When the law breaks the law: “What an absolute waste of your old man’s effort you are. Turd.” Feb 21, 17:42
TURABDIN on When the law breaks the law: “THE BRITISH STATE is experiencing a major existential crisis, Scotland’s «elect» are asleep. Sadly, the electorate is dozing too. The…” Feb 21, 17:32
agentx on When the law breaks the law: “Don’t forget Men’s curling team going for Gold (or at least Silver) at 18.00.” Feb 21, 17:10
Bobo bunny on When the law breaks the law: “MacEleny a unionist plant? He seems to have destroyed the party from the inside. Where’s the money, Chris?” Feb 21, 15:53
Anne on When the law breaks the law: “Kennys account is the truth of events and it is a tragedy ,for us and for Scotland .” Feb 21, 15:41
ScotsRenewables on When the law breaks the law: “Well, that’s that fucked then. Looking forward to hearing the inside scoop from Stu on this particular pile of wombat…” Feb 21, 15:24
Garavelli Princip on When the law breaks the law: ““Perhaps you could inform us which “senior Whitehall-appointed civil servants” just got rid of Scotland’s Not Proven verdict”. That’s not…” Feb 21, 14:26
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on When the law breaks the law: “ALBA PARTY LEADER’S UPDATE Dear friend Let me, firstly, thank you for your support for our Party over these past…” Feb 21, 14:19
