Desperate fishwives
Scotland’s political opposition and media, today:
There can surely be no country on Earth cursed and plagued with a more pathetic shower of petty, whining, gossiping harpies in those roles than Scotland. And while we knew that already, barely a day seems to go by without them reaching a new nadir.
If you’ve got the stomach to hear about the latest low point, grit your teeth, lower your expectations of humanity considerably and read on.
So let’s walk through that.
Firstly, the headline is (of course) a lie, just like the one about the FM on the front page of yesterday’s issue that today’s Herald carries an apology for – the actual cost of renting the temporary accommodation for the leader of the country was NOT “nearly £20,000”, it was £11,008 for five months, or £2,201 a month.
(Another £8800 was spent on various fees involving the sort of extensive security and background checks that anyone who wasn’t a complete imbecile might expect to be undertaken on the prospective home of a First Minister/seat of national government.)
£2201 a month is a lot of money, but it doesn’t get you very much house in central Edinburgh. This is the FM’s normal residence, Bute House in Charlotte Square:
It’s pretty fancy. We couldn’t find anywhere for rent in Charlotte Square, but here’s a much more modest pied-a-terre located just a couple of hundred yards away in the still-nice but unquestionably less salubrious Alva Street:
And here’s one a little further out, but in the New Town proper:
It’d be a step down, but certainly still a pretty acceptable place to meet dignitaries and hold cabinet meetings and suchlike. Something more on the level of Bute House would be somewhat pricier:
But rather than bill the taxpayer to keep her in the style to which she’s accustomed, the First Minister of Scotland actually bunked up for five months in a TWO-BEDROOM FLAT and made do with huddling around the living-room table when she needed to discuss affairs of state with her ministers.
(Imagine Theresa May being asked to make do with a two-bed flat for almost half a year if Downing Street needed some work.)
And her thanks for this sacrifice? Furious howls of idiot rage from Unionist politicians and a supposedly grown-up broadsheet newspaper that she was “wasting money” by not decamping to a manky student bedsit or a tent on the Meadows with a lilo and a gas stove.
We’d quite like to see where Graham Simpson lives. We suspect it’s rather nicer than a two-bedroom flat, even though we doubt one Scot in a hundred could tell him from Adam and wouldn’t notice if he fell down a mineshaft for five months and couldn’t do whatever the hell it is he does all day for his fat taxpayer-funded salary.
(We’re pretty sure that he must be one of these anonymous, identikit fannybags, but we honestly wouldn’t like to have to bet 50p on which one.)
The sourest cherry on the cake was that the story was published on the same day Simpson’s government in London was dropping bombs that cost £800,000 each on the Middle East in a moronic act of bread-and-circuses misdirection from the shambles of Brexit, done without the consent of Parliament and based on some highly questionable evidence about a supposed chemical attack, which will do absolutely nothing to bring peace to Syria and could have been achieved perfectly well by the USA under the command of President Bobo The Clown without the UK’s assistance.
(And it is, as always, interesting to speculate on exactly how much the UK spent on its latest bout of impotent sabre-rattling pining for the days of the Empire, versus how many Syrian refugee children the money could have housed instead if we REALLY cared about the plight of the innocent victims of conflict in that benighted land.)
It’s hard to say whether the opposition or the Herald are the bigger embarrassment to Scotland. Governments do need oppositions in Parliament, no matter how dismal. But the Herald – currently bought by just 0.58% of Scottish adults – is altogether less necessary, and its finally swirling down the toilet of history would be little more than a blessed relief to everyone concerned.
Could we make this into a leaflet?
“But the Herald – currently bought by just 0.58% of Scottish adults…”
What percentage of Scottish children buy the Herald considering it’s now a comic?
Oh good grief. I despair sometimes, how smallminded, petty nonsense about things in general, but this, this is a beezer.
The Charlotte Square property belongs to the National Trust, it’s an old building and urgent repairs were required. So for safety reasons the FM had to move out. Where would these clowns have liked her to go. I mean she is FM of Scotland, and has to conduct the business of the country, doing the day job.She could hardly pitch a tent down at the parliament and lived there could she. So a two bedroomed flat in Edinburgh, it’s no cheap. I remember when my son stayed there and the rents were horrendous. Mibbies she should have taen ower the castle for the five months, would that have made it any better.
These bawheids just want any excuse to have a go at the SNP government. God help us if these numties ever get back into power in Scotland, oh, perish the thought. Scunnert.
If only I had known about this, my mate has an old caravan, happy to lend it out off season for a tenner a week.
I dont believe in personal attacks but you cant help saying out loud there are some real arseholes in our nation press.
Apologies to gentle folk on here regarding the language.
Sources close to Wings have said some people actually pay for the right to read these so called newspapers.
It beggars belief. Surely, surely, there must be something we can do to restore democracy.
A recent article elsewhere pointed out that democratic arrangements evolve – yet in Britain since 1918 virtually the only significant Westminster change has been to drop the voting age to 18 years.
There was a feeble attempt to bring in PR and despite the underfunded, biased media, campaign there was a fair amount of support for the idea.
But we are still stuck with the mind-bogglingly awful FPTP system which produces a dictatorship by a party which NEVER has a majority of the public vote as its mandate.
For heavens sake, please point the way to how we get out from this tyrannical system. Its not even run by intelligent people – they are feeble, nasty, selfish, stupid… Sigh.
Erm, the estimated cost of refurbishing Buck House , to save Brenda & Phil going to the dunny roon’ the bag is £369 Million. I rest my case m’lud.
It’s much more than their usual rolling BBC Scotland led SNP Out campaigning. Its Scottish democracy they’re really after. They’ve been after Scotland’s democracy since 1997.
I hope she never bought another coffee machine for the flat!.. 😀
Ffs! “roon’ the back”
It’s a shame what’s happened to The Herald. I bought it every day for nearly 30 years, finally gave up after realising for the past few years I had only been buying it for the diary and crossword. Shocking state it has slumped to with the only minor saving grace being David Pratt.
@Marie Clark
The problem with the Castle is it’s Historic Scotland rather than NTS 🙂 – if the press thinks she’s getting accomodation from both they’ll go apeshit!
To be a pedant National Trust is England and Wales so we have to say National Trust Scotland (NTS).
Bute House belongs to Scotland it’s not Nicola Sturgeons personal property so whichever party was in Government the FM of that government would be occupying that space on behalf of the country to carry out official doings that need doing, would the Herald or any of the other moaning little squirts in the Unionist party be saying these same things then
Time they stopped bothering about making up headlines and just reprint on a daily basis * We hate the SNP*
Bloody infantile weans
The National Trust for Scotland sold its Charlotte Square HQ property a few years ago to property developers. I believe a Russian oligarch bought it.
Pity the press didn’t complain about that insult to our national heritage. Different class of person involved I suppose.
http://archive.li/5SiAW
They ARE truly poisonous. This level of petty backbiting would be worthy of a Les Dawson script.
Maybe she could get a caravan in a local lay by for entertaining foreign visitors.
If anyone hasn’t read the twitter thread on the Rev’s account on this issue I urge you to so, it is hilarious.
You don’t have to be on twitter, just open a webpage or click the link above.
I agree this is the nadir of journalism and someone on that thread usefully pointed out Fluffy spent £62k on drinks and canapes at the Scottish Office in 2017.
Where is the Herald’s outrage about that? has any SLAB MSP complained about it?
1. This story and the Yoon politicians quoted may lend credence to the argument that the Brits actually want Scots to think Scotland couldn’t run a bingo night never mind a country. It’s not meant to be a criticism of the SNP, it’s meant to highlight how petty and miserable ALL Scots are. BBC have been doing it forever.
2. The cost of missiles in Syria may, I guess, be compensated for by the Saudi money that may be paying for some of this (if the US decide to share). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/trump-saudis-pay-troops-stay-syria-180404061302069.html
But why didn’t Lizzie offer to let her bunk up down at the Palace? She’d be handy for work, and it’s all taxpayer money anyway.
Rev. Campbell, I have no problems with you putting the boot into the Herald. I certainly fully endorse and support your continued battle against the Unionist forces and their SNP Bad agenda.
However, please do not, even for reasons of illustration, drag the fragrant Isa into the battle. That lady is a national treasure and should not, no matter how innocently, be drawn into this argument.
Consider yourself telt-aff.
HAHAHAHAHA, I enjoyed that….nicely done Stuart. Thank you for reading that type of dross on our behalf….your response to it is first class.
but didn’t we just approve £350 MILLION to modernise frau vindsors’ london holiday home.
£600 MILLION for the parliament building.
£1.5 BILLION to the DUP
isn’t that more of an outrage ffs.
the magic money tree giveth to the needy
It’s a new low for the Scottish media (evergreen post).
Colonel Davidson is all gung-ho let’s bomb “them” not even knowing who the enemy is.
Well she has been treated by the friends of Israel to a visit to the Golan Heights Oil and Gas fields. Supported by a Murdoch press.
A call to Arms. Maybe all the Yoon “No” voting troglodytes would like to send their children to the nearest army recruitment office and sign them up to die in the sands of a Middle East never ending war!
Yes you Senga fae Govan . Look into your 10 year old sons eyes and tell him rather than being in an independent country that would seek peace .
You want him to die in a far off land wrapped in a Fleg for a Queen and a Government who don’t give a F*** about the plebs .
“Operation Clusterfuck” just got underway we await the Russian response!
KathyT says:
14 April, 2018 at 12:05 pm
But why didn’t Lizzie offer to let her bunk up down at the Palace? She’d be handy for work, and it’s all taxpayer money anyway.
Our imperial masters would consider that just like if the ravens ever left the Tower of London.
A toilet and a fine shredder is all it’ll take. Of course, you might also need a peg for your nose as the stinking rag swirls down into the depths of hades.
I am now not even going to view these skanky ‘papers’ online except via Archive. I’ve had it up to here and beyond..
As for the illegal bombing of a sovereign country NOT at war with us, I just knew that something was occurring as I watched military jets low flying over the sea yesterday. Haven’t seen them do that for a while so guessed the shitty May and her deceased troupe of chimps were going to slither along with Golden shower king.
I’m a Scot…GET ME OUT OF HERE.
The Herald seems to have accepted that it is only going to be read by middle class, west of Scotland Unionists, who tend to follow Rangers, and vent a visceral hatred of both the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon. This “newspaper” has given up any ambition of addressing a larger demographic, and confines itself to writing for its core audience. Smear and misrepresentation are their stock in trade, and it paints a very ugly picture of what Unionism is morphing into in Scotland.
Why, however, does the BBC and STV choose to follow the Unionist narrative of the Herald and its ugly sisters the Scotsman and Mail?
Excellent article, Stu.
There is an up side to all this. Their relentless anti Scotland/SNP/SG/FM appears to achieving bugger all for their cause. In fact, it may be self harm!
They’ve got worse as their sales have declined.
Realising that their political slant has caused them to be abandoned not only by past readers in favour of an independent Scotland, but also by those simply seeking balance, they’re in competition for the most unsavoury.
Graham Simpson, former Sun journalist lives in an upmarket area of East Kilbride and told me in 2014, he felt the public were being well informed through TV and newspapers so didn’t see a good reason for street stalls! I retorted your side is being well represented, Yes isn’t!
Great article as usual Stu.
I don’t visit any of the msm websites as I don’t want to give them any clicks to sell advertising off.
As you do visit and suffer on our behalf could you possibly also list who advertises with them?
This would allow us to contact these advertisers and inform them that due to their support of a media outlet relentlessly running down Scotland, we will no longer support their business.
It’s all well and good withholding our money from these media outlets, but we need to really hurt them and get the corporate money cut off too.
Confession – I now only buy it on a Saturday for the Wee Stinker. I’m really trying to wean myself off but I’m not quite ready to go cold turkey but I promise I will try.
I used to buy the Herald a few years back, then I grew up.
You get more factual news in the VIZ, than any of the mainstream so called “News?!Papers”. .
“But the Herald – currently bought by just 0.58% of Scottish adults…”
……
This is the interesting point, as it means very few people actually read this ridiculous article, but because WoS gets over 300,000 readers per month, the message that this newspaper is telling lies, is spread to a much wider audience.
And if one can lie, they all can.
The 0.56% might still believe the lies/nonsense, but 300,000 get more informed about the media bullshit, and of that 300,000, a tad more than 0.56% will see the truth.
Those who walk past a newstand and see these headlines, keep wakking past, they do not buy the rags to read the story. That kinda indicates they are not that interested in the story.
Wee bit unfair using Isa for the fishwife picture, when Murdo Fraser is available..!
I used to buy the Herald every day. I wouldn’t go near it with a barge pole these days. It is just the Express without the TV gossip.
‘swirling down the toilet of history’ – love it!
Having been forced to apologise for yesterdays headline, unbelievable that they are lying again.
‘Nicola Sturgeon spent nearly £20,000 of taxpayers money’
If only a stiff fine equivalent to the income from a week’s circulation was the automatic penalty for a lying or misleading headline, they would soon be out of business.
Croompenstein says:
14 April, 2018 at 11:58 am
I hope she never bought another coffee machine for the flat!.. ?””
……………
Oo you are naughty. That is tomorrow’s front page of the Sunday Herald. Now you have spoiled it for them.
Truth 12.34pm:
“This would allow us to contact these advertisers and inform them that due to their support of a media outlet relentlessly running down Scotland, we will no longer support their business.”
Truth,,That is the point I was making a few days ago about STV.
STOP watching the STV channel altogether. (watch the ITV england channel if you have to watch your favourite soap)
Companies advertising on STV will not be long in letting them know that this is unacceptable.
STV are as bad, if not worse, than BBC Scotland. for spreading the word of their english Colonial Masters.
STOP WATCHING STV !!!
Reading Dave McEwan Hills comment, I think that it would be a grand idea…turn the true details of this lie into a leaflet. Cos when we start the Referendum process off (hopefully sooner than later) We will need all the Truth against Lies (in easy to read formats) that we can muster to make publicly available…….And this is just the sort of dirt that will be thrown by the Nationalists. Just a thought!
Adam Bolton on SKY news just cut an expert off there when he asked why the rush to attack when inspectors are due in a day or so to Syria with the last words “so you don’t agree with us on the gas attacks?”.. this guy is the biggest arse on this programme.. remember when he said if Britain leaves EU then Scotland might leave UK, so 2 for the price of 1… Feel the love….
KathyT says:
14 April, 2018 at 12:05 pm
‘But why didn’t Lizzie offer to let her bunk up down at the Palace? She’d be handy for work, and it’s all taxpayer money anyway.’
great idea! Historic Scotland pays for its upkeep anyway, while Lizzie trousers the £3.3m proceeds from the visitors. Im sure there must be a few spare rooms.
http://archive.is/Ju5tr
all this is done to please their English handlers and paymasters.
Jings!
My renowned vote No! mother-in-law from Oban thinks, how very dare Sturgeon have those cool clothes and high heels (at tax payers expense) and Scotland’s too wee and poor to survive, will file this diamond in the herald away in her memory banks.
She also reads the Daily Mail and adores the BBC + Queenie among other things too long to list. 🙂 🙂
Treeza thinks we have taken our eyes off of the Brexit Ball.
No chance Treeza.
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, holds Grand Ceilidh in her temporary new home:
https://imgur.com/a/TE8zx
I don’t know whether to watch the football or the start of WWIII.
Choices choices !!!
I sincerely trust that independence will kill off these anal retentive, petty provincial attitudes.
Aberdeen once again demonstrating an inability to play when it matters. Do they take liquid mogadon before a big match?
The Herald and the National from the same publisher….something’s out of joint.
Surely the First Minister should have suitable residence,no matter who is First Minister or what party they represent.
The only people who think they shouldn’t are those who don’t think there should be a First Minister.
The “French Farmers on strike approach” of tipping stuff out onto the side of the road and setting fire to it would be far to kind a thing to do to the bundles of these hate filled rags leaving printing works/distribution depots every morning.
Let them print dishonest shite.
Let the Rev highlight they have printed dishonest shite.
Explain to one person (Soft No) that they have printed dishonest shite and show folk the link on WoS to a researched and sourced rebuttal piece (you know, proper investigative journalism).
Then you get:
One more person who has the scales fall from their eyes.
One more person who thinks, “If they lied about this what else have they lied to me about?”
One more who says “I don’t like being lied to and taken for a mug”.
One more Yes Vote in Indy Ref2.
Let “The Herald” and it’s Sunday Anti-Indy bedfellow along with the rest of the BritNat dead tree press help us on the road to becoming an Independent Nation State again.
Unfortunately they won’t wither and die because Her Majesties BritNat Broadcasting Corporation are giving them £Millions in ‘Local Journalist’ cash.
This cash is specifically to allow them to exist and continue assaulting the general publics senses with MASSIVE HEADLINES of “Scotland Shite ‘cos EssEnnPeeBaaaad”.
None of these fuckers is employable in the media of an Indy Scotland.
They know it.
It is all about self preservation to them.
They have nailed their colours to the mast beside the Butchers Swastika.
They will go down with the good ship UKOK.
No tears will be shed (with the exception of tears of joy).
And when they beg and plead that they had no choice because of the papers owner, editor etc. remind them of this.
“I was only obeying orders” is not a legitimate excuse for an enemy combatant to use in the defence of the indefensible.
National Trust is just another clever tax dodge scam for the very rich, who become somehow unable to actually both pay their taxes and the upkeep of their palatial homes. So they get us to do it for them.
It goes back to post war tax evasion.
So Pollock House near us is a nice example of how the rich own their mansions, while we pay for it all.
Its all in the language use of, National Trust “manages” the ancestral home of this family. How nice of them to allow this.
wiki
Pollok House is the ancestral home of the Stirling Maxwell family, located in Pollok Country Park, Glasgow, Scotland; owned by the jardine family, it was gifted to the city council.
The house – built in 1752 and designed by William Adam – was gifted to the City of Glasgow in 1966 by Dame Anne Maxwell Macdonald, whose family had owned the estate for almost 700 years. It is now managed by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public.”
Is it even worth noting who they appointed as their Scot National Trust head lately.
Oopsee!
Our English Colonial Masters will be pleased with the work of their Scottish Patsies.
Before Bute House became the official residence of the First Minister it was the official residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland
Anybody who is a NT member , fancy writing to the guy wi the hair, to see if he agreed that the repairs were “the right thing to do”?
Or what action he is calling for if he doesn’t?
Bute House would have been repaired regardless. It is an Adams gem and grade A listed building. What is the Herald advocating? That we should invite May to bomb all our architectural heritage.
Manufactured outrage is fake news.
Or what action he is calling for if he doesn’t?
That yoon roaster’s probably not going to say anything er, democratic.
Do the Bute family actually still own Bute House and why is it NOT at all clear who does? because when its NOT clear who owns something, there’s usually a clear reason why.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bute_House#History_of_the_building
wiki says
“Bute House is not owned by the Scottish Government, but remains in the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland, a charitable organisation dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings and sites of natural significance across the country. The property is also legally under the supervision of the Bute House Trustees, a group whose existence was provided for in the original trust deed passing ownership from the Bute family.”
So once again, there’s that lovely toryboy blend of trusts and trustees. Tasty.
Why does Scottish gov not own this?
Because our imperial masters are going to scrap Scottish democracy asap.
Its just not working out for them at all.
Way off topic here but this is just so “in your face you bunch of warmongers”
https://www.facebook.com/neonnettle/videos/1180361458730023/?hc_ref=ARRSoksXJsul709PApNeIVnQe76wdQoIRbbRvC2osLk0-9UsZm0kMTQaeBFnoueXzoo&fref=gs&dti=499960380350148&hc_location=group
Again I’m way of topic here but some peeps might be interested. 😉
There is a group of ~YES supporters who have come together and created an updated “Declaration of Arbroath” and are getting many people wanting to sign it it. Once completed all the signed pages are to be placed in a book with a Latin version of the original Declaration at the front and a wee addendum stuck in at the back containing the United Nations Convention 1514 (XV). They then plan to send the completed book to the Secretary General of the U.N.
http://archive.is/5jkKR
They’re all an embarrassment to Scotland, they’re so desparate to put Scotland down at every turn, that every little story on the SNP or the Scottish government are knit picked to death.
FFS, I feel like I need a shower just reading that shite.
“Manufactured outrage is fake news.”
Naw – more like FFS news!
Big Del says:
14 April, 2018 at 12:52 pm
Adam Bolton on SKY news just cut an expert off there when he asked why the rush to attack when inspectors are due in a day or so to Syria with the last words “so you don’t agree with us on the gas attacks?”.. this guy is the biggest arse on this programme.. remember when he said if Britain leaves EU then Scotland might leave UK, so 2 for the price of 1… Feel the love….
Unfortunately he wasn’t the first disrespectful earsehole on SKY to do that BD. This is from SKY news yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_dPKJmbBc
Talking about Fish, I see that Bungling Boris the Clown has awarded Fishing licences rights to the 200 Square Miles around Argentina’s Falkland islands to companies from Norway and Chile.
The British Companies who applied were rejected?
If there is a brain cell available in the collective of Scotland’s Unionist Fishermen, could they finally pull in their nets and look at what the catch is?
Money for Westminster and on to the rich elite is all that matters in Tory Land.
Labour isn’t an option either as we say Red Herrings for a reason.
Who owns The Scottish National Trust, Alexa?
Wrong question. Try again.
Who finances the Scottish National Trust, Alexa?
Wrong question. Try again.
Who are the Scottish National Trust, Alexa?
Hard to know. A charity maybe. Getting closer?
Nope.
Is the National Trust for Scotland a business, ALexa?
Maybe, it was run by Duke of Buccleuch, one of the biggest landowners in Europe, now its a BBC telly presenter and self made millionaire.
OFFS! Seriously?
After what we’ve seen in the past 24hrs, this is what these arsewipes consider an outrageous waste of funds?
They can get tae …. Our media and establishment politicians are an absolute disgrace. They seriously need to have a long hard look at themselves.
If you go to Edinburgh best pack your Russian phrasebook, according to the London Times it is a focus of Russian anti-Brit activity. The SNP, RT and Alex Salmond get a plug too. Vot it eez to bee Breetish!
If/when Scotland REGAINS its independence and the tray tors and scum of the “Scottish” media are stupid and arrogant enough to stick around afterwards, what would become of them? Do we care?
Never mind, I’m sure they’d be ok. I suspect that there’s at least a few folk out there who’d be more than willing to offer them exciting new career opportunities as lamp-post decorations.
Patsy Millar 12.37
So for now you’re ok with paying to support an anti-Scottish propaganda platform because you like the Wee Stinker?
Desperate Fishwives right enough.
This makes me so angry. It’s the height of hypocrisy. How much would it cost for Treeza to be rehoused in London in such circumstances? That would be fine though wouldn’t it. We can’t have the PM roughing it in the equivalent of Grenfell Tower, can we?
We wouldn’t hear a word about it if it was Ruthie or (God help us ) Richard L. They can trough as much as they like. Nicola could have demanded accommodation more appropriate for the duties she has to carry out, but she didn’t. Says a lot for her.
Never mind not noticing if any of these useless Tories fell down a mineshaft, I wish they all just would.
As for the so called journalists, they won’t need to find any accommodation in Scotland soon cos they won’t have a job.
Filf.Yoomin filf.
That’s all I have to say about the Herald’s contributors.
These lowlifes have no place in any country of the world let alone Scotland.
We get the gist – she should have pitched a tent in George Square with the test of the occupy movement.
Actually, a headline like that is more a judgement of her critiques than the FM herself.
Thanks again Stuart for highlighting this never ending stream of effluent, I occasionally get downhearted and frustrated at the inability of our government and the SNP to rein in or challenge vociferously this constant denigration and lies .
But then I stop and think , what would any unionist party SG do in the same situation , Answer NOTHING because they wouldn’t be in the same situation , they would have capitulated to wastemonster without ANY challenge on ANYTHING whatsoever, Scotland and us Scots would have been eradicated from everything
So whilst being frustrated and impatient at Nicola and the SNP’S speed on indy I remind myself of how shit a position we would be in if we had tRuthless , dicky , or winky and their sodjers in charge
OT but having a wee wander round youtube I found George Galloways radio programme on Boris J and the Skripals.
He may not be my very favourite man but my goodness he doesn’t miss with that one!
Sorry I can’t give the link my laptop is irritatingly defective.
I also found the ex ambassador to Syria being ‘interviewed’ on morning BBBC.
I had already posted this on a previous thread:-
Bute House is owned by Scottish Heritage and the refurbishment was paid for by Scottish Heritage. As was the FM’s temporary accommodation. It cost the tax payer nothing and if Auld Bob Peffers, a disable, virtually house bound OAP sitting at a keyboard what does it say about the business’ that are the Scottish SMSM?
The whole Scottish Media and their tame unionist propaganda spreading, so called journalists, and nary a one of them had the professionalism of a cub reporter.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/what-we-do/funding/
What a useless shower of congenital idiots masquerading as journalists this crowd of total numpties are.
What a laughing stock to show to the World.
O/T
Article on the legality of the bombing of Syria by the three stooge and on the BBC web site to boot.
Won’t make comfortable reading for them
http://archive.is/eUmYj
Dorothy Devine at 3.54
Here is the link to George Galloway’s lacerating piece. I hope it works
l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqRZpGxYWpgQ%26feature%3Dshare&h=ATOi6ORmNJ2QruzjEbFnTEs6rvFKCQ_lbq3g2c3I-6t4qLHRaCAsyH3LPlxQUN-eh8UzRPBJREhpaZ7j_1_oJbKTVd2YFGxKP0LmkNu5jkD6BeGAlPvTl_ojbq5T-6r7Ae59MQ
Theresa May could be given an entire royal palace to live in and run the government from. Unionists would laud this. “She is worth it,” “money well spent” “she is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom” etc. etc.
Sturgeon is not worth the dignity afforded to other heads of government to these unionists because to them, she is a glorified council leader. She isn’t like those big grown ups in England who run things from the “proper Parliament.”
The cringe is strong in them.
Dave McEwan Hill, blimey , is that no awfy long???
I have to say I quite enjoyed my rummage around youtube – turned up some quite interesting interviews, many of which I suspect will not last.
Trumpgate, Skirpal, MI6 and the Tory party unravelled a little bit more. But more to come.
https://caltonjock.com/2018/04/14/dirty-tricks-trumpgate-and-skripal-all-roads-lead-to-london-and-mi6/
Sorry folks but I’m going for a hat trick of O/T posts today. 😀
Apparently the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has made the claim that the nerve agent used in Salisbury has been identified by a Swiss lab as being one that is NOT of Russian origin but of UK/USA origin. …OOPS! 😛
https://www.rt.com/news/424149-skripal-poisoning-bz-lavrov/
@ Dorothy D.
OT but having a wee wander round youtube I found George Galloways radio programme on Boris J and the Skripals.
Me too. Remember this one with BoJo helping his Eton mate Guppy get a Times reporter beaten up by some heavies?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDJWkS2A9T0
These are the type of people we’re dealing with, folks. Thugs. Pure and simple.
You can pretty much spot the writer of a Herald piece (or Unionist Herald would possibly be a better title, Aye Ready), if it is criticising Sturgeon it will be someone called Gordon, for Salmond it will be a Leask, pretty predictable.
They cater for their audience, but as you can by the circulation this audience is dying off, can’t be long before time will extinguish this rag.
Of course the Uk government now want to prop up these titles by supplying ‘journalist’ for free. State financed TV & press in the UK, remember this when they say the same of other countries media.
Aye, bit whaw peiyt yoan Poll Tax.
Joab oan yoan side – ‘Salmon Is Everything : Community- (mibbae) Based Theatre In The Klamath
Watershed’ – Theresa May (Oregon
State University, 30.11.2018)
An average intensive care bed costs around £1750.00
Per day. From my reckoning, the NHS must have spent
More than £175,000 on basic treatment for the 2 Russians
That have been poisoned by UK or USA agents keen to start
A war with the Soviets.
How does that compare to our First Minister requiring temporary
Accommodation?
Can we compare it to the £1,000,000 plus Labour’s Flipper Darling
Has earned selling off Tax payer funded accommodation.
I forget the name of a female Labour MP who used her London accommodation
Allowance to buy a home by the seaside?
She took I’ll and couldn’t answer questions about trying to justify this?
We of course have David Cameron renting out his London home for
A fortune when living it up in No 10.
We have Tony Blair with a property portfolio believed to be in the
Tens of Millions.
We have to pay for Tory Duck houses and Cleggs Wooden spoons in his Tax payer fund accommodation.
The lowest of the low being covered up by the gutter press.
‘News of the World’ reporter (not Times).
http://www.thenational.scot/news/15805663.Lesley_Riddoch__Why_Neil_Oliver_is_not_the_biggest_problem_for_NTS/
The extraordinary thing is not that Neil Oliver is a Unionist – that’s par for the course amongst conservation bodies. No, the surprise is that Oliver actually represents something progressive and new for NTS – he isn’t a duke or an earl. He doesn’t own several castles or tens of thousands of acres of Scotland or sit in the House of Lords. Oliver is – whisper it – a commoner.”
Poor Neil.
A pleb, a rich pleb, among our toryboy masters. Its always the way though, imperial master wise, you always hire henchmen who know how to treat you know who.
Stu, as Maureen states , Graham Simpson lives in Stewartfield and cylcles on pavements and I can assure you his his pad is bigger than a two bedroom flat as a matter of fact it matches the size of his large vacuous heid.
I detest the Tories as a matter of fact all the other parties – fishwives.
I hope Nicola has someone sweep Bute House for bugs.
Rev.
Stevie Clarke has previously stated he would not leave Killie for another Scottish club.
Hands aff Stevie
Four RAF fighters bomb Syria ‘chemical weapon stockpile’
Could someone help me with this,what happens when this stockpile is bombed is the chemicals released and would it cause wide spread damage if that is the case then May must be responsible.If no chemicals then we have been lied to like WMD.
Just another set of lies. Just keep telling them and the plebs will start believing them. Just as another illegal war is kicking off. The Tories think they have the right to govern. The Scots in their opinion need to be shown their place. Keep singing the last verse of the UK national anthem.
No 10 coming under pressure, so BBC reporting that the legal advice giving the o.k. is to be published. That would be the Henry VIII powers, I suppose.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has condemned the airstrikes, so we can expect them to be the next set of baddies.
Just read on RT, so pinch of salt, that Russia has spoken to a Swiss Lab that the OPCW used for the Salisbury poison analysis. They say the Swiss Lab has made a very specific diagnosis of the poison, and it ties into US/UK. They say the Swiss Lab has put that in their report.
Some might say they would say that, but it’s an interesting snippet. Interesting to see if it pans out.
Fishwives indeed….we know what their ANGLE is and who they are trying to HOOK. We all know at least one old TROUT who will be be only too willing to fall HOOK LINE and SINKER for this, if it’s anti SNP she will always take the BITE she has HISTORY ( you all know who I mean) on this…..hint…eine verrückte frau.
Sure she ( TROUT) and the other usual yoon suspects will take the BAIT…we know how much they love to CARP, I’m sure they will CAST their biased aspersions via the yoonterNET to try and REEL in the rest of the Gobby Mob.
If only the Fishwives would TACKLE the real news instead of FISHING for faux outrage via their constant TROLLING.
However this deflecting tittle tattle is surely creating a ROD with which their collective hack backs will be beaten and will eventually SINK them….I for one will not be GUTTED.
Thankfully WOS always CATCHES them out and exposes the DEPTHS to which they are willing to DESCEND….the hack fishwives are regularly all at SEA on most ‘news’ and FLOUNDER and STAGNATE among the other pond life….. nice and SHALLOW, like their news….god forbid everything they printed could be ABOVE BOARD….better they HARBOUR their grievances…..if only….and try for once to present facts….if only…..and even though there are some, like us, who identify these ‘facts’ as somewhat FISHY and OVERBOARD….still they persist….
COD help us …..Scotland….what a PLAICE…..the fishwife hacks want us to think we are but MINNOWS ….while promoting darn sarf as the big FISH without whose assistance we would DROWN….the real truth is our choice is clear ….Scotland can either choose to SINK or SWIM …..regardless of the SHARKS in the press gangs.
Well that one didn’t miss!
Telt!
Agree wholeheartedly
HOWEVER, I do object to the inclusion of ISA from Still Game.
ISA is INNOCENT
I stand with the Craiglang 1. ?
Valerie 5.12. Read that about the Swiss lab report. And they would have no reason to lie. This Salisbury sh**e was just an excuse to attack Syria. Iran next anyone?
Robert Peffers says:
14 April, 2018 at 3:58 pm
“”I had already posted this on a previous thread:-
Bute House is owned by Scottish Heritage and the refurbishment was paid for by Scottish Heritage.””
………………
Bute House is a National Trust for Scotland property.
Valerie says:
14 April, 2018 at 5:12 pm
Just read on RT, so pinch of salt, that Russia has spoken to a Swiss Lab that the OPCW used for the Salisbury poison analysis. They say the Swiss Lab has made a very specific diagnosis of the poison, and it ties into US/UK. They say the Swiss Lab has put that in their report.
Some might say they would say that, but it’s an interesting snippet. Interesting to see if it pans out.
I have heard Valerie, all be it on RT, that the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is claiming that the OPCW had this BZ toxin information when the wrote their final report but omitted this information from the report.
This could lead to numerous suggestions being promoted as to why.
If this is true about the details about the toxin being BZ were omitted from the final OPCW report then, in my view, the most obvious reason, is that the British government somehow put “pressure” onto the OPCW to “omit” such information from their report. Some people might, rightly, ask why would they do that. Well when you learn that BZ toxin originates from USA and UK and not Russia then perhaps a picture begins to emerge here. 🙂
@Bobp
The story of BZ toxin has now been repeated on Russian Embassy Twitter.
It’s pretty clear they are going to run with this, to try and force publication of OPCW report, or Lab report. It’s a really stupid move, if it’s a lie, and they are not stupid, as this is easily debunked if it’s a lie.
Latest Craig Murray piece is excellent, drawing the picture via a timeline of the 3 bombing countries doing their multi billion $ deals with Saudi Crown Prince, and here we are.
Here’s the bit about the Swiss lab.
https://www.rt.com/news/424149-skripal-poisoning-bz-lavrov/
Fillofficer 12.11. You also forgot the price of those missiles that struck Syria .
Things may be a lot worse than we thought…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0niyl-vDBk
Tucker! Fox News! Wow!
Scott says:
14 April, 2018 at 5:00 pm
Four RAF fighters bomb Syria ‘chemical weapon stockpile’
Allied aircraft never went near Syrian airspace for fear of being shot down. They launched their missiles from the Med, crossing Lebanese airspace.
Some claims of 71 out of 130 missiles never reached their targets (many shot down).
According to the Pentagon, none of their missiles were shot down. Aye, right.
Luigi… now we can be certain for sure that our government has always lied to us and been perpetually full of bullshit.
If we had had 4 decades of neocon labour and Tory government the cost of renting would be a lot less.
Luig….Four RAF fighters bomb Syria ‘chemical weapon stockpile’
I took that headline from BBC my point being that when stokepile was bombed it must release chemicials so I await to see how many innocent folk will be affected and if none then there could not have been a chemical weapon stockpile.
Could Lizzie Queen not have let Nicola borrow an apartment inside Holyrood Palace for a few months . Commoner , not allowed.
Now is our chance hold ref,. 2now. Ask the Scottish people if they want to be dragged into a war by T .., May ???who trod over parliament and the British people whoonly gave her 22per cent backing the government is suppose to represent the people not dictate to them the SNP m.p.s should put up a motion of no confidence in the government I mean when does wait and see end and stupidity begin??? faslane ???
“It’s hard to say whether the opposition or the Herald are the bigger embarrassment to Scotland.”
Buy the fake “independence supporting” The National to keep its elder sister The Herald alive.
It’s murder when a record gets stuck……
Dear Rock, fuck off…..just fuck off.
Dave McEwan Hill , just gie it a dunt!
A penny on top of the arm head shell?
Buy the fake “independence supporting” The National to keep its elder sister The Herald alive.
will be on your tombstone Rock.
Here lies Rock
Don’t buy the fake independence supporting the National,
Rab Peffers ate my hamster and stop voting Nic Sturgeon too.
RIP.
rock- on early tonight. Tell you what.
Don’t buy the National and leave the grown ups to make up our own minds.
Now its 815pm away and get ready for your bed.
I had come across an article which suggests Russian military strategy is one of escalate to de-escalate. This doctrine involves that in a prolonged conventional military conflict, Russia may get to a point that they will use limited nuclear strikes in order to get the other side to come to the table for peace talks.
It is hard to know if this is correct or just western propaganda in order to increase military spending but considering myself and a over a million other Scots live in close proximity of a potential nuclear strike in that scenario, it is enough to think it is possible.
It would be advisable for relevant parties in Westminster to put pressure on May and Co about this.
Thinking more about Pete Wishart’s comments about indyref gets me more angry.
Offering people in your manifesto a Democratic right to choose means they get the right to choose – even if it’s not the option you want them to pick. Deciding to remove that right because it might not go your way doesn’t seem very democratic.
fuck off rock
Fuck Off Rock
FUCK OFF ROCK
Let’s all make extra sure we buy the National, just to piss off THE IDIOT ROCK
In desperation after loosing the proxy war in Syria, the fake democracies of the west have just launched their face-saving, deadly, secret M.O.A.B. weapon:
“Mother Of All Bullshit”. 🙂
@ScotsRenewables
I always buy two copies of The National. One for me, and one for Rock.
I write, love from Rock, along the top, and leave it in the nearest cafe.
Folks, this is prearranged, high drama. Trump and Putin have agreed this face-saver in advance. There is no way that the US would start a potential nuke exchange on the basis of an unsubstantiated chemical attack in Syria. It just wouldn’t happen. Trump needed a distraction (and also to get the warmongers off his back). Yep, Trump and Putin have been chatting over the phone. Trump would go straight to Putin on this matter. May and Macron didn’t even figure – they are just Trump’s useful idiots that will tag along with the US whatever happens.
It does look like most of the tomahawks were shot down by Syrian military (supplied and trained by Russia) – footage and evidence (missile shells) beginning to appear. Oh Dear, the yanks will be worried.
If this whole theatre was not planned with Putin’s blessing in advance, the mushrooms would be popping up all over Europe and North America by now. Fact.
o/t can Dons fans be the most let down in the country.We have lost EVERY big game in the last three years.Can that disappointment gear us up to be the best fighters for independence?
It still dosn`t feel any better!
Stewart MacDonald did well in his interview on Channel 4 news tonight.
Did not let Matt Frei’s interruptions or loaded questions put him off from what he wanted to say.
https://www.channel4.com/news/snps-stewart-mcdonald-we-dont-quite-know-yet-what-the-full-consequences-will-be
Benhope@8.36
Try being a Caley Thistle fan, Aberdeen got half the Caley team for Sweet FA.
I believe the 2016 manifesto that called for indyref if Scotland is being dragged out the EU was written to appease independists.
Following the win by the UK Govt in indyref, the SNP never expected Leave to win.
So, it seemed a safe bet; they could pretend they offered another indyref, but would avoid the need to call another indyref.
To their shock, the unlikely situation they stipulated had to be met, was met.
In my opinion, the SNP had no plans, no expectations to hold another indyref for the forseeable future.
They still won’t unless it becomes clear independists will stop voting SNP and their cushy jobs are threatened.
If SNP politicians think they are more at risk of losing their jobs by lost votes from indy supporters compared to lost votes from devolutionists, then they will become pro-indy again.
However, if indy supporters continue to give the SNP total support, just because they are the SNP, even when the SNP don’t come out fighting for indy, then it’s the Scottish Labour situation all over again:
Stick a black and yellow rosette on a dug and the SNP supporters will vote for it.
@Sarah says:
14 April, 2018 at 11:52 am
A recent article elsewhere pointed out that democratic arrangements evolve – yet in Britain since 1918 virtually the only significant Westminster change has been to drop the voting age to 18 years.
========================
Change has been going on in recent decades but in the opposite direction. HoL has increased in size with more party appointees than ever. Regulations have changed breaking the separation that was in place between government, civil service and big business, leading to vastly more corruption than before and the near destruction of all non-far-right wing bias in the media has made it near impossible for a decent government to get in whether they call themselves Tory or Labour. As we’ve seen recently governments barge ahead to act without parliament even to commit acts of war.
Here is the UK statement of legal basis for airstrikes. Nicola has tweeted she thinks the grounds are thin,,given this statement claims ‘humanitarian grounds’ and the Syrians have suffered for years. ie, is it humanitarian to therefore drop bombs..
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syria-action-uk-government-legal-position/syria-action-uk-government-legal-position
I can say I have proof the Stone of Destiny is a cess pit lid from Scone but saying I have proof isn’t proof.
I can say I have proof that Saddam Hussain had WMD’s but saying I have proof isn’t proof.
I can say I have proof the Moon Landings were genuine because I was there sucking air out an aqualung, but saying I have proof isn’t proof.
If gobshitty Westminster wants me to believe they have proof of anything, don’t tell me, show me. In fact, don’t just show me, let me touch it, pick it up and take it away for DNA fingerprinting and spectral analysis, and then wait in the Study while I ask Craig Murray if he knows the back story you’re not telling me.
(Note to self: if it looks like Novichok, smells like Novichok, tastes like Novichok, maybe best not pick it up. There’s a minor risk of inadvertently starting a war with Russia. Let me say, that’s not a good idea since I have proof smuggled out of Syria that our Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles do not contain any G. I. Joes.)
“I always buy two copies of The National. One for me, and one for Rock.
I write, love from Rock, along the top, and leave it in the nearest cafe.”
Thanks, Valerie, for giving me my only laugh on a dire day. I woke up to news of the airstrikes and wondered how long we all had left in Scotland.
Sorry, for Scotland, read Trident Park/Airstrip One.
Great living in The Last Colony, Yoons, intit?
@ stu mac: that’s really cheered me up, thanks!!
The quality of MPs, except SNP, does seem to have declined. They wind themselves up into hysteria whenever there is a suggestion of military intervention anywhere, in the teeth of all the evidence showing the disastrous effects for ourselves of interfering[e.g. millions of refugees pouring into Europe], let alone for the unfortunate civilians in the bombed countries.
Last time, Hilary Benn was hailed as a “statesman” for his speech in favour of extending RAF activity in Syria. Well, if the comparison is with the sabre-rattling, gunboat-sending governments in the 19th century, then I suppose so – but to any rational being it is absurd hyperbole.
A minority government kept in power by a party linked to murderers extends military activity without this time even asking for the support of the “statesman” Hilary Benn and pals. What next? Close Holyrood and govern directly, as in Northern Ireland? I wouldn’t put it past them – they have the gall and the tame media and Labour “Opposition” for it.
Unless the facts about the lack of democracy and decency get out to the wider public, the Westminster government and establishment can and will do whatever they like. It is frightening. What happened to the Rev is just the start.
Fortunately there are 300,000 Wings readers who DO know what the truth is and CAN spread the word. So wear your badges, stick an Ayemail or Colin Dunn poster in your car, fly a saltire, buy the National and leave it in a café.
Oh yes, and keep asking the Scottish Government to evolve our democracy by having more referendums on important issues e.g. OBFA. Get people used to the idea of being asked and hence being responsible for what happens.
@TC –
A dire day?
Nae highlights at all?
😉
When you see the name Colin Alexander
You could stick a Union Jack on it and move
On to read something sensible.
PS I’ll not be reading any response from that source!
Enough!
Does anybody know where their nearest Nuclear Fallout Shelter is.???
We need to know these things.
Indy2 10.25pm
“Does anybody know where their nearest Nuclear Fallout Shelter is.???”
Indy2,,,I don’t think there are any Nuclear Fallout Shelters for Joe Public.
It will need to be a dive under the bed if the Ruskies do attack us.
Sadly I do know what Graham Simpson looks like (he’s our local didn’t get elected but got in anyway Tory) and he’s not one of the fannybags in your picture. He must be in another fannybags picture.
Indy2 says:
14 April, 2018 at 10:25 pm
Does anybody know where their nearest Nuclear Fallout Shelter is.???
Here indy2. Be there or be incinerated. Unionism in Scotland is such a dear and lovely thingee isn’t it indy2.
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/where-we-are/naval-base/clyde
Heedy
??????????????????????????????????????????????
Drugged up again I see Heedy
wanker.
Heedy, if you have nothing constructive to add to the debate then keep your fuckin mooth shut !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I know where I would like one of those Russian Nukes to land.!!!
Actually indy2, this must be even more secure against say a thermo nuclear airburst overhead, says their “where we are” thing on their website,
“The Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport, 8 miles from Faslane, is responsible for the storage, processing, maintenance and issue of key elements of the UK’s Trident Deterrent Missile System and the ammunitioning of all submarine embarked.”
So if an average sized thermonuclear air burst of the Russian Trident nuke missile equivalent, wiki says air strikes on targets like this are planned at two or four missiles, at between 50 to 150 megatons, there’s not going to be anywhere left of Clyde valley, to say the least, indy2, once everyone on the depot does come back to the surface.
No wonder our neighbour doesn’t want to store Trident near them, in peace time or whatever it is our toryboy masters and their gimp media are playing at now, indy2.
Indy2 says:
14 April, 2018 at 10:41 pm
Heedy
But I am helping you CJ, or trying to.
Hiroshima, then Nagasaki were completely destroyed within minutes by nuke bombs that are the equivalent of fireworks by today’s standards of nuclear bombs.
Trident and the Russian versions, are all in the 50 megaton range indy2 but the bombs dropped on Japan were barely a couple of percent of that destructive power.
Its very worrying don’t you think indy2, that our warmonger toryboy masters in London have this kind of destructive at the push of a button.
At least I am worried, indy2/CJ.
It will need to be a dive under the bed if the Ruskies do attack us.
Post nuke war winter means its all over for planet Earth, Northern Rock.
Europe nearly starved after WW2. The Strong and Stable, Orange Hitler, Vlad the Poisoner nuclear winter, would be the end of days.
We’ll all either be incinerated or starve, BetterTogether.
Heedy you are soooooo fuckin childish.
You really are a first class wanker.
Your mental age must be about six.
You come across as some wanker who was slapped about the playground for fun every day of the week.
You then come on to this website and remain a faceless coward posting endless fuckin shite.
What is your contribution to help Scotland win her Independence???
Absolutely fuck all, that is what.
I am fallin for your childish trap by arguing with you all the way down to the bottom of the page.
Well not me, turn your bitterness onto some other victim.
PLEASE STOP HARASSING ME HEEDY !!!
Let the rest of us get on with debating winning Scottish Independence.
For all you insomniacs out there here is a little info on a Russian nuke which can travel at 15,480 mph and wipe out an area the size of France or Texas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-28_Sarmat
If they were to let that off over London it would be an instant end to a lot of the worlds problems.
Let the rest of us get on with debating winning Scottish Independence
Awe indy2 I was just helping you, because you wanted to know where nuke war shelters are.
Would you like some more indy2?
They’re where you’d expect really, in Scotland, their Trident nuke base on the Clyde and Aberdlady for some reason. Is that not quite near where Hollywood legend and vote NO star Ewan Mcgregor lives, indy2?
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/607671/World-War-3-nuclear-North-Korea-USA-Russia-bunkers-shelters-Britain-WW3
There’s probably a fair few Royal fallout shelters indy2.
From Buckingham Palace to Balmoral Palace. It makes sense really that the royals should live on, to replenish and repopulate post Strong and Stable nuke apocalypse humanity. They are gods among us, don’t you think indy2:D
The Yanks certainly do. Oh indy2, whatever will become of us in teamGB?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuaK4wPMIP8
Heedy
You are making a complete arse of yourself.
I can’t find any other words to describe your actions.
You need help,,,,,,fast !!!
Sunday Herald front page:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaxiGjvWAAAebKE.jpg
Make of it what you will.
Evenin’ mogabee at 12:19pm, talkin’ about low flying jets.. I was in Crail and we heard the loud air raid sirens today just after 12pm, lasted about two mintues… WTAO?!
Hightlight of the mini adventure was coming back from Pittenweem then into Anstruther and seeing a Wings Over Scotland flag flying high from one of the village houses hehe, cheers to ye Winger!
That was me that beeped ma horn three times btw 🙂
WAR is a bad thing.
@Valerie and all re “BZ”
From Labor Spiez website, one of 5 accredited OPCW analysis labs, their twitter account:
“Only OPCW can comment this assertion. But we can repeat what we stated 10 days ago: We have no doubt that Porton Down has identified Novichock. PD – like Spiez – is a designated lab of the OPCW. The standards in verification are so rigid that one can trust the findings.”
https://twitter.com/SpiezLab/status/985243574123057152
The RT item is a lie.
Indy2 says:
14 April, 2018 at 11:44 pm
Heedy
You’ll learn to love me CJ, indy2 I mean:D
The assassination attempt on the Skripals is ultimately a police matter and although it is undoubtedly generating a lot of speculation I am beginning to weary of the distraction. I am glad the attempt failed and I hope the perpetrators are brought to justice whoever they might be. However, we need to get back to the pressing political problems of the day, namely Brexit and Indyref2.
Also, May, Trump and Macron have a lot of issues to deal with. A day off to berate Assad may be a welcome change but it will be business as usual in the coming weeks.
yesindyref2 @ 00:02,
Big surprise there. =laugh=
But there’s a lot of gullibility goin’ around these days, and it’s all just aching to be fed. =sigh=
Ironic that it’s the BritNat meeja who are the rank amateurs at feeding it these days. Though a captive audience, as the Beeb has, does undoubtedly help.
yesindyref2 says: 15 April, 2018 at 12:02 am
@Valerie and all re “BZ” – From Labor Spiez website, one of 5 accredited OPCW analysis labs, their twitter account:
“Only OPCW can comment this assertion. But we can repeat what we stated 10 days ago: We have no doubt that Porton Down has identified Novichock. PD – like Spiez – is a designated lab of the OPCW. The standards in verification are so rigid that one can trust the findings.”
https://twitter.com/SpiezLab/status/985243574123057152
The RT item is a lie.
yesindyref2 – Hang on a minute
But the report provided to the UK government by O.P.C.W. stated:
“blood samples from Sergie Skripal and Yulia Skripal were analysed and the findings indicated exposure to a nerve agent or related compound. The samples tested positive for the presence of a novochuck class nerve agent or closely related agent.
Labor Spiez Laboratory, in their report to the O.P.C.W. expanded on the “closely related agent” comment adding the findings revealed by the Russian foreign office.
O.P.C.W. did not include the other information in their report to the UK and world press.
O/T That was the most boring football match or was it ping pong. Watched it live here with the most dullard and irritating commentator imaginable. Be-in sports the guy sucks.
Still it’s the result that matters in this instance.
Three nil, theee nil, three nil. I’ll be singing that all day long.
It’s a long way to come for the cup final but I might just make it wingers.
3 – 0, 3 – 0, 3 – 0. Ah!
@RJS
Indeed. Of course, it doesn’t actually say there is no BZ in the sample 🙂
I was thinking about this whole thing, and the thing about conspiracy theories is that this is probably an essential part of democracy – don’t blindly trust your own government. It’s a reason by the by that the Yanks have the right to carry arms – they don’t trust “Gubmint”. It’s also something I presume the intelligence services and separately the military also do – consider all options.
It also makes Paul Hutcheon’s article in the Sunday Herald last week even more of a craven disgrace – it’s supposedly the media’s job to “hold government to account”, and while they might disparage some of the more extreme conspiracy theories, they should actually welcome them, and even report them with some commentary and analysis. Yet again media fails its intended audience, apart from websites like this – the very ones they’d like to close down.
On that cheery note I’m going to go back to my initial not too serious initial thought about all this, which is that it’s a plot by defence manufacturers to encouage more defence spending. And with perhaps 120 missiles fired into Syria but maybe 70 shot down by the old Syrian air defence (the new Russian one didn’t take part), it shows you need a lot to fire to make sure of getting through air defences.
But of course, fire a lot, you need a lot, specialy if you want to be able to repeat the next night, and the next night and … and already there are calls to increase the stockpiles of missiles the UK has, and even increase defence spend to 3% of GDP. Lovely jubbly.
If you’re a defence manufacturer, that is …
cactus U should hiv went doon the harbour at Anstruther & seen the wee Lobster boat Wings Over Scotland
Come on Hawkins! You can do it.
Also, May, Trump and Macron have a lot of issues to deal with. A day off to berate Assad may be a welcome change but it will be business as usual in the coming weeks.”
Indeed, but as basic as possible, how do we get rid of them?
If we have one mission, it has to be how to get rid of the fascists.
Also, keep asking, why are these lying bastards lying to me now?
It doesn’t matter if its BBC Scotland led media shysters or anyone else with bombastic beeb gimp intros, how do we get rid of the scumbag fascist, Brexit wise, bombing the middle east, looting our oil, euthanise the poor and the sick, raping our planet, all of it, how to get rid of fascists…
Get out of the fucking gutter, stay straright
He’s ficking gone, hope he’s all right, got going again, jeez
NO fucking medical help, what a fucking disgrace. Poor bastard.
Horrified to watch the lack of medical support for Scotland’s great marathon runner Callum Hawkin.
He was running the most courageous Marathon Race I have ever witnessed. He broke the field one my one and left his closest rival a mile behind at the 25 mile point when he totally collapsed with heat exhaustion.
There were some spectators right next to him who must have water with them in 80 Degree plus heat, but no one bothered to do anything other than stare at him?
This event is being watched by Billions across the world, there is a camera crew filling his lying there, possibly dying, there is a motor bike official parked just watching him?
Hawkin has been lying there for many minutes when finally what appeared to me medicals walked over to him slowly, and then decided not to touch him, not to offer water or a cold towel, Nothing?
Its left me wondering did they want to ensure he couldn’t recover to beat the Australian runner?
An absolute disgrace for the organisers and everyone who stood or parked nearby and risked the life of a magnificent athlete.
So proud of Callum who ill be back to greatness very soon.
We are all routing for you Callum!
If the Skripal and Syria ‘chemical’ scenarios as per Anglo-American interpretation were true then the Russians have to have believed that America and the UK are the dumbest fucks on the planet.
If the Skripal and Syria ‘chemical’ scenarios are not true then America and the UK ARE the dumbest fucks on the planet.
Or to put it more seriously:
Either the Russians did do it with the only conceivable motive then being that they could provoke the West into starting a WWIII where the Russians, for whatever reason, believe they can win.
Or
The Anglo-Americans did it with the only conceivable motive then being that they could provoke Russia into starting a WW III where the West, for whatever reason, believes it can win.
Or
I suppose it could just be a suicide pact between the UK and America because they would rather face oblivion than live with the realisation that their weird ‘we are the best’ style exceptionalism is and always has been a fantasy.
The EBC Coverage of the commonwealth games has been complete crap.
To keep it short, let’s focus on this marathon.
The Women’s race went off first. Then the men went off to see both races being run simultaneously with the women an hour or so ahead.
The women’s medal positions were established many miles from the finish, so little excitement in watching leadership changes or gaps closing. The BBC didn’t seem to want too much coverage of any Scotland as excelling in as they dedicated most time to the women.
They would flip back and forth OK but when Callum put on a burst to leave some of the pack behind, you didn’t get to see it. Our Athlete’s gargantuan effort was left to cut over to the woman’s race to find out an unknown athlete from an unknown country has come in 13th?????. Lets cut over again, some one is now over the women’s line in 15th?????
Men’s race over, there is no news about Callum’s condition?
Lets cut to see some English people who won a medal earlier in the day for a long interview. Announce that if they got any news about Callum they would tells us.
What time do the BBC’s millionaire commentators get their papers?
Bloody disgrace! Sooner Propaganda Quay is closed the better.
Hawkins fine, sitting up, he was offered and refused help which was whay you’d expect as he’d be disqualified, but “there was a delay in medical help getting there because of the nature of the bridge”.
What the fuck? They didn’t plan to get help in the last 4 or 5 km of a hot sunny marathon, just in case? What dicks, pardon my language.
@Effijy
Looking at the timing of my posts, he was showing signs before I made the first one, hence my comment. He was wandering a bit even then, going too close to the edge. You’d think someone watching that, a race organiser, would have got the medics cloer just in case. And if the bridge was a choke point, have them ready on the other side for a short drive back down the course – or up ot the other way.
Even the commentator sounded anxious before my first post, 15 full minutes before he collapsed the second time.
I wonder how many of the 0.58% actually buy it for the ‘news’ content? I ask because the only person I know who buys it on a regular basis only buys it once a week for the Wee Stinker crossword.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_marathon_fatalities
No excuse for ignorance of the risks.
Getting to like this OffGuardian website … a lot of their articles are spot on and put the mainstream media to shame.
https://off-guardian.org/2018/04/14/the-skripal-event-and-the-douma-gas-attack-two-acts-in-the-same-drama/
There is a very, very dodgy narrative beginning to emerge about Britain’s roll in these recent events, and if it’s true, then a Brexited Britain will leave Europe shunned without any conciliatory Trade Deal, a high degree of sanctions from Russia and Russian allies, (think gas), a credible possibility the Troubles in Northern Ireland have been agitated, a credible possibility Sectarianism in Scotland has been agitated, and the, (don’t laugh) integrity of the UK Establishment will have earned the UK a reputation in the modern world somewhere between a pariah and a laughing stock. Britain’s conduct might just out-shabby the Israelis for once. It won’t merely bring down the government, it will jail it.
Read the OffGuardian article yourself please, but the gist is the Russians might actually be telling the truth and the British secret service have been, or rather may just about to be, caught red handed promoting a sequence of false flag outrages from the Skripals to the bombs in Damascus, but they have been too kack-handed and incompetent to get away with it, and to a large extent, and caught out through being out of sync with changing events on the ground. Vladimir Putin might be just about ready to give British a masterclass in the art of payback’s a bitch. When Vladimir is saying he has evidence this is a British plot to smear Russia, it might be prudent to believe him.
I hope our Scottish is Government is watching close. If this developing shitstorm goes off the way it looks like it might, then there aren’t any barge poles long enough to distance ourselves from Westminster and its rancid underbelly. And if the SNP cannot assemble credible momentum for Constitutional reclamation of Sovereignty and Independence for Scotland from this unfolding British catastrofuck, then just give up, clear your desks, and be ready to step aside. Now is not the time for compassionate pragmatism Nicola. We’re way beyond taking the gloves off. We’re about to be putting the gloves back on again, big rubber gloves you find in laboratories where they handle dangerous chemicals, because you wouldn’t want the shit that’s oozing out of Westminster touching bare flesh.
@Crackerjack
I’m way ahead of you. I haven’t watched ANY TV since 2009.
My comment was mainly about the newspapers. If we can hurt or even kill stone of them, the TV stations will hopefully take note.
Applications for Advertising Sales Executive Intern jobs at the Findo Gask Thunderer have been oversubscribed.
So that bolt hole’s not an option for the Fourth Estate Fifth Column.
What next for the Herald Britland’s Dead Tree Scrollers?
How is it kept afloat?
Who is subsidising this sinister little rag?
Great expose,Stu.
And you don’t even have the £600,000 a year ‘Communications’ Team Mundell has.
I guess Magnus Gardham is still editing this dying blah.
bbc radio scotchland
Katy Grant well known tory and invited guest – finishes off her paper review believes we are looking forward to the forthcoming royal wedding. Really?
Breeks,
Yep. The Scottish government really has to distance itself from the British government shenanigans now obvious to the entire world.
No doubt about it – May and her government are now hopelessly exposed. A real opportunity to take the legs away from them. Labour should be going for the jugular but Corbyn and co seem to be terrified of the press. How’s that play-safe approach doing in the opinion polls, Jeremy?
It’s a bit much to expect the SNP to do all the work, but with Labour dithering, something has to be done.
So come on Nicola, call them out – and don’t worry about the knee-jerk press attacks. Heck they are going to attack you anyway. The Iraq debacle showed that most scots will not support a Syrian adventure and whatever the cowardly presstitutes (who never have to risk themselves) have to say, real people will form their own opinion.
Time to take the gloves off and take them on. The time is now. 🙂 The MSM are not, and never have been, the people.
If May and co are stupid enough to keep this going, an anti-war stance could be a perfect platform for launching the next Indy campaign. Remember the sudden rise in SNP support in 2007 came off the back of public disproval of the Iraq war.
Just sayin. 🙂
Syria-
Apparently in conflict it is a big no no to target the head of the chicken in conflict. This would be a war crime. You can kill others of course the junior combatents, civilians (with an apology given to collateral damage) but not the leaders who are controlling and dictating the terms. Personally I would aim for the chickens neck (command and control) and leave the chicken legs and tail to others.
Is it true Assads English wife and family is living in England out of harms way? If so why? Should her RUK passport be cancelled?
How many undesirables live in the UK couretesy of the UK government, Russian oligarths, Saudi princes etcetera. Do we have a list?
The Queen could stop Theresa from pressing Nuclear Button !
The Queen is Commander and Chief and it is Her Majesty`s Government,
Parliament could also have a vote of No Confidence with immediate effect.
Sadly there is no such failsafe in America,
Trump is `last man standing`.
probably,literally and figuratively.
I wonder…
Thinking about that OffGuardian Article some more, I’m going to make one of those shoogily predictions that in the next few weeks a “rogue” secret service field agent from MI6 will be discovered having committed suicide in a rented flat in some other country, maybe Paris, maybe Tel Aviv, and the foreign police will seize enigmatic but damning evidence in papers, emails, or a laptop journal about torment, guilts, and mental instabilities which made him do what he did and “play” both UK and Russian intelligence. It will read like a tragedy, it might implicate others for authenticity, though my guess is it won’t for good housekeeping, but to a significant extent it will also exonerate the UK Establishment from culpability.
The bluff and double bluff goes on, because if the Russian Secret Service actually did want a bona fide British Spy or embarrassing Russian turncoat to be bumped off and the trail to lead in an opposite direction, they might never have such a clear cut opportunity to do it… Game, set and match to Russia. Watch your back Meester Bond.
The Conservative Home website took a survey of Tory Party members and found that 72% favoured government action against Syria without parliamentary approval.
We know that Strong and Stable really means do away with all checks and balances. No to indyref2 means never another indyref.
It’s no longer whether independence for Scotland would be economically better than union. It’s primarily down to straightforward preservation of freedom and democracy as the main reason for a sovereign Scotland.
Luigi
labour got 42% of vote in 2010 the snp got 20%
the swing happened after libdems went into coalition with the tories and lab were perceived as a wasted vote
2011 HE
snp 45%
lab 31%
The timing of Bute House refurbishment may be tactical depending on what decided and why the entirety is out of comission.
Certainly it can be used to deflect criticism of Westminster and Buck house refurbishment costs.
More importantly it refuses the gravitas of announcing indyref2, or anything else the FM might choose, from it.
For the paranoid among us a bug sweep assumes the entire building hasn’t simply been wired. Old school would use mechanical methods such as the speaking tubes used in old ships. Soundproof ducts leading enough sound to be picked up. A more modern approach would be something on the inner panes of glass to make it easier to use laser reflection.
I thought Iraq was appalling and could not believe it.
I thought the vote to bomb Syria under David Cameron’s premiership was disgusting, and thought how can it get worse.
Now there’s not even a pretence of a vote, not even a pretence at responsible American or UK Government, not even the pretence of Weapons Enquiry/UN approval.
It just keeps getting worser and worser. Those poor people.
Bairns Not Bombs YES NOW x
Thinking along the same lines.
Hamish 100 UN protected are they not, it’s the only UN rule that they abide by Protect the leadership at the expense of millions of innocent lives.
A more modern approach would be something on the inner panes of glass to make it easier to use laser reflection.
They just put some music on. Oldest anti bug trick in the book. Unless they can see you or with Orange Hitler’s peepep tapes, video you.
Is it just me or are the MSM treating the SNP as the third party over the bombing?
Strange…
They are either looking for some sane voices to let the public believe that not all politicians are indeed mad!
Or they are looking to spread around the blame….
The BBC were almost respectful to the First Minister,she got to finish a sentence more than once,and they even called her the First Minister of Scotland??
Curiouser and Curiouser??
Holyrood’s open to the public today, if you want to get a feel for 21 year old Scottish democracy and before our BBC Scotland media masters close it all down.
https://www.visitparliament.scot/check-availability-architecture-tour/
A bit of cheer in these days of Tory madness.
BiFab set for permanent rescue deal:
MINISTERS are set to unveil a rescue package to permanently secure the future of the troubled BiFab engineering firm.
BiFab has remained under threat despite the firm being temporarily bailed out by a £15 million Scottish Government loan last November.
However, the Sunday Herald understands that a new deal will be announced in the coming days.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16160242.BiFab_set_for_permanent_rescue_deal/
Liz g says:
15 April, 2018 at 10:36 am
Is it just me or are the MSM treating the SNP as the third party over the bombing?
Stinky olde tory The Graun certainly is. That crew of Britnat tories have simply blotted out Scotland completely since 2014, from the great and small affairs of teamGB.
Well, they’re still fixated on Billy bloody Connolly. Why are we supposed to give a hoot what a comedian thinks anyway. Their whole existence is being clowns, to amuse.
https://archive.is/gePm5
Henry McLeish on IndyRef2. Is he coming off the fence???
Former Labour first minister Henry McLeish backs indyref 2 within next five years after “fraudulent” 2014 case:
FORMER First Minister Henry McLeish has said that voters in Scotland deserve a second independence referendum and he expects it could be “well within” the next five years.
The former Scottish Labour leader said a “fraudulent” prospectus was placed before Scots in 2014 and many voted No on the basis that remaining in the UK also meant being in the EU.
European Union membership was a recurring feature in the independence debate in the months and years leading up to the vote, but less than two years after the referendum the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU. Voters in Scotland voted to remain by 62 per cent, sparking a constitutional crisis.
“In 2014, people who voted to remain part of the UK did so a bit like a supermarket offer of buy one and get the other one free,” McLeish told the Sunday Herald. “They were told by being part of Britain, they would be in the EU.
“But the 2014 choice is no longer available and Scots have the right to another referendum because of that.
“With Brexit we can see that the material basis of the referendum was fraudulent.”
McLeish added that he would back a federal UK as an alternative to independence, but said he feared it “may be too late” for that option.
“There is a powerful case that next time there should be a wider choice for Scots.
“That choice must include the wider auspices of federalism.
“Independence has been the only show in town in the last decade, but the next referendum must not be some single choice.
“But I fear it may be too late for federalism.”
Scottish Labour has raised the prospect of federalism as an alternative to independence in previous years but details have remained sketchy and the plan has never garnered significant public support.
McLeish also said that post-Brexit Britain could morph into a “51st state” of a Donald Trump-led America, which could lead to a surge in support for independence.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon placed plans for a second referendum on hold after the SNP lost 21 seats in last year’s general election. It’s thought the first minister will provide an update on any referendum plans this autumn.
McLeish said that after Brexit in March 2019, the issue of independence would be “reignited”, and warned that Scotland would face economic difficulties after the UK leaves the EU.
He said: “The Conservatives see Brexit as being about a trade renaissance.
“But this is a total fiction and we are faced with hawking our wares around the world and being reliant on the unreasonable Donald Trump.
“Scotland would not want to be looked upon as part of a Britain which is a 51st state of America, with Trump’s disastrous ‘America first’ policy.”
According to the former first minister, five years would be a reasonable timescale to hold a second independence referendum, but it should take into account the timing of the next Holyrood election in 2021, as well as the next UK general election, which could be as late as 2022.
“If Brexit goes ahead there will be enormous consequences for Scotland,” he said. “A head of steam is building up.
“Scots deserve to have a referendum and it could be well within five years.”
Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Liberal Democrats voted against the SNP’s plan to seek a second referendum in Holyrood last year, but the vote was carried through with the support of the Scottish Greens.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said Westminster would not grant an imminent referendum in Scotland, leading the two parliaments into a potential showdown if Sturgeon moves forward with a vote.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16160154.Brexit_gives_Scots_right_to_new_vote_on_independence__McLeish_claims/?ref=mr&lp=1
For those on twitter, have a look at jad@jadinho123 for a very interesting thread showing how easy it is to fake news about Syria. You’ll need to scroll down a bit past the football but the tweet in question currently has 42,333 retweets and they can’t come for us all!
And for those who don’t have twitter? I do lurk there but….
@ Indy2 re Henry McLeish,
No he’s not coming off the fence, he’s doing his usual of making nice noises and flying the flag for either kicking the can down the road till it’s too late, or that auld canard ‘federalism’. Same auld, same auld, rinse and repeat.
Henry McLeish can do one,
at least you know where you stand with the yoon of Scotland,
he is an agent provocateur a Judas Goat,
someone that pretends to be for Independence but really trying to steer the Independence narrative into cul de sac`s and dead ends,
that type are worse than plain old batsh@t yoons,
basically the scum of the earth.
Strange that when its a contenticious issue such as illegal missile strikes on Syria, the bbc get our first minister on live to interview her. Are they trying to set her up to appear to be unpatriotic or find something to say SNP bad? If so they failed miserably. Nicola ran rings round them, head and shoulders above any other Politician in the UK.
I did have doubts about her Indy2 ref strategy, however after watching that interview you are reminded how sharp she is. Be in no doubt there is no one better to lead our movement, she will make the right decision when the time is right.
Indy2 @ 10.47
Well if they are pushing the auld federalism chestnut,the question they should be asked is.
Would this arrangement include the right to leave the federation?
Or as I suspect what they are actually aiming for is to explicitly rule out the right to leave.
There’s been rumblings of new arrangements for the Union since 2014,they are trying to work out how to lock Scotland in,keep control of the resources,and keep the Warmongering as Westminster’s toy….
Pretty much everything they have now except we are not quite locked in the Union.
Anyhoo,I think that they are indeed too late,if they are not running the economy in Scotland’s interests..
Why should we trust them with Defence and Foreign Affairs,I don’t think they could sell that to Scotland now!
‘Former Labour First Minister
Henry Mcleish’
Was he FM of Labour? Surely it’s ..
Former Scottish First Minister, Labour’s Henry Mcleish.
Article has no ‘news’.
Henry Mcleish appeals to a certain generation in the same way as does the Duke of Edinburgh, close to power without actually ever having any.
Off topic.
For those of you wanting a smile, today. 😀
Give a thought to the “Welsh” Fib Dumbs who are having their Spring Conference at the moment.
They have made a “vow” (aye, right) to tackle loneliness.
Well, at least they know all about loneliness:
Lib Dem MPs in Wales: 0 (out of 40)
Lib Dem MEPs in Wales: 0 (out of 4)
Lib Dem controlled Councils in Wales: 0 (out of 22)
Lib Dem AMs in National Assembly: 1 (out of 60)
Chemical weapons in Syria?
Remind me about agent Orange in Vietnam,still causing birth defects.
Remind me of thousands of depleted (tank busting) Uranium shells fired in Iraq And Libya still causing Cancer among locals.
Hypocrisy actually does know zero bounds.
Federalism ? Stick t where the sun don’t shine.
The Sky News website refers to Callum Hawkins in a headline as a “UK runner”.
@louis.b.argyll and Daisy Walker
Pretty much in both cases. How and ever, there’s a change in his use of language.
‘Fraudulent prospectus’ is a pretty strong statement from Mr McLeish. ‘Course he seems to have forgotten that it Labour who denied Scotland’s electorate the opportunity to vote for federalism. It was also Labour representatives who denied any significant transfer of powers during the Smith Commission negotiations and where were Labour during the vote on FFR in June of 2015? Perhaps he could remind us how that vote in commons went?
Yes, Mr McLeish’s floaty federal proposal is complete unworkable nonsense given Labour’s actions on the issue to date. The PLP won’t and can’t change for obvious reasons. How and ever, his support for a second referendum and the basis for his support as a matter of public record may be genuinely helpful. We could do with a few more public figures past and present breaking ranks from their respective PPs to reinforce Mr McLeish’s call and reasoning for Scotref2 about now. 🙂
Bob Mack says:
“Remind me of thousands of depleted (tank busting) Uranium shells fired in Iraq And Libya still causing Cancer among locals.”
I can remind you about this closer to home, Bob;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-24835544
Liz g,,,
And Treeza hammered a few more nails into the coffin of her “Precious Union” with the illegal bombing of Syria the other day.
We spend our last pennies on buying Cruise Missiles, meanwhile back in Norway, their bank balance continues to grow and they become one of the wealthiest Nations on earth.
Do we want to continue to be chained to Brexit England or become a wealthy Independent State???
Choices Choices !!!
What would we do without Wings?
Absolutely brilliant.
Henry McLeish is never going to side with independence. He’d have done that before now if his shtick was real. His job is to be a spoiler for the union.
Malcolm Chisholm on the other hand might yet come over to Yes.
louis b argyle @ 11.36
He’s also one of the useful idiots that are used to test the water, which is why despite being very much yesterday’s man,his words are reported.
What we need to keep pointing out is that,just like Brexit a vote for Fedralisim won’t be a vote on what the Terms and Conditions actually ARE.
But a vote for Westminster to write down the rules and claim that’s what we voted for, and we all know the difference between what is promised before the vote is always very different to what Westminster actually arrange!
Independence on the other hand means becoming a normal Country, with our Parliament very much within Slapping distance .
Holyrood MSPs must respond to Scottish needs and wants or they are out, why would we settle for anything lesser?
Hopefully though the fact that Westminster won’t hand over the right powers to stay in the single market means that an undefined Devi Max/Federalism can’t credibly be on the ballot paper.
Clever wee wummin or First Minister….
The Archbishop of Dork is correct.
McLeish’s job is to make it appear acceptable to vote no, saving the feeble minded from the sense of shame & betrayal that is their just reward. A bullshitter.
Looking back at old footage of the First World War and we are told how Britannia ruled the waves, what you are not told is how they media totally ignored the social price people were paying to run this “Great Empire”.
Glasgow had the largest Slums in Europe. Large families sharing ONE room was not uncommon.
People were starving and dying young due to lack of medical help.
So the next time some Empire lovin lunatic goes on about how we ruled the world, spare a thought for those who suffered.
Mmmm…Also?
Given the state of affairs in UK politics currently. Any establishment party politicians who voted YES last time out, but kept it to themselves for party reasons?
May be that ‘now is the time’ to come out and show that you really can put people before party. What we’re seeing now is beyond party politics. It’s beyond rosettes and who gets to sit on what chair. It’s about peoples’ rights and how we practice politics within our democracy.
You want the public’s trust? There’s really only one way to earn it.
Wikipedia has a list of endorsements in the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014. Henry McLeish is firmly in the NO camp.
But in note 101 the BBC does quote him as saying that voting NO is becoming difficult. But not impossible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endorsements_in_the_Scottish_independence_referendum,_2014
The SNP are hoping for Devo-Max via the back door: EU powers transferred to the Scottish Govt, but Scotland remaining part of the UK.
Also, they remain unconvinced there is enough support for indy to win an indyref. That’s why no rush to indyref.
So, the SNP are focused on the devolution fight. They want to see if they can achieve a form of Devo-Max via Brexit.
The optimists would see that as worth trying; another step closer on the long road to indy. Others see that as a betrayal of the indyref manifesto promise.
Others are pointing out Brexit is about centralising more power at Westminster. WM already betrayed the Devo-Max promise under Cameron. The Tories are now more right-wing BritNat than ever, so no chance of Devo-Max under Brexit. Win or Lose: The SNP must deliver the indyref promise.
Smith Commission Devo-Max betrayed = indy still the minority ( if opinion polls are to be trusted). The promise that Scotland would remain in the EU, if NO vote, betrayed = Indy still the minority.
If the UK Govt get their way: instead of devolved EU powers going to devolved Scot Govt, the best bits will be powergrabbed by WM. A clear betrayal of devolution. Could that be the tipping point that increases support for indy?
That’s a question the Scot Govt and UK Govt are keen to know the answer to.
So, right now there is a type of brinkmanship being played out. How much of a UK power grab will be politically acceptable without promoting support for indy?
How far can the cautious SNP be boxed into a corner and the bolder grassroots YES will accept it? Already, there is murmurings in the indy ranks. There is the expectation that indyref2 MUST happen before 2021.
The UK Govt know Ms Sturgeon and the SNP leadership are extremely cautious -some would say over-cautious. Too predictable.
So, most likely the UK Govt will continue to talk about it with the Scot Govt to try and ensure, by the time it’s clear there will be no respect for the devolution settlement, it will be too late to hold any indyref this side of 2021.
Of course, the SNP leadership are no daft. They know this too.
Would the UK Govt or Scot Govt want to risk losing an indyref if they can both keep power by not holding one? A sensible UK Govt won’t want to risk losing, neither will the SNP. A loss could mean the end of the UK or the end of the current SNP leadership.
Both are also minority govts.
However, the UK Govt are arrogant, they have till date, not been wise. They might just relish the opportunity to force the SNP’s hand in the hope of crushing indy and undermine devolution.
The SNP will try to get the best Devo-Max deal from Brexit and the UK will give the minimum possible as late as possible.
Unless the grassroots force the SNP’s hand there won’t be an indyref. The SNP didn’t want one in 2016; they don’t want one now.
Personally, I’ve never favoured the Indyref policy. Independence is best achieved by winning an election on an independence mandate.
Stu, suggests taking it to court regarding the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
I respectfully disagree. Leaving the courts to decide is wrong. Courts are not about politics or democracy. They are law courts. Laws can be undemocratic but, they are still the law.
Scotland’s independence should be decided by the people, not a court.
Hold an election seeking an independence mandate. That if pro-independists win, these politicians have the democratic mandate to declare independence.
Electoral mandate by democratic election is a tried and tested method. It is internationally recognised as a legitimate means of self-determination.
Whether that is within the powers of the Scottish Parliament to deliver that is then irrelevant.
If the people choose independence they are no longer bound by the constraints of devolution.
Democratic Self-determination (and Scottish sovereignty) take precedence – unless UK democracy is nothing but a sham.
oor ‘enry….. meh
but i think he respresents a certain demographic of our population.
a few more no 2 yes voters, it is to be welcomed
Pause for thought:
In less than a year from now we will no longer be European Citizens. That is both depressing and frightening.
This life changing decision was taken by another country on our behalf.
And the sad thing is that the majority of Scots are still blindly walking down this Brexit road without realising what the impact on their lives is going to be.
The majority of Scots are still more interested in their favourite Soap Opera Or who is doing what on Twitter. than they are in the impending Brexit disaster.
“A dire day?
Nae highlights at all?”
Just saw your 1015, Mr Brotherhood.
Can’t comment.
Don’t like hammers…..
🙄
Holyrood magazine is launching the Holyrood Garden Party & Awards. With the inaugural event taking place at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.
That’ll be nice. And safer too to make it an open air garden party. Since any pyro-minded politicos who didnae get a prize won’t find much in the way of combustibles.
Public abstaining: I am thus absolved
You don’t have to be psychic to know Henry McLeish’s job is to keep everyone ON the fence
Keep sowing the seeds of doubt keep making the positive message for NOT making a decision on anything, it’s the Labour way, wait for someone else to make a decision then criticise it
I am thus absolved, or in Scottish *It wisnae me*
The American philosophy: I’ll sell you as many guns and bullets as you want but you’re bad if you shoot everybody then I’ll have to buy more guns and bullets to shoot you
So everyone makes money and that’s good for the economy because more people will be afraid and buy even more guns and bullets, It’s all win win
No idea whether Assad gassed people or not because I can’t believe a word of what the British media say,, but I do know one thing, Vince Cable’s got a bit of a cheek, was he not Business secretary when the Tory Lib coalition sold chemicals to Syria under the direction of William Hague and were these chemicals not sold under the banner of Health and Cosmetics
but when you mix them up they miraculously become poison gas
I guess naebdy telt Vince
Today’a Torygraph has an article About how Brillo is on of the few Tories at the BBC.
They must be joking – I’m sure that fellow wingers can think of a few others.
@Dr Jim –
If you haven’t already seen it you might enjoy this.
By pure coincidence, Smallaxe put me on to this just last night!
Hoots mon
Bobby Nicholson, ‘Wisnae Me’ –
😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0mrCO_sGw0
Henry McLeish is a Nobody, a disgraced politician, who has been out of office of any sort for nearly 17years.
Yet the Dead Tree Scrolls hire him to write yet more flim flam Federalist waffle.
Why does he still warrant such prominence?
Because he’s a Unionist, for no other reason.
I mean, what is he qualified to do for a living?
He’s flitted from Jobs For The Boys quango, think tank, and Reform Group, for years now. Why?
I’m in a ‘muddle’.
It’s like Jimmy Savile chairing a Children’s Panel having old Fellow Traveller Henry giving us advice on Independence.
He is a wolf in wolf’s clothing. Christ he’s nearly my age.
Scotland; no country for auld politicians.
He’s a Tony Blair Brit Nat neo conservative.
Ian Brotherhood,
Thanks for that link, I thoroughly enjoyed that. I’m off to listen to it again.
colin alexander at 12.23
What utter pish.
Obviously wasn’t at the SNP National Council Meeting earlier this month at which Nicola Sturgeon finished her address by saying independence is an urgent necessity (and repeated in a piece recently in the National) but of course as “Colin Alexander” doesn’t read anything other than unionist publications he won’t know what Nicola says.
Henry McLeish is a reliable testament to the direction of travel.
Many are on the same journey and when they arrive we win.
@Ian Brotherhood
That was a good wee tune, maybe another Scottish phrase for another tune might be
*Ah dun nuthin*
Choices Choices !!!
Are they indy2.
But indy2, what do you think about fed UK? You and CJ often put the whole of an article btl but never say what you really really think.
I mean just even this bitty from it, big Henry says,
“But I fear it may be too late for federalism.”
Scottish Labour has raised the prospect of federalism as an alternative to independence in previous years but details have remained sketchy and the plan has never garnered significant public support”
SLab have blocked everything federal uk and almost all Scots devo indy2 BUT is it really too late, what do YOU think?
I see Heedy has had his heroin injection.
That took a wee while to kick in today Heedy. Were you sold “Bad Shit” last night.???
They say Drug Addicts develop a form of Paranoia. Well Heedy, you have it in spades.
I asked you last night to STOP HARASSING ME HEEDY.
Please just scroll by my posts and the world will be a more peaceful place, And I am sure other contributors would also appreciate that Heedy.
For the record, “Indy2” is a fully paid up member of the SNP and Mad YES Campaigner, who will fight this one until we succeed.
Now please stop stalking and harassing me Heedy. I think it is illegal what you are doing.
The whole of the Wings readership are my witnesses Heedy.
You are actually holding back the YES Campaign.
Now take a hike.
heedtracker Ah nevua seen anyhing am choppin ingins
Now please stop stalking and harassing me Heedy. I think it is illegal what you are doing.
Awe indy2, asking you about your comments or pasting whole articles like this morning, is not harassing you.
Its just a simple wee query, what do you think about our Henry’s er, thinks.
If you do not have any thinks indy2, that’s fine too:-)
Mr Anderson
Please stay out of this.
I see you at Rallies and it would disappoint me if you take sides here.
As I have said Heedy.
Please stop stalking and harassing me.
You are spoiling the whole debate, now take a hike Heedy.
I am asking you nicely heedy.
But please don’t take my politeness as a form of weakness.
For the record, “Indy2” is a fully paid up member of the SNP and Mad YES Campaigner, who will fight this one until we succeed.
Good indy2. So what do you make of our Henry’s fed uk stuff, or even this from the Heil today and Henry’s London colleagues getting it on with the tories again?
From the Heil, I take the Heil now indy3, at least its good honest tory stuff, unlike The Graun tories, pretending not to be.
https://archive.is/J50Xn
“Give us a ‘people’s vote’ on Brexit deal: Labour’s Chuka Umunna and Tory Anna Soubry launch all-party alliance to challenge May’s EU plan
A new cross-party campaign to give nation a chance to accept or reject Theresa May’s final Brexit deal will be launched by Chuka Umunna and Tory Anna Soubry”
I would cut n paste the whole article like what you do indy2 but you get the gist. Tories and Labour, bettertogether, again.
Don’t blame me, Ian Brotherhood started it.
“Stuff Yer License BBC”;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPXl0LAZN1s&ab_channel=BobbyNicholson
😉
Honestly Heedy
Everybody must shake their heads at you and say:
“Awe Naw, that’s Heedy away on another stalkin rampage”
Grow up Heedy. You are not six years old anymore.
Although some will say that you are.
See me am atah lotta rallies & events , come up & see me sometime ( or wiz that May Wests line ) lol .
Heedy
If I am a fully paid up member of the SNP and I am a Mad YES Campaigner, then I think we can take it as read I would be against any form of Federalism.
You Numbnut
You are the one who is hampering Independence.
Take a hike Heedy
Indy2 says:
15 April, 2018 at 3:37 pm
Honestly Heedy
Simply asking you your views on what you cut n paste indy2 is fine. Why you are so enraged by being asked, is pretty clear.
So, indy2, if you’re not going to comment on your own commenterising btl WoS, what do you make of Welsh Labour boosting PM Teresa May’s war on baddies,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-43765970
Mr Jones said: “I spoke with the PM late last night about the action in Syria.
“I offered my support to any intervention that could prevent a further atrocity, but it is vital that any action forms part of a wider long-term plan for the region.
Indy2 @ 10:47,
Daisy Walker @ 11:05,
Macart @ 11:55,
The giveaway in that article is the line:
Deflecto-max. Add in “federalism” to give a soft option and thereby split the autonomy vote and keep us in this damned Union.
But macart and indeed dmh later have a point, there is a hint of a direction of travel in there, if rather weaker than we would like.
Even Macleish seems to be losing hope in his federalism. No wonder. It isn’t supported by most in his party, and certainly not by his English masters, who all just want to get back to the good old game they are familiar with. (The one they think they can still win. Dream on.)
However even Macleish and others in the Labour camp can evidently see through the Brexit fog. “Fraudulent prospectus” indeed. Which is more than some appear able to do. Not least a contingent in the SNP, who appear to regard Brexit as nothing more than a temporary inconvenience to be got through somehow before getting back to their own “business as usual”. (Futile little posturing games in the HoC included.)
“Never let a good crisis go to waste” is a political motto that some pros who should know better don’t seem to get.
If we are to make something of this damnable business, somebody soon is going to have to get off their butt and up on their hind legs and do a Tommy Sheridan, because there are still too many ordinary folk who are so bemused and distracted that we will all drift passively into disaster unless someone makes a serious effort to wake everybody up. And do it in time.
Sometimes you have to make your future and not just hope it will somehow happen all on its ownsome.
Indy2 @ whenever,
I was happy to see a constructive posting from you today. The first ever. I suggest you stick to doing that and leave off harassing other contributors who don’t deserve it. You simply demean yourself.
There are some on here who (intentionally or unintentionally) are an inverse asset to indy, and others who are simply worth scrolling by, but heedy isn’t one of either, IMO.
Might be an idea to crowdfund for the children to get a room; shouldn’t take much…
Meantime keep scrolling by.
http://indyref2.scot/snp-mp-complains-of-imbalance-after-being-dropped-from-bbc-news-at-six
SNP MP complains of ‘imbalance’ after being dropped from BBC News at Six”
“Despite being the third largest party at Westminster, the SNP is regularly ignored in favour of smaller parties on BBC UK news and current affairs programmes. The clip below, which is from BBC News the day Theresa May toured the UK, has input from May herself as well as Labour, the Lib Dems and ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The SNP were ignored.”
BBC Scotland led media takes down SNP Scots gov. BBC UK blanks them out completely.
Perfect tory BBC double whammy.
@Ronnie Anderson –
🙂 🙂 🙂
Aye, but if you find him first he’ll go all Marlene Dietrich an start givin’ it ‘ah vont to be alone so ah do’…
Dave McEwan Hill
As for indy being an “urgent necessity”:it was Ms Sturgeon who made the decision to delay holding indyref.
My view is independence should be something to go for at the START of a parliamentary term, so it gives five years mandate to organise and prepare and put into indy into effect, once the decision to become indy has been made.
The fundamental principle how Indyref is legitimate is the democratic mandate: The people democratically decided it. That’s the EXACT same legitimacy as independence by election without an indyref.
By the same reasoning: even if indyref is held, even if YES won, unless Scotland is already indy, come 2021, if a unionist majority is achieved at Holyrood, they can choose to ignore the YES vote. The unionists would have a newer democratic mandate for Scotland remaining within the UK, if a majority of unionist MSPs were elected.
If anybody believes the UK Govt will willingly cooperate to rush through Scottish indy following a YES vote after Autumn 2018, so it’s a done deal before 2021, when it can be overturned by a Unionist Holyrood majority in 2021, is incredibly optimistic or incredibly naive.
For indy to happen now, it’s gonnae take another electoral mandate. So, indyref is a surplus, an extra hurdle, a nonsense basically.
It risks a NO win when a YES win won’t achieve indy before 2021, unless indy is declared without Westminster permission.
Simpler, more efficient and just as democratic to settle it with the election of a pro-indy majority – or pro-union majority.
The electoral mandate being: the election of a majority of indy politicians means indy has already been decided. The next step will be organising the dissolution of the UK Union.
Or as Breeks might put it: the people of Scotland have used their sovereignty to make the Scottish Parliament the sovereign parliament; the Scottish Govt, the sovereign Govt for Scotland.
Thus, they will be democratically empowered to negotiate as independent Scotland’s de facto government to deal with the practicalities of transition to institutional / political independence. Their legitimacy based on Scottish sovereignty / Scottish democracy, not the UK constitution or UK law, not based on the Scotland Act 2016.
But, of course, others think another indyref will magically make people vote YES and a YES vote magically makes Scotland independent.
hedy
Like the child you are, you just have to have the last word.
It seems you have a small clique on here who will back you up no matter what. They are as deluded as you.
You started harassing me today for no reason YET one of your supporters (or is it you in another name). actually blamed me for starting this nonsense,
As I said me=any times before hedy scroll past my m=name and stop harassing me.
I could say I will see you at the next Rally hedy, but you never turn up at them for some strange reason.
Mr Brotherhood
Butt out !!!
🙂 🙂 🙂
So easy…
🙂 🙂 🙂
I do not agree with that. i follow the KISS school of management. Keep it simple stupid.
If the majority of the peoples of Scotland vote for independence then it will happen.Lord Cooper is not dead!
Aberdeen fans “No one fails to turn up for the big match like our team”
Rangers players “Hold our beers”
He’s the body in the corner o the roon room lol.
Just like Joe Hill is not dead.
As I said me=any times before hedy scroll past my m=name and stop harassing me.
Indy2 you’re cut n pasting newspaper articles btl WoS comment section. You’re going to get asked what you think too.
Its what its all about, btl comments.
You should be happy you’re so interesting indy2:D
Ian
Think that was Greta Garbo
colin alexander @ 16:13:
You are quite the (longwinded) piss-artist, ain’t ya, CoCo?!
@Handandshrimp –
Aha!
Cheers indeed.
Getting me auld sultry movie stars mixed up, probably because ahm gettin stalked and harrassed by a corned-beef ‘n pickle roll.
Can’t even think now what Marlene’s catchphrase was, if she had one…
Ian Brotherhood
“Come up and see me sometime”
No, w of you!
Ian Brotherhood Leanin oan ah lampost wie her garters roon her ankles wiz it no .
Marlene: top hat, tails and little else.
Gets Garbo: why don’t you come up and see me sometime?
Lilian Gish: said it all with a look
Greta Garbo!
BBC News 24 – “..in the Commomwealth games OUR team makes history i.e- England womens team defeats Australia in netball.”
Forgive them Lord for they do no not what they do.
British=English=Brits=English=superior=blighty
bbc=biased anglo-centric
Macart @ 12:15,
Actually, I’ve been pondering this very topic myself lately, what with this blizzard of divisive single-issue distractions that are currently besetting us, in default it seems of a coherent shared strategy for getting that one essential element without which everything else becomes impossible.
This next referendum must be about self-management, about making decisions (and taking responsibility for them) and not about conventional politics at all. The latter has confuddled and confused too much, with too many people, it seems, rather afraid that there will be no place to go politically for them in an independent Scotland. That’s what has been holding us back, IMO.
You can understand such reluctance from the Tory party faithful, who in order to offset their relative impotence in Scotland, desperately need a UKGov that is often of their persuasion, but the other parties..?
What that requires above all is a leaving-off of single-issue posturing from indy supporters, whose views (however sincere) may very well alienate the very people whom we now need to convince to change.
It’s no good lecturing people, for example, that they are selfish if nervous over tax reform (after being whipped-up about it by the usual suspects of the media). Yes, we very likely will have a left-of-centre government with an agenda of fairness at its core, at least for a considerable time, and damn right too. But we equally have to be sure to make it very clear to the public-at-large that Scotland will remain a country that they will have a sure influence over. Have a stronger influence over, even.
And most particularly it won’t be some kind of revolutionary isolationist ultra-leftard Nirvana-turned-nightmare, as some of the loudest and most-persistent shouters give every impression of wanting.
This one really is about control, being grown-up and democratically responsible, and way beyond special-interest politics or party politics of any kind.
Just having a government that we elect to enact the policies that we want, and that is beholden to us, and us alone. What a revolutionary concept, eh..?
“I’ve never been in style, so I can’t go out of style.”
Lillian Gish
Scotland, as we all know, is famous for the production of com!cs, read by many’s a child who then go on to be aware of the written word, to understand what is meant & to “read between the lines”, so to speak.
Those come to mind are the Beano & Dandy, perhaps the oldest comics still in existence. Ah, but hold on, aren’t the Herald & Scotsman & the Record older.
Let’s be fair, those who read these publications are keeping up a long Scottish tradition but continue to live in a fantasy world.
Brexit has killed any DevoMax or Federal option stone dead.
In reality it always were dead because there is no way WM was ever going to let devolution progress to that extent. However, as we know to our detriment, that doesn’t stop BritNats presenting it as real possibility for the particularly gullible.
In 2014, DevoMax could have been argued for, a legally binding package put forward, and it added to the ballot.
Now, what possible value is there in DevoMax or Federal system when we will be out of the EU, diminished, and scratching the muck for piss poor rip-off trade deals? Because no one will believe that a ‘highly empowered devolved’ Scotland would actually be allowed to stay in the EEA while the rest of the still politically intact UK leaves.
Next time the choice will be crystal clear – Indy closely aligned to the EU, or up shit creek with an über right UK.
There no good Brexit outcome. This we already know.
frogesque
Think that was Mae West
“Are you showing contempt for this court”? “No, I’m doing my best to hide it” was also a Mae West.
Marlene was all sultry Lili Marlene pin up songstress for the soldiers on both sides during the war.
Sunday miscellany.
1)The Bombing of Syria blamed on Trump-baiting
http://archive.is/UdcUf
2)Dr Jim 1.38
If you thought American officialdom’s attitude to gun sales was ‘odd’
http://archive.is/pUTwL
3)Mae West
Come Up And See Me Sometime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY9QxFDwiL0
Absolutely brilliant tweet on the Rev’s twitter feed, from a Rangers fan. Too many examples of stupidity to list, but, the cracker for me is, this prime example of the “thinking” of Ra Peepul (as in We Are etc), in ranting on about British values, uses the pen name: “Gerry Neef”.
And there was me, thinking Mad Murdo Fraser was the biggest red, white and blue (and orange) Daftie.
HandandShrimp says:
15 April, 2018 at 5:56 p
“”Marlene was all sultry Lili Marlene pin up songstress for the soldiers on both sides during the war.””
It was the song, Lili Marlene, that was popular on both sides during the war. Marlene Dietrich was very much on the Allied side. She made no secret of the fact she hated the Nazis.
In the late ’30s she set up a fund to get Jews out of Germany and worked to get them resettled in US.
She did record the song in German at the request of the OSS who wanted to play it to German troops as part of a campaign to demoralise them. So she was not popular in Germany. She was buried in Berlin but I think her grave has been vandalised on occasion.
Since the SNP became the third party in representational terms in the HOC the BBC changed their conditions on TV appearances for politicians
The BBC now count the most voters a party has before they meet the new criteria thus making sure the SNP can never ever be at the top or indeed anywhere near the top of that count so not inviting them to speak or on to programming is now within the BBCs rules (And they breathed a big sigh)
Brittania waives the rules
Even during the Commonwealth games they can’t help themselves, we started out Scottish althletes then when they realised we were winning some medals they began calling us a *Home nation* then when we began winning some more medals we became British *home nations* and now that we’ve won quite a lot of medals they’re not mentioning us at all unless they really have to between gritted teeth
I know some people think we should’nt say things like this but …..they don’t like us you know, and you know how I know, I’m half English on Mums side and that side don’t like me because they know all about us nasty Nationalists under the spell of our evil mistress, that Nicola Sturgeon who apparently we really don’t like but she’s got us terrorised and magicked into believing we do
And *Britain* which is England, doesn’t want her
So there! and them’s the rules!
Socrates MacSporran says:
Hilarious. Well, more sad really since it probably isn’t actually a piss take!
People like this are entitled to their opinions and world view. There’s something 1950s about it though. I remember when talk of European Catholic countries was mainstream conversation. I also remember an old uncle saying how sad it had been that two Protestant countries like Germany and the UK had fought each other rather than their common Catholic enemies. Inaccurate on so many levels of course.
Scotland has, and is moving on. Most of us are mainstream European in outlook, and it’s just a short matter of time until a majority realise and an independent future best suits most of our aspirations.
And what of those proponents of a Greater England on these Isles, the BritNat hardcore loonies? Post Indy they can go along with the majority and work to build a better country, the can sob quietly into their beer, or they can go off and live in the England they desire be part of. Then they will see what the south Britons really think of their views and attitudes!
Queens eleven No.1 fan Murdoch Fraser’s not tweeted the old firm result yet. How did the queens eleven do?
Hootsman roasters going all out for Sunday evening clickbait.
http://archive.is/6Pt5q
Jeremy Clarkson says forget independence and nation state Scotland because there’s some nice scenery to drive around in and
“The bi-curious artisan who’s opened a craft shop in the Highlands selling jumpers knitted from her own armpit hair does not want the same things from Nicola Sturgeon as a heroin enthusiast from the tenements in Glasgow.”
Tbf, tories like Jeremy Clarkson do actually own and run Scotland on our behalf
Why would they want it all to end.
@HandandShrimp 5.56
I stand humbly corrected.
It was of course Mae West.
How did queens eleven do this afternoon?! Not even my Slovene girlfriend and No.2 queens eleven fan is tweeting this afternoon’s Hampden result. How odd.
Prof Smirky maybe just too busy returning to his constituency and preparing for Scots toryboy government, to go to the big game.
Adam Tomkins MSP Retweeted
Maurice Golden MSP
?
Verified account
@mgoldenmsp
Apr 8
More Maurice Golden MSP Retweeted Britain Elects
.@ScotTories now within touching distance of the SNP.
“HandandShrimp says:
15 April, 2018 at 4:25 pm
Aberdeen fans “No one fails to turn up for the big match like our team”
Rangers players “Hold our beers” “
Man U fans: “But beware the Sir Awex hangover”
O/T – are there posters somewhere I can download for the indy march in May? Happy to make up my own but would look more authentic/professional if I had the real thing.
A lot of Yes folk I have spoken to don’t know about it.
Lenny Hartley,
“I did have doubts about her Indy2 ref strategy, however after watching that interview you are reminded how sharp she is.”
More gutless than “sharp”, in my humble opinion.
She stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Saint Theresa and Boris Johnson in condemning Russia.
In sharp contrast to her, Corbyn showed real guts in questioning the “evidence”.
If blind faith in religion is bad, blind faith in politicians is worse.
Mark my words: there will be no independence referendum before Brexit has been completed.
Don’t you know that the UK, including its northern region, is at war with Russia?
Aw blimey…
Cause ahm hauf-pished ahm gettin hallucinations about Ronnie Anderson dressed as Marlene Dietrich but he’s got Mae West’s voice an he’s hingin aw aboot a lamp-post in Airdrie shoutin ”Mon up an see me sometime!’
Where’s me co-codamols…
🙁
@heedtracker
We need to develop a new top trumps game. We could call it wankers of the British empire.
For example..
Clarkson..
Ignorance 8
Annoyance: 8
Punchability: 10
Develop this as you like..
She stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Saint Theresa and Boris Johnson in condemning Russia.
You omitted one important point, she was very careful to say “on the information she had received from the UK Gov”
Robert J. Sutherland says:
15 April, 2018 at 3:49 pm
“Even Macleish seems to be losing hope in his federalism.”
Do you seriously believe that Macleish favours or ever favoured federalism?
He is a unionist chameleon as always duping Labour voters who might turn to independence.
Shinty says:
15 April, 2018 at 7:53 pm
“You omitted one important point, she was very careful to say “on the information she had received from the UK Gov””
Did the official UK opposition leader Corbyn receive different information than Nicola?
While the gutless Nicola stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Saint Theresa and Boris Johnson, Corbyn showed real guts in questioning the “evidence”.
Nicola and the SNP made utter fools of themselves by supporting Saint Theresa, in my humble opinion.
The SNP standing “shoulder to shoulder” with Saint Theresa is worse than Labour and Tory unionists standing “shoulder to shoulder” against Scottish independence.
ScottieDog says:
15 April, 2018 at 7:46 pm
@heedtracker
We need to develop a new top trumps game. We could call it wankers of the British empire.
For example..
Clarkson..
Indeed but again, its Jeremy Clarkson’s class that own and rule Scotland, so his opinion as a fine tory on tour from England counts far more than any Scot, or his vote does. more crucially.
Its what 55% proud scotbuts voted No Thanks for, all those UKOK years ago, when we were still EU citizens too. Clarkson’s great friends with one of Dave Cameron too, probably one of the greatest tory spivs ever.
The level of beeb Scotland gimpery propaganda to brainwash us into loving our new NON EU citizenship, will really be something though.
Over to you Rock, its all evil Nic Sturgeon’s fault innit.
Blimey…
Yon Rock just gets boulder as he gets older…
Rock
Ignorance. 10
Annoyance. 3
Intelligence. 4
Punchability 8
Boring. 10
Originality 0
heedtracker at 7.08
We’ll have quiet evening tonight. That’s my experience of Glasgow and Lanarkshire and working in and having pubs in those areas.
We only get trouble from triumphal behaviour from the supporters of the Queen’s Eleven when they beat Celtic. When beaten they slip quietly home.
You get the opposite from Celtic supporters when they are the losers. You get noisy defiance.
Here is a question for previous previous no voters…
When you vote for Scotland upon iScotref..
How would over 50% Yes..
Make you feel?
Or react?
“official UK opposition leader Corbyn”
For the first time ever, you’ve actually made me laugh like a drain.
Iain Macwhirter, with whom I don’t very often agree, makes the point I am trying to make in today’s Sunday Herald.
Even an affirmative vote in parliament in favour of the attack on Syria would have been in favour of an illegal act and that is what I and many others would like to see the SNP say.
The behaviour of the UK trotting along behind the US and its violent illegal interventions all around the world is a huge argument in favour of us getting out of this union. Finding common ground with Westminster and the UK on this sort of issue might have some appeal but is not in our favour in that regard
Macwhirter says
“These missile strikes against against Assad’s regime, which the UK Cabinet pre-emptively endorsed on Thursday are clearly illegal. Syria is a sovereign state.There’s no justification in international law for military actions against other nations unless in response to a real and present threat, or unless such action is authorised by the United Nations Security Council”
That is also what we should be saying. And hopefully will. No matter the context we will not vote for an illegal action.
To clarify my position on the “gassing”. Assad does not gas his own people. It is entirely possible he may have used gas against the enclaves of Isis loony resistance as they have certainly used gas against Syria’s forces. But Assad does not gas his own people!
(And can anybody explain to me why gassing people is any worse that dismembering them with bombs? This is emotive bullshit of course.)
The fact is – and this in now conclusively recognised – the US/UK have been arming and funding an illegal Islamic fundamentalist invasion of the sovereign,secular Syrian State for over ten years. This is why the “butcher”Assad is hugely popular and was re-elected by a huge majority in the recent free and fair election in Syria. This is why Syrian contacts I have in London, many of whom opposed Assad on political grounds,are now in support of Assad’s Syria. Because they are being invaded. We should be supporting Syria and its defence against invasion (There is no “civil war”).
Is the SNP big enough to lead the world in insisting that the whole truth about Syria is exposed and the depth of wickedness of the “axis of evil” – US/UK/Israel/ France/Saudi Arabia is put into public view?
As a consequence this would drive us to certain independence.
Aye the pubs may be quiet DMH, after they slink home, but pity the poor wimmenfolk…
Anyway just spent a marvellous hour and a half with a BBC production. Some of us might remember Play for Today. Back to 1974 we go.
Bill Paterson, all moustache and mullet; Alex Norton, slim, bearded and sporting his best Neil Oliver hairdo. But he plays a mean guitar, and a meaner banjo, sings a bit too.
Vintage footage of Aberdeen and a youngish Maitland Mackie. Performance in Dornie Village Hall.
Don’t think there’s any chance of the BBC repeating that play today. The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil. Shit, they won’t even give us Outlander, and CSBBO is far better than that; nae fiction involved.
The original 7.84 production, brilliant cast.
I won’t link to it for obvious reasons, but the Herald is carrying an article on the timescale for Westminster’s legal challenge of the Welsh Senedd and Scottish parliament’s continuity bills.
Oh, and according to Ms May, it’s not a power grab… Uh huh! Sure.
Oh, and according to Ms May, it’s not a power grab… Uh huh! Sure.
Watching the 111 EU powers return to Holyrood, Scotland must absolutely horrify Westminster.
This is probably the biggest threat since 2014 to UK gov control, Holyrood gaining huge EU laws that UK gov want and need to keep Scotland in its place.
Scottish nation statehood by increment. Its probably why the Scottish office has been beefed up so much, like the Alamo.
Sorry about the length but 111 EU returning “powers” is a HUGE amount of power.
If Holyrood does get them, with even a wee bit of Treasury/Bank of England fiscal Scots devo eventually…you can see why UK gov is going to getting it all booted out of court and right in to the very long British grass.
http://www.yeswecan.scot/index.php/myth-busting/2016-02-27-02-02-46/the-111-returning-powers
Powers returning from the EU that intersect with the devolution settlement in Scotland
Agricultural Support
Agriculture – Fertiliser Regulations
Agriculture – GMO Marketing & Cultivation
Agriculture – Organic Farming
Agriculture – Zootech
Animal Health and Traceability
Animal Welfare
Aviation Noise Management at Airports
Blood Safety and Quality
Carbon Capture & Storage
Chemicals regulation (including pesticides)
Civil judicial co-operation – jurisdiction and recognition & enforcement of judgments in civil & commercial matters (including B1 rules and related EU conventions)
Civil judicial co-operation – jurisdiction and recognition & enforcement of judgments instruments in family law (including BIIa, Maintenance and civil protection orders)
Civil judicial cooperation on service of documents and taking of evidence
Criminal offences minimum standards measures – Combating Child Sexual Exploitation Directive
Control of major accident hazards
Cross border mediation
Data sharing – (EU fingerprint database (EuroDac)
Data sharing – European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS)
Data sharing – False and Authentic Documents Online (FADO)
Data sharing – passenger name records
Data sharing – Prüm framework
Data sharing – Schengen Information System (SIS II)
Efficiency in energy use
Elements of Reciprocal Healthcare
Elements of the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive
Elements of Tobacco Regulation
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive
Environmental law concerning energy planning consents
Environmental law concerning offshore oil & gas installations within territorial waters
Environmental quality – Air Quality
Environmental quality – Chemicals
Environmental quality – Flood Risk Management
Environmental quality – International timber trade (EUTR and FLEGT)
Environmental quality – Marine environment
Environmental quality – Natural Environment and Biodiversity
Environmental quality – Ozone depleting substances and F-gases
Environmental quality – Pesticides
Environmental quality – Spatial Data Infrastructure Standards
Environmental quality – Waste Packaging & Product Regulations
Environmental quality – Waste Producer Responsibility Regulations
Environmental quality – Water Quality
Environmental quality – Water Resources
Environmental quality – Biodiversity – access and benefit sharing of genetic resources
Equal Treatment Legislation
EU agencies – EU-LISA
EU agencies – Eurojust
EU agencies – Europol
EU Social Security Coordination
Fisheries Management & Support
Food and Feed Law
Food Compositional Standards
Food Geographical Indications (Protected Food Names)
Food Labelling
Forestry (domestic)
Free movement of healthcare (the right for EEA citizens to have their elective procedure in another member state)
Genetically modified micro-organisms contained use
Good laboratory practice
Harbours
Hazardous Substances Planning
Heat metering and billing information
High Efficiency Cogeneration
Implementation of EU Emissions Trading System
Ionising radiation
Land use
Late payment (commercial transactions)
Legal aid in cross-border cases
Migrant Access to benefits
Minimum standards -housing & care: regulation of the use of animals
Minimum standards legislation – child sexual exploitation
Minimum standards legislation – cybercrime
Minimum standards legislation – football disorder
Minimum standards legislation – human trafficking
Mutual recognition of professional qualifications
Mutual recognition of criminal court judgments measures & cross border cooperation – European Protection Order, Prisoner Transfer Framework Directive, European Supervision Directive, Compensation to Crime Victims Directive
Nutrition health claims, composition and labelling
Onshore hydrocarbons licensing
Organs
Plant Health, Seeds and Propagating Material
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Asset Recovery Offices
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – European Investigation Order
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Joint Action on Organised Crime
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Joint investigation teams
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual legal assistance
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual recognition of asset freezing orders
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual recognition of confiscation orders
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Schengen Article 40
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Swedish initiative
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – European judicial network
Practical cooperation in law enforcement – implementation of European Arrest Warrant
Procedural rights (criminal cases) – minimum standards measures
Provision of legal services
Provision in the 1995 Data Protection Directive (soon to be replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation) that allows for more than one supervisory authority in each member state
Public sector procurement
Public health (serious cross-border threats to health)
Radioactive Source Notifications – Trans-frontier shipments
Radioactive waste treatment and disposal
Rail franchising rules
Rail markets and operator licensing
Recognition of insolvency proceedings in EU Member States
Renewable Energy Directive
Rules on applicable law in civil & commercial cross border claims
Sentencing – taking convictions into account
State Aid
Statistics
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive
Tissues and cells
Uniform fast-track procedures for certain civil and commercial claims (uncontested debts, small claims)
Victims rights measures (criminal cases)
Voting rights and candidacy rules for EU citizens in local government elections
Info coming through on twitter today:
The main target of Syrian attacks turns out to be a chemical plant that produces Cancer Drugs as well as a research facility, It has been inspected a number of times over the past few years and cleared an inspection by the OPCW just at the end of last year. Video showing workers in the rubble of the plant with no protective wear which would be impossible if it produced chemical weapons.
Nest, Respected Swiss lab ‘Spiez’ (one of the most respected in the world and used regularly by the OPCW) tested samples from the Salisbury attack given to them by the UK Government and find traces of a substance called ‘BZ’, a non-lethal incapacitant that causes hallucinatory effects. It’s developed not in Russia but in the UK and other NATO states.
Some very serious questions to be asked of Mrs May, but will any mainstream political party have the bottle to do so ?
Indy2 is a troll.
Heedtracker hates trolls.
UK lawyers to challenge Sturgeon’s Brexit Bill within 4:8 hours:
UK Government lawyers are expected to lodge an unprecedented legal challenge at the UK Supreme Court in the next 48 hours to stop the Scottish and Welsh Governments’ own Brexit bills from becoming law.
The legislation seeks to protect the devolved settlement in the event there is no agreement between London, Edinburgh and Cardiff on the UK Government’s flagship EU Withdrawal Bill, which is currently going through the House of Lords.
The First Minister and her Welsh counterpart, Carwyn Jones, believe this legislation is a “naked power-grab” by Whitehall.
Mrs May strongly denies this and insists more powers will be going to Holyrood and Cardiff Bay after Britain leaves the EU in March 2019. However, she wants a temporary hold put on some 24 powers and responsibilities so that common frameworks can be agreed to ensure the important UK-wide internal market is protected.
The Prime Minister’s law officers have until Wednesday to launch a legal challenge or face the Continuity bills getting Royal Assent and becoming law.
It is thought Jeremy Wright, the Attorney General, and Lord Keen of Elie, the Advocate General, Whitehall’s senior Scottish lawyer, will make the court application as early as today. A ministerial statement is expected to follow at Westminster.
Last week, David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, said that a court challenge was “almost inevitable” but suggested it was “not a big deal” as it was just a legal process.
Yet, the UK Government’s own bill has still to complete its parliamentary passage and Mrs May and Mr Mundell have until May 8, the final day of Report Stage in the Lords, to get a deal with Ms Sturgeon and her colleagues as the Withdrawal Bill after this date goes to Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Officials from all three governments are said to have engaged in intense talks over the Easter recess to try to resolve the constitutional impasse but have so far failed.
Mr Mundell has insisted he expects the talks with the devolved administrations to go “down to the wire”. SNP sources have stressed that Ms Sturgeon will not budge on what she regards as a matter of principle.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16160779.UK_lawyers_to_challenge_Sturgeon_s_Brexit_Bill_within_48_hours/?ref=mr&lp=1
headtracker is a Troll
Indy2 hates Trolls
Indy2 says:
15 April, 2018 at 9:55 pm
UK lawyers to challenge Sturgeon’s Brexit Bill within 4:8 hours:
Cheers indy2/CJ. So what do you reckon will happen indy2? Is it a UK gov naked power grab.
Sounds sexy though, naked grabbing, indy2?
louis.b.argyll
Don’t turn into a wanker like Heedy
Heedy is the only Troll on Wings
Tomorrow’s National front page:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da2MuweWsAAjd3O.jpg
Tomorrow’s National Twitter pages:
https://twitter.com/ScotNational
May is supposed to be explaining to Westminster tomorrow why she ordered illegal attacks on another sovereign state. Breaking international law and trashing the UN Charter are blatant acts of aggression. Parliament should vote her out of office and put these criminals on trial in the Hague.
Pursuing a war of aggression is what the Nazis were hung for in Nuremberg. It’s “unpardonable folly” as Alex Salmond once described one of her predecessor’s military adventures.
I do hope the opposition throws the book at her and the ghastly Boris Johnson.
heedtracker (9th February 2017 – “A division of principles”):
“Rock, whatever you’re up to on WoS, listen up, the author of Wings over Scotland is not the messiah and he’s not going to win ref 2.”
Rock (9th February 2017 – “A division of principles”):
“If anyone can tip the balance in favour of winning, it is this site and its author.”
Capella says:
15 April, 2018 at 10:07 pm
“I do hope the opposition throws the book at her and the ghastly Boris Johnson.”
Where does that leave the gutless Nicola who stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Saint Theresa and the “ghastly” Boris Johnson in condemning Russia while Corbyn showed real guts in questioning the “evidence”?
Astonishing chutzpah, that an anonymous annoyance feels able to describe Scotland’s First Minister as ‘gutless’.
Shame on you ‘Rock’. Ye’re a waste of space and time.
rock– past 10pm
get to bed.
As for gutless you are looking in the mirror again. you are a sad little liebour supporter of corbyn. brexit means brexit.
Macart says:
15 April, 2018 at 8:57 pm
I won’t link to it for obvious reasons, but the Herald is carrying an article on the timescale for Westminster’s legal challenge of the Welsh Senedd and Scottish parliament’s continuity bills.
Oh, and according to Ms May, it’s not a power grab… Uh huh! Sure.
I really don’t rate Theresa May, nor her obnoxious Scottish Corporals in Davidson and Mundell, but I get a bad feeling about Westminsters constant incremental assault on Scotland’s powers. With every mini success they have, like Sewell, like our territorial waters getting redrawn, they get a little bolder, and a little braver, and move on to the next little erosion of Scotland’s rights and territory. It’s like they are probing us, testing us, trying to determine the point where we’ll finally bite.
Why we continue to tolerate this grey ambiguity between our notion of popular Constitutional Sovereignty and Westminster’s claim of Parliamentary Sovereignty is depressingly tiresome. When it comes to Sovereignty there are still so many of us who just don’t see the rabbit. But all the time, Westminster is creeping about sticking a little Union Jack into this, and another little Union Jack into that…
Westminster isn’t shy when it comes to making the most of any ambiguity. They act like Germans making sure they get there early enough to lay claim to the best sun loungers with their Union Jack beach towels and defying others to challenge their smug presumption of ownership.
It’s like somebody who needs to borrow your car. Then borrow it again. And again. Then they get sloppy handing the keys back. Then your car stops being parked in your drive and starts getting parked in theirs. Before long you start feeling awkward and frustrated about asking damned permission to borrow your own bloody car. Hey Westminster, don’t go forgetting it’s OUR sovereignty you’re driving, and when we want it back, then back it comes.
Back in the 70’s, Westminster wasn’t exactly respectful about it, but did at least seem wary of Scottish Sovereignty, lest we dopey Scots waken up to it. Even Thatcher seemed to have an awareness that Parliamentary Sovereignty was a thing you whispered rather than shouted about.
These days, Westminster seems bolder than ever, no respect, and is brazen enough to try to secure little inroads into Constitutional territory and time after time they get away with it. With success they get a little bolder, a little more brass necked, and encroach a little further. They aren’t daft enough to openly contest our Scottishness in open contest of course, but by God, there is a never ending pressure which tries to erode it.
Some of these little victories are petty and international laws will take care of any encroachment in the long run. But there are other Westminster victories which hurt us more. The big one which annoys me is Scotland’s Sovereign Remain mandate over Brexit. Westminster would never admit it of course, but they must have cracked open the bubbly and had a bit of a party when the Scottish Government didnt seize upon the definitive Sovereign ramifications of Scotland voting No, but for reasons unknown, chose to ignore a sovereign mandate to Remain which might otherwise have seen Westminster perplexed and tied up in major Constitutional knots.
I know it’s petty, and everything will change with actual Independence, but once every now and again I’d like to have a yawn and a stretch on the balcony and see a saltire beach towel draped over the best sun lounger, not because I give two hoots about the sun lounger, but just for the satisfaction of knowing that Westminster will be pure fizzing.
We just don’t seem sure footed at all about this business of Constitutional Sovereignty.
Rock (9th February 2017 – “A division of principles”):
“If anyone can tip the balance in favour of winning, it is this site and its author.”
Old trick though Rock. Zoomers like yes vote indy2 do the same.
Who do you vote for Rock, if I may be so bold?
Guessing youre not an SNP voter. You never say anything about Colonel Ruth so maybe you’re a tory?
I always think that FM Sturgeon gets your relentless yoonster opprobrium, lets call it Rock, precisely because she’s a winner.
Sturgeon must be your worst nightmare too Rock, you yoons I mean, she’s young, smart, gets more and more experienced by the day.
Compare and contrast her with queen of the tory sock puppet media photo ops Colonel Ruth, or even poor old Kez Dugdale. Sturgeon’s light years ahead of all of them.
And Sturgeon probably isn’t trying to the get the great UKOK Lords trough either, unlike the Colonel:D
I disagree with Sturgeon over the Skirpl affair, but she took a valid position. In fact, given her natural constituency, she was anything but gutless. I did find it disappointing that she touched upon the proxy war involving US Rus. Tur. Iran, Saudi and Israel without mentioning Westminsters culpability in the funding, arming, and training of jihadist psychopaths for the best part of a decade.
Whatever your view of democratically-elected, leading politician’s stance on a particular, complex circumstance, it is without doubt that they have shown a degree of determination, commitment and, yes, often personal courage to get to where they are and to shoulder their responsibilities day in day out. They have shown qualities that most of us simply don’t have.
So, is our First Minister different – no determination, no commitment, no courage – just ‘gutless’?
Those that throw out such a description – and of course do so without allowing their own credentials – gutless or not – to be tested, are without any merit in my opinion. There are important debates to be had on the nature of any party of government and its leader (there always will be) – and BTL on Wings is a good forum in which to have them in regards to Scotland – but those that resort to the (extreme) ‘gutless’ condemnation of our FM are not only wrong but demean our serious, important debates.
Heedy
who do you vote for.
I think you are an englishman living in Scotland and you are a Lib/Dem supporter.
You come across as a Wullie supporter.
You like Wullie, don’t you Heedy.?
Heedy..
I think you are ashamed of your english accent and that is the reason you have never been to ANY Rally or Wings meetings.
We would also see that you were a habitual drug user.
Don’t be shy, your english accent is nothing to be ashamed of Heedy
This is the 21st century – cholera,escalating child fatalities due to bomb blasts and shootings, collapsing health care systems.
We need a different calibre of world leaders.
Since early 2015, Yemen has been in the throes of a gruelling civil war, which has devastated the health system and public services, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. The country is currently facing a cholera epidemic the world’s largest on record, surpassing one million (1,061,548) suspected cases, with 2,373 related deaths since October 2016. Cases were first confirmed in Sana’a city and then spread to almost all governorates except Socotra Island. Continued efforts are being made by the World Health Organization and international partners to contain the epidemic through improving water, sanitation and hygiene, setting up diarrhea treatment centers, and improving the population’s awareness about the disease. The provision of clean water and adequate sanitation is imperative as an effective long-term solution to prevent the further spread of this epidemic. Cholera vaccination campaigns should also be conducted as a preventive measure’
Al-Mekhlafi, H. M. Yemen in a Time of Cholera: Current Situation and Challenges. Am.J Trop.Med Hyg. 19-3-2018.
Roughly 14.8 million people currently have no access to healthcare, and more than three million people have fled their homes…Severe water shortages combined with airstrikes, sniper attacks and a fuel blockade have rapidly turned this conflict into a humanitarian crisis.
https://www.msf.org.uk/country/yemen
‘Since March, 2011, the Syrian civil war has lowered life expectancy by as much as 20 years. We describe demographic, spatial, and temporal patterns of direct deaths of civilians and opposition combatants from conflict-related violence in 6 years of war. METHODS: We analysed conflict-related violent deaths with complete information on date, place, and cause of death and demographic group occurring from March 18, 2011, to Dec 31, 2016, recorded by the Violation Documentation Center (VDC). We included civilian and combatant deaths in all Syrian governorates, excluding government-controlled areas. We did not include detainees and missing persons, nor deaths from siege conditions or insufficient medical care. We categorised deaths based on VDC weapon type. FINDINGS: The VDC recorded 143 630 conflict-related violent deaths with complete information between March 18, 2011, and Dec 31, 2016. Syrian civilians constituted 101 453 (70.6%) of the deaths compared with 42 177 (29.4%) opposition combatants.
Direct deaths were caused by wide-area weapons of shelling and air bombardments in 58 099 (57.3%) civilians, including 8285 (74.6%) civilian women and 13 810 (79.4%) civilian children, and in 4058 (9.6%) opposition combatants. Proportions of children among civilian deaths increased from 8.9% (388 of 4254 civilian deaths) in 2011 to 19.0% (4927 of 25 972) in 2013 and to 23.3% (2662 of 11 444) in 2016. Of 7566 deaths from barrel bombs, 7351 (97.2%) were civilians, of whom 2007 (27.3%) were children. Of 20 281 deaths by execution, 18 747 (92.4%) were civilians and 1534 (7.6%) were opposition combatants…
INTERPRETATION: Aerial bombing and shelling rapidly became primary causes of direct deaths of women and children and had disproportionate lethal effects on civilians, calling into question the use of wide-area explosive weapons in urban areas. Increased reliance on aerial bombing by the Syrian Government and international partners is likely to have contributed to findings that children were killed in increasing proportions over time, ultimately comprising a quarter of civilian deaths in 2016. The inordinate proportion of civilians among the executed is consistent with deliberate tactics to terrorise civilians. Deaths from barrel bombs were overwhelmingly civilian rather than opposition combatants, suggesting indiscriminate or targeted warfare contrary to international humanitarian law and possibly constituting a war crime.
Guha-Sapir, D., Schluter, B., Rodriguez-Llanes, J. M., Lillywhite, L., and Hicks, M. H. Patterns of civilian and child deaths due to war-related violence in Syria: a comparative analysis from the Violation Documentation Center dataset, 2011-16. Lancet Glob.Health 6(1), e103-e110. 2018.
Heedy
I am a fully paid up member of the SNP, I never miss a Rally or Protest.
And unlike you, if somebody who supports another Party or has a different view on Scottish Independence to me, I would not hound that person off the site.
Why can’t you have a civilised discussion with someone without dragging the whole site into a Heedy rampage.
As I have said before, You want to grow up and give everybody on Wings a break.
Sky news says Russia will mount a massive cyber attack on Britain following any more air srikes
Like I’ve said before you don’t need bombs to take down a country and bring it to a standstill when you’ve got some clever people with a laptop, and the *UK* is about to find that out when they can’t launch a plane for fear of it dropping out of the sky, or when everything stops working
Even little countries can do that
Chris Deerin of the Daily Mail’s written this, to reopen the constitutional debate, at the Daily Mail:D
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/04/why-unionists-should-stop-attacking-nicola-sturgeons-foreign-trips
If Scotland continues down the path of social democracy, as seems likely, it will have to find ways to foot the rising bill beyond constant hikes in personal taxation. It will have to aggressively tackle the existing weaknesses in its economy. It will have to adapt to whatever new strains are caused by Brexit. It will have to get very serious about the condition of its economy, and especially its private sector.
Perhaps this requires the reopening of the constitutional debate – maybe not as far as independence, but certainly with a view to strengthening the Scottish government’s economic toolkit. “
The people of Syria have been out the streets of their cities and towns tonight singing their national anthem, waving their flags and praising their President, Assad.
You wont see or hear that in our media. Would expose the lies.
It’s always good when you get a document that gives a coherent, referenced account of what Syria and their sad state is all about.
This is the best account, easily read, no bullshit, just the facts pulled together by old fashioned investigative methods, I’ve seen in a while.
For those, on here, that point the finger, shouting conspiracy nutters, just try putting aside your dearly held prejudices.
There are very good reasons only 3 countries went into bomb, nothing to do with humanitarian reasons. The Tories? Humane? Grenfell is their barometer.
Trump, May and Macron were visited literally two weeks prior by the Saudi Crown Prince, and they are beholden to him.
See if the pieces fall into place.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_Sycamore
Heedtracker @ 12.08
Whit measly arrogance.
Nicola can it seems, get some good trade deals by going abroad,so let’s look at how to get her some of the powers to do better,and not criticise her efforts.
This is good for the UK
Oh but this far and nae further.
Then Westminster gets to once again benefit from Scotland’s efforts.
Naw,Naw,and Naw …..We need out of this bloody Union,and no Scottish politician then need be discussed in this way!
They will have the freedom to negotiate all available trade deals,without London Magazines having to point out Westminster really shouldn’t get in the way.
Winston Churchill meeting with Ibn Saud whom he showered with money and gifts. Britain foisted Wahhabism on the region. He gifted Ibn Saud a special Rolls-Royce in the mid-1940s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=QSvaRjRZrDE&ab_channel=CrimesofBritain
Perhaps Assad should request the assistance of China in providing monitors and advisors in Syria.
After all, China has no religious dog in the fight, couldn’t care from Sunni or Shia and also has never participated in any of the East-West proxy wars which plague the region. It has no political baggage in that respect.
It does, however, have a vested interest in peace in the region because the new Silk Road, funded by the AIB, is a major strategic project for the Chinese and goes slap bang through Iran and Eastern Syria.
Just a thought.
P.S.
China is also half the distance from Syria than the USA.
@Heed / Liz g
Here’s some thoughts as where I see the “constitution”.
The Continuity Bill was precisely timed, to be before the end date for any negotiations over the “power grabbed” 25 powers. It means May and the UK Gov have only till Wednesday to put in place a challenge, and that sets the UK Gov, Mundell and Keen, firmly against the current devolution settlement in Scotland. It therefore unites the devolution parties which include the SNP and Greens, but also include Labour and LibDems who have been forced to make a stand against the Tories.
If May chickens out, that damage is already done, there has been common cause, and it makes it esasier for that to be repeated.
If May proceeds, then it makes that split permanent – for the time being, and if she wins, sets in stone that split. She can then proceed with the EU Withdrawal Bill in its current state, if she wants, and it will be rejected by Holyrood causing a constitutional crisis. Or she “allows” the release of those 25 disputed powers, and that will weaken the bindings of the UK.
If she loses, then the Continuity Bill is law, and she then has the choice of ignoring it and putting in place Westminster legislation as it stands that efectively breaks that law. Clearly Holyrood doesn’t give consent so we have a consitutional crisis. If they do make the changes in the Lords, damage has been done, she loses doubly. Awareness will have increased, the four parties will have been united for longer. And again, it weakens the ties of the UK as Holyrood and Westminster pursue different paths on agriculture, fisheries etc.
So in a lot of ways it’s win win, but with the risk of the actual diminishment of Holyrood – which in itself would probably weaken the ties of the union anyway.
P.P.S that should be AIIB, apologies to our Irish cousins.
@ Chick McGregor
The Chinese are supporting Russia, just not reported. They moved their warships alongside the Russians, when it was kicking off.
I’m heartily sick of folk moaning about the SNP need to tell us in every detail about Independence and money and future and on and on and on or I’ll not vote for it
Westminster of any colour tells you NOTHING ever and then breaks every promise of every kind it ever makes and starves folk to death while they tell them there’no magic money tree as they send off jets around the world to blow up a big shed or a van at the cost of millions in the hope of making themselves strong and stable and more electable to England which overules all votes on everything in Scotland and once again we get stuck with governments we didn’t vote for or want but who insist we did and it’s for our own good so shut up
While Scotland argues over a dotted I or a crossed T
The whole world keeps telling Scotland we’ve got the best leader and party so do it leave the Westminster buggers you’ll do fine
But Naw Scotland does what it always does *but whit aboot this and whit aboot that*
Get Independence first and then *Whitaboot* !!!When you’re allowed to make the decisions, because you’re not allowed to wipe yer Arse at the moment without Westminsters say so
@yesindyref2
A good analysis. Just the last paragraph. You can imagine the vocal crowing of Unionists if powers are lost to Holyrood.
I would sincerely hope it loosened our ties, but I feel doubtful. I don’t know what’s required to raise Scots up out of their coma.
I see 750k Catalonians on the streets this weekend, and huge crowds, and imaginative campaigns are routine to them. I feel a bit ashamed Scotland’s not doing the same.
Skripal and Syria are a distraction, and Sturgeon handled both perfectly. That might hack off some very anti-UK state people, but they are by that nature still going to vote YES and SNP, if they are at the moment. What she has done is what would be expected – support the UK Government while expressing reservations, which she did far more cleverly than Corbyn. Her first action was support, second reservations whereas Corbyn was the other way around, the wrong way around. He’s not very clever with words.
On the other hand it’s impressed NO and undecided voters, and silenced the vocal activists. The thing is the First Minister of Prime Minister has difficult choices, and perhaps particularly so in foreign affairs and defence. Sturgeon has shown she can handle it. The only slight criticism I’d have is popping off at Trump, she neds to underplay that one in future. I’d say most people by now realise Trump is a fruitcake short a few raisins, but in foreign affairs you have to back your “allies” some times, even if you don’t like their leaders.
@Valerie
Well, last figures showed that less than 10% of Scotland wants to see Holyrood abolished, or even weakened. So if that happens it’s against the will of over 90% of the voters of Scotland. That’s got to make a lot of people think again. It’s a slower path, but perhaps a certain one.
Valerie
Well, yes, in a global context China traditionally supports Russia – fact of life, if life is the correct contextual expression here.
However, my point is that China has no political baggage in the Middle East, it has not been involved, so it is neither influenced by religious baggage whether Sunni, Shia, Christian or Judaic.
While it may have a leaning to support Russia in the Great Game aspect of the East West proxy wars fought in the region, I suspect that that is not with any great conviction.
Its main strategic imperative is to carry through its own major project of establishing a new Silk Road connecting Europe to Eastern Asia hence benefitting its own economy and, to be fair, the economy of a great many other nations on route.
A project the success of which would be very much enhanced by the break out of peace and stability in the Middle East.
Furthermore, a project which arguably may also benefit more from Western economic ideological ideas than Russian
It may not be an ideal arbiter, there is no such thing on the planet, but one thing it does have and I would suggest, uniquely, if for different reasons, is enormous clout with both Russia and the West.
i.e. Whatever findings they made are guaranteed to be listened to by both sides.
I’m on a run now!
Third thing is the Wishart thing,, and depute leader election. This, like the chemical thing, is a distraction, but it’s OUR distraction. At the very least it shows we’re not a cult, and that SNP politicians speak with different tongues. It also allows us a noisy way of saying “we want Indy Ref 2”. The Unionist are delighted so they go on about a split in the Indy movement. But at the same time they’re also going on about Indy Ref 2. Thanks, suckers 🙂
Meanwhile the soft NOes and undecideds are watching – and thinking. Basically speaking, it’s an Indy debate but on our terms. That doesn’t happen very often.
Yesindyref2 @ 1.04
That’s pretty much how I see it too!
Except for….
Are we sure that there’s been no back door midnight legislation recently?
But nevertheless the stand off is coming…. interesting times indeed!
Fourth of course is the pack of 6 or more trolls, maybe including multiple identity ones, and I love it, they’re doing exactly what we want, putty in Heed’s hands, allowing him to do what he’s best at.
Nice one, Heed 😎
Yesindyref2 @2.05
I think May will try to portray it as a…….Who Governs….. issue like one of the 70s prime minister did.
With of course the constant reminder that we voted for Westminster to govern in 2014!
@Liz g
Yes, they keep on about that NO vote. But that also highlights the VOW which, whether delivered or not, was about MORE powers for Holyrood not less. Maybe I’m feeling in an extra optimistic mood tonight, but I also see that as them fighting our cause for us. It’s possible they’re now in a Catch-22 position that whatever they say or do is for us, not agin us.
Anyway, downloaded series 1 of Legion, slow start but looks like it might be good. Just started episode 2 and I think maybe Heed is starring as the memory doctor, in terms of the character’s ability at least!
There is more support for Independence in Scotland than in Catalonia. 50% in Scotland. 40% in Catalonia. Unqualified comparisons will damage the Scottish Ibdependence Movement. Catalonia/Spain has 4 months holidays a year. Easter, Summer, Christmas. Traditional. Religious. Different culture etc. Plenty time to turn out in the streets. Instead of being at work.
The Tories now killing off their own supporters in the rest of the UK. The elderly. Elderly deaths up 117% in the rest of the UK. Vote Tory to die younger. Council elections 3rd of May in the rest of the UK. The Tory unionists are illegally killing people worldwide. The Westminster warmongers. May and the Hedge funder are getting £2Million in perks. £100Million jet. While people are being illegally sanctioned and starved.
Johnston is a imbecile. A criminal and a crook like most of the rest of the Westminster sycopaths and their associates. Embezzling public money like there is no tomorrow. On grotesque projects of no value with no business case. In consultancies, fees and bank charges. On worthless projects. HS2. Hinkley Point. Japan 127Million pop (nearly double). Densely populated. UK 65.5Million pop. Scotland has been depopulated by Westminster centralist economic policies based on London S/E. Westminster Home Office now illegally chucking people out of Scotland with absolutely no authority or reasonable cause. Totally illegally changing the rules and the goal posts.
Since 1990’s the Russian (USSR) pop has fallen 150Million. Halved. 150Million people have been given self determination, freedom and democracy? For economic reasons. Putin has cut poverty in Russia by half. Fallen 50% No wonder the Russians love Putin. The highest rating of any world politican.The rest can only look on and envy.
Before the 1990’s the Russian (USSR) Confederation pop was the same as the US 300million. Now US pop 320Million. The US spends 50% of taxes raised on the military. On redundant weaponry which is never used. Then pollutes the world. People in the US can’t get a proper education or proper healthcare and die because of it. The US pollutes the world. Tax evaders and criminals. The Arms race in the 1970’s and 1980’s was bankrupting the US and Russia, They had to have de armourment treaties.
Israel the apartheid State is a US military base in the Middle East. Balfour 1917 It would not exist without US money. The UK/US support the most despot, absolute monarchy in the world. Saudi None of these policies would be tolerating in the US/UK but the US/UK Gov support them in these States. Total hypocrites. Saudi (Israel) going bankrupt and having to modernise. Oil rights sold off to investors. Fracked Gas leading to their demise. Instead of investment in renewables. Britain and France (US interests) carved up the Middle East and have done nothing but illegal meddle ever since.
Since the 1990’s in China poverty has fallen 80% still a lower average standard of living but improvements. China has had a ‘one child’ policy which has created a population imbalance. Now ‘two child’. If they let people chose the population would fall, but more slowly.
The US/UK has engaged in illegal wars. Bombing the Middle East to bits for years causing death and poverty worldwide. Causing the worst migration crisis in Europe since the 11WW. Now the most unequal countries in the world with the most debt. The Tories have been taxing the Scottish Oil sector at 40% since 2016 ruining it. Scotland has lost £Billions and 120,000+ jobs. The Tories ruined the fishing industry for over 40 years. The fishing minister was a Tory from the Home Counties. They took the extra CAP payments intended for Scotland. Mad cow came from Alabama. Cost a fortune. Beef exports were banned for years from Scotland.
More Oil and Gas has to be imported putting up the balance of payments deficit and the debt. Scotland exports £30Billion (without the Oil sector which the Tories have ruined). £15Billion to the EU. £5Billion? overseas and £10Billion? to the rest of the UK. Scotland exports more (50%) to the EU and gets more grants, investment from the EU, renewables and CAP payments. Scotland benefits more from the EU than from the UK taking £Billions from Scotland. Trying to keep,it secret under the Official Secrets Act. Iraq, Dunblane, Lockerbie kept secret for 100 years.
The Westminster crooks have illegally taken £Billions out of Scotland and wasted it. On illegal wars, tax evasion and financial fraud, most of them should be in jail. They are psycho bastards who are unfit for public office. Their own description.They even gerrymandered the political system without authority, Cheated and lied in every Ref and election. Illegally buying elections and gerrymandering. Most of them should be declared null and void. The Pollsters manipulate the vote for money. Totally illegal.
Vote SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence. Get someone else to vote.
Can someone please explain why it took 110 missiles(approx) to taken out 3 sites?
Minimum pricing in May. Direct China flights June.
The missiles are just a distraction. A cover up for other actions. A fraud and fake. May defrauding. Trump faking it.
Few seriously mess with the Chinese. 1.2Billion of them. The Chinese do not seriously meddle with others. They have enough problems. Feeding a Billion. They and the Russians protect their borders. They have been invaded too many times. With devastating effects. It held back their economic development.
O/T
I see indy supporters repeat something all the time as if it is true, or a commandment from god, and it is this; ‘If we hold indyref2 and lose, we cannot have another referendum’.
It is absolute baloney, and in fact is a line perpetrated by unionists for many years. They said it before indyref1 was even possible.
So, please indy supporters, please stop repeating this idiotic mantra. We will hold as many referenda as needed until we get rid of abusive English colonial control over our country. When people vote in a general election, they do not elect Tories and then say, well now we will have no more elections. It is patent nonsense.
The unionist media and the English unionist
mpuppets in Scotland have repeatedly perpetrated this nonsense, and it seems like many in the indy movement have swallowed it, hook, line and sinker.It isn’t true. Stop saying it, but more importantly, stop THINKING it. It is such a defeatist attitude. We fight, fight and fight on, until we throw off the English yoke, that is holding Scotland back.
@Alastair
Sure. The first thing is that the air defences have to be overwhelemed, so they don’t take out all the missiles. If only 6 per target were fired for instance there would be a good chance they would be taken out and none get through. On this point nobody was sure that the Russians wouldn’t deploy their air defences which would have taken out more (they didn’t).
Second thing is that though these are bunker busters, it can take more than one to penetrate, then another couple or more to destroy, then another few to destroy the chemicals to avoid contamination of the surroundings.
Incidentally, it looks possible that as well as the 4 Tornados to fire the Storm Shadows, there were 4 Typhoons to provide air supoort.
@Robert Louis
Snap! I just commented on that on Carolyn Leckie’s article.
The timing is important. It would be better to win it. Why people obsess about timing within a few year parameter. A year here and there. Will not make much difference overall. It is just important to win it. There will still be negotiations in any case. Until then the SNP Gov is doing a really good job. Pity about the unionists crooks and liars.
Pity about the Unionists Parties. No wonder there are so few of them. Racists, bigots, misogynists and liars. They can’t count or read a balance sheet. Waste public money like their is no tomorrow. The only reason they join Unionist political parties is for what they can get. People join the SNP for what they can give. Entirely different motivations. Altruistic not greedy.
Yesindyref2,
Ha! I just read the leckie article, and saw her stating a similar idea, and thought it really needs to stop, people saying that. It is a unionist baloney argument. I had not read your comments, and cannot comment there myself, otherwise I would have done the same thing.
It kind of irks me, that so many regurgitate it, as though it is written in stone.
Otherwise a good article. The SNP need to start setting the narrative, instead of just responding to things. That requires leadership.
As an aside, just caught some complete English nobody on SKY news telling people that “the first polar bear born in ‘Britain’, is located in inverness-shire”. Definitely NOT in Scotland though. Ssssh…don’t mention the ‘S’ word.
@Robert Louis
Your posting is much better than mine, if you don’t have a login do you mind if I repost it as “posted elsewhere by someone” (no name)?
Something Ken500 said above made me think – when we are independent would our government be able to “unlock” for instance, the report on the Dunblane shooting?
Robert Louis says:
16 April, 2018 at 7:45 am
O/T
I see indy supporters repeat something all the time as if it is true, or a commandment from god, and it is this; ‘If we hold indyref2 and lose, we cannot have another referendum’….
I hear that Robert Louis, but what you are describing is the impact of an active Unionist campaign process which is simply not being contested by our side. It’s pernicious, it is constant, it has all the resource of the British Establishment backing it, but it is not responsible for YES being parked up a quiet Cul-de-sac for four years.
Right now the Unionists can lob a pebble from every direction into the stagnant pool and chuckle as it ripples and gets us all depressed and squabbling. We need reanimated and to rediscover our momentum so the Unionist pebbles are lost in the torrent. It is piss poor management of our resources that nobody seems to care about the morale of our foot soldiers from whom we will very shortly expect so much.
@Robert Louis
Mmm, I’d want to get rid of the English bit, or the unionists would play the anti-English part, edit it a little.
Scotsman masquerading as English language edition of El Pais this morning with its coverage of Catalan “separatists” and long opinion piece extolling the wonderful Spanish government’s handling of the ("Tractor" - Ed)s.
Mass grave found at Culloden. In the papers today, the mass grave of the officers who were SLAUGHTERED by cumberlands soldiers AFTER the battle.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5618085/Ground-penetrating-radar-mass-grave-Highlanders-massacred-Battle-Culloden.html
Robert Louis @ 7.45
Totally agree. This last chance nonsense is just accepting the Britnat point of view. I totally reject it. If the people of Scotland vote for a referendum then that is what should happen. One every four years if needed. Wear them down. They will lose. NEVER GIVE UP. It took 20 years from the first pockled vote to get the Scottish Parliament. Quick or slow we will get there. Preferably quick.
Independence supporters always keep your head up and give the Britnats hell. Westminster is a disgusting corrupt institution only matched by its propaganda outlets..
BAIRNS NOT BOMBS
It seems the Herald’s apology to the FM last week was not worth paper it was written on if the small item in the Diary section of today’s paper is anything to go by.
The item is about some unnamed group coming to play at Oran Nor in December and is accompanied by a photo of the front page of the SCOTTISH Daily Express showing the headline:
‘Sturgeon in China crisis’ no mention of any group
So clearly determined to get the last word.
“Negotiations on a future UK-EU trade agreement will not begin until after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019”
https://openeurope.org.uk/daily-shakeup/uk-eu-future-trade-deal-negotiations-will-not-start-before-brexit-say-eu-officials/
While that shouldn’t come as a surprise, I don’t think a lot of Indy supporters have fully taken in board what that means to us.
At this stage (barring failure to agree the exit treaty) we know all we are likely to know about Brexit until late 2020.
We know the terms of the exit treaty, we do not know the details of the final UK/EU relationship. If we believe May’s red lines then we can expect it to be Canada-ish. And that is where we will be for two and a half years.
It’s my firm opinion we cannot leave ScotRef until late 2020.
In some ways the exact form of Brexit has been removed from the debate. There is nothing more to wait and see within an acceptable timescale. We should therefore call ScotRef sooner than later.
“It’s my firm opinion we cannot leave ScotRef until late 2020. ”
Given the incumbent cabal’s previous, by 2020 or shortly thereafter, we could be looking at a UK that has not only left the EU but has also left the ECHR, the ICCPR and passed a Grayling penned Bill of Rights removing Scot’s right to self determination.
BREAKING from Pravda Quay
with Union Jackie Kim Ono:
https://i.imgur.com/2TRVAYW.jpg
I can’t do the links thing, but can I recommend the latest from EUReferendum.com for info about Brexshit and Bad. Very informative.
Lets keep it simple on Brexit, its all bad, and there’s nothing good about it. It really is that simple. Pick one subject close to your heart and learn it and only touch on the others, it affects everything!
Medicines, NHS, Food Quality, Holidays with Pay, health and safety, Shift workers protection, animal welfare, water quality, aviation, car manufacturing, Pharma, shipping, lorry drivers, human rights, farming, fishing, but overwhelmingly its about Trashing the economy. Mass unemployment and the deepest recession ever, does not amount to ‘taking back control’.
Its Brexshit and Bad, we’re the safe vote now.
I don’t know about anyone else, but the Rev’s article ‘elephant in the courtroom’ has really taken my legs out from under me.
The SNP will have to articulate and deliver a very clear plan on this soon… or we will, and I’m not sure how we do that.
Anyway, best wishes to all. Now we must. Bairns not Bombs.
Strong stuff for coffee time from Wales, Leanne Wood
1 hr ·
Plaid Cymru AS
“The fact that Westminster is threatening Wales with court action because we legislated to defend our democratic values, speaks volumes for the kind of state the UK is.
This is far from a partnership of equals where we resolve differences through respectful negotiation. The Secretary of State for Wales has proven himself to be little more than May’s puppet in Wales and he is doing her dirty work of power-stripping the National Assembly for Wales, against the democratic wishes of the Welsh people.
The vote to leave the EU was not a vote to take powers away from Wales. I am confident that any court will find that Wales has acted constitutionally in defending itself from a bare-faced Tory power-grab.”
Think its a response to these tory gits. We’re all “rebels” now.
http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2018-04-15/wales-continuity-bill-supreme-court/
Not quite Beeb Scotland gimp levels of tory attack propaganda but getting there.
@ galamcennalath – except for one thing – the UK may decide to stay in the EU. They might start a diversionary war with Russia – big diversion – or stage a second referendum, or May might resign, or call another GE, or any number of devious plans may emerge between now and March 2019.
So if the Scottish Government announce a seond referendum on the principle of a material change of circumstance such as leaving the EU against our will, we better be certain that that is what is happening.
There are other material changes of circumstance available. Starting an illegal war with a nuclear state would be major IMO. Going to court to neuter the Scottish Parliament would be another.
Neverendum.
A wonderfull made up word from the British establishment….
“You only get ONE go”
Me? I call referendums democracy and I support democracy.
The root of the British establishment’s problem is that they believe they have a fundamental right to rule on what is and is not acceptable.
Let’s go for it…….we really have nothing to lose.
@ Phronesis, good post on the Yemen tragedy!
@ auld highlander – archived version of the Culloden mass grave story. You have to scroll down to reach it.
http://archive.li/Q1slp
‘Jihadism’ has always arisen as a result of alien meddling in Arab affairs. Plenty of history to support that from Napoléon on. These events will spawn yet more.
Chick, galamcennalath,
Agreed. 2020? That’s a long way off, in politics, if you count up all the weeks.
England (or England’s government) will never negociate in the true interests of Scotland, so why let them, even for a day, if there’s an alternative?
Independence – for a seat at every table.
And at those negociations we start out wirh our talented people, our vast natural resources and our strategic location as cards to play.
We don’t want to sit behind the UK delegation, who front up to the EU with England’s aggressive elitism, offshore tax avoiding capital, reliance on global conflict, feudal privilege, Boris Johnson.
“You only get ONE go”
So EUref2 was invalid then.
Capella says:
True, but since I believe their Union is more important to them than anything else, their actions will be to dictated by that. I am sure their plan is to play for time. And that involved keeping Brexit out of the lime light for as long as possible.
I believe May is manoeuvring to make it difficult to use Brexit as the trigger worthy big change.
My point is that Brexit can’t be at the centre of ScotRef, its justification or campaign.
Indeed. We now have a large bucket of material change to present – exclusion, disrespect, broken promises – the UK now is not the UK on offer in 2014.
We need a camel breaking straw to trigger ScotRef. An attack on the devolution settlement would be better than Brexit.
Imagine the howls if she’d had to rent during the Festival.
Fred says 10:13 am
@ Phronesis, good post on the Yemen tragedy!
………..11.32PM
Yes, horrendous accurate figures depicting a modern hell. The global shame that is both Yemen and Syria.
Capella says:
16 April, 2018 at 10:06 am
@ galamcennalath – except for one thing – the UK may decide to stay in the EU….
But that argument is a double edged sword which cuts both ways.
Suppose we took the initiative over Brexit, cited Westminster’s disrespect for our sovereign constitution as merely one more brick in the wall, but that whatever the dithering Brits eventually decide to do, Scotland is thoroughly wearied by their incompetence and is looking after its own sovereign interests regardless.
If we Scots take the initiative, any stepping away from Brexit for the UK becomes an argument whether Westminster is running scared of Brexit or a Scottish Sovereign initiative, and that I believe will be a red rag to a bull for Brexiteers like Rees-Mog, Farage and Johnson. Even if they are sidelined and a more moderate crew take over, if you can think of anything more likely to harden the resolve of BritNats than Scotland taking the initiative away from them, then I’d like to hear it.
I have hated the concept from the day it was announced, because this “waiting to see the final Brexit Deal” is absolute DEATH to us. While we defer to that arbitrary open ended judgement, Theresa May will continue to hold ALL the initiative over Brexit, and we are hamstrung and sidelined in everything we do. We MUST alter strategy. We KNOW ENOUGH about Brexit to know it is a catastrophe in waiting, and we must free ourselves from this mental prison we have created for ourselves, and rapidly engineer a robust and animated strategy to defeat Scotland’s Brexit, AND Scotland’s unconstitutional subjugation.
Post Brexit there is no knowing in which buccaneering and gungho direction England’s foreign policy may go. Whatever the direction Scotland must be free to go its own way and makes its own alliances.
@Capella / @galamcennalath
“Going to court to neuter the Scottish Parliament”
Yes, even going to court is a material change, whatever the result. Ultimately Indy Ref 2 might have nothing to do with Brexit, not directly anyway. So the first step is to wait and see what happens or not by Wednesday, the deadline for the court action to be initiated. Then – I don’t know, one step at a time to the self-destruction of the UK! Currently it’s not Sturgeon with the big red button, it’s May.
@ Breeks – Nicola’s timetable is still valid IMO. In October 2018 the final deal should be circulated to all 27 EU states for their agreement. By March 2019 the decision becomes final.
That 6 month period is when we are able to consider the proposal and decide whether to assert our right to to remain in the EU, perhaps with a short transition period.
50.000 brown people face deportation and in case you didn’t know these folk came from the Windrush islands in the 50s and 60s as children, they collected our bins they drove our buses they worked in our NHS and they were all considered British
but since Brexit all of a sudden they’re not British, they’re foreign just like the EU citizens that the Tories both Blue and Red want rid of but there’s no need to worry other colours of people this doesn’t mean you too it’s only other people, Isn’t it?
So when the leavers voted Brexit this is what they’ve got, but then again I have a feeling it’s exactly what they wanted
Today Theresa May will talk say nothing and move on to the next part of the Westminster plan for total control over everything, removing and reducing the powers of Parliament and Parliaments to bring about the British style dictatorship they used to enjoy without being burdoned by the trivialities and nuisances of pretendy democracy
Be afraid cower and hope what’s happening won’t affect you, or get to your feet and say NO, Scotland has a chance to do that or are you going to *jist wait and see*
A better, assured performance from Ian Blackford there in an interview with Adam Boulton on Sky News.
Saying the SNP will vote against any further action in Syria without UN approval.
Breeks @10.48 ‘We KNOW ENOUGH about Brexit to know it is a catastrophe in waiting’…You and I do but the ordinary person in the street doesn’t because the MSM is not telling them. I think the fishermen now know the reality that they’ve been mugged. We have to wait till the final deal in the autumn and the BBC and the MSM will HAVE to announce it. Until then we just make sure we are ready to go.
Does anybody know who is fighting who in Syria.???
All I see is May and Macron making arses of themselves, competing with each other to see who gets to sit on Donald’s lap.
Apart from that, I haven’t got a clue what is going on in Syria.
So Treeza,,Not in my name hen.
The Festival. Hotel charges are extranomical. Airb&b 150 family sized apartments. (Fully booked?) 1million pop. Texts sent saying they are available, (with stars and all) 24 hours to reply. Not available at all. Two apartments can’t be reserved or visitors can be charged. Credit card details. They need personal details. D/L, P/P photo ID. Agencies/booking companies can and have been hacked. Booking.com. Fake e-mails have been sent fraudulently ,demanding balances be sent to false bank accounts. Hotels can be booked with flexi charges. Majority are full. Limited accommodation. Only pre booked. Full payment. It is much cheaper to stay outside Edinburgh.
Saying the SNP will vote against any further action in Syria without UN approval.
Except Strong and Stable Teresa is not allowing any vote?
The Graun’s usual SNP exclusion zone from their UK completely indy2 but,
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/15/theresa-may-to-tell-mps-syria-airstrikes-were-in-uks-interest
“Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, accused the prime minister of failing to consult parliament because she feared losing a vote. “Theresa May had a chance to try and persuade parliament but bottled out of it through weakness,” he said.”
Some people voted for Brexit not realising they could be deported or lose their job.
The vote was rigged. Cambridge Analytica illegally influenced the result. SCL. The Tories bought the election. Criminal behaviour. Gerrymandering. They should be put in prison.
Nick Hancock (Murdoch) a Tory Brexiteer is in charge of the investigation. Another cover up? They are useless incompetent. Anyone who believes what they say is taken in.
Caribbean nations demand solution to ‘illegal immigrants’ anomaly;
http://archive.is/m07BB
Indy2 says:
16 April, 2018 at 11:05 am
Does anybody know who is fighting who in Syria.???
Us, the grand ole UK. Last week it was headline news indy2. RAF bombers attacking various Syrian targets with fire and forget StormShadow missiles. Not sure why its forget although it must look good on their sales brochure. You probably don’t forget, if one hits you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43769322
The RAF crews involved in the overnight strikes on a Syrian chemical weapons target were well prepared for this operation.
For the past three years they’ve regularly been carrying out bombing missions against the group known as Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. For that they’ve been able to fly directly over targets in uncontested airspace dropping Paveway bombs or firing their smaller Brimstone missiles.”
Hope that helps indy3.
‘We’re not trying to stifle debate here’ says Kaye Adams this morning, seconds after shouting down a caller and cutting him off, who was saying the BBC and MSM arent telling the whole story on Syria…classic
@Yesindyref2
That’s about the size of it.
Basically one parliament taking the other to court because…. reasons. Oh, and it’s not a power grab.
Westminster has lost before it’s even begun, ‘almost’ regardless of result. Though it’s by no means a slam dunk. The very action Westminster are taking destroys forever their rhetoric on partnership. It’s a circle they can now never square. By seeking to take without agreement. By seeking to silence an opposing POV. By seeking to crush resistance, they’ve pretty much destroyed their own line in unity bullshit. *shrugs* Their choice.
Westminster will be Westminster. It’s the very nature of the beasty that will bring about the thing it fears most.
Breeks, Agreed.
We cannot be led to the brink of ruin by ignorance, lies and vanity ever again.
I find it difficult to understand anybody who wants independence for Scotland that thinks there must be a list of caveats ticked off so we are allowed to have our voices heard.
Surely the SNP being voted in on that specific mandate is enough. We don’t need it tied to EVEL or Brexit or power grabs or a signed Edinburgh Agreement or only if it doesn’t upset anyone.
We have an independence referendum because that’s what we democratically voted for.
The Swiss have the right idea. It’s an obligation to have your voice heard not a fucking privilege.
@Glamaig
Aye! Heard that while in the car. 🙂
But also heard well known shortbread speed dial artiste Edwina Curry telling us not to worry so plugged my ears with wax…seemed to work for Odysseus and the Argonauts.
Also helped with her indoors and her lists… eventually she gave up and put on Absolute Radio.
OT Since war is in the news, when it comes back round to Poppy day 11/11, can I suggest Indy Supporters were 2 Poppies next to one another.
The death rate in WW1 for Scots was 2:1 compared with rUK.
If anyone asks why are you wearing 2 poppies – all we need to answer is ‘out of respect for the fallen’ and say nothing more…. but it sends a message…. and the real reason/word will go out.
I appreciate the Poppy thing has been hijacked, and there are very good reasons for changing it, but lets get Indy first.
We are going to need all the messages we’ve got.
Some KD doubt seeds to sow:
Whit if the UK efter Brexit says nae mair German chain stores in the UK. Nae mair Aldi, Lidl or Deichmann? Whit dae we dae then?
Nae mair Bosman tae, that came oot o the EU Treaty did it no? Whit if we cannae get even second rate furrin players fur the auld firm teams? Disasteroony, ahm tellin ye.
So last week indy2, UK suddenly flipped from bombing the baddies? ISIS for three years and started the goodies? Syria.gov.
“For the past three years they’ve regularly been carrying out bombing missions against the group known as Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. For that they’ve been able to fly directly over targets in uncontested airspace dropping Paveway bombs or firing their smaller Brimstone missiles.
But this time there were greater risks. Unlike IS, both the Syrian regime and its ally Russia have sophisticated air defences. If the RAF Tornados flew directly over their target there was the added danger they’d become a target too.”
The beeb gimp here is not of a, lets say philosophical bent, is he, indy2?
Ours is not to reason why, ours is to bullshit suckers into accepting that lobbing multi million quid bombs on to civil wars in hot countries, is an actual real UK gov policy, not a clusterfuck of tory arsewipes without a clue.
Must be a bit weird for both sides on the Syrian civil war though indy2.
They all must be looking up at our super dooper $200+ million jets in their blue skies and wondering who on earth they’re actually going to fire and forget at this week.
dr.jim
every post a gem
thank u
I joined the SNP in 1959 and I waited for the polls to go up.
No, of course I didn’t. I went round the doors, went to meetings and delivered leaflets promoting independence. So can we stop all this nonsense about waiting for the polls to reach 60% before we call a referendum? We don’t own the polls and there will never be a poll published showing us at 60% – unless we do that poll ourselves – and in which case it will be rubbished.
And the fact of the matter is that we will never reach such a winning position unless we campaign for independence. Carolyn Leckie in today’s National is exactly right. The time to campaign is right now when we will never have a better opportunity against an enemy which is in total turmoil .
All the evidence we need is before us. We got 56 MPs out of 59 because there had just been a huge campaign for independence. We then lost lots of them because we ran a pathetic campaign that never mentioned independence.
Running a devolved administration very well in difficult circumstances despite slashed budgets from London – which is what we are doing – is all very well. Due to the media and the UK supporting parties in Scotland we will never get the credit for it and London doesn’t get the blame. Which is why this is the battleground our enemy likes to engage us on.
And surely a devolved administration doing well -were we to ever get the credit – is as good an argument for continued devolution as anything else?
The UK Government has been accused of a “devastating betrayal” after nearly 500 HMRC staff in Dundee were told the planned transfer of their jobs to the Department of Work and Pensions has been shelved.;
https://twitter.com/blacktriangle1/status/985825648068513792
Chick McGregor @ 11.38am
Steady there young man. “second rate furrin players fur the auld firm”. Since when, of late few, if any of the Bigot Brothers’ imports have been above third-rate, and that’s about two levels above most of what the rest are importing.
It will be interesting to see what happens to football in the UK, without free movement. Personally, I want Scottish fitba to go back to what Chick Young dubbed: “the eight diddies rule”. This was the three foreigners rule elsewhere.
Sky news dislikes social media like most of the news outlets do and they criticise Mark Zuckerberg for targeting promotional messages at people who show an interest in particular products….and yet Sky news which is free as is Facebook targets not just interested parties but everybody with advertising and promotion they “didn’t” ask for or even showed interest in, for example, at this moment every few minutes Sky news invites us to participate in the upcoming Royal Wedding, now that isn’t even advertising, that’s free promotion because the Royal Family I’m quite sure isn’t paying Sky news to do that
So which business is more ethical than the other, well you would have to say Facebook because they’re paid to advertise products just like Sky or anyone else but in the case of Sky news they’re promoting their own moral values that they say you must be interested in and if you’re not *we don’t care*
Now here’s the news *Evangelist Style* suck it up suckers or be unpatriotic
*Free Press* shout the press, we must have a free and fair press shouts the government
See if it’s free why would you ever have to devolve the *power of broadcasting* of the control of the freedom of it then?
Do you see what I’m saying?
All the evidence we need is before us. We got 56 MPs out of 59 because there had just been a huge campaign for independence. We then lost lots of them because we ran a pathetic campaign that never mentioned independence.
Dave McEwan Hill, a second Scottish independence referendum does seem like what the Americans call, “good politics.”
But is that not the problem facing the deciders?
Holding indyref2 before next GE’s and losing, could see another landslide SNP Westminster 56. Or maybe not.
A calm, informed, sensible indyref2, next year, based on whether or not Scots wish to Remain in the EU, as nation state Scotland… or keep this union with England, as their northern UK region and under constant tory UK gov’s, with the growing Brexit stresses and strains?
How bad could it get? Ofcourse, calm, informed and sensible indyref2 campaign, is absolutely not what BBC Scotland UKOK vote NO fury is now or will be in the actual campaign.
But its nice to fantasise that we’re not governed by completely ruthless tory chancers and bullshitters.
Now here’s the news *Evangelist Style* suck it up suckers or be unpatriotic
Media moguls like uncle Rupert are coming for Facebook because they’re losing a fortune in revenue to FB.
The whole of UK press is in deep shit today, not just broadcasters like the beeb gimp zone.
Stinky olde The Graun tories for example, have been going phoney prog liberal mental at Facebook for a couple of years now, as clicks to that tory shitrag plummet.
Its going to be really interesting to see if the UK press and the BBC in particular can actually damage Facebook or even get it closed down, within say a year.
All just more reasons to get on Facebook, kids. If there’s no one around to click on stuff like this, well that’s capitalism for you,
https://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/salmondbell.jpg
“I know of no foreign enemy of this country except the British Government.” James Connolly
Well,we’re about a month from the 102 year anniversary of the murder of Scots born James Connolly (co founder of the Scottish Socialist Federation with Keir Hardie)by firing squad in Dublin along with another dozen brave Irishmen who certainly weren’t arguing about the price of a stamp if they became independent or the lifting of the bins.
There’s a few lessons there.
Dr Jim
It’s free at the point of need to know.
If Mr Blackford is the measure it would appear that the SNP has gulped down the Tory tales.
Some backbone, please!
O/T and a bit of light relief ???
http://dailygael.com/god-on-old-firm-game-i-let-celtic-win-to-punish-sabbath-breaking-protestants/
I read this and began wondered what the Hell they are talking about!
“British and EU officials launched a fresh round of Brexit talks today amid fears that the UK could still crash out of the union without a trade deal. …. the trade talks, due to be completed in the autumn, end in failure.”
It looks like they don’t mean trade deal/talks at all, but are referring to the Exit Treaty and the transition arrangements which will be in place after Brexit. A rather odd mistake to make unintentionally.
Anyways, does show how far the ExitTreaty might be from a done deal, and crash out in 11 months is a possibility.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-latest-new-talks-begin-amid-fears-uk-may-crash-out-without-trade-deal-a3815011.html
When UK runs out of brown people who have slogged their guts out for the benefit of UK, Irish will be next.
Irish people, have been traditionally regarded as UK citizens in past, have full Rights to reside and vote (1948 legislation???)
Now Irish are being excluded from applying for the new Border post jobs.
http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/04/16/news/only-british-passport-holders-can-apply-for-brexit-border-force-jobs-1305050/?param=ds441rif44T
What a shithole this is. Apparently, some of the Windrush people have already been deported according to Cathy Newman, Channel 4.
@ Valerie 1.17pm
Not only have they been deported Valerie they are being refused NHS treatment and denied their legal pensions and benefits of which they paid into the UK system all their lives through taxation and national insurance
The tories are blaming the civil servants for this as a cover up for what they tried to sneak through with nobody noticing before it was too late now they’re saying they’ll offer these folk help, well no, reinstate their entitlements first then investigate if there are illegal people if they want to be pedantic about it, the Tories are doing what they always do, sickening ethnic cleansing
Civil servants carry out the wishes of the encumbent government they don’t make policy decisions
Smallaxe says:
Aye, Better Together?
Perhaps a better plan might be to achieve Indy then deploy these folks as the basis for iScotland’s new Revenue and Customs Department based in Dundee!
http://archive.is/ho5YM
gala
i think stus post about the timing of indyref2 was excellent.
he moved the issue from being about the date of indyref2 to the date when we launch the campaign. i think this has focused minds
stu prefers now, as do others, but i think he means the snp conference in june.
your post rightly points out that the “transitional deal” is not certain but come oct, whether there is a deal or not doesnt change the the fact that either result will be bad for scotland. (wm may still reject the deal anyway.)
i’m beginning to think that launching indyref2 in octobre, once negs are over is a possibility. I cant see any major argument for waiting any later than oct.
june-oct, the window is tightening
BBC Scotland lunchtime TV news brushes over the disgraceful comments made by UK Works and Pensions Minister Esther McVey describing the Tory ‘rape clause’ as “potentially providing double support” for the women affected i.e. the extra financial support and also the opportunity to talk to someone about what has happened to them! by merely saying she was heckled with no reference to her actual comments.
BBC Reporting Scotlands take on the Commonwealth Games
It was all very nice and lovely weather but it cost a lot of money and Scotland really is pretty shit
So if Scotland decided not to fund the athletes then on BBCs opinion the report would then be Oh what a disgrace on letting down our country and our marvellous athletes
Embdy got a match?
My apologies if this has already been posted.
Lawyers say the Brexit campaign may have deliberately broken electoral law;
http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-vote-leave-brexit-campaign-could-have-broken-spending-laws-2018-4
A law firm acting for the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee said there is a “prima facie” case that the official Vote Leave Brexit campaign violated electoral spending laws before the EU referendum.
Lawyers at Matrix Partners called for an “urgent investigation” into evidence that the campaign, fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, intentionally flouted spending laws
LONDON — There is a “prima facie” case that the official Vote Leave Brexit campaign violated electoral spending laws during the EU referendum campaign, lawyers acting for a parliamentary committee, have suggested.
In a letter published on Friday by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, lawyers at Matrix Partners called for an “urgent investigation” into evidence that the campaign, fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, intentionally flouted election spending limits by channelling additional funds through a separate but linked campaign.
“We consider that there is a prima facie case that … electoral offences were committed by Vote Leave in the EU referendum campaign,” the legal opinion said.
They added that there should be an “urgent investigation” on whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution.
Their conclusion is based on witness statements given by whistleblower Shahmir Sanni, who worked for Vote Leave, as well as two others involved in the campaign, and supporting documents and computer screen-grabs.
Sanni claimed in March that Vote Leave made a £625,000 donation to an ostensibly independent referendum campaign group called BeLeave. He said the money was then funnelled to digital services firm AIQ, which he claimed was linked to Cambridge Analytica.
But Sanni said the money violated spending laws because it was not a genuine donation, but instead a means by which Vote Leave could circumvent spending limits. He said that Vote Leave actually worked closely with BeLeave and influenced its spending decisions after making its “donation,” meaning the groups were not independent. Donations are not registered as spending.
The letter adds that Vote Leave “should have (but did not) report the AIQ payments in its spending return. If Vote Leave had reported those expenses, it would have exceeded its spending limit at the EU referendum.”
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is investigating the spending of main campaign groups in the referendum as part of a wider investigation into fake news.
@Dr Jim “Embdy got a match?”
Reporting Scotland and my arse.
Even if the UK government change tack and decided to remain in the EU or parts of it, it is too late in my opinion for Scotland to remain in this Union. It has been amply demonstrated that the opinion and the well being of Scotland can be dispensed with too easily by WM politicians.
I want another referendum no matter what happens to the outcome of the EU negotiations. If they thwart a referendum through the courts I want the next election to become a defacto referendum.
Anger as Esther McVey claims r*pe clause gives women ‘opportunity to talk’
http://archive.is/RGs98
OFF TOPIC
I notice, on the Rev’s twitter feed, Neil Slorance was swithering whether to follow Toby Young, Julia double-barrelled Tory Tottie or Mad Murdo Fraser WATP.
Surely you would need to “Follow Follow” Mad Murdo.
jfngw says:
Fair enough!
Stopping a ScotRef would be a dangerous tactic for them, though. Not sure, but my best guess is they’d allow it to go ahead and then in the even of a YES win not cooperate, ignore, prevaricate, and stall indefinitely. I really don’t expect the dissolution of their beloved UKOK talks to go smoothly!
@ Dave, Carolyn Leckie spot-on in the National!
@ Smallaxe, gaun yersel kid!
Wingers this morning..
Good points indeed.
DMH
Waiting for opinion polls of an uninspired mentally-sedentary electorate, knowing what we know about the media and the UK government’s control over agenda, is nuts.
There is no bandwagon or even a magic-bus, that’s literally the Tory’s tactics.
There’s only our movement.
TODAY at the Scottish Parliament: The Tory Rape Clause.
Fury at Esther McVey,Westminster’s Tory Government Work and Pensions Secretary.
YouTube:
https://tinyurl.com/pxdfrru
The only way we’ll get news coverage bad or good is if the campaign gets underway then the media can’t ignore it because they’ll have to get the Yoons on to say how Baad an idea it is to leave the UK when everything’s going so great
Do we think the Scottish public are going to appreciate the BBC sticking on all the same *better togetherers* spouting the same garbage they did last time (great)
Maybe folk’ll start to notice that it’s Not *great* it’s “grate” and this time we’ll maybe have the *silent majority* that the UK fears
#doitlikethecatalans
jfngw
i dont know anyone who thinks brexit wont happen or that indyref2 wont happen either.
the launch of indyref2 will happen either in june or oct.
how will wm react to the launch of indyref2 and the sg’s request for s30?
i’m not sure to be honest, but a GE in may 19 looks possible, if the government is brought down by the tory brexiteers. This would be cast as a vote of confidence in the SG’s mandate but i think we will increase from 35 mps
Schrodingers Cat, 1:42pm
I can’t see any major argument for waiting any later than Oct.(My caps)
I’ll 2nd that. Adding:
The risk to Scotland and our movement by allowing a post-Brexit UK regime of any type to control our future, far outweighs any benefit to campaigning that short-term opinion polls offer.
@Indy2 says: 14 April, 2018 at 10:25 pm:
!Does anybody know where their nearest Nuclear Fallout Shelter is.???
We need to know these things.”
Yup! There is an undeground bunker in The East Neuk o Fife. One big NATO one at Pitrievie Castle at Rosyth, One under Corstorphine Hill and another one mile east of East Calder on the Edinburgh to Calders road. However, I think the only one still in MOD hands is at Pitrievie Castle. There are, obviously, others near every major city as these things, not including the Pitrievie Castle one, were meant for the Hecht heid ains on Scotland to be saved and defended against the common native Scots in the event of hot nuclear war breaking out.
In fact, if it had broken out those inside would have eventually have come out and still have died from the results of the conflict.
These bunkers were little more than comfort blankets and no matter if the inmates had got there before getting irradiated there was no way they could come out when the food ran out into a non-contaminated wilderness.
There is a lot to be said for severing joint liability in a harmonious grown up manner.
There is also a lot to be said for not trusting the UK government. They are an abusive partner with sticky fingers.
If we listed the promises prior to the 2014 referendum, one of the most powerful devolved parliaments, ‘Let’s call it devo-max’ (BBC interviewer), and what actually happened, second class MP’s, devolved powers repatriated, taken out of EU. It’s difficult to understand anyone in Scotland who would not believe they had been lied to, but there appears to be lots of them.
I get the feeling if the Russians decided to make a token retaliation in Scotland they would be fine with that, as long as the union survived.
@Indy2 says: 14 April, 2018 at 11:44 pm:
“Heedy
You are making a complete arse of yourself.
I can’t find any other words to describe your actions.
You need help,,,,,,fast !!!”
Yeah! We all noticed you couldn’t find words, Indy2.
Going by the amount of totally ignorant abuse you hurl around on Wings is testament to the fact you are barely semi-literate.
Craig Murray having a right go at the SNP.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/04/on-believing-mi6/comment-page-1/#comment-739368
Re the cold war bunkers, loads of them on this site.
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/873564/posts
Yeah! We all noticed you couldn’t find words, Indy2.
He’s fine Rab, crunchy, good yoonster roughage:D
Its fascism in the 21st century, UKOK and USA, that’s the real horror show.
Rupert Murdoch’s Fox news late last year, a lot like the BBC in Scotland and what Orange Hitler watches every morning while he gets ready top start his Presidential day at 11am.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijkD_I3ANOA
Like something of a dystopian nazi horror movie, the largest non nuke US bomb drop, what Fox News set to the bizzare Red, White and Blue, while uncle Rupert’s anchorman describes as what freedom looks like.
No wonder Strong and Stable likes bombing Syria so much, either side too.
Dr Jim
“So if Scotland decided not to fund the athletes then on BBCs opinion the report would then be Oh what a disgrace on letting down our country and our marvellous athletes”
I wonder how often they have opposing SNP Bad copies ready to choose from on late breaking SNP decisions.
The SNP should release all their decisions just before broadcast just for the fun of it.
@jfngw 3:49pm
“I get the feeling if the Russians decided to make a token retaliation in Scotland they would be fine with that, as long as the union survived.”
You’re right. And all the rabid Britnats in Scotland would love them for it.
O/T Jeremy Clarkson is an arse I know we know this,but just had to post.I don’t even want Sean Connery back or Mr Connelly or Neil Oliver or Alex McLeish or Michelle Mone (spits). I better stop now or my list could be quite long….
@Andy-B
I’ve criticised Craig Murray several times for the utterences that come out of his chops and in this case he’s wrong again and I’ve told him why
If you’re going to have a go at being a *journalist* then you shouldn’t adopt the same shoddy tactics the Unionist *journalists* do in order to try and sell your version of the bendy truth
He misquoted the FM then proceeded to relate a story about a story to which he had no proof then presented it on a blog as evidence of his non proof, this behaviour does more harm to Independence than good and it should be remembered that he did try to stand as a candidate for a political party who didn’t care for his attitude
The trouble with this behaviour is there are folk who don’t keep as close an eye on what’s actually happening as folk on this site do and they’re liable to believe jokers like this through no fault of their own just because they think he’s on our side when in actual fact Craig Murray is on Craig Murray’s side and that’s a different thing
One wonders who that political party was though, Hmm let me think?
“Conor Murphy MLA has today rejected British government plans to hire British Border Force officials to monitor the British border in Ireland as a result of Brexit.
The Newry Armagh MLA said:
“With this British Border Force recruitment drive, the British government are clearly planning to impose their hard Brexit border across the island of Ireland.
“It shows that the Tories see a hard border as the predetermined outcome of the Brexit negotiations despite the fact they have already agreed to an option to avoid it.
“There can be no Tory-DUP Brexit border across Ireland. This is a deeply damaging, disruptive and dangerous position, rejected overwhelmingly by the people of this island.
“It also points to the Tory-DUP pact’s growing disregard for the Good Friday Agreement, which allows citizens to determine their own identity free from discrimination.
“Not only are they ignoring the democratic expressions of Irish citizens, they’re also actively excluding them by reserving these posts solely for citizens with British passports.
“This is naked discrimination of a public sector position, and a statement of intent to impose a Brexit border in Ireland. Sinn Féin reject both these discriminatory plans unreservedly.”
105 missiles fired at 3 targets, many of the missiles being Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. That do this with 1000lbs warheads… youtu.be/8sa7ZX58Kk4
On the following, no more than 4 missiles would have dealt with the first (sliding graphic) target… The main target with the buildings would have been dust with 6 missiles and the last only appears to show one missile strike…
http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/before-and-after-photos-of-syria-air-strike-show-targets-left-in-ruins/news-story/7f79dee1dae27083e4e6d9c47cf0d558
105 missiles? Really?
Defence & Foreign policy is reserved. It doesn’t matter what the Holyrood Gov says. SNP or otherwise because people voted NO. Ministerial code. The SNP governs for the whole of Scotland.
May Johnston et al are a disgrace. Warmongering liars. The SNP are cut off. SKy/BBC liars etc.
Johnston has been trying to start trouble with Russia etc for years. An imbecile.
Sarkozy took £Millions for Gaddafi then killed him in case Sarkozy was found out. Ditto, Blair, Cameron etc. Sarkozy is now on trial for election embezzlement and fraud.
Dr Jim….5-29pm
‘Craig murray is only interested in Craig Murray’
Clearly…you weren’t invovlved in the recent Crowdfunder for Craig’s court case.Had you been.you would not have splattered a very dribbly omelette over your self.Sir……you’re yet another troll……begone.
Mr Peffers at 3.45pm
I come from the Perthshire Comrie. There is a bunker there at Cultybraggen Camp. When it was built in the 80’s for the special ones from Perthshire it cost (if memory serves) over 5 million pounds and was supposed to be secret (the whole village knew). There was one wee problem with it though. As you will understand the local Retained Fire Brigade had to inspect it on a yearly basis and they always noted the ingress of rain water. Made me feel warm and fuzzy!
I noticed Dr Jim bringing-up the subject of the Commonwealth Games, and how BBC Shortbread covered it.
I thought we did not too badly. Our medal count compares gavourably with other countries – medals, that’s one medal per 120,341 of population. Better than England’s one per 389,779, just about on par with Australia – who apparently had a wonderful Games, winning one medal per 121,869 people. Not as good, however, as Wales, one per 85,083 or New Zealand, one per 102,022 of population.
Sure, we benefitted from having various athletes, such as Katie Archibald, in the Team GB Elite Athletes programme, but, one or two potential medalists – Laura Muir for instance, didn’t travel.
Athletics is the big show at the Games and we were not represented in 18 male and 13 female events in the 46-events in the able-bodied Athletics programme, in which we won one silver medal, three bronze medals and had a further 11 finalists.
When we are independent, some big and possibly contentious decisions will have to be made about who we send to the major Games, and how we fund our elite athletes.
With the mess the first Independent Scottish government will need to clear-up, making-up for generations of UK under-funding, we might take a year or two to get things properly organised for elite sport.
Socrates MacSporran @ 6-11pm
Whilst aye cheering on our athletes…..from my teens onwards..I’ve never been comfortable with the term ‘ Commonwealth’….even more so today,it just seems such a contradiction in terms.
Putin was one of the only world leaders who supported Scottish self determination and called Cameron the liar out. Purring etc.
Diageo are tax evaders. They take £Millions out of Scotland. Pay no tax on profits. Other Whisky companies do the same.
Craig Murray got bailed out by SNP supporters. Ungrateful.
Enough!………I’m incandescent with ………oh you fill the gap.
From what was largely touted to be ‘Tezza’s Grilling’…..has meandered into a burbling brook of opposition………..I’m Effing RAGING!!!!!!!
An Olympic medal costs £Million. Scottish althetes had to go to train in the south. Now they can train at Stirling Uni etc. A new world class tennis centre being built. The Murray’s. Scotland has always had world class swimmers. Olympic size pools. It could be expected Scotland would be better at winter sports. Being developed? Norway etc does well. The football industry has been spoilt. Bigots and perverts running the Clubs. Clubs gets £27Million of public money. Tax evaders etc. 2019 £70Million is due. HMRC.
St George’s Park. £100Million funded football centre in the South. Olympic stadiums funded with public money. Unequal and unfair.
DUP £3Billion. Paid for failure.
@Chick McGregor / Dr Jim
What the SNP should do is announce something with a press release, and with the papers and the BBC having taken the appropriate spin release an “emergency release”.
“Oh, we’re sorry did our press release say we do support blah blah? Inadvertently we missed out the word NOT, sorry about that”.
The Commonwealth Games coverage is a tune out or switch off.
Commonwealth Windrush scandal backlash. May’s muck up. What a mess.
Craig Murray may be critical of the SNP, but he is not the enemy of the SNP. There is a big difference which a lot of SNP folks are failing to grasp.
I could go a lot further and commend the London Calling video about the BBC and the YES Referendum, which was political dynamite so far as I was concerned, but found very little traction or support from official channels. Let’s stay constructive about that and say it was disappointing. Nobody could seriously doubt the commitment and personal sacrifice which Prof Robertson, G A Ponsonby etc were prepared to put on the line for Scottish Independence, and I see Craig Murray in exactly the same bracket.
Craig Murray has also played an absolute blinder with all this poisoning nonsense about the Skripals, out performing journalists, breaking new information, kicking lumps in Westminster’s version of events and skewering the “official” story in real time. Of course that relies on no small amount of knowledge and a large amount of contacts, but it also requires good instincts, and frankly I rate Craig Murray’s instincts pretty highly, and his having the courage of his convictions higher still.
Take a quiet moment to ask yourself if you feel angry towards Craig Murray because he actually might have a point.
We are a broad Kirk, or at least we were in 2014. If Nicola is a good as everybody says she is, then whatever emerges from the forthcoming Conference will settle anxieties and steady the nerves.
….or not.
Alisdair says:
16 April, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Mr Peffers at 3.45pm
“”I come from the Perthshire Comrie. There is a bunker there at Cultybraggen Camp””
I believe they had to put in special protection around The doors because rabbits were getting in!
……..
O/T
Reporting Scotland, note the word Scotland in the title, reported tonight on The polar cub: “The first polar bear cub born in the UK…”!!!!
They cannot even use the word ‘Scotland’ on Reporting Scotland!!!
@socrates mcsporran.
Laura Muir didnt travel as she is doing her final exams for becoming a Vet.
“My parents came here as citizens, now the #windrush generation are suffering inhumane treatment at the hands of the Home Office.”;
https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/985906022798774272
Brexit Roundup: Where Are We Heading?;
https://www.scer.scot/database/ident-6222
Theresa May signals U-turn on treatment of Windrush generation but refuses to apologise to people threatened with deportation;
http://archive.is/c3bLx#selection-1859.0-1859.125
They cannot even use the word ‘Scotland’ on Reporting Scotland!!!
Watching that crew makes me wish Strong and Stable Teresa the Warmonger would deport me to the Caribbean.
Barbados! nice. And no more Colonel Ruth and Prof Tomkins sliming around the place, no proud Scotbuts and cringers, no gimpy beeb creeps endlessly shitting all over their Scotland region…
A short radio broadcast from Robert Fisk in Douma, at the clinic where the “gassing” video was made. He confirms that they were treating people but there was no chemical gas. Someone ran in with a video shouting “Gas attack” and filmed the ensuing panic. That is what triggered the missile attacks and the ocean of indignation in parliament today.
Of course, this information has been available for days but nobody in the media has investigated. Thankfully we have real journalists like Robert Fisk, Vanessa Beeley and Eva Bartlett who actually go to the sites and report the truth.
Heaven knows what MI6 told MPs . in their Privy Council briefing
https://podcasts.spiritradio.ie/robert-fisk-from-douma-syria/
according to Simon Coveney, irish tanaiste, deputy PM, june is make or break time for the EU negotiations.
if the UK doesn’t get the finger out and agree on legal wording for how to deal with the irish border there’s little chance of it happening by october.
So roll on brexit with no withdrawal Agreement and no transition/Implementation period (second half of interview)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-43789305
And what of scotland? Where stands she now?
@ben
if a hard border is raised in ni, will the troubles re ignite?
For Gods sake….
Propaganda Channel Radio 2 reporting evidence of widespread hacking which “experts” have been monitoring for a year and can now trace to Russia. Apparently they could turn off the grid. You’d make the world a safer place if you could turn off the BBC Mr Putin. Just sayin’…
What’s next? A UK Gleiwitz Type Incident? The UK Fascists attack their own Radio station and blame it on the Russians as a provocation to war the way the Nazis did and blamed the Poles?
Either the UK is really pushing the boat out to screw up Russia’s World Cup and get it boycotted, or the mad bar stewards actually want to go to war with Russia. This is surreal, and the Russian people are not seeing the funny side of this shit one bit…
Never-mind the Novichok in Salisbury, or Sarin in Douma, has anybody checked for LSD in Westminster?
Theresa May is sitting there trying to justify an emergency cruise missile air strike on the grounds they had to attack fast to prevent further attacks… Yeah. Whatever, you walking talking case of mad cow disease. Let’s all take a minute and have a wee prayer that Putin and Assad are not sitting in their bunker and doing the same maths….
And by the way… Anybody know more about this Putin / Rothschild Banking situation? Putin has banned the Rothschilds Banking Cartel from opening Banks in Russia under any circumstances. Kinda ballsy eh? Don’t mess with Vlad. If you’re a Dune fan, let me quote Liet Kynes, “…I must admit, against all better judgement, I like this Duke”.
But maybe there is more to this anti-Putin stuff we keep getting shovelled on our plate. Maybe somebody really wants rid of Putin big time, and Theresa May is so far up shit creek she is desperate enough to be useful.
“PUTIN PLAYED THE NEW WORLD ORDER GAME LONG ENOUGH TO CLIMB AS HIGH AS THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT – THEN HE ABRUPTLY TURNED HIS BACK ON THEM, PROMPTING JACOB ROTHSCHILD TO ACCUSE HIM OF BEING A “TRAITOR TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER.”
http://yournewswire.com/putin-bans-rothschilds-from-russia/
Nicola v Corbyn
Who has been gutless and who has shown guts in the British poisoning of a British spy wrongly blamed on Russia?
Dr Jim says:
12 March, 2018 at 8:56 pm (A historic breakthrough):
“Many Greens withdrawing their support over the OBFA and Patrick Harvies attempts to slither out from under what he did
The First Minister should have kept her mouth firmly shut on Russia and I don’t usually disagree with her on much but I believe her to be way wrong on this one
Russia has done nothing until it’s proved they have and even then I would question the people who proved it
Is that just a sign of how much I don’t trust the Brits
or how untrustworthy the Brits are
I do know one thing, a tip for youngsters, don’t join the British armed forces because you could end up fighting a war you didn’t ask for, don’t know anything about, for people who will make a lot of money out of it and don’t give a shit about you in the first place
But they’ll remember you once a year for five minutes”
Out of context Dr Jim? It is your full post.
I’m so pleased it never made him a (Tractor Ed)
😉
if a hard border is raised in ni, will the troubles re ignite?
Yes. Its peaceful because NI is now shared. Hard border going up is inevitable and then its British direct rule only again. Could Protestant NI survive another civil war and are the Brits militarily prepared, is the big question.
Just another giant tory fcuk up in the making.
@ben madigan
Good question. It was always thus. 🙂
Macbeth:
MACDUFF
Is Scotland the same as when I left it?
ROSS
Alas, our poor country! It’s too frightened to look at itself. Scotland is no longer the land where we were born; it’s the land where we’ll die.
Where no one ever smiles except for the fool who knows nothing. Where sighs, groans, and shrieks rip through the air but no one notices. Where violent sorrow is a common emotion.
When the funeral bells ring, people no longer ask who died. Good men die before the flowers in their caps wilt. They die before they even fall sick.
————————————————————-
Only one way forward and that’s independence when next referendum is called. We must all vote YES!
Rock says:
16 April, 2018 at 9:17 pm
Nicola v Corbyn
Who has been gutless and who has shown guts in the British poisoning of a British spy wrongly blamed on Russia?
Are we bombing Syria for Vlad the poisoner’s failed Salisbury hit, Rock?
Or is it all just more tory UKOK smoke and mirrors, via their beeb gimp zone, keeps us all freakin out, look at how great the UK is, under minority tory gal Strong and Stable Teresa, Orange Hitler’s USA, BetterTogether bombing their way to hard core right wing greatness?
From Salisbury to Damascus, we hate the Ruskies don’t we everyone! must be true, its all over the great beeb gimp network and the rest of the UK tory meeja creep show.
@ Smallaxe – Interesting! Could this explain the hysterical anti-Putin rhetoric of the neo-cons? Maybe he isn’t Mr Niceguy but the unrelenting venom is bizarre. 🙂
heedtracker says:
In a referendum, if the choice was hard border or reunification, what would win I wonder?
And, if a majority chose to leave the UK and join in a united Ireland, what would the hardcore Brits do?
You can understand why a continued ‘shared’ within an EU umbrella is the desirable and safe outcome.
Ken500 says:
16 April, 2018 at 5:45 pm
“May Johnston et al are a disgrace. Warmongering liars.”
They are the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary respectively of the United Kingdom only because of your beloved “First Past the Post” voting system which you are so keen to bring to the Scottish parliament.
@Andy-B says: 16 April, 2018 at 4:09 pm:
“Craig Murray having a right go at the SNP.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/04/on-believing-mi6/comment-page-1/#comment-739368“
Nothing new about that, Andy-B, He does so frequently. Same sort of attitude of many who call themselves socialists to the left of the Labour Party but who quite obviously are not in the least socialist by their actions.
I’m inclined to go with most of Craig’s views but cannot thole his unwarranted anti-SNP rants.
You can understand why a continued ‘shared’ within an EU umbrella is the desirable and safe outcome.
Heats on the EU really.
Its them what can give the tories what they want, no NI border Brexit UK. Its this kind of tory brinkmanship that will really pressure Brussels to give up Brexit UK everything they want and don’t want from the EU, the closer Brexit day gets and then passes, free trade UK/EU.
If the EU is anything, its pragmatic. It is right, they’re surely not just another pack of cunning shithead toryboy’s looking for that main chance?
Dr. Jim @5.29pm
I’ve asked Craig Murray to provide his evidence for his assertions re Ian Blackford and while he has responded to other BTL comments after mine, so far no response forthcoming. It does seem to encourage the usual “I’ve been a member of the SNP for xx years but will never vote for them again” mob. There again most of those who follow Mr Murray’s blog know sweet FA about Scotland or her politics being largely English, who seem to believe Corbyn is some kind of Messiah (sigh). Where Mr Murray is at his most effective is where he provides good evidence for his assertions but in this case I fear he has used the same methods so beloved of the unionist MSM.
@ Craig Macinnes – I believe that the Ian Blackford comments come from a Sky News interview he gave earlier today. I haven’t seen it so don’t know how accurate it is.
I like reading Craig’s blog and sometimes comment. But I ignore the anti-SNP stuff as it just attracts concern trolling. I suppose that serves some purpose. Like a lightning rod.
Thanks Capella. I’ll see if I can find this interview. And I agree, Craig is usually pretty sound but I feel his focus tends to be more on things outwith Scotland – not a bad thing in itself but does lead to an incredible smount of ignorant rants from some BTL commentators.
Thanks Capella. I’ll see if I can find that interview. And I agree, Craig is usually pretty sound but I feel his main interests lie in events outwith Scotland which does lead to an incredible amount of ignorant BTL comments when it comes to Scottish matters. Like you I tend to ignore them
According to award winning the Independent journalist Robert Fisk, it wasn’t a gas attack at all – well worth a read. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-chemical-attack-gas-douma-robert-fisk-ghouta-damascus-a8307726.html%3famp
@Craig Macinnes says: 16 April, 2018 at 9:49 pm:
“I’ve asked Craig Murray to provide his evidence for his assertions re Ian Blackford and while he has responded to other BTL comments after mine, so far no response forthcoming.”
s I mentioned already about the claimed socialists who aren’t socialist, Craig is neither Liberal nor Democratic.
Capella
I’ve found the interview on Sky and right enough Ian Blackford says he accepts the validity of the security services briefing that Assad was responsible for the alleged chemical attack. A huge error on his part I feel. Never ever ever trust anything which comes from a security services briefing.
https://www.facebook.com/IanBlackfordMP/videos/1518807201574436/
Robert Fisk’s report from Douma in the Independent. Because it’s archived the video won’t play but it’s from the clinic showing children being treated. (from Craig Murray site).
This competely destroy’s Theresa May’s whole case for illegal military action.
http://archive.li/9Xlue
@Craig Macinnes 9.49pm
Yep Craig, when you set yourself up as a public blogger speaking directly you then have a responsibility to back up with evidence what you say just as newspapers are supposed to but don’t, Mr Murray often omits that and depends on the *I’m a nice guy believe me* style and it’s not enough especially when you say you support Independence then misquote the only person who can achieve it, the FM and that’s a bad mistake to make because people like you and me spot it and don’t like it
As you confirmed it breeds the I’ll never vote SNP again mob then other folk read that and take it as fact and it’s now several times Mr Murray’s been caught doing this by others as well and leads to folk believing they’re being partisan to him but they’re doing it mistakenly because more checks need to be made on who’s saying what and why
Sometimes anybody can make a mistake but either you apologise and correct it quickly or do more work to make certain you don’t make quite so many *mistakes*
Well Capella. the whole charade has certainly distracted from the UK’s botched ‘Novistock-gate’.
Whatever has happened to Yulia and Sergi Skripal btw?
Capella,
Audio only:
Robert Fisk: There was no chlorine attack in Douma;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcqBileaHU&ab_channel=SyrianaAnalysis
OT…Sorry but I claim the Title of the Winger with the worst memory.
But…is it correct?
The Honourable Member = An MP
The Right Honourable Member = A Member of the Privay Council?
Thanks in advance.X…
By enforcing the Royal prerogative Theresa May makes more conflict almost a certainty and at the will of the position of the Prime Minister making the representatives of the people, the MPs redundant
In UK terms that’s dictatorship
Unionists may think this is a good idea because it fits their narrative at the moment but they may find it doesn’t quite work out that way when power becomes absolute in the hands of one person
The idea that killing people to make other people stop killing people leads to, well, that sentence could go on and on
Wars end they don’t ever get won but the populations of the countries involved always lose, every single time
Liz g,
For practical purposes, members of the Cabinet are styled ‘Right Honourable’ as opposed to Members of Parliament who are titled ‘Honourable. This is just another way of saying ars*hole in many cases.
🙂
Craig Macinnes says:
16 April, 2018 at 9:49 pm
“It does seem to encourage the usual “I’ve been a member of the SNP for xx years but will never vote for them again” mob.”
It is a fact that the SNP lost half a million voters at the last election.
Which “mob” do you blame that on?
Tomorrow’s National front page:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da7k4n-XUAExlzz.jpg
@ Smallaxe – how May and co must be cursing the internet. Of course, they were warning that evil Putin would attack the infrastructure in revenge so I was half expecting the internet to go down! But yes – the truth is out there except it isn’t on the BBC. I just listened to the radio 4 news and they’re sticking to the official line.
@ Brian McHugh – well that story hasn’t gone away. Simmering nicely.
@ Craig Macinnes – perhaps Ian Blackford will learn to be a bit more circumspect about swallowing intelligence briefings whole. He’s nowhere near as cynical about the state machine as he should be.
National twitter pages for tomorrow:
https://twitter.com/ScotNational
Craig Macinnes says:
16 April, 2018 at 10:16 pm
“I’ve found the interview on Sky and right enough Ian Blackford says he accepts the validity of the security services briefing that Assad was responsible for the alleged chemical attack. A huge error on his part I feel. Never ever ever trust anything which comes from a security services briefing.”
Rock (26th January – By hook or by Cook):
“The British Establishment makes sure that anyone who goes to Westminster gets corrupted.
56 SNP MPs achieved as much for Scotland as 6 would have: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
I would prefer that all of them are called back or lose their seats before they have been bought off.”
Hold the front page: Colin is going to praise the SNP.
I like it that the SNP have come out with their continuity bill.
It deliberately hasn’t been couched in these terms but, basically, the bill in a sense challenges the archaic unwritten UK constitution which goes along the lines of:
UK Govt can do what the hell it likes. It’s not bound by previous govt promises etc. It can make or unmake any law.
My limited understanding is that it’s about upholding the devolution settlement, not directly challenging this convention in the UK constitution.
However, I would argue that the Scottish Govt by saying: devolution is a done deal, you can’t renege on that, would in effect, challenge the theory that “UK Govts can do what whatever they want” convention.
As I’ve often pointed out, the SNP should be called the wishy-washy party. Great ideas, great policies when done by the SNP often become highly diluted.
The great party of Scottish independence, went for Indy-lite or semi-independence.
Now, they are going for sovereignty-lite. Not the Scottish Parliament is sovereign within the UK, I suggested, which would have turned the UK constitution on its head without full indy, but the: “Scottish Parliament is sovereign on devolved matters” version.
Sovereignty-lite, if you like. Devolution-sovereignty it could also be called.
It’s a fully sovereign parliament that I want as a minimum.
But for the wishy-washy SNP to take a stand on sovereignty over the devolution deal is better than I expected. It’s progress, it’s a fight over devolution but, it’s also a challenge to the UK Union model of UK Govt, that would challenge the theory that UK Govts are not bound by their predecessors deals or promises.
Liz g @ 10.33
Members of the Privy Council, whether MP, Lord or First Minister , are Right Honourable
Robert Fisk: There was no chlorine attack in Douma
Does it matter whether its true or not? UK gov’s red or blue tory, dont look at it like this. We know this from the 2003 US/UK Iraq invasion, what started all this.
We knew it at the time, BBC r4 had on Hans Blix, UN weapons inspector head, on the phone from Iraq, almost every morning in the run up to the Iraq invasion explaining clearly that the UN inspectors had not found any WMD’s, it did not look like the Saddam regime had any, and if the Bush/Blair war machine could hold off for a couple of weeks even, that would be enough.
We know it makes no difference to our UK imperial masters, if they want war, they’ll have war.
This is what 55% of Scotland voted to governed by. Fuck knows why. No actual justice for Bush, Blair, Cheney, Brown, merciless tory Beeb gimp propaganda, collective amnesia, it can never happen here in the UK, I’m alright jackery…
Have listened to the righteous debate from H o C this evening.. have to give up as T May is now bluffing her way through.
My guess is that she may well have got the support if she had gone for the vote because of the Skripal fiasco as an aperitif.
My theory that people stumble when lying has just been borne out by the PM herself. She read the first few lines of her reply word perfect than just as she got to the bit about Syria being supposed to have got rid of C Weapons, she hesitated, became tongue -tied and then blurted out a childish ‘they did not get rid of them’ I’ve heard enough –
Oh and it was telling that when the SCOTTISH conservative member for Gordon began his time limited speech he couldn’t wait to get in the phrase “. .and I condemn Nicola Sturgeon for …’ I notice he wasn’t pulled up by the Speaker for deviating from the subject matter and so I have to conclude that it’s obviously ALL Nicola’s fault in the eyes of the scottish branch of the Conservatives.
Wonder what question our (t)Ruthless will come out with this week
Johnston & May Would be there under any electoral system. Along with the 3rd rate rejects. Westminster would still be full of unionists under any system. Scotland is outvoted 10 to 1. Scotland would always be outvoted. Scotland’s votes hardly count and the Unionists know it,
Ignorant. The reason there is more SNP MP’s in Westminster is because of FPTP. Under any other system there would be less lSNP MP’s in Westminster.
The electoral system is still being brought by Tory/unionists breaking electoral Law and illegally buying elections because electoral Law is not being enforced by Westminster unionists who will always outvote Scotland under any electoral system. More under D’Hondt, PR etc.
Ignoramous because people voted NO. People voted NO. Dumb bell Rock. Thick as mince.
Under PR – D’Hondt etc the 3rd rejects would still be elected and Scotland would still be outvoted. Even more so. Under FPTP the most popular system. The SNP would wipe the floor with the unionists. They would outvote them in Westminster and in Scotland (even more).
Scotland can always be outvoted in Westminster under any electoral system. The numbers. It is only because of FPTP the majority vote for the SNP can be reflected in Westminster. That is why Holyrood was established because of the electoral deficit in Scotland/UK There was no Democracy in Scotland until the year 2000 but the unionists changed the electoral system to give them more advantage. No democratic mandate.
PR has never been introduced in the rest of the UK. There would be a riot. The AV (Lib) Referendum has a 30% turnout and a massive No outcome because FPTP has the most support. It gets rid of the 3rd rate rejects. No one wants.
Not in my name Theresa May.
Capella says:
16 April, 2018 at 10:57 pm
“perhaps Ian Blackford will learn to be a bit more circumspect about swallowing intelligence briefings whole. He’s nowhere near as cynical about the state machine as he should be.”
By your own indirect admission:
Nicola is “nowhere near as cynical about the state machine as” she “should be.”
Shouldn’t she have been “a bit more circumspect about swallowing intelligence briefings whole”?
It is significant that even the hapless Corbyn was “a bit more circumspect about swallowing intelligence briefings whole” than Scottish independence leaders Nicola and Ian Blackford.
Mark my words: there will be no independence referendum before Brexit has been completed.
The UK, including its northern region, is at war with Russia.
FYI’s
1.Windrush is the name of a motor vessel.
2.”Right Honourable” is a honorific for Privy Councillors through most of the Commonwealth.
3.The SNP is constantly attacked by “pretendy” supporters who are really Unionist employees many paid from your hard earned taxes.
4.An open mind is required if you hear your attention being drawn to little furry animals.
5 We WILL overcome,some daaaaye.
6.It is my bedtime folks.Goodnight.
before I get into replying to what people asked me about a brexit border re-igniting the troubles in NI, I want to warn Scotland about what is going on at present in the UK.
https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2018/04/16/return-of-the-b-specials/
NB the B specials were NI Unionism’s stormtroopers – an armed militia acting under the cover of a police force
This is just one sign of “returning to the past and total Unionist control” which many people on here have been fearing will happen to Scotland and her institutions.
It’s happening in NI, folks. Take heed of this news.
Think of the implications for Scotland. It won’t be the return of the B specials 8as Scotland never had any in the first place). It will be something else that is just as devastating for the Scottish nationalist movement.
With regards to a hard brexit border re-igniting the troubles in ireland- it’s possible, even probable in the medium term.
For example even Bertie Ahearn, a former Irish PM told BBC newsnight “People would ‘pull down’ Irish border barriers after #Brexit”
All constituencies on both sides of the border are solidly Sinn Fein.
Should the border be re-instated I forsee an immediate widespread civil disobedience campaign, which could easily escalate if there is even 1 trigger-happy member of the Unionist border force
Dissident republicans with their calls for violence have minimal or no support. At present.
Throw in an “unfortunate event” and a Unionist B special border force that nationalists/republicans can’t even apply to join and I wouldn’t care to say how long that support would remain flatlined along the bottom.
Colin Alexander says:
16 April, 2018 at 11:00 pm
“My limited understanding is that it’s about upholding the devolution settlement, not directly challenging this convention in the UK constitution.”
Don’t worry, Robert Peffers will be posting his extended understanding soon.
What have the english done for us?
Well off the top of my head they have illegally bombed the shit of of Sovereign countries AND took away my EU citizenship.
What is not to like about London Rule???
Colin Clark is a total embarrassment. Along with Chapman. Two complete liars. Along with Mason. Every word they utter is a lie. Racists and bigots. They lied on Aberdeenshire council. Cut Education funding allocated by £Millions. Cut additional needs provision. Cut all the bases. The schools are totally overcrowded because of their cuts. Then claimed under oath they supported education. The local landowners, Chapman was the Mart employee. Manager.
The Tories have broken electoral Laws and cheated and lied to get elected. Colluded illegallly with the LibDems. Cambridge Analytica and SCL. The Tories are investigating themselves. The investigation partitioners commissioned have concluded that the Tories have broken the Law and should be investigated and charged by the Fiscal Prosecution Services. Overspending, falsifying accounts etc. They lied to get elected. Nick Hancock the Brexiteer is conducting the investigation On the committee.
O/T
Just came across this comment btl on an online article in the National about the WM go about to take the Scottish and Welsh gov’s to court within 48 hours over the Continuity bill.
This comment, from Dan Huill is about N/Ireland and frictionless borders…
“Conor Murphy MLA has today rejected British government plans to hire British Border Force officials to monitor the British border in Ireland as a result of Brexit.
The Newry Armagh MLA said:
“With this British Border Force recruitment drive, the British government are clearly planning to impose their hard Brexit border across the island of Ireland.
It shows that the Tories see a hard border as the predetermined outcome of the Brexit negotiations despite the fact they have already agreed to an option to avoid it.
“There can be no Tory-DUP Brexit border across Ireland. This is a deeply damaging, disruptive and dangerous position, rejected overwhelmingly by the people of this island.
“It also points to the Tory-DUP pact’s growing disregard for the Good Friday Agreement, which allows citizens to determine their own identity free from discrimination.
“Not only are they ignoring the democratic expressions of Irish citizens, they’re also actively excluding them by reserving these posts solely for citizens with British passports.
“This is naked discrimination of a public sector position, and a statement of intent to impose a Brexit border in Ireland. Sinn Fin reject both these discriminatory plans unreservedly.”
so it seems they are intent of f*cking up Ireland as well as the Middle East.
A wee reminder why we hate this particular little englander.
Jeremy Clarkson takes swipe at Scotland over independence bid amid ‘post-Brexit’ rant:
JEREMY CLARKSON has taken a dig at the Scotland’s bid for independence as he spoke out about the political issues the UK will face after Brexit whilst ranting about the 2014 referendum.
By MINNIE WRIGHT
The 58-year-old former Top Gear presenter insisted that he “doesn’t understand” the need for Scottish independence.
“Scotland had a vote on independence in 2014, and sanity prevailed,” he said. “Then those who lost immediately decided they’d like another vote.
“And so it will go until, eventually, they win, and we will have to post soldiers on the road out of Gretna Green,” he wrote in his Sunday Times column.
“I don’t understand the need for Scottish independence,” The Grand Tour host continued.
“The Battle of Falkirk was a very long time ago. And it’s not as is England can win the Calcutta Cup any more.
“What’s more, the Scottish have exactly the same problem with going it alone as we’ll have post-Brexit.”
Jeremy Clarkson went on to say that a “bicurious artisan” who sells clothes knitted “from her own armpit hair” in the Scottish Highlands doesn’t have much in common politically with “a heroin enthusiast from the tenements in Glasgow”.
He stated that independence would not unite the country or “bring Sean Connery back”.
“Do they want different laws?” he asked. “Really? What laws?
“Legalisation of burglary? The age of consent raised to 48? Compulsory yodelling for anyone on a bicycle?
Jeremy Clarkson news: The Grand Tour host took a swipe at Scottish independence
Jeremy Clarkson news: He said he ‘doesn’t understand the need for Scottish independence’
“No. They want the same things as you and I,” he said. “Something to do in the day and some disposable income at the weekend.”
Jeremy’s commentary on Scottish independence come after he spent time there filming for Amazon’s The Grand Tour alongside James May and Richard Hammond.
The famous trio had travelled the North Coast 500 route, with Jeremy singing its praises.
Likening the colour of the sky to a “Norwegian model’s eyes”, he gushed about the spectacular views.
He even called it “by far the most beautiful place on Earth”.
Jeremy Clarkson news: He previously upset fans with comments about Scotland
Jeremy previously landed himself in hot water with certain fans after making controversial comments about Scotland.
He said that Scots should be grateful to the English for introducing them to “proper food and trousers”, and called former prime minister Gordon Brown a “one-eyed Scottish idiot”.
He subsequently apologised for the remark, saying in a statement: “In the heat of the moment, I made a remark about the prime minister’s personal appearance for which, upon reflection, I apologise.”
After recently being named as the host for a new series of special shows, Jeremy Clarkson stormed into his Who Wants To Be A Millionaire role in the first look at the trailer over the weekend.
What do some people not understand? Defence and Foreign policy is reserved because people voted NO. It would not matter a jolt what any Holyrood Gov says SNP or otherwise. Westminster has the prorogativel The Privy council rules. The SNP Gov governs for the whole of Scotland. The ministerial code of conduct. Unfortunately Scotland voted No. Blame them. Instead of blaming the SNP when Scotland voted NO.
It is the same when the SNP is blamed for not mitigating Westminster cuts. They can only do so much overall, because some people in Scotland voted NO. If they wanted more powers and control they should have voted YES. Instead of listening to Westminster lies and the lying unionist Parties,
NB the B specials were NI Unionism’s stormtroopers – an armed militia acting under the cover of a police force
They were but the NI civil war took much more UK military resources than just these guys, if only to contain it all.
Its highly likely that the EU will not have a Irish border. At worst both sides will fudge it and UK tory freak show will shriek victory for teamGB.
It’s the best outcome for Scotland. We all know how hard Project Fear threatened Scots with the fabled rebuilt Hadrian’s Wall Scotland/England border. If there’s none in Ireland, they’ll find it quite hard to terrorise us with one at Carlisle, indyref2.
Jeremy Clarkson punched a BBC producer when he was pissed because there was no hot meal. Got the sack, Why anyone should respect his advice is a mystery. Amazon Prime? Is not so lucrative. One of Cameron’s Chipping Norton mates. Not so happy now but still milking the public purse. A couple of chancers.
BBC Have Your Say (as long as you don’t want to talk about Russia)…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/have_your_say
Meg Merrilees
Meg we can only hope that bit by bit and action by action, the majority of Scots start to realise we are chained to a lunatic and we need to burst those chains and become a Free and Independent Nation.
Ken500
Clarkson is indeed a horrible nasty bastard.
He became freinds with the Camerons and it went to his head.
He thought he had the right to treat everybody like shit.
Defence and Foreign Affairs are reserved, that’s true. But prosecuting an illegal war ought to mean a vote of no confidence. The SNP MPs would then have the right to vote against Theresa May and bring the Government down. Which would be a good thing IMO, in the interests of world peace as well as Scottish independnece.
May’s whole rationale for the missile strikes in Syria is that President Assad is a brutal monster who gassed his own people with chemical weapons and that a messaage had to be sent.
Now that there is proof that it was the terrorists who fabricated the whole thing in order to peresuade the “West” to attack and that these terrorists, the White Helmets, are organised and funded and armed by the Foreign Office and therefore, Boris Johnson, then he too should resign.
Another journalist reports from Douma. 10 mins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXwG-901yU
Just been reading round the Biased Broadcasting Corp. websites for Wales and N/ireland.
I notice that they have reported to the people of Wales that the Welsh politicians are expecting their Continuity bill to be challenged in court but the Welsh secretary has told them it;s not anything to really worry about, meanwhile on the BBC Scotland website nada, nothing! oh, yes, a library book has been returned after 43 years –
wow! who needs squirrels when you can have library books.
Capella @ 11.51
Thanks for that – well worth a watch.