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Wings Over Scotland


Diversionary pointing

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

From today’s lurid Scottish Daily Mail cover splash about a “£1 BILLION TAX BLACK HOLE” appearing in the Scottish budget “despite [imaginary] Nationalist tax hikes”:

But hang on a minute.

How exactly would the supposed “failure of the education system” (never mind the nebulous guff in the rest of the sentence) cause a sudden and unexpected shortfall in the Scottish Government’s tax receipts, measured against OBR expectations?

(And let’s leave aside the Occam’s Razor explanation that the OBR’s forecasts are wildly wrong about nearly everything nearly all the time. And generously turn a blind eye to the UK’s tax shortfall of £35bn, including a missing £7.4bn in income tax from self-employed people alone.)

If the education system was failing, it’d presumably have been failing for a while and that would be baked into the forecasts. And it’s not at all clear why it would affect income tax revenue anyway – jobs still have to be filled by someone, and therefore the tax on their wages is still paid, even if all the available candidates are idiots.

(For evidence of this principle, see the current UK Government.)

And since Holyrood only collects income tax, not corporation taxes, even if a whole generation of poorly-educated imbeciles had killed the profits of every company in Scotland that still wouldn’t cause a surprise shortfall in income tax.

(Because we know employment in Scotland is at a record high, so it’s not that everyone’s lost their jobs.)

It’s almost as if the Mail knows the truth and wants to deflect its readers with some total cobblers before it admits it in the last sentence, smeared in a dismissive “the SNP points”, and blame the Scottish Government for both the catastrophic impact of a UK Government policy and the latest failure of a UK Government department that’s been failing since the day it was created.

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  1. 19 07 19 14:56

    Diversionary pointing | speymouth
    Ignored

132 to “Diversionary pointing”

  1. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s obvious that the press and TV are in maximum anti-SNP and thus, anti-independence propaganda mode and have been for some time.

    They are no longer trying to do it surreptitiously.

  2. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Not matching OBR forecasts is almost mandatory.

    As usual, finance is a reserved matter so there’s very little the Scottish Government can do to create a vibrant economy.

    Nevertheless, they’re doing a sterling job with investment levels higher than the UK’s as a whole, high employment levels and record numbers of young people going to positive destinations post school.

  3. Corrado Mella
    Ignored
    says:

    Can we please take all copies of that fascist rag and burn them in a bin outside?

    And whenever you see someone at the supermarket or ’round toon with that lurid nazi propaganda shit sheet, theatrically explicit your disgust with some apt facial expressions, or swerve to avoid getting too close?

    Make its readers feel rejected and disgusting.

  4. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    How many EU nationals have now left the UK, vacating jobs as they leave? How many of those jobs have not been refilled? How much tax loss does that amount to for HM Treasury?

  5. dave
    Ignored
    says:

    the quickening begins !

  6. winifred mccartney
    Ignored
    says:

    There is no doubt we are now in the fear and smear Scotland in the MSM and BBC.

    Bojo can lie with impunity -eg fish seller in Isle of Man (not in the EU) has to put ice pillow in with fish (UK regulation) and nobody other than the National points this out.

    He is simply a paler version of Trump and is learning all of the Bannon/Trump tropes to win over some who should be at worst ignored and at best called out by ALL MSM outlets. It is a sad reflection of the times we are living in that many prefer to get on the good side of Trump/Boris etc to further their own careers.

  7. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    “Blame is just the lazy persons way of making sense out of chaos”——Coupland.

  8. Jack collatin
    Ignored
    says:

    The Mandarins of the English Civil Service have admitted, nay boasted, that during Indyref 1, and indeed as a matter of routine, they were there to defend the Union, i.e., England, and acted accordingly.
    I would not believe this Privileged Wing of the Brit Establishment if it declared that rain was wet.
    Laing set up GERS to lie repeatedly that Scotland was a financial basket case, a liability, barely kept civilised through English largesse and handouts, and grouse beater pocket money by allowing a fifth of our nation’s land to be cleared for the Rich Posh Folk to come up and kill helpless birds for fun and masturbatory pleasure.

    They lie, as a matter of course, and are aided and abetted gleefully by the Fifth Column of ProudScotsButters Up Here.
    I wouldn’t wipe your bahookie, Stu, with any of the Dead Tree Scrolls.
    They are liars, bullies, and take English Gold to destroy their native country, Scotland.
    Johnson will ascend the throne next week, appoint his pet pig as deputy, and all hell will break loose in London.
    I cannot wait for The Day, when we take our country back, and drive the Yoons in positions of Colonial Power from our Scottish Institutions.
    62% voted Remain, and remain we shall.
    Bye, England, 51st State of Trump’s Fourth Reich.

  9. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Good riposte from Derek Mackay – “this is a wilful misrepresentation of the truth.”

    https://twitter.com/DerekMackaySNP/status/1152180904250490880

  10. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    From WOS Twitter:-


    Wings Over Scotland Retweeted
    Derek Mackay MSP
    ?Verified account @DerekMackaySNP
    1h1 hour ago

    Derek Mackay MSP Retweeted Liz Truss

    This is a wilful misrepresentation of the truth. The UK income tax take for 2017-18 is lower than expected which means that Treasury deducted £737m more from our block grant in 2017-18 than they should have. The UK is simply correcting this forecasting mistake.”

  11. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    SNAP!

  12. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    The sheep on here are fucking pathetic.
    You are all being played you muppets.
    Brexit will never happen and in consequence there won’t be an indyref2 so no independence.
    When will most of you on here get that into your thick skulls?

  13. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    SNP Government must ban printing of malicious propaganda
    Likely to incite violence and civil unrest.

    The Fascist rag the Daily Hail will no longer be allowed to
    Hawk these fictitious lies on Scottish soil.

    Balanced publications are always welcome in Scotland but
    We will no longer stand by and see our country and government
    Slandered by those who supported and now employ the devious machinations
    Of a pre war German Nazi Government.

  14. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Yup. They are panicking big style 🙂

  15. frogesque
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian, aka The Brain aka Ultimax returns with the anti Indy trope.

    Independence is not predicated on Brexit. Brexit is just one more symptom of a disunited and dysfunctional supposedly United Kingdom.

  16. Wobbly
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Brian says:

    Baaaaaaalocks

  17. Doug Bryce
    Ignored
    says:

    Derek Mackay hits a home run

    “This is a wilful misrepresentation of the truth. The UK income tax take for 2017-18 is lower than expected which means that Treasury deducted £737m more from our block grant in 2017-18 than they should have. The UK is simply correcting this forecasting mistake.”

    However truth is that devolution and tax raising powers were always meant to be a political trap. The SNP has limited tax raising powers and no power to reduce / increase borrowing.

    i.e Holyrood has no control at all over Scotlands supposed deficit.

  18. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    I am technically self employed and registered as such but I have not earned a bean from it. I’m signed up to an online tutoring agency but have had no bites.

    The Revenue are aware I haven’t earned a bean and I have fessed up who I’m with and they collect the monies and pay me so it’s hard to hide it. Contacts are through them as well.

    Note I will be part of the ’employed’ stats and so will anyone signed up to the gig economy regardless of how much or how little they earn from it.

    I was briefly employed but I earned so little for so little time it did not attract any taxation. I bet that will be listed as a missed revenue gathering exercise as well.

    Be VERY suspicious about things like the employment figures. There’s an awful lot of under-employed people being harried by the jobcentres to get more work and still flooding job applications with a tsunami of applications.

    Note to anyone applying for jobs: a generic CV and covering letter is no longer good enough. Companies use algorithms to screen the horde of applicants looking for keywords from the job description. The personal statement on your CV must be written for each job and the covering letter must hit things the personal statement doesn’t.

    Though if you are firing off applications to keep your ‘job coach’ in the jobcentre off your back by all means use a generic application but if you mean it you have to make an effort.

  19. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Devolution, the devious art of handing underlings a little power so you can blame them for the state of the entire universe. Beware of those smarmy Brits bearing ‘gifts’.
    NB. Gift in German means poison.

  20. scunner
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian, how about getting your message over to 17.4M bawbags?
    Most of us here would rather brexit didn’t happen.

    Independence is inevitable, Brexit or not, unless there’s a some sort of revolution and the current UK political class is replaced – not a chance of that mate.

  21. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ BDTT – we’ve a finger on the pulse today!

    The legendary SNP Fact check service revs up to refute Labour lies on the workplace parking levy:
    https://twitter.com/theSNPMedia/status/1152205186116591616

    And Dr Marc Aitken pays the Labour Work Place Car Park Tax called PFI. £1,200 a year.

    https://twitter.com/drmarcaitken/status/1152195604224847872

  22. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m no troll. Just sick of all the bawbags on here and by the looks of it I’m not alone. Keep the sheep mentality and queen nic will march you all the way up that hill!
    a yes vote? nah, too many tossers who think they know everything but know fuck all actually

  23. Scozzie
    Ignored
    says:

    A black hole – a region of space-time where gravity pulls so hard that even light can’t escape from it. Yep, describes perfectly the predicament that Scotland is in, in relation to the clutches of Westminster.

    We ain’t living in a financial black hole but a Westminster black hole absorbing and squeezing our very entity.

    On a lighter note, do people still believe this pish written in the cat litter crap-pads?

  24. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor Brian – I think you’ve come to the wrong place.
    Try Labour Hame, Conservative Hame, Liberal Hame or almost any other blog on the internet.

  25. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Scunner. Bore off. It’s inevitable?? And how would an arse like you know what is it isn’t inevitable.
    You’re all either out of work and on the dole or blue haired pensioners desperate for something to keep them occupied.dont know about Baaaaad but that’s very Saaaaaad!

  26. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Capella. Why don’t you fuck off. Everyone on here is sick and tired of reading your drivel.

  27. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    The manner in which the mainstream Unionist media has ratcheted-up the SNP BAAADDD rhetoric to 11 indicates just one thing – they are shitting themselves in Whitehall, they know we are going, and they are calling-in all their favours to try to keep us under the English jackboot.

    When Independence does come, shortly now, I hope the incoming Independent Scottish government, as a matter of urgency, brings in legislation to compel media outlets who publish untruths to ASAP print a retraction – with the same prominence as the lie. This legislation should also be backed-up by punitive fines, with the threat of imprisonment to Editors whose outlet prints more than a given number of lies which require retractions.

    That would make the bastards be very-careful as to what they printed. Hit them where it hurts.

    As a journalist, I know, we all make mistakes, but, if rectified properly and promptly, these will be forgiven. Printing the lies we see on a regular basis does the craft and business of journalism no favours.

  28. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Now mcsporrans an expert.
    Do none of you muppets look in the mirror?

  29. Terry callachan
    Ignored
    says:

    To Brian…..how do you know brexit will not happen ?

  30. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    I briefly encounters unemployment and found that my National Insurance contributions
    Which were large and covered a span of many decades done me no good with Universal
    Discredit.

    They don’t pay you anything for the first 8 days?
    Why isn’t it that when I start work that I don’t pay any taxes for the
    First 8 days.

    I could manage that but what about a single Mum on minimum wage
    Who was made redundant? No wonder the Tories drive up the suicide figures.

    They then want to establish if you are lazy and are you genuinely keen to work?
    After near 50 years of 50 hour weeks I think it’s fair to say that I need no further proof.

    You are expected to go on line and read the most awful crap that the Tories allow to be described as a job.
    Self employed poor quality double glazing sales man.
    Minimum wage worker required 20 miles away.
    Delivery driver with own vehicle and phone with rates that leave
    Nothing after you pay for running these items.

    Sure there are those who don’t want to work and they are in every country
    But there are more decent hard working people who just need some fair and
    Reasonable support temporarily until they find their feet again.

    If a paltry £70 dole money stops some people from breaking into my
    Home or mugging me in the street I see it as good value but
    What a waste of a life trying to exist on pennies.

    I’m sure Boris will sort it with public flaggings after 2 weeks without work
    Or perhaps chain gangs repairing pot holes for a days bread and water ration.

    If Bojo the Clown and his Eaton chums along with the big corporations just paid
    Their taxes we wouldn’t need to have these discussions or worry about the NHS
    or Education, or Care in the Community.

  31. Ahundredthidiot
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian, you’re no being very nice…

    …maybe go work out where all that anger comes from….

  32. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Its the usual lying bollocks for the unionist news rag that we’ve come to know but definitely don’t respect.

    Expect the Daily Fails shit-o-meter to go off the chart next year when a second indy date is announced.

  33. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    To Terry,

    Let me get to my feet…. I’ve fallen down laughing at your utter stupidity.
    You prove my point

  34. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    Lies and Threats;

    These are all the British Nationalists have left to keep the ‘Precious’ together.

    The EssEnnPeeBaad BritNat Propaganda has become more high pitched and hysterical via BBC/STV and the Deadtree Press as more and more people in Scotland continue to see through their lies daily (and have been since September 2014).

    Not long now folks.

    They know this because their Private Polling and the Poll we Tax Payers paid for but Lidington refuses to publish tell them so.

    Tick, Tock…

    🙂

  35. TheItalianJob
    Ignored
    says:

    Article on the BBC website on the Australian man Peter Warren who invented the “black box recorder” compulsory on all commercial airliners.

    This is his quote.

    Peter Warren (the inventor) who was not recognised by the Australian Government for his pioneer work until decades after his invention blames “a 1950s colonial mindset which said nothing good could come out of this country, and everything good would get invented in either the UK, or Germany or America”.

    Sounds familiar regarding how Scotland is viewed today by our colonial masters.

  36. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    To Ahundtedthidiot,

    So well named… you pick that yourself or were you christened with it? lol

  37. Essexexile
    Ignored
    says:

    Unionist press must be seriously worried to produce this sort of nonsense.
    FMs next move will be so clever nobody will expect it.
    The Scottish people are sovereign therefore they will decide what happens to them.

    Three statements that get trotted out endlessly on here which actually, when you scrutinise it, have amounted to Scottish Football Association since 2014.

    Still, mustn’t scare the horses.

  38. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian’s screams of impotent rage tell us a great deal.
    Bereft of any positive case for the Preciousss, trolls like him are being sent out to provoke fresh material for the next Vile Cybernats article in the Heil.
    It’s a thankless task his masters have set him.

  39. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Well said Essex

  40. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Cool heads? Mair like Dick head

  41. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor Brian.
    You have my pity.

  42. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re the one that needs pitied Dickheads.
    You’re wishing on a star.
    The star is an illusion

  43. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    Desperate British nationalist media. Its anti-Scottish propaganda continues to increase in rabid shrillness. A good sign in a way.

    Boycott all of it.

  44. James Boatman
    Ignored
    says:

    Better education, leads to better productivity, leads to higher wages, leads to higher income tax take.
    The causality is not that hard to see!

  45. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor little lamb.
    All that anger and nobody responding with insults.

  46. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Doug,
    The British nationalists have what they want already.
    You’re scraping around in a barrel and yet the barrel is empty.
    Can’t you see ??

  47. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Derek Mackay tells it like it is.

    “This is a wilful misrepresentation of the truth. The UK income tax take for 2017-18 is lower than expected which means that Treasury deducted £737m more from our block grant in 2017-18 than they should have. The UK is simply correcting this forecasting mistake.”

    Don’t expect the unionist shit rag the Daily Fail to untwist their bollocks puff piece anytime soon.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/DerekMackaySNP

  48. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Dickheads…. no anger from me. It’s the muppets on here that are angry cos they just have to suck it up!

  49. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor wee Brian.
    What a shame.

  50. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    Westminster screws up the economy then demands the Scottish government does something about it. Westminster ties Scotland’s hands then demands we clap in approval of British nationalist policies. No wonder the daily mail and bbc, etc are upping the level of desperation in their anti-Scottish propaganda.

  51. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    You won’t rattle me Dickheads, your the one that is desperate to have the last word and guess what….just like your leader( that ain’t gonna happen….EVER!)

  52. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    The Brexit Caller James O’Brien Felt More Sorry For Than Ever Before

    https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/brexit-caller-james-obrien-fish-and-chips/

  53. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Doug… the BBC is fully supportive of Scotland……within a UK context

  54. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Brian’s going to cry.

  55. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Dickheads going to combust lol

  56. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    “trolls like him are being sent out to provoke fresh material”

    Either that @Coolheads Prevail says at 3:49 pm or the 77th Brigade, Volunteer Reserve are on 2 week annual camp and all getting some keyboard warrior time (and bounty days in)!!

  57. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor tormented little Brian.
    He forgot to call me a ‘Nat si’.
    That must have been left out of the briefing notes.

  58. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Japanese Wind Breaker….. there’s never any fresh ideas on here. You are all stuck in the mud.

  59. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    …( that ain’t gonna happen….EVER!)

    Sounds very much like ‘NO SURRENDER’ there @Brian says at 4:03 pm

  60. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Dickheads… you are welcome to support and vote for whoever you please. I like to be on the winning side

  61. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Wind Breaker….. go to the lavvy , I think you need one

  62. Bill Hume
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor Brian, more to be pitied than scorned……that said, scorn away.

  63. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian, you taking over while the Wind has a poo?

  64. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    When rabid British nationalist shrillness increases to a certain level it almost becomes musical. Encore!

  65. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    The trolls’ standards have slipped in recent months.
    All they have left are tired insults.

  66. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    What musical is that Doug? The winner takes it all?

  67. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve insulted no one on here Dickheads

  68. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    Encore!

  69. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Can we please stop the peurile too and fro comments and concentrate on what matters.

    Thank you.

  70. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    The mood music of the trolls.
    It’s presumably akin to the sensation of having your head shoved into the bass bin at an Atari Teenage Riot gig.

  71. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Ha ha – The National has dig at James Kelly MSP and his silly campaign about the Work Place Parking Levy.

    https://twitter.com/ScotNational/status/1152223315500683264

  72. Coolheads Prevail
    Ignored
    says:

    @RepublicofScotland
    Happy to oblige.

  73. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Liz (give me a job please Boris) Truss and the Daily Heil

    The *Scottish* British media used to go hard on this sort of garbage 5 years ago, these days not so much, even the Daily Record can’t bring themselves to support it because it’s been debunked so often it’s boring plus their sales are dropping

    If it wasn’t for the horses the Orange Lodge and The Football they’d be nearing the same boat as the Scotsman and rest of the so called *Scottish* papers, these days it’s more Sky Fox news throwing this stuff in hoping the pensioners will fall for it again

    In other news the result of the UK Guv Poll on support for Scottish Independence is still being witheld by David Lidington that was commissioned using taxpayers money

    Still the same excuse *not in the public interest* happy to use public money to do it though because if it had been the result the UK wanted that would’ve been news on all platforms, but it was the wrong result and by concealing it makes it obvious, even to the Numpties

  74. Bill Hume
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve bought a flagpole. It came with a UJ (gone to landfill).
    If you support independence for Scotland……life is good right now

  75. William Purves
    Ignored
    says:

    Boris’s fish looks like what we knew as a boil in the bag kipper.

  76. Derek Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu, no being funny, but why are you not blocking that fuckwit Brian? He’s just infecting the site.

  77. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Jings! Who let the bairn oot!

  78. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    VIDEO. Prime Minister Johnson and Brexit.

    Yesterday The Alex Salmond Show was at Westminster where Alex Salmond interviewed the Daily Mail columnist Peter Oborne, former Liberal MP Lembit Opik, and by Video Link from Edinburgh Martin Hannan a political journalist for The National Newspaper.

    The Westminster interviews begin at 3:30

    with the Edinburgh Link at 19:55

    VIDEO:
    https://tinyurl.com/y3fcyf83

  79. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Education/schools in Scotland failing? Here is a selection of education/schools articles from the Guardian on state of Schools in England.
    I have not given links just the headlines so you can search for them yourself but enough just from the headlines to get some idea about what is happening down south.

    “”It’s dangerous’: full chaos of funding cuts in England’s schools revealed ….. from March 2019

    “”More than 49,000 pupils ‘disappeared’ from English schools – study

    “”Data reveals one in 12 schoolchildren in 2012-17 were removed from rolls without explanation…..From April 2019

    “”‘A national shame’: headteachers voice anger about pupils’ hunger…..20th May 2019. Note: as usual the article starts off saying it is ‘across the UK’ but read on and it is clear it is English Schools

    “”Former Ofsted head says government school funding claims are misleading…..26th May 2019

    “”School asks BBC Children in Need to cover funding gap
    …Jun 2019

    “”Some English schools ‘can’t afford to teach five days a week’…..4th July 2019

    “”More than 300 English primary schools forced to become academies
    Some failing schools shunted between trusts as sponsors collect millions in grants…….11 July 2019

    “”Vanity project’: debts pile up for English free schools scheme…..13th July 2019

    And earlier articles from the Guardian:

    From Dec 2017
    “”40,000 children trapped in ‘zombie’ academy schools
    Education ministers urged to investigate after failed trusts leave pupils in limbo

    From July 2017

    “”More than 600,000 pupils in England taught by unqualified teachers, says Labour
    Party says many school staff have no guaranteed training in safeguarding children, and standards are at risk

    The school system in England has become increasingly fragmented – Academies, Free Schools, local council maintained schools – all vying for cash and reluctant to take on pupils who might lower their GCSE/A-level passes. This creates a 4th type of school, the orphan or zombie schools.

    This is just a brief taste of what is going on in England. Almost every week the Guardian has an article on some failing aspect of schools/education in England. Councils with ever more frequent cuts to their budgets are finding it increasingly difficult to cope. The latest issues are children with mental health issues and children with special needs. The latter seem to be putting a particular strain on Councils’ budgets.

    Ms Truss and the Daily Mail should attend to their own backyard before criticising anyone elses.

    .

  80. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    Bemoaning Scotland’s tax revenue without its own currency is like complaining about the performance of a car which has no fuel.

  81. Alabaman
    Ignored
    says:

    @Derek Thomson.
    It’s probably a case of, “give a man enough rope ——: “.

  82. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    England’s pensioners demand fish and chips in newspapers again cheap drink and jobless hardship because *we did it before and we can do it again if it gets rid of the foreigners*

    Now that should be a headline in every newspaper by law

  83. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Is there any one in the Scottish Independence movement who still thinks that Indy2014 was conducted, in both the campaign preceding and then in the administration of the ballot itself, in a true and fair manner?

    And likewise what of the EU Referendum in June 2016?

    And GE2017?

    And what about foreign, anonymous and excessive donations?

    And then there is Cambridge Analytica, and other similar organisations, with access to social media databases and micro-targeting just before a ballot?

    Is there anyone who does not believe, in 2019, that the UK Government has the will, the motivation, the connections and the resources, to achieve its desired result in any UK election or referendum? Or is it far too incompetent and talentless for that? Or that powerful people in the USA and elsewhere, are only too willing and able to help this Tory government separate from the EU, and retain control of Scotland, all in the interests of the United States of America?

    The Global Warming crisis is coinciding with global destruction and deterioration of virtually every habitat on Earth. So also, the weakening of authentic democracy increases worldwide, while at the same time, the wealthy are determined to become even more wealthy and more powerful, and to see increasing poverty and lack of, well everything actually, for the great majority.

    At this rate, Optimism will soon be on its death bed.

    But hey, it’s far too early yet to be worrying about that stuff. Right? Yeah, I thought so. Carry on.

  84. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian “The Sage” hath spoken. Probably been drinking the nail varnish remover again. That can induce hallucinations.

  85. CmonIndy
    Ignored
    says:

    I was going to plead to the Rev to ban Brian. I’ve changed my mind. I shall read his stuff and just think of Mr ‘going to resign now” Mundell at each of his manic posts.

  86. Iain 2
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember, don’t feed the trolls.

  87. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian won’t be back.

  88. admiral
    Ignored
    says:

    Re the Derek Mackay tweet – yes, the SG has to rely on Treasury/OBR “forecasts” when setting the budget. These have a long history of being utter mince.

    And wasn’t it only a few short weeks ago that the yoon parties were complaining about the Scottish Government “underspending” its budget by £100s of millions?

  89. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Manandboy in the mid eighties i was at a Conference in Londinium , one of the speakers was a Futureologist with BT, he forecast that society as we know it will be no more, the haves will live in Walled Cities have computer chips implanted in their heads so that Big Brother could monitor them, the nots will live in a Mad Max style fighting for the scraps outside the city walls. I recall John Gordon Sinclair in a 90’s TV series called Snakes and Ladders where in the City state of London everything was hunky dory but in the ‘North” and Scotland it was hell on Earth.
    I tapep these at the time, must have a look up the loft to see if I can find them!
    And who could forget Orwell’s 1984 written in 1948 which has some revalence today.

  90. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    All this bleating and glee from the unionist stink ridden press about Scotland’s tax take, I have to ask how many UK (engerlish ) based HQ companies have employees in Scotland registered as Scottish tax payers , how many of these employees have the S on their tax numbers to indicate their tax contributions go to the Scottish tax office , and how many of these companies generate income, revenue and profit from Scotland and it’s citizens yet pay their taxes ( ha ha ) to the engerlish tax office , are these questions that should be asked and answered before the aforesaid stinky unionist press get orgasmic

  91. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    Folks, tax revenue can’t exist without money being spent into existence in the first place.
    There’s only one entity that does that and it ain’t holyrood.

  92. mike cassidy
    Ignored
    says:

    OT

    But why does this headline fill me with unease?

    Especially when you consider who is likely to be representing us in September.

    Warsaw says Trump to attend invasion of Poland anniversary

    http://archive.is/5SREB

  93. Ahundredthidiot
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain2 – I know youre right, but sometimes its just good sport

  94. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    The whole point of the current devolution settlement was to manipulate data presentation.
    It would have much less impact but for the Unionst media attack dogs.

  95. mike cassidy
    Ignored
    says:

    Lenny Hartley 5.40

    Link to episode 1 of “Snakes And Ladders”

    Don’t remember it at all

    Written by the Alan B’Stard pair of Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2fv311

  96. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    In fairness to Brian he gave me a laugh.

    Such anger on a Friday evening. Now who does he remind me off. Baaaaaa

  97. Golfnut
    Ignored
    says:

    @Admiral

    Take GERS as an example, the treasury supplies the figures to the OBR, the OBR pass the figures to the SG who are then required to create a report.
    So any forecast made by OBR regarding Scotland’s, before passing on to Scot gov, originates from the Treasury. Wonder which set of books they use.

  98. CmonIndy
    Ignored
    says:

    Methinks the Rev’s next piece on Jo Swinson is going to be brutal. That performance on BBC News will be a University research project on the extremes of sophistry and dishonesty in the history of UK politics.

  99. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Pro rata Westminster has a £3Billion deficit. So they are taking another £2Billion from Scotland. Along with the rest. £3Billion in tax evasion, £1Billion in Trident and redundant weaponry, £4Billion in overtaxing Oil industry affecting production. Westminster mismanagement. 30% tax since Jan 2016. Since 2010 (£36Billion). £3Billion paying loans not borrowed or spent in Scotland. Eg Hinkley Point, HS2. A total waste of money.

    Scotland can borrow very little to invest in the economy. Lowering growth. Possible £5Billion. (Pro rata with the rest of the UK) Brexit is now affecting the economy. Brexit could cause a (world) recession. A loss of jobs. Scottish tax revenues went up £4Billion a year. £60Billion. Westminster Treasury cut Scottish budget 10% a year. Now £3Billion less. MUP will save £1Billion. Total £20Billion. Scotland could raise the same as Norway. £80Billion a year. Without Westminster wilful interference.

    Scotland raises £4Billion more pro rata than the rest of the UK. Loses it to Westminster Treasury mismanagement. Historical lack of investment in railways. Journey times are 1/3 longer in Scotland. Cutting the times would be better than flight times between North and South for many journeys.

    Another vast Oil discovery in the North Sea. Total.

  100. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Rest of the UK average £3Billion short. Pro rata They are taking another £2Billion out of Scotland. The Westminster Treasury parasites.

  101. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The Tory/unionists want out of EU to tax evade.

  102. Gary
    Ignored
    says:

    The infamous “Tax Hikes” meme strikes again!! I assume they are referring to the fact that Scotland DIDN’T give a tax CUT to the richest people and instead kept it EXACTLY THE SAME. So, in fact, not a cut, not a rise just more of the same EXCEPT – they actually STILL pay less this year than last BECAUSE the Tax Codes, in other words the amount you have to earn before you START paying Tax has now RISEN from £11,850 to £12,500! So even WITHOUT a cut, the richest STILL pay less and all this with a “Tax Hike” according to The Daily Fail err…Mail.

    If that’s a Tax Hike then I’d like more of them lol!

  103. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Mike Cassidy, brilliant will watch it later, wonder why they dont repeat it 🙂 🙂

  104. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Total tax revenues raised in UK 2017- 18 £661.6Billion. UK Gov accounts.

    Other revenues raised from Councils? Selling services, fees and tariffs? £99Billion? (@£4.1Billion EU funds Defra spends)

  105. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Iran seizes British oil tanker (with Clydebank link).

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49053383

  106. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Regarding GERS, taxation, independence, deficits, etc, this from Craig Dalzell is worth watching if you haven’t seen it

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeVYR2IXDas

    Some points he makes are certainly thought provoking.

  107. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra says:

    Iran seizes British oil tanker

    …. which was almost certainly what Perfidious Albion was trying to provoke.

    The Iran tanker was accosted in Gibraltar waters. A wee enclave. Why wasn’t it stopped by the ‘big boys’ at the entrance to the Med – Spain or Morocco?

  108. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Ach well, Brian’s visit was short-lived but entertaining, like a maniac in his Ys bursting into a country pub and threatening to take on all-comers before the landlord’s sons escort him from the premises baws-first.

    😉

  109. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lenny Hartley (5.40) –

    Nothing beats a good bit of dystopian fiction.

    FWIW, I can’t imagine anything worse than living in the likes of London. Wings Twitter t’other day had photies of the apartments people are now buying and you literally couldn’t swing a cat in them. Post-Brexit I can’t imagine why we won’t, in time, see Japanese-style pod hotels down there. It’s a fuckin hell-hole unless you can afford to live in a ‘gated’ community, and even then, you’re living with the perpetual fear that the Great Unwashed will rise up and confront the solitary 65-yr old gatekeeper.

  110. Benhope
    Ignored
    says:

    English idiots seize Iranian oil tanker off Gibralter.

    Iran seize English tanker in the Straits of Hormuz. Check.

    Iran can seize any more tankers any time it likes leaving the Gulf.

    Shock,horror, empire is no longer working!

    Never mind The BBC Proms start next week !

  111. Terry callachan
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian…..you still have not said why you think brexit will not happen
    I’m interested to know why you think that
    Honestly I would like you to explain your reasoning

  112. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra @ 8.32 PM

    CH4 news had a couple of reports on this. In the reports Lynsey Hilsum refers to the earlier seizure of the Iranian tanker by ‘the Gibaltarian authorities’. No mention of British involvement, Royal Marines etc. Really surprised me that she referred to it without mentioning Britain just wee Gibraltar.

    In the second report – link below – she again refers to Gibraltarian authorities and repeats this even after the man from the Iranian-American think tank says it was the British acting at the behest of the Americans.

    https://www.channel4.com/news/iran-playing-tit-for-tat-game-says-us-think-tank-vp

    An interesting and worrying development if a reporter of her standing is changing, or attempting, to change the story and why.

  113. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Terry is that you trying to encourage that disgusting wee creep tp continue posting on here? What’s that all about?

    ……………

    ‘Investigation: ‘Neverendum’ story busted by experts.’

    http://www.thenational.scot/news/17780649.investigation-39-neverendum-39-news-story-busted-experts/

  114. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    This story is evolving by the minute:

    Page had a wee paragraph under the headline:

    ‘Two Scottish run tankers involved’ but that disappears on the archived version but returns later in the script.

    Anyhoo! Just archived it a minute ago.

    http://archive.is/Pq9ND

  115. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    @Terry callachan

    Terry your not related to HAL from

    2001: A Space Odyssey are you 🙂

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDrDUmuUBTo

    Best leave the bairn Brian on his own!

  116. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    We live in dangerous times Legerwood. No doubt about that. Due to be exacerbated when Boris Johnston takes over and even more so in light of the fact that we can’t rely on employees of media outlets to basically tell the truth. It’s totally disheartening … and well frightening … when we can clearly see that no lessons have been learned from the part that the media played in relation to the Iraq invasion (for one).

    It’s one of my key reasons for wanting to live in an Independent Scotland. Hoping that with Independence we would find ourselves in a position to hold our MSM to account to force them to raise their standards to the point of just telling the bl**dy truth (excuse my language). Not too much to ask for when we all know (well some of us) that their “usage of language” could lead to WW3.

  117. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra @ 10.32 PM

    Indeed we do live in dangerous times when things like this happen and black is called white even when there is video to show otherwise.

    As to Johnson, Der Spiegel have him bang to rights

    https://mobile.twitter.com/VassiliGolod/status/1152278455838478337

  118. Essexexile
    Ignored
    says:

    Terry Callachan @ 9.40pm
    Hi Terry, I’m certainly not answering on Brian’s behalf but I also have a strong feeling that Brexit won’t happen.
    It’s well accepted that business (EU and UK) simply won’t accept a no deal and the NI backstop issue ensures that there can’t possibly be anything between no deal and no Brexit. No Brexit would see the end of the Tory party.
    The only way to continue is exactly as we are doing now. Over the next few years we will drift between ever more meaningless deadline dates, gradually becoming used to the idea that we are in limbo between never definitively leaving and never definitively staying in. In all honesty, that’s not much different to the UK’s attitude towards the EU over the last three decades anyway.
    The fact that there are lots of new BP MEPs making a noise in Brussels only adds to the liklihood we won’t actually leave. Gravy train and all that. The EU parliament does well by keeping its friends close and it’s enemies closer.
    Being somewhere near the cliff edge is our present and our foreseeable future and as we have been living with that status relatively unharmed for 3+ years it’s fair to assume that it’s likely to continue given that there is literally no alternative.
    Of course, it does rather ask a question about NS linking the timing of IR2 to a process which will never even approach a conclusion. But, there will be plenty of time to rethink that.
    Anyway, that’s my opinion.

  119. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    My God, the Daily Mail really do think their readers are morons…and maybe they are right.

  120. Mary miles
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi from Tassie:

    Brian, what are you doing on this site? People here love their country and want to see it free to chose its own future. I can only assume you don’t read much of what the unionists say as they are the ones who are really panicking. Why are they panicking – I think we all know the answer. Try and calm down and accept what cannot be changed.

    No need to be rude to me about it being none of my business because I don’t live in Scotland because for one I don’t care for your opinion and also I will always love Scotland and want Independence for her. The unionists would not put so much effort into trying to stop it if they had nothing to fear.

    No bad feelings towards yourself. I wish you well and will always look forward to Scotland’s Independence.

  121. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    UK Tax revenues have increased from £628Billion to £661.6Billion. Scotland still raising pro rata £5Billion more. The Budgets are calculated wrong. To hide borrowings. They put in figures for growth which often does not happen to balance the Budget books. Then they have to borrow more but try to hide it. Osbourne was putting in £20Billion for growth which did not happen then had to borrow more. Fiddling the books. In the private, public sector. It would be criminal. Bad auditing.

    Scotland raises £60Billion.

    Take £60Billion from £661.6Billion. £601Billion. Divide by 11 (rest of the UK pop 11/12.)

  122. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian spammers

  123. Artyhetty
    Ignored
    says:

    Re; Manandboy@5.06pm

    Spot on. Humans are at the precipice of full on madness in terms of dystopian nightmare becoming a reality. It’s truly scary, but most refuse to even think about it, which is even scarier. It’s the future for young people that is at stake here.

    Scary tomes.

  124. Artyhetty
    Ignored
    says:

    Times, not tomes!

  125. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    How much longer do we have to listen to the neverending bile and misinformation pumped out by the MSN.
    This is a war by the state against a national movement.
    Colonialism by a occupying power. It’s as clearcut as that.

  126. Terry callachan
    Ignored
    says:

    Call me Dave….your post at 1004…

    Haha..thanks Dave , wonder that myself sometimes

    The thing is if someone says brexit won’t happen , I want them to say why it won’t happen but Brian just shouts “ it won’t happen” louder

  127. Terry callachan
    Ignored
    says:

    To Petra your post 9.52

    I think it’s good to encourage britnats to post on here , that way we get to pick their stories and policies apart bit by bit
    When you are confident that you are in the right never fear an opponent such as Brian
    Invariably they have nothing to say and resort to insults and being rude in the knowledge that reason and sound judgement is against them

  128. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Terry callachan says at 8:37 am … ”I think it’s good to encourage britnats to post on here , that way we get to pick their stories and policies apart bit by bit.”….

    I’ve just reread through his NUMEROUS posts on here and didn’t find any ”stories or policies.” He made one statement and then went on to insult everyone by using crude, inane comments. No doubt used to encourage people to respond likewise, to ultimately lead to a thread full of rude, inane comments, not discuss any policies at all.

  129. David
    Ignored
    says:

    National today Saturday some sort of crisis meeting Sunday to sort out infighting in AUOB.
    Remember the thousands who have gone on those marches .
    And National have gone after the SNP again for not debating Indy at conference .
    SNP statement to National more like mind your own business

  130. Benhope
    Ignored
    says:

    Why say Open Champion when you can say The Champion Golfer of the Year !

    Ireland staging a tremendous golf tournament with great support for both Northern Irish and Republican players. Record crowds and terrific friendly atmosphere.

    How many percentage points for Irish unity would a Shane Lowry victory give today! Good luck to Shane from Scotland plus Robert and Russel of course.

  131. Cubby
    Ignored
    says:

    Ignorant Britnats all over this thread.



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