Every land an island
An alert reader pointed us today to this audio clip of Jim Murphy. It’s not tagged, but we THINK it’s from a Radio Clyde interview about three weeks ago which oddly didn’t seem to get picked up at the time by anyone in the media.
It’s an interesting viewpoint.
It’s only 19 seconds long, so we’ll transcribe the whole thing.
“I happen to think, actually, that Scottish nationalism and Irish nationalism are opposites.
Contemporary Irish nationalism in Northern Ireland is about leaving the United Kingdom and sharing an island with a neighbour, the Republic of Ireland. Contemporary Scottish nationalism is about leaving the United Kingdom and sharing an island with no-one, so they’re opposites.”
Heavens, where to start?
There are, it can’t be denied, some striking differences between Scottish nationalism and Irish nationalism. Only one of them has a bodycount, for a start. In my lifetime alone (which seems a legitimate definition of “contemporary”), over three and a half thousand people have lost their lives on both sides over the political ideology of a united Ireland, with tens of thousands more injured in violent acts. Scottish nationalism saw one egg cracked on Jim Murphy’s shirt.
But let’s assume that by “contemporary” Murphy is using a much narrower definition and referring to the present day. He specifically identifies Northern Ireland as the location, where the combined levels of support for the two main nationalist parties, Sinn Fein and the SDLP, are comparable to those for the SNP in Scotland. (Between them they got 41% in the last Stormont general election, just a shade below the SNP’s 45% at Holyrood the same year.)
The SNP, SDLP and Sinn Fein all (now) stand on a peaceful democratic platform of wanting to leave the UK, so Murphy is forced to grasp at straws in order to justify his assessment of them as representing “opposite” creeds. And what he comes up with, bizarrely, is geography.
We’re not too sure in what sense Scotland would stop “sharing an island” with anyone if it became politically independent. It’d still be part of the same island. But according to Jim Murphy, the entire concept of nationalism is solely dependent on whether your country has a coastline or not.
If you want your national government’s writ to stop when it meets water, you’re a good nationalist. If you want it to stop at a land border, you’re a bad nationalist.
Logically, of course, this must mean that the Scottish Labour branch manager would support Orkney nationalism, Shetland nationalism, Skye nationalism, Isle of Wight nationalism and Anglesey nationalism, but would oppose independence for France, Germany, Belgium, Canada and the USA, none of which are surrounded by seas. We don’t know where it leaves New Zealand (two islands) or Indonesia (thousands).
It also would appear to suggest that Murphy, who isn’t shy of drawing attention to his “devout” Catholicism, would advocate Irish nationalism and like to see Great Britain and a united Ireland as two separate states, because those are both islands, which he tells us is the defining requirement of nationalism.
(And if Irish nationalism is the “opposite” of Scottish nationalism – which we know Murphy is emphatically against – one would rationally deduce that he must be for it.)
Yet strangely, after 15 minutes of Googling we can’t actually find a statement either way from Murphy of his position on the matter of Irish reunification. He’s been keen to tell everyone this week that he’s “not a Unionist”, which at first sounded like merely comical revisionism in a Scottish context. But perhaps it was in fact a comment aimed at another audience entirely, for whom the word has a different resonance.
This site has no position on Irish nationalism. So far as we’re concerned it’s a matter for the peoples of Northern Ireland and the Republic to determine democratically and individually for themselves. But it seems reasonable to enquire whether Jim Murphy wants Scotland to stay in the UK or just Great Britain, and we suspect that quite a lot of Scottish Labour voters would like to know the answer to that question too.
Lost it: completely.
Just WOW!
Neatly done Rev.
I don’t think there’s a damn thing you could add to that to make the statement any more outrageous, wrong headed or insulting to Scots who adhere to independence or indeed Scots in general if you tried.
Just WOW! 😮
All aboard the gravy train it knows no boundaries especially religious ones.
Jim: “I know it’s not easy at first, but with practise you’ll find you hardly even have a twinge of conscience. Here, I’ll hold your hand. Now repeat after me, ‘I am not a catholic’.”
Thanks for transcribing the clip, Stu. Can’t stand listening to the Murph.
There’s no ‘perhaps’ about it, Rev. Given Jim’s prominent Catholicism, he needs to work extra hard to keep that Orange vote on board with Labour.
He’s also got a specific problem in his own constituency, where the ‘Old Labour’ vote in places like Barrhead has a Loyalist tinge to it.
Obviously he’s keen to get the Yes voting second/third generation Irish Scots back to Labour. How this will play with his Better Together friends in the Orange Order remains to be seen.
Some of the staunchest No voters are Loyalists (in a Irish context) and the middle class No voters who aren’t, will not going to be impressed by any faux socialism he adopts for electoral advantage.
“So tell me Pope, how’s the expenses with that job ?”
I’m going on a holiday to my favourite country next month. Afro-Eurasia. It’s quite big.
Utterly ridiculous, we will still share the Bloody Island Murphy just not the Government.
Convoluted argument I would say and he does not believe that for one minute.
Good post & well spotted by your alert reader.
Even if you asked the question, you really couldn’t believe the answer could you?
Let’s face it whatever Jim says is his position on Scottish nationalism today, he will be taking the opposite view tomorrow. He has previous form for it from the last six weeks alone.
Just another sad politician who says what he thinks people want to hear-no wonder he keeps coming out with these gaffes. Long may it continue!
Observing the Scottish Labour Party is a bit like watching a chameleon walking over a tartan rug, and trying to turn so many colours at once that it implodes.
“sharing an island with no-one”
What planet is that Smurph on? Does he think the SNP plans to drive the English out of England and the Welsh out of Wales so that only the Scots remain in this island and no longer share it with anyone else?
Of course an independent Scotland will share this island with the remainder of Britain I.e. England and Wales. It’s monumentally absurd to claim otherwise – next he’ll be claiming he’s not a unionist!
In fact it’s the BritNats that want this island for themselves – they want the only nationality on this island to be British and to share it with no other nationality, like the Scottish.
The fact this goes completely unchallenged just shows you how compliant the media have become towards the nonsense spouted by unionist politicians in general and John Smurphy in particular.
Murphy is a complete gormless idiot – So to help him, regarding the fact that there are independent nations out there that DO share an Island, lets start with Hispaniola that has Republic of Haiti on the western half and the Dominican Republic on the eastern half 🙂
Caption for Papal photo.
Holy Father I have sinned. I have sold my soul for my own gain. Forgive me.
How in shit’s name did this man get elected to anything?
Murph the Morph. What next? Ugly duckling to Swan!
To be fair, Rev, Scottish nationalism resulted in a pensioner having his arm broken and a pregnant woman being kicked in the stomach (both by opponents of Scottish nationalism), as well as a riot in Glasgow (again, by opponents), rather than just Jim’s Egg.
By the time we get to May 2015, Jim Murphy will need about 15 minutes just to set out the preamble to each and every question he is asked.
His complex web of real position, perceived position, possible position, dream position, etc will be a heavy load.
You have to hope that someone on TV is capable of tying Jim up in his own web.
Murphy skating on thin ice, but he’s assuming that a) people are too dumb to make any conclusions from his obfuscations, and b) that the media will help cover those obfuscations up.
To give an example, not about Ireland, but about Israel.What is Murphy saying here about people who are angry with Israel for their actions against the Palestinians (pay particular attention to the final question and his response)
(from his blog, which I’ve been having a skim through today – here specifically talking about events in 2012)
Everyone is rightly sickened by the loss of innocent life in this conflict and very many good people will join vigils and demonstrations demanding that the violence stops. Most will make more demands of Israel than Hamas. The right to do so is an important part of our politics and democracy. The one thing that I find surprising is that there is not the same level of demonstration against the Syrian regime that has been butchering so many of its own people all these months. The violence in Syria has caused the death of 30,000 with 100 being killed every day. Why is there such little focus on that as well? I don’t know why that is.
Oh dear, soon he’ll propose that Germany should annex all of Jutland. He probably also thinks Malaysia should be split between Indonesia and Thailand.
I wonder if the Pope ever managed to find his watch?
Chameleons (chamaeleons): distinctive and highly specialized group of lizards. Many of the species have the ability to change colours to suit their environment.
Political Chameleons: distinctive and highly odious group of slimy creatures. Many of the species have the ability to spout hypocrisy of varying colours to suit their audience, notably without choking on their words.
Sorry to upset any herpetologists
He’s also got a specific problem in his own constituency, where the ‘Old Labour’ vote in places like Barrhead has a Loyalist tinge to it.
=====================================================
As someone who lives in Barrhead , this statement is nonsense there is no Orange Order in Barrhead , quite the opposite actually.
He has lots of problems in Eastwood and we intend to exploit every one of them ,religious voting is not one of those problems.
From The Hootsmon, and taken from his proposed speech
“In his speech, the Scottish Secretary will also claim that the Bible gave “the Labour movement the intellectual legitimacy to challenge the old orders.”
Now, where did the Parisian murderers of the Jewish shoppers and the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists draw their inspiration and justification?
Oh yes, it was a different tablet handed down from on high.
I wonder if Jim Murphy is following the mental reservation methodology of lying and casuistry propounded by the RC Theologian DR Navarrus, where you can say one thing and mean another so long as what you don’t say is what you actually believe. I am sure Tony Blair could explain that to him, if he has not done so already.
Can we compile a list of islands that need to form Unions (I mean political unions, not trade unions, in case Jim Murpy is reading)? But, for the avoidance of doubt, I’m not a unionist. I think these unions are necessary based on the universal truth that islands should be united.
I’ll start with Dominican Repub and Haiti.
@panda paws
He may be keen but he starts from the wrong premise. Second/third generation Irish Scots never voted for labour it was their parents that did. If you look at the regions that voted YES and the distribution of those generations you see the truth.
Obviously totally different. One is a reaction against British imperialism. The other is about
SQUIRRELS!
Well that picture has put me off lunch now.
The obsequious uriah heep of politics.
Surely both sets of nationalists want the same thing, independence from Westminster.
The Irish call these people “Gombeens”, who were originally Irish Catholic landowners aping their British masters.
It was Labour who sent Troops IN to Ireland in 1969 and intrioduced all the reactionary repressive laws. Lord Reid Parkheid, was a Secretary of State for the North of Ireland under the Unionist Labour Goverment.
Labour also sent the Troops IN to Glasgow to drive ambukances, Fire Engines and bin lorries to scab on the striking workers who were defying their Labour Union bosses, who were policing Labour pay freezes.
You can say anyhting you like when you control the media. The rest of us have to rely on our own experiences and a social media to answer them back.
Life must be so hard for Jim. He seems to get by on a daily diet of brain farts and head f*cks.
But I’m sure he’ll be fine.
He has John McTernan to help him.
I’ve seen the same kind of distinctions drawn by Effie Deans and Duncan Hothersall. I’m working from memory so hope I’m not doing either a disservice and apologise in advance if I’m getting this wrong.
For Duncan, the starting point was that a functional Scottish/English border would be morally suspect because “arbitrary”. So, logically, some borders were not “arbitrary”. It turned out that those were geographical features like rivers and so on. So: river good, line in a desert bad. And so, country delineated by geographical features good; country delineated by something else, bad. The fact that even a river (or a sea) functions as a border only because it has been given that status by consensus amongst human beings didn’t seem to change his view on things. Borders, and therefore countries, could be arranged in a moral hierarchy by reference to whether or not it was reasonable for them to exist, independently, at all.
Ms. Deans sees language as (I think) the main (perhaps even sole) morally acceptable basis for independent status. By that logic, South America should be two nations: Brazil and everyone else and of course there’d be no Irish republic. In reality, hers is the most reactionary, romantic, right-wing, conservative view it’s possible to have. If a country doesn’t exist then it shouldn’t and those who want it to exist are “nationalists”; if it does exist then it should and its inhabitants cannot possibly be “nationalists” because it already exists. So Nick Griffin and Le Pen are not nationalists.
The breath-taking arrogance of even having, let alone expressing, a view on the legitimacy of another country’s assertion of independence, for its actual existence, and where it featured in the moral pantheon of nations, didn’t occur to either of them.
Walter Mitty
That’s all. Enough said.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Murphy and Glasgow labour have been hurt by their association with the orange men .
This spinning against unionism is his way to counter that .
I hope the SNP can see what is crystal clear to me Jim Murphy is ta total liability for Labour and his lies, distortions and glaring inconsistencies make him not just a laughing stock but a real weak point that needs exploited.
Some billboard adds mocking the absurdity of his candidacy and highlighting this to the electorate would do. Because the press and BBC have his back and are punting him mercilessly.
Murphy style geo-politics.
Is he for or against the political unification of Ireland? If, as we strongly suspect, is for then that makes him an Irish Unionist …… does it not?
I keep saying it, he’s Scotlands George Bush, everytime he opens his mouth…
Wingman
Walter Mitty Spot on it describes Murphy to a tee!
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Walter Mitty as “an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs..
Murphy says what he feels needs to be said to suit the circumstances he finds himself in. He fails to take into account that everything a politician says and does is on permanent record. Basically he is just supplying his own rope! Yes, the MSM/BBC will try to spin sense of it all, but fortunately he is making that very difficult for them!
Murphy may yet prove to be a significant asset for the SNP and the Indy cause!
He will be replaced after the GE.
Iomlán buachar! In any language!
He sidesteps crisiscult, the sidestep Is the deflection, then conflates with Syria, and ends on asking a question. Manages to avoid any position that ‘pins’ him to reveal his true position.
I find my sanity on a precipice when even reading a transcript of what comes out this man’s mouth. It’s quite literally ‘crazy talk’. It’s bereft of sanity.
I hate to align or associate the likes of Murphy’s name with anyone of real democratic endeavour and integrity.
But is there, by any chance, that this bambot, Murphy, is going to attempt to come up with anything like,
“I have a dream”.
As a speech heading?. I do not under any circumstance wish to demean the late great civil rights campaigner, Dr Martin Luther King.
“Part of my argument is that we are stronger in a union. I’ve always thought that workers are better off in a union at work and Scotland is better off in a union of the UK. I know it’s an old fashioned idea for some but this sense of unity being strength is as true today as it’s ever been.” – Jim Murphy, 10 June 2014
It if walks like a unionist, talks like a unionist then ……….
Is Jim Murphy a British unionist or an Irish unionist?
Mabe if Jim Murphy had spent his formative years here, Instead of in white ruled apartheid South Africa, he would be able to better understand and empathise with the the scottish electorate. Or if he’d stuck in during his 9 years at university, instead of playing schoolboy games in the student union. He might now realise the futility of his present situation, and how stupid his current pronouncements make him appear to the public. If he was’nt so dangerous I could feel sorry for him and his deluded state of mind.
If patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, because not to go along with the scoundrel would be unpatriotic, what does that make someone who justifies his political position by way of holy writings?
What is lower than a scoundrel?
A Serpent, a Murphy?—– a new definition, folks.
The more I hear of Murphy, the more I’m convinced he’s not the full shilling.
Is being not too bright something that’s peculiar to Labour’s Scottish branch, or are they all the same and we just haven’t noticed because their so-called big beasts are entrenched hundreds of miles away? Do you have to pass an idiocy test in order to prove you’re dim enough to become Labour’s Scottish division manager?
I’m surprised this argument wasn’t used much during the referendum, I kept thinking it had to come up.
It’s such a stupid one too. As said, does he just think Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and all the way to China – just one big nation?
I take it he doesn’t realise that Haiti/Dominican Republic share the same island? Or, East Timor/part of Indonesia?
Then you have Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland all sharing not an island, but a common bond much like UK/Eire have through culture, heritage, language.
Almost every arguement FOR Scottish independence can be looked at via Ireland – e.g when the Unionists tried to scare folk into thinking border posts, mass illegal migration, BBC, currency issues if Scotland had a seperate currency and so on
All these were debunked by looking at Northern Ireland/Eire.
He believes in Irish nationalism because that is what he always belived in, grew up and didn’t he call himself ”Glasgow Irish” at uni when younger. Now, he’s reinventing himself as some kind of Scottish patriot with his Labour can be home to supporterts of Scots independence.
I’ve always believed in Scottish independence, but the yes movement was seen as progressive, non-nationalistic, and that’s why we won over most of the young creatives, artists, liberals, and dare I say even socialists. If Murphy believed any of this recent shít that he’s come out with, he would have voted Yes and supported Scottish independence as it was our only option at a real chance of proper change and distributing wealth, land reform, ending wars, and so on.
The thing is Jim doesn’t believe any of the crap he spouts. He doing exactly what Blair did.
What Desperate Jim is trying to do is convince the catholic YES voters that voted YES en masse (and many voted SNP in 2011) that you don’t have to be a unionist to vote Labour. “You can even support independence and vote Labour!”
“Scottish Labour is not a unionist party!”
Sorry Jim, that horse has bolted.
And for an encore he’ll explain why white and white are two completely different colours.
Mr Murphy is more than a bit confused,if you ask me.That doesn’t,of course,of itself make him a bad person.I think we should all make more of an effort to try to understand what Mr Murphy is trying to articulate.Its very easy just to write him off as a nincompoop,a ninny,a very silly billy,but that isn’t going to help him with his obvious problems.
@NanaSmith.
Love it Nana,”obsequious Uriah Heep”.
That’ll do for me Nana. Suits him to a T.
Next weeks Murphy speech “That Cromwell guy, he had some right good ideas didnt he?”
I await his “Of course Orangemen should have the right to march on the streets of modern Scotland” followed by “I am not a Catholic”.
Is his favourist TV Show The Mentalist
You can see McTernan and big Blair tactics all over this….divide and conquer, regroup and confuse. The silly guys once again are playing Draughts when the Scottish People have moved onto Chess.
@ Bugger (the Panda) 1.41 pm
“In his speech, the Scottish Secretary will also claim that the Bible gave “the Labour movement the intellectual legitimacy to challenge the old orders.”
God wills it.
In Ireland, Jim Murphy voice is replaced with that of an actor
FACT!*
*Evaluated by Scottish Labours factometer</i
Murphy is a willing desciple of the London Establishment.
His Irn Bru box antics during the Indy Ref have very probably been viewed positively by the Brit Nats.
I’m of the view that Murphy was playing to a particular audience during the Indy Ref campaign and that he used this cynically as an opportunity to prove his loyalty and worth.
The audience was/is the London Establishment.
Murphy’s jacket was probably on a shoogley peg and he wants, more than anything, not to be just another MP.
This latest gig of his in Scotland is just a rerun of last year. The brief will have been simple; to keep the SNP at bay.
The tool kit consists of lies, an onside, allied MSM, backed up with the promise of rich rewards in the future e.g. a peerage.
Jim’ll be doing alright come whatever.
He’s a native pretending he’s gone ‘native’ so that the natives stop going ‘native’.
Holy God, and here I thought it was impossible for my opinion of Jim Murphy to decrease.
This is why his election as leader is so dangerous: not because he’s particularly talented or insightful or clever, but because he says some completely monstrous things from a position of great authority with practically no challenge from the media.
He advocates the repeal of anti-sectarian laws which have been proven to make a difference because it gives him an opportunity to attack the SNP; he advocates alcohol sales at football games despite the strong links to domestic violence such situations have; now, he’s gleaning over the violent history of Northern Ireland so that he can call the SNP’s Nationalism inherently worse than Irish Nationalism.
It’s all part of the insidious attempt to cast supporters of Scottish independence as violent, dangerous thugs, and we MUST stand up against it.
This is worse than gutter politics, this is worse than offensive, it’s actually harmful to the public. He is no better than Nick Griffin or Nigel Farage – worse, even, because he’s the nominal “leader” of the opposition in Holyrood.
Which is kind of the point: any violence in regards to Scottish Nationalism is perpetrated against them, not by them. You have to go back to the Post Box Wars to find anything remotely violent from Scottish Nationalists. Or those two women who were held overnight by police for “obstructing crowd control” on the 19th.
And I’ll tell you this, there are a lot more cases of violence against Yes supporters than those occasions. I’ve witnessed it firsthand. It must be maddening for them that we refuse to lower ourselves to their level in reprisals.
O/T
Has anyone else seen this?
A schoolboy has slammed a bus company after he had to walk home in winter storms when two drivers refused to take his cash – because it was a Scottish banknote.
Jack Banfield, 18, tried to pay for his journey home in Wales using the colourful £10 note given to him for his birthday by Scottish relatives.
A bus company apologised today after the money was rejected by two different bus drivers who refused to accept it as payment for the £1.70 journey.
Just to further confuse Murphy:
Harris and Lewis share an island.
Where to start. The imbecile is an ignorant liar. Every word uttered is a lie. That 9 year ‘education’ certainly went to waste.
In NI the Catholic were discriminated against because of the British State. In Scotland the Churches have privileges above the Law. The Equal Opportunity Law. Scotland has been betrayed by the UK and not been treated equally. The Irish wanted Home Rule. They got partition. Gladstone, a Liberal partitioned Ireland which led to Civil War. The Black & Tans and the British State brutalised Ireland. The Plantations, the Famine with no relief. The starving people who had to migrate to the US etc. Scotland have a similar history to Ireland in relationship to Westminster but separate outcomes. Scotland is a secular country. The majority are non religious.
I think he might be able to give Johanne a run for her money in the gaffe stakes. He may even be more polished at it. Anybody up for making up maps that colour the land south of the border “No-one’s land….?”
Looks like he’ll be issuing ‘media bites’ every day between now and the GE. People have a knack of hearing what they want to hear, so no matter how much he contradicts himself, somewhere there will be a statement that appeals to each person. Yesterday’s a long time ago in politics. Many will only read the headlines in the red tops, which is why nothing else is of importance, even if that facts are contradicted in the body of the text. BBC murphyshire will mention him daily, even when claiming SNP policy as his own.
It doesn’t seem so long ago that people were pointing to Johann Lamont as an example of the thickest would-be politician of all time. Now that Murphy – the guy whose brain seems to short-circuit every time he moves his mouth – has arrived, she seems like a political genius.
@ Jimbo
What about the Philippines and New Zealand?
Squirrel time!
[…] Every land an island […]
Independence for The Puffins of St Kilda, that’s what I say.
Fortunately that group of Scots who regard Irish Independence as good but Scottish Independence as bad is a rapidly diminishing group.
Probably because that position is profoundly illogical, which is why it held by the intellectually challenged Jim Murphy and his Labour fellow cringers, Brian Wilson and former Glasgow Provost Michael Kelly.
I just don’t get this swivel-eyed separatism.
I’m proud of my Americafrican Eurasian identity, and I will fight in the name of Jesallahmed to defend it!!
Jim Murphy – the gift that keeps giving and giving and giving……
I agree with your comment about Irish nationalism, that’s for them to decide and certainly to be avoided on this website.
O/T Andrew Neil, the Mega-Ultra-Max-Extreme Unionist completely destroys Rachel Reeves about Labour’s Fuel Freeze flagship policy. It is painfully embarrassing:
link to order-order.com
The Labour Party has no credibility.
O/T
Spread this far & wide. First posted Dec 2014
link to youtube.com
I do feel sick looking at that pic. On FB, a lot of folk are using the hashtag #creepyjim, which is fair enough, the man has earned it.
I’m sorry to have to say this but Jim”Numpty”Murphy has just pulled into the lead as worst Red Tory “leader” ever and that’s saying a lot.
I would say that his logic is bizarre, only there’s no logic in the statement!
I do love that picture – he looks just like a puppy sitting up for its master – it just needs Greg Moody to draw on the tongue hanging out! Too bad the Pope didn’t say “roll over, play dead”.
what a cringing photo of murff wi his holiness
Just wondering what his position would be on the Vatican then? No coast, surrounded eitirely by Italy, so bg his definition it couldn’t be a separate state but as a so called devout catholic ………………. ?
I think Murphy is advocating digging a wide Scottish Channel along the border in case of Scottish independence. That way the Scots don’t have to share an island with the English and Welsh. (Hmm. And then the Welsh Channel…)
“This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars … This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England” – William Shakespeare
O/T Is there a change in the air??
Surge for the green party down south, reporting 200+joined in the few hours.
Possibly the effect from yesterday’s austerity cuts vote when folks saw labour joined at the hip with the tories.
Plus the pub landlord is to stand against Farage in South Thanet
link to twitter.com
Slap bang in the middle of the run-up to GE15 there is a protest against the BBC. This is another chance to bring to the worlds attention the corruption of the BBC and to make our voices heard.
Details:
link to facebook.com
I’d pay good (Scottish) money to attend a debate between Jim Longshanks and our beloved Rev Stu.
Stu wouldn’t have to do anything, except maybe start talking on any totally irrelevant subject and his Highness would simply start talking over him and wouldn’t stop for the entire length of the “debate”.
On the other hand, maybe Longshanks would be so bamboozled by the incisive logic deployed against him that he’d actually STFU for long enough to be seen to be a complete and utter Bawbag.
We can all dream. Longshanks is too big a coward to put himself up for public evisceration.
Murphy is a glove puppet.
The hand inside is doing all the work. (JMcT?)
The Murphy puppet show may only be temporary entertainment,
to hold the audience’s attention, until Mr Brown – the fixer – is brought on to deliver the bribe.
BTW, has anyone heard of anything the SNP is doing in preparation for GE15.
I freely confess to a slight nervousness about the Red Tory domination of the media –
even if it is a puppet show.
No wonder this guy spent 9 years at uni – and left with nothing. If that pic had emerged just before the referendum, I’m sure a lot of orange-minded people would have switched to yes!
If it wasn’t so close to the GE, I’m sure Lab HQ would get shot of this halfwit
the backstabbing con man worked hard to wheedle his way into a leadership position and was unfit for the job as he didn’t know how to lead.
Down in West Sussex last year I asked in the local pub for their best local bitter. The barman offered me Cambrian which he thought came from the Lake District. I pointed out that Cambria was an old name for Wales and that neither Wales or the Lake District was local to Horsham. He admitted geography was not his strong point. Even he might have been brighter than John Murphy!!!
The recording was indeed three weeks ago. The Ponsonby Post recorded Murphy’s Radio Clyde appearance in full. Murphy made several very interesting comments that can be heard here:
link to ponsonbypost.com
For me whether nationalism is good or bad has nothing to do with where on this planet we are talking about, or geographical features, it’s about whether it’s the inclusive, civic type or the narrow, racist, exclusive type.
Now of course where we might choose to draw the borders between one system of political representation and another may well take into account the practical matter of physical geography, but that’s an entirely different issue. Certainly, in deciding where, if at all, to draw a line on the map physical geography should be only one of the criteria used and due consideration given to others, eg socio-political criteria, historico-cultural criteria, economic viability etc.
So,how does the whole Harris/Lewis thing work?
Yes says:
Andrew Neil completely destroys Rachel Reeves about Labour’s Fuel Freeze flagship policy.
link to order-order.com
The Labour Party has no credibility.
________
How refreshing to witness a political presenter doing his job as it should be done. Couldn’t help but dream throughout that footage just how good it would be if Scottish political presenters were half as good as that.
I especially liked the part when Neil took a leaf out the Rev’s book and showed the liar the evidence from her own parties web site.
Could you imagine the pathological liar Murphy in the same situation?
NAH, me neither!
Until now, Jim has had a sheltered political career, but we’re hearing more from him now.
There are two ways to interpret his pronouncements. One is that he’s not so much sleekit as surprisingly shallow, and doesn’t really have much to offer. The other is that he is genuinely sleekit and is trying to appeal to the sort of voter who’s unable to recognise that his latest feel-good sound bite is a contradiction of a previous one. But that is not so clever either, because there are surely fewer of those around.
The difference between White and yellow snow. The yellow stuff is that which crossed his path.
Taranaich
exactly, no more to be added to all posts here.
well except another wee book please.
@calgacus 3.06. Aw the poor soul, he’s pulled into lead as the worst red tory leader ever, and him doing his best EVERY BLIDDY DAY to convince us to vote SLAB. Please come back, we didnae really mean it at the referendum. We’ll make sure we look after Scotland this time.
Naw son, I don’t think so. You continue tae make an erse oot o’ yersel day in and day oot. GTF and leave oor country alane, we dae better without creeping jesus’s like you. BEAT IT.
Technically Irish nationalism is not the same as Irish Republicanism. The former is the desire for a united Ireland achieved peacefully. The latter supports the same goal but using violence to achieve it (until very recently anyway. Irish nationalists include Shamus Mallon and John Hume. The SDLP are an Irish nationalist party.
Lollysmum@3.06pm
Really good! Have shared far and wide on Facebook.
Stoker@3.16
I will be at the BBC demo. Thanks. Couldn’t keep me away!
As for Murphy. He’s trying to distract people by trying to discuss a new National Anthem for Scotland on Facebook!
IMO Murphy is a very dangerous man. He has no beliefs except in gaining power anyway he can.
All this Murphy, ‘I am not a unionist’, bollocks is to distract us from the fact that the Red Tories voted for austerity along with their Blue Tory chums.
I was out today with a Yes friend and she was laughing at Murphy and when I asked her about yesterday’s vote, she hadn’t heard about it.
John King said the same yesterday, that his wife said if no-one hears about it, nothing will happen.
The media control how we think, it’s very worrying.
Someone mentioned they were concerned about how the SNP were going to deal with this and the truth is they can try but if the media spin everything, how is the message going to get out?
The new SNP candidates for the GE will be named soon and in my area I will be insisting that we need to get moving ASAP.
And after Murphy left the Pope turned and said unto his cardinal. “Where’s my feckin watch gone?”.
Jim Murphy should be called WALDO because every time he takes a position and you think you know where he stands, he takes a different stance and “that was then this is now” becomes his mantra.
Waldo does not have a voice at holyrood so his number one objective is to be in the news somehow good or bad.
Jim Murphy is an intellectually modest man consumed by an overpowering ego.
So Labour voted with the Tories on more austerity yesterday and all we’re talking about is Jim Murphy’s “I am not a unionist”
I think we’ve been well and truly trolled. Hats off to Jim.
Duncan Hothersol over on twitter is arguing that the austerity cuts voted for yesterday is a Labour policy that the conservatives have copied.
You couldn’t make it up.
By those comments (which are totally devoid of any intellectual merit whatsoever), it’s clear that Eggy Murphy is rapidly becoming the Dan Quayle of Scottish politics.
Having said that, there’s 2 differences:
1.Eggy is probably even dimmer
2 Dan did not have the benefit of a State broadcaster and assorted media prostitutes actively conspiring to conceal HIS gaffes!
😀
On Murphy
“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
? Sarah Cook
Flower of Scotland says:
“I will be at the BBC demo. Thanks. Couldn’t keep me away!”
Good stuff, FoS, that’s the spirit!
___________
Agree with all the posters referring to distraction tactics.
This morning i tried to access the information (who voted for etc) which liz had posted yesterday and it had disappeared, it was replaced by a different page of info completely unrelated.
They’re deliberately trying to bury bad news.
Surprised the Rev hasn’t done a detailed piece on it, yet!
Clootie
mark twain.
james caithness; trouble is they do make this stuff up.
it would normally be funny if they weren’t hoping for power over our lives, and implying that they can help!
Can’t help wondering how “Geography” Jim would have coped with Gandhi and Indian “nationalism” with this sub-continent being surrounded by water on three sides pre-Pakistan and Bangladesh and the non-Christian “rabble” to the North?
Would he have slammed all the Indo-Pak nats into an expanded Black Hole of Calcutta whist filling out his expenses claims form?
What would he have done with Jamaica and the Caribbean nations as well as Oz and Kiwi-land? Okayed them water-wise/Christian-wise (if a mixed bag result on skin-color and ethnicity as perceived by him and his paymasters)?
A foul, divisive individual bereft of both logic and any sense of human compassion.
A genuine question, is he a bought and paid sociopath as well as British stooge?
There you go, who needs a degree?
And in the meantime JM’s boss drops his flagship policy on energy freezes without actually announcing it. Who’d have guessed it? Seems that JM is aping Ed’s actions after all- he won’t tell us he’s changed his stance on an issue until he actually decides to answer a question. Very much like Ed then.
Just what does Scotland’s choice of anthem have to do with him anyway. He isn’t an MSP, doesn’t live in Scotland so yep, definitely a diversionary tactic.
Apologies it was Alex Clarke’s wife who mentioned yesterday’s vote not John King.
The info can now be found under; http://www.parliament.uk
”MPs debated a motion to approve the Charter for Budget Responsibility: Autumn Statement 2014 update, on Tuesday 13 January 2015.”
link to publications.parliament.uk
God, another 110 days of Murphy emptyheadlines dreampt up by Mcternan given max coverage by bbc unionist press
It wasn’t long after shaking hands with the creepy one that Pope Benedict, not unlike Gordon Brown (and devilish Darling) felt the need to retire.
Didn’t have the strength to carry on, perhaps drained by the experience.
Contaminated, much like Scotland is afflicted by Labour and it’s biggest eejit.
Stoker
No, on this occasion I have to defend Westminster, much as it pains me to do so.
It is standard practice to create a daily record of everything said in Westminster which becomes part of HANSARD, the formal official record of parliament. The list everyone was looking for is a part of this document (pages 44-45)as it’s the record of a vote that took place within WM yesterday. The document also contains other business that took place yesterday in Westminster Hall (committee records).
The initial page the list appeared on is a temporary placeholder for the day’s information till it can be amalgamated into the official record. That record can’t be created until after all parliamentary business in hoc & hol is finished for the day.
link to publications.parliament.uk
O/T but as we are already talking about a lying, fawning man…
The political pundits are currently opining in top gear the various coalition permutations that includes all of the fringe parties.
link to 4bitnews.com
and as Ireland is being mentioned…
TORY backbenchers have inadvertently provided the Irish community in Britain with a “motivational tool” to mobilise voting ahead of this year’s general election.
Senior Conservative MPs who called for the right to vote to be removed from Irish members of the electorate have in fact given them more reason to head to the polls on May 7, says Matthew Doyle, Chair of the Labour Party Irish Society.
link to irishpost.co.uk
I heard Cameron today at PMQs asking Miliband what he would do to reduce the deficit. Cameron had already said that he would reduce it by £30Billion in the first two years of a Conservative Government. That included £12Billion of Welfare cuts(In two years).
I was waiting on Miliband saying “I could reduce that deficit by £30Billion in one year.
It was as if they were playing a game of “Name That Tune”.
I’ll name that tune in…
Tough times ahead, from the Red AND Blue Tories.
@ Lollysmum,
Thanks for the explanation and further link.
Anyone seeking the list of who voted Aye or Nae, p788 onwards.
link to publications.parliament.uk
No man is an island – unless his name is Lewis 🙂
Are McTernan and McDougall Unionists?
Or are they all members of the Scottish Labour and Non-Unionist Party of Great Britain.
Blah, blah, blah, vote for me.
“In his speech, the Scottish Secretary will also claim that the Bible gave “the Labour movement the intellectual legitimacy to challenge the old orders.”
What a load of pious 19th century guff, born out of an age of imperialism when absolute determinism and institutionalised hierarchy and traditions defined the modernist mindset. Will old-school moralist flannel sell in the post-modern 21st century?
Check out your MP’s record
link to publicwhip.org.uk
The aftermath of the referendum brought with it a number of press statements which need to be retained ready to hand for future reference.
BBC biased coverage of the Scottish Independence Referendum criticised.
More statements;
link to caltonjock.com
From the moment he was elected ‘Scottish’ Labour chargehand, the contemptible Murphy has repeatedly brought up his Catholic background and I have to ask myself: is it part of a deliberate plan to encourage sectarianism and division in Scotland ?
@steveasaneilean
Man is an island.
What he really wanted to say was. Independence is good for all nations except Scotland. We are a rogue state. We will turn into insular,sectarian,racist,small minded unwelcoming bigots if we get independence. We need the UK to keep us in check in case we kill each other. Thank you mother England for keeping the peace in our nation and saving us from ourselves. We are such a terrible wee nation.
Murphy : “Your holiness, I am not a Catholic.”
Pope Benedict : “Get up aff yer knees and stop talking shite, ya dafty.”
O/T
SNP still fighting for inclusion in debates
link to news.stv.tv
Off topic, but I note many here are still convinced by the argument that reducing the deficit is important. FlimFlamMan has addressed this many times but does not seem to have convinced many: it is perhaps the measure of how far the MSM tells us what to think, in another context.
I raise it here because the vote on austerity is a vote against the interests of the people, and it is very, very serious.
I came across this article on Peira, by John Azis, and I think it explains this quite well
link to pieria.co.uk
In the same source Frances Coppola raised the role of the foreign trade deficit, and that does matter, though she seems to imply that Azis claimed that government deficit is necessarily matched by private surplus within an economy; I do not think he did, but it is important to make it explicit that it may be private surplus in foreign hands. It does not change the basic point, though
link to pieria.co.uk
I hope some here will find this helpful.
Mundell is missing from the list – he didn’t vote – why?
@Lollysmum
Perhaps others have pointed out the obvious. The four parties likely to take part are headed by men. The three parties likely to be excluded are headed by women. Do you think this has something to do with single sex public schooling? Or all male clubs? Or just old fashioned male supremacy?
I wonder if he goes down on his knees like that for Milliband!
Smurph is a complete and utter idiot!
He and George W appear to have an IQ equal to the Rev’s shoe size.
Surly Westminster Labour have got to close down their North British Branch if this is the best of the talent that they have?
He is an Odious Sycophantic Toady!
There is a ready made part for him to play Dickens’ Uriah Heep!
Just look at that picture with the Pope.
Why wasn’t he exorcised on the spot?
Infinity nurses on the way!
Alex for FM of Norwich 🙂
link to clyde1.com
O/t
Gordon Guthrie has an article over in Bella also saying that the SNP need to step up to the plate, media wise.
Stoker says: at 6:06 pm
Mundell is missing from the list – he didn’t vote – why?
He wasn’t in WM
galamcennalath says:
Do you think this has something to do with single sex public schooling? Or all male clubs? Or just old fashioned male supremacy?
Absolutely not. Just shit scared of being upstaged by a female politician LOL
Although thinking about it, WM doesn’t have a good record when it comes to female politicians e.g Maggie Thatcher, Teresa May etc. Seems to me they can’t cope with women climbing the greasy pole.They might actually be good at it. They just appear to make sure it is & remains a male bastion of power. Women are supposed to know their place even in 21st century UK according to the gravy train passengers in WM.
Lollysmum says:
14 January, 2015 at 6:35 pm
Stoker says: at 6:06 pm
Mundell is missing from the list – he didn’t vote – why?
He wasn’t in WM
_______________
No shit, Sherlock!
The statement is nothing less than Lamontesque in its impenetrable stupidity.
What happened to Jim the big beast, Jim the crafty pol? It suggests that like Lamont, Murphy is not good at thinking on his feet.
Who, with an ounce of sense would utter this. Who, with even the underdeveloped cerebral cortex of an orangeman, would believe it?
Out with Labour apparatchiks, who would vote for a sock if you put a red rosette on it, is there any decent human being out there that believes anything Murphy says and will still vote for/with him ?
It scares me that someone that lies so easily and controls the media so easily could if not democratically stopped become a very powerful man in UK politics.
Now that it seems clear that SNP are to be excluded from the leaders debates, does anyone think a crowd funded class action against the broadcasters or even Cameron, Milliband, Cleggis worthwhile?
I am represented by an SNP MP and feel that what my MP stands for will not get an equal airing
Conservatives have 1 MP in Scotland and SNP have 6 at the moment. Why do the Conservatives get to speak yet SNP don’t.
There must be something legally that can be done? Even under ECHR.
Collective noun for Labour ,
A lobotomy of Labourites
A louse up of Labour
A labefactation of Labour
A limaciform of laour.
Ok so I looked up the last two.
To while away the time until the GE, we could start digging the Border Canal to separate the landmasses.
Just to make things clear for Murphy
Um – have the rest of the branch office been struck dumb?
Eurasia is totally winning the next world cup.
I find Jim Murphy extremely hard to listen to – he NEVER gives a straight answer and I can never remember what he said about 5 minutes later (mainly because he doesn’t actually say anything!). This interview on Good Morning Scotland today (starts at 2:10:00):
link to bbc.co.uk
… is typical – obfuscation, devious and contradictory.
scotspine says:“Now that it seems clear that SNP are to be excluded from the leaders debates, does anyone think a crowd funded class action against the broadcasters or even Cameron, Milliband, Cleggis worthwhile?”
Only a lawyer could answer that and they’ll charge you an arm and a leg for asking, then take the other arm and leg for answering.
There seems to be a new exclusionary policy bent on creating an apartheid to contain the jocks. Scots are the new black. Ofcom and the beeb, obeying their masters have already told us to sit in the arse-end of the bus, politically.
In tandem expect concerted efforts to de-scotify Scotland. Start slowly. Make the nationalist scum carry the Union Flag with them wherever they go – PUT IN ON THE DRIVING LICENCE! Brilliant Cedric! What a wizard prang!
Better to be apart in an independent Scotland than a neglected and reviled low-opportunity Celtic backwater of a Greater England.
I find this kind of disturbing. It’s starting to look like the Labour party strategy for 2015 is just to try and shore up and mobilise the core Catholic Vote in the West of Scotland, in the hope of saving as many seats under FPTP as possible.
Hence Murphy is advocating policies which will inflame sectarian tensions, while distancing himself from the “Unionist” (= Orange Order) label, and trying to make sympathetic noises about Irish Nationalism, to which many Scots Irish Catholics are sympathetic.
All an attempt to try and scare or cajole Scots Irish Catholics back into the Labour fold… he believes the more tribal he can make the tone, the more he will convince.
Expect more of the silent dog whistle treatment towards the West of Scotland Roman Catholic community from Murphy and McTernan in the coming months.
In the absence of sound, principle-based political beliefs and policies they are forced to regress to the tactics of yesteryear, when the white-haired old ladies and gents of Port Glasgow and Duntocher could be relied on to metaphorically stick their heads in a gas oven on Labour’s behalf.
There may be a few of then still around but the game has long since changed – perhaps Jim The Tim and The Blessed John have been away too long to have noticed.
Regarding legal action and the debates, whatever happened to lawyers for yes?
It’s all about the great Jim Murphy! This must be the hardest hitting marketing BBC media campaign since “I cant believe its not butter” or Walkers Crisps aka Gary Lininker. “I cant believe its not Murphy” goes viral, like a virus, send us your most nauseating flavour of Jim Murphy and you could win even more Jim Murphy”
Bravo all the marketing cheeeze balls that served up this pile of garbage, especially down at Pacific Quay. Bravo.
O/T
Protest in London against government plans to spend £100 billion replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system
link to facebook.com
ScottieDog says:”Regarding legal action and the debates, whatever happened to lawyers for yes?”
As I recall it they were always saying NO.
My memory was they were at best worse than useless and at worst a false-flag operation.
Flower of Scotland 6:21pm
Interesting article on Bella. A media campaign needs to be at National and Local level as well. I have faith in Angus Robertson who is in charge of the SNP campaign. The party will always be up against the MSM and even tonight on Reporting Scotland they managed to usurp Nicola’s Oil intervention with a carefully edited clip from Mark Carney saying how the slump was good for the UK economy but bad for the Scottish Economy because of the Funding arrangements (ie Barnett) !
GE2015 will be a tough battle and we all have our part to play. 1.6Million Yes votes converted into SNP votes to win a lot of WM seats is a tough one, but so long as we keep expectations lower than the mad 40+ seats predicted, and improve on our previous best performance, then we can claim success.
Candidates are still being identified. Here in Ochil and South Perthshire we have some really great nominations. All hustings were well attended considering the weather, and voting has begun. In some areas the first generic leaflet has already been distributed. The national strategy will be rolled out after all candidates have been selected and things will then take off in earnest. Also bear in mind some voters have referendum fatigue and post NO blues, and others have a short attention span.
I’m out my comfort zone with some of the campaign related stuff, but the prize is so important, that it has to get done.
@ Christian,
Well I certainly think it’s the way to go if it could be crowdfunded by someone with some intelligence.
Otherwise, we can just sit and chat amongst ourselves and hope that it will be all right come May.
Strangely, I was speaking to a Celtic supporter in a pub pre-referendum (before a Scotland game) and he told me he was voting No. When I asked why he would go to Celtic Park and sing for Irish freedom but wouldn’t support freedom for his own country he said “because it’s different, Ireland is an island” – am still trying to work it out but maybe he just went to the same school as Murphy?
I don’t want to give big Jim ideas but mibbe next time he is passing a mosque he could drop in that he’s converted to Islam. He’s not yet covering all his bases.
Nothing would surprise me now. If you voted yes, Jim ‘ s no a unionist. If you voted no, Jim saved the union. If you’ve voted labour in the past Jim’s a socialist and if you’re a tory? Not only is Jim a right winger, he’s also the only guy who’s gonna stop the SNP.
A right wing, left wing, unionist, nationalist, Catholic, friend of Israel. Might as well be a Muslim an a’ If there is the odd vote in it
@Big Jock
“I wonder if he goes down on his knees like that for Milliband!”
Much further.
Creepy is trying on all sorts of hats in the hope that the electorate will see something they like. Shop mannequin leader similar to G dubya Bush but with less intelligence.
Obsequious bowing before his ex-Holiness seems inappropriate with this person.
He should give Scots the same respect instead of standing on a box and barking what he thinks is best for us and our children.
And I’m not advocating the return of his whispery Mr. Sincerity persona, we all know it’s fake and a wee bit detached from reality.
Just read that a certain East Renfrewshire MP might be visiting Dundee on Monday.
I wonder what adventures lie in store for Mr Murf in the City of Discovery?
scotspine says: “… think it’s the way to go”
You may be right but there’s now less than 4 months to the election and I think we would be surer of making valuable political capital out of this crass segregation, than taking the legal route. Even if the final result was in our favour would it be too late?
There has been a decision made to ghettoise the sweaty socks by an establishment that is contemptuous of us. I guarantee someone from the uncle tam nomenclatura who’s not the full shilling (my money’s on Carmichael [not the brightest bulb on the christmas tree]) is going to offer the bromide that confining us to televised debates broadcast in Scotland, simply means we are “separate but equal”.
I think the decision not to include the SNP in UK-wide debates on the basis that it is a regional party constitutes a race-based apartheid. After all the three main pro-Union parties are regional too, with no presence in NI. UKIP has zero chance of wining the election, yet they are to be included.
The pro-Scotland party is then, being excluded simply because it is Scottish, and that is by definition a racist act.
I would hope we do not get into this religion game that Murphy is trying. I f ppl are going to vote Labour it won’t be because of religion unless they are the OO (no hope for them). We shoud be talking to the ppl as voters.
Let Murphy play that game, he will be sickening good people.
Tomorrow , he will claim Arran will sink, whilst wearing a torquoise shell suit.
This looney is fast becoming the David Icke of Scottish politics. He is a charlatan , a liar , a hypocrite and basically a general knob.
stu,
Much the same as he says in this article, which also gives reassurance to anyone concerned about discrimination that his religion is not the reason why he hasn’t been prime minister yet
link to sconews.co.uk
I am beginning to understand why Jim Murphy spent nine years at Strathclyde University and never got a degree.
I think someone should tell Jim that triangulation shouldn’t lead to intellectual strangulation nor should the end product look like a dodecahedron.
@HandandShrimp I think we should give him enough triangulation to hang himself.
‘Who is this guy?’
‘T
A reminder that channel 4 news receives taxpayers money and has TWICE now had an extensive report on the leaders TV debates for the election without managing to mention the Nicola or the SNP AT ALL.
You can always have your say on this blatant incompetence and anti-scottish bias on the channel 4 news website or twitter with it’s reporters and presenters including the hapless Michael Crick.
Perhaps to inform them that there is an entire country called scotland they have somehow managed to ignore.
Or to remind them that the SNP are not just easily the third largest political party in the UK (at over twice the size of UKIP and the lib dems) but that the SNP are currently polling to win the third largest number of MPs at the general election and decide on who the next government and it’s policies will actually be.
Yet despite all that the out of touch London broadcasters like Channel 4 News are still trying to silence something like half of all scottish voters.
When will His Morphness show himself to the people again?
These deserve another run-out, being two of his most recent appearances in front of real humans:
In Carnoustie:
link to youtube.com
Outside Grand Central Hotel:
link to youtube.com
Could this guy be Jim Mitty? as in Walter!
Jim Murphy:
I cannot square his recent observable behaviour with his career CV:
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development 2013-14
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence 2010-13
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland 2010-10
Secretary of State for Scotland 2008-10
Minister of State (Europe) 2007-08
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions) (Work) 2006-07
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Cabinet Office) 2005-06
Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip) 2003-05
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury) 2002-03
Jim Murphy is no wee young loon. He is an experienced politician. So why is he writhing about like a scalded cat?
He must think he has made a mistake in becoming SLAB leader?
Puzzling
Walter Murphy.
No no no…Yes says at 7.32
Why should “we keep expectations lower than the mad 40+ seats predicted”?
There is nothing remotely “mad” about that expectation. Perhaps you think the SNP with 100,000 is “mad” or the Coatbridge branch with over 1000 members is a fiction
All opinion polls point to exactly that sort of result and the elevation of Jim Murphy is having no apparent effect (except howls of derision)
The point is FPTP lends itself to such a result. With it you usually get elections in which very little changes when there is moderate change in voting intention or armageddon when there is a big enough spin. And not a lot in between. If the SNP goes into election on 45% polling rating or anything around that it will win almost every seat in Scotland. It doesn’t have to get 50% plus of the votes in a FPTP four cornered contest to win nearly all seats.
The unionists are aware of this. We many face a unionist conspiracy in that case of them all getting behind the candidate likeliest to beat the SNP in any seat if we keep up momentum. This has implications of course as many erstwhile Labour supporters who have been repelled by the Labour/Tory alliance could face what looks very much like the same same scenario at the GE.
This is why Murphy is thrashing about and sinking. He remembers a different Scotland in which a pig’s bladder with a red rosette would get Labour votes.
This was not a new or unique situation.
It used to be a phoney war about left v right in Scotland and Tory vote used to operate on the same principle – as long as it was well off,well spoken Protestant pigs bladder – and then as the debate started to become independence or the union the old objectives of voting in your party when the quality of the candidate didn’t matter a lot changed. The voters started to think and look and didn’t like what they saw very much.
What SNP has to do now is remain calm, keep all its new members on board and involve as many as possible(very important) make no mistakes, do not get involved in any of Murphy’s idiocies and make sure they have a good solid candidate in each seat.
And look forward to 2016 and a Scottish Parliamentary election fought on the independence issue
Walter McMitty
I’m sure expatriate Scots could fund dozens of SNP candidates in England. An election deposit is all you need to get your name on the ballot paper. Think of all the votes we’d get from English voters who want subsidy junkie social security scrounging sweaty socks out of the UK
@George Ferguson
at 9:06pm.
That worries me as well. It is fun taking the piss out of Murphy but “He is no as daft as he is stupid looking” as we say around here. Him and his nut – job pals dangerous f*****s. We should keep our guard up you can’t predict what they will do next.
@Dave McEwan Hill “Why should “we keep expectations lower than the mad 40+ seats predicted”?”
Well, let’s say the SNP gain 29 seats when the expectation was they would gain 40. And let’s say they take but half the seats in Glasgow where expectations were that they would take all but one.
Next day newspapers and TV will adorn their front page / video lede with a triumphant fist-pumping Labour Party branch executive and manager. Headline will be LABOUR THWART SNP IN GLASGOW and . . . another photo captioned “Dejection at SNP campaign HQ as party fails miserably to meet target.
The SNP failed to take Glasgow mantra will drown-out the actual arithmetic that the SNP are not the largest party in Scotland by ALL measure.
Think not? Take a look at the 2012 council elections where the SNP increased their lead in seats and councils controlled. See how the BBC manipulated the election result to make it appear Labour had gained seats in Glasgow that they already held. See the photos, watch the videos, and resolve never to fall into this trap again.
The Unionist parties are a minimal threat – The elephant in the room is Her Majesty’s Media and the 800lb gorilla that rides atop it (the BBC) “It’s the media stupid!” part 1 of 2
link to weourselves.com
This is just a theory, did that Pope in the picture with Smurphy
throw in the towel soon after meeting him?
No job can be worth having to rub knuckles with people of that caliber! Did the Pope ever get those missing rings back?
I think I have a new National Anthem that would suit the Smurph-
“Hand of Pope and Glory”
ERRATUM
“… that the SNP are
notnow the largest party in Scotland”OK, the Murph says something stupid, no shortage of material there.
What the clip doesn’t allow us to know is if the presenter stepped in with a reasonable journalistic challenge e.g. ” so you’re saying a country needs total surround of coast to have your support for political independence? or, perhaps, “what the f**k are you talking about man? Are you on drugs?”
I suspect not.
The problem is not that the Murph is an idiot, the problem is how he has the full mainstream media ignoring the fact that he’s an idiot and presenting him as some sort of president, whose comments are beyond question.
Although this clip was on Radio Clyde ( and I may be wrong about it going unchallenged in this instance ) the principal msm presence and most damaging is the BBC.
We need tens of thousands at the demo at Pacific Quay in March.
IAB @ 7pm
A great idea there, may be an economic case even to use as an excuse for to make this canal. Could even run a competition to name it lol. 🙂
UK Energy Policy The Next Ten Years – Industry mandarins Provide a Clear Vision – NOT A Chance
The UK Government has spent years putting its UK-wide subsidy framework for energy in place, so is not about to abandon it, for all the reasons set out in the ‘no’ campaign. Yet critics of the wind industry say that is exactly what should happen. But even if such calls go unheeded there could be less drastic changes. “We would note that there is still a risk that certain areas of energy policy could be included in the further powers that are to be devolved from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament,” analysts at Citigroup said.
Rumbles in the Jungle. Fracking development devolved to Scotland? But what about the real issue. A joined up electricity grid or links to Europe through the Tunnell?
link to caltonjock.com
Murph can blabber and screw up as much as he wants, HIS media will ensure he is touted at every opportunity, Even today on FB the Aberdeen radio station Original106 has a post about Jim Murphy wanting a new Scottish National Anthem. Christ you would think he was PM FM and King and in one
Jim Murphy this Jim Murphy that, with the odd bit of Greatrex et all interspersed.
The earlier post was correct the SNP need to be more media savvy
“We need tens of thousands at the demo at Pacific Quay in March”
That ain’t gonna cut it. Remember it will be the msm that will report it, and you can bet the narrative will be intimidation, threats, violence, complaints to police, Nuremberg rally, fascist, “Nicola Sturgeon, call off the thugs”.
We need senior figures in the pro-Scotland parties and communities to call-out obvious state-sponsored media bias (i.e. BBC propaganda) whenever it occurs.
The issue of the BBC as the premier producer and disseminator of pro-Union propaganda must become a priority of the campaign for they are the only political adversary of any moment that confronts us.
The BBC cannot maintain credibility without the tacit cooperation and complicity of pro-Scotland parties. We are accepting of the inequity, so why should they bother to change their behaviour?.
Why are we providing the Beeb with a veneer of impartiality?
We need achieve two goals.
Minimize the effectiveness the propaganda by denying the BBC the fiction of its impartiality.
Curtail its current unrestrained Unionist bias by openly calling them to account when they seriously transgress, and to do so in real time if possible.
“It’s the BBC stupid!” link to weourselves.com
@Donald Urquhart says:
What the clip doesn’t allow us to know is if the presenter stepped in with a reasonable journalistic challenge e.g. ” so you’re saying a country needs total surround of coast to have your support for political independence? or, perhaps, “what the f**k are you talking about man? Are you on drugs?”
Ally Bally
Ally is very fair and does question people as Tay.co.uk has become Tay2,co.uk I don’t know if the whole program archive is still online.
You,s lot ur to hard on DimJim.
Here,s a wee tune to sooth yer fevered brow Jim
link to youtube.com
Sos Rev could,nt resist.
Skeletor seems to say anything, yet the media will not hold him to ransom. Can you imagine the outcry in the daily redcoat if wee Nicola said anything as provocative as this guy?
link to youtube.com
Christian Wright at 9.41
You are entirely right in the points you make.
They were not the point I was making.
OOPS wrong thread.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcy8uLjRHPM
With BigDimJims seemingly contrary positions with non stop media coverage, the manipulation reminded me of this clip which I found on a previous Wings article a week or two ago. This short clip, gives an insight into the manipulation which I think we may be seeing. The deft hand of McTernan lies behind this. Well worth a watch, only 5 mins or so
You’re forgetting the old fella who was pushed over by a No voter and sustained a fracture.
How I do love the waverers and faint hearted that pop up here sometimes. Here we are sitting on a poll lead (in six successive polls) that will see us winning nearly every seat in Scotland and all we get from some is Ooo mammy they’re coming to get us. We cannae dae it.
How our enemies must enjoy the hesitation and fear.
Confidence is a cardinal weapon in politics.
If the polls drop then I’ll react differently. Until then I’ll paint the rosiest picture possible.
I am surprised that some worry we are going to get a tanking from the media. Is this departure from what we’ve just had?
And survived. Badly mauled indeed, but survived strengthened nevertheless. The credibility of the media has been the biggest casualty of the referendum campaign and very few of our less elderly population believe it anymore.
State v Democracy. During the Referendum all the arms of the state were active in maintaining status Qua. I watch with interest when it comes to the GE 2015 will that influence still be present to counter any real change.
I didnt know that geographical detachment was an option… cool!
Another ‘Murphyism’. What a gem, pure comedy gold..
Dave McEwan Hill 9:16pm
I agree with some of what you say, but with Project Fear 2 the challenge IS to get the SNP to the tipping point to win the 40+ seats predicted in some of the polls. I do not trust the polls and would like the reassurance of positive canvas returns as the campaign progresses. We are all in it to win it and there will be blood, sweat and joyous tears along the way.
@Dianne
“because it’s different, Ireland is an island”
Makes sense to me. BTW, who is going to tell Eurasia’s 4.6 billion that they are only going to have one seat in the UN?
@ Tam Jardine,
Surely your not suggesting someone would be so despicable as to convert to Islam for political gain???
Oh wait!!! it worked for another Labour man…George Galloway, who incidentally also believes in self determination for Northern Ireland and Palestine, but not Scotland.
Labour Is and always has been anti Scottish, it’s just recently though, that the on-line media that has brought it into the light.
@ Christian Wright.
I must say bud as soon as I saw your comments about Scottish apartheid, I felt it was excellent and able to put a big point across in two words.
I think we could make a lot of capital out of repeatedly using the term and including it in conversations and comments on twitter/fb etc.
It gets peoples backs up as it shows us being treated as second class in our own land.
Perfect.
The two PQ demos I attended had a fair number of police to start but they all vanished leaving us with a couple of fellas and a lovely wee policewoman – she had her picture taken with some lothario from Wings , I believe it was that well known lady’s man Ronnie.
For the BBBC to attempt to spin intimidation during demos is quite tricky because the Glasgow police were very happy with the behaviour of our crowd. I know they will try shrieking ,” we were so scared ” ” these thugs were everywhere” but we can refer them to footage of George Square with the BNP , the OO and the Red Hand of Ulster – that was thuggery , that was intimidation.
Hold up the corner of the carpet, the BBBC , the Herald , the Daily record are making all such vanish as if it never happened.
Makes you real proud of the media of Scotland does it not?
Apologies if this point has already been raised (haven’t got time to wade through all the comments right now), but didn’t the Labour Party used to support a united Ireland by consent, especially the Labour left (I realise they have adopted a position of neutrality in recent years)? This seems an odd reversion to Old Labour policy from such a notorious Blairite. Perhaps it’s a personal thing on account of his ancestry.
I’m beginning to wonder if Wings topic of the day is the first stop for columnists when deciding their own topic.
Murphy’s ludicrous volte face from unionist to almost-but-not-quite independista, from Tory in red to champion of the almost poor, is picked up by everybody as if there is no other news to write about.
Is Murphy’s hidden agenda to secure the Perrier Award for best new stand up comic at the Edinburgh Festival?
“The point is that this [Murphy] unionist revisionism can be too clever by half. Of course, Mr Murphy is not a flag-waving, Celtic-hating, Unionist. But he is clearly a unionist in the modern sense of the word and, despite what he says, it was the same unionism espoused by the many Conservatives attending his street campaign.”
“They were all part of the umbrella of Better Together. Mr Murphy made no obvious attempt to distance himself from George Osborne’s “declaration on the pound” or other aspects of a negative and thoroughly Unionist campaign dominated by a conservative financial elite”
Macwhirter – Glasgow Herald
Unfortunately, Macwhirter pulls his punches by switching attitude midway in his column. Instead of sustaining the lampooning, the polemic, he moves into a cantor of praise suggesting the schizofrenic Murphy and McTernan are experiencing a moment on the Road to Damascus.
“But I’m not knocking this. If Labour is undergoing a sincere process of ideological repositioning that brings it more into line with mainstream political opinion in Scotland then that surely is a good thing.”
Grouse Beater
Pretty sure Iain was aware that few would accord much likeliness to that genuine Damascene possibility for SLAB when he wrote it.
Sometimes, often in SLAB’s case, the inferences made are so ridiculous that simply clarifying them for folk is its own counter propaganda.
Of course Murphy is making crude overtures to those who see themselves as Irish descent and some who may indulge in singing the odd rebel song at Celtic Park.
But why is every other nationalism good and Scottish nationalism bad? Because Scots nationalism primarily hurts the Labour party.
Many unionists (and I include you Jim because you are one), are relaxed about Ulster leaving the UK because they have different political parties and therefore aren’t seen to influence politics here in the same way. I do accept that the SDLP often votes with Labour and Ulster Unionists vote with the Conservatives, but there is no realistic route into the cabinet for an Ulster MP representing an Ulster seat.
On the other hand, Scotland threatening to secede would greatly trouble so many Scots MPs. No more cabinet jobs, no more claiming huge expenses for London properties and what would the future hold for the red mafia that is the Labour Party?
We can remedy this by being more like Ulster, we can have different political parties than the rest of the UK and then it wont matter so much if we wish to leave.
As many SNP MPs as possible in May and as many SNP, SSP and Green MSPs at Holyrood kn 2016 will be a good start.
There used to be a movement for South Island separatism in New Zealand. You used to see ‘Cut The Cable’ bumper stickers in the ’70s and ’80s. This referred to the power interconnector that carried South Island hydro power north to the larger populations in the North Island. An argument a bit like the importance of oil to modern Scottish Nationalism. None of this was serious though, it was a means to articulate a sense of grievance over the govt concentrating on Auckland and ignoring the South.
It’s what happens when populations perceive, rightly or wrongly, that their resources are being used for the benefit of others and bring very little to themselves (once built hydro dams require small workforces to run them).
One reason the campaign has petered out is that in recent times power has had to flow South when hydro lake levels are low due to drought and because power usage in homes is going up with more power hungry devices in use as well as a proliferation of electrical heat pumps instead of fireplaces. In our last house in NZ the main source of heat was a potbelly stove in the middle of the lounge. It was very efficient. Our bedroom was not heated and the kid’s room had an electrical fan heater on a thermostat to keep out the chill but not actually heat it much.
[…] An alert reader pointed us today to this audio clip of Jim Murphy. It’s not tagged, but we THINK it’s from a Radio Clyde interview about three weeks ago which oddly didn’t seem to get picked up at the time by anyone in the media. […]
I have watched all the Labour first minester and what a poor poor reading it is dewar mcleish maconnel gray lamot and now murphy what a load of shite that’s what thought they could run our country I would like to take this oppertunityto say if you put all there brains together you would be lucky to get a third of a brain so as far as I’m concerned Scottish Labour are finished in Scotland they had there chance and blew it big time but of course when you look at those names that sums it up
I am not surprised this man failed uni.
Fundimundily an intellectual light weight (9 years and no degree!) so why would anyone want to interview let alone listen to this “has been”?
Is he trying to influence the old new labour faithful or is he trying to rewrite his personal history? Oh, I see.