Changing their hearts and minds
We long ago gave up expecting any sort of principled consistency from the Scottish Tories. Whether it was Ruth “line in the sand, no more powers” Davidson magically morphing into a champion of extended devolution, or suddenly reversing her position on free prescriptions, the party is now almost as fluid on policy as Scottish Labour.
The underlings, of course, dutifully follow their leader’s example. Readers familiar with Adam Tomkins’ remarkably rapid journey from fiery pro-independence republican to an ultra-Unionist ultra-Conservative monarchist will, we suspect, barely have batted an eyelid this morning as he unblinkingly performed a full 180-degree turn on the concept of universal basic income.
Even though as recently as this January he was full of admiration for it:
And he’s not alone.
Yesterday much opprobrium was directed at Moray MP Douglas Ross, who is ducking a key Westminster vote on the catastrophic Universal Credit (which is very much not the same thing as Universal Basic Income) in order to run the line at a Champions’ League match tonight in Barcelona.
Tories huffily pointed out that the electorate had known he was a football official when they elected him, and on the surface they had a point. That fact was indeed known in advance, just like when Alex Salmond was elected in 2015 on a dual mandate to serve at both Holyrood and Westminster, despite fabricated Tory fury at the move.
(They also made a big play of the fact that he’d conducted “over 50 surgeries” since being elected, while neglecting to point out that almost all of them had been done over the space of just five days in August, and they lasted just 45 minutes each.)
But there’s only one small fly in that ointment. Because Ross had previously caused anger by double-jobbing in football when he was an MSP, prior to quitting Holyrood to stand for Westminster instead, and when he asked voters to make him an MP he did so while contritely and solemnly pledging that if elected he’d do more to prioritise politics over what he described as his “hobby”.
But we suppose when you set the responsibility to protect vulnerable people right on your own doorstep from massive, life-destroying hardship against the glamour of a match at the Nou Camp, all that goes right out of the window. Whether it’s parliaments or jobs, Douglas Ross clearly just can’t resist the lure of the bigger stage.
Come the next election a blizzard of posters showing Mr Ross running the line in Barcelona rather than doing the day job should do wonders for his re-election prospects !
They get away with it because the media in this country allow them to. Scottish MSM is an utter disgrace.
‘Douglas Ross clearly just can’t resist the lure of the bigger stage’ just like his boss then and they call this ‘doing the day job’.
Constituents and their welfare are just an inconvenience and they get away with it because of the compliance of the MSM and the BBC you will not question them.
Who has asked Ruth about the secret report on Scotland and the effect of Brexit – no one that I can see and Douglas Ross could not care less about people who need benefits.
The section of the electorate in Moray did not vote for Douglas Ross “to protect vulnerable people right on your own doorstep from massive, life-destroying hardship”.
They voted for the SNPBaaaad save the Union Party.
The only policy they are interested in is SNPBaaaad save the Union.
The vulnerable are just collateral damage to them (just like those affected by Brexit are).
Someone will come up with the Groucho Marx quote about principles and having others … so let me give you another one by the Master.
link to graphicsheat.com
Tories are incapable of seeing the real world. They have glass eyes when interviewed.
Now they are considering removing the 55p a minute phone charges. Why did they introduce it in the first place? Because they are privileged, blindly entitled, and do not understand the average public.
Do Barcelona fans know he’s the linesman ?
Imagine them finding out he’s a right wing, Madrid supporting royalist Tory MP whose party view their referendum as illegal.
Could be quite uncomfortable for him.
He is also a liar, from 11 August to 31 September this year he has trousered nearly 3k from refereeing.
It can all be summed up in one word. Conservative.
They are beyond the pale, now and ever.
I wonder if Ross will still go if the Catalans declare Independence on Thursday? If the Spanish go all Martial Law the match may not even take place.
Statement from Barecelona FC on 1st October 2017;
“FC Barcelona condemns the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today to prevent its citizens exercising their democratic rights”
Douglas Ross MP gives legitimacy to the Catalan Independence Referendum by officiating at the Nou Camp. In his capacity as a UK Westminster elected offical, he is effectively taking sides…..with the “Seperatists”!
Good on you Douglas!
The British nationalist media, especially the bbc, will of course praise Tomkins and Ross for their principled consistancy.
Boycott all britnat media.
Adds fuel to the notion that before people are allowed to stand as candidates or be allowed to vote for that matter, they ought to be examined on the fundamental principles of politics. Politics is a serious and responsible discipline. It is not a field for part timers or the half-witted. Politics in Ukania, however, seems somewhat suited to both as the Brexit mess attests.
As a Moray resident, I remain at a loss as to how this eejit got in. Who voted for him? Many in Moray are wondering this as everyone we speak to voted for Angus Robertson.
I remember whilst he was serving as an MSP, he was ‘unavailable’ to attend a public meeting he was invited to. SNP MSP’s were there and very helpful. His absence was noted.
I can’t help but imagine how the same standards would apply to us plebs. If my Manager asked me to attend a meeting where decisions affecting others would be voted on, I think I would aim to be there or risk losing my job. Not sure ‘sorry, I am busy with my hobby’ would wash. My manager is aware of my hobbies and has been since I commenced work, however I would still be out on by backside if I took this P**h like this.
The electorate being aware of his ‘hobby’/nice wee earner prior to being voted in means squat. It goes without saying he should be doing the job he is paid to do and if there is a conflict, a decision should be made by Mr Ross on which one of his jobs/pastimes he wishes to take forward.
He should be utterly ashamed but that said when has a tory ever been shameful of his/her actions
Barcelona should be a learning experience for young Douglas. Not only for the Catalonian independence vote but also for the community orientation of Barcelona FC. But can travel broaden the mind of a Tory?
Douglas Ross has No allegiance to his constituents.
He bathed in pre election media glory of his support for the local WASPI group…..then promptly ditched his support and the group after he was elected.
Nithing but a slimy shit out for himself.
Do the Barcelona fans know he approves of Spanish Gov tactics and opposes Independence, I wonder?
Welsh Sion says:
18 October, 2017 at 11:35 am
Someone will come up with the Groucho Marx quote about principles and having others … so let me give you another one by the Master.
It’s good to see Marx coming back into fashion. Second time this week I’ve seen him quoted.
Of the brothers Groucho is my favourite. Karl said some funny things too but he never made me laugh.
Harpo on the other hand said nowt and had me in stitches.
I say something mentioning Identity Politics being all the rage. In Scotland we seem to have extremes of both.
No one cares what Ruth says ( I wont say believes as beliefs shouldn’t be so flexible) and they actually VOTED for her. VOTED. Not just your list. VOTED for her.
Same for this clown. Even wiser, The Moray Ref openly declares he gives not one toss and still folk vote for him. They don’t care what he does or doesn’t. It makes no difference, it matters who he is not, rather than who he is, to the Moray voters.
Anyone thinking justice will come one day for these folk will have a long long wait I fear. People are beyond understanding these days it seems. Consumed by hate and self loathing and happy to say “Fuck em” rather than “help them”. Sad times.
Abulhaq says:
18 October, 2017 at 11:57 am
“Adds fuel to the notion that before people are allowed to stand as candidates ….”
Agreed, but this is the bit I really like:
…”or be allowed to vote for that matter,…”
Good suggestion Abulhaq 🙂
I wonder if there is any way possible to give all tory supporting areas the pleasure of the total unmitigated implementation of their tory government’s policies at westminster , we wouldn’t want to disappoint would we .
o/t now – the silence from all the usual suspects on the study that has been carried out regarding the impact of of brexit , has fluffy been kidnapped we haven’t seen him for weeks , has ruthie eaten him as well or maybe sat on him .
The BBC NHS checker had comments from three parts of the country courtesy of the bbc, first was our trusted bbc in scotland despite all the information they couldn’t bring themselves to acknowledge things were a bit brighter in Jockland , every point that was made came with the usual BUT-BUT-BUT f/n BUT all through the comment , no way will they admit the SNP are doing anything right , save the f/n union at all costs .
A right-wing ultra-unionist Westminster politician, running the line for UEFA, in a ‘seperatist’ stadium, should make the tea-time news in Catalonia.
Well, some folk wanted them I suppose and now they’ve got them. Show boaters, pretendy politicians, sound bite wannabes and proud Scot buts, all with but one policy in mind. No solutions. No counter policies. Little or no empathy and an uncanny knack for eternally voting just the way their heid office does on pretty much all issues.
Still, they serve a very essential role in Scotland alright. It’s just that it’s apparently not a role which serves Scotland’s population.
I very much doubt there’s one of them believes that there’s a need for an empowered parliament of any description north of the border. I’m sure the extra cash is nice though. Indeed it seems most are only too ardent and insistent that the only parliament worth a damn on these islands is situated far, far to the south in more civilized lands. So what are they for you might ask? To further the ends of Westminster Conservatism.
They are, to all intents and purposes, place holder politicians. Simple as that. I can’t honestly recall a single one of them who have ever praised our parliament, our politics or our democracy, (democracy being what they say it is). I don’t recall any being signatories to Scotland’s claim of right and pretty much all that exits their collective pie hole is condemnation of our government, our services and our institutions. That’s not holding government to account. It’s opposition for oppositions sake. Something you’d think our electorate would be all too familiar with.
Y’know, the impression given spookily resembles folk who are actively seeking to undermine Scotland’s democracy top to toe.
So in no particular order. They seemingly serve the Conservative and unionist party, the continuance of the political union, the primacy of Westminster parliament and their own political careers.
What they patently do NOT serve are the interests of the people of Scotland, our democracy or our parliament. Which is, last I checked, the day job.
I take the view that the fewer Tories that turn up for votes the better 🙂
Remember when the Daily Mail reported on SNP MPs and outside interests in outraged terms (page 1, continued on pages 2, 3, 4, 5,6 etc)? Including Phillipa Whitford covering a sick colleague’s shift in the operating theatre so that sick women could get essential breast cancer surgery and actually getting paid!
Where’s the outrage now?
Excerpt for Private Eye
“6 weeks min number of weeks a new Universal Credit claimant must wait for first payment, leading to rent arrears, exorbitantly priced debt and trips to food banks.
1 week the max number of weeks before a new MP is met by a’dedicated independent parliamentary standards authority election contact’, provided with a salary advance and shown how to claim housing costs in advance.”
Why is this not headline news in MSM and the BBC?
The Wings over Scotland has opened my eyes on the underlying anti SNP propaganda comming from the BBC. Following an interview in Spain meeting anti Catalonia independence protesters and the problems this will cause. The next item was about the SNP.
Is Tory MP Douglas Ross ‘paired’ with a Labour MP?
If so, that would mean his absence from the House of Commons won’t mean a reduction in the Gov’t vote, because his Labour partner-in-pairing will abstain from voting.
Pairing is a nasty system, binding the supposed Labour and Conservative opponents together, but only for their own benefit, not for the benefit of the UK.
I am very glad the SNP does not and never will indulge in ‘pairing’. Not in Westminster, nor in Holyrood.
Jockanese Wind Talker @ 11:33
…unfortunately you are spot on!
Sorry it’s off topic but with the general good news that Scotland’s NHS is out performing the rest of the UK and even the BBC are highlighting it, The Herald leads on an MS story about patients missing out.
The MS story is an important one and needs highlighted but did they really have to publish it on a day of good news for NHS Scotland and not wait until tomorrow?
One would think they were doing it on purpose.
@Donald Bruce
Once you start to see the bias on BBC and STV and the rest of the British media, it becomes glaringly obvious everywhere.
Watching the monkeys hollering at PMQs. What a disgraceful show! Shouting over Ian Blackford but nice and quiet for Unionists.
No respect whatsoever for Scotland or it’s politicians. Maybe if D Ross ever turned up at the Commons………
I look forward to his first off side decision against Barcelona.
Grubby wee Tory boy.
Betcha the fragrant Mr. Ross comes back from Barcelona still not knowing what “Visca Catalunya lliure” means. Anyone who is against Catalunya’s democratic will and for Spain’s boneheaded, counterproductive Franquism is (a) an eejit, and (b) a fascist. Technical terms. We should shun them.
First opportunity he get’s he’s off to Spain to put on a black shirt and tell the bolshy separistas to get in their box.
David
Pairing is supposed to cover MPs tied up in committees or on government business or ill health not other paid employment.
If he is paired then his pair should not be absent for this vote.
Something going on with the ultra right all over the place. Trump in America is a self confessed sex offender but the right are support him, Harvey Weinstien, a democrat is described by the right as a monster. We’ve all heard the refrain , If Obama had said that there would be headless chickens everywhere. Lyin’ Ruth will spout any pish then duck for cover knowing there will be the inevitable fact checks. There’s two standards in politics. The tory/trump/Johnson/brexit which gives you a free pass to lie your head off but Sturgeon can’t even make an honest mistake without getting figuratively lynched.e
I had an early appointment so did not, as usual, check wings properly before an early nights sleep.
I came back this lunchtime and read the news before checking Wings.
Here is what I noted from this morning’s news.
Headline –“Waits for cancer care, A & E and ops worsens”
BBC research shows – the performance of hospitals across the UK has worsened.
Nationally England, Wales & N.I. have not met even one of their three key targets for 18 months. (then – as a wee afterthought):- Only Scotland has had any success in the past 12 months hitting A&E targets 3 times but no mention that Scotland was also way ahead of the rest of the UK by a long way.
Next item’s headline, “EU Bill won’t be debated this Month.”
An official Government source said the delay was because, “There simply is not enough political agreement yet”
That insufficiency is only a reference to there not being enough Tory MPs in agreement, YET.
Next up was the Unemployment figures:-
Headline:-“Unemployment total drops by 52,000”.
UK unemployment fell by 52,000 for the 3 month period down to 1.4 million leaving the jobless total unchanged at 4.3% .
However pay still failed to keep pace with inflation so real value of earnings was down 0.3%.
It was left to the Scottish news follow-on to inform that :-
“Unemployment in Scotland rose by 9,000 to 113,000 and that the Scottish rate was 0.3% higher than the previous quarter and now stood at 4.1%.
Then, and only as a wee afterthought:-
The number of people in work in Scotland rose by 40,000 to a near record figure. They did not even mention that at 4.1% the Scottish unemployment figure beat the UK figure of 4.3%.
But that’s the BBC for you – isn’t it?
Sadly, I think a lot of voters in Moray aren’t fussed, and in fact prefer it that way. They want an SNP ‘blocker’ who will do nothing but keep an SNP MP out. Could be anyone. Could be an animated bag of Smoky Bacon crisps if that was allowed to stand for parliament.
In the words of Robert Somynne . .
“I would complain but I think there is something in a lot of Conservative voters wanting someone who – well, won’t do anything. No big ideas, no rapid actions just obstruction and a ‘leave me be’ attitude. The very point of being a Conservative.”
Hope none of the players in Ross’s match are from an ethnic minority, he’s already called for ‘tougher enforcement..’
Suddenly ‘in-line’ will be ‘offside’.
Macart @ 12:24,
“Muppets”, in a word.
If it wasn’t for “pairing”, one less of them running round a field in Catalonia instead of “doing the day job” would be an unconditional blessing, I would say.
The silence from the usual media itself speaks volumes.
You just have to wonder at what point enough ordinary voters in the constituencies of these hollow men will wake up and realise that they have been well and truly conned.
RP..’But that’s the BBC for you – isn’t it?’
Yes it is Robert, yes it is.
The twisted BBC now disgusts as many viewers than it successfully fools.
Those who inexplicably choose to remain fooled are, well, inherently ignorant.
One Nation Conservatives and the neo-liberal/neo-conservative New Right have a very odd way of showing they have a heart but I don’t think they really mind.
link to history.ac.uk
link to extra.shu.ac.uk
link to iea.org.uk
I have certainly made sure that the Catalans I know are aware of the anti-independence stance of tonight’s assistant referee.
Whether it’s run the line or tow the line, that’s what Scittish Tories are for. Does it really make difference as to whether he’s doing one in Barcelona or the other at Westminster?
IMHO, the Conservative party is a danger to public health and social sustainability.
N.B. Neo-liberal policy tends to increase income and health inequalities.
link to jceps.com
link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
I’m not a resident of Moray, but I find it quite astonishing that he got elected. His jaunting from here to there, and just about everywhere, will surely affect his constitutents, but not in a good way.
You will find “doggie ross” is a clone of Ruthie Davidson, meaning he will do anything to get his name or face in the media. He does not care if its good or bad as he believes that no publicity is bad publicity.
If “doggie” has any morals he would have got them on expenses.
Notice also that Mr Ross has been expressing his support for the WASPI women in his constituency. Wonder if that support extends to voting against the UK Government – and wonder if said constituents will even notice ? Of course the DUP may let him off the hook since his vote won’t matter much anyway if they go against the Tories.
Recalling past inventive uses of Photoshop for errant linesmen, perhaps we’ll see an image of Mr Ross waving a Spanish flag for an offside against Barcelona.
Another QED (who knew?) moment.
link to archive.is
I wonder what the good people of Moray make of Mother Theresa’s response, that if he felt that if his time was better served elsewhere, then that was just fine and dandy with her! He would just have been useful lobby fodder anyway!
Skiving off may yet come back to bite Mr Ross on the bum when his tories need EVERY vote they can get. With rebel backbenchers and the diligent SNP MP opposition, their position is not entirely secure at all.
That complacency and arrogance could yet cost them dear.
It IS tempting to say ‘keep it up Mr Ross’.
But this sticks in my craw. It is sickening to see the honoured role of elected representative for the people of Murray in the UK Parliament being treated with such utter contempt.
Shame on you Ross.
Oh Murray you were duped. And there is plenty coming that will yet make you rue the day. There IS another way, come on along side, you’d be so welcome =)
I note that the Herald cartoon today picks up the Douglas Ross – Spanish flag theme. Does the Herald cartoonist follow your site ?
Well his constituents voted for him, so I hope they are happy with him? . I said it when he won the seat, they are more than welcome to him. All because bad SNP.