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Colour separation

Posted on September 18, 2013 by

We couldn’t help but notice this new BBC referendum logo.

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We like how they’re thinking.

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HandandShrimp

Yup that seems like a plan

Morag

I like it.

gordoz

Its the future !! And I too like it

Thought Swinney and Harvie did well tonight.
Audience comments also good (German Woman very good points)

Craig Munro

Good that 🙂

sneddon

Still missing a dragon, stupid flag designers.

Gordon Hay

So I’ve just watched the big debate on BBC Scotland recorded last night in Inverness, and I’m puzzled as to why I did not hear a single Inverness accent throughout the programme.

(I’m from Inversneckie BTW)

Marty

Doesn’t stop them from having Red, White and Blue banners at the bottom of BBC Scotland News. They are the only ones in the UK to use this. They don’t even do it in Northern Ireland for goodness sake, Have a look next time, see what i’m talking about. 

pictishbeastie

That’ll dae me! 

gordoz

Rev : Have you seen this yet from Bateman ?
Ohhh its cutting about Labour
link to newsnetscotland.com

Murray McCallum

Both looking good apart!

Ronnie

At least there was a better balance on the panel this time – two for, two against.
Plus Campbell behaved reasonably.
Has someone at the BBC been listening at last?
(Dinna haud yer breath).

Doug Daniel

They could just replace the Saltire with the St David’s flag: link to en.wikipedia.org

John Hamill

Not a fan of red anyway.

MajorBloodnok

@Doug Daniel
 
Might just be a temporary measure though 😀

Morag

Not a fan of red anyway.

Ooooh, it’s OK when it’s in the shape of a wee lion rearing up against a yellow background though….

kevrenor

Neither St Piran or St David added in thank you!

alexicon

I thought John Swinney and Patrick Harvie won the argument hands down tonight.
I’ve got to single out John Swinney who I thought showed a fighting, but yet dignified way tonight. Well done and good to see he has up his game, which in my opinion has been a little (only little) meek till now.
Well done again.

Davy

Doesn’t our Saltire look really cool, I cant wait for it to be perment.
 
Vote YES, Vote Scotland.
 

Marcia

An interesting editorial:
link to fifenewsonline.co.uk

Inbhir Anainn

Agree with pictishbeastie that’ll dae me as well.  I also note that in today’s debate on Scotland’s future Alex Salmond’s motion, passed in the Scottish Parliament by 66 votes to 49.

That the Parliament agrees that Scotland has an abundance of resources and talent and can more than afford to be a successful, thriving independent country;

notes that successive UK administrations have pursued an economic policy that has led to the UK having one of the most unbalanced and unequal economies in the developed world; agrees that it is wrong and costly for policies to be imposed on Scotland that have been overwhelmingly rejected by Scotland’s political representatives, and welcomes evidence that shows that there are gains for families and communities when decisions about Scotland are taken by those who care most about Scotland, the people who live and work here.

I wonder where Elaine Murray (Lab) was when the question on the motion was put at decision time.

Ronnie

O/T Sorry, Rev. (I’ll buy you a pint as a token of my remorse).
Now that the BBC has managed to get its cameras up Calton Hill to record Alistair Darling’s wee speech ahead of ‘The March’, there should be no excuse why they’re not there on Saturday. (?)
Dinna haud yer breath.

Ann Ballinger

Thought tonights debate was interesting but yet again the No campaigners ignored opportunity to be positive and tell us why we should believe them.  
Refusing to give a voice to the young disabled man was a big mistake.  he asked a valid question and deserved an answer. 

Kirriereoch

The logo does indeed highlight which part of the union flag is dominant, lies over the other parts and is “unbroken”. The wee red cross bit.

There was once upon a time a flag with the Saltire Cross at the forefront. It only looks odd to us because we´re so used to the current design.

link to upload.wikimedia.org

However, everything said, the rest of the UK can use any flag they want, whether a smiley happy face or the union jack or a picture of Stonehenge computer enhanced to make it seem complete with the major road rushing past.

As long as the Saltire remains Scotland´s flag.

Red squirrel

Good debate and much more balanced but why oh why did they let Willie Rennie say “…you think the Scottish Parliament’s permanent but actually it’s not – Westminster could take it away” .  Sorry I paraphrase – was too busy laughing to note exact wording.  Apparently the reason behind his utterances is that only lib dems will legislate to make it permanent.  Sorry Wullie but I’d rather we did that ourselves with a Yes vote next year.  Not to mention that it’s a completely worthless argument, just like lib dem policies, so we’ll just save him the bother of having to do a u-turn on it later.
 
And as for Annabel Goldie, I’m not really bothered if our postal service hasn’t got “royal” in its name. I’m actually more fussed about the very real risk we won’t have a postal service at all because your pals are flogging it off contrary to overwhelming public opinion and against all reason.
 
Great WoS banner in Inverness btw – fairly cheers me up on my way to work.

Emma

A definite win for the yes side tonight in the debate and the audience seemed to be more in favour of yes than no, in positivity rather than negativity. Also it was refreshing not to have a Labour representative on the panel. Not that there’s much difference mind between the BT parties but it was just nice not to hear people pretending to be socialists or waving fake documents about!

david

i think wullie rennie is totally insignificant

sneddon

Marcia- great editiorial in fifeonline.  Watched the debate and felt Goldie was going thru the motions, wullie was his usual self and John and Patrick shone as usual.

rabb

Bullshit Emma
 
Bernard Ponsonby called it a draw. Bernard knows his onions you know!

seoc

They are still avoiding a major issue with their ‘coverage’ by design, it seems.
This is as much about ‘England’s future’ that is – if she has one.
No longer a european, no ‘special relationship’ with you know who (too wee, to poor, too unimportant etc.) Unable to feed herself and has made so many enemies that allies will be rather thin on the ground. So many WMD to farm out – to whom?
Overloaded with unaffordable ‘traditions’, her subjects will be taxed remorselessly as the ‘fur coat & nae drawers’ mindset intensifies.
Yet, still the mainstream media dutifully haud their wheest.
 
Massive change, indeed.

faolie

Willie Rennie tonight. Absolutely hopeless. Any dk listening to his argument for the Union would surely have them running for cover to the Yes camp. His elevator pitch at the end was vacuous. Apparently we should ‘enjoy’ sharing risk and reward, global clout, economic strength and social equity. Eh? Is he really the best the SLDs have? God save them at the next election. 

Emma

Sorry rabb, that was silly of me, I must remember in future never to deviate from the Curtice/Taylor/(insert any msm pundit) standpoint 😉

Andrew Morton

Re the Fife News item, I loved this bit,
“A good starting point for people with questions about what independence would mean is a page on the Yes Scotland website aimed at answering questions.
link to yesscotland.net
For the sake of balance, we would point readers toward a similar page on the No campaign website which explains what a No vote would mean but there isn’t one.”
Smiley face!

Desimond

BBCs Gordon conducting this Newsnight discussion like a bad job Interview..”Tell me your weakness” style questions to the Blair Pair. What is this, the 80s?

Hetty

It’s getting there with the flag image here, but the red knife (in the bacK?) in the Saltire has to go…I still don’t trust the msm, I suspect they are trying to call the YES campaign’s bluff by appearing to be more equal about the Referendum. What are the tactics, make your enemy your friend so you can infiltarate and influence? Sorry if this seems a bit negative, just being cautious.

Roddy Macdonald

It really is time we let the children fly the nest and make their own way in the world.

Training Day

McDougall just admitted on Newsnight that he wants to bypass Holyrood for local authorities (Labour local authorities) when the mythical further powers are devolved. Thanks for confirming the BT intention to neuter Holyrood, McDougall.

Desimond

What would you like to see Blair MacDougall?
“Lets bypass Holyrood and give powers to local Councils!”.

If the future of the Burrell Collection ( see The Barnes Foundation for how thats going to go!) in the hands of Glasgow District Council is any indicator, Heaven help us if we lose this one.

Desimond

Gordon Brewer “If you lose will you become an advocate for more devolution?”
Blair Jenkins “I dont envision anything but a YES vote”
Gordon Brewer”So your saying thats what you will do then!”

Watching Newsnight interviews, I find i soon imagine one of those movie daydream fantasy scenes when a quiet character suddenly goes berserk against some annoying arsehole.

Blair Jenkins…a little bit too much Walter White and a not enough Heinsenberg in such conversations. Time for a Yes Breaking Bad tactical change.

Linda's back

The “game changer” may come sooner than you think.
The Press review on TV this evening shows Sun Headline that Labour and Tories are neck and neck in latest opinion polls.

HandandShrimp

Desimond
 
Losing Holyrood has scared the crap out of Labour. They want to neuter Holyrood give local councils more power and return Westminster to top dog. Devo Max my arse.

Training Day

Agreed Desimond. Jenkins too dour in the face of provocation from Brewer (and Brewer has picked up Darling’s lines about ‘look, polls, give up Yes’ to a tee).

But the telling revelation was McDougall’s vision of a return to the dead hand of Labour municipalism.

Monkeytail2002

Gordon Hay says:
18 September, 2013 at 10:09 pm

So I’ve just watched the big debate on BBC Scotland recorded last night in Inverness, and I’m puzzled as to why I did not hear a single Inverness accent throughout the programme.
(I’m from Inversneckie BTW)
 
Perhaps you weren’t listening correctly. 😛  I’m born and bred Invernesian and I was the fella with the glorious beard pointing out how privatisation doesn’t work.

Patrician

I thought the discussion tonight was won hands down by the Yes Scotland group. Swinney and Harvie were in good form and were very positive and forthright.  Ms Goldie was surprisingly unenthusiastic, almost as if she couldn’t be bothered and was only there for the appearance money.  Willie Rennie was, well, just Willie Rennie, I can’t think of anything more cutting than saying that.

Edward

Desimond says
Actually if you noticed during this afternoons debate, at least one Labour MSP spouted that ‘we needed less centralisation’ with power shifting to councils. Tavish Scott also spouted  this ‘decentralisation’ guff. So THIS IS the real face of Better Together, they are gearing up to completely neuter Holyrood in the event of a NO vote. The packaging (or excuse if you like) will be ‘bringing power closer to the people’. More power AND reducing costs at the same time, will be the push. If they get away with it, they will then dismantle Holyrood until there is no apparent point to it

JoeMiddleton

Were you there Rev asking a pertinent question re the banks right at the beginning? I think I recognised you despite the absence of a mohawk hairdo! The point went unfortunately unexplored by the panel but it was a good one. I would say both this and last night’s debate were strongly won by Yes.
Our case is strong and Britain’s is weak. Willie Rennie pretending to love privatisation was a highlight. Most amusing. 
 

Arbroath 1320

Inbhir Anainn says:
I wonder where Elaine Murray (Lab) was when the question on the motion was put at decision time.
 
M.I.A. with any luck. Unfortunately she’s one of my MSP’s and utterly utterly useless!

Chic McGregor

Campbell up to his old tricks.
 
Wouldn’t allow Swinney in on the bank bail out question which he would have demolished.  Nor on the follow up question on the economy.
 
A disgrace which I am sure would not go unnoticed by DKs.
 
Annabelle got one got applaud but John dealt with it very well.
 
Harvie was good.
 
 
Swinney should have pointed out the Alex Salmond donated one of his salaries to charity when he was both MP and MSP after having been told he could not refuse either.  
 
Willie – comedy relief.

Desimond

Handandshrimp and Training Day – Yip, Labours denial continues..they have moved away from “Och daft SNP win is just a protest vote” to now thinking “Lets give the councils the power”.
Scottish Labour continue to reject the obvious correct path for themselves – accept independence and lets ALL move forward TOGETHER. Instead they just try and devise more tactics to get away from SNP, and in doing so alienate themselves even more.

Its all getting rather embarrassing.

Its like growing up to realise that comical uncle you used to remember from family Xmas parties was actually a selfish ignoramus who got bevvied and caused upset every year and never apologised, then was astounded when  everyones patience finally ran out.

Edward

Desimond says
Gordon Brewer “If you lose will you become an advocate for more devolution?”
Blair Jenkins “I dont envision anything but a YES vote”

 
Blair MacDougall must have heard something different as he has just tweeted “Good to hear Blair Jenkins support for building on devolution if No vote. All 4 main parties, inc SNP, will be pro devo after #indyref No”
 
link to twitter.com
 
(What time zone is Blair Macdougall’s Twitter on? reads 3.55PM 18 Sep 13 – a couple of mins ago)

Edulis

At the Big Debate tonight, I felt cut off in my prime because Sarwar wasn’t there. There was I with my screen dump from WoS about the JF Foundation to corner Sarwar and nobody from Labour turned up. I sat next to a LibDem councillor from Nairn – I could tell – he had a yellow shirt and yellow tie. The vasat majority of the crowd certainly thought Annabel and Wullie were gallant but ultimately failures. Wullie was basically ridiculed, Annabel shown more respect but she too disappeared up her own orifice with her logic. The best debater by far was Patrick Harvie who was able to take the arguments down to first principles and showed that the Referendum vote gave us the ability to choose. The Unionists had no answer to that. 
John Swinney was more passionate than I have seen him before and answered all the questions in detail. Despite that, my wife tells me that one of her FB contacts – a Unioniost with Northern Irish connections put out a message that ‘Swinney never answers a question’. Whit can ye dae?

Edward

While looking at Blair MacDougalls twitter feed, read a tweet from Fiona O’Donnell MP, Labour MP for East Lothian. Wouldnt say she is stupid, but…clearly hasn’t a grasp on reality as she tweets ‘@blairmcdougall gave outstanding contribution on newsnicht panel. Toxic blend of arrogance & complacency from @BlairJenkins
Blair Jenkins – Arrogant?…lol Perhaps she didn’t know which Blair was which

Monkeytail2002

 
Edulis says:
19 September, 2013 at 12:05 am

At the Big Debate tonight, I felt cut off in my prime because Sarwar wasn’t there. There was I with my screen dump from WoS about the JF Foundation to corner Sarwar and nobody from Labour turned up. I sat next to a LibDem councillor from Nairn – I could tell – he had a yellow shirt and yellow tie. The vasat majority of the crowd certainly thought Annabel and Wullie were gallant but ultimately failures. Wullie was basically ridiculed, Annabel shown more respect but she too disappeared up her own orifice with her logic. The best debater by far was Patrick Harvie who was able to take the arguments down to first principles and showed that the Referendum vote gave us the ability to choose. The Unionists had no answer to that. John Swinney was more passionate than I have seen him before and answered all the questions in detail. Despite that, my wife tells me that one of her FB contacts – a Unioniost with Northern Irish connections put out a message that ‘Swinney never answers a question’. Whit can ye dae?

 

Indeed.  It’s probably just as well that all the jeering and booing wasn’t caught on mic.  Especially when I loudly stated what a heap of pish at one point.  I had so much more to say than the small oppertunity I actually got.  Wish I was picked to ask a question earlier as I had some right good stuff.  I was also going to aim for Sarwar and his lies lol.

GrahamB

Walkover for YES in the Inverness debate. John Swinnie was at his best – animated and almost aggressive but always to the point and making sure he answered the actual questions. Patrick Harvie was an excellent complement to JS with an emphasis more on what our future should be and backing JS on major points. Goldie was full of her usual bluster and patronising pish and really flustered when pressed about the aftermath of, god help us, a No vote. JS was very animated on this point, like me he remembers or has been informed of the treatment we got after 1979. Rennie was his usual less than mediocre self, strange the BBC could not find a Labour voice but maybe they realised the audience would have given them a hard time if they came out with their usual lies and vitriol. On the whole the audience were well informed and intelligent although still a few ‘undecided, still not enough facts’ numpties. Where have these people been for the last year or so, do they not watch TV, listen to radio, read newspapers (OK facts and MSM are almost mutually exclusive) and do they not know how to look thing up in the internet? I suspect this group are a waste of time and effort as they are too lazy to find anything out for themselves and won’t vote anyway. Difficulty will be to identify real undecideds and work on them rather than the apathetics who wouldn’t know a better country anyway. Sorry for the rant but I’m getting quite pissed off with these ‘undecideds’!

X_Sticks

Hetty says:
 
“I suspect they are trying to call the YES campaign’s bluff by appearing to be more equal about the Referendum. What are the tactics, make your enemy your friend so you can infiltarate and influence?
 
Funny you should say that Hetty, Mrs X_Sticks and I were discussing that very thing today. We wondered if they have finally realised they are losing trust big time. Are they trying to regain some trust to have another stab nearer the referendum date?
 
It may be that the ODHIR are taking some notice (albeit informally, of course). There may have been orders from above to back off. The BBC it does have an international reputation to protect. Endangering that through blatant anti-independence scaremongering would not be in the brand’s interests.
 
Maybe they’ve just realise the writing is on the wall. It is.
 
 

Inbhir Anainn

@ Edulis
 
Don’t worry friend as even the best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley. 
 
 

kininvie

I wasn’t watching the debate, but I was closely following it on Twitter. If you follow the hashtags for these debates, they occasionally throw up undecideds making undecided sort of tweets. It’s then possible to pounce, in a gentle way, and address their undecidedness directly and sympathetically. Think I may have converted a couple, and pushed a few more towards useful sources….

Training Day

Goldie campaigned against the establishment of Holyrood. Once established, she realised she could make a nice living from it. Now Baroness Goldie is campaigning against independence.

Go figure.

Jimbo

” I was also going to aim for Sarwar and his lies lol.”
 
Without a Labour presence the debate seemed to me to be much more civilised. The speakers were able to put their points across with no-one shouting them down or rudely interrupting them with inane, puerile remarks.
 
If there was no London Labour presence at all future debates I think the public would end up better informed.

Jimbo

“Ms Goldie was surprisingly unenthusiastic, almost as if she couldn’t be bothered”
 
Goldie was a disappointment. She was evasive when questioned, preferring instead to go in for petty political point scoring. Rennie was his usual hapless self in defending the privatisation of the Royal mail. Neither showed any vision or commitment to build a better Scotland. All they had to offer was mibbies – but only after a NO vote.
 
Swinney and Harvey both showed vision and passion for the kind of Scotland they want to build. It was a no contest.

joe kane

I quite agree Jimbo, the content and tone of the BBC Scotland Big Debate was considerably improved without the presence of anyone from the Labour Party. It was a very civilised way to while away an hour of tv politics. Almost refreshing.

James S

Anyone got a link? Been all over the BBC and iplayer. 🙂
 

Edward

James S
Link is here link to bbc.co.uk
 
Thought Goldie’s remarks about the ‘Royal’ appendage to Mail, Navy etc very condescending and idiotically ignorant as clearly she is unaware that Scotland was ‘Royal’ before the union with England

G H Graham

When will Britain get rid of the red diagonal cross representing Ireland?

Inbhir Anainn

Up until 1801 Ireland had been a separate kingdom. In 1800 an Act of Union was passed to create the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to come into effect on the 1st January 1801. The College of Arms designed a new flag with the Cross of St. Patrick counter-changed with the Cross of St. Andrew. The inclusion of St. Patrick’s cross is of interest as St. Patrick was not martyred and therefore did not have a cross. The red saltire on white was the emblem of the powerful Irish Fitzgerald family and was a convenient symbol for Ireland.

Macart

Take it you’ll be giving the debate and newsnight a blow by blow Rev? 🙂

john king

this from the postscript on batemans post 
thought I was going to pass out
I have received a message from Better Together. It says: “F**k off you Nationalist c**t. When are you going to give back the licence fee money you stole while pushing SNP propaganda?” It was accompanied by a Smiley Face which proves the team are trying really hard to lose that negative image.”
 
 
funny as F**k  🙂  🙂 🙂
 

Firestarter

Have I woken up in a parallel universe? Comments allowed on a BBC article – on independence? Whatever next ! Airborne pork?
Also, a quick glance at the comments (885 of them at time of posting)it  seems that pro-indy far outnumber pro-Union. Who knew? 🙂
One of my favourites so far is that Brian Taylor = SNPs biggest propagandist! LOL
Even though “ye couldnae make it up”, seems like some people haven’t been informed of this!
Bring it on 🙂

scottish_skier

Well, it was only a matter of time. Been getting closer and closer.
 
Yougov finally get the Tories and Labour on level pegging.
 
link to ukpollingreport.co.uk

JLT

So far, I thought that last nights program has been the best of the debates. Was shocked to see no SLAB pundit, but I wondered if even the BBC realised that it was getting to a stage, where one of the cohorts (the SLAB pundit) would be taken to task, and skewered, after all the blatant lies they have been telling.
Annabel and wee Willie, to give them their due, did not go into ‘hysterical’ mode as Sarwar might have. However, it was blatant that both had no answers. Annabel really struggled with ‘What will Scotland get if it votes ‘No’. She made a pigs ear of that. Basically …they have nothing!
When she and Willie said that all the Scottish party leaders are trying to create new powers post-No, even my wife sarcastically remarked at the TV, ‘Aye, and Cameron, Miliband and Clegg will make sure that doesn’t happen! What a load of <bzzzzz>’.
For me, that is a new valid battle line. So, the 3 Scottish Unionist parties intend to come up with a draft shortly. I’ll be telling anyone who listens if they’ve heard Cameron, Miliband or Clegg endorsing one, or will endorse it. In other words …it won’t happen.
In a roundup, I thought Swinney did very well, but wee Patrick Harvie was brilliant. Man of the night in my book!
However, a SLAB member will probably be on the next debate. Hope they have quite a few rabies shots prepared for the SLAB pundit, since they will obviously go wild-eyed and foam at the mouth, once someone puts an awkward question to them!

Boorach

The highpoint of Willie Rennie’s contribution to the debate came right at the end and I don’t know if it made the edit.
 
As the audience dutifully followed the floor manager’s instructions politely applauding and the panel relaxed back in their chairs Wee Willie was hunched forward clapping to the audience. All I  could think of was a particularly well trained seal slapping it’s flippers together.

Dal Riata

Sorry, very O/T.
Rev Stu, the tablet that I normally use to contribute to the site is out of action for the time being and I’m not sure the price of repair is worth it, or whether to buy something else.
Anyway, while I decide on the next move, I’ve been using my phone via WiFi as my ‘computer’. It’s not great, it’s ruining my eyes, but it’ll have to do for now!
The problem I’m having is that I cannot use the “Leave a Reply” section of Wings. Yes, I can type Name and Mail in their relevant boxes, but I am unable to write a comment in the comment box. I have tried umpteen times, but without joy.
I am able to leave comments on other sites, such as the Guardian’s CiF.
The phone I have uses the Android system on the Samsung Galaxy S2. 
Do you have any ideas/thoughts on why this problem is occurring?
Is it an Android problem? I have read posts where people have said they used their iPhone to comment and have not talked of any problems doing so.
Have you had other similar queries such as this?
Any solution(s)?
I’m using a friend’s computer to write this post, by the way!
Thanks!

john king

colour separation
that’s why my wife wont me me do the washing.
come to think of it she wont let me do the ironing either 
not since when we were young and she took up a pair of trouser for me (brand new) and asked me to iron them and I put an iron at full power on a pair of crimplene  man at c&a trousers and took an iron shaped lump out of them, she warned me “never never touch that iron (or any iron) again ” I with great regret have obeyed her decree ever since 😉
 

gillie

 
So we have had three public debates aired on the BBC and the YES camp have easily won them all.
 
Not only that people in the audience have listened to the arguments and have changed their stance and have become YES voters.
 
The Unionists may have the media but we have the people, and in the polling booth that is what counts.

Murray McCallum

On the Gordon Brewer show last night “No” panelist Adam Tomkins highlighted the 2014 Euro elections as a possible boost to the Yes campaign. The rise of UKIP and the Tories reacting to it by moving further to the right would make people think even more about the implications of voting “No”.

Macart

Just finished catching up with the debate on iplayer, Swinney and Harvie made a good solid partnership. Auntie Bella as looked a bit by the numbers and wee Willie, good grief, what a gift that fella is. I almost wet myself when right from the get go he dropped that howler about the NHS and was pulled up by a member of the audience. Bwahahahahaha.
 
Please,please,please,please let him have a chair in every debate between now and September next year. LOL 😀

PS. Did anyone notice he kept refering to the UK as a country throughout? Not a partnership, not a union, but a country? Oh dear, oh dear that won’t have gone unnoticed.

GrahamB

Edward at 1:53
Goldie’s mumblings about ‘royal’ was pathetic and unworthy of a reply. However, if someone else raises it it should be pointed out that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police kept their name after independence, down under we still have Her Majesty’s Australian Ships, etc. Would it still be Royal Mail after privatisation anyway? Personally, it wouldn’t bother me if all royal epithets and the whole Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family disappear into history.

Macart

GrahamB
 
Quite agree. As far as I’m aware pretty much most countries in the Commonwealth retain some form connection to the UKs royalty in varied institutions. As for the Royal mail, will it actually be in existence period in a continued UK? I seem to remember one of their daft questions a wee while back on the price of stamps in an independent Scotland. I’d say at least we’ll be attempting to retain a postal service worth the name.

Eddie

Goldie made me chuckle (sarcastically of course) when she told the chap with the pension question that he didn’t look old enough to retire.  That would be very typical of a Tory government that are making me work an extra 8 years before I can retire.
 
Trapped in a house fire?  Hold on and I’ll come get you, just as soon as I get my zimmer up those stairs of yours.

Macart

@Eddie
 
LOL 😀 Aye the graphics industry is also heaving with jobs for hip n’ happenin’ 50-60 year old designers. I just have to turn ma bunnet sideyways and plug masel’ intae ma ayephone©.

Barontorc

Well hasn’t auntie gone at the ‘365 to go’ with absolute gusto!
 
I’m in too minds whether to think it’s intended as overkill and will kill people’s enthusiasm and dry up their wish to live, or it’s a genuine effort as a public broadcaster to inform the masses?
 
However, when I saw the ‘special advisors’  lined up outside Holyrood; Jackie Bird, Douglas Fraser and ‘ Toodle-ooh-the-Noo’ Taylor, it was clear that there will never be anything else but an agenda working. It’s a question whether some of them will see the end of the journey however. Oh – and of course we had prof Curtis expounding on the new BBC  panacea – the ‘Don’t Knows’ this morning on GMS. So that just about makes up their hand of dominos and we know what they’ll be playing on the next down and every other to come. 

Morag

I wish someone would challenge some of these “further powers” promises a bit harder.  Two years ago we were subjected to a concerted barrage of abuse asserting that a “further powers” option shouldn’t be included in the referendum because this was “Alex Salmond’s consolation prize” which he must not on any account be allowed to have.
 
So what now?  Are they really all lining up to pledge that Alex is to be given his consolation prize free and clear, without it even appearing on the ballot?

Ryan Wilson

The Saltire should be positioned in front of the remnants of the Union flag. Having it behind gives the impression that the Union are leaving Scotland behind.

tartanfever

Morag – well hopefully the Electoral Commission will be helpful on that front as they’ve stated that both sides must make a clear case of what will happen in the event of either a Yes or No vote.
 

DougtheDug

Training Day:
 
It’s not just MacDougall. Both Labour and the Lib-dems want to bypass Holyrood and give powers to the local councils.
 
The Labour draft report:
Powers for a purpose – strengthening devolution Scottish Labour Devolution Commission Interim Report April 2013
 
Particularly Para. 181
 
link to news.bbc.co.uk
 
And:
Federalism: the best future for Scotland
The report of the Home Rule and Community Rule Commission of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
 
Empowering communities, Page 11.
 
link to scotlibdems.org.uk

Robert Kerr

Not yet watched this, Now for catch-up. Thanks for the link.
Auntie Anabelle is the pits, so tory small minded and so non-informed.
I take it she has never heard of RDS… The Royal Dublin Society…?
link to rds.ie
Nuf said.
Hail Alba

Dorothy Devine

Thought Mr Swinney and Mr Harvie were excellent last night. Found Mrs Goldie a patronising prat and Willie Rennie played it for laughs with his party of Home Rule and Federalism.
He really made my night , I guffawed so loudly I woke up the somnolent significant other.
Good audience participation.

Susan S

A good debate.  Was very impressed by Mr Harvie’s contributions – now scoping his party as a possible one to vote for once we are indy.   
 
Love, love, loved the foreign lady who had lived here for over 3 yrs, questioning why we should be put off by challenges.   What is life without a challenge?  Every country has challenges…what is it about our ‘No’ folk that they don’t want to face another challenge?  Jeez, was hearing that we were getting nukes pamped on our lands not a challenge?  Discovering we were getting the poll tax a year earlier than the rest of the UK, was that not a challenge?  What about our votes not making a damned difference to who gets in at Westminster?  Would it challenge the ‘No-sayers’ to realise the next coalition government could be the Lib Dems and UKIP?  With one well put question she made us look pathetic in our perpetual cringe.
Yesterday was a strange day with sudden interest in the referendum from the media, almost like a knee-jerk reaction to the date. No more than a blip.  Now, normal service shall resume.  
I CANNOT WAIT for this time next year.  This time next year, we will know. 

velofello

So the three Unionist parties are (separately) developing further power proposals (maximising devolution?) to be provided to the Scottish Parliament in the event of a No vote in the referendum, but some time back didn’t “we three” strategically dismiss the inclusion of Devo-max as a referendum question? What’s caused them to change their minds? Their democratic principles rekindled? Or perhaps the opinion polls?
Labour\s new wheeze proposal is to enhance the powers of local councils – a sort of circle the wagons strategy – Glasgow Garl? Edinburgh trams? Aberdeen garden project?
 
 
 

malcolm

Back to the logo.  In the official Union Flag the Cross of Saint Andrew is broken will Saint Patricks cross intact. In the ‘rUK Jack’ it’s the Saint Patrick cross that broken.  Seems that they’ve got to have somewhere under them – even if it’s just for show!  

setondene

I watched the Gaelic referendum debate on BBC Alba last night.  Looks like our guys came out on top.   Angus Brendan excellent for SNP, with Alasdair Morrison responding a bit nervously for SLAB.  I knew a lot of the attendees and think the Yes side was well represented.  Lots of schoolkids.

I know some of you guys mean well but we don’t want any obvious Welsh representation on the rag.

The truth is that we’re represented by the St George Cross as we were a fully annexed region when the rag was drawn up.

If people down here could grasp this concept I think we’d see a lot less of them.


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