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The quality press 50

Posted on September 08, 2014 by

You have to laugh.

hoots

Anyone would think WE were the ones who’d had to remove, apologise for and pay compensation for defamatory articles about THEM.

A theme develops 238

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Save it from what, exactly? Democracy?

theme

(More here.)

The great surrender 70

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Owen Jones in the Guardian, 7 September 2014:

“New Labour’s surrender to the underlying assumptions of the Thatcherite crusade gave the independence movement its greatest opportunity. Yes, the Blairites could not entirely purge Labour’s traditions, and so the minimum wage was introduced (albeit at too low a level), poverty was reduced and public services were invested in.

Yet they illegally invaded Iraq with Conservative support, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and 179 British military personnel before handing much of the country over to fanatics. They punished aspiration by introducing tuition fees, saddled public services with long-term debt through the colossal rip-off of PFI, and began privatising our NHS – laying the foundations for some of the pernicious policies of this coalition as they did so.

They allowed the living standards of millions of working people to begin falling years before the crash, even as the coffers of corporate Britain prospered like never before. They failed to solve an ever-worsening housing crisis, leaving 5 million languishing on council housing waiting lists. They cut taxes on corporate Britain while indulging in entirely destructive gimmicks such as scrapping the 10p tax rate.

Many Scots look at the Britain built by this political elite, they don’t like it and they want out.”

Seems to pretty much cover it.

Quack quack quack quack quack 299

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Here’s what George Osborne actually said on today’s Andrew Marr Show:

“You will see in the next few days a plan of action to give more powers to Scotland. More tax powers, more spending powers, more plans for powers over the welfare state. 

That will be put into effect – the timetable for delivering that will be put into effect – the moment there is a no vote in the referendum. The clock will be ticking for delivering those powers – and then Scotland will have the best of both worlds.”

(From 32m 40s.) It’s not actually very hard to follow.

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All over the place 319

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

So, first this happened:

timesyes

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It’s behind you, Donald 386

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

New YouGov poll tonight. Yes 51 No 49 excluding Don’t Knows. Interesting.

behindyou

The Observer’s front page splash is the No camp’s last-ditch Hail Mary – a new devolution talking shop. They just don’t get it. This is about tomorrow, not yesterday.

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Brian Wilson is a liar 167

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

Alert readers will already be aware that former Labour MP, minister and nuclear-power lobbyist Brian Wilson is one of our least favourite figures in the independence debate.

bwilson1

A man utterly consumed by tribal hatred of the SNP – even by the standards of Scottish Labour, which is no mean accolade – his Scotsman columns are some of the most mendacious, bilious propaganda to be found in the country, to the extent that we don’t even link to them in our “Zany Comedy Relief” section.

Today, however, he’s outdone himself in spectacular style.

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Story of a thought process 98

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

One being shared by more and more Scots.

Something in reserve 81

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

finalbend

*Readers! Meet Chris in person next Thursday as part of the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio. Tickets are FREE but you need to book in advance. – Ed.

Ein Yolk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer 198

Posted on September 05, 2014 by

Because throwing an egg is EXACTLY HOW HITLER STARTED.

einyolk

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Rational thinking will have to be made 220

Posted on September 05, 2014 by

This is Andy Brough, the Executive Director at Schroders Investment Management Ltd, discussing the referendum and currency on the Bloomberg channel yesterday.

He predicts a Yes vote in the referendum, and that Scotland and the rUK will share the pound, regardless of what George Osborne says. He predicts a “chaotic” aftermath, but seems rather relaxed overall at the prospect of an independent Scotland in a currency union. And for a senior City financier, he seems to have a very perceptive grasp on the reasons behind Scottish Labour’s backing for the Union.

Questions and sort-of answers 99

Posted on September 05, 2014 by

Last week we highlighted the dismissive, contemptuous attitude of many Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs to questions from their constituents, an approach perhaps borne of the safe seats occupied by most of those concerned. However, some politicians from the three Unionist parties in Scotland do still deign to correspond with the electorate, and it would be unfair of us not to acknowledge and credit them for that.

Below, then, are the other responses that Wings readers received to a number of questions relating to independence that we suggested they might like to pose to their elected representatives way back in July. (We’ve given it six weeks, and it seems safe to assume that any who haven’t replied by now aren’t going to.)

It’s a lengthy read, but we think you’ll find it enlightening.

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    • factchecker on The Shortest Day: “Oneliner Confused’s confused statement incorrectly referred to Diageo exports being counted as English, as did my reply giving the correct…Aug 31, 16:05
    • Oneliner on The Shortest Day: “Where in the UK accounts is this itemised specifically? Is the 20% VAT charged within the UK on this Scottish…Aug 31, 15:30
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Shortest Day: “Dated but germane Scott Minto article on Wings (July 27, 2014) THE CASE OF THE MISSING BILLIONS https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-case-of-the-missing-billions/Aug 31, 15:28
    • Captain Caveman on The Shortest Day: “You back Confused? Thought you’d been permabanned.Aug 31, 15:07
    • Captain Caveman on The Shortest Day: “I’m sure if you were to measure the reverberation time, it would be long indeed. However, with a “full house”,…Aug 31, 15:06
    • factchecker on The Shortest Day: “Confused claims “– the english count whisky exports as english because diageo are HQ-ed in London”. Wrong, yet again, on…Aug 31, 14:34
    • Aidan on The Shortest Day: “That’s right Hatey – and if you look at Average Individual Consumption rate, the average Irish person it poorer than…Aug 31, 14:18
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “Well hold on there Bald Eagle Doing a reading there, a rare privilege indeed. As for the acoustics, was there…Aug 31, 14:06
    • Ian Smith on The Shortest Day: “Ireland has 4 years longer life expectancy. Seems you can have good health or socialist ideological purity, but not both.Aug 31, 13:46
    • Gordon on The Shortest Day: “It’s not as simple as that – their oil doesn’t “gush”, the bulk of it, Oronoco crude, is thick, dense…Aug 31, 13:43
    • Ian Smith on The Shortest Day: “Norway’s hydro potential is night and day different from Scotland’s. Five time the catchment area for rain and snow that…Aug 31, 13:41
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “HMcH “Orcs”/ “COVID spreaders”; whatever your invented pet names/ insults are.. Of course the post WW2 order is still a…Aug 31, 13:39
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““The native ‘laughs’ aince thay feegure oot the colonial hoax that has duped them for so long” Are you sure,…Aug 31, 13:02
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““A high degree of colonial amnesia there Hatey, mixed in with standard doublethink, denial etc.” Sez you, Alf! I’m only…Aug 31, 12:32
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““the irish are now (collectively) richer than the english and you don’t like it” The metric to use is Gross…Aug 31, 12:27
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““Hawking may have got his hole on epstein island, which, for me at least, is a lot more impressive than…Aug 31, 12:16
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Too bad, Bob, you’ve just been pebble dashed. Better bin the lot, or maybe just let it dry, then see…Aug 31, 12:14
    • Alf Baird on The Shortest Day: ““Furthermore, the leaders of those plebiscitary parties would have to face harassment, imprisonment, or worse. The day these things happen…Aug 31, 12:08
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Shortest Day: “NÍ NEART GO CUR LE CHÉILE Meaning, pronunciation, background: https://www.allaboutirish.ie/blog/strength-in-unity-n%C3%AD-neart-go-cur-le-ch%C3%A9ileAug 31, 11:57
    • Alf Baird on The Shortest Day: ““made in England by the ProudScot partnership” Yes TURABDIN, ‘colonialism is obscured by assimilation’ (Memmi) of native groups (elites, bourgeoisie…Aug 31, 11:42
    • Confused on The Shortest Day: “CRAIG HOUSTON might be a fuckwitted yoon, but he seems to be one of the few people actually, just, talking…Aug 31, 11:37
    • Confused on The Shortest Day: “I mentioned the REFORM/RESTORE SPLIT the other day – here is another take with some more detail; a nice graphic…Aug 31, 11:33
    • Confused on The Shortest Day: “Looks like ICELAND DID THE SANE THING; though it was far closer than it should have been, rationally. pretty decent…Aug 31, 11:32
    • Confused on The Shortest Day: “” allows economic activity not taking place there to nevertheless be recorded there for tax proposes.” do you anglo fucking…Aug 31, 11:31
    • Aidan on The Shortest Day: “Ireland has an artificially inflated GDP because the of extensive use of base shifting profit erosion which allows economic activity…Aug 31, 11:10
    • Southernbystander on The Shortest Day: “That is not fair though since Ireland has had this two-tier, personal insurance-based system for many decades and as far…Aug 31, 10:50
    • robertkknight on The Shortest Day: “Careful Willie… That sort of thing is just an open invitation for the site Prick to start spreading more shite…Aug 31, 10:44
    • Willie on The Shortest Day: “Ah who would like to be like Norway. Who would like to be like Ireland. My God and riven with…Aug 31, 10:09
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Some good points, Willie. As Professor Baird loves to remind us, Ireland has a humongous GDP. As Professor Baird and…Aug 31, 09:32
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Seriously, YL? You believe the Orcs are still commies? Crivens! “supposed to be about the “World Order” created after WW2…Aug 31, 09:18
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