We have to give Jim Murphy credit – on this week’s Sunday Politics he started off with the subtle, misleading but technically-accurate version of Labour’s line about the “biggest party forming the government”, which involves making the true but irrelevant observation that in the past it’s usually been the case. (Mainly because UK elections almost always give the biggest party a comfortable majority.)
But it only took a couple of minutes of questioning for the Scottish branch manager to lose his cool and resort to the comprehensively debunked flat-out lie again.
We thought you’d enjoy this clip from this morning’s Andrew Marr Show, readers. It came after a very sensible interview, in which Salmond had calmly and reasonably laid out the SNP’s view on events should there be a hung parliament this May with the former First Minister’s party holding the balance of power.
Tory minister Anna Soubry seems to be experiencing a degree of regret about having begged Scots to stay in the UK. The body language says as much as the words.
Sometimes the UK media is so soul-crushingly moronic, readers, that it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. Nevertheless, we’re pretty sure we haven’t nodded off and woken up in 2017, so today’s papers must be even more idiotic than usual.
The Scottish Sun is around 80% the same newspaper as the English edition (with the bulk of the difference being accounted for by football coverage) so presumably the south-of-the-border version has a broadly similar view, right?
If we’re honest, readers, we almost never bother with BBC Scotland’s televised political coverage any more. We suspect the viewing figures for Scotland 2015 are down to fingers-and-toes territory now, and if last night’s edition – which we gritted our teeth and watched after noting the incredulous response on social media – is anything to go by, the state broadcaster is now using it to try out work-experience kids.
But we can cut fresh-faced new boy David Henderson (who suffered the indignity of being billed as Sarah Smith) a bit of slack for being outmanoeuvred by an experienced operator like Jim Murphy, who at one point in the show was actually interrogating the presenter rather than the other way round.
Kirsty Wark, regular anchor on the Corporation’s current-affairs flagship Newsnight, on the other hand, has no such excuses whatsoever.
A lot of people this week quoted a line supposedly from the former Labour cabinet minister Roy Jenkins, which runs “a statement is only interesting if a sane man could say the opposite”. We haven’t been able to verify if he ever really said that or not, but it doesn’t really matter, because it’s true either way.
If you ask them on social media, Labour MPs and activists will all hotly deny that the party signed up to the Conservatives’ plan for £30bn of austerity cuts in the next five years. It’ll be interesting to see whether they try to continue doing so in the light of Ed Balls’ appearance on the Andrew Marr Show this morning.
willie on These Words Are My Own: “The dam is ready to absolutely burst. Sturgeon is being exposed for the foul individual that she is. Her lying…” Jul 17, 23:48
Neil in Glasgow on These Words Are My Own: “We are all Stuart Campbell. A couple of quid from each of us and She’s toast. Unlike the sycophants that…” Jul 17, 23:48
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on These Words Are My Own: “« The Shadow of that hyddeous strength, Sax myle and more it is of length. » – ‘Ane Dialog betuix…” Jul 17, 23:47
Al Harron on These Words Are My Own: ““What happened with the £60,000-worth of items that were dropped from the indictment: the hairstylers, the lingerie and the books…” Jul 17, 23:30
sarah on These Words Are My Own: “Oh dear, Rev. You will never get on in public life. Far too principled and brave.” Jul 17, 22:53
Hatey McHateface on A Matter Of Declinature: “I see, Alf. Inevitably, yes, but individually to a greater or lesser extent. Like death, inevitable, but not for everyone,…” Jul 17, 22:39
Hatey Mchateface on A Matter Of Declinature: ““More to be pitied then scorned sadly” Ach, why not stick in your comfort zone and scorn ignorantly? Or sit…” Jul 17, 22:33
sam on These Words Are My Own: “Sturgeon is unlikely to ever want to face cross examination in court on any of the issues you raise. And…” Jul 17, 22:28
Hatey McHateface on A Matter Of Declinature: “Scots blokes are able to present themselves as women. It doesn’t mean they’re women. If you don’t understand what “present”…” Jul 17, 22:22
robertkknight on These Words Are My Own: “Well said all round. The dogs in the street know who did what to whom and when and why. Agent…” Jul 17, 22:21
Ian on These Words Are My Own: “Q to AI – Sturgeons head bobs around when she seems under pressure or maybe lying. She also blinks a…” Jul 17, 22:20
Tommy B on These Words Are My Own: “If there is a requirement for a fundraiser for legal fees, you can rely on a donation from this direction.…” Jul 17, 22:20
Alf Baird on A Matter Of Declinature: ““A consequence that is inevitable would inarguably and unarguably leave all Scots suffering from a colonial mindset.” Yes, this must…” Jul 17, 22:09
George Ferguson on A Matter Of Declinature: “Your too late. The Institutions have been taken over. You had your chance. Today I went to a special occasion…” Jul 17, 22:08
robertkknight on A Matter Of Declinature: “13 minutes of my life I’ll not get back and I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know, apart from…” Jul 17, 22:07
James on A Matter Of Declinature: “Dan/Northy; as we know they have an agenda and don’t like being put right. More to be pitied then scorned…” Jul 17, 21:56
Northcode on A Matter Of Declinature: ““…in one self-pitying, self-justifying post from Northy.” All I did was state a fact, backed that fact up by referencing…” Jul 17, 21:40
Hatey McHateface on A Matter Of Declinature: ““Other Scots might deny the colonisation of Scotland entirely; but this latter group could be suffering from a colonial mindset…” Jul 17, 21:10
sam on A Matter Of Declinature: “Yes, wee Johnny. That’s why the UK parliament site remarks that “Jacobites across Scotland were able to present themselves as…” Jul 17, 21:08
Glenn Boyd on A Matter Of Declinature: “David Davis makes allegations about Nicola Sturgeon in Westminster. Professor Tim Wilson site on You Tube. This report is well…” Jul 17, 21:00
Glenn Boyd on A Matter Of Declinature: “David Davis makes allegations about Nicola sturgeon in Westminster Professor Tim Wilson on You Tube Worth a view” Jul 17, 20:46
Glenn Boyd on A Matter Of Declinature: “David Davis makes allegations about nicola sturgeon in Westminster Professor Tim Wilson You Tube Well worth a view.” Jul 17, 20:43
Hatey McHateface on A Matter Of Declinature: ““I believe James used “Scotch” in his comment to make a point” I believe you don’t believe that at all.…” Jul 17, 20:34
Alf Baird on A Matter Of Declinature: ““Logic, eh? It’s a scunner” Some Scots might say the colonisation of Scotland is inarguable. Some Scots might say the…” Jul 17, 20:21
Northcode on A Matter Of Declinature: ““[The] Scotch don’t like Tories generally, Inglis.” This, taken from the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700):…” Jul 17, 20:13
Aidan on A Matter Of Declinature: “Sorry Dan – are you really sticking up for “James” here?” Jul 17, 18:30
Hatey McHateface on A Matter Of Declinature: “Sure, sam. That’s why the Jacobite army marched on London, getting as far south as Derby before turning back. “Jacobites…” Jul 17, 18:27
