Wings Over Scotland

Our FM and MSPs on huge cushy salaries while others face real-terms cuts in income.”

Attaboy. Rock will be along shortly to rant and rage at armchair
indy fans, or whatever it is he calls anyone who comments btl about Scotland.

You’re a lovely bunch arent you Colin.

Colin

No one is claiming that the SNP are the SWP. They are centre left like a lot of the more benign European parties. They do reform but it is slow and cautious. However, I think you are being a wee bit “glass half empty”. They are more competent than Labour were and inifitely preferable to the Liberals or the Conservatives.

I do agree that land reform needs further work but that didn’t stop the elite squealing like stuck pigs over the last very modest set of reforms. “Mugabe land grab” they called it. A lot of politics is judged from the political perspective of the viewer. To someone very much to the left the SNP are a bit wishy washy. To someone on the right they are Trotsky resurrected.

@Colin Alexander

Grief, what a lot of mince. Scotland is nowhere near as left wing as you seem to believe. How many MSP’s are there with such a persuasion, none I would hazard a guess.

@maureen

I hope tower blocks in Scotland do use fire resistant materials.
Grenfell residents were also assured their cladding and insulation met all safety requirements. An assurance counts for nothing.

With regard to the information you provide, it’s vague. The materials used are not specifically named.

If you asked, they aren’t required to answer these questions:

1. Insulation made of stone fibres which is non-flammable and is hard-up against the concrete wall. It is 125mm thick and is a rigid material;

What’s the product/s called?

What tests have been done? If the stone-fibre material is sandwiched between sheets of rigid material, can they show results of flammability tests for the whole sheet?

2. Solid facade sheets made of fibreglass reinforced polymer which is resistant to the spread of fire and hinders smoke development.

Again, what’s this product called? Flammability test results?

Thus, unless detail is given it’s impossible to check the accuracy of assertions that these are safe materials for cladding.

Are you kidding me, vague? you really are a nit picker.
The council and the fire inspectors were on site trying to burn the aforesaid materials and they didn’t burn.
That to me is assurance enough to feel safe in my home.

Scotland has different fire laws from England. It’s horrendous that a tragedy such as grenfell had to happen before action has been taken.

THERESA May’s so far unsuccessful attempts to do a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to prop up her minority Tory government could be challenged in the courts.

“Ciaran McClean, a Green party candidate in Northern Ireland at the General Election, has begun the process by serving a letter on the UK Government claiming any deal bet-ween it and the DUP would breach of the Good Friday Agreement.

He claims a confidence and supply arrangement between the two parties would go against the UK Government’s promise in the 1998 agreement to exercise power in Northern Ireland “with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions”.”

Andrew Learmouth

I see some ante-SNP/SG contributors here are becoming exponents of the btl equivalent of the ‘Gish Gallop’.

With acknowledgement to the online ‘Urban Dictionary’ for this colourful definition of the term:

“Named for the debate tactic created by creationist shill Duane Gish, a Gish Gallop involves spewing so much bullshit in such a short span that your opponent can’t address let alone counter all of it. To make matters worse a Gish Gallop will often have one or more ‘talking points’ that has a tiny core of truth to it, making the person rebutting it spend even more time debunking it in order to explain that, yes, it’s not totally false but the Galloper is distorting/misusing/misstating the actual situation.”

The dictionary definition adds:

“With the slimier users of the Gish Gallop, like Gish himself, its a near certainty that the points are chosen not just because the Galloper knows that they’re bullshit, but because the Galloper is deliberately trying to shovel as much bullshit into as small a space as possible in order to overwhelm his opponent with sheer volume and bamboozle any audience members with a facade of scholarly acumen and factual knowledge.”

With this in mind, ever recall the Gish Gallop technique used in TV debates in recent years by e.g. Ruth Davidson and Jim Murphy? I never thought of it as a technique for posting on Wings – but I’m always learning.

Capella says:
24 June, 2017 at 11:29 am
“From links on previous thread from Nana via Smallaxe – an excellent summary of EU BREXIT so far, with links to relevant articles. From Alyn Smith MEP:….”

Excellent summary but far from excellent response. We’re all angry about the Tories squandering our rights, memberships and reputations, but what are we physically doing about it? Alyn Smith pretty much confirms we are outside the negotiations keeking through the keyhole to see what’s going on. Why is Europe being complicit in our exclusion?

I thought Brexit unfolding as economic suicide was only a part of our Indy strategy, but it seems from events this is our complete Indy strategy. We’re going to be chirping away out side the window for the next 18 months then hope to swoop in at the death with a Get Out Of Brexit Free card which has Independence printed on the back in small print.

It’s like the media. A thoroughly terrible situation which we do nothing to correct, we shirk from addressing at all, but trust that stoicism in our adversity will see us through.

Why do I get the horrible feeling our “lines in the sand” about Brexit will only be visible in the rear view mirror?

I’m biting my tongue here, but I want to see a much more robust defence of our European rights and membership. Now is not the time to be enigmatic and reserved, get the tackity boots on and kick in the doors whenever there is even a possibility there are issues affecting Scotland being discussed in abstentia. What do we have in our Government? I’m coming over all Winston Churchill. “I had hoped that we were hurling a wildcat onto the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale”.

Come on Nicola. We need more Wildcat, a bit less whale. We are a sovereign government in waiting bound by an obsolete Treaty which subverts our sovereignty in order to suppress our dissent. There is no chapter of the British exit from Europe from which Scotland’s sovereignty should be excluded.

We need more, much more, of everything. More presence. More anger. More obduracy. More intransigence. More menace. Brexit ends with Scotland NOT coming out of Europe. That’s the deal. Do not sell us out. Think wildcat. Fit! fit! mmmMEOW!

We thought the young might save us
We thought the young might have educated themselves better
We thought the young would get the point

Turns out they’re just as thick as their grandparents and they’ve made matters worse, and even worse than that they indignantly wont take the blame for it, just like their grandparents

It’s like that Tomato crushing thing they have on the continent where everybody gets hit by Tomatoes, even if you don’t go you know a Tomato is going to get you

What the SNP have achieved in ten years with one metaphorical hand tied behind its back, is quite remarkable. They’re not the finished deal for many. They’re either not radical enough, or they’re not business minded enough, or they’re not hip n’ happenin’ enough.

I reckon the breadth of their church and appeal is their greatest strength. That they aren’t polarized to one extreme belief system or the other. Seems to me it makes them more representative. Also seems to me that people being yanked from one extreme to the other is pretty much why we’re enjoying the current political, societal and economic shitstorm. If people want better, or want them to be better, then it’s up to them to make those improvements. Either to the party of their choice, or by joining the SNP and working for it.

Until then… they’re the best we have at the worst time in our political and constitutional post war history. Trusting ANY other political party with guardianship of our rights at this time is simply not an option.

link to grousebeater.wordpress.com

If people think austerity UK is a pretty dire place, they really don’t wish to encounter Brexit UK, but encounter it they will. It is going to hit. There is no avoiding it. There is only surviving it. That future was made certain the second Ms May’s letter was received by the EU in March.

People are going to suffer. Businesses will fall. Families will go without. People being people though? A great many won’t believe it till it hits them where they live. Right in their own livingroom. At that point the Scottish electorate will have a small window of opportunity.

We better hope and pray there are still gatekeepers in Holyrood. We better hope and pray that we haven’t been stupid enough to cripple the one thing that can give us an out, or that we’ve given away our right to choose along with everything else we hold dear because others sold us on a political unity that never was.

That option is still there for the asking because a lot of people gave an awful lot of themselves to keep it there. We need more people to make it happen. Under the current appalling stress being deliberately placed on your government (the one in Holyrood), they can’t guarantee to hold that door open forever.

No one can or will force you. You have to want it.

At this point, I wouldn’t take too long over making a choice. You may have that removed for you in the near future too.

How on earth could any party possibly go into a partnership with a party that does not accept same sex marriage and the rights of a woman to make her own decisions about her own body
I don’t agree with same sex marriage, marriage is between a man and a woman, why did the powers that be accept the term marriage lots of gay people take that view as well and will not accept it, ofc, you will not hear much about that huge part of our population’s viewpoint, not politically correct you see !
And i certainly do not agree with using abortion as a means of contraception, we have the morning after pill for a start, so there is no excuse for letting it go that far
I go with the law of the land, but i could never see any mainstream religion accepting abortion as a contraception or two men or two women being able to marry in their church, we have just had the anglicans in britain fracturing their own religious beliefs again, where will all this so called political correctness end, all they do is hurt and split their own congregations when all they have to do is not accept it in their church buildings, but ofc their leaders have an attitude like the tories, we have the power and we know what’s good for you, and if you don’t like it, so what

@heedtracker

What should people sit up and take notice is that I am not a Unionist.

I campaigned for and voted YES in 2014.
I have voted SNP most of my adult life.
I was an SNP member 2015/16.

I voted SNP at the Council election and this GE – well, I voted for the best candidate, who happened to be the SNP MP I campaigned for in 2015.

If someone like me is saying this, I think I’m expressing how many (ex or stay at home ) former SNP voters feel about the the SNP.

The huge drop in votes for the SNP speak for themselves.

SLab were in denial when voters became disillusioned with them.

Is the SNP listening any better?

Seen a Daisly article in the Daily Fascist where
He blames Troublesome Middle Class support
For Corbyn on the fact that they don’t buy newspapers?

He, and his column, and his warped views explain why they no longer buy!

Thinking about the ever increasing Westminster debt, it looks like the EU divorce
Settlement alone will be 60 £Billion, the cancelled N.I increase for self-employed another
£2 Billion, Dementia Tax cancellation £2 Billion, Pension Triple lock being retained in another
U Turn- £2 Billion, and now we a £2 Billion Back Red-Hander to the DUP will see the UK accelerate
Them Toward an £2 Trillion Debt.

£2,000,000,000,000 will not be wiped out in anyone’s lifetime.
Thank goodness the richest are still being given tax breaks.

Great cartoon – a picture paints a thousand words.

I reckon that social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist, Erich Seligmann Fromm, would complement the artistry involved in depicting the process of “Assimilation” (pictured above).

From the perspective of this particular weirdo, it depicts all four non-productive characteristic orientations associated with the non-productive individual. How very productive of the artist, he’ll no doubt need a holiday to recover. 🙂

link to en.wikipedia.org

One of your best Chris, another classic.
Nice one.

My criticism of the SNP has been harsh.

However, it is NOT pro-Unionist. It is meant as constructive criticism.

There is a clear trend of support dropping for the SNP. The indyref mandate only scraped through this time at Holyrood, thanks to the Scottish Green Party.

Clearly, the SNP have to have policies and practices that motivate people to vote for them rather than other parties – or people not seeing sufficient reason to bother voting at all.

They are going backward, not forward. Sorry if the truth hurts. But SLab type denials and mutual congratulations and backslapping at poor results does not help us win independence.

Seen a Daisly article in the Daily Fascist where
He blames Troublesome Middle Class support
For Corbyn on the fact that they don’t buy newspapers?

Effijy

Not seen that but it hilarious if that is the gist of his argument. Who the fuck made partisan journalists the guardians of democracy? The middle classes that might be persuaded to vote for Corbyn wouldn’t touch rags like the Mail or the Express with a barge pole. It is ghastly reactionary, racist pish that doesn’t deserve to be called news.

@Dave McEwan Hill

On your second point before the election I recall reading/seeing the SNP attendance at WM was being derided in the press, and in an interview with Nicola Sturgeon. The inference is they may turn up but they are ineffectual as they don’t have a majority.

It is a indictment of WM that 95% of Scottish MP’s can be so easily ignored. They only have relevance, it would seem, if voting for the party in government. Rarely has the case for independence been better made.

Anyway now that the Scottish Tories actually hold the balance of power in WM lets see what they can achieve for Scotland. Little I would expect as the Scottish Secretary doesn’t even believe Scotland exists as a country.

Just weeks before that General Election, it seemed a forgone conclusion that the Tories were going to sweep to victory, and Jeremy Corby was the unelectable Worzal Gummidge of British politics. Roll on a few weeks, May has lost all authority, integrity and presence, and great things are expected of Corbyn.

Now you can argue the primary cause for that reversal of fortune was May’s thoroughly disastrous strategy, or Corbyns unorthodox but patently better strategy, but the truth is, it was the media which played a massive part in changing people’s perceptions.

We are unlikely to win Independence if we expect Unionism to run out of grievances against it. But what will bring about a massive and positive swing across a broad section of society is the progress and uplifting arguments in favour of Independence being broadcast view some form of mainstream medium.

We must get the battle moved away from the SNP’s domestic government, and get it where is belongs, the failures of Westminster, the absurdities of Westminster government, the democratic deficit. The reasons why Scotland does not want to be governed by Westminster, augmented by the reasons why an Independent government would benefit all.

I really enjoy those Phantom Power films. They are excellent. But the Unionist propagandists put together three or four coordinated SNPbad presentations every news broadcast, media debate and tangential feature about Scotland.

People say it’s miraculous what the SNP has managed to achieve, and it is. But that’s the point you’re missing. The problem is not with the SNP, the problem is with the reliable and inexhaustible supply of miracles which spread the word of what they are doing.

Get Scotland Broadcasting. How many times can I say it? Get fly, get sly, get inventive, get creative, get help, get streetwise, but GET SCOTLAND BROADCASTING. Find a way. The life of your country may depend upon it.

Many moons ago, one of the Architectural designs for the Holyrood parliament building featured a massive TV screen. Was that Prophetic or what? A Scottish Parliament with capacity to broadcast…

@ Colin Alexander

Keep it up lad. Lovin’ yer work so I am. Your every btl word on here is, to me and I’m sure thousands like me, one more twisted, bitter little pill that replenishes my resolve to see you BritNat buffoons well and truly fucked in IndyRef2.

Keep it up lad. Yer working a treat.

LMBHAO

May:
“Alright, ALRIGHT!, from this day forward a ‘Full English Breakfast’ will be return to being called an ‘Ulster Fry’.

Another brilliant cartoon Chris, once again hitting the nail squarely on the head.

……………………….

@ Breeks says at 2:46 pm …. ”Many moons ago, one of the Architectural designs for the Holyrood parliament building featured a massive TV screen. Was that Prophetic or what? A Scottish Parliament with capacity to broadcast…”

Now that would be absolutely brilliant Breeks but one wonders how long it would take for the Unionists to pull the plug on it to block the SNP from highlighting their many achievements, Scotland’s manifold resources / assets and exposing the (their) Unionist lies.

…………………….

We’ve heard that the Diabolical Unionists Personified are demanding £2 billion in ransom money, but what else is on the cards and will we, Joe Public – tax-payers, actually get to see a list of their demands and rewards? Or will new buildings / infrastructure suddenly appear all over NIreland as if by magic and institutions they oppose just disappear?

It goes without saying that they’ll demand that the Tories ”Now is not the time” stance lasts in perpetuity; that is as long as they rule the roost and they’ll no doubt continue to use their uniquely sinister position to accumulate ‘dark money’ and ‘dark people’ to oppose Independence in every possible way.

link to electoralcommission.org.uk

I also heard the Parade Commission being mentioned on a video that Nana posted recently (can’t find it now!). The guy on the video stated that the OO would be making demands of the DUP (one and the same!) to get the Parade Commission ‘decommisioned’ now that they hold such power over the Westminster Government. Just like their mainland cronies, the Tories, they’ll go too far and see themselves up sh*t creek without a paddle.

Sein Fein now control all constituencies across the border and Nationalist / Republican supporters in NIreland combined with supporters of more ‘neutral’ parties seem to be more ‘popular’ than Unionist. If this is correct it’s only a matter of time before we see a reunified Ireland. Maybe someone from NIreland will correct me if I’m wrong, such as Joannie?

link to en.wikipedia.org

Take a look at this site and the list of forthcoming parades. How the Roman Catholics in NIreland and other peace loving people, of any other religion or none, must detest this crowd. What a way to live, if you can call it that.

link to paradescommission.org

Chick McGregor says:

‘Ulster Fry’

Jeez, that takes me back. Something I haven’t heard of for half a century!

When I was a kid in Ayrshire the butchers sold it. Sold in slices like black or white pudding, maybe thinner. Meaty, some sort of sausage. My mother gave us it occasionally. From memory it tasted pretty good, though heaven knows what was actually in it!

I probably wouldn’t like it now!

The Guardian makes the old skin crawl with their faux ghastly hypocrisy, week afore indy ref1. Arent the OO lovely, Graun readers?

“Orange Order anti-independence march a ‘show of pro-union strength’

Parade of 15,000 unionists passes through Edinburgh without serious incident, hoping to make decisive contribution to next week’s referendum result

link to archive.is

And now, very nice reportage Graun style, why not OO march past Catholics, simper Graun creeps.

link to archive.is

“Of the DUP’s 10 MPs, seven are members of the Orange or independent marching orders. The order’s headquarters in Belfast declined to comment about the Portadown lodge’s plea, but the issue is expected to be raised at a meeting on Wednesday.”

In the centre of Portadown, Ruth Culverston, from nearby Moira, welcomed the prospect of walking the Orange Order route back into the town along the Garvaghy Road. “I voted DUP,” she said. “I used to follow the parade. My parents and brothers always used to go on the Drumcree parade. That would be the main thing to ask for. It was 20 years ago they last went down the road. It’s only one day a year. Why not?”

Etc.

Perfidious Albion doesn’t come close to our Imperial master baiters today.

Watching the debate on FOI at Holyrood being rerun today on BBC Parliament. Burst out laughing when Tavish Scott suggested an independent enquiry led by someone like Tom Gordon, you can’t get more neutral than that can you! He may as well have suggested Christine Jardine or Ruth Davidson as the independent chair.

@COLIN ALEXANDER says: 24 June, 2017 at 11:52 am

“I hope tower blocks in Scotland do use fire resistant materials.
Grenfell residents were also assured their cladding and insulation met all safety requirements. An assurance counts for nothing.”

Awa back, Colin, and tell your Westminster Unionist bosses that the Scottish Fire Prevention Regulations and the Scottish Building Standards are far superior to their Kingdom of England counterparts. That’s all you and they need to know.

We do not need such anti-SNP agents of the Union, Colin, we have enough ot them already.

Wonder if COLIN ALEXANDER, sensibledave and maybe a few other names on here, are the names used by ”one” unionist operative?

PLONK!

That’s the sound of COLIN ALEXANDER joining a select few Unionist Trolls on the list of commenters to be ignored.

‘Bye! Colin. It hasn’t been nice knowing you.

link to belfasttelegraph.co.uk

“I believe it is the will of God that relationships should be heterosexual. I believe that’s what God intended and planned. But I would not treat anyone unfairly.”

He’s 58.

It was reported from the very first day that the fire health and safety laws were different than those in England and Wales, by fire experts, who were suggesting that indeed England could look to Scotland to strengthen their legislation. Myself and others posted the specific paragraph from the Guardian’s live feed with the corresponding pdf file containing the pertinent differences in our legislation.

Colin is a total scaremongering little stirrer to even suggest otherwise. Total fucking disgrace, irrespective of any political differences, to infer or suggest our government is lying to our polity on such a serious matter.

This is part of the statement issued on the matter from the Scottish government on the 20 June 2017:

‘Ministerial Working Group convened.

The first meeting of a Ministerial Working Group, convened to examine building and fire safety regulatory frameworks, has taken place today.

The meeting was chaired by Communities Secretary Angela Constance with Housing Minister Kevin Stewart and Community Safety Minister Annabelle Ewing. They were joined by officials from fire and rescue, building standards, local government and housing.

This group is overseeing a review of building and fire safety regulatory frameworks with an initial focus on high rise domestic buildings, following the Grenfell Tower fire in London. It will agree any improvements or actions identified.

Initial actions agreed by the Group include:

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to carry out additional operational assurance visits to high-rise buildings. Since the Grenfell Tower fire, over 200 visits have been carried out by the SFRS to residents in high-rise buildings.

Work already underway to develop a common standard of housing quality across both private and social rented housing, as well as to consult on and review standards for fire and smoke detectors, will be expedited.

The Working Group will also consider current regulations and evidence base for sprinkler systems to determine if further action should be taken.
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities Angela Constance said:

“While we’re confident that in Scotland we have stringent building and fire safety regulations which contribute to keeping people safe, following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower it is imperative that we undertake a thorough and critical review of our regulations.

“Public safety is of paramount importance and, while the cause of the Grenfell Tower fire remains unknown at present, there can be no room for complacency. Communities across Scotland rightly want to know that we are taking all appropriate action and can provide them with the necessary reassurance required.

“That is why Ministers have instructed Scottish Government officials to work closely with local authorities and the fire service to review all of Scotland’s high-rise domestic buildings, construction work that has taken place, the materials of any cladding and whether further action needs be taken as precautionary measure to prevent fire.

“Initial responses from local authorities suggests the type of aluminium composite material cladding reported to have been used on the Grenfell Tower, has not been used on their high rise blocks and this would be consistent with our current building standards regulations.

“We will continue to gather information from our local authorities and we will take a proactive and safety-first approach to this issue while we wait for information from the investigation in London.”

Background

Scottish building standards are devolved.

All new high rise domestic buildings in Scotland are fitted with non-combustible cladding or a cladding system that meets stringent fire tests, and since 2005 are fitted with sprinklers.
Multi-storey fire safety advice is available on the Scottish Fire and Rescue website.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service offers free Home Fire Safety Visits by firefighters to provide safety advice to households and guidance on what to do in an emergency. SFRS undertake regular visits (at least quarterly) to all high rise domestic buildings across Scotland to check on site fire fighting facilities, stairwell design access, fire fighter access to the building and route access to the building for fire appliances.

The formal remit of the group has been agreed as:

This group will oversee a review of building and fire safety regulatory frameworks, and any other relevant matters, in order to help ensure that people are safe in Scotland’s buildings, and make any recommendations for improvement as required. The initial focus of the Working Group will be on high rise domestic buildings. The Group will also consider other buildings including housing, NHS estate, schools and prisons. The Group will identify and take forward immediate actions in order to provide appropriate reassurance to residents and communities about their safety. In addition the Group will identify medium to long-term actions to be taken forward which will include fire and safety advice, and the adequacy of current fire and building regulatory frameworks. The Group will ensure Parliament is updated and respond to any requests as appropriate. The Working Group will continue to work with UK Government and devolved administrations in taking this work forward. The Working Group will also take technical advice as required in order to inform its considerations.’

link to news.gov.scot

——————————————————-

There has since the 20th been a been a further two updates:

First update on the 22 June 2017:

‘Communities Secretary provides update

Communities Secretary, Angela Constance, said:

“Scottish building regulations state that cladding on high rise domestic buildings built since 2005, and cladding added to existing high rise domestic buildings since 2005, should be made of non-combustible materials or a cladding system that has met stringent fire tests.

“External cladding on high rise domestic buildings built before 2005 has to meet a Class 0 classification which was the most demanding anti-flame spread classification at that time.

“We have confirmation from all local authorities that aluminium composite material has not been used in the cladding of their high rise domestic buildings. We are working intensively with local authorities to complete the picture for all high rise domestic buildings, including those that are privately owned, as quickly as possible.”

Background

Further updates will be provided in due course as information is collated and verified.’

link to news.gov.scot

——————————————-

Second update yesterday on the 23td June 2017:

‘Communities Secretary Angela Constance said:

“This week, we asked local authorities to give us further information about their high rise domestic buildings. They have reported that they have over 500 high rise domestic buildings in their areas.

“All 32 local authorities have advised the Scottish Government that no council or housing association high rise domestic buildings have the type of cladding reported to have been used in the Grenfell tower – Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

“24 Local Authorities have also reported to us that no privately owned high rise domestic buildings have ACM cladding. The remainder are completing their investigations as a matter of urgency.”

Background

A further update will follow the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety next week.

The Scottish Government is grateful for the help of local authorities in gathering this information, and also appreciates the support of the Scottish Property Federation and Homes for Scotland who have written to their members asking them to work with their respective local authorities to provide information on privately owned high rise domestic properties as a matter of urgency.’

link to news.gov.scot

—————————————

I repeat it’s a total fucking disgrace to even hint that people lving in any of Scotland’s high rise buildings whether publicly or privately owned are being lied to by our government on this matter.

58 years old, same education as the rest of us and

link to archive.is

Northern Ireland minister calls on Ulster Museum to promote creationism
Nelson McCausland defends letter to trustees urging anti-evolution exhibits

The Guardian, Wednesday 26 May 1710 11.59 BST

“McCausland’s party colleague and North Antrim assembly member Mervyn Storey has been at the forefront of a campaign to force museums in Northern Ireland to promote anti-Darwinian theories.
Storey, who has chaired the Northern Ireland assembly’s education committee, has denied that man descended from apes.”

@gus1940 says: 24 June, 2017 at 2:31 pm:

“Re the ‘better country’referred to in final para is there somebody out there, perhaps even an offshoot of Wings, who could construct a site to which people can submit proposals for making Scotland a better place with the facility for people to comment on, amend and enhance the original submission.”

Well I don’t know of anywhere else but this website:-

link to snp.org

and this one:-

link to scottishparliament.tv

Have quite a few ways of getting voters ideas to the notice of the current Scottish Government.

There is even a Holyrood Government public petitions facility and, far as I can see, that means if someone has a good idea they want implemented they can start a petition that, if it gets public support, will be brought before Parliament.

The SNP’s improved website is up and running but my point is the people who are demanding such services be provided are not using the facilities already provided. So why would providing alternatives do other than dilute those we already have.

@Handandshrimp 24 June 2017 11.37am

“They do reform but it is slow and cautious.”

I basically agree with all you have said. Your response is a much more sensible one than the people who howl: “Unionist !” in response to any criticism of the SNP.

However, I believe the slow and cautious approach is no longer enough. It’s a strategy that worked to get them to where they are now, but sometimes, you can’t just keep doing the same old thing.

Indyref1 ended in defeat. We did well, but to wind we must do even better.

Times change and tactics and policies need to change too or you get left behind. Labour are finally raising their game ( in the UK party). The Tories have raised their game of sectarianism in Scotland. The Tories poured energy and enthusiasm into their campaign and with the help of a compliant media did well in hiding how heinous and harmful their policies really are.

The SNP have not raised their game. They had nothing new and exciting to offer. They did the opposite, backing away from the one policy that has motivated people: independence.

As I’ve repeatedly said, they could have done more. They instead prefer to campaign on being the party of Scottish Govt. The best devolutionists. The best Westminster MPs.

Total tripe.

@Petra says: 24 June, 2017 at 3:55 pm:

” … Many moons ago, one of the Architectural designs for the Holyrood parliament building featured a massive TV screen. Was that Prophetic or what? A Scottish Parliament with capacity to broadcast … “

Then, Petra, What do you call this:-

link to scottishparliament.tv

That is the link to the Scottish Parliament’s TV link but the Scottish Parliament’s Home Page :-

link to parliament.scot

Contains mush, much, more.

Another thing we can be doing is relentlessly pointing out the stupidity of the Westminster elite and their lackeys. Chris Cairns is an expert in political satire. Have we not been handed a prime example in the honorary Colonel of the 32 Signal Regiment, Kim Jung Ruth.

Once Colonel Blimp was a caricature of arrogant, jingoistic British stupidity. Colonel Ruth could be his modern reincarnation.
link to en.wikipedia.org

Happy Army Day!

“Did you expend as much energy in supporting the SNP on line when you were a member as you have done in telling us why you no longer are?”

No, not as much, cos I was out canvassing nearly every evening for the SNP MP candidate in 2015.

But I did take the time to write to WoS about this, as I was one of his constituents:

link to wingsoverscotland.com

In this GE campaign I also wrote supportive comments urging people to vote SNP and for Carol Monaghan MP in particular. I also wrote comments urging people to vote SNP and Green in the Council elections.

I agree that despite their faults, they are still the best option for Scotland, but they need to improve or else the game’s a bogey.

Let’s see what Nicola Sturgeon has to say in the coming week. Hopefully, something more substantial than rhetoric.

Capella @ 5:23

Sorry, my fault Capella. I meant what are the SNP specifically about broadcasting. It is going to be a seminal issue in the forthcoming campaign, and an aspirational mention in an election manifesto that broadcasting ought to be devolved is not going to deliver a thing in the next 12 to 18 months.

As it stands, the person summing up the case for Scottish Independence on the eve of the vote will be Nick Robinson, BBC, no doubt with Sarah Smith the roving reporter on a live feed outside an Orange Lodge near you, and honorary wing commander Davidson in an apache gunship flying overhead ready to drop postal ballots wherever there’s a call.

Are we incapable as a country of providing dispassionate, informative cultural news and current affairs?

I don’t expect Westminster to cooperate in the slightest, but circumvent Westminster. We are a Nation. Broadcast and be damned. When Westminster tries to assert its sovereignty over Scotland’s airwaves to suppress Scottish constitutional broadcasting, just as Westminster is right now trying to assert its sovereignty over Holyrood, then we should kick up such a stink about it and barrel into them about the inalienable nature of Scottish sovereignty.

Who do you think the UN will support? Objective, native, cultural broadcasting trying to educate a sovereign population before a democratic referendum? Or a “foreign” based, external rabid monopolised network of propaganda channels with a disgraceful record of distortion, bias and news manipulation, which for two years before the vote has interfereing with the democratic process and even tried to subvert Sovereign democracy and have the referendum called off?

I’m not anti-SNP. I just don’t understand SNP strategy. If they plan to do nothing, and sail into ScotRef with the same philosophy as YES in 2014, then I want to know about it now.

And on a different topic, it would be overstating it to say I’m curious, but what did Davidson actually do to deserve honorary colonel? Seems a tad overblown for such a fickle dunce.

Don’t know if I missed this but for me the Master of the “Gish Gallop” has to be Fluffy Mundell.

@Colin Alexander
I wouldn’t worry, those who go on about Unionist trolls all the time are harmless really. They are also evidently working towards the ultimate goal for us all. In saying that, they do come across as howling at the moon bonkers sometimes. Sometimes I laugh at the comments, at other times it comes across as rather pathetic. I doubt I am the only one.

Breeks says:

… broadcasting. It is going to be a seminal issue in the forthcoming campaign …

Indeed it will!

Hard to know what to do because the basic structure just won’t change prior to Indy.

Voters divide in two groups. Those who see bias and unfair reporting and those who still take what they see, hear, and read at face value.

They don’t split Yes/No because let’s face it, many committed BritNats see through the bias too, it just suits their cause!

Those who believe the media need to have what they see shifted towards a neutral position. Any shift would be positive.

One approach which might help is for Yes2/SNP/Greens to adopt a policy of rewarding good journalism and shunning bad. And don’t hide the policy, be open about it. Set out guidelines which no fair person should disagree with and say you will ignore those who persistently abuse their media powers.

For instance, a big announcement conference, coverage this time is likely to be international. The ground breaking statement is made and it’s time for questions from the floor. Does it not always seem that the BBC get the first question? Why? Why not give the first question to a reporter who has a fair and unbiased record? Or an organisation without a ‘dog in the fight’?

We all know the bad guys and gals, especially from the BBC. Just ignore them. Take a question from CNN or France 24!

Or one to one interviews. Anyone who behaves unacceptably, never gets a second chance. They become persona non grata.

I’m not talking about avoiding difficult questions etc.. Often it’s in the selective editing the bias is achieved. Everyone knows the games they play. There are 100s of examples documented. Behaviour like that is laid out in guidelines and transgressors loose privileges!

Every little will help.

@ Robert at 6.00pm ….. “The many moons ago ……” comment was made by Breeks, Robert.

heedtracker,

“Come back Rock, you demented old roaster.”

Being a Guardian reader for centuries, how can you possibly be in favour of FPTP>

heedtracker,

“Like it or not FPTP is fair.”

In my humble opinion, anyone who believes FPTP is fair is demented, no offence meant to genuine dementia sufferers.

galamcennalath
Re. the lack of balance in the ‘news’ in Scotland.

Public Sentinel: News Media & Governance Reform
link to hks.harvard.edu

Chapter 6
The media, government accountability, and citizen engagement

The role of the media in the agenda?setting process is to generate salience for some issues, or particular aspects of issues, thereby drawing public attention to a limited set of current problems. It has to be kept in mind that selectivity is an inevitable, even necessary, aspect of information processing. At any given time there is an infinite number of problems competing for public attention, and it would exceed the information processing capacity of individuals and institutions alike if they had to deal with them at the same time. Since for ordinary citizens the media are the main window to the world of politics the public agenda usually reflects the media agenda, that is, people regard those problems as most important that have recently been given most salience in the news.42 These issues subsequently form the basis for opinion formation and public choices.

Newsvalues generate a particular pattern of journalists’ selection of issues which might, or might not, coincide with other measures of political relevance. Partisanship can be regarded as a special case of agenda setting. Media that are aligned with a particular ideology or party will select issues that promote this cause while ignoring any aspects that have the potential to undermine its validity. In the Russian case where the national news media ignored oppositional candidates and parties it would have required extraordinary cognitive efforts for individuals to find alternative information. Like anywhere else, the business of everyday life – work, family, queuing – usually occupies the best part of people’s time and attention, and only few would take the trouble to find information from sources other than the media to optimize the quality of their vote decision. Thus when making their choices people could question the credibility of the information they received, but they were stuck in the limited world view of the official agenda.

Noelle?Neumann in her theory of ‘spiral of silence’ develops a similar argument by demonstrating the effects of selective media salience on political conversations in face?to?face encounters.43 As she points out, people obtain the arguments for their own beliefs and opinions primarily from the media. If the media hardly cover a particular political party opinion building of those who support this party would be based on a limited range of reasons.44 Moreover, when talking about politics with others they would find themselves in a situation where they are quickly running out of arguments. If these conversations take place with like?minded others mutual encouragement and mobilization would be rather superficial. If – and this is the key argument of the theory – these conversations take place in mixed company these people would fall silent because they are unable to defend their view while supporters of a party that is well presented in the media would feel confident enough to express their views in public. They might not initially be in the majority, but their willingness to talk in conjunction with selective media coverage will soon make this view the dominant one in both the public debate and interpersonal communication. It will hence be the one that has the biggest impact on the outcome of the election….

link to hks.harvard.edu

I wonder if Colonel Davidson will start wearing her army uniform in Parliament to get some practice as FM. I remember some European countries being ruled by juntas of Colonels.

Lol, this is the best one yet. I totally see Mayhem on her knees, begging at the DUP.

Is it just me or is that Arlene one no Rape Clause Ruth’s long lost sister?

Kind of like Boris and Trump… Hmm…

Rock says:
24 June, 2017 at 8:12 pm
heedtracker,

Look Rock, and anyone other twerp out there full of advice for Nicola, Scotland voted NO barely 2 years ago, OK? Its as simple as that.

The concept that any sane political party should then expend all their political careers after 18th Sept 2104, trying to pretend that Scotland did not Vote NO 2 years ago, is barking mad demented. 56 SNP MP’s or not.

So here we are with you and your ilk Rock, like all good trolls, you assault the enemy at their weakest point, in Nicola’s case, she lost the Scottish referendum, barely 2 years ago.

Its dirty and really nasty this union of England’s domination but once again, barely 2 years ago, Scotland agreed to it. Scots were totally shafted by the great The Vow devo-max federal UK fraud but the fact is, Scotland voted NO. I have yet to hear one NO vote complain, oh I how wish the English hadn’t stiffed us with their The Vow carry on.

Ok Rock. So with Brexit, all Nicola can do is ask to be involved, get fucked off ofcourse, then offer to hold indyref2, which is probably winnable. Maybe that’s why she’s gone for indyref2, put pressure on our tory masters to give SNP a Brexit slot.

Maybe it was a wrong move, naybe it was too early and maybe it did trigger May’s snap GE and their pretty spectacular vote tory shock and awe blitz on Salmond and Roberston’s seats especially. Christ only knows, BBC Scotland gimps have laid down the SNP bad ground war for years now. It only got more and more SNP bad aggressive after 2014 and will only get worse and worse til the SNP are out.

This is what’s actually happened Rock, not your pseudo fantasy world of what Nicola failed and failed and failed at, you trolling twerp.

Also FPTP does work, in England, look at the latest power balance, who knows where the actual fulcrum is, in England, where it all really counts too, in this farce union.

Carry on Rock.

heedtracker,

“The concept that any sane political party should then expend all their political careers after 18th Sept 2104, trying to pretend that Scotland did not Vote NO 2 years ago, is barking mad demented. 56 SNP MP’s or not.”

In that case, why did Nicola start talking about another independence referendum immediately after the Brexit result?

Was she “barking mad demented”?

@ everyone who talks about “The SNP presence at WM has always been a media poisoned chalice” and SNP withdrawal from Westminster.

before we consider the SNP, let’s look at Sinn Fein’s abstentionist policy.

SF MPs register, claim their allowances, carry out constituency duties but do not take their seats in Westmiinster.

Setting aside the historical reasons and background, today’s SF as republicans 1) will not swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen and 2) will not be involved in the workings of the british parliament and state as they do not want the british parliament and state to be involved in ireland.

SF MPs are elected on an abstentionist ticket, which has been confirmed in SF conventions. Their voters know exactly what they are voting for.

With regards to the SNP – abstentionism would need to be proposed, debated and discussed in depth, and then accepted at a SNP convention.

SNP candidates at the following General Election could stand on an abstentionist ticket and their voters would know exactly what that entailed and would vote accordingly.

Until that issue is cleared up, SNP MPs need to stay in Westminster because that is what they have been elected to do . . . .

@k1
My comment referred to those who constantly decry any SNP dissenter as a unionist troll. It is laughable (especially if what he said is true about his involvement in canvassing etc). It’s also stupid. As for his comments re the cladding, I don’t agree with them nor do I agree with some of his other comments. I don’t need to call people unionist troll of other such nonsense if I disagree with them. However, your retort can be summed up in one, well, it’s more of a sound than a word, ahhwoooooooooo 😉

Yes heard it

…and we have an orange man in the Whitehouse!

heedtracker,

As always, you are all over the place, unable to make a coherent post.

Typical Guardian reader.

On one hand, “in Nicola’s case, she lost the Scottish referendum, barely 2 years ago.”, so she shouldn’t be going for a second independence referendum.

On the other hand, she should be going for a referendum “Because Scotland voted Remain”.

Are Nicola and the SNP so stupid as not to have anticipated the unionist assault led by the BBC?

The fact of the matter is after bringing up a second independence referendum, Nicola wasted months flogging a dead horse – a separate deal for Scotland which was never going to happen.

She was than outsmarted by Saint Theresa calling a snap general election, the sole purpose of which was to stop a referendum.

Saint Theresa’s gamble unexpectedly backfired for her but it succeeded in weakening the SNP.

The SNP won the most seats but what matters more is its support fell from 50% to 37%.

Admit it or not, Nicola has now been left dithering about a second independence referendum before Brexit has been completed.

Only if she had taken my advice:

Rock (26th June 2016),

“Strike while the iron is hot.”