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Fixed that for you

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

We’ve had a look at this troubling issue before.

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Handandshrimp

Call me old fashioned but wouldn’t the largest party be the one with most members?

Quinie frae Angus

Thank goodness for your excellent command of punctuation, Rev Stu. Your removal of that erroneous and audacious little comma has brought some much-needed accuracy to the statement in that pic. 
 
How odd that a former English teacher wasn’t able to spot this herself!
 

Adrian B

I am sure they are the “Scottish Party” with by far the largest expenses claim paid for by all of us.

Doug

Handandshrimp – the loss of comma converts it from “labour is the biggest party” to a statement along the lines of “labour is the biggest party called labour” 

Handandshrimp

Doug
 
or I suppose “the largest party led by Johann and Anas”
 
…..also the only party those two lead but that is by and by

pmcrek

I lolled

Doug

Handandshrimp – exactly 🙂

Alasdair Reid

With or without the comma, it’s a lie.  Lamont and Sarwar are not leading anyone, anywhere, they look to their great leader Ed, down south, for their orders.

Semus

In conversation with Jimmy Reid on the ferry to Rothesay.We were both in the SNP at that date,Jimmy told me he had seen my name as still a member of SLAB which I had left before oor Tony. His name was still on their lists as well.So maybe they are the biggest party.I am sure Jimmy and I and our Grannies are both members.
Will they not be handing in our postal votes as well.

Doug

Alasdair
 
Quite right. ‘led’ would be appropriate.

Triangular Ears

Maybe they are counting the dead as members like how the dead were ‘no’s in 1979?

Jiggsbro

Maybe they are counting the dead as members
 
You’ve seen the photos of their conference? The dead are members.

jim watson

If you go onto the Labour 2014 truth team website, decide to share it with others via e-mail and click the appropriate e-mail shaped little blue icon you get: –
 
“2014 Truth Team
Scotland’s largest political party, led by Johann Lamont and Anas Sarwar.”
Surley even their truth team should tell the truth…or perhaps not!

Craig P

It isn’t the largest and it isn’t led by Johann and Anas, but it is a political party so hey, one out of three ain’t bad!

BillDunblane

Comatose.

muttley79

So they say they are Scotland’s largest Party, and yet have been out of power at Holyrood for almost six years, and their representatives from Scotland have been out of power at Westminster for three years.  Okay…. 

Peter Mirtitsch

Craig P…er, they (Scottish Labour) are not a political party; they are the local branch of the Labour Party registered in London. Yah think Johan and Anas have forgotten that, or do they reckon they have some sort of influence and power?
 

Holebender

As there is no distinct Scottish party they are obviously counting the entire UK membership when they make their claim!

TYRAN

How much fibs can one fit in a sentence? “Scottish Labour, Scotland’s largest political party, led by Lamont!”…  – Truth Team, calling Truth Team, come in please. “Scottish” Labour and a Truth Team. LOL. 
 

Jiggsbro

As there is no distinct Scottish party they are obviously counting the entire UK membership when they make their claim!
 
And they could have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those pesky kids, Johann and Anas, adding their names as leaders. ‘The largest party in Scotland’  could be justified as ‘the largest UK party, in Scotland’, but as no one leads the UK party, least of all Johann and Anas, that loophole’s closed. So it’s  a flat-out lie. Isn’t this the sort of thing the ASA should be looking at?

Iain More

Uhmm! Would it be the use of the colour Red or the use of the words Scottish and Scotland? Or all three things?

Keef

I think with so many new posters the Rev should run another online poll like we had a few months ago. It would be fun to see the collective feelings of the readers.

Luigi

According to the latest edition of Scoundrel’s English Dictionary, the use of a comma in such circumstances is acceptable. Essentially, it’s a disclaimer, a little white lie, meaning that any factual information on the poster should be taken with a pinch of salt.

JLT

Ha Ha Ha
 
‘Scotland’s largest Party’
 
That’s a doozy!!!

Juteman

Maybe they literally mean ‘party’?
I hear Columbian marching powder is popular with Labour.

JLT

Apart from the Labour Party giving me a laugh this morning at breakfast, one other highlight for me happened last night, was when I chatted to my Father on the phone.
My Father is 71, and has always believed in Britain. He remembers what he perceives as the unity of the nation after WW2, that everyone in Britain was British, and not Scots, English, Welsh, etc.
Last night, we got blethering about politics, and I had mentioned about Ian Taylor and the Better Together campaign. To my surprise, my Father never once mentioned anything against Scottish Independence. For years, we have bickered and rowed over it.
Now …he never mentioned that Independence was the way forward, but he did slate everything that happened in the last week. He denounced the funeral of you know who. He was left angered at the sycophants that sat in St. Pauls, all mourning you know who. He revealed that he hated the Olympics last year and the way it rammed this ‘Britishness’ down everyones throats, and he now believes that lies are being told on a grand scale from the media itself (if my unionist Father can see it, and utterly condemns it, then the Unionists are seriously in trouble – hacking off your own supporters is not very clever in my book!)
I could be wrong, but very, very slowly, I think my Father is slowly turning to the light. He will never admit it …EVER, but I think his eyes are slowly being opened, and the one thing he did say, was that he is extremely interested when it comes to the TV debates between Salmond and whoever goes up against him (Darling and Lamont …yes, but he believes Cameron will run a mile before he goes live on TV to debate with Alex). I think my Father has seen or read something, and it has opened his eyes. Who knows.
So, a good weekend. My Dad is slowly turning, and Labour gave me a laugh in the morning. Just need to win the Euromillions at somepoint this week! (Now where did I put my 4 leaf clover, my lucky white heather and my lucky rabbit’s foot!)

Craig P

Peter Mirtisch – quite right! Oh dear Labour, not even a booby prize…

scottish_skier

hacking off your own supporters is not very clever in my book!

No, it’s not. I’ve mentioned before I know a similar case; my best mate who has a parent from each side of the border and was a guaranteed ‘No’ because he genuinely feels British. An SNP voter though and increasingly angry at the pro-union campaign for their lies, putting down of Scotland and vilification of the SNP. When you are turning solid No’s into DK’s/thinking about Yes you really are in trouble.

As others have said, the pro-union campaign seem to be talking to themselves. It’s all about those ‘nasty nats’; the BT site is just full of snide comments in this vein. Nothing positive at all. That is really not particularly mature nor welcoming to the undecided, nor, as per my mate, someone who loves Scotland and fully understands why many want independence but is caught themselves due to genuine feelings of emotional attachment/identity to Britain.

Triskel

That’s hilarious!

Luigi

JLT, S_S,
I have also noticed very subtle changes in a few hard “no” people during the past month. My own dear mother (aged 75) was a definite no until very recently. She didn’t want to even talk about it. It was “No, No, No” and that was it. Now, amazingly, she has started asking questions and is claiming to be undecided. Still worried (“too wee, we’ll get hammered if we vote yes”) , but now undecided. Believe me, if people like my mum are now claiming to be undecided at this early stage, 16 months out, then BT really are in trouble. I feel a BT panic attack coming on. Things are going to get very interesting over the next 6 months.

silver19

Thought this summed up JoLa’s weekend well :- link to thescottishsun.co.uk

Seasick Dave

Luigi
 
The problem is, we’ll get hammered if we vote No.
 
It is crucial that people realise that voting No will not retain the status quo. Scotland will regress under a malevolent Westminster Government, proud that they have put the Scots in their place and keen to strip away the benefits bestowed by the evil SNP.
 
Vote YES to grow and prosper.

Greg Dunn

You are NOT Scotlands largest party!!!!!

Iain

Scottish, scottishlabour, Scotland’s, Scotland, scottishlabour, all in one wee banner. Do you think they’re over-compensating for something?
 
To echo other’s comments, my 74 year old mother has been making distinctly ambivalent statements about independence, despite coming from the Guardian reading, ‘progressive’ wing of Unionism. She’s even made some disparaging remarks about A.Darling, and he’s usually catnip to ladies of a certain age, including my mother! Slow and steady wins the race..

Bill Fraser

Wonder what would happen if that advertisement was referred to the Advertising Standards Authority. 

Bugger (the Panda)

Bill Frazer
 
I think it has been ruled, somewhere,  that politicians are allowed to lie.
 
Westminster is Supreme you know?

Elizabeth

A Darling was bordering on hysterical on GMS this morning. He was allowed to monopolise the interview barely drawing a breath (honestly!) in his diatribe re pitfalls of a currency union (really, really, really bad for Scotland – look at the Euro, look at Greece and Germany  – it will only lead back to a political union so why bother? ) Stewart Hosie in the little time he was allocated sounded totally on top of the subject explaining Scotland’s position in a  lucid, calm and rational manner – even sounded rather amused by AD’s antics. The interview was just after the 8 o’clock news. 

ianbrotherhood

 
@Elizabeth-
 
A big chunk of his ‘rant’ was repeated on the 9 o’clock news, with no indication that Hosie or anyone else had offered an alternative point of view.
 
Quelle surprise…

mato21

Not being a Gaelic speaker I wondered if we would find their Gaelic slogan would throw up any errors According to A.B.McNeil instead of Putting Scotland First they are Planting Scotland First How could they have missed this error ? on second thoughts it must be easy when their  “leader” who in her speech thinks it appropriate to   describe something as mince when not talking to the butcher 

Jeannie

 http://caledonianmercury.com/2010/09/29/the-scottish-labour-party-and-its-mysterious-expanding-membership/0010959
 
This is dated September 2010, but in light of the SNP’s known membership, I really don’t see how Scottish Labour, even if it were a distinct political party (which it isn’t), could possibly be the largest party in Scotland, unless they’re including the rest of the UK.  And this from the TRUTH team?  Why am I not surprised?

Dcanmore

@JLT …
 
 
That reminds of the devolution referendum. In the run up to the vote in 1997, many people I knew were openly hostile (grumbling more like) about the possibility of a Scottish parliament. It was the usual rhetoric: ‘How much will it cost’, ‘a waste of time’, ‘won’t change anything’ etc. But after the vote, several months after, quite a few of these people (some being old Tory voters) started to admit they voted FOR the parliament. I believe it will be the same again, many will grumble but once in the little booth, behind that curtain, they will have the privacy to change their heart on the matter. Many people, outwardly, are quite vocal against independence but they also tend to make up a large Soft No vote and  they probably don’t realise that. The Scottish people are waiting to be sold on Independence and it’s up to us in the Independence Movement to sell it to them.

Turnbull Drier

Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
WHY DOES NOBODY EVER CLICK THE LINKS?

*sobs*
 
there there Rev, don’t you let your pesky readership get to you…
 
I’d suggest LINK HERE in, perhaps a rather natty cerise.. A nice big flashing arrow may help too. 😛
 

morris young

Just another numpty claim from a numpty leader of a non existent numpty party. The only way Labour are the largest anything , is if you include England and Wales members, although Jackie Baillie, THE INCREDIBLE  BULK certainly makes it look like there are a lot more of them.

dmw42

The spelling, grammar and fragmented structure of this statement are atrocious. Taking my editorial red pencil to this it should read:
 
“Scotland’s largesse recipient political party led up shit creek by Johannie and Anas”.

The Man in the Jar

@silver19
at 8:08am
Thanks for the link. The Sun article makes many good points. Plain and simple it should make a lot of No voter’s think about their position.

Ananurhing

JLT & Dcanmore
I too have noticed a shift in attitude from people I would have laid money on them voting No.
One fairly disinterested, apolitical friend, who has always pinned his platitudes firmly in favour of the union recently announced he’d be voting Yes. When I asked, he said this was because it had become very obvious that he was being lied to by both Slab and BT.
 
Another friend who’s a life long fully paid up Labour party member and ex miner said he had many questions he wanted answers to, and doubts about the lines being fed to him. He too knows he’s being fed bullshit. More importantly he reckons he’s been branded a ("Tractor" - Ed) in the past simply because he has voiced his reservations. He says he will vote Yes, but can’t possibly tell anyone in his branch, and has learned to keep his views to himself. Stiil won’t recind his membership though.
 
I find this fascinating, as they both epitomise the core unionist vote, and I genuinely never thought either of them would change their views.   

Cath

“in his diatribe re pitfalls of a currency union (really, really, really bad for Scotland – look at the Euro, look at Greece and Germany”…)

I suspect all this anti-Sterling stuff is going to come back and bite Westminster on the arse big time. I doubt many people will base their vote on it. But what they are doing is building in people’s minds the idea that if we get independence we shouldn’t keep Sterling.

Tasmanian

>morris young says:
>Just another numpty claim from a numpty leader of a non
>existent numpty party. The only way Labour are the
>largest anything , is if you include England and Wales
>members, although Jackie Baillie, THE INCREDIBLE BULK
>certainly makes it look like there are a lot more of
>them.

oh good grief. There’s so many things to criticise and hate about Labour (and the other Westminster parties) and their leaders (and politicians in general) – WHY criticise them for their weight and looks? Saying someone’s a bad leader/politician/person because they’re fat and ugly – it’s a complete non-sequiter, all it does is turn the critic into a cretin. It’s like saying the Nazis were bad because they ate cabbage.
I love this site, I love reading the comments, they’re mostly excellent, but slamming politicians for being ‘fat’ or ‘ugly’ is just very very sad.
Morris Young just triggered me here; that post was fairly mild. But this is something I wanted to say before but couldn’t because I can’t post comments from my phone.

MajorBloodnok

@Tasmanian
 
So, you’ve not seen what BT and Labour supporters say about Alex Salmond then?  This is mild stuff by comparison.

MacSenex

A case of never mind the quality feel the width!  Thick!

Adrian B

“This is mild stuff by comparison.”
 
It is mild by comparison, but joking about peoples appearance has been unacceptable for a long time now. Lets not get caught up making stupid comments on appearance. Leave this as an isolated comment and please lets move back on to the politics. 

Ron

Well said Tasmanian.
Because some people use personal attacks on Alex Salmond, doesnt mean we should lower ourselves to their level.
 
Similarly, Blair Jenkins won’t lower himself to the Blair Other level 🙂
 

Davy

After watching the labour conference highlights last night, I have discovered that labour does have a ”policy”, now this takes a bit of understanding so bear with me, here go’s.
Labour policy :- SNP bad —- labour good.
                    :- SNP always tells lies —- labour always tells the truth honest.
                    :- SNP sneaky —- labour wholesome. (tear wipe from eye)
                    :- SNP puts Scotland first —- labour we will come back to you on that??? 
                    

MajorBloodnok

My other half was telling me that a friend of hers was minded to vote NO because she knew for a fact that Alex Salmond had been seen pushing his way to the front of the queue in a pastry shop.
 
Is that low politics or a personal attack? I’m confused.

Jiggsbro

Leave this as an isolated comment and please lets move back on to the politics.
 
It’s a political issue. If an independent Scotland deported Jackie Baillie and Brian Taylor, there would be enough pies for everyone else, leading to a fairer, happier society.

MajorBloodnok

Labour policies are like a cheap pie: break through the crust and there’s nothing inside except gristle.

ianbrotherhood

 
@MajorBloodnok & Jiggsbro-
 
The brother-in-law recently revealed that, while courting my sister (thirty years ago) he’d been invited to stay for dinner. Mum served up her home-made pies – wee individual shortcrust things with chicken & mushroom filling. 
 
Unfortunately, the brother-in-law’s pie had no filling in it. He didn’t say anything, thinking it was a coded message of some kind.
 
There’s an analogy in there somewhere, but I can’t be bothered…

Cath

“Saying someone’s a bad leader/politician/person because they’re fat and ugly – it’s a complete non-sequiter, all it does is turn the critic into a cretin.”
 
Totally agree. Constant attacks like that on Alex Salmond make the NO side look nasty, stupid and confirm the fact they have nothing positive, truthful or decent to say.
 
The Yes side has plenty positive, truthful, good things to say, so we shouldn’t lower ourselves to that petty and nasty level. No politician deserves that kind of personal abuse Salmond is being given at the moment and two wrongs don’t make that any more right.
 

MajorBloodnok

@ianbrotherhood

I blame Thatcher – snatching milk from our bairns and syphoning pie-fillings away without so much as a by-your-leave.

Patrick Roden

The comments on this article has explained a lot.
I have been wondering why the Labour /BT campaigns have seemed to be in such a panic recently.
 
Why are Labour trying to  introduce the Income Tax Poilicy, when the polls seem to indicate they have a healthy lead?
Why would you change policies if your side was the more popular?
 
My suspicion has been that the BT/Labour campaigning strategists have had voter feed-back coming in that was indicating a shift away from ‘Hard No’ to iether ‘Soft NO’ Don’t Know’ or Yes.
If the few examples on this thread are being repeated throughout Scotland and why shouldn’t they be? then this would explain the blind panic of the NO HOPERS.
 
The most important and exiting thing about the comments above, is that the people who’s minds are changing are doing so because they are seeing through the lies and bias of the BT/Labour campaigns. It’s this more than anything that convinces me that this will be happening all over Scotland.
 

Davy

“Partrick Roden”, that is a very good point !!! why would you change policys if you have a so called good lead in the polls. Nice one, cheers.
 
 
Vote YES, Vote Scotland.
Alba Gu snooker loopy!


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