Following the trail
Ruth Davidson opened First Minister’s Questions yesterday with an attack on the Scottish Government over the performance of the NHS, citing a report that the service faced “pockets of meltdown” this winter.
But later in the session, alert backbench SNP MSP Clare Haughey claimed that the report being quoted by the Tory leader had only in fact examined THREE Scottish hospitals. So we thought we’d better check.
The source of the quote was Monday’s edition of the Guardian:
It referred in turn to an article in the previous day’s Observer, which was written by the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson:
That immediately set alarm bells ringing in our heads, because NHS Providers is “the association of foundation trusts and trusts”, and Scotland doesn’t have NHS trusts – they’re a part of the management structure in the English NHS. Trusts were abolished in Scotland in 2004.
The second paragraph of Hopson’s article said “hospital accident and emergency performance is now the worst it has ever been”, which also sounded a bit off as NHS Scotland has been posting record-breaking stats for A&E treatment for some time.
And sure enough, the link pointed to a story about NHS England.
Two paragraphs further on, Hopson notes that “we ended the last financial year with trusts reporting the largest deficit in NHS history”, with a link to another article making it clear that by “we” he meant England:
The rest of Hopson’s article continues with more references to trusts and stats applying only to NHS England. It’s obvious that his comments aren’t meant to refer to NHS Scotland in any way, where most of the alarming stats he highlights are in fact moving in the opposite direction.
The study mentioned in the Holyrood chamber by Clare Haughey is the Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit (SAMBA) 2016, which hasn’t actually been made public yet, but we gave the Society a ring and got them to send us a copy. It lists 94 participating units, 91 of which aren’t in Scotland, and of those that are (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Ninewells in Dundee and Raigmore in Inverness) none are in the central belt where most of the population lives.
Responses aren’t broken down by individual hospitals, so we can’t separate out the Scottish stats from the rest. However, the most recent A&E figures on the Scottish Government website for their respective health boards showed NHS Grampian doing even better than the Scottish average at an impressive 96.7%, NHS Highland better still at an excellent 97.5%, and NHS Tayside on a frankly phenomenal 99.2%.
It seems unlikely, then, that they contributed to the report’s fears of a crisis.
What Ruth Davidson did yesterday was take the havoc being wreaked on the NHS in England by her own Conservative government at Westminster and pretend that it was the SNP’s fault, even though the Scottish service has in fact been bucking the trend south of the border, resisting privatisation and posting a long series of improvements in all the stats that are plummeting fast in England.
There will always be pressures on the NHS, particularly in the winter and particularly in Scotland, where colder temperatures and more snow and ice lead to more injuries and illness, and a heavy budget squeeze coming down the line from the UK Treasury can only make things tougher. But the devolved service under the control of the Scottish Government is coping remarkably well compared to its counterparts in the rest of the UK. Despite the cuts, staffing levels and patient satisfaction are both at record highs.
Furnished with these facts, readers could be forgiven if they concluded that the only thing melting down in Scotland is Ruth Davidson’s credibility.
Well done. Just waiting to hear more about this on the BBC news.
You’re right her credibility is slowly going doon the tubes – Ms Davidson is beginning to believe her own press
So Ruth Davidson says the Tories have wrecked the English NHS, what is Nicola Sturgeon gonnae dae aboot it?
Congratulations Stu! Instant rebuttal. I just posted a comment on this theme in the previous thread. But here you are providing the service we need.
Has the MSM duly alerted us to this deception perpetrated by Ms Davidson?
At least BBC Jockland ran with the truth that Davidson was lying about this, and is the most popular, lying, party leader in Scotland.
Arabs .. Dundee United will play in the Champions League before the Scottish press will take the most popular politician in Scotland to task on anything. No apology from Ruth forthcoming on this or the racist abuse of Christian Allard.
Almost chocked on my coffee when hearing arch Unionist head of Scotch Whisky Association, on BBC Radio Scotland news, claiming that in emerging markets Scotch Whisky is associated with Britain and Scotland.
I have travelled extensively in Asia and South America and the first thing people mention when you say you are Scottish is Whisky followed by Braveheart.
That Davidson is an absolute disgrace.
I would like to see a retraction published in all the papers and the tv channels, with constant articles expressing outrage and full discussion on paper review…
Yeah, I know. 🙁
Ruth Davidson should be apologising not only to our F.M., and the Scottish Parliament but also to the Scottish National Health Service and the Scottish people for the lie.
She won’t do that, of course, SNP bad is what it is all about and she has done her job in that regard.
I don’t think it is just incompetence on her part.
The thing is, lies don’t last in the public domain anymore. They are found out in hours, if not minutes. Thankfully.
Faradge (no typo) on SKY News just now.
Really aiming for the English Labour vote.
Also going for the Ruthless “hold Govt to account” (“Tories not to be allowed to be complacent in run up to 2020”).
Lots of “we voted for Hard Brexit”, “control of our borders”, “half cabinet want to keep us part of the single market” etc.
UKIP = EKIP as Faradge also says UKIP (are now the 3rd largest party “in this country” so not the UK then.
So as previously stated by others on this site:
If the Kippers don’t get what they voted for on Europe it’ll be the Right Wing Neo Fascist vote vs Split? Labour, Versus Sell out Tories in GE2020
We need to be out of the Union before then.
Another Union Dividend
Yes I saw that piece about whisky too…BBC trolling.
Someone should tell Davidson she is in the wrong parliament. Truth is, she probably thinks that too.
I know she is trying to promote the idea that everything is really all about UKOKland, however she needs to get it through her thick skull that Scotland and England are, in many areas, already different and separate.
Well done Clare Haughey and well done Stu!
But did you see the clip of this that somebody posted the link to on the previous thread?
Clare Haughey wished it raised it as a ‘point of order’ and wanted it attached to the report that Davidson correct her spiel. But Presiding Officer Ken Mackintosh (Lab) wouldn’t allow it as that but said it was a ‘point of debate’.
This presumably means that Davidson’s comments go uncorrected into the report of that FMQ session! Lies and all!
Well done Rev. That wee “Ruthie” has just gone straight into lying now to try and save her beloved Union.
Yet again THANKS STU for doing what every other media source should be doing.
Why should she not be brought to be made account for these blatant lies? Surely there must be a law against lying in parliament . The woman is a disgrace. She almost makes kez look plausible.
Does anyone familiar with the standing orders of the SG know what powers (if any) the presiding officer has to request/order correction of ‘false’ statements?
Davidson surely, misled the parliament and everyone watching/listening.
Hopefully at next FM question’s Nicola Sturgeon will challenge Ruth Davidson to apologise for misleading Parliament
How on earth did the Presiding Officer judge that Clare Haughey’s point of order was a debating point?
Davidson must be held to account on her lies, especially in the chamber!
The Wee Dutch Boy is telling porkies again, how very brit jock tory of her! Deception and lies is all the unionists have left, basically there is no case left for this dead end “union”.
Since it’s institutionally and find financially separate from its other British counterparts, why not rename NHS Scotland? SHS, anyone? At least we’d know what we’re talking about.
Who has more credibility in the Davidson ‘clan’
Ruth or Jim?
Why don’t we all email Ruth the Mooth, on her Scottish parliament website, demanding she apologises to the Holyrood parliament, the Scottish Government and the staff of NHS Scotland for the blatant lie she told at FMQs on Thursday?
I will be doing this.
@Ian Brotherhood. That’s the question I am asking. It appears he does. Somebody posted a link to the debate on the previous thread. Haughey requested that Davidson’s contribution be amended in the light of the fact that it referred to the English NHS. Mackintosh replied that he believed Haughey’s intervention was a ‘point of debate’ rather than a ‘point of order’ as she had requested.
In other words, it was opinion and interpretation, rather than fact. And with that he closed down the session.
My understanding is therefore that Davidson’s comment is entered on the record of that FMQ uncorrected. Or unamended.
We may have rumbled her. But the record won’t record that.
All I can say to you Rev is keep safe!! No falling off cliffs etc!! Scotland needs you to get us free!!
Well done on this one — Ruth Davidson needs to be shamed.
Jockanese Wind Talker says:
16 September, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Faradge (no typo) on SKY News just now.”Lots of “we voted for Hard Brexit”, “control of our borders”, “half cabinet want to keep us part of the single market” etc.”
He also announced that UKIP are the third largest party in the
Country.UKIP membership 39,143. ffs!
Doing what you do best, Stu – peerless. It’s a disgrace you are not acknowledged in SG circles.
O/T on radio this am, Osborne making a comeback promoting ‘the northern powerhouse’. Another liar in the Tory lineup. He should have followed the example of his pal Dodgy Dave.
Do we need a new moniker – EmptyTank Girl?
No doubt Ruthie is sitting waiting for that call to go contest David Camerons seat and is praying she can escape the silly show that is Scotland in the great empty eyes of the true Tory.
Why during FMQs isn’t the FM allowed to ask Questions?
PO: Nicola Sturgeon!
NS: Presiding officer, Members, can Ruth Davidson admit she’s a wee snidey lying shitehawk?
(PO checks if that is admissable language and is given a nod)
PO: Ruth Davidson!
RD: Wibble!
The problem here is Ruth and her Tories have carte Blanche in the media to present their disinformation.
No other country in Europe lies to its general public like the Brits do, as we have seen on this site the Brit establishment will simply not employ non conformists to their union, resulting in a media run by Sycophants or conformists with no morals.
I think Mackintosh has let her off. More examples of Red-Blue Tory colludion. Her lies stand on the record of that FMQ session.
If Moothie has any integrity, she should request a correction herself. It can happen that people make mistakes and do not intentionally mislead parliament. In which case, they ought to be allowed to retract in the interests of defending their own integrity if nothing else.
Bevan said that the tories were lower than vermin, that is one statement by a labour politician I could not dispute!
Davidson has been in post a while now, she will have some chickens seeking a place to roost shortly.
OT
Good to see Alastair Campbell and John McDonnell going at it hammer and tongs last night, labour are finished, these cracks can’t be papered over.
It would be interesting to see what Bevan would make of Corbyn’s labour versus new labour?
It’s a disgrace that Davidson has just.blithely resorted to outright lies now, insulting all of us.
In other news, and I know this sounds like a lie, BoJo wants to bring the Royal Yacht out of retrial as a symbol of greatness, and use it as a floating embassy.
I feel like I’m in some kind of parallel universe where the lunatics run the asylum.
I genuinely fear we are headed for some kind of dystopian future, and we need independence in the EU, or we will be inevitably dragged into this vortex.
Christ yoons are mad. She either knows exactly what she’s doing or she just grabs at anything at all over breakfast, full English natch, and without even a quick fact check, blammo, Ruth strikes again, for another triumphant nat bashing sesh.
Its probably the latter, which is what you will get with a stuffed shirt tory leader and chronically awful tory BBC led press bias.
Poor old Tanktop – never the brightest. But at least she was focusing on the country that matters to her and where her future may lie.
Aye, ah heard thoan fat-arsed fuck. In ah few ithurr smart-erses, pit doon smartly bae wurr Furst Meenisturr.
Wae huv urr, ower ah tank-barrull
Ruth Davidson should be face censure from the presiding officer and be forced to apologise to the Scottish Parliament for these blatant lies.
The SNP and Green should confront this head-on next week and get an apology out of her or get her suspended from Parliament.
What an absolute disgrace of a politician – blaming the SNP for the failings of her own party in England.
Y’know even for a politician, Ruth Davidson is pretty much one of the most disingenuous, two faced, hypocritical and shallow individuals ever to set foot in that chamber.
Mind you we are talking about politicians and parties who do so love to use our institutions as whipping posts if it damages their opposition. No lie too big, no tactic too small or dirty.
How and ever, if it also happens to damage those institutions or public trust in those institutions, what’s the harm right? It’s only politics.
If the public turn away from those institutions and suffer because of it, or are put in harms way, well you can’t make an omelette and all that.
If the party faithful are fed the usual line of SNP bad, even though they’ve done fuck all to deserve any criticism on a given issue, well it keeps the troops happy and their prejudice tank topped up. Well all’s fair…etc.
Politics as it is practised.
Doesn’t it turn your stomach?
[…] Wings Over Scotland Following the trail Ruth Davidson opened First Minister’s Questions yesterday with an attack on the […]
If as a group, we developed our reading of the European Press, we would not only think differently, we would feel better and be more positive about the EU and Independence.
Let’s face it, listening to Westminster’s daily dose of lies would get anyone down. But with a little truth from Europe, on top of Wings, we’ll all be the better for it.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Nicola is already hard wired to the European point of view.
O/T Just clicked on to a site about suggested fillings for sandwiches. Only then did I notice it was the BBC Food.
I quote, “Like Cricket and Whiskey, the sandwich is a quintessentially British invention that has taken over the world”. So Britain not only has usurped Scotch Whisky, but Irish Whiskey as well.
Dandy Dons,
Loved the bit comparing Ruthie with a wee dutch boy. lol.
So which politician is the dyke?
Is she trying to out Jackie Baillie Jackie Baillie?
More Stickers required.
“IS IT TRUE OR DID RUTH DAVIDSON TELL YOU”
Even better as a follow up.
“WHO IS RUTH DAVIDSON?”
Well done John (9.31am)on the last thread for posting the liar Dividson clip.
Well, you made short work of her, Rev. Nice rapier you have there.
Ah, Ruth, tireless and relentless in running down her own country.
Someone take out her batteries and give us peace.
Are “political lies” allowed in Holyrood? Seems like it.
Chic McGregor @ 1.01pm
Come on Chic, Buffalo Gal might well benefit from losing two or three stone, and she might only having passing acquaintanship with the truth, but, trying to out-Jackie Baillie Jackie Baillie.
That is mean, as well as being Mission Impossible.
Ruth does a passable petted lip, dummy spit – she could never do Jackie’s bulldog chewing a wasp facial impression.
Is there no accountability in the Scottish Government for breach of conduct (lying)? At the very least a public apology for ‘mistruths’ would be a good start, even if they were retrospective. Each days session could start with apologies from the offenders. Three strikes and you get sent off ?
Yoon MPs telling lies in order to keep Scotland down.
It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time.
The sooner Scotland votes to consign this corrupt and repressive union to history, the better.
Sounds to me the presiding officer should be made to apologise for his poor or deliberately bad, judgement on what Rooth the Mooth said. He then should instruct her to apologise for misleading our parliament, and to the Scottish people for downright lies she told.
She seems to have lost any sense she might have had in her bid to replace Kezia Dugdale as chief Airhead.
@sunniva & others –
To be fair, the presiding officer can’t be expected to access/consider original sources before ruling on whether or not a specific point is one of ‘order’ or ‘debate’, but he has staff to assist him review the business in the chamber.
If this blatant lying by Davidson is allowed to stand then the record is worthless and the parliament jettisons whatever credibility it has (and let’s not forget that, for many, it doesn’t have much anyway). Ken Mackintosh will be setting a dangerous precedent for his time as PO if he allows this to go unchecked.
Unionists do seem to have difficulty in remembering what things are devolved and what is reserved. And reserved often means WM deals with the English aspect as if it were ‘national’.
What happened in this instance might have been intentional deceit, or may have been cock up though incompetence. And the confusion about which parliament has responsibility in the minds of Unionists enables either!
I used to think Labour were particularly bad as understanding responsibilities. Margaret Curran in particular never seemed to have any understanding! Now the Tories are more in the spotlight so we see this same inadequacy from them more often.
However selective misunderstanding, when it suits, can be used to score points because so often many voters won’t know either.
It’s a standard Unionist approach – make capital using misleading or false information, damage done with the help of friendly media, then debunking or retraction never gets widely reported.
WOS now back up and running!
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again – Yon Dim Ruth is as thick as shit but twice as smelly.
She blatantly attempted to mislead the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish electorate, she must be publicly censured for doing that or our wee parly starts to lose its credibility.
It must be made clear in no small way that the Scottish Parliament will not tolerate test tube love child experiments of Alistair Carmichael and Jackie Baillie.
BTW, the Rev wrote:
“Furnished with these facts, readers could be forgiven if they concluded that the only thing melting down in Scotland is Ruth Davidson’s credibility.”
ffs, I do wonder at times why he gets the tag of ‘Vile Cybernat’- he must be the only independence supporter who gives Yon Dim Ruth any credibility at all, jeeeeeez!
😉
One thing that’s not being suppressed by the meeja is that the NHS in England is in total meltdown and some of the stories being told would make your hair stand on end. Unfortunately for Ruth the liar it’s her party that’s created the mess and is now overseeing the total decimation of the NHS in England. Not exactly helpful for her, is it? It wouldn’t matter what subject was under discussion at Holyrood she’ll never win the argument because she’s basically backed the wrong horse with the current Tory party being the most inept, corrupt, immoral, unfair, unjust, non-compassionate in UK history.
Just to add that a report was released a few months ago that outlined that the UKs A&E services were deemed to be the best in the World and Scotlands the best in the UK. In other words Scotlands A&E services are the best in the World. Can’t post the link due to being on my IPad.
Amazing don’t you think when you consider that Rooth the Mooths own party has cut the Scottish budget by 10%. The term ‘brass neck’ comes to mind.
There was a serious storm in Taiwan this week. When is Nicola Sturgeon going to apologise?
This is probably Westminster getting ready to shut down the NHS in England paving the way for Health Insurance, and a two tier medical system
Surely at next week’s FMQ an SNP member will stand up and ask for the figures for Scotland, to which Nicola will give the answer and then blast Davidson for getting them wrong.
That will then go into the record books. No?
Missed you as I was looking for Wings at lunchtime there.
Ruthie’s face said it all when she was called out by Claire Haughey MSP in Holyrood over her NHS ‘look a squirrel’ comment.
The PO bottled it!
PS:
Alex Salmond: Nicola Sturgeon will hold second independence referendum in 2018
link to archive.is
@Swiss perspective
I have always thought that the acronym should be
NHSS – National Health Service for Scotland.
donald anderson says:
“She seems to have lost any sense she might have had in her bid to replace Kezia Dugdale as chief Airhead.”
Not quite in the top league, are they!?
I have always categorised politician’s calibre with a simple assessment. When interviewed and asked a question, how do they respond?
Top class politicians address any question and give a relevant answer framed in a way where they still make capital of the situation. Think Salmond.
Middle rankers know they can’t deal with the question so avoid it and spout some vaguely related pre fashioned speil. Think Murphy.
Bottom dwellers won’t understand the question and therefore get het up. Think Curran.
I reckon both Ruth and Kezia are middle verging sometimes on bottom. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear Nicola’s response…
link to imgur.com
Now Conservative and Unionist party, that’s what you get when you promote a mediocre candidate to the office of branch leader. After all you’re bum chumming with your red wing I had thought you would have learned from their problems. Never let Kezia go off message!
Now I too did think she was up to the job, and I have posted here she is the most competent of the opposition party leaders, and in a way she still is, and that is a damming indictment of the rest of them.
I was lunching with a Conservative member and funder just after her appointment was announced. I was taken aback by the very low opinion he held of her, “but she will do till we get someone proper”, he had met her a few times, I never have, turns out he was correct.
Next, as the Great Alex Harvey sung!
Ken McIntosh, Presiding Officer.
He made a choice between the Parliament and the Union in the Ruth Davidson NHS matter. He chose the Union and by doing so, revealed not only his true colours, but also his inability to divest himself of them in carrying out his duties as PO.
At a stroke, he shredded his credibity and wounded the reputation of his office.
A remedy must be sought.
Petra says:
“One thing that’s not being suppressed by the meeja is that the NHS in England is in total meltdown”
This may be their right wing media preparing the ground for the ‘solution’ of more private involvement.
That is awful for England, but still bad for Scotland with Barnett funding.
Ruth Davidson is ex-BBC Scotland.
Davidson must not be allowed to get away with this blatant lie.She knew exactly what she was doing and knew that the presiding Unionist collaborator, Macintosh would help her out.More importantly, She could rest assured that the colonial media mafia would ‘overlook’ her colossal fib.
I’ll say it again. ..for the umpteenth time…the SNP need to shout it from the rooftops every time the little emperor gets caught out lying.AS got branded so…wrongly. ..for identical reasons.But unlike him, she is a gross and disgusting liar…and needs to be called out as such.
Proud Cybernat says:
“Can’t wait to hear Nicola’s response…”
Excellent. That image deserved to be spread far and wide! Twitter users?
Neat work Stu, I bet Ruthie and her crew are wondering what comes next, now they have been found out.
Like a lot of others on this thread I hope Nicola and the rest of our government and the greens come out swinging next week about this blatant lying.
A few loaded questions are needed from the SNP and Greens, a waste of time asking any of the other unionist parties to stand and fight for the reputation of our NHS.
Diane James MEP, is the newly elected leader of UKIP. This is a smart move by UKIP – must have got advice – though I suspect the media will still favour Farage.
Another woman leads a major UK political party. It’s becoming a romp. More power to them.
Really, really wish the Scottish government would (could?) put an ‘S’ in front of that NHS, as in the “Scottish National Health Service”.
There are still many people in Scotland (and throughout the world) who are unaware that there is an English NHS and a Scottish NHS. They hear the Unionists constantly decrying about “our” NHS, meaning the English NHS, and believe all the doom and gloom realates to Scotland too, because, in their ignorance, they are under the false impression that it is the same organisation UK-wide.
The Yoon MSM, will, of course, grudgingly make the distinction only when pushed. It keeps the lie going after all, that it is another part of Scotland’s shitiness.
Question: Does the Scottish government have the authority to rename the NHS as the ‘SNHS’, or whatever else they may wish to call it?
Since the Chinese have been invited to provide Hinckley Point nuclear station, wouldn’t be Tory logic to invite them to crisis manage the English NHS too? And the Chinese have lots of cash, honey pot for Tories.
I’m not aware of the split between the French and the Chinese for the provision of finance,engineering design, construction, and operating services for this nuclear station – sited on the south coast of England – but it doesn’t seem like a very Homelandy security type deal.
Regards Ruthie, she was just being Ruthie. Neither believe nor trust her is my advice.You are judged by the company you keep. I wonder how her Tory MSPs sitting alongside feel.
It’s all part of the strategy to confuse people and paint the SNP in the worst possible light.
I know loads of folk who do not even seem to understand that the NHS is devolved or education for that matter. Hence I have heard many at my work talking about the junior doctor situation and it is obvious that they think it applies here as well.
Davidson and her ilk know this fine and well and play on it. BBC Scotland do the bare minimum to make the distinction clear, although they can always be relied upon to present it if there is a sniff of an “SNP crisis” around.
Interestingly enough this probably ties in very nicely with the BBC charter issue and the lack of a Scottish media. I have no doubt that for many having the ‘English’ news up front and central in UK production (main news) is a key driver behind this.
Davidson is a disgrace and the sight and sound of her sneering totally switches me off. Typical nasty tory who gets the easiest of rides from her pals in the media.
Tam Jardine:
Thank you for your post at 12:59pm on the last thread,my thoughts exactly.
Peace,Love and Understanding
Claire Haughey at FMQs asking the PO to make Ruth Davidson correct her misleading information.
link to twitter.com
Davidson, the Walter Mitty of Holyrood strikes again. The head of the “Nasty” party in Scotland, tells it like it isn’t.
I wonder what other claims she made, in the past, that might not stand up under scrutiny.
Well done Rev.
I think it is rather interesting to note … possibly 😉 … that the Presiding Officer said this after Clare Haughey raised her point of order.
I consider that to be a debating point rather than a point of order, but you have made the point.
I wonder, given the evidence provided by the magic of the internet, and diligent digging of our favourite winged one, at what point deliberate LIES by an M.S.P. stop becoming a debating point and start becoming a point of order in their own right demanding an apology, correction or whatever.
As we all know both Labour and Tory M.S.P.’s have a long and undistinguished career of lying in the chamber. The fact that the leetle tankette commander lied yesterday is not a total surprise. What is a surprise these days is the blatancy with which she takes statistics from ENGLAND and uses them to attack the Scottish government when she knows full well, or at least she ought to know, that English stats are of no concern to the Scottish government.
There are complaints procedures. See the complaints guide pdf here. link to parliament.scot
I’m not long back and have to go out again shortly so have not had time to read through the guide, perhaps someone on here can take a look.
This misleading of parliament can not be allowed to go unchallenged or unionists will just carry on with their lies.
Would the shadow health secretary Donald Cameron MSP, shadow for health and sport, have been responsible for the info Ruth Davidson used, not trying to get her off the hook. Educated at Oxford so maybe confused about which health service he was researching. On the other hand it could just have been deliberate lies.
Is it about 1 year since Carbuncles let off?
Hence raising his head above the parapet again, the Yoon strategy wait a wee while and bombard the nation with lies and pish and usually you get away with it thanks to the Yoon medja, but we have WoS and other sources for the facts and the Yoons seem to forget that.
Carbuncle “a bit like Syphilis, you think its gone away then it comes back as an annoying wee irritant.
Message to Carbuncle “We don’t forget”
@ Valerie
I believe the Royal Yacht is berthed in Leith serving as a visitor centre/experience. So Boris is not often right but is wrong again. Far from being in retiral, it is entertaining the good people of Leith. A worthy occupation.
If anyone is at a loose end on Saturday and is rather handy at repairing cameras then you may want to consider papplying for this wee plum of a job. 😉
link to twitter.com
Proud Cybernat.
I’ve copied your image to Twitter. A wider audience needs to see it. Hope you don’t mind.
I believe the Royal Yacht is berthed in Leith serving as a visitor centre/experience.
It is and its stunning, especially on fine evenings in Leith. What ever we say about teamGB, they really know how to look after their royals. No wonder they wept when they left it for the last time. But prince Charles kept his private train, as you do.
@Nana –
Just had a quick swatch.
It seems to be about making complaints abut Scottish Parliament staff. Explicitly rules out handling complaints abut MSPs/ ministers.
Perhaps, however, relevant for those withing to complain about the PO himself?
Not sure…
Following Nana above:-
MSP conduct in the Debating Chamber
Complaints about conduct during business in the Chamber are considered by the Parliament’s Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer produces guidance on what constitutes acceptable conduct in the Chamber.
Complaints should be sent to:
The Presiding Officer
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
@Capella I live 100m from the Royal yacht. Believe me, the good people of Leith have very little to do with it. A tourist attracting with a mediocre shopping mall attached. But, completely correct on BoJo being wrong.
On topic: perhaps any SNHS employees living in Mz Davidson’s constituency might get a better response than the rest of us, if they were fed up being used (incorrectly) as a political football.
Following on from Japan’s 15 page, yes folks that’s right 15 page, report into Brexit it appears that Japan is getting rather keenly interested in Scotland. I wonder why. 😉
link to commonspace.scot
The time is well past for the main Scottish government institutions to be re named so as to prevent any confusion with foreign institutions and make them more appropriate to Scotland. This will also remove any inadvertent “.mistakes” by MSM or EBC.
Dal Riata says:
“Really, really wish the Scottish government would (could?) put an ‘S’ in front of that NHS”
I reckon the SNP have made very few serious mistakes, however this is one. When they rebranded the Scottish Executive as Government, they should also have changed the NHS’s name.
There was the issue of expense, however this could have been minimised by changing signs, stationery, etc only as it was renewed.
My preferred would have been Scottish Health Service, however inserting “S” as you suggest would have been easier (and cheaper).
It was reckoned that at IndyRef1 just over half of Scots did not know that the NHS was NOT a UK wide institution. Unbelievably many staff did not even know.
A little foresight would have removed ammunition from the Unionists.
It’s never too late!
Westviews says:
16 September, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Proud Cybernat.
I’ve copied your image to Twitter. A wider audience needs to see it. Hope you don’t mind.
No probs. Go daft!!
Why are people assuming Davidson was actually lying. Isn’t more probable that she was just showing a lack of rigour in her ability to research a subject that would call in to question her ability to hold a job that involved that as an essential. Just as Cameron seemed singularly unsuited to a job in PR. I’ll assume Gideon could actually fold towels so it’s not a requirement for high office in the modern Tory party to be fecking useless in what was once your day job.
The Scottish stats that can’t be separated out must make the overall RUK figures look better than they are,ever so slightly at least.
You would be able to spot where the Tories are in charge if you could 🙂
There’s a website called NHS performs which appears to have the A&E data for hospitals in Scotland.
The latest average A&E percent of patients seen within 4 hours for the three Scottish hospitals in that survey is 96.2%. This compares with a figure of 90.3% for the same period in England and 83.3% in Wales (although the latest Wales data is for the month before.)
Ruth is either a bare faced liar or a research assistant is currently getting 300 lashes (Paula moonlighting?)
An amazing piece of forensically, in depth, investigative, journalism by Rev Campbell. We are extremely fortunate to have his talent available. In order to provide the fervent disection of the kind of lies, that Davidson is capable of extoling.
But surely, the Presiding officer must take action to initiate some sort of procedure to impel Davidson. To come to the chamber, and make statement. A statement regarding her malicious attempt to smear the hard working Doctors, Nurses, and all the other health workers of our Scottish NHS. To also apologise to the Scottish Government for attempting to smear it. By stating falsehoods she must surely have been aware of. And consideration be given to charge her with bringing the Scottish Parliament into disrepute.
@Ian & manandboy So we are not allowed to complain about a minister or msp, and a complaint would go to McIntosh. Talk about a stitch up, There must be some way round this.
Clare Haughey is the msp for Rutherglen, contact details here
link to parliament.scot
perhaps a constituent could ask a question regarding the procedures for complaints.
anyhoo I have to go.
…Ruthie lie! Surely not.
However even worse she doesn’t care because she has her sound bite SNPbad which will be picked up by her fellow unionists.
Please tell me why we are still using NHS which is so easily manipulated. I still come across people who argue with me that the UK has one system…why do we make it so easy for the Unionist liars?
link to scottishparliament.tv For anyone who missed my post on the last thread , Ruth Davidson exposed for the liar she is at FMQ !.
link to facebook.com
Do take the time to watch Joanne Cherry QC MP SNP on BBC QT on the Leave campaign handing the voters a pup in the EU Referendum.
@Proud Cybernat 2.47pm
I hope you don’t mind that I’ve shared your excellent photo on Facebook and Twitter.
Says it all really!
Tombee said at 4:08 pm:-
“…………….But surely, the Presiding officer must take action to initiate some sort of procedure to impel Davidson. To come to the chamber, and make statement……………..”
People coming home from work,including me,who all live in the same close have been shown this Wings article and absolutely agree with Tombee.
And this sorry state of affairs brings the position of the Presiding Officer into disrepute.
Presiding Officer—-it’s not too late.
The strange thing about all this is why was 3 Scottish hospitals included in this report and just what would be the figures if they were removed from this report does it make a difference and has moothie accidentally let slip a massage of English NHS figures by her bosses in London.
Where my popcorn lol
How’s about we all write to Ruth the Mooth on her contact e-mail, copy to Donald Cameron and the Presiding Officer, attaching the WOS piece, indicating that we are on to them in a big way.
@ Arbroath1320 says at 3:40 pm …. ”Following on from Japan’s 15 page, yes folks that’s right 15 page, report into Brexit it appears that Japan is getting rather keenly interested in Scotland. I wonder why. ?”
link to commonspace.scot
………………………….
THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE UK will lead a delegation to Scotland to visit keys places in Scotland that are centres of cultural interest and economic activity …. “It is clear to me (Japanese Ambassador Mr Koji Tsuruoka), first, that I must return to play some golf, but more importantly that there is enormous potential to further develop business links between our countries. That is something I will also prioritise.”
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if they relocated some of their industries over the border and into Scotland. If such an announcement were made Indyref2 figures would shoot up overnight.
………………………………………
@ Lochside says at 2:57 pm …. ”I’ll say it again. ..for the umpteenth time…the SNP need to shout it from the rooftops every time the little emperor gets caught out lying.”
They could stand on Arthur’s Seat and ball their heads off Lochside but that aint going to help. Nicola Sturgeon is reliant on the MSM propaganda machine to disseminate information and we know what they do: cut her off, pluck snippets leaving questions unanswered, distorted and so on. She can raise issues at FMQs but who actually watches that? Us?
No doubt when Brexit takes off and it becomes clear that the numpties have made a real bloomer she’ll announce IndyRef2. Following that they may start sending out flyers, and so on, that is when they have clear, unadulterated facts at hand to do so. Meanwhile sites like this and the Internet in general are doing a pretty good job of keeping everyone informed. Informed in this instance that Ruth Davidson is a disgrace: an out and out lying sack of sh*t, in fact.
Apparently Alex has hinted at IndyRef2 being in the Autumn of 2018. I think before summer would be a better time to have it.
Yes, but the news we get talks all the time about teachers srikes, NHS meltdowns, THE Government, without clarifying that it’s the UK Government, not the Scottish Government, and it doesn’t apply here. Ruth Davidson is probably playing on that distortion by the media, in a totally dishonest fashion.
Getting back to that poll, I tend to look at politicians for their own merits, not as “the enemy”, and I used to think Davidson was very good, but since the Conservatives got 31 seats and became the main opposition I haven’t been (neutrally) impressed, and don;t know how I’d have answered – possibly indeed a “don’t know”. A the momenth though it seems a large number of the Scottish people are fooled, likely not knowing what’s devolved – and what isn’t.
My guess is that a large number of people in Scotland don’t realise the NHS is devolved and will be fooled by Davidson. I hope that lie catches up on her soon.
At the end of the day Ken Macintosh is just another Yoon in the wall.
@One_Scot
That’s what I used to think, but I’ve heard people saying we has a ref 2 years ago, it’s too soon, they’d not vote, or even vote against.
Autumn 2018 is more than 4 years after Indy Ref 1, and I think that will be far more acceptable to people, same period as the Holyrood elections used to be before Westminster fsked that up for us. So I’m now with Salmond on that one.
O/T.
Diane James is the new leader, of the bonkers party, aka UKIP.
OT – re Autumn 2018 IR2
The thing is, if May doesn’t invoke A50 until after the German elections in (googles) Aug-Oct 2017, Van Rompuy having said Brexit negotiations can’t start until AFTER the German elections (whatever his opinion is worth), that means IR2 announced say Feb 2018 for the Ref in say November 2018.
That gives the BBC a chance to interview Verhofstadt who will hopefully be very very careful to speak plainly so the BBC can’t “accidentally” misquote him as they did to Barroso.
It’s quite possible that Verhofstadt will be able then, after a YES vote in Novemeber 2018, to include Scotland’s continuing membership of the EU – as a part of – those Brexit negotiations. And of course in his pre-Ref interview with the BBC he could make that very plain.
Job done.
The actions of this twisted excuse of a politician, continue to plummet into the depths of despair.
Such a pity the Kim Jong-un lookalike’s brain can’t engage or operate as quickly as her mouth.
I suggest that she and her party are lazy and incompetent, as yet again they cannot be bothered to research the information that they fain outrage from.
I hope that some Wossers are able to post this article on to the Facebook and twitter accounts of Davidson, Neil, Massie, Nelson, and May, etc.
Congratulations to SNP MSP Clare Haughey, my own MSP, who has worked in the NHS for many years, and who actually knows what she is talking about, for spotting this myth.
Perhaps if Fat Boab Davidson could climb down off of her Tank and Water Buffalo, she could consider visiting a hospital and congratulating the staff of NHS Scotland for out-performing Tory NHS England and Labour NHS Wales, in spite of the cuts imposed by her Tory Westminster colleagues.
Will STV conduct a poll to see what the electorate think of Davidson and the real story behind her latest deceit?
Well Done to the Rev too, as ever!
Tankette complaining about the state of the wrong NHS, the one her own party is shafting, she knows exactly what she’s doing; the old headline grabbing schtick.
e-mail from Alyn Smith:
This has been a busy week and whilst no further clarity has emerged from the UK government a lot has happened in Edinburgh and on the Continent.
On Wednesday Nicola Sturgeon appeared before the Scottish Parliament European and External Relations Committee outlining her fears about the potential damage caused by Brexit. You can read more here:
link to parliament.scot
At the same time Jean Claude Juncker delivered his state of the union address to MEPs in Strasbourg which you can read here:
europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-16-3043_en.htm
Since nobody yet knows what Brexit is, he had little to say on the matter but it did come up in the debate that followed. Notably there was a particularly ugly moment when Nigel Farage was followed by Marine Le Pen who emphasised: “the British prove its possible to leave the EU and do better”. We live in dangerous times.
I again raised the issue of Scotland’s role in the negotiations and condemned the deeply dishonest leave campaign; my intervention can be watched here:
link to youtube.com
And finally today the EU27 met in Bratislava to discuss their future. There will surely be many more such meetings and the UK is simply not in the room. Ahead of this meeting Donald Tusk wrote to the 27 leaders attending.
link to consilium.europa.eu
The rest of this weeks stories follow, apologies for the length this week, but it’s been busy!
Yours Aye,
Alyn.
Last effort to resuscitate TTIP. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the U.K. and Sweden have written a joint letter in support of TTIP and CETA. Obviously, the Conservative UK Government continues to support TTIP but with less than half the member states signing this is a sure sign that TTIP is struggling. Neither France nor Germany are among the letter’s signatories.
link to ec.europa.eu..pdf
The Commission formally created the taskforce for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom. In addition to appointing a former French Commissioner for financial services as its head, Sabine Weyand has been appointed his deputy who is one of Germany’s most experienced EU experts:
europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-3016_en.htm
Mike Russell outlined his plans after being appointed as the Scottish Government’s Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe:
link to heraldscotland.com
And then on Thursday he went to London to meet David Davis for the first time:
link to stv.tv
The Scottish Parliament European and External Relations Committee produced an initial report on the EU referendum result and its implications for Scotland. It is well worth a read:
link to parliament.scot
The Taoiseach warned that unless there is free movement of people the UK will not have full access to the EU single market:
uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-ireland-idUKKCN11I0RI
And this warning was repeated from the European Parliament’s chief negotiator: twitter.com/GuyVerhofstadt/status/775633697336942592
David Davis confirmed once again the utter lack of a plan by conceding there was a possibility that the UK could leave without a trade deal in place:
link to theguardian.com
This could be hugely damaging to the Scottish economy, particularly to agriculture. I wrote to David Davis asking for clarity on behalf of Scotland’s sheep farmers and you can see my comments alongside those of the National Sheep Association here:
link to alynsmith.eu
Visa charges are a possibility and earlier in the week the UK Government admitted that we could all end up paying to visit the continent:
link to euronews.com
In worrying news for Scottish Universities the Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that she planned on putting further restrictions on international students.
link to politicshome.com
Finally, the European Trade Union Congress has pledged to fight tooth and nail against any erosion of social rights currently guaranteed by the EU in the UK and Europe.
link to euractiv.com
Alyn Smith 1 Summerhall, TechCube, Edinburgh EH9 1PL, Scotland
This email was sent to forbes.johnstone@ntlworld.com. To stop receiving emails, click here.
You can also keep up with Alyn Smith on Twitter or Facebook.
I hope we can all look forward to Ruthie getting her considerable erse on a plate next week. The SG needs to press home their attack on this issue.
O/T but gratifying: Ed Stourton was interviewing a Hungarian politician (didn’t catch the name) who had impeccable English on Pravdasound4 at lunchtime. The usual EU bad stuff we have come to expect from the BBC. He told the gentleman that there were calls for Hungary to be expelled from the EU because it had closed its borders to migrants. The Hungarian reminded Ed that there was no mechanism to expel a member of the EU.
Ed tried the “What is the future now of the 27-member EU (subtext: how will you cope without us)?”
Nice Hungarian said he was an optimist and, you never know, Scotland might be a member in future.
“You never know,” agreed Ed lamely as he suddenly came to the end of the interview.
I had the mental picture of the producer face-palming, which is nice.
Valerie @ 12.46
If the lunatics were running the asylum they would make a better job of it than BoJo and Co.
Brian Quail does it again! 😀
link to pressandjournal.co.uk
Sorry the link isn’t archived was afraid the video would be missing … it usually is when I link to videos in paper articles. 😛
Pockets in meltdown?
Is that what happens when a liar liar’s pants are on fire?
I was at my brothers wedding in london at the weekend with my other brother from Scotland in attendance.We had a pleasant time but i was surrounded by the kilted proud scots buts my cousin being the exception.I will ware a kilt the day Scotland is a free and independent country.Anyway my point is more about the difficulties that lie ahead in trying to change the minds of people like my brother in Scotland and his wife.
I avoided discussion about politics but my brothers son had met Alex Salmond and spent an afternoon with him on a farm he works on and was more than a bit impressed, he thought he was sound.Well i thought we may have turned a corner and said you cannot believe a word the press or BBC say he has Scotlands best interests at heart and Sotland comes first.You could have knocked me over with a feather when he replied “a but that mad bitch his sidekick she’s done nothing for Scotland”his wife oarroted the mad bitch bit.
This is what we are up against.Low information voters who cannot and will not be engaged with reasonable discussion or facts.I was rather pissed of about their comments but i have to draw a line otherwise it would damage relationships with family.I daresay theirs many of us in a similiar situation.
@ Bill McDermott says at 4:33 pm …. ”How’s about we all write to Ruth the Mooth on her contact e-mail, copy to Donald Cameron and the Presiding Officer, attaching the WOS piece, indicating that we are on to them in a big way.”
Good idea Bill. They may forget, but I don’t, that WE are paying their wages. They are employed to serve US, Scots, not themselves. More than anything we’re not willing to sit back and see the Better Together Unionists at Holyrood continue to promulgate, support and cover up lies. Davidson, the liar, better cut it out and MacIntosh, the enabler, had better clean up his act. ASAP. He should also consider that he’s actually allowing the NHS in Scotland, extremely hardworking doctors, nurses etc, to be totally maligned. Folks that may think twice about voting for Labour or Tory in future.
……………………………………………….
manandboy says at 4:24 pm …. ”Do take the time to watch Joanne Cherry QC MP SNP on BBC QT on the Leave campaign handing the voters a pup in the EU Referendum. link to facebook.com
What a credit she is to Scotland and I for one can’t thank her enough for choosing a political career over her highly successful legal career. Having Scots like her on programmes like Dumblebums totally dispels the ‘too stupid’ myth and I bet some in the audience (and those viewing online) were wishing they had someone of Cherry’s calibre leading their Government at Westminster.
OT Poland has a right wing government. Things are never simple!
“The Polish dilemma over free movement in post-Brexit Europe”
link to france24.com
You’d have to be stupid, poorly educated, or small minded, to EVER BELIEVE THE TORIES, unless your just a wander.
This is about football – it is also off-topic
Don’t expect the mainstream media to announce this any time soon, but, SCOTLAND’S WOMEN’S TEAM HAS QUALIFIED FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS.
Where will our over-paid, under-achieving men go now?
In future, let’s hope that Nicola never misses the opportunity, whenever Ruthie mentions ‘The NHS’, to ask; ‘and which one would that be, then?’
So, let me get this right, Bojo, wants to use the Royal Yacht Britannia (which is currently berthed in Leith) to sail around the world making trade deals? Seriously they should do it. Set him off to sea, hopefully never to return.
What an utter joke the Uk Government has become.
As for Ruth Davidson, she is merely a classic case of somebody promoted beyond their abilities.
Aye the Yoons have certainly circles there wagons and they don’t want any real facts of information to get in – must agree about Yoons quoting jibberish – I meet many and there is nothing that’s goin to get through. Facts don’t even corcern them. The only way independene as an option is going to get through to them is when it starts to hurt there pocket. The down side being before an economic crisis hits them it’s going to destroy a lot of Scottish families first.
It’s the am alright Jack, don’t care about anyone else created by thatcher and fueled by Blair that is going to be hardest to break.
Prime example is Alex salmond being a lier over his eu comments but it’s ok for Davidson to lie.
Double standards.
It’s depressing
@ Arbroath1320 says at 5:07 pm …. ”Brian Quail does it again!
link to pressandjournal.co.uk
If this wasn’t so serious it would be laughable. A whole fleet of military trucks carrying nuclear warheads brought to a standstill in Stirling by a 78 year old and 21 year old. After watching that video I’d say that we’ve got ‘nae chance’ if a couple of terrorists (and more) decide to do likewise. And, eh, if it ever happens (God forbid) that’ll be Nicola’s fault too.
………………………………….
@ Effijy says at 4:51 pm ….”Congratulations to SNP MSP Clare Haughey, my own MSP, who has worked in the NHS for many years, and who actually knows what she is talking about, for spotting this myth. Perhaps if Fat Boab Davidson could climb down off of her Tank and Water Buffalo, she could consider visiting a hospital and congratulating the staff of NHS Scotland for out-performing Tory NHS England and Labour NHS Wales, in spite of the cuts imposed by her Tory Westminster colleagues.” …
Spot on Effijy. I hope she’s (or one of her lackeys) reading this.
Lib/Dem leader Tim Farron on shortbread radio moaning that Nicola Sturgeon driving a Brexit wedge between Scottish people and English people.
Breaking up the British family. Obsessed with Indi-2
Twice asked if Scotland should be able to negotiate a separate EU deal but waffled both times and eventually muttered something about willing to work with the SNP minority government to get the best deal.
Over to you Willy boy! Oh wait he’s still in the huff. 🙁
Re : comments on tankgirl/buffalogirl…
I rather think that Ruthie (& the English tories) have their sights set on a safe English shire seat for her with the upcoming boundary changes.
Ruthie as an MSP and an MP (presumably also Scottish Secretary) is a dream come true for the tories & tankgirl.
The fact she’s mentioned so often on Guido’s site shows that she’s headed up the greasy pole before a lot of other Tory women.
O/T apologies .
Nana thanks for posting the link , I get your comments about the National being the only print media who supports indi , it was maybe frustration about this week’s usual kicking we have been getting and have been for months now , this link to the Herald still lurks in the background , anyway i suppose i was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm a bit more i am on the job attitude from the editor of the National .
I Urge everyone to check out the Indi podcasts on UTube some very interesting guests and opinions and very informative .
Again thanks for the link posted Nana.
Ian @ 5:17
Cuts both ways Ian. Your family seem happy putting unionism above the risk hurting your feelings. Quid pro quo bro.
If it was me, I’d make my point and hopefully agree to respect our differences. Who is to say there isn’t a pro Indy cousin in there waiting for someone else to take the first step?
Independence is a logical, rational, and balanced solution to a wholly unfair and unsustainable situation within the Union. It’s not as if you are asking them to drink poison or join the Moonies. You don’t need to confront them head on standing on a soap box. Start out slowly with wearing a discreet YES badge or something, and take it canny as you see what develops.
You’re 100% correct though, a wedding isn’t the place to be doing it, just in case it does kick off a ruck and young Miss Mrs decides she’ll never forgive you.
Independence 2018, coming to a country near you.
‘Scotland’s A&E the best in world – Sturgeon hits back on health record – January 29th, 2016 .’
‘NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday cited comments from a leading medical college saying the UK “has the best performing accident and emergency services in the world” and that Scotland “has the best performing A&E services in the United Kingdom” as she brushed off an attack from Kezia Dugdale on the state of the NHS north of the Border.’
http://www.thenational.scot/news/scotlands-ae-the-best-in-world—sturgeon-hits-back-on-health-record.13026
‘Mortality rates for heart attacks and strokes are down.’
‘It’s official – the SNP Government is good for your health, or at least for those who might be prone to heart attacks and strokes.
According to new independent health statistics published yesterday, death rates from heart disease and strokes have both fallen by a third since 2007 when the SNP first took the reigns of government.
Since then, mortality rates for coronary heart disease have dropped by 36 per cent and death rates from strokes have fallen 33 per cent over the same period.
Incidence rates for coronary heart disease have also fallen by 25 per cent since 2006-07 while incidence of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), of which stroke is one of the most common types, has fallen by 13 per cent over the same period.’
link to thenational.scot
Just sent an email to Clare Haughy as I live in her area. I let her know how disgusted I am with Ruth Davidson and feel the Presiding Officer was wrong to have this stand on record.
That’s the jist so Wingers get emailing…pen is mightier than the sword!
@Tinto Chiel at 4.58 pm
Thanks for posting that.
The Hungarian politician gave as good as he got from Ed Stourton.
What he was inferring was that the 27 member states in the EU may be back upto 28 i.e UK leaves and Scotland joins. Yippee.?
@ One_Scot says at 5:54 pm …. ”Independence 2018, coming to a country near you.”
If what Alex says is correct it looks as though astrology (and the heavens) holds the answers.
Predictions. One up. Two to go:
1. The Brexiters would win (when most others thought not).
2. Scotland would hold second Referendum in 2018 (when many thought it would never happen at all or would be post-2020) .
3. Scotland would be Independent by late 2018 / before January 2019 (when many especially those south of the border will be in for a shock).
Probably hype but 5G and wifi across the EU promised by Brussels. Another yew kay pile of shite via England’s finest xenophobes and racists
link to archive.is
94% of English NHS Trusts are failing to meet their targets for operations and A&E waiting times.
80% of English NHS trusts are in deficit.
NHS England have been ordered to make £20 billion in savings despite these disastrous figures.
Hospitals are closing units. In the NE of England, obese patients and smokers are being denied operations because there’s no money.
English schools have seen their budgets cut by 20%, The English Police Force have had their budgets slashed by 20%.
English LA’s have had their WM funding cut by 40%. The Blue Tories are slashing and burning, reducing civic England to Victorian levels of poverty and decay.
The So Called Scottish Conservatives, and the So Called Scottish Labour, and the So Called Scottish Lib Dems want their cake and eat it.
They are Unionists, part of UK Parties, in Branch Office outposts Up Here.
They are as responsible and accountable for their WM Parties’ policies and cuts programmes as their Head Offices Down South.
Ruth, Kezia, and Willie, would prefer that we forgot that.
Hence the lies and exaggerations at FMQ, particularly, when Agency Nurses, 75000 calls not answered by Police Scotland, or the fucking attainment gap that particularly Ruth Davidson makes a mockery of, are hurled at the FM, despite the shameless record of Ruth’s, Kezia’s, and Willie’s Parties over the past decade UK wide.
Of course Brian Taylor and his hack commentariat know all of this.
Yet in summarising FMQ, Davidson is described as having ‘scored points’. Utter nonsense of course. But don’t wait for a BBC presenter pointing out the blatant lies of the third rate Unionists peddling this tosh.
It is clearly their job to make a silk purse out of a coo’s arsehole.
The Red Blue and Yellow Tories are killing their fellow citizens by a deliberate policy of starving the poor, rewarding the rich.
Shame on the lot of you.
I truly despair, Stu.
I am sure there are a number of uninformed/dim people out there who are still unaware that the Scottish NHS is an independent service. However, I think the number of them must surely be diminishing at a steady rate. And I think that the Yoon insistence on hanging out their dirty washing in public, to show their absolute mastery of the public apace, is having the unintended consequence of increasing awareness that equivalent services managed by the SNP in Scotland are actually better than those in rUK.
I hope that in the coming week NS will gently, patiently and firmly invite the front for the nasty party to provide evidence to back up her nasty criticism of the Scottish NHS or to apologise unreservedly.
I am beginning to think that Ms Davidson has qualities that once seemed unique to one Jim Murphy.
Davidson is the most disgusting and dishonest politician in Scotland in my view.
No wonder the BBC are so proud of her.
Anybody able to make out a list of “dubious” statements akin to Ruth Davidson.
Seems to me that, at the present time, such a list would be basis for a good flier. Could be inserted in Mail/Express/Telegraph.
The “independence supporting” The National and The Sunday Herald should have Davidson’s lie as headline news.
While the Rev. Stuart Campbell points out these lies day in and day out for free, The National and The Sunday Herald milk gullible independence supporters by pretending to support independence.
Buy The National and The Sunday Herald only if you want to keep The Herald alive.
Just listened to Lib Dem leader Tim Farron being interviewed on RS and allowed to deride the SNP with lies and false accusations completely unchallenged. It was basically an uninterrupted patronising Farron running down the Scottish government, Scotland and independence which was clearly a blatant propaganda piece for Unionism.
This sort of thing is becoming intolerable, time for another Pacific Quay demo.
Take a bow Proud Cybernat! Your enhanced photo of Ruth at FMQ,s has gone down a storm on Twitter.
Just listened to Lib Dem leader Tim Farron being interviewed on RS and allowed to deride the SNP with lies and false accusations completely unchallenged.
Hardly anyone listens to BBC Radio Scotland. Its always been the core bunker of yoon central in Pacific Quay, like a testing lab for just how far British tory propaganda can actually be pushed before it implodes, reaching too toxic levels for their hideous tv broadcasts. Radio Scotland listeners that they do hold on to, by never ever changing anything ever, are as YES and NO as the rest of the population, over 60.
So chillax, its Friday 😀
The EBC trained her well and she took to the lies and deciet like a duck takes tae watter. Gave her the morals of a slug.
what about a #ruthieslie or something with everyone posting to it might make the trends then everyone on twitter will see it
Ruth Davidson, ex BBC. That tells us everything we need to know about her somewhat difficult relationship with the truth.
@TheItalianJob 6.06.
Yes, I rather enjoyed that interview. I think the FM’s out-of-the-traps EU charm offensive is bearing fruit in Europe. Other countries there are a bit more aware now of why we needed to REGAIN independence (with Grouse Beater on that one) in 2014. Verhoven is a valuable ally and Juncker would love to stick it to the Europhobes in England.
And while we’re at it, the term Wars of Independence is another pile of Carmichael to ignore the fact that Scotland had never been conquered in its history and simply resisted the predations of Edwards I&II. This term implies Scotland only achieved independence in the 14th century. Utter bollocks. And don’t get me started on what happened to confiscated Scottish records in the tender care of the English Kings. There’s a PhD in that, but not if you want tenure in a Scottish University.
For Yoons, every little helps.
Verhofstadt, apologies.
@ian 5:17pm
Yes Ian when it comes to family it is always going to be difficult to find the tactic and argument that will work.
We all know that the older demographic are predominantly No voters, that’s your mum or dad, your grandmother or grandfather.
The under 40’s are in the bag if you like, the vote we need has to come mostly from the over 40’s. Every vote won from this group is one less for the No’s and counts for double.
In my family I only have one to convince and that’s my 72 year old mother in law. She’s sypathetic for sure and even voted SNP in the 2015 GE. She just can’t bring herself to vote for Independence.
Well, that’s now my main job for the next Independence campaign and that is to turn her into a Yes voter. I’ll use all the weapons at my disposal and that includes her daughter and her grandchildren.
I wasn’t “tough enough” last time as no one wants to fall out particularly with an elderly family member. Times have changed and I have no choice other than to be brutal. She has to realise that the future is for her grandchildren and not for her.
Guilt will overcome fear, I’ll provide the guilt. We won’t fall out.
“Revealed: the team tasked by Nicola Sturgeon to explore economic policy options for independence Scotland”
Doh! Obviously. The entire world outside London seems to appreciate that Indy is a very real possibility. Of course assembled experts should be consulted on what the options are.
link to archive.is
Big UKIP thing on C4 teatime news, purge, purge, where’s the centre of UK now, absolutely no mention whatsoever SNP. Its almost as if Scotland region was like Ireland now, it doesn’t exist to England/UK.
Same here with Ashdown’s lament.
link to archive.is
Might work, black out SNP from UK political discourse in England, monster Scotland and the SNP every minute in Scotland and all coordinated by BBC Scotland. Maybe our chums in the south think we will just forget 2014.
John @4.24pm. Just watched Clare Haughey on the video from yest FMQ’s. Thankyou!
Very interesting when you watch Ken Mc Intosh’s eyebrows (seemingly?) meet the gaze of Ruth Davidson at 1.14 – 1.20. Her expression’s priceless – like a kid whose big brother has caught her with her hand in the biscuit tin. “Gonnae no tell ma maw!” Neither of them would be good poker players!
Well done Clare. Now we need to correct ‘the Scotsman’.
Also shocked to see how easily the nuclear convoy was stopped today outside Stirling! Yards away from 3 primary schools – to say nothing of my house! What chance against armed terrorists?
Will it be reported on the EBC tonight? Ha ha…
E-mails gone off to Bruce Crawford and Stephen Paterson about it tho.
“Fat Boab Davidson”
How likely is that to change an undecided or a NO voter to a YES?
Just back a short while ago, missed the live streamed press conference with Juncker and Tusk. However it will be up later on demand and if you are interested there are plenty videos of todays events, just click on the press button.
link to video.consilium.europa.eu
Hammond-said-to-be-ready-to-ditch-single-market-access-on-brexit
link to archive.is
Video up now and where it says original on the right hand bottom of the video screen click for change of language
Ian: families are a minefield when it comes to Indy. We all have to calculate what is worth losing or when there can ever be any chance of movement.
Mrs TC and I had a mega-fall out just before the 2014 with close relatives. Out for lunch, my Yes badge was spotted and hostilities began immediately. They had been down to the Proms but had taken exception to two Scots with a couple of wee saltires in a sea of Butcher’s Aprons. These wee flags were then deemed to be “aggressive and inappropriate” by one of my zoomer relations.
Seriously.
Of course, they were London Times/Sunday Times readers who probably also read The Daily Mail/Scottish Express.
On the plus side, we no longer have anything to do with them.
And they call US brainwashed.
Just watched Clare Haughey on the wings twitter site.
Ya tube FMQs does not show her in action, empire controlling “the tube” also?
A wee sortie into the Tory south shires after Glesca Green, will spread the message.
@Nana
Thanks for the link (as always).
Yes, single market is a bit of a red herrng for the UK with what it wants to do. But it is opporutnity for iScotland, that’s for sure. I daresay there are private talks going on …
Was the trail Brownish in colour Dear Leader ?
Ruddy cheek of the woman !
@Tinto Chiel
and anyone interested in what happened to the records and registers of Scotland`s ancient history that was pillaged by Edward 1,
link to tinyurl.com
@yesindyref2
@Nana
Hammond and no single market ….
I’m seeing more and more references to ESM being incomparable with Brexit objectives.
If this becomes accepted WM policy then there is no place for Scotland in any deal between EU & UK.
And one last, bung-ho! (as in ” until we meet again, au revoir”).
Finally had time for a couple of minutes google and read, and it’s a shame Average doesn’t do his due diligence before writing articles trying to discredit the likes of Andrew Hughes Hallett, as he has unfortunate followers who make fools of themselves quoting him, about the likes of ESA, without checking out the likes of ESA 2010 which requires substantial changes to national accounting.
link to webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk
plus google “Impacts of European System of Accounts 2010 and other changes on economic statistics” and “Contents of Blue Book and Pink Book 2014” (both pdfs) and others on the subject.
I genuinely feel sorry for his malinformed followers, but it’s as easy as water off a duck’s back when the time is right. The guy just finds something that supports his claims, and then goes for it, without doing any background checks. Ooops.
@galamcennalath
Yes. I think the rUK will do fine, but we have different needs in Scotland, the trick will be to highlight them for Indy Ref 2.
RS tonight I waited with bated breath for Eleanor Bradford to come on and tell us how bad NHS Scotland had become under SNP and then I realised that Ruthie Tank had told a pack of lies so no mention of it.
Someone said we should email the tank but that is a waste as she will no answer I am still waiting for a reply from her about Burnett being invested by police and still no action taken by the Tank.
@ Rock at 6:31pm …….. ‘The National and the Sunday Herald’.
Still trying to discourage people from buying The National and the Sunday Herald, Rock? And then what? They revert back to buying the Daily Record and Sunday Express? Strange too that we don’t ever hear you complaining about any of them on here. You know the newspapers that don’t offer a platform to some of the most celebrated and influential Yes supporters. Stranger still that you advocate shutting these newspapers down alongside the Editors of some of the most biased newspapers in the country. Are you getting paid commission?
@ Scot Finlayson 8.31.
Yes, about half of all our surviving historical documents gone while being returned after the Cromwellian period. One of the great tragedies of our historiography, but not so much if you believe the historical place-men and women in our universities.
For those who think, “So what?” you need to remember that if a nation’s history is destroyed, so is its past and identity.
Edward I always knew the power of destroying the Scottish past. Our Great Seal was just a turd to be got rid of.
These are not academic or obscure points. They go to the core of persistent attempts to elide us as a nation.
@Rock
You are boring beyond belief with this campaign against the National. You’ve made your point myriad times. It’s still boring.
On the Royal Yacht thing, they know it’s a tourist attraction in Leith, never fear. But, it’s another thing sitting in Jockestan, that they don’t need. It’s a toy they could be ruining, and make the country even more of a laughing stock.
Personally, I hope they do come and rip it from its moorings. Boris and Co can float around, partying with various play boys and Princes.
My hope is they are, at some point, boarded and kidnapped by pirates.
Who the fuck is “Tim Farron”, and who cares, I heard him flapping his gums on the radio, and it was just the usual outdated unionist pishe.
Rock
Herald and National hoovering up lost sales by telling folk things they already know.
Folks going to the #indyref anniversary rally in Glasgow on Sunday: ayeMail has got some AMAZING show deals for you! To avoid a stampede on the day you can pre-book your Wings show packs here:
link to ayemail.scot
Then just come and see us on the Wings stall to collect your pack. We’re there from 2pm until 8pm (or when it gets dark and everyone has gone home!)
Strictly limited edition, first come first serve!
Valerie says:
“Boris and Co can float around …. boarded and kidnapped by pirates.”
We’d need to bribe the pirates to hang on to him!
The EU would likely chip in a few bob towards it! 🙂
Shoot. That was concise and even I could understand it! Thank you Rev Stu.
Valerie
Rock is not boring me with his references to the National.
It is not a paper that defends or promotes the cause of independence to any great degree but rather produces “indy light“ stories ensuring they get the Yes voter business. Meanwhile its sister papers daily use the baseball bat on the SNP and screams Unionist propaganda at ever turn.
However i do uphold your right to buy it should you wish to do so.
@Tinto Chiel
we have had hundreds of years of Unionist placemen/woman at the top of our education our arts our museums our galleries and especially our media,
propagandising and distorting for their Great Brutish Empire,
Nicola must start putting men and woman who have the best interest of Scotland (whether Scots or immigrants) into these posts and weeding out the lickspittles,
far to many Tories and Blairites infesting the hierarchy of our cultural offices.
European Council President, Donald Tusk, in Bratislava, says Article 50 to be activated possibly end of January 2017.
Re the BBC. it seems pretty certain to me that they have abandoned any pretence of balance and are full throttle anti SNP.
I reckon they see no reason they can’t get away with it before an Indy ref is called. Try and discredit through misinformation and selective reporting as much as possible before the eyes of the world are on them again.
It may be worth contacting Ninewells, Raigmore and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a response- after all Ruth Davidson is describing those hospitals as facing “pockets of meltdown” this winter without any evidence whatsoever.
Along with Nicolas Sturgeon and the Parliament Ruth Davidson should apologise to the staff at said hospitals for trading their competence and readiness to face the coming winter months.
It will give me something to do while my Ipso complaint on the Express is being rejected.
As for the HMS Boris I think he would find making the yacht seaworthy would take a major refit. It’s ours on indy anyway… I hope they tow it to Beaufort’s Dyke and scuttle it amidst all the rest of the toxic crud.
NicolA- damp predictive text- don’t you know me by now?
Rock is right.
SH and National recovering lost sales by telling gullible folk stuff they already know. Stuff that won’t affect their precious Union.
*destroys phone and becomes a recluse*
Most people are sick of Tories. Tories make people sick. The sight of them makes people sick. Most of them should be in jail. They are not fit for public office.
May 2017 SNP/SNP Get rid of the background noise.
@manandboy
Tusk on Brexit
link to archive.is
Scotland deserves better we are not represented by the bbc. We need our own impartial broadcaster. The empire broadcaster has no place in 21 century Scotland. It’s time the people of Scotland said no to the bbc crap and moved on. We are the only country in Europe without a national broadcaster. England needs to move on. We do not need an imperial master stealing our national treasure. How are they going to feel,when they realize that they have been subsidised for hundreds of years. The guilt will get to them.
@McDuff
If The National ran stories every day “We demand Independence”, “We demand Independence”, “Westminster stinks”, then I doubt it would appeal much to the undecided, the soft NOes – or the soft YESsers.
So it has some pro-Indy stories: “Nicola Sturgeon in stark warning to Theresa May: You have no mandate to take Scotland out of the single market” and “Support for independence still on the rise”,
some generally supportive and informative articles: “Indy supporters from islands and countryside gather at Yes rally” and “Independence? Now there’s an app for that”,
some stories that push devolution to the limit, or put the baulk on those who say we’ve already got a mighty and powerful devolved parliament, the mostest in the world: “Patrick Harvie: We must push devolution to the limit to win independence” and “Lesley Riddoch: What mighty Scotland can learn from the tiny Faroes”,
some stories that go to the background of improving the chances of winning Indy Ref 2: “Tories bid to quash Scottish Six – but BBC pilots will go ahead” and “John Nicolson: Lead stories on English health and education are just not relevant here”
and other articles about the ScotGov doing its job.
All of these and more, linked to on its main website page.
So The National doesn’t support Independence? Bollocks it doesn’t.
I don’t often do this but I’m going to say it out straight and in your face:
Anyone who tries to convince us The National doesn’t support Independence is a FLAG TROLL – posting under false colours.
The Tory Unionists never seem to consider the NHS workers. Their friends, family and supporters are practically the whole electorate who support the NHS. They are always on the net. They are hardworking and compassionate. Unlike the Tories liars. The junior doctors in England are due to go on strike soon.
@ yesindyref2
I buy the National, most days. It ain’t perfect, but it’s all we’ve got, if it collapsed; the Unionists would have a field day. So keep buying, and keep our print ally alive.
Can we redo the poll that said Ruthie was doing a better job the Nicola?
tartanarse at 9.39 rock at 6.31
Absolute bloody rubbish from both of you. It’s boring, it’s repetitive and it’s infantile and stupid.
Which particular contribution in today’s edition did you resent?
Thankfully the National has given each of our four candidates for Deputy Leader big coverage every day. Nicola Sturgeon had a great page earlier in the week. Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp had his immaculate and compelling piece in today’s paper. I deeply resent the insult to my intelligence of your whining rubbish.
Farron. Lib dem. Lying to his back teeth about Scotland on radio shortbread 6 o clock news. All his keach allowed. Nothing challenged. Disgrace.
Davidson is`nt just a liar. She is a stupid, incompetent liar who easily gets found out. A loathsome woman.
Weather’s looking good for Freedom Square tomorrow morn..
Final plug ~ 92 of 100:
link to indiegogo.com
Cheers tya PC.
NHS is a football for the EBC and all the yoon parties to use and abuse for the yoon political agenda. The staff are just cannon fodder for the unionist cause. They are played like an old fiddle and just like the Scottish OAP’s they try and follow the rich Lordy types through blind fear as we were taught in the 1940/50s schooling we were subjected to. Know your place peasant and don’t forget it.
@jimnarlene
The National is also helping to make the Herald more virtuous. Quite a few times a story is carried by The National, and then by the Herald. It’s possibly even having an effect on the Scotsman.
@Rock and his childish obsession with decrying the National is to be pitied. I don’t think he is troll but certainly is no help to the independence cause by calling the 18,000 buyers “gullible’ , which is insulting, but off course the childish don’t really understand what they are doing.
However he has obviously never read it or he would have noticed that every major Yes political figure from Alex to Nicola and most of the prominent Yes columnists have been given free rein in its pages.
As has been stated elsewhere it is not perfect but it is a damn sight better than the alternatives and it is a voice on most of the newsstands that we never had before.
Long may it continue.
Yesindyref2
Fuck off. I’ve been pro independence since 1994. I’ve had a computer Since 2003 and have been posting pro independence stuff since then, before it was fashionable.
You may disagree with my views on the Unionist owned “Scottish” papers but you can absolutely piss off with your false flag bollocks.
Piss off you Herald financing fuckwits. It’s folk like yourselves that’ll damage Indy.
Votes for SNP were up before the SH and National started nicking your money.
I cannot believe some folk are still complaining about the National, What are they expecting: An SNP Newsletter?
One simple Pro-Indy front page standing out in the Newspaper shelves, among all the usual yoon drivel, is worth its weight in gold. Believe me, people may not buy newspapers, but they see headlines and front pages every time they pass by. A pro-Indy headline gladdens the heart, and the National has printed quite a few during the past two years.
My only gripe with the National is that it could be wee bit bigger and cover more day to day stuff. However, on the political front it provides as fair a wind as we are ever likely to get from a daily newspaper. Regular articles from the Wee Ginger Dog, Macintyre-Kemp, Tahmina and others giive it a strong Indy voice and the articles are well written and entertaining.
It covered the attempted suspension of Wings sympathetically too and it’s letters pages give fair voice to indy supporters.
I can understand the gripe that it puts money into news providers that have Unionist papers too but that is the nature of the newspaper business. In this it is a symbiotic relationship. They sell to us we get a mouthpiece.
Of course it could get pulled or change its stance but at the moment it serves us well and has been around long enough now to get included regularly on the news round ups.
In short I would sooner it was there than not and the Yoons dislike it as much as we dislike the Express.
Don’t bother wasting your time writing to Ruthie.
Every voting region in Scotland has tory list MSPs, you are their constituents. Demand answers from them instead.
Can the pirates be especially cruel types please Valerie, preferably having been deprived of job seekers allowance and the company of females, and been forced into it.
The Old school tie ones would probably pay for a bit of rough treatment really, if push came to shove 😉
Win win.
Fluffy could be the plank !
@tartanarse
Wow are you wanting a medal?
@Tartanarse
Look at the time of your posting, and mine, and the number of cut and pasts from a lot of different pages in The National, all italicised. It don’t take just a couple of minutes to put that together.
Oh, and read your OWN POSTING and see if my comment “Anyone who tries to convince us The National doesn’t support Independence is a FLAG TROLL – posting under false colours.” is actually relevant to your comment.
Well, IS IT, PUNK?
As a mental health nurse I see the damage the Tory government do to poor souls, Ruth of course never will, taking acutely mentally I’ll folk to food banks is OK as long as Ruth gets her union jack to fly, why she seems popular is beyond mr
The BBC did seem to go out of their way yesterday to emphasise that it was England’s NHS they were talking about. Thing is they also told us how an unscrupulous local council could cause a strain in the local hospital. Not sure it can be done these days but if the local social work are persuaded to swing the lead they can cause a log jam in patients stuck inside until a care package can be put in place, coincidentally saving their budget.
All of which begs the question as to whether Davison’s prediction is based on inside knowledge.
‘We should take pride in the fact that despite our financial circumstances we are able to do the most civilised thing in the world , put the welfare of the sick in front of every other consideration’
Aneurin Bevan 1948
It’s good to know your history of the health service isn’t it because then one doesn’t forget the very important reasons for the creation of the NHS and the admirable leadership qualities that facilitated the process. At that time other major areas of revised legislation separate to health were concerned with improving housing conditions, education, family allowance, national insurance, employment laws, pension provision but the jewel was the creation of the NHS.
Activists, politicians and philanthropic societies were all doing their part to eradicate poverty and destitution, breaking up the Poor Law with the supersession of the Destitution Authority- that’s what an engaged enlightened society demanded of their government.
Someone seems confused in our Scottish Parliament about our Scottish NHS and its independence from NHS England. Acknowledging that the Scottish NHS is under the same pressure as many health systems globally is OK. Tackling premature multimorbidity, physical and psychological consequences of health inequalities (many of the causes exist outside of the health service), an aging multimorbid population with complex health and social care needs deserves careful consideration and debate.
But we should remain very thankful that Scotland has a nationalised health service- as it was intended at its outset. That has been a political choice and speaks of wise political leadership. Universal health provision is a great leveller and makes us a compassionate society.
Sadly NHS England is being dismantled – a 30 year project (with Conservative, Labour and Coalition cheerleaders) that has been disguised as various system ‘improvements’ and culminated in the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 which has fragmented NHS England and makes it vulnerable to continued privatisation and failing standards of care.
It’s not clear that the electorate in England have been made fully aware of this political process. But this political organisation is;
link to nhap.org
‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) – the biggest threat to the NHS since the Coalition’s Health & Social Care Act (2012)
The STP programme was launched in December 2015.
It splits England into 44 areas called ‘Footprints’ which will be the basis for how the NHS will be run in future. They are taking the ‘N’ out of the NHS.
This is designed to drive forward the 5 Year Forward View. It takes as its central point that there will never be funding for the NHS at any point in the future sufficient to fund it to current levels of service. On this basis the NHS will be reduced. Jeremy Hunt has said it will be on a ’10 year diet’.
This dismantling emphasises ‘out of hospital care’ using technology to replace face-to-face contact and moving people out of hospitals into community care. But funding for social care and public health have both been savagely cut.
Among other things the STPs rely on reducing the number of A&Es, selling ‘surplus’ land and assets to fund the STPs themselves and changing the skills mix of NHS staff. This means that people will no longer see doctors as a matter of course. The new system is based around patients using vouchers and personal health budgets, a form of ‘self-pay’.
In 2013 we had 140 full A&E hospitals in England. When the STPs are complete there will only be between 40 and 70 left.
According to the STPs, to make the NHS affordable and sustainable we, the public, must get used to longer ambulance journeys for emergency care, longer waiting times for treatment and the possibility of paying extra to be seen by a doctor. And we must learn to look after ourselves.
This was planned in 2013, but shelved until after the 2015 election as being ‘politically sensitive’. In other words, the Tories knew they would have lost the election. THE PLANS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACE BY JUNE 30th 2016 but were delayed as so few of the ‘footprints’ could achieve it’
The NO campaign in 2014 were enraged about the emergence of the pro-independence NHS YES organisation that used the divergence of political and philosophical approaches to NHS England and NHS Scotland as a really useful lens to examine the arguments for independence. These arguments are even more relevant now as the entire state apparatus of health and social care is being dismantled.
Scotland requires absolute autonomy to make its own economic choices to grow its economy and protect state systems that we will all require at some point in our lives. If we do not, we will continue to walk in WM footprints as UKOK wades through cement, becoming eternally stuck in a fossilised political system.
The National IS a rag owned by an anti-Scotland organisation that independence-minded Scots ARE funding. That’s a fact you can take to the bank. Are they clever enough to play the long game I suspect their owners are bought in to, that will see them attempt to mould us into playing a similarly long game (what, 300 years and counting isn’t long enough? You say), only time will tell. Their getting fuck all from me though.
I love WOS. Don’t think I’ve missed an article since I discovered it. Comments are the same folk saying the same stuff. God knows what lurkers think of the comments.
I am in England. Went today (16 September) to book an appointment with my GP. I was given the first available date. 14 October.
A wait of four weeks just to see a GP.
I need to get a form filled out by my GP. I was immediately told: “You may have to pay for this.”
You also have to pay for eye tests and prescriptions in England.
I would be interested to hear anecdotal evidence from those using the Scottish NHS.
Deary Me! Tartanarse, I don’t think calling thousands of your fellow Inde supporters “fuckwits” is likely to benefit the cause or to win you many arguments. You should realise that the National is a tiny part of a huge US-based paper and magazine group.
It does not support the Herald any more than one of their small town local American papers supports the Herald.
The owners saw that there was a gap in the market for the National (and, off course, a chance to make some money because that is why they are all in business.)
It is not published because the US owners support Independence for Scotland, or care one way or the other.
As Adam Smith said when discussing Capitalism ” It is not from the benevolence of the baker that we get our daily bread but because he hopes to make a profit”. It is as simple as that. No deep plot to corrupt the “gullible”. Just basic capitalism and a gap in the market.
They are currently providing what nobody else is, and that’s good for them and good for us.
However, if they don’t make money from the National, or see a future possibility of doing so, it will be closed and they will move on. It is just a cool market choice and they will have better things to invest in.
Kenny. I don’t have to wait to see my GP in Edinburgh. There are open surgeries most afternoons. I might have to wait a few days for an appointment to see a particular GP, as they share the practice as a group, but if you just need a GP appointment, you can just turn up.
Kenny, the wife was suffering from a sore back at work today, went straight to the doctors after work as she needed strong pain killers for her back.
She was seen within an hour. Tablets 20 minutes later.
Kenny@11:32
Free prescriptions and free eye tests. The longest I have ever waited for a GP appointment was about four or five days?
Kenny re access to GP’s here on Arran if you want to see a particular GP it may be the same day or several days depending on what their doing. However if you just want to see a Doctor and can travel 3 miles it’s likely to be the same or the next day. Recently I was referred to Hospital for X-ray, I saw the Doctor on the Tuesday, received an appointment for the Hospital in the post the next day and the appointment was on the Friday, So three days from consultation with Doctor to getting x-rayed.
Kenny
My wife made an appointment with our GP which was 24 hours after calling. There was also the option of speaking to the GP the same day as he keeps an hour for telephone consultations and will call you. This is the norm in Edinburgh as far as I can see, although I read that some practices are overstretched and are restricting taking new patients.
Meant to add that to wait four or five days is not normal. I can sometimes get seen within hours.
I’ve just came on to the main site and saw the last two posts
first, and looked up and saw Kenny”s post:Sunniva and One_Scot, I was at a friend’s house in Carlisle tonight and
his son went into a diabetic illness of some kind.He had to
wait 5hrs for a bed in Carlisle Hospital!
Peace Always
yesindyref2
The National`s sister papers attack independence with a ferocity and consistency that has an effect on the public, the National by comparison is soft on Unionism , the examples you have cited suggest this . The front page is dark and dull and dreary suggesting that independence is dreary and uninspiring hence the undecided voter does not read it. How many times has the National produced stories of WoS calibre, disembowelling Unionist lies with the clinical accuracy of Stuart Campbell?
I so desperately wanted the National to be an effective counter to the Unionist MSM but its sadly not. I didn`t want it to be a newsletter for the SNP but is that not what every other newspaper is for Unionism.
Its only the committed Yes voter that buys it and not the all important “don`t knows“ who we wish to target, so its a win win for the National.
Its just my opinion and we are all entitled to that.
@Kenny
Phone up to see a doctor, get seen same day, if need x-ray or test, usually hospital same day as well, usually straight in there as well. If I want to see a particular doctor, that might be the next week, though usually sooner. North Ayrshire.
The Scottish NHS is now far superior to the mess created by the Tories in England. Services are being contracted out all over the place, to private companies down there.
For Ruth Davidson of the Tory party, which is systematically destroying the NHS in England, to criticise the SNP in Scotland over our Scottish health service, is pure hypocrisy.
Scots need to realise just how awful things have become in England due to these Tories like Ruth Davidson.
R-type Grunt at 11.30
Rubbish
The National owned by a company that prints newspapers and magazines where it can do so profitably. That is all.
What absolutely tiresome crap some folk on here insist on boring us with
In case of confusion,first post I read was One_Scot 11:46
Peace Always
@McDuff
Yes, but it’s pro-indy, and its headlines are seen on display – specially if Wingers move it on top of the other papers. It’s a case of softly softly, getting the curious to read stuff which is Indy related rather than biased.
For me, the Herald is less anti-Indy than the SH these days. I think it watches The National and can’t afford not to publish stories which have a pro-indy content, so it’s become more balanced as a result. Its headlines aren’t, the Scotsman has more balanced headlines these days I think. The SH is, well, poor Iain McW is on his own I think apart from K McK.
Bias can be in the eye of the beholder, there seem to be some Unionists think the Herald is pro-Indy. Mmmm.
There is an angle on this, and that is that if a paper, writer or even poster is always ra ra ra Indy, then he or she is obviously biased and the undecided soon realise that. But if a writer is more balanced in the article / posting, critical as well as supportive, then perhaps they’re more worth reading. It’s the tack I take, hence the reduced number of upvotes these days! But perhaps that’s why I appreciate The National’s approach – and that of both Ian McW and K McK. It’s a different technique of getting the word out.
Tam Jardine says:
16 September, 2016 at 9:41 pm
*destroys phone and becomes a recluse*
Want to buy a phone Tam? only 175,000 MLS on clock, twa groats ono MOT’d til it stoaps .
@Yesindyref2, i left a note for you, a few days ago but dont think you saw it. I noted that you said you were a stats person and I linked to a couple of things for you to have a look at. I repost them here to see if you can cast your eye over them.
link to facebook.com
link to piratepress.org
press review on EBC news 24 tonight had ” Press& Journal ” ” Westminster correspondent” Lindsay Rozaq as guest tonight. ( eloquent Home Counties Ish accent).Must be some Brexit/ anti SNP propaganda to be prominently displayed ( as usual) on the P& J front pages over the coming months pertinent to the North east of Scotland then.
Ye can hear their socialist fingernails scratching the marble floor as they are being dragged out of office from the Glasgow council chambers and flung onto the pavement where they belong.
But wait! No they prefer selling their principles if it can save their sorry arses. FGS! labour in Scotland.
link to archive.is
—————————————————–
Plans afoot for new laws holding Scots football clubs responsible for fans’ behaviour
link to archive.is
tartanarse says:I’ve had a computer Since 2003.
I have a computer with Windows SE ,1998
Also one with Windows xp 2002,free to good homes!
Peace Always
Afraid the England NHS is dire and in my opinion dangerously so.
One of my daughter’s friends moved there and had a baby,things have not returned to normal for her.
After the get to see a GP fiasco,as apparently she didn’t actually have one.
…. I know….?????
There was the wait for the scan,which apparently didn’t show what they were scanning for,so she is now waiting for another scan.
Has not yet seen a consultant,has no interim diagnosis, no precautionary treatment of any kind and symptoms are worse.
Her baby will be Two in January.
Even re-telling the story sounds far fetched and makes no sense in comparison with how we understand the NHS works here.
Fluffy Mundell warns euro is price of indy Scotland in EU and…and no share of the £5bn rebate… and and other stuff! 🙂
link to archive.is
Phronesis:post at ,11:26 very relevant.
Have a look at some WW2 film of the British expeditionary Force,Brave but undernourished and small in stature.
Look at today’s modern soldiers.See the Difference?
Caused by NHS,1948 onwards IMO.
Peace Always
Fireproofjim says:
16 September, 2016 at 11:40 pm
“Deary Me! Tartanarse, I don’t think calling thousands of your fellow Inde supporters “fuckwits” is likely to benefit the cause or to win you many arguments. You should realise that the National is a tiny part of a huge US-based paper and magazine group.”
And we at WOS are a huge mainly Scottish independence group
fighting for the same cause Tartanarse,my friend.Please save
your obvious passion to fight,as I know that you already do
for that cause.No newspaper is worth a falling out with what
ostensibly are,Brothers and Sisters in arms.
Peace,Love and Like-minded Wingers
Goodnight All.
@Alan Mackintosh
Hi Alan. I did take a look over it, but election fraud isn’t my thing, it’s not something I know about, so it would take a good few hours to read the paper, do some more reading to get the understanding behind it, analayse the original and the addition. I have bookmarked all the references though. It looks competent is all I could say from a glance, small difference between postal and non-postal, but without all the previous, I’d have no idea if that was significant. Sorry to be no help.
@Alan
Plus a few weeks probably to swot through the old stats books which I actually did dig out of the attic a few weeks back, but didn’t need in the end.
link to archive.is
call me dave says: 1:11 am
“Fluffy Mundell warns euro is price of indy Scotland in EU and…and no share of the £5bn rebate… and and other stuff!”
__________________________________________________________
SS Mundell must feel like a) an errand boy and b) a complete fool. Mrs May orders him to read out this press release, written by someone from her communications office.
He is the Secretary of State for Scotland and all he is given responsibility for is reading out this silly message.
BT tried to scare us with the opposite message during IndyRef14, and now they come up with this schoolboy nonsense.
The pic of him in the Scotsman reading his note is of a man who knows he’s not smart enough for the job he has, but he has no choice but to do what Mrs May tells him. I can’t believe she is a fan of Mundell, what with him being a beard undergrowth eater and all, but as the only tory MP in Scotland, she’ll know she’s stuck with him. I can’t think of an MP more pathetic than David Mundell.
And, there’s still a smell of guilt about him from his close proximity to the libdem liar and Rowantree trust refugee Alistair Carmichael, while he was trying to smear Nicola on orders from Cameron, the UK’s worst ever Prime Minister.
A few thoughts from Alex Salmond.
link to thenational.scot
Aye, it’s comin’ fur a’ that Macart 😉
Know where my head is at?
Worst case scenario, that Theresa May triggers Article 50, the Unionist mouthpiece BBC goes into hysterical overdrive, and polls remain static and too close to call.
Under those worst case scenario circumstances, would our SNP government knuckle under to Westminster Unionism and a fudged poll majority propped up by false propaganda? Or would it throw caution to the wind and make Scotland’s place in Europe secure with a UDI?
I’m not pointing the finger at any particular demographic, but if Project Fear did succeed in unsettling the horses, isn’t there a crass logic which suggests that if these people legitimately fear change and instability, then they may be reluctant to agitate civil disorder or unrest in the event of a reluctant UDI brought about by a virtual state of emergency which exiting Europe would be?
Since Westminster and the BBC are happy to play fast and loose with democratic principles and effectively cheat by manipulating public opinion with their monopoly on broadcasting, then isn’t the reciprocal of that a Scottish government having due cause to circumvent a tainted and compromised democratic process and be fully justified in choosing the UDI path, especially when that path is underwritten by Scotlands legal but muted sovereignty, a declaration of independence would recognised instantaneously by Europe and secure continuity of EU membership, and be subsequently ratified by a multi option constitutional plebiscite?
It isn’t the blythe fairytale democratic revolution which many of us would prefer, but sooner or later, the nice game has to evolve into the winning game, and we must outplay Westminster and the BBC playing hard ball?
Not for the first time, we should be calling for Holyrood to be punching out some benchmarks, deadlines, ultimatums and lines that cannot be crossed.
Breeks:
You’ve done it agaim my friend, I tried,very clumsily to say
similar on the last thread,but you have put it much more succinctly and calmly.
Peace Always
Peace Always
Ruth Davidson is helping lead her Party to oblivion. Constant attacks on the NHS will only lead to losing even more votes. The majority people in Scotland totally support and value and NHS. To try and devalue their efforts, as the Tories in Westminster, do is just losing them even more votes. Most people in Scotland do not know who Ruth Davidson. They listen to her even less. Those that do hold the Tories in the complete contempt. They are fooling no one.
The Tories are making a complete mess of the world economy. Staggering on. They don’t know what to do next to muck up the economy. A more pathetic group could not be imagined. Committing electoral fraud with immunity. Trying to take the majority out if the EU while the majority support it. 17million out of 62million. Finding this task extremely difficult. The Multimillionaire Tories in Westminster and Holyrood are criminals who are being identified as crooks. Totally destroying the economy. Milking the public purse to line their pockets while sanctioning and starving the vulnerable.
Every lie they tell will come back to haunt them. They are despicable in every way. Beyond belief in their criminality, lies and fraud. The majority can see through them. The SNP shines like a guiding light. Head and shoulders about the rest. Making Scotland a better place and supporting the SNHS and Education. The Tory/Unionists are trying to destroy. Their criminality will come back to haunt them. Multimillionaires starving the vulnerable to line their own pockets. Enough is never enough for these people. The majority have had enough of it.
In or out of the EU/euro. Scotland would be better off out of the UK Union. The decay of rotten liars. The decades of rotten governance. The mismanagement iof the UK economy ruining the world economy. The despicable lies blaming everyone but themselves for their wanton reckless
dangerous behaviour. The greed, lust and avarice is not to be desired. The UK is the most indebted, unequal, unfair place in the world. Time to change for the better.
The newspaper people buy is entirely up to them. The ones owned by Non Dom tax evading millionaires circulation are falling. People are waking up to their lies and misreport. The journalistic race to the bottom, destroying their own industry. The MSM and Press. People have had enough of it. They now use the net and calculate. Never trust a Tory/Unionist.The National is sold out by 12 noon. People can’t get enough of them. Standing up for Scotland. Take a bow Rev Stu. Now to the next rally.
The majority in Scotland always obey the Law. Scotland is proportionately an ectirely law abiding’ country. Scotland influenced and invented everything in the world. It’s a pity some did not listen. They are listening now.
Vote SNP/SNP May 2017. Change Scotland for the better. Make your vote count.
Ken,good morning,having just read your post,it makes one wonder why some poor refugees head for England,they can not know what the place is really like.Poor people.
Peace Always
SNP MSP Clare Haughy’s Point of Order must have made Ruth Davidson’s heart freeze in her chest = )
Ms Davidison probably thought she would have the weekend for this to become old news while her poisoned dart was free to hit it’s mark yesterday, unchecked. Nae chance when there are clever switched on folk like our Clare about.
Ruth Davidson is not a bone fide politician.
Ruth Davidson is a Wannabe Clickbait Headline Fabricator.
No honesty or integrty required, in fact such decent attributes would be a hinderence to her role.
I wonder if the daft lassie realises she is being so used by London HQ, soon to be dropped and forgotten once Scotland is independent?
i’m becoming convinced that the National is the Yoons token nationalist paper to ensure we can’t claim we have no papers on the independence side.
Any failure of the next referendum cannot then be laid against the torrid attacks by the MSM because look “You have the National on your side”
Bollocks
We need a proper independence supporting paper not a weak piece o pap.
For the benefit of our unionist politicians in Holyrood, the misinformed and the ignorant who don’t understand the difference between the NHS in England and Scotland I think we should change the name of our health service to SHS (Scottish Health Service)
this would prevent the misunderstanding that led our most popular politician Ruth Davidison to make a complete arse of herself at PMQ and now no doubt find herself ridiculed in the press and TV news , forced to make a humiliating public apology and most likely suspended from parliament
All this could have been avoided by removing the ambiguity in the name in a way Ruth and her fellow unionists can understand.
Now many unionists may object to the name change (as they would anything proposed by the SNP)but if we explain it to them in words of no more than 2 syllables that it’s for their own benefit I’m sure they’ll come round to the idea
Of course things might not be as bad as they seem the MSM might turn a blind eye, the presiding officer might take the view no correction or apology is required by Ms Davidson and back to business as usual but the question is is that likely ?
Graeme
I read with interest the conflicting discussions on the pros and cons of the National. I personally think that the National is a good paper and does give good well balanced articles from a variety of pro Independence politicians and spokespersons e.g. Business for Scotland which was very prominent in putting across the financial ability of an Independent Scotland during Indyref1.
I also see the contra argument that the paper is part of a family of Newspapers that is of the Unionist persuasion. This is what appears to irk some contributers to this site. They see it as us Indepedence supporters as paying for a newspaper group that is possibly in a bit of a financial hole. I think we need a balance view and the National does provide that. Also to a certain degree the Herald and the Scotsman do provide a balanced view at times, with the odd articles, and this needs to be acknowledged.
The MSM newspapers that are really the ones that do not provide a balanced view are the ones we should be more wary of and we are. These of course include the express, mail, telegraph etc. These we need to counter and denounce as Stu does on a daily basis.
The main high points and positive aspects of Scotland that the MSM and the TV stations (primarily the BBC) do not report, unfortunately, is the good progress that our Scottish Parliment and government is achieving in all sorts of matters ranging from health and education to the countries infrastructure projects and so on.
They can’t however as they (the UK government) know this would swing the cause for Independence well over the required numbers for a majority. A point in fact to this is the hidden McCrone report which stated such a scenario if this was made public at the time.
We Independance supporters are living in interesting times. Many of us are impatient but history (Brexit) had served us with an unexpected second chance so soon after the first in 2014 which is quite remarkable.
This time we have many more aspects in our favour than last time.
1. The Labour Party in Scotland no longer exists as our main Westminster representatives.
2. The promises made by the BT have not come to fruition (as we knew they would) and the majority of the Scottish people now see this.
3. The main perpetrators of BT have all now gone including David Cameron and George Osbourne et al.
4. The current PM and their administration are in disarray due to Brexit and having no plan in place for this.
5. We are starting from a much higher support for Independance now ~48% vs ~28%, in 2014.
6. We have a large number of strong MPs representing us in the Westminster government who stand up for Scotland on a weekly basis. Although as a whole number in Westminster they have a constant fight on their hands.
7. We still have a committed Yes movemnent and we will learn from the past issues that helped to defeat us in the 2014 ref.
8. The next BT team will not be fronted by Scottish Labour MPs as they only have one and Labour in Scotland and they know how toxic that turned out to be.
9. If the next BT team is to be fronted by ex Labour MPs (most of which will have to be dragged from the HOLs) and Tories they will be on a hiding to nothing.
10. We have support from other EU member states and their representatives which will help our case for Independence.
Looking at all of the above and I’m sure I’ve missed a few more, I can’t think of anything more
positive for the Independence movement going forward. Albeit we will have a fight on our hands nonetheless.
As MaCart added above in the words of our famous bard “It’s coming yet for awe that”.
Here’s to us. Keep the faith. Goodness wins and we are good.
link to indyref2.scot
link to alynsmith.eu
link to commonspace.scot
link to raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com
link to uk.businessinsider.com
link to irishtimes.com
link to archive.is
Ken-loach-tells-jeremy-corbyn-supporters-to-phone-bbc-with-complaints-of-bias
link to archive.is
link to thecanary.co
Whatever the views of what currency we should use in an independent Scotland (euro is not an option initially I believe)I think as time has gone on the “fear” of the euro is slowly draining away. Ask any schoolchild or anyone who has gone to to Ireland , France, Spain etc on holiday in the last 2 years. They see the £ slipping in currency terms but more practical than this the euro works at a basic day to day level.
Makes me wonder if Scotland said it would use the euro there would be even more support for Scotland from EU countries.
@ CMD
Re fluffy & the EU.
These comments are just an example of reducing debate to meaningless propaganda ya boo soundbites.
The rebate issue is only able to fly because people don’t understand the funding of the EU. So is the UK position that an independent Scotland is going to be so rich that it will be a huge net contributor to the EU budget? But I thought we were too poor and too stupid?
The Euro? But we aren’t getting to use the pound Fluffy. Gideon told us so. And anyway, isn’t Scotland’s economy a basket case with a huge deficit? That would mean we failed to qualify for Euro membership. They can’t have it both ways.
They rely on people lacking sophistication to get away with this crap.
link to uk.businessinsider.com
link to irishtimes.com
link to archive.is
link to ecfr.eu
link to ericjoyce.co.uk
TheItalianJob:
Just to give credit where it’s due.
K1 says:
17 September, 2016 at 4:35 am
Aye, it’s comin’ fur a’ that Macart ?
Fixed that for you 🙂
Peace Always
@Smallaxe
Oops. Thanks for the correction.
Apologies to K1.
Sorry folks, totally messed up posting this morning. Got messages about duplicate posting and posting too fast, so I don’t know what links have gone missing.
Blame my swollen fingers!
Will check back later to see if they appear.
Nana says: posting to fast. Got the same message try again.
Re Ruthie is this the way she wants Scotland to go FM should ask her.
A new service which allows patients to book a 15-minute appointment with a GP at a local practice for £40 online could begin expanding across the UK in 2018 following successful trials in London.
@Davdb at 8.44
Ref Fluffy’s article on the EU and Scotland position.
Your posting is spot on. If only the vast percentage of people in Scotland reading that article by Fluffy could have come up with the concise points you have so elequently raised that would be something.
Well said Sir.
Scott Finlayson@8.31 pm
(Man oh man! If Rev Stu had been in Edinburgh in 1661 he would have gone bananas with hammers!)
Thank you Scott. Everyone should see that ancient document that demonstrates how a good chunk of Scotland’s history was lost at sea having been stolen from Scotland. I studied some Scottish history at university but I did not know that!
Tinto Chiel explains why this is so important.
Nana:
I’ve been jumping between posts, I wasn’t sure what one you
would post on,please be careful with those Golden fingers,we
need you in top form but not to the detriment of your fingers
Peace,Love and Pain free Fingers x
@ Yesindyref2
Thanks for looking at that. It piqued my interest a while ago, but dont know any stats people hence my post to you. From my limited view it certainly shows that the Indy ref was anomalous to every other election that was analysed. From my limited understanding of the method it was analysing the proportions of postals against normal votes and in every elction bar IR1 there is a close correlation with normal dist curve, but in IR1 it shows spikes outwith normal dist curve, which is indicative of fraud.
The front page of the National today is cracking 🙂
link to facebook.com
(No idea if that will work)
I can’t be arsed with the Judean Popular Front purism that seems to afflict some the moment they dip into politics.
Those that are not against us do us no harm.
On other matters, I briefly caught Fluffy Muddle waffling outrageously on radio shortbread. He seems to have a new tack of speaking faster and louder when on the ropes and going down for the count. It entertaining in a fish in a barrel sort of way. He said Nicola’s Indyref 2 was not helpful 🙂
link to irishtimes.com
link to archive.is
link to uk.businessinsider.com
link to ericjoyce.co.uk
link to ecfr.eu
Stooopid computers
@Smallaxe
I think they may be caught up in moderation, hope Stu will take a look and sort it out for me.
Just praying he doesn’t get the hammers out!
FFS! How hard is to post a link to a picture…..mutter mutter!
Nana: Just hold your gold badge in front of you,it acts on the
Rev like a crucifix does on Dracula. 🙂
Peace Always
HandandShrimp:Third time lucky,Bruce’s spider?
Peace Always
TheItalianJob 8.19: some excellent comments.
Yes, who is going to front Bitter Together2? Don’t think The Incredible Husk (Mr Mundell) has the presentation skills somehow. Or the cojones.
Or will all its power be diverted into an all-out, perpetual MSM barrage in a last stand for The Union?
The National is the only way of non-obsessives reading articles by WGD or GMK and so I buy a copy every day to leave in shops, cafes etc. It’s run on a shoe-string and could be better but I enjoy the letters page too. They could change the minds of casual readers.
Yes, it’s a commercial venture: the publishers get some money and we get our only mouth-piece. That seems ok to me.
IMO it would have been better to have The Paper That Supports Scotland as the tag line: difficult to argue with that sentiment, surely?
Finally, can you imagine the Crowing of the Yoons if it folded?
Trying from a different computer. Fingers X’d
link to uk.businessinsider.com
link to irishtimes.com
link to archive.is
@Tinto Chiel
Thanks. Agree with you we need to keep the National as its prominent as as part of our newspaper distribution in our supermarkets and shops.
@Smallaxe
I wonder if the gold badge worked or perhaps it was the garlic hanging round my neck, some pong!
Well there they are and what a motley skewed bunch of links
Next time I will just go lie down and leave well alone.
Best apologise to the Rev, sorryyyyy
Stop laughing at the back!
Excellent work as usual, Wings Over Scotland.
Nana: Well done my love,the badge will also protect you from
Yoons, EBC propaganda and Ruth the mooth,not that you need it
for any of these obviously.x
Peace Always
As this thread is nearing its sell by date, I hope no one minds if I leave this.
Dear Smallaxe,
My name is Moussa Ouedraogo, and I’m a Human Rights Coordinator for Amnesty International in Burkina Faso.
Before I started working with Amnesty, I was a school teacher in Burkina Faso. I always worried when a girl stopped coming to class, because it usually meant her family had sold her off to be married.
Their fathers told me that even though they know child marriage is illegal, upholding tradition is more important. They don’t see the point in sending their daughter to school. Like the generation before them, they see their daughter as nothing more than property to be traded.
The situation is urgent. Many girls who are forced to marry end up pregnant before they’ve even turned 15. Girls are dying because their bodies are simply too young to cope with the trauma of childbirth. I also know of girls who’ve died after being infected with HIV by their new husband.
Help end child marriage in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone – donate today
But the situation is not hopeless. The tide is changing in Burkina Faso. Girls are learning that they can say no to being ripped out of school, no to being forced to have sex, and no to being married off while they’re still children. They’re standing up for their rights. But they can’t do it alone.
You can help support our work in schools to make sure every girl knows she has a right to an education, and the right to have a say in what happens to her body.
Join the revolution to end child marriage
My Amnesty colleagues and I have learned from our years of experience working with communities that only education can bring about lasting social change. That is why we run education programmes in five communities in Burkina Faso, teaching them about the rights of girls and women.
We hold weekly meetings with parents and traditional leaders to show them that another future for young girls is possible – one where they can finish school and live independently.
And change is already happening. I’ve had parents tell me they’ve changed their minds about child marriage after coming to an Amnesty-led workshop – and decided not to marry off their daughters. We know from the numbers that more girls are staying in school and fewer are being married off. With your help, we hope to reach over 7,000 girls at risk of child marriage in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
Donate today
Thank you.
Regards,
Moussa Ouedraogo
Human Rights Coordinator, Amnesty International Burkina Faso
Donate now
Donate
Supporting Amnesty with a regular gift or donation is the best way you can help us achieve our long term goals.
Your help will allow us to keep up the pressure,
demanding justice for victims of human rights abuses.
Peace Always
Nana: Irish Times link seems not to be working.
Don’t rush to fix,have a cuppa and a wee rest.x
Peace Always
@Smallaxe
Ach smallaxe that will be because I’m not working properly myself!
Try the direct link and while you are there clik on the home page, there is usally some interesting articles. xx
link to irishtimes.com
Nana: You are an absolute Treasure,Thank you.
Peace,and Love Nana
Nothing funny about that!
GREENPEACE
Hi Smallaxe,
Yesterday, the government gave Hinkley nuclear power station the green light.
This means that government ministers have decided to ignore energy experts who’ve said Hinkley is a bad idea [1]. They decided to lock Britain into building a nuclear reactor that hasn’t yet been proven to work. And they decided to ignore the hundreds of thousands of us who signed a huge petition calling for Hinkley to be canned.
This is – quite literally – a deal that doesn’t make sense. The government knows that electricity from renewables is predicted to be cheaper than Hinkley by the time it comes online. And the government knows there are huge obstacles Hinkley faces, like if technology used in the reactor will be proven to be safe [2].
For more than a decade, successive British governments have insisted that new nuclear plants should play a big role in powering the UK. But all we have to show for it is Hinkley — a power station that’s 9 years behind schedule, won’t be ready for at least a decade, and is billions of pounds over budget.
All the time Hinkley has suffered setbacks, the UK has kept relying on fossil fuels. Tackling climate change is too urgent for the government to keep sitting on its hands and waiting. That’s why we should be urgently investing in renewables now, not wasting huge sums of cash on a power station that may or may not be possible to build.
Though the result isn’t what we hoped for, it’s important to remember that the Hinkley project could still turn to dust. There are fears that EDF – the French energy firm building Hinkley’s reactor – could go bankrupt [3]. And no one’s sure if crucial technology set to be used in the nuclear plant will ever work [4].
Whatever happens next with Hinkley, personally I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together in just the last few months.
Together we’re a worldwide movement of people who are determined to protect the planet — for us, and for generation to come. So let’s keep working toward a clean energy future. Because together, we will win.
Thank you,
Richard
Greenpeace UK
PS. The nuclear industry is doing all it can to spin Hinkley as a good deal for Britain. Here’s a Facebook video that anyone can share to help prove them wrong.
link to secure.greenpeace.org.uk
NOTES
1. A few of the experts who have spoken out against Hinkley are listed on this page:
link to greenpeace.org.uk
2. ‘Safety flaw casts fresh doubt on Hinkley reactor’
link to thetimes.co.uk
3. EDF board member warns Hinkley Point C is ‘too expensive and could bankrupt’ the energy firm
link to dailymail.co.uk
4. The European pressurised reactor, which is set to be used at Hinkley Point C, is not yet commercially operational. The EPR that’s under construction at Flamanville in France is experiencing serious difficulties:
link to theguardian.com
NHSS – naw, widnae dae. Dae it slowly different weiys, in yull come tae ah no-no.
Rock – still waiting fur yurr ane rag.
Ian – wear yurr kilt there, whin ye waant.
FuK sales last-quarter awricht, bit Scoattish sales sluggish. Radio Scoattlin erses, dialling-in tae yoan nation.
[…] appreciate the full extent of Davidson’s blunder I commend this article published on Wings Over […]
GREENPEACE
Hi Smallaxe
Yesterday, the government gave Hinkley nuclear power station the green light.
This means that government ministers have decided to ignore energy experts who’ve said Hinkley is a bad idea [1]. They decided to lock Britain into building a nuclear reactor that hasn’t yet been proven to work. And they decided to ignore the hundreds of thousands of us who signed a huge petition calling for Hinkley to be canned.
This is – quite literally – a deal that doesn’t make sense. The government knows that electricity from renewables is predicted to be cheaper than Hinkley by the time it comes online. And the government knows there are huge obstacles Hinkley faces, like if technology used in the reactor will be proven to be safe [2].
For more than a decade, successive British governments have insisted that new nuclear plants should play a big role in powering the UK. But all we have to show for it is Hinkley — a power station that’s 9 years behind schedule, won’t be ready for at least a decade, and is billions of pounds over budget.
All the time Hinkley has suffered setbacks, the UK has kept relying on fossil fuels. Tackling climate change is too urgent for the government to keep sitting on its hands and waiting. That’s why we should be urgently investing in renewables now, not wasting huge sums of cash on a power station that may or may not be possible to build.
Though the result isn’t what we hoped for, it’s important to remember that the Hinkley project could still turn to dust. There are fears that EDF – the French energy firm building Hinkley’s reactor – could go bankrupt [3]. And no one’s sure if crucial technology set to be used in the nuclear plant will ever work [4].
Whatever happens next with Hinkley, personally I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together in just the last few months.
Together we’re a worldwide movement of people who are determined to protect the planet — for us, and for generation to come. So let’s keep working toward a clean energy future. Because together, we will win.
Thank you,
Richard
Greenpeace UK
PS. The nuclear industry is doing all it can to spin Hinkley as a good deal for Britain. Here’s a Facebook video that anyone can share to help prove them wrong.
link to secure.greenpeace.org.uk
NOTES
1. A few of the experts who have spoken out against Hinkley are listed on this page:
link to greenpeace.org.uk
2. ‘Safety flaw casts fresh doubt on Hinkley reactor’
link to thetimes.co.uk
3. EDF board member warns Hinkley Point C is ‘too expensive and could bankrupt’ the energy firm
link to dailymail.co.uk
4. The European pressurised reactor, which is set to be used at Hinkley Point C, is not yet commercially operational. The EPR that’s under construction at Flamanville in France is experiencing serious difficulties:
link to theguardian.com
Peace Always
Agree with breeks 5.42am. When Westminster announce Brexit.surely the snp along with the smaller parties will then have a mandate to declare udi? . Otherwise it will be more msm/BBC lies, and a rigged referendum once again. It’s time to take the kid gloves off with westminster.
H&S
JPF ? It’s the PFofJ too ! Splittist poseurs both.
There IS a message, which seems to be working so far, but still some amongst us are unable, or unwilling to get with it.
Caw canny gaining the trust of the nation, persevere, and the prize is ours.
300 odd years of conditioning takes quite some washing out.
‘300 odd years of conditioning takes quite some washing out.’
I’ll take some ‘comfort’ from that….
(coat oan)
This is fundamentally, why the BBC does not serve Scotland. They consistently report ‘news’ and do not clarify context of whether it relates to England or Scotland.
We all know they do this deliberately and that there is no dubiety any more on that score. The Tory’s will also always equally be liars… It’s what they do.
Yes. I called the BBC liars. They are. Ignorance of the law would not be an excuse for me… Ignorance of the political situation is not an excuse for the BBC. Their institution is a cesspool of crap.
England’s empire was founded on sectarian division.
Petra,
“@ Rock at 6:31pm …….. ‘The National and the Sunday Herald’.
Are you getting paid commission?”
It looks that the likes of yourself, Valerie, Dave McEwan Hill, yesindyref2 etc are for lobbying here on their behalf.
The National’s circulation would be boosted if it carried a daily article written by “the rev”.
Until such time as it truly reflects the aspirations of it’s readership it will remain to be an opportunist venture published with intent to make money and nothing else
The curious logic of a unionist. When the first referendum was called support for indie was 30%. But they agreed there was a need for a referendum as majority in Holyrood. We achieved 45%.
2 years later we have a majority pro indi in parking. Indi support is 48% plus consistently. Yet the Yoons think there is no reason to have a referendum.
I am not Einstein but I reckon they are cacking their breeches.
Also Davis cup Brit fest looks like a Rangers game. I have no attachment to any of that guff. So cannot support the team that I want Scotland out of.